The King Of Nothingby Lighting AceChaptersEnd Of The Road (Edited By PW D.R Fur And Okoro06)Negotiation In Broad Daylight (Edited By PW)Welcoming Committee (Edited By Phetiamwantip)First Impressions (Edited By Phetiamwantip)The Cursed Tale Of Amon (Edited By Phetiamwantip)The Nightmare Lullaby (Edited By PW)Breakfast And Meetings (Edited by PW)The First 3 Rules Of Friendship (Edited by PW)Heroic Entrance (Edited By PW)Meeting As Freaky As Friday (Edited By PW)Midnight Friends And Foes (Edited By PW)Amon The Kind Begger (Edited By PW)The Royal Scolding (Edited By PW)Midnight Stroll (Edited By PW)Deliveration And Next Move (Edited By PW)Reckoning Part 1 (Edited By PW)Q&A And Healing Time (Edited by PW)Venting Steam (Edited By PW)The Liquid Cake Incident (Edited By PW)New Dawn, New Revelation (Edited By PW)Treating Emotional Wounds (Edited By PW)Old Plans New Angles ( Edited By PW)Improvised Networking (Edited By PW)Tuition Schedule And First New Lesson (Edited By Pw And Okoro06)Luna Stress Valve (Edited by PW and Okoro06)Flight 101 (Edited By PW and Okoro06)Morning Committed (Edited By PW, and Oroko06)End Of The Road (Edited By PW D.R Fur And Okoro06) With a tired gaze and moving on autopilot, an extremely tall stallion with light blue fur and a very long and messy mane that reaches his hips, marches through the middle of a forest without a care. His ragged and dirty clothes consisted of black fingerless gloves, a long open black sweater with mod and big stitches and cloth patches on top of a light discolored shirt, a long green scarf, light blue pants with a hole for his messy long silver tail, black boots with a series of thick stitches that barely held them together, a red beanie with a hole for his dark blue horn, and a dirty and big cloak tied together to a considerable bag he carried over his right shoulder. Reaching a dirty road, the stallion looks both ways for upcoming traffic before continuing his march from the edge of the road until nightfall. At nightfall, he enters more profoundly into the forest and makes an improvised camp, sitting on a fallen log and eating from a can of beans while admiring the starry night. The following day, the stallion manages to reach a town where ponies keep avoiding him like a plague, both in repulsion and fear, after taking a glance at him. Looking to his right, the stallion notices how a couple of ponies dressed in police outfits give him the stink eye and follow him around. Turning an alleyway, the stallion kneeled and put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes. Smirking, the two ponies took their batons and beat the stallion repeatedly, laughing and insulting him. By sunset, the stallion reached a street full of ponies dressed like him, gathered around a fire in a trash can. Joining the group, the ponies shared what little food they had with one another, and the stallion even shared some of his rations with them. Nobody said a word and just enjoyed a small moment of peace. Continuing his march, the stallion found himself on a train cart with other homeless ponies, admiring the blue sky from the open door and taking a deep, long sigh. Once reaching another town and feeling hungry, the stallion begs for change while resting at the edge of an alleyway. Managing to get a small amount, the stallion was surprised and attacked by another homeless stallion who only grunted and screamed with a rusty knife in his bloody right hand and foamy mouth, demanding the change. The stallion remained stoic during the assault and calm and collected, almost bored by the crazy pony's actions. Moments later, the personnel of a help center for drug addicts were startled when the crazy pony that tried to assault the stallion was violently thrown inside the second floor of the building, unconscious and with a bloody mouth. The stallion walked away and put the rusty knife in his bag, using his earnings to buy a book. The librarian urges him to leave the place and virtually tosses books at him so he moves faster; the stallion remains calm and picks up all of them on his way out. Returning to the forest, the stallion found a small cavern big enough for him to lay down and read once he finished improvising a door with some logs and vines around the area. A manticore soon found him and tried to claw his way inside, yet the stallion remained jaded. He looked at the animal before grabbing into a log and tying together the rusty knife on one edge. Walking slower, the stallion kept dragging the corpse of the manticore from the edge of another dirty road until he heard low growls in the distance, which made him stop. Sitting on top of a tree, the stallion saw a group of timberwolves eating the manticore corpse. The stallion uses the tail and a piece of the mane of the manticore to fix parts of his clothes. Once the coast was clear, the stallion stepped down from the tree with the manticore's tail safe in his bag. Grabbing a couple of the remaining bones, the stallion kept his march, repeating the process. Selling what he could beg in the street and letting the local authorities have fun beating him up. Under the full moon's gaze, the stallion took full advantage of his privacy and the nearby river to wash himself and his clothes, pouring water onto his face. The stallion looked at his reflection in the water, seeing all the bruises on his toned and cut chest. The water dissipated gradually in front of his eyes before he looked at his hands and wept silently, closing his eyes and clenching his fist. Eventually, the stallion reached his next destination, a sophisticated and glamorous city on the edge of a mountain with a castle at the far end of it. The stallion stopped to consider stopping by or keep walking until he had to hug himself from the cold and started seeing snow falling, helping him decide as he marched inside, glancing at the city entrance. “Welcome to Canterlot,” read a giant sign. “Well, Canterlot, let's see if you’re different from the other cities.” 2 months later, With Hearth's Warming Eve just around the corner, the streets of Canterlot were filled with decorations and all sorts of activities, with the ponies enjoying the festivities with glee and eagerly awaiting the day of celebration. From his usual spot in an alleyway in front of Donut Joe, the stallion sits and smiles in contentment as families enjoy their day, and he takes personal joy in smelling the recently baked goods that Joe offers; his line of thought is suddenly interrupted when he hears a voice next to him. "You know, there are better ways to enjoy a donut, Ragged." The stallion looked to his right to find a unicorn stallion with purple fur and silver tail, the helmet on his face preventing the stallion from seeing his mane, dressed in golden armor and with a red scarf over his neck, offering a jelly-filled donut to the stallion. "Have you considered applying for a job?" Chuckling, Ragged shook his head and took the donut from the royal guard before leaning against one of the walls in the alley. "If only things were that easy, Purple. We’ve had this chat before. No pony in his right mind would hire a 10-foot-tall, analphabet homeless stallion," Ragged replied calmly. In the first few days, Ragged was fully prepared to deal with the local authorities and their propensity to use him to discharge some anger or have a bit of sadistic fun. Instead, he was blindsided by how the royal guards seemed more than respectful to those struggling and often offered help and guidance to escape their current situation. Purple Heart, in particular, seemed to be almost a saint in how much he wanted to help Ragged get a better life by offering some food, some bits, or constantly offering tips and suggestions on how to improve his condition, most of the time involving him moving into a refugee camp and finding the correct ponies that could allow him to put his life back together, always ready to hear his past and what troubles him and respectful each time Ragged asked him not to dig any further. All of that becomes the routine for both of them, as they have some casual chat before going their separate ways and joke around each time they want, like right now. "Not with that attitude; they won't. Seriously, Ragged, if only you cleaned yourself up a little, worked on your resume, and did some job interview practices. I wouldn't mind lending you a hoof and..." "Purple, we talked about this. Please, let's not have this conversation again. I wouldn't say I like shelters, and it is not a matter of pride either. You have never been in one, but the place is not as safe as you think; everyone is out to steal your stuff and pin you as a thief. Just to barely fit, I need two beds; the rooms are cubes that a pony of your size can barely stand in, and they want two or more ponies to stay, so it is a no-go for me, and the less you know about the community showers, the better." "Okay, fair. And, as I said before, Canterlot refugees are nothing like that nightmare you went through. I heard they have a mixed bathhouse now. Ragged, you know? Mares!... BATHING?! As in beautiful mares naked and helping each other bathe." Ragged looked at him with a stoic face before pointing at him. "Okay, first of all, ew; second of all, you need a cold shower dude, and find a herd a.s.a.p.; and third, the refugee camp I was in before also had a mixed bathhouse and believe me when I say the idea you are having is less the beginning of a porno and more the setting for a horror movie," he fired back with a stoic expression before sighing. "Look, Purple, I appreciate the gesture, and I understand what you are trying to say, but trust me, I can take care of myself here," he repeats before walking into the alley. "The weather team says that tonight there will be a snowstorm! A dangerous one that only an alicorn could survive. Please, Ragged, at least for one day. That's all I ask. I don't want to start patrolling tomorrow only to find a 10-foot popsicle of you lying on the street," Purple begs, making Ragged sigh and close his eyes. "One night! And I will not take any bed; I will go, eat, brace the storm, and then I'm out!" Ragged starts turning around to see the royal guard and lifts one finger in front of him. Satisfied, the stallion smiles and nods. "I can take that. Let's go together, and I can give you a tour of the place..." Purple offers yet Ragged step back. "Ja, nice try, but believe it or not, I have something to do first." "You got a job!?" Purple exclaims in complete shock. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. You can close your jaw now," Ragged smirks and crosses his arms. "Well, what is it then? Can't it wait?" Purple asks with a raised eyebrow. "Afraid not. A mare on the upper side of the city asked me if I could find some berries she needed for a special dessert she was making in exchange for some bits. The berries can only be found on the city's outskirts near the forest." "That's on the other side of the city!" Purple exclaims. “No, it's worse than that; she asks you to go outside the city during a storm alert, wander around the nearby forest, and then go there… for some berries?" Ragged nodded and shrugged. "Hey, bits are bits, and it seems easy enough, so I better get a move on," he said as he walked away. "Ragged, I swear, you better not be making this out; whatever that mare offers, you better demand that she double it. I'm serious about the storm. You cannot do this; start a fire to keep yourself warm. If you stay out, you will die!" Purple yells at him, yet Ragged waves at him before putting his hands in his pockets and casually exiting the alleyway from the other side. Picking up his stuff, Ragged started his journey outside the city, ignoring the usual glares and disgust from the ponies that took a glance at him. Something he had grown used to and honestly preferred to the alternative as he saw a lot of mares acting like horny teenagers leering and looking at stallions with lustful eyes as if they were a piece of meat; some stallions even seemed to have a mare on each arm with a big grin on his face and not a care in the world, and those singles didn't seem to mind putting on a show for the mares who were anything but subtle in their advantages. Of all the places Ragged had visited, the same thing had happened, but Canterlot by far seems to have the horniest of mares that just because they think they are better than anyone else, they believe they can pick any stallion as if they were a standard candy. With a sigh and a disapproving shake of his head, Ragged keeps moving. God, enlighten them so that they don't seem to have any shame. He kept thinking until a particular group appeared before Ragged, bringing his mood down even further. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Canterlot local freak," A teenage unicorn colt with light green fur, a blue polo shirt, beige short pants, and a white sweater that he was wearing a scarf proclaimed to the rest of his snobbish friends while they were carrying long cups of coffee, all of them smirking at him and wearing the same clothes with different colors. "Did you get lost, sticks? The circus is over there," the colt replies, pointing to his right as his companions laugh. "Now, now, Clink. Let's not be so mean to the monster; he probably doesn't understand us," another stallion, a deep red one with a yellow and long mane, replied before addressing Ragged. "We should speak slower, Mop, home? Are you lost? Do you need help?" He starts addressing him in a crude, caveman-like tone as Ragged remains stoic and lets the colts have their fun, exchanging insults and trying to anger him to no avail until they stop laughing and there is an awkward silence around them. "Are we done?" Ragged asked with a raised eyebrow, catching the Colts off guard. They were not expecting that reply, as he seemed to scold them like a parent would their child, until Ragged sighed, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Listen, junior, I'm kind of busy right now, and I don't have time to play with you or your fuck buddies," he mentions with a stern voice, alerting the group and making them gasp as a group seemed to be gathering around them, yet Ragged wasn't done yet. "So why don't you go grab each other's dicks somewhere else or go to your mommies for your daily nursing since you all seem cranky as is." The group remains frozen as they hear some bystanders chuckle at the burn while Ragged resumes his journey until one of them trips him over and brings him to his knees. "Careful, freak. You better watch where you are going. You don't want to leave a crater, right?" Clink tells him as he and his group laugh at what happened while Ragged cleans himself up. "Thanks. I will keep it in mind." Ragged only smiled and started cleaning himself up, making Clink even angrier. So he approached the stallion and poured his beverage over Ragged's head. "Here you are, so that you can chill with this hot weather," he replied sarcastically as Ragged discovered he was holding a frozen frappuccino that was now bathing his beanie, part of his mane, head, scarf, and shirt. Some drops reached his mouth, which Ragged decided to taste and shake his head. "Thanks," Ragged continued to smile and stood up. "Anyway, as I say, I'm in a hurry, and you should be too. I heard a mare's nipples start to hurt if they spend too much time without being milked." He doubled down and smirked at Clink as he growled and tossed his empty cup at his chest. "You freak of nature, don't forget your place! You are nothing compared to me; you are nothing, period!" Ragged stayed quiet and crossed his arms, irritating the group until they left. With a sigh, Ragged resumed his walk and soon found himself outside the city and in the forest, where he started looking for the unique berries that a mare asked of him, smirking when he found precisely the ones he was looking for. In her pride, the mare never thought Ragged could tell the difference, so she asked him to pick poisonous berries, no doubt in some strange political game of hers, where she could use him as a scapegoat. Yet Ragged knew exactly what she was trying to do and decided to play a little prank on her, picking a similar type of berry, harmless but valuable as a potent laxative, starting a small bonfire, and in a metal cup, he boiled some water from a nearby river, and using some petals and herbs to paint the berries red to match the ones in the description the mare wanted. Then he uses some leaves and rocks to make a powder that will have the same effect and power, although it will take time before it takes effect. He smears it carefully on his gloves to avoid getting affected by the parting gift to said mare. Enjoy your trip to the toilet, bitch; let's see how you like being poisoned. Satisfied with his plan and the berries matching his desired color, Ragged returned to the city for the sun to start setting. Just as Purple informed him, the night was getting chillier than usual, not helped by Chip's "special gift" that made Ragged feel even colder, and making Purple’s suggestion all the more enticing, yet Ragged persevered and marched onwards to the upper-class district of Canterlot and more specifically the food avenue where, after some time, he managed to reach a local elegant bakery with a sign of bread on the front door. "Ms. Beckley? Are you there?" Ragged knocks hard on the back door a couple of times until a slightly chubby unicorn mare with yellow fur and ginger mane combed into a bulb and covered in a net answers the door and starts to look frantically everywhere. She wore a full white chef uniform, matching her white apron, and was currently covered in flour. "Not so loud!" she harshly whispered before asking him to enter the spacious kitchen. He agreed and stepped inside, ducking his head and stepping aside so Beckley could close the door behind him. She then turned to look at him with a smile and expectful glee. "Do you have them?" "Right here," Ragged showed her a plastic bag with the "red" berries she requested, making her squeak in delight and carefully grab them. "This is it, the berries I needed. Thank you so much, Ragged. And you made sure nobody saw you?" Rolling his eyes, Ragged crossed his arms. "Don't worry, I stuck to the shadows and ensured none of your competitors saw me. Your secret ingredient is safe." "Good, and thank you for taking the extra steps. I know it's weird, but in this throat-cutting culinary world, you would be surprised at the lengths the competition would go to take you out." She explained pouring the berries into a cake mixer and adding other ingredients before blending them. He raged internally, chuckling at his little prank and how it was taking form. "I could only imagine, so not to be rude, but if only you could pay me what we agreed, I would be out of your..." "Oh, of course, of course, your payment as we agreed," Beckley said, stepping out of the kitchen for a moment before returning with a small sack full of bits in it. "Twenty bits, as we discussed," she smiled and handed it over before grabbing his hand and fluttering her eyelashes at him. "You know, Ragged, I was considering that despite being homeless, dirty, and freakishly tall, you have an appealing face for such a tall, attentive stallion. I may have other uses for you in the kitchen. If you play your cards right, I could make your life all the easier," she mentions, stepping closer and closer toward him. Smiling, Ragged grabbed her other hand and looked her in the eyes. "I don't think your husband may approve of said use, ma'am." "I won't tell if you don't." She fires back, thinking they are in a game until Ragged snorts and pats her cheek. "Thanks, but no thanks. This is too much heat for me, and you know what they say about kitchens and heat. Do I smell something burning?" he asks out of the blue, sniffing the air. Immediately, Beckley turns around in horror and starts to sniff, but she doesn't detect anything burning, even though she remembers that she hadn’t put anything in the oven yet. Looking back, she discovers the back door of her establishment open, and big footsteps lead out into the beginning of the storm. Putting on his hood for extra protection, Ragged starts to shiver and keeps hugging himself in a futile attempt to keep himself warm. The cold and wind picked up force and reminded him of how parts of his clothes are still wet, the holes in his boots increasing the cold and making each step more and more painful. AH, damn it! Purple was suitable; if I stay too long in this cold, I will end up a frozen corpse; I am heading to that fucking refugee camp. Ragged started to run, trying to get away from the storm as fast as he could, yet with the wind and snow in his face, not to mention his mane getting in the way, it became increasingly challenging to see where he was going, and before he could make out anything, he stumbled and tripped against some trash cans that, despite the raging blizzard, produced just enough noise to alert a group of ponies dressed in formal attire and exiting what looks to be a formal gala for the festivities. "Well, would you look at that, guys? It's our old pal Mud Stick." Clip's voice immediately made Ragged groan, and he closed his eyes. Oh, for Fuck's sake, no. Please, god, anyone but this asshole and his team of bootlickers. With a sigh, Ragged stood up and cleaned himself from some snow before looking back. His fears were confirmed when he saw the group of stallions in question wearing formal and elegant black tuxedos and grinning at him. Trying to remain calm, Ragged smiled and put the trashcans back in place. "Evening, gentlestallions, what a crazy night we are having, right?" "Indeed, Muddy, with such a big storm, any dangerous freaks might get desperate and try to do something stupid like break private property," Clip mentions as the group approaches. Understanding their intent Ragged looked around, realizing that in his haste, he must have made a wrong turn and, without realizing it, entered a private park connected to an elegant mansion that was having a party, and Clip either lived or was invited to said party. With that realization, Ragged looked at the group again. "Look, guys, please, you made your point; you have everything, and I don't. I'm the king of nothing and will ever be lucky to have the scraps on your table; I'm just dirt under hooves. Isn't that enough?" "It's a start, but you see, Mud Stick, there is the issue of you making us look like fools in front of everyone earlier," Clip reminds him before hitting his stomach. The colt was so pathetic that Ragged barely perceived it, and judging by how Clip was holding his hand and wriggling in pain, the action hurt him more. Yet, to not escalate the situation, Ragged played along and held his stomach, pretending that Clip had just punched the air out of his lungs, kneeling in front of him. "Right," Ragged whistle and chuckle. "That was wrong; I'm sorry, Mr. Clip." "Oh no! You are not, not yet, but you will," Clip demands, having recovered and looking at him with the same sick grin other guards have given Ragged in the past. "As I said, you are invading private property; we are just defending ourselves from a dangerous freak crashing our party before dragging him away." He points behind him, and Ragged sees a group of noble ponies admiring the show from the balcony as if this were part of the party. With a resigned expression, Ragged nods and extends his arms. "Just be quick, would you? The storm is picking up, and I must reach the refugee camp before it is too late." "Right, because it would be such a shame if you ended up frozen to death," Clip replied sarcastically before punching his face; the same thing occurred, and there was blood on Ragged’s face, except it wasn't his blood. The rush of adrenaline or the cold might have been the reason, yet neither Clip nor his friends noticed how, for each hit they made, their knuckles started to bleed as they laughed. The audience behind them was too far to see either and was cheering at the sight of the blood being spilled and Ragged selling the act. They are just kids; better let them have their fun until they get tired and let me leave, Ragged thought as he lay on the ground face down as the group started stomping on him, their hooves beginning to hurt him, yet he kept enduring. "What the heck do you have on your back? Your bed?" One asks, confused by the two lumps on his back, which also confuses the others before they chuckle. "I bet you spent a lot of time picking the cardboard for it. Too bad it's broken now." They laughed when they heard an audible crack underneath his trench coat. "Maybe we are doing Canterlot a favor, considering everything, the freak might have stolen it," They kept laughing as they continue to stomp his back, Ragged enduring and clenching his fist into the snow, waiting for them to finish their game until a familiar voice made them stop and for the first time in the evening made Ragged feel afraid. "What the heck is going on here?" The angry and exasperated sound of Purple alerted everyone as he, along with two other royal guards, one a pegasus mare with the same fur and a red earth pony stallion with muscle mass, rushed toward them and didn't waste time glaring at the teenagers who were starting to back away. "He was invading officers; we were just defending ourselves," Clip quickly answered as the mare and stallion started interrogating the group, and the nobles from the balcony corroborated their story. Meanwhile, Purple was tending to Ragged and helping him stand up. "Stay with me, Ragged; we will get you help." "Purple, you are making a mistake; you need to get away from me," Ragged warned him in alarm. "Like hell I will! Dude, you are fucking bleeding right now." Purple insists, bringing Ragged an arm over his shoulder. "It's not my blood, and more importantly," A high pitch startled the two as Ragged started to look around. "No, no, no, it's too soon. It can't be here already." "What? What is it? Ragged, is there something you are not telling me about?" Purple asks, looking around as the guards force the group to enter the mansion. They are more than alert that the blizzard is becoming so strong that nobody can see anything. Inside the mansion, no pony can see what is happening outside. A mare screams, getting everyone's attention. "My baby, what did that brute do to you?!" A skinny unicorn mare wearing a cocktail dress and a red boa holds Clip's hands as they finally discover how they are bleeding. Outside the mansion, the screech returns and circles the group as Ragged tries to push Purple away. "I need to get away, NOW!" He insists, yet Purple does not let him go. "Are you insane?! We are not leaving you." "There is a blizzard, you are wounded, and a monster is nearby. Like hell, we would let you fend for yourself," the pegasus says as she hovers near them. "You don't get it; that thing is here for me. I'm cursed, and if any pony gets too close to me..." He can't finish the sentence as a stallion soon falls unconscious, a vast diagonal slash appearing on his chest; if it wasn't for his armor, he might have ended up cut in half. Taking out their weapons, the remaining guards look in horror as a pair of red eyes emerge from the blizzard. From a black mist appears what looks to be a creature with the lower half of a black snake, mantis arms, a woman with breasts, a chest, and the head of a jackal as she screeches at them with blood-red eyes and a snake-like tongue. "No!" Both the mare and Ragged exclaim as they rush at the creature, the monster easily dodging the attacks of the pegasus, who uses two small swords and blades on the edge of her wings to try and cut it. Yet, it had no avail as the snake-like creature managed to dodge them and was about to cut her right wing if Ragged did not grab its arm and hold its place. "Forget about me; take your friend and run!" He yells at her in fear. The mare took advantage of Ragged, holding the beast, to take out a crystal ball and toss it at the monster, but it exploded in contact and trapped her in a crystal cocoon. "And like I said, not going to happen; in case you forgot, we are royal guards! We made an oath to protect everyone," she reminded him in irritation before poking his forehead. "That includes you." "Ragged, what is that thing? How did you know it was coming?" Purple asks in astonishment as he tends to the stallion's wound, which puts him in a healing dome. "I told you, I'm cursed. The longer you remain near me, the more at risk your life is," he repeated before they heard more growls and screeches starting to surround them. "Please, I beg of you, leave me alone," Ragged begged as he started to back away, only for the pegasus to get in his way. "Not. Happening. If you are cursed, then you need our help, end of the..." She doesn't have time to finish her statement as a mace hits the side of her head, sending her flying into a topiary, with Clip posing as a saint with his arms extended. The mare lay unconscious with some blood dripping from the side of her head as copies of the female monster appeared, alongside a creature with elephant legs, a boar face, and the upper half of a gorilla holding a wooden and thick mace, all of which were starting to approach Ragged and Purple. Holding the arms of one of the female monsters, Ragged glares at them. "You won, I'm still miserable and I don't have any friends so leave me alone." The monster doesn't reply, and they seem to be approaching Purple, which scares Ragged. "No!" Clenching the arm of the monster with all his force, Ragged managed to rip them off and slice her in half before launching one of the arms and decapitating the boar creature. Rushing to the pegasus, Ragged picks her up with one arm and rushes to Purple, putting her in the dome next to the stallion. With a stoic expression, Ragged points at the creatures with the remaining arm of the she-monster. "Not anymore; I will not let you kill anyone else," he promises before putting down his bag and taking out the edge of the manticore tail to have as a second weapon. More shadow monsters kept appearing. Running on adrenaline alone and ignoring his wounds, Ragged kept fighting and drawing their attention as they kept cutting and hitting his body constantly until he was coughing blood and covered in cuts and wounds. One of the she-monsters managed to slash his back, ripping his shirt and revealing something that made Purple gasp in astonishment. Two long, light blue wings emerge from his back as Ragged turns around to impale the head of the monster and keep the rest at bay, the royal guard noticing how the right wing seems to be broken. "Ragged, y-y-you… you’re a..." Purple tries to say something in between stutters until the monster almost kills him if not for Ragged using the manticore tail to stab her shoulder and drag her toward him to be sliced in half by the ox-like arm. "A true freak of nature, I know. Let's not make a big deal about it," Ragged complains before he keeps fighting. An enormous boar creature soon appeared when the other monsters fell and turned back into black mist. This one also had the nose and tusk of an elephant and was getting ready to charge. With his strength fading fast and finding one of his weapons lost, Amon looked around for a way to defend himself and the ponies around him, until he saw another fence near him. Getting an idea and grabbing the mare's sword, he rushed to the monster, who tried to swat him away as he charged. Jumping into his arm and running toward his neck, Ragged managed to impale the manticore's tail and barely wrap it around before jumping down and using the mare's sword to cut the tendon of one of its legs. Without the support and from the surprise, the creature started to lose his balance as Ragged used what was left of his shirt, tied it to the edge of the tail, and then created a rope that he pulled and made the creature fall backward and into the spiky fence, impaling his head against it. Once it became mist again, Ragged sighed and kneeled on the ground, remembering how exhausted and wounded he was before falling face-first unconscious into the snow. At that moment, Purple teammates wake up with a startle, and their wounds partially heal. "Purple Heart? What happens? Did we win? The last thing I remember was being cut by something," the stallion said before looking down at his open chest. What could cut steel this easily?" "Ah, guys, did I get a concussion, or is that stallion a...?" The mare asked until Purple interrupted her. "I know, Bliss, I'm freaking out too, but right now, he is wounded, and the storm is only going to get worse. We need to bring him to safety quickly! Help me out, Bricks." The stallion nods as they both take one of Ragged's arms and lift him. Bliss follows closely before looking back at the mansion. "And what do we do about the snob squads and snob nobles? If he is an alicorn, then those assholes pretty much attacked a member of royalty, even if he was pretending to be a homeless pony." "We will deal with that later; for now, he comes first," Purple orders as the group rushes to escape the storm. Author's Note Just letting you know this is mostly an experiment inspired by a far superior story so I'm not sure how or even if I will continue. Hope you like it, and hey I recommend you want the original story is pretty good too Negotiation In Broad Daylight (Edited By PW)"Well, Ms. Shiitake, do we have a deal?" A mysterious figure whose face was partially obscured by a fedora and sunglasses asked the major with his fingers crossed as they were enjoying a meal in one of Canterlot's most elegant restaurants. The major was in her civilian clothing, a formal pink and green dress, while the stallion had a sleek black tux. From what Shiitake could see, the stallion was a slim earth pony with vibrant gray fur and a black mane and tail. The major in question was finishing a salmon dish with gusto while she spoke with the stallion in front of her. "I can't deny that your idea intrigues me, Mr. Faust," Shiitake responded while pointing at the stallion with a fork. "But I still don't see why we can't let the princesses be part of your plan. Their assistance could be a great asset." "An extremely valid point, Ms. Shiitake. I share your logic." The stallion placed his hand on his chest. "Believe me, if the situation were different, I would call the princesses immediately, but as I explained before, this is no ordinary threat either." The stallion pointed at his head. "It is more akin to a mind parasite with a sickening passive skill, trust me. I have studied it closely." "You have, how? And why?" Shiitake asks the stallion with some suspicion and a raised eyebrow. "Because I was there when he first made contact with civilization, a humble little hamlet he raised hell before moving on. I was part of that community until he destroyed it, just an entrepreneur returning to his roots in time to see its destruction." He raises a finger. "I bet he conveniently forgot to mention how he has an innate charisma for those in power, didn't he? And I don't mean authority like you. I mean those that run the show, those at the top, a mayor, a senate… a princess." "By the stars, you… you are not implying he put the royal princesses in some trance?!" Shiitake asks in fear and disgust. "Is there evidence that says otherwise? Think, with such a history of destruction? How come this news never reached the princesses? How do they always end up as contained events? Why is there not a single wanted poster? That is how he messes with everyone's head Shiitake; he looks for the most influential pony and somehow makes them overlook the chaos he brings. Then, he puts this act of the harmless hobo, and once he has his sick fun, he moves on to his next target city. And it finally found its biggest target yet." "That diabolical freak of nature! I knew he was in trouble; something in my gut was telling me that, and I just knew it! We need to stop him before it is too late. The princesses are already mellowing to him around by the stars; they virtually offer him a room in the castle! It's starting!" "Agree, but we can't let the princesses know about this until we release the spell he put them under. We need to act carefully and tactfully. That is why we must leave the sisters out of this for now. We start talking and end up arrested and restrained while that monster drives Canterlot to the ground." "You're right; it hurts me to my core, but you are right; we can't involve the princesses in this yet." "So, do we have an understanding then?" The stallion asks with a smile as he extends his hand. Shiitake stares at it momentarily before shaking it. "Whatever it takes, just do it. Save Canterlot from that monster." "Oh, trust me, Major Shiitake. I will make sure that monster doesn't cause any more trouble," The stallion promised her with a big grin. At that exact moment back at the castle, Once, Amon and Vivi found a tree to leave the squirrel with some acorns for her. The two returned to the group, which was waiting for them, not too far behind them. "Okay, all taken care," Amon replied while cleaning his hands. "Thanks for waiting; now we can get this day started," Vivi mentions excitedly. "Great! Because I have so many ideas on what we can do, board games, hide and seek, makeovers…" Pinkie starts to ramble in increasing excitement. "Pinkie," AJ calls her with a neutral tone. "Or we can start by teaching you healthy, honest, hard-work activities to do in the community," Pinkie finishes as Marcus robs her shoulders. "Don't worry, honey, we can play hide and seek later." AJ rolls her eyes and chuckles briefly. "Okay, while the two birds have their moment, why don't we start with that? I heard you like to move around and keep yourself busy, right?" AJ asks Amon, who shrugs in response. "You start to enjoy it somewhat while you survive, yeah." "What if I tell you there is a way you can do all that and even more in a straightforward project? Tell me, sugarcube, how good are you with a hammer?" "I improvise one from a sharp rock, some branches, and dry vines. Does that count?" Amon replies. "Why did you sharpen the rock?" Vivi asked with a raised eyebrow. Amon shrugs casually. "I was going for a multi-function tool that I could use as an ax as well, but it helped me nail things from the other end, so… it was kind of a hammer." "Well, the point is that some good old construction work can go a long way, and lucky for you, I know a lot about that. We can start small and work our way to building homes for the less fortunate. What do you say, partner?" "That… sounds like a good idea. I have the dimensions and strength to do that kind of work, Ms. Jack; you got my attention." "Ms. Jack?" AJ asks, blinking a couple of times. Pinkie can't help but chuckle, "Don't overthink about it, AJ. Amony, at first, has some trouble with names. When he meets me and Fluttershy, he calls us Pink and Yellow. Can you believe it?" "I'm not good with names; give me a break," Amon complains with a roll of his eyes, "Anyway, what do you have in mind for us to start, Ms. Jack?" "I was thinking of something easy and practical, beds. And please stop with the "Jack things; it makes me feel like I'm some snobbish married rich mare, and I don't even have a special someone," Applejack pleads. "Just call me Applejack or A.J. if it is easier for you, sugarcube." "I will try," Amon simply shrugs. "Let's get to work then." "I love the energy sugarcube; the first things we need are wood tables, nails, sandpaper, and polish." "Me and Amon can bring the wood," Marcus says before chuckling. "Oh, come on, darling, you are more mature than that," Rarity chastised him with a roll of her eyes and a smile. "Maybe, but the last thing I want is to allow these beautiful hands to get splinters," Marcus mentions, holding Rarity's hands. "Oh, ok, you get that." She bops his nose with her index fingers. "Okay, anyway. Rarity and Vivi could go for the polish and fabrics, and Fluttershy and I can go for the tools and nails," AJ suggested. "Sounds good; let's meet here in an hour," Marcus mentions, and they all agree before they head to their destinations. Once they gathered enough space between them and anyone else, Amon talked with Marcus. "So what did you find 'Marcus'?" Amon asked once he made sure there were no ponies to hear them out. "Something that, if we play our cards right, would not only turn things around in our favor, it will lead us straight to the bastards that put us in our current situation," Marcus replied with a low tone as they reached a shed in the garden full of wood planks. "The princesses' theory was correct; last night's attack was just the first wave. I had to collect every favor I had, but I got a lead. One of the workers in the facility that had you restrained? He survives and obtains an unexpected power from the explosion." Marcus explains in between whispers. "I don't have the details on how and why, but rumor has it that with one command, he can control twelve ponies for twelve minutes without exception." "So, the bandits?" Amon asks in surprise, fearing what Marcus is implying. "They were more or less innocent; maybe they wanted to rob you on their own, but Vivi… the idea of her being assaulted in front of you? It would be enough for you to remain miserable, don't you think?" Amon was starting to see white as his fists were shaking. He had to close his eyes as sparks of dark lighting were discharging from his hand and eyes until he remained in control. "You say we can take the offensive if we play our cards, right?" Amon takes a deep breath. "What do you have in mind?" "The pony's name is Dr.Faust, and he plans another attack tonight. Six guards attacking you then harm and knock themselves out to frame you. No doubt following to something nastier once you are secure in a dungeon." The two return to the rest of the group with a bunch of wood tables. "But if we make him waste the twelve minutes, he will be open and vulnerable to us," Amon said, starting to think about an idea. Marcus smiles and nods. "All we have to do is place the perfect bait for the fool to take. Like a midnight stroll in the garden with no guards around. Lead him to the more secluded parts of the castle and then a good old-fashioned ambush." "Curious, I was just thinking about stretching my legs tonight. What a coincidence," Amon nodded with a smile. "Indeed," Marcus nods with a smile of his own. "We only need to make sure nobody bothers us, and I have the perfect idea to do just that." At that moment in another part of the castle, While the rest were busy gathering the materials to make beds, Applejack took the opportunity to chat with Fluttershy while they were looking for the tools in an indoor shed inside the castle. "So, mind telling me what happened to you earlier, sugarcube?" AJ asks out of the blue as she shakes a small box before grabbing two nails and tossing the box into a nearby trash without looking at Fluttershy. "What do you mean, AJ?" Fluttershy asks as she puts on a construction helmet and a tool belt, blinking several times and staring at her friend. "Don't give me that basket of rotten apples, partner." AJ turns around and looks at Fluttershy. We both know what I mean, back at the throne room. The moment Amon starts scratching that squirrel, you begin to stutter worse than when Big Mac saw Sugar Belle practice yoga." AJ finishes crossing her arms. "Please be honest with me, sugarcube. Did you suddenly get a crush on that stallion? I'm not judging; I'm just trying to wrap my head around how that can happen from petting a critter." Fluttershy remains quiet for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Okay, I admit I may have got just a little crush," She admitted with a deep blush, "And I don't get it either; Amon seems like a nice stallion, and I didn't intend for that to happen. Until this morning, he was no different than any other stallion, but when I saw him treating that squirrel so gently and kindly and… paternal, I… may have gotten a tiny bit… on?" Fluttershy confesses in the process of turning into Big Mac for how red her face was turning. "...you're joking. THAT turns you on?" AJ asks in astonishment after blinking a couple of times. "Not so loud!" Fluttershy harshly whispered, "But yeah, a little bit. I'm not sure what happened, but seeing Amon being so gentle and kind with animals, with his big, strong arms, like a papa bear protecting his cubs, made me see him in an unexpected light. Can you blame me, AJ? He IS cute, don't you think?" "Okay, I admit he is easy on the eyes, but I also know he is vulnerable now," AJ reminds Fluttershy as she crosses her arms. "The princesses ask our help teaching him about friendship, not setting up a date." "I know, and I haven't forgotten AJ. But right now, I'm unsure if I can control myself anymore. He is just so… cute," Fluttershy says, getting worried. "Oh my goodness, the last thing I want is to give him the wrong impression about me, or worse, that this is some setup! AJ, you have to help me." "Don't worry, sugarcube, I got you; if you start to feel hot and bothered, I will push you away and help you regain control. We better play this save and not try anything. Maybe this is just having the normal hots, and it will go away naturally as you say. Maybe you only got turned on, and this is just your lust talking." Fluttershy can only continue to blush and look away until AJ pats her shoulder. "There is nothing to be ashamed of; remember how that stallion is fragile and vulnerable. If you still wish to pursue this, I can help you out after things calm down." "Would you do that for me?" Fluttershy asks in surprise as AJ nods. "Sure, that is what friends are for. And not to offend, but I always suspected that you may ask for our help if you ever found that pony that caught your eye," AJ jokes, and Fluttershy can't help but chuckle a little. "Yeah, I may have needed a bit of help." "So, no more ideas of being all lovey-dovey until he is better, okay?" "I will try to control myself…just keep other animals or me away from him until that happens. I'm not sure I could trust myself." "Relax. If I can keep Big Mac away from Sugar Belle long enough for him to do his chores, I'm pretty sure I can keep you two apart," AJ assured her with a thumbs-up as they finished gathering the equipment and leaving the room. "Seriously, a squirrel? A squirrel causes this," AJ keeps mentioning primarily to herself, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "I swear this whole thing about love makes less sense than Discord sometimes." AJ keeps mumbling to herself as they meet with the rest. Welcoming Committee (Edited By Phetiamwantip)"Well, Mr. Whales, I must say, your resume is impressive. Your degree, colleague titles, and extracurricular activities almost make you look overqualified for the position here. Why did you apply instead of pursuing something closer to your expertise?" A man shrouded in shadows asks Ragged while sitting on a smaller chair opposite the mysterious man, with a desk between the two. Instead of his usual outfit, Ragged had a simple red shirt with a lightning bolt on it and black jeans as he kept his head down; not only that, but Ragged seemed to be talking with a giant since he was small compared to the man in the shadows. Shrugging and shaking his head, Ragged answered casually, "The same story as always, I'm afraid; I have the tools but not the experience, and that is something they keep demanding; that is why I need to build experience in the field, any field to tell you the truth so companies pay more attention to me." "So if something were to come tomorrow, would you leave us?" The man asks, causing Ragged to start to panic. "N-no, right away, of course! Maybe if the payment is… the point is, you can count on me; I will do my best if you could hire me." Ragged was virtually begging him for an opportunity as the man put his hands together. "That's Good. Then, you can start your job as a dishwasher right away. I hope you don't mind, but we'll need you to supply your instruments." "Ah… okay?" Ragged was taken aback by the sudden condition. "You would work from 4 a.m. to midnight six days a week. We will let you know when your day off is." "Wha… what? But that is far more than just 8... okay if that is what it takes." "Also, I need you to slash this filly throat," The man suddenly suggested, holding a mare filly of no more than five with tears in his eyes, which froze Ragged as he stood up. "Are you insane!?" He yells at the man as a flash of light acts as a smile on the shadow figure "Come on, Mr. Whales, it's not like you haven't done this before. Do you want a job? You will obey blindly; now kill! Consume! Conquer!" The man demands in a more distorted and demonic voice. At the same time, horns start emerging from his forehead as Ragged starts to hyperventilate, his hand seemingly moving on his own, and even when he tries to hold it back, his hand keeps moving as a knife appears on his palm, and it is inching closer to the filly neck. Yelling in horror, Ragged woke up and started thrashing around until a hand held him in place. "Easy, Ragged. It's me, Purple. It's easy there. You are safe," Purple tells him, putting his hands on his shoulder and bringing him back to bed. Still startled but more calm, Ragged looked back at the guard, noticing his mane for the first time since he didn't have his helmet on. Revealing a light blue short curly mane made Ragged think he was wearing a piece of toothpaste for a mane. "Purple?" Ragged answer and then looked around, noticing the medical equipment spread all over the room, as well as the morning sunlight entering from the rows of windows at one end of the room, a series of empty beds minus two where the other two guards were, wearing hospital garments in the middle of a game of cards and the familiar smell of medicine in the room, give him all the clues Ragged needed to have an idea on where he was. He also notices that he is on a specially made bed since he could fit inside without an issue and is currently shirtless. One of his wings was suspended on a bizarre trench next to whose ropes were suspended in mid-air and self-adjusted to his moments to make sure the wind remained outstretched and, with bandages matching the ones spread all over his body and an I.V and another cable connected to his right arm to display his heartbeats. "Welcome back to the land of the living, buddy," Purple jokes before his expression morphs into one of concern. "Listen, Ragged, I know you must be having a lot of questions right now, and I know how reserved you are, but I give you my word. Everyone here is a professional, and they only did what they had to to treat your wounds, including the ones on your legs." Startled, he fell and sighed in relief when he noticed he was wearing pants. He ignored that he was not wearing his usual pants and had the same hospital ones Brick was wearing. Taking a deep breath to calm down, Ragged lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking his next words carefully before speaking. "How many know?" he asked without looking, making the room quiet. "Know what, buddy?" Purple asks with a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "You know what I mean!" He reiterates and emphasizes his statement by pointing at the extended wing. "Just us, the doctors that treat you, two nurses, a couple of royal guards, and the princesses; you have been asleep for the last three days. Happy Heart Warming Eve, I suppose," Purple finally answered after signing before raising his hands. "Don't worry, they all swear secrecy, Ragged; I imagine you have reasons to keep that a secret… your majesty." "Stop!" Sitting up, Ragged glares and points at him, "You're right; I don't want ponies knowing about my… situation, especially the sisters! But thanks for, at the very least, not exposing me to the world like some parade animal. Also, let's leave something crystal clear here: I have no authority, I have no power, I'm just a freakishly tall homeless pony living off the street of Canterlot and nothing more." "Yeah, right. Let's see how long that lasts," Bliss says, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Excuse me?!" Ragged angrily asked while looking at the mare. He noticed her head wrapped in bandages and that she had a soft, slightly curly, light pink mane. The stallion next to him had a short, spiky black mane and tail, and Ragged could see a bandage popping out over his shoulder, no dough going diagonal to tend to his wound. "Hey, no need to get angry, dude; I'm just saying, I don't know how things work from wherever you come from, but in here, those little things on your back," she points at his wings. "And that little thing on your forehead," She points at his horn, "Are a big deal here. Ask anyone if you don't believe me, but no matter what you were before, the moment you got those, it meant you were chosen for greatness as royalty. I don't know why you abandoned the call, but something tells me the princess would want to chat with you about it. Who knows, maybe that is why you were cursed in the first place." She elaborates with a shrug as Ragged only blinked a couple of times. "How did you know I wasn't born like this?" Bliss smirked and crossed her arms. "Call it a hunch, but no pony born with wings could ever forget or never use them before," she demonstrated by lifting herself off the bed for a moment, simply standing up before sitting down again. "Plus, you knew how to fight with your fist and have a strong grip, just like an earth pony would. So let's not poke around the bushes and confess; you started as an earth pony, didn't you?" Ragged remains quiet and looks away before replying, "...yes, I am, but it doesn't matter anyway until I manage to get rid of these lumps; the only thing I'm the prince of is nothing; you can call me the cursed prince, nothing destiny to wander alone and always remain as that, just nothing. And this is not me just being dramatic; no, you saw those things that put us all here. I try to warn you; bad things tend to happen to anyone who dares get too close to me." The room remained silent as the guards weren't sure how to reply and just looked at one another until Brick broke the silence with a sigh. "Well, since this is as good a time as any, better get over with the formalities. My name is Brick Breaker; call me Bricks; all my friends do." The earth pony introduces himself. "For what is worth it. Thanks for saving us back then." Ragged just remained quiet before looking down and grabbing the blanket with his two hands. "It was the least I could do since I brought those creatures. I just couldn't bear the thought of more ponies dying because of me." "Idiot," The mare gets everyone's attention as she shakes her head. "You should have come to us for help. The castle is full of protection and containment spells. I'm sure the princess could think of something for this curse of yours. Did you ever consider that possibility?" "And how was I supposed to ask for help? 'Hi, could you help me? I'm cursed, and now every time I try to make friends, monsters appear and kill them all.'" Ragged acts up in frustration. "Yes! That would be a start," The mare kept complaining before sighing in frustration. "Like I say, idiot." She sighs in frustration and crosses her arms while looking away, making the room go tense again until Brick reaches out and grabs one of her hand "Bliss, we talk about this." "Oh, come on, Bricks! You know I'm right," she complained while glaring at the stallion, who smiled calmly. "Blissy, your wrinkles are showing. Let's calm down and count to ten," Brick instructed as he held her hands and put their foreheads together. The mare closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Ragged blinked several times before looking at Purple. "Are they...?" "... They have been engaged since last month, so yeah, they are an item. Can you believe it was Bricks who proposed?" Purple interrupted his question with the answer before chuckling and rolling his eyes. "A stallion proposing to a mare, how have things changed, am I right?" "...right." Ragged only nods while looking at the couple as Bliss calms down and opens her eyes to look at Ragged again more calmly. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you and called you stupid; it angers me that you didn't think we would help you. We don't go around in armor to play dress up. We live to protect you, no matter what, so whatever the hell is happening to you, know we will always help. Why don't we start again? My name is Blessed Winds, but call me Bliss. I prefer something less angelical. Also, only Bricky here can call me Blissy, so don't go get any ideas, you hear?!" She adds with a big blush, breaking more of the tension in the room. "I will keep it in mind," Ragged replied with a tired sigh. "And it's about the insults; I have called worse, so it's not a big deal; as for why I don't ask for help, well, even if it is not an excuse, my previous encounters with the law have been… less than pleasant, that is why I'm kind of wary of asking for help." "What do you mean by that?" Purple asks, tilting his head. "An excellent question," a new female voice says as they all turn to the entrance in time to see a small unicorn mare with gray fur, a bowled-shaped black mane style with a string of gray showing, a royal guard uniform, and a folder in her side marching inside. She is flanked by two muscular guards with white fur, their faces hidden behind their helmets. Ragged had to take a double take at the mare entering the room since his stature almost made him believe she was a filly at first until the other guards stood to attention and saluted the mare "Mayor Shiitake, ma'am!" They all salute at the same time "At ease!" She orders immediately while remaining focused on their guest. She glares at Ragged with her green eyes until she gets lost. When she reaches the side of his bed, she forces Ragged to stretch his head to look at the top of hers. "Care to elaborate on those 'unpleasant' encounters, Mr. Ragged? That is, of course, if that is your real name," The Mayor demands, yet her attempt at sounding intimidating only made her look adorable. "Ah… not really, that is just the nickname Purple gave me," Ragged admitted while looking at the said unicorn, who simply shrugged in confusion. “You don’t say? That is interesting because…” She stops and starts grumbling nonsense. Ragged sees how the mayor is trembling and clenching her fist. "LADDER!" She yells/orders, startling the two guards following her behind. One of them pulled out a foldable ladder and unfolded it beside Ragged bed so the mayor could climb it up and look him in the eyes, but the side difference was still present as she only reached to his shoulder. Once he could look at her more closely, Ragged noticed the wrinkles forming on Shitake's forehead and some spots marking her age, as if she were a mare entering her golden age. "As I was saying, that is interesting. Let me see if I can get this straight. In short, you are the very first alicorn male in history who, for some reason, decided to hide his royal destine, refuses to use his name, and is plagued with a convenient curse that can take care of witnesses that may get too close to your activities, doesn't seem to be registered in the system or even has a birth certificate, and doesn't have the best track record with figures of authority. Is there anything else you would like to add to that?" She questioned sarcastically, taking out a riding crop that she was wearing on her hip to try and press under his chin but had no choice but to try and do that by poking his arm. Ragged quickly noticed how her eyes were starting to wander off into his arm, and her riding crop was making small circles on his muscle before she shook her head and stared at him again. Ragged remains jaded and ignores the clear list of accusations and pervert glances she is giving him. "Yes, can I ask what the point of all this is?" Shiitake smirked and removed the riding crop, pressing it behind her back. "I just wanted to make sure I had all the facts before doing this," she snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Arrest him," She commanded her two guards, who took up handcuffs and were approaching Ragged until Purple intervened and got in between them and Ragged. "Whoa there, Mayor. I don't want to question your authority. It's true that some days ago, a couple of nobles demanded Ragged be arrested, but I told you he didn't do anything, and from what we saw, those teenagers simply hurt themselves. There is no reason to go this far." "On the contrary, soldier, unless this stallion starts giving us some answers, I have all the evidence right here to lock him up for good," Shiitake fired back and waved her folder in front of him. Since the altercation, I have been digging around for our steam guest here." Snapping her fingers, one of her soldiers put a table in front of her as she laid various photos, reports, and other documentation for everyone to see. "Manehattan, Chickcago, Las Pegasus, Appleloosa, Trottiham, and Celestia know where else; you sure have moved around, Mr. Anonymous," Shiitake mentions with a raised eyebrow, looking at Ragged, who remains stoic at her accusation. "I'm a wanderer; I travel a lot, so what?" "So glad you said that because I also asked around and found those unpleasant encounters you mentioned. Disturbing the peace, extortion for information, illegal selling of animal skins and parts without a license!" She kept listening, pointing at the police reports in the folders. "Do I need to say more?" To everyone's confusion, Ragged started to chuckle and shake his head before glaring at Shiitake with a smirk. "Let me guess, plenty of those so-called 'reports' stated that I was terrorizing citizens on my march, trying to steal their bits or demanding something or another. And all of them end with the ponies making the reports sounding like a fairy tale hero defending the peace and order from the strange monster that invades the city?" His statement took Shiitake off guard, and he re-read some of the articles, making Ragged sigh in frustration. "Oh, for the love of… tell me you didn't bother to read all the reports to the end!" Ragged's statement startled the mare, who almost fell off the ladder until one of the guards caught her and helped her stand up again. "It doesn't matter; the point is that you have a record..." "...They are lying, you shroom head moron!" Ragged states that sitting on his bed in front of Shiitake makes her realize even more the size difference between the two and makes her gulp at how easily his shadow covers her body. "Wanna know what those unpleasant experiences were? Everywhere I went, ponies saw me with disgust and fear, rushing away from me, even when I was simply sitting on the street begging for some change; the only thing I'm guilty of is selling animal parts to survive. I will grant you that, but those assholes here!" He pokes his finger on the table for emphasis. "Are just a bunch of spineless monsters that get off from beating others struggling in life and make themselves look like heroes?" He leans his head a bit while glaring at Shiitake. "If you are gonna open an investigation , Mayor, I suggest you do your freaking job and confirm the validity of your facts." He sat straight again and sighed, "Then again, what is to be expected? I'm just a smelly homeless pony. It's my word against your royal guard pals. Who do you gonna believe?" "I will believe the facts, justice, and the truth," Bliss immediately answered and stood next to them. "Mayor Shiitake, I want the list of all the ponies that made those reports and open an investigation to confirm if they are true or not; falsification of reports is a serious crime, and I have some choice of words for those ponies that lie about it" Bliss request, while her wings were extending and getting ruffle by the second until Bricks stood behind her and hold her shoulders before massaging them to calm the mare down. The room got deadly quiet as the Mayor was suddenly in the spotlight before clearing her throat to recover control of the conversation. "Well then, if that is true, I still have the authorization to make an arrest. This stallion is just too suspicious. He doesn't even have a past; he has a fucking legend behind him, for crying out loud; the locals keep referring to him as ‘LongMane" She mentions pointing at Ragged. Confused, Ragged grabs a piece of his mane before looking at the mare. "I have a legend?" "Don't act as if you don't know; you are starting to become a local tale of a tall, mourning spirit walking the streets at night looking for his family or his killer or something. It just raises too many questions, and by the laws written by Princess Celestia herself, it is my right to arrest you." “The only thing you are going to do is leave my patient this instant!” a stern voice calls from the entrance as they all look at a stallion unicorn with yellow fur and a brown mane walk inside the room wearing a formal square shirt, formal pants, and a doctor's shirt. He is followed closely by a pegasus nurse in a pink outfit, light pink fur, and a velvet-long mane next to him, holding a clipboard in front of her as she hides her blush while taking occasional glances at Ragged. Ignoring the rest, the stallion marched straight to Shiitake and moved aside the two guards, who were startled to see how, despite being slim, the stallion managed to move aside the two muscular guards and stand in front of the mayor. "Shiitake, what in Celestia's name are you doing?" The doctor demands, crossing his arms. "Stay out of this Backup. I'm only doing my job, this stallion…" "...is injured, saved three guards, and is currently protected by the law that states that he will be cared for and healed as a member of the less. Fortunately, he is not going anywhere. He is under my care, and he is in no condition to be held accountable for any police investigation unless it is relevant to a murder, terrorist attack, or kidnapping case, which he is not. So I will say this one last time: you will leave this instant before I decide to report you for obstructing basic rights." "But…but he doesn't even have a name! And everything I found, we can't just…" Shiitake tries to argue, but Backup interrupts her from saying anything. "Have a complaint? Talk to the princess, but right now, I have a job to do, so unleash you want to wear those handcuffs, leave my patients alone, and get out of my infirmary." He points at the door with authority, leaving the room quiet until Shiitake gathers her things and gets down from her ladder, "We are not done here, Mr. I have more than a few questions for you, and you are going to..." "OUT!" Backup yells, startling everyone as the mayor and his guards rush outside and close the door behind them. Once they were out, Backup sighed and clapped his hands together as he turned around and addressed the rest of the ponies in the room. "Well! Now that we took that out, how is everyone doing?" He asked cheerfully and smiled before looking at Ragged. "I see our guest has finally woken up. It was so nice to meet you formally, Mr. Ragged. I hope you don't mind me calling you that. We need to fill something out on your medical chart." Ragged remains quiet and lowers his head in frustration, leaving the room silent. "Riiiiight, Mr. Purple told me about your shyness; it's okay. We can discuss that subject later. We have plenty to discuss, mister, particularly the sorry state of your wings and how terrible you have been treating them." Backup then approaches Bliss and Brick and starts asking them questions, inspecting Bliss's eyes and reaction time. The nurse stays close to the doctor but keeps glancing at Ragged, who becomes aware that he is shirtless, so he returns to bed and tries to cover himself up. During all that, Ragged sighed and closed his eyes until he heard Purple's voice beside him. "Ragged, I know you don't want to talk about anything. I'm sorry I put you in this situation, but please, at the very least, I need you to give us a name. We want to help, but we won't be able to do much unless you help us out." Ragged took a glance at Purple with a stoic expression. "The more I share with you, the more in danger you will be. I've not been stubborn here, Purple; you must patch me up, return my clothes and bag, and let me go before something bad happens." "Something terrible WILL happen if you don't do that. Mayor Shiitake was out of line, but she had a point. I don't know what you did before, and I believe those corrupt cops are harassing you, but if you don't help us out, we won't have any choice but to side with the mayor. I know you are worried about yours and our safety, but do you want to end up locked up in a dungeon?" At that comment, Ragged just clenched his fist and eyes in frustration before relaxing both and sighing, opening them again and keeping his eyes down. "...Amon," Ragged tells out suddenly in a whisper tone. "What?" Purple asks in mild surprise. "My name is Amon. If you need it that bad, there you have it." Purple smiles and nods satisfied that he has seen the alicorn open up. "Nice to meet you, Amon; thanks for telling me." "Don't get any ideas, Purple; I'm only doing this because I don't want to give that bitch a reason to lock me up," Amon mentions with a tired sigh. "So don't expect me to start sharing my life story; trust me, you are better off knowing as little as possible." "It's okay. We can start there. Take baby steps. Don't worry, Amon; we won't let her do that. And don't worry, as Bliss said, the castle is the most protected place in Equestria. Whatever this curse is, we will help you fight it, so relax and let us know if we can do anything to put your mind at peace." "Can you keep my existence a secret from the princesses?" Amon asks, looking at Purple with a slight grin and a raised eyebrow. "...except that," Purple mentions, maintaining his smile. "Sorry, dude. We are still guards. We can't pretend we didn't see an alicorn in the streets." "Yeah, I imagine," Amon groaned, looking at the ceiling in defeat. "This will be one long day; I know it." First Impressions (Edited By Phetiamwantip)Once Backup finished checking on his two other patients and ensuring they were healing properly and taking their medication, the doctor and nurse turned their attention to Amon, chatting with Purple about nothing in particular. As usual, the guard respected his privacy and decided to explain how things went after their encounter with the creatures, revealing how the guards brought Amon to the castle due to his particular circumstance, ensuring that all his bag and all the stuff inside were safe and sound and would be returned the moment he asks for them, how the crown would pay for his medical bill, will receive a fresh change of clothes. And until he fully recovers, he is more than welcome to remain as a guest in the royal castle. The "good" news only makes Amon groan and angrily facepalm. "Yeah, I imagine you would be trilled about the idea," Purple replies sarcastically and chuckles while he pats Amon back. "Listen, I would love to stay and tell you how, after you get all the whining out of your system, you would love spending time here, but I need to go report to the princess that you are awake; she wants to see you and the stars know you two need to have a chat." Purple mentions before standing up, "Oh, and before I forget, the top drawer on your right, I left a small present for you." Amon looks at him, confused, as he sees the stallion leave. Intrigued, the alicorn turns to his side, and sure enough, there is a small coffee table with two drawers on it. Opening the top one, Amon is surprised when he finds a new red beanie; this one is made for unicorns instead of the other one he used to have, and a purple vest for him to wear next to a cart that simply states, “Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Smiling briefly at the thought, Amon picked his presents, putting on the beanie first before grabbing the vest, but Backup's hand stopped him. “I advise putting that one on hold for a while, Mr. We have plenty to discuss regarding your wings.” Dreading these interactions and rolling his eyes, Amon put the vest on his hip and looked at the stallion. “Is that why I woke up without a shirt?” “It is, Mr…” “...Amon, just call me that. Purple convinced me, and you can have my name, so drop the honorifics already,” Amon requests with slight annoyance at how the stallion keeps using titles with him. Remaining momentarily quiet, Backup smiles and nods before writing something down on his clipboard. “You got it, Mr.Amon. Thank you so much for deciding to cooperate. It makes things easier for everyone. Also, you must keep your back exposed until we find a back shirt your size. I’m afraid you must remain like this; your wings urgently need to be spread and get some air.” Backup explains with a worried tone as he approaches the side of the bed and pokes the base of one of them with his pen. The contact sends a strange shiver down Amon's back, similar to the one he experienced when he slept on his arm. The sensation was concentrated on only half his back and riding to his elbows. "See? They are sore and overly sensitive because of lack of use. I would ask when the last time you groomed them was, but I'm afraid you don't even know what that is. And the state on your left wing especially concerns me." Backup points at the other wing as the nurse pokes, extends, and slowly retracts the exposed part of the appendage. The nurse had to take a couple of steps back because the side of the wing was proportional to his size. Amon was still feeling the strange shiver, but on his left wing, it was accompanied by the sensation of sharp electric needles piercing the skin of his wing, a new, confusing, and unpleasant sensation for the poor alicorn. "Thank Celestia. We re-adjusted the bone, and nothing too serious was damaged." Backup explains as he makes a folder appear and levitates two radiographs of his wing, showing the state of his bones and how one fracture was displaced. "Seriously, with how those nobles trample on them so much, it is a miracle you walk away from that with only that amount of damage; we were able to re-adjust your wing, and if nothing else happens, it will fully heal. But until then, you will have to keep it stretched out for at least one more week before folding it, and then we could start the physiotherapy. I want you to move your other one and get some blood pumping there." Backup explains before putting the images in the folder and placing them on the coffee table. "A week?! No, doctor, you don't get it; I can't simply stay shirtless and keep this wing stretched out for everyone to see." "Afraid is not for discussion, Mr. Amon, one week of rest. You can roam around the room, but that is it. Until that wing heals enough, your orders are bed rest and wing exercise." "And don't forget grooming lessons." Cloud mentions leaving his wing and picking one of the feathers out of place. "Seriously, Mr. Amon, this is almost criminal. Why did you decide to hide such beautiful wings? Even the claw at the base is mesmerizing!" She points at said part. "Claw?" Curious, Amon looked and was slightly startled when he noticed that because it was street out, the claw was poking out, a simply black sharp curved claw poking out of the edge of the cast. "Wait, you are telling me that you never noticed that? Did you ever bother to see your wings when you got them?!" Bliss asks in astonishment at Amon's reaction. "I think I made it clear how I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of having them in the first place," Amon said with irritation. "How come you are not proud of them?! Outside of dragons, I have never seen claws on a wing. I was convinced that a pegasus couldn't have them. Is this like an alicorn thing? Is that what happens when a stallion ascends? It is so majestic and mysterious; I have so many questions!" she grunts in frustration. "Why do you keep something so incredible and majestic hidden?!" "Easy, they are easier to hide than a horn on my forehead, and I don't want to stand up and be viewed as some sort of exotic animal," Amon fired back with a slight glare at the pegasus before looking at the doctor. "Let's leave something clear here. I never wanted all of this." He points at the horns and the wings. "I don't know or care how they work or even look. You can have them if you like them that much since the crown pays for everything. They will not mind a simple operation to eliminate them." When he says that everyone in the room remains quiet and completely mortified, Bliss and Cloud hold their wings in complete horror. The stallion didn't seem to care or even mind. He nodded and started to think to himself, forming a morbid idea in his head. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, consider it a gift or payment for your hospitality," He mentions calmly. "You would be doing me a favor; it will make my recovery quicker and not cost you anything since everything will be free anyway. Think of the possibilities. Backup, you can be the very first doctor in Equestria to have the chance to study an aviary mutation in history!" Amon suggests with excitement, looking at the doctor, who stands back and slowly shakes his head, not liking the idea. Amon keeps ignoring everyone's face as he addresses the rest. "And even better, think of the princesses. I'm a political rival at best and an insult to your customs at worst, so if you chop these lumps off my back and head, I stop being a threat as a male alicorn, and they would not have to lock me in a dungeon." "Funny, I don't recall ever writing a law forbidding stallions from ascending." A regal, softening new voice sounded angry and slightly disappointed from behind. When they turned around, they spotted a tall, majestic alicorn mare standing at the front door, looking at Amon with a disappointed scowl as she advanced next to Purple, who gave Amon the same look. She wore an orange winter gown with a sun symbol on the hoodie that revealed some cleavage, a golden tiara with a purple gem in the top, a golden course on her abdomen, and white boots. Her fur and wings were as white as snow, and just as Amon had seen her on newspapers and TV, her pastel-colored rainbow mane, which was longer than his, was flowing on a nonexistent breeze and roughly the same size as he was. Her presence made the room feel warmer and soothing, as everyone looked at her in awe as she marched, looking at him in pity and slight anger. "Princess Celestia!" They all exclaim and immediately lower their heads in respect, bringing their arms to their chest, all minus Amon, who keeps staring at her and breathing through his nose in defiance as he watches her advance toward her "It's such a shame that this is our first encounter. I heard your story, and you finally woke up. Our first meeting would be more joyful, maybe a turning point in your life where the dark clouds in your path could be lifted, a true Hearth's Warming Eve event. Instead, the first thing I hear walking inside is something so horrible that it makes me want to puke." She complains while glaring at the stallion and marches until she is in front of his bed. "It seems that you misunderstood the situation here, Mr. Amon; the crown, indeed, will assist you in making a full recovery, and I will listen to any curse afflicting you. But there would not be any mutilation or talk of such barbaric ideas in here, do I make myself clear?" "Crystal," Amon replies with a sharp tune and crosses his arms immediately. "Anything else? Or did you want to see your competition? If so, let me put your mind at ease; I'm not; I'm no prince, never was and never will be, so unless there is an actual reason for you to be here, you can go now; I bet a kingdom or a party is waiting for you." Everyone is taken aback by Amon's blatant disrespect towards the princess. Their gazes shift between him and Celestia. Amon's eyes, filled with a mix of frustration and anger, lock with Celestia's. Her expression, once soft, now carries a hint of pity. "Amon, did you lose your mind?! You can't talk to the princess like that!" Purple was quick to scowl at him before looking at the princess. "Please forgive him, your highness; Amon has lived a long time in the street and is a bit paranoid and reserved; it took me a while before he spoke two words to me; it was not his fault that…" For her part, Celestia just raised her hand to stop him before looking at Amon again. "Purple Heart told me about the nature of your curse. He says that any pony that gets too close to you and tries to offer their friendship will be targeted by the creatures that put you here. Is that why you want to keep me away? Are you trying to protect me?" Amon's voice quivers as he lowers his head and tightens his fist. "You don't understand the danger you're in. You must stay away from me, all of you. Just walk away and erase me from your memory." Celestia only shook her head and moved closer, going as far as sitting at the end of his bed, much to his surprise and alarm. "You know why we can't do that, and the fact that you are trying so hard to keep us at bay speaks volumes on how, in reality, you are a nice pony, which only encourages me to help and dig further into your case. Please help me understand Amon. How is it possible for a curse to fight one of the strongest forces in all of Equestria?" She asks with a hopeful smile, placing a hand on Amon's knee. Amon stares at her hand before looking at her with a stoic expression. "You are not gonna stop until I tell you, don't you?" Celestia keeps her calm smile and closes her eyes while tilting her head. "Call it the teacher and nurturing side of me. I'm sorry if I come across as nosey, but I always enjoy learning new things, and I never stop when it comes to the safety of my little ponies. Your case, unfortunately, falls into both." Amon remains quiet and takes a deep breath with his eyes closed. "Can I at least have time to think about it?" "But of course!" Celestia patted his knee before standing up again. "I mostly wanted to say hi and give you a proper welcome to Canterlot, and today is Hearth's Warming Eve. There is no need to sour the mood of the holidays. Just focus on rest and healing, Mr. Amon; once you have time to relax and collect your thoughts, we can speak properly." She explains in a cheerful tune and smiles. "Until then, I took the liberty of picking a special menu perfect for an alicorn in recovery." She smirks and raises an eyebrow. "Considering how you have been living on the street before this, you may be open to something more filling?" Before he could say anything, the grumbling sound from his stomach gave Celestia the necessary answer. With a slight blush and telling her it was pointless now, Amon just looked away, causing Celestia to chuckle. "Yeah, I imagine as much. So what do you say, Dr. Backup? Should we serve him now?" He checks a watch on his wrist and nods. "It would be for the best; it is almost noon, and the only nutrient he had before was through I.V. He could use the proteins." "Great, hospital food," Amon replied with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. "I suppose it at least beats dumpster dives, berries, and canned food." "Oh, something tells me it's much better than all that." Celestia issued another nurse to enter the room, another pegasus with the same nurse uniform, pastel yellow fur, and light blue straight hair with some volume. Who was carrying a cart that could easily belong in a fancy restaurant with an entire course of dishes, including a bowl of fruits, a giant plate of pasta with a small mountain of half-melted cheese, and a small glazed-up velvet cake? All of them were covered with a tall glass of what Amon assumed was iced tea next to a jar with the same content and some slices of oranges floating on the top. Amon had to take a double take at food and another one when the nurse placed the cart beside his bed. "Wait, all that just for me!?" Amon has to point at the food before looking at the princess, who chuckles and nods. "Consider it my welcoming gift, and should you decide to stay longer, there may be more meals like this. From one alicorn to another, I know we need just a notch more quantity when it comes to food." She ends with a smirk, taking some of the frosting from the cake and having a taste. Amon cannot look away, unsure if she is trying to be flirty or wants a taste. "Well, Amon, do you still hate staying here?" Purple asks with a knowing smile as he crosses his arms. He wanted to argue and tell him off, but the smell of the pasta overwhelmed his senses. He could feel his stomach screaming at him and reminding him how hungry he was. "This doesn't change anything!" he finally exclaims, taking a fork and eating the fruit before pointing at it with a full mouth. "But I will need some plastic bags when I leave." The rest laugh a little while Amon grumbles and decides to focus on his lunch. Later that night, Once they were discharged from the infirmary, Bliss and Bricks returned to their homes with instructions to rest, take their medication, and return to the castle every three days for treatment. In Brick's case, this was so his chest finished healing and didn't leave any scars. After changing to more casual clothes, consisting of thick sweaters, jeans, and snow boots, and promising Purple and Amon that they would stop by and visit, the couple returns home after finishing some shopping. "Ah, home sweet home," Bliss sighs in relief, plotting herself on the couch and adjusting her body in contentment as Bricks chuckle and put their grocery bags on their kitchen counter. "Carefully, Blissy, you know what Backup says; we have to take it easy for the next two weeks and rest before returning to the force." Bliss sighed and said, "Pay vacation for two weeks to relax and rest. Oh, me, oh my, what would we do to spend the time?" Bliss asked sarcastically as she removed her sweater and shirt, revealing a frilly black bra with an erect nipple showing underneath the fabric. She looked at Bricks with sultry eyes and started playing with her mane. "Seriously, Bliss? Now?" Bricks questions in mild surprise as he removes his sweater, revealing a simple semi-translucent white shirt without sleeves and neck, putting away their groceries in the kitchen. She chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, it's still Hearth's Warming Eve, and I'm a sucker for traditions, especially the sexy kind," She defended herself, sitting on the couch and letting loose one of the strings on her bra. "Besides, don't tell you aren't interested, big boy, or is that an eggplant you stole from the store?" she asks sarcastically, looking down at Bricks. Caught off guard, the stallion covers his crotch and blushes intensely. "That is just… well. Can it at least wait until I finish putting things in the freezer? You know how much I hate wasting food, and things here need refrigeration, including your favorite biscuits." Bliss only growls and tackles Bricks against the fridge, hugging him tight with her hands and grabbing his flanks. "By Celestia, how I love it when you are flustered, but not as much as the beast between your pants." She starts to dry hump his crouch making him shiver as Bricks tries to control himself. "Blissy, please! Just five minutes," Bricks pleads, sweating bullets and keeping his eyes closed. "I'm sorry, honey, but after spending all afternoon looking at that Alicorn chest. I'm at my limit here; give me a taste of…" She starts to trace kissing over his neck until all of a sudden, Bricks grabs her shoulder and pulls her away. "What did you just say?" Bricks question in a demanding tune. "Come on, Bricky, don't act coy with me. Do you think I didn't catch you glancing at the nurse's flanks?" Bliss mentions with a smirk poking his nose with her wings, "I know how crazy you are about pegasus flanks." "Yes, but I still see you when we made love, Blissy; right now, are you seeing me as me, or are you using me and pretending that I'm Amon?" Brick put her down and demanded an answer while crossing his arms. "What? Brick, you are not jealous, now, are you? You never were like this before. Don't you remember how we used to joke around this thing?" "Answer the question!" he insisted with a glare. Having been put on the spot, Bliss looked away and remained quiet. The room around the two was getting cold, and shadow figures started to circle the couple. "I have never felt this insulted in my life," Bricks exclaimed, practically fuming as he marched to their room. "Come on, Bricky, don't be like this! Is not even that big of a deal, really, so I got horny from another stallion; that doesn't mean I don't love you." "No, it just tells me that I'm not good enough, so you need someone else to get you off, and I'm just the dildo to fill your fantasy," Bricks fires back as he keeps walking up the stairs to the second floor of their house and into their room. "Okay, now you are being dramatic. This is just me having a bit of fun, like role-playing. Remember when we occasionally did that? We can role-play right now! What if you think you are doing it with Princess Celestia? Doesn't that sound hot?" Bliss tried to negotiate, but Bricks was in no mood. He grabbed the door handle and turned around to glare at Bliss. "The fact you are not seeing what is wrong shows how much you need to think about Blessed Winds," The mention of her full name made Bliss gasp and take a step back in shock. "You can put the rest of the groceries yourself. And since you like it so much, you can spend the night on the couch," He replied before slamming the door in front of the pegasus. "Bricks, please! Don't be like that! You would still be getting lucky for crying out loud! Since when do you say no to sex?!" She insisted on repeatedly knocking on the door, "It's our heartwarming tradition!" The door opens, allowing a pillow, blanket, and vibrator to fall on Bliss' face before it is slammed again. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve! I hope you have fun with Amon," Bricks calls from the other side of the room, leaving Bliss astonished and kneeling in front of the door. The shadow figures keep circling Bliss as they start singing an eerie lullaby that clouds her mind without noticing. The same arms spread across Canterlot, targeting ponies and putting them in dreadful situations. Noticing a dark blue alicorn with a long, starry mane and wearing a black hood fly around town using her magic to dispel the rachitic and demonic hands as discreetly as she could to avoid generating panic, making mental notes on the house she wasn't as quick to dispel the issue. She would need to finish the job in the dream escape. Finding more and more of the dark clouds appearing, the alicorn had no choice but to fly into the center of the city and discharge a large wave of magic that finally success in clearing the air from the dreadful apparition and left the mare panting and leaning against a light pole. What in Equestria is going on?! Where did all these apparitions come from? "Princess Luna!" Shiitake's voice alerts the hooded alicorn, who looks up in time to see the Mayor being carried by a pegasus guard and heading straight for her. "Thank the stars. I managed to find you," Shiitake tells her while the pegasus keeps holding her in the air. "There is something urgent I need to discuss with you." "Now is not the best time, Mayor Shiitake," Princess Luna mentions as she looks at the sky, where more stormy clouds are starting to form again. "I don't know what is causing it, but the sky of Canterlot seems to be invaded by strange apparitions, so whatever you need to tell me, it will have to wait." Luna tries to fly away, only for the mayor and her guard to chase after her. "That is the thing, your highness! I know what is causing this, and unless we stop him, this storm will return each night. And it will only get worse from there." That grabs Luna's attention, who stops and looks at Shiitake. "What do you know, Mayor?" Shiitake smiles and offers the princess a folder full of papers. "Please read this, your highness." The Cursed Tale Of Amon (Edited By Phetiamwantip)-Seven days remaining before removing the cast After recovering his bag, Amon didn’t waste time making a small inventory of its contents to ensure everything was still there and to distract himself in the empty room. -They wash out my two change of clothes and three plastic bags of berries. They threw the poisonous ones, my metal cup and spoon, four cans of food, my beanie and scarf, needle and treat, five manticore teeth and stingers, my hood, and two mismatched pairs of globes. Yep, is all here- Sighing in relief, Amon put on his hood as best as he could, feeling better that something was covering part of his body. He was shocked when his good wing suddenly sprang out and stayed stiff against his will, reminding him how sore it was as the hood was left dangling from the tip of the wing. Not only that, but his injured one also goes stiff and reminds him of the bandages tied to it. The resulting pain was enough to bring tears to his eyes. Amon brings his head down until his horn touches and grinds the floor as he releases a scream until he blacks out. -Six Days remaining After spending the previous night on the floor and seeing how his wings refused to fold, Amon resigned to his fate and asked for help when the doctor came to check on him. "You should have called us yesterday, Mr. Amon; it could have saved you lots of time and pain," Backup scolded him and crossed his arms. "There is a button next to your bed for this situation." "Duly noted. Can you please tell me how I can control these things?" Amon ignores the scold and grabs hold of his good wing, trying to fold it again, only for it to spring into action again and send another jolt of pain to his back. Backup only sighs and shakes his head. "You can start by moving them independently instead of grabbing them with your arms. Those are your wings, Mr. Amon, not foldable chairs. Nurse Cloud, could you demonstrate, please?" "With pleasure, doctor." The pegasus nurse nods and approaches Amon, who has finished riding the new jolt of pain. "It seems like you are experiencing a common muscle spasm; it will not go away until you stretch out your wing and spread it as far as you can." "Fine… how?" Amon asks with his arms crossed, confusing Cloud and Backup. "By… moving your wing? You don't know how wings work?" She asked, perplexed. "I wasn't born with them, so you could forgive me there," Amon answered with irritation. "But this is not something about having or not having wings; it is basic knowledge. Didn't you go to school…" Cloud stopped herself and closed her eyes. "It's not my place to judge or pry. It's okay, Mr. Amon. I will gladly teach you." She brings her thumb and index finger to her chin in thought before snapping her fingers. "I got it! First, close your eyes and think of your wings as a second pair of arms and hands…" -Four Days Remaining In the middle of the night, his wings sprung into action again, preventing him from sleeping again. For a moment, Amon considered calling a nurse for help but decided against it and once more tried to resolve the issue on his own. Standing up and remembering what the nurse told him, Amon closed his eyes and pictured his wings as if they were hands for him to control. The sensation was in no way pleasant, and the sensation of ants on his back didn't help, but slowly, he started to get used to it. Opening his eyes slowly, he was mildly pleased when he saw his good wing starting to obey him. After a couple of flexes, the wing relaxed, and he could fold it normally, sighing in relief. Amon then turned to his other wing and, out of curiosity, tried to stretch it too, only to receive a horrible jolt of pain that almost made him kneel as he held his shoulder, causing tears in his eyes. Instinctively, Amon's wings twisted forward and rammed their claws into the wall, leaving a clean hole in it and helping him keep his balance for a moment before he jumped in both surprise and shivered at the cold sensation of concrete on his additional finger. Impressed by the action, Amon approached the damage and rubbed his palm against it, intrigued, before looking at his wind and extending slightly to see the claw poking out of the base. He became increasingly intrigued when he realized that said claw could be used as a sort of thumb that has its rotation, and he could retract it inside the wing or extend it slightly. -Two days Remaining "An extra joint?" Amon repeats while Backup nods, checks both wings' condition, and explains what they discovered when treating him. "When I looked at your radiographs, I was more than a little shocked to see how your wings seem to have an additional joint, allowing them to rotate further than a standard wing and work in conjunction with your claws, I would hypothesis you could move them almost 270 maybe a bit more not only to back and forward but also ahead and behind, you may use them as capes since the claw are perfectly shape to lay on your shoulders." Backup then starts poking and moving around his claw, requesting him to try to push and retract it a couple of times before continuing. "Yep, just like I imagine, they are similar to dragons and Thestrals anatomy here, most likely an evolutionary result of living in caves, mountains, and other rocky areas. In particular, they use their wings; this claw helps them move vertically more easily. The claw facilitates climbing by piercing rocks and acts as additional support. It is fascinating if this is an aspect of the evolution of male alicorns. It could give us clues that you and the princess's ancestors used to live in tall mountains or very rocky and precarious areas." Letting go of his wings, Amon stares at the claw with intrigue and is slightly curious about what it would be like to climb a tree with the extra help until Backup talks. "Also, I know it was an accident, and you may get too excited, but please don't punch more holes in the wall, okay?" "Understood," Amon mentions before he spotted someone in the corner of his eye; looking at the entrance, he saw Purple, Bliss, and Bricks passing by and looking in his direction; the couple, for some reason, giving him the stink eye while all 3 of them had bags underneath their eyes. The lullabies are starting then. I knew it; not even Canterlot can repel the curse. -Present With the week complete, the doctor and nurse assist Amon in changing the bandages on his wing and removing some of the ones in his arms. The doctor sighs in relief when he notices that there aren't any scars there. "A full recovery without even a scar. You have to love modern medicine, don't you?" Backup joke as Amon holds his arms and wiggles his fingers a little. "That is putting it lightly. I have my fair share of scars in this arm, but now I can't see any of them." "That is what happens when you have a proper meal and follow your doctor's order. Plus, Canterlot's medical program, magic, and equipment are nothing to scuff off; it is still local, but soon enough, things like scars would be more like an esthetic choice. But don't think we are done here; you are not out of the woods yet, mister; just because you can fold your wing now doesn't mean it has healed yet. It only means you are ready to start your physiotherapy." "I imagine." Amon remains quiet, sitting on his bed and staring at his hands before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "So that means I moved from the infirmary to the guest room today?" "Indeed, now that you can move more freely, I see no issue in wandering around the castle halls as long as you don't disturb the court or put unnecessary pressure on your left wing," Backup replied with a smile and a small joke. "I see. I'm not going to lie. The idea of exploring a bit sounds tempting. Say, doctor. Do you think you could do me a small favor?" Backup looks back at him after writing down on his clipboards, "As long as it is not something too big or unreasonable, I don't see why not. What can I do for you?" "Oh, not much. I was just wondering if you could pass a message to Princess Celestia. Tell her I'm ready to talk as long as she agrees with some conditions," Amon mentions calmly as the room quiets. Cloud and Backup look at him in surprise before looking at one another. One hour later, Casually sipping on her morning tea, Celestia waited patiently for her next morning meeting. This one, mainly, was important to her as it involved the newly appointed alicorn and the unusual curse that plagued him. She wore a simple pastel blue gown with her usual tiara, gold regalia, and white boots. Ever since she heard the news, the princess has been trying to find an answer to a question lingering in her mind. How can there be a curse that targets the most potent force in all Equestria? After long, sleepless nights trying to find an answer to such an enigma, Amon finally agreed to explain his condition further and, with any luck, bring out a clue that may lead her to an answer. A knock on the door snapped her out of her daydream, and after she allowed access, the stallion of the hour marched in, holding his usual bag and an old trench coat that once more was hiding his wings. Part of the princess was disappointed that after spending a week in recovery hearing why he shouldn't hide them, Amon ultimately ignored his doctor's instructions, refusing the change of clothes she had hand-picked for him to try. Hiding such majestic wings behind an old trench coat is a shame. "Mr. Amon, you didn't waste time ignoring Dr. Backup's recommendation. Didn't the muscle spasms, the soreness, and occasional involuntary sprints of wings weren't enough reasons as to why hiding them is not exactly a good idea?" "It is better than the alternative," Amon mentions as he sits beside her. "I heard what you have to say and will deal with it my way once I leave the city. I just came to ensure neither you nor someone else tries something stupid, like trying to convince me to stay or help me out." "Ah yes, this unusual and potent curse that summons monsters each time a pony tries to approach you. Mr. Amon, consider how mighty the power of friendship and love can be; I'm intrigued to know how it could snuff it out entirely. "You would be surprised how fragile those powers can be, and my curse seems to have been made with that in mind," Amon mentions as he grabs a cup that Celestia fills. "That is why I don't want you or your sister to know this; this is me coming to a past scenario, and I must reveal it to only one of you." Celestia looked at him before closing her eyes and taking a sip of her drink. Then she said, "If you ask me not to tell Luna about this, it is a bit late. But I will refrain from explaining further depending on what you say." Amon was annoyed and angry hearing that but held his tongue and just sighed before explaining. "If you expect a fantastic story of heroism or passing trials, you can forget about that. By the time I obtained my horn and wings, I was already alone, just standing in the middle of a desert surrounded by ruins with no memory of how I ended up as I am today." Amon explains while looking at his reflection on his drink. "The closest desert from here would be Appleloosa, and I would have heard of either an alicorn or ruins found there by now. So it can't be from there, and even if your name is common from the other alternative, I don't believe you would come from Saddle Arabia because of your accent. No, it sounds more like the zones of Stalliona or the Mareivens, but neither place has a dessert. Dear Amon, where exactly do you come from?" He only shook his head. "Don't bother searching; I come from afar and very secluded land; you would not be able to find it." He held his cup tighter. "And I have been away from home for so long that it will make little difference to my current situation if I ever return." He shook his head in frustration. "That is not the point, and I have already said too much! This is supposed to explain my curse and why there is nothing you can do to help me." The princess made a mental note to return to the subject of his origins for another time and nodded once, "Please proceed." Amon nods before continuing, "After that, I wandered the land in a daze, confused and scared. Facing the elements and having to develop an instinct to survive quickly, I eventually found civilization, and for a brief moment, I had hoped that my search for someone was over. The place was nothing special; it was a simple hamlet with a handful of ponies and three farmer families, mostly without many means of communication." He closed his eyes and sighed, taking another sip of his tea before continuing, "They were startled when they saw my wings and horn, and I was scared when I noticed they had neither of them. Yet they were friendly and offered me a sanctuary, teaching me about the land, Equestria culture, the book of friendship, and even you. They were nice ponies, and I spent much time with them until I learned about my curse." "The monsters appear and attack you, I presume," Celestia mentions with pity. "They were just the start; I don't know when or how exactly they work, but if the monsters don't push ponies away, the hallucinations will." "Hallucinations, you said?" Celestia asks with a raised eyebrow and an intrigued tune. Amon only shrugs and sighs. "Ponies are starting to yell at monsters that weren't there or get paranoid, panic, and start attacking the air or their friends without reason, but the worst come to the victims that start humming pieces of that infernal lullaby” “Why? What happened then?” Celestia asks with fear and intrigued on how things could get worse. “Soon after, the singers start to lose their minds and become carriers of the curse, with their creepy wide eyes and full teeth smiles. As the tune gets stronger and catchier, so anyone that hears long enough start copying them. That goes on for days or maybe even weeks, I don’t know and I don’t want to test it, but once they stop with the singing they become violent and irrational. In one case, I spotted a stallion just laughing in a corner while holding a pitchfork, daring the devil to try and catch him before going back to sing that lullaby, and then end his own life. Turns out his family came before that. It is not a pretty image, nor what happened to the handful of ponies that still tried to stay close to me despite all that.” "I'm starting to understand what you are implying and why you were so wary of approaching others if you lived through that, Amon." Celestia nods and closes her eyes as she finishes her tea before looking at him. "What happened after all that?" "The weather seemed to turn for the worse, like a heavy storm that appeared out of nowhere. And the mood of the ponies around me matched the storm. Invaded by a blind rage and chasing me out of the hamlet." Amon hugged himself at the memory. "After that, I wandered the land again, and before realizing it, I was in a refugee camp. It was a hellhole, and I could spend all day complaining about how that place was Tartarus itself, but it wasn't until a little filly showed a bit of compassion that I started to understand how my curse worked." He gulps the rest of his tea and cleanses his lips. "This time, I didn't stay long after the monster's attack and just kept running, realizing how the further I was getting from everyone, the less of those creatures appeared. It wasn't until I was tired, heartbroken, and cold that the curse manifested before me. It didn't take a specific form, but I still remember it whispering. It made a plea telling me I would never have any friends and remain alone no matter what I try." Amon glares at the princess with the tea gone and his eyes clear. "So tell me, princess. Could you risk the lives of your little ponies? Or did I finally get to you, and now you understand why I must go?" In response, the princess remained quiet and put her hands together. "Before I reply, I want you to answer these three questions first." She requested, opening her eyes and lifting three of her fingers. "The first one is pretty straightforward. What would be next for you should you leave? Keep wandering the land in fear of this curse? Place yourself into complete isolation until your mind slowly and inevitably decays. And please don't insult me by saying you are used to being alone. We both know that is not true. The fact that you keep approaching civilization is proof enough of that. So I ask you, what next?" Amon clenches his fist and looks down, unable to come up with an answer. He hates how much Celestia is making right now. "Yeah, I imagine as much, and just to drive my point across, take it from someone that had a thousand years experience in faking "be fine," those demons, and I mean your inner demons. They will catch on, sooner or later, all of this." She waves around her arm at him, referring to the situation he lived through: "It will only repeat, and it may be even worse. Since you would not have a castle that can repel curses nor ponies with experience and willing to help fight them." Celestia then smiles calmly while pouring herself another cup of tea. "If I were on your horseshoes, I would rather spend my time more productively instead of just feeling sorry for myself and focusing on surviving, which brings me to my second question." Celestia raised an eyebrow and offered the cup of tea with a smile. "Wouldn't you rather seek a way to remove your curse instead of just keep running from your problems? Think about it. Here, you can have a sanctuary, a bed, actual food, the means to help you out, and much more if you just let us help. Don't you think the universe has finally granted you an opportunity to turn your life around?" Amon looked at her with skepticism yet took the cup regardless. "Of course, I would love that; it was only two weeks, but staying in the infirmary was a thousand times better than just sleeping on top of the cardboard, the ground, or an improvised shelter somewhere," Amon finally admitted, taking a deep gulp before pointing at Celestia, who was in the middle herself, a new cup of tea. "But let's be realistic here. Have you realized what you are putting on the line here? We succeed, and I'm a free man; we fail, and Canterlots ends up in ruins." "Please, Amon," Celestia quickly replies, placing her cup down. "Do not underestimate the magic of friendship; greater foes and forces of nature alike have tried to destroy it. All of them have shared the same fate; if I'm allowed this small moment of confidence, your curse would not be the exception; in fact, I'm questioning if we should still be calling it by that name at all." "What?" Amon could only blink in surprise at that statement while Celestia raised her hand. "A subject to discuss in a moment, but before that and for you to consider before making any decision, my third and final question." She looked at him with a stoic face and raised a single finger. "Early, you asked me if I could live with the blood of my ponies in my hands. The crude answer is yes; as cold as it may sound, I have lived through countless battles, and I'm more than familiar with the concept of having to make the toughest of choices. Do not question my resolve regarding the safety and freedom of my kingdom." She points at him, "Now is your turn to answer the same question. Until now, you have been struggling with forces you couldn't fully understand. Right now, in front of you, there is a chance to learn from them and maybe even stop that. Or you can waste the opportunity and leave to let countless other innocent ponies get hurt or worse. Tell me, Amon, can you live with that on your conscience?" "Oh, no, no, no! Don't you dare turn this around, Celestia; you have no idea how long I must go to keep everyone safe!" Amon fires back, standing up in anger; Celestia doesn't seem faced by his reaction as she drinks her tea. "Did you? Or did you spend all this time just wandering around feeling sorry for yourself and trying to escape something you refused to understand?" Celestia fires back. Amon stares at her for a moment before lowering his head. Then he starts to chuckle and shake his head. His laugh grows in volume gradually until he grabs the table and flips it to the side. The princess remains calm as she holds her cup of tea and a small plate. "SCREW YOU CELESTIA! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME OR THE TYPE OF HELL I WENT THROUGH!" Amon points an accusing finger at her in a complete rage, yet the princess remains calm and collected. "The beatings I have to endure, the stares and degrading insults I have heard, the countless times I have feared for my life, you know NOTHING! So don't act all holy than thou on me and start insulting me like I'm just some brat complaining that it didn't get the toy he wanted." "You're right; I know nothing." Celestia put the cup down and looked at him with an empathetic smile and an outstretched hand. "That is why I want to know you better. I want to help but can't do it unless you ask. Please, Amon, think of yourself. Think about what you can accomplish here. Do you think outside would be better?" Amon takes a step back and stares at her in a mix of anger and fear as he shakes his head. "I'm poison, Celestia… and you don't want to have anything to do with me." He turns around and starts heading to the front door. "You still haven't answered my question," Celestia reminded him, making Amon stop in his tracks as he was holding the door knob. "Can you live with yourself like this? And I don't only mean those around you." Celestia stood up and stepped forward. "What is the point of having wings if you don't fly? What is the point of living safely if you are miserable? What is the point of surviving if you don't live?" Amon clenches his teeth and starts to tremble as he lowers his head and clenches his eyes shut. "I will be fine. I don't need your help; I don't want your help. I can handle myself out there. I… I…” Amon kneels in front of the door and supports his head against it, unable to contain his tears. "Celestia…" He turns his head to look at the princess. "Please help me." He finally confesses in a whisper as the princess approaches from behind and kneels, bringing him into a hug. "That is all I wanted to hear, and I promise it will be different this time. I'll show you that no power would ever be able to destroy the power of friendship." The Nightmare Lullaby (Edited By PW)Walking through a desolate hallway in the Castle, a tall blue alicorn wearing silver regalia and a dark purple glow scans her surroundings cautiously, guided by an eerie lullaby echoing through the walls and paintings that sing along with the tune with a child like tune. ~ Hush, now, ~ ~ Hide, all you little ones. ~ ~ Run, now, ~ before he sees you, ~ ~ and take you, ~ ~ Where friendship and love have long died ~ The princess has to pause that last part of the lullaby in surprise and concern as she reaches the end of the hallway, where a statue of the Mane Six is in front of her. Only their eyes had been carved out, and there was a slash on their necks where red liquid was flowing, imitating a wound as they seem to be singing as well. The scene was freezing the princess' veins and shivering her fur, yet she pressed on and erased the illusion while continuing her march. The song seems to pick volume as she walks up a set of stairs where stained glasses depict her citizens escaping fires or being grabbed by giant black hands from a pony on a hoodie, no doubt another attempt to gaslight the princess into distrusting the individual. ~ Pain and Fear follows the Nothing King, ~ ~ When his kingdom comes ~ ~ Darkness is night! ~ Reaching the top of the stairs, the princess was faced with a set of double doors that, when open, transported her into another part of the castle: the underground levels below the dungeon, where the castle's central cores reside. Once more, the song continued as more images of soldiers and maids turning apart were presented to the princess all over the floor as she advanced through a pony-made hallway of rock bricks. In the distance, she could see a source of light beckoning for her to get closer. ~ Quiet ~ ~ When he approaches remain, ~ ~ silent. ~ ~ With secretive feelings of ~ ~ Fearsome, ~ ~ hatred that reaches the skies ~ Reaching the end of the hallway and entering the room of the central core, Luna's blood froze when she saw a tall alicorn stallion with a long silver mane raising his wings with claws on as well as a beat-up, unconscious, and bloody Celestia been held up and choke with one arm by the stallion alicorn and ramming her head against the magic sphere in the center of the room which was in the process of breaking and become unstable. ~ You will bring ~ ~ Joy to the Nothing King, ~ ~ When he sees the light ~ ~ Leaving your eyes. ~ At the last part of the lullaby, the stallion succeeded in breaking both the orb and Celestia's skull, creating a giant explosion that faded everything into white and brought the princess back to her studio with a slight startle and a shake before sitting up and holding her head. "Are you okay, your highness? Water!" Shiitake orders one of her guards to comply and give the princess a glass of water while the major grabs her free hand. "Did you see what my report told you about?" "I saw a hallucination attempting to cloud my judgment, indeed," Princess Luna replied after taking a deep sip of her glass of water before addressing Shiitake. "But nothing that would indicate Amon is responsible for them," she declared with finality as she stood up and looked at the source of her bad dream. A piece of the mysterious toxic fog plaguing the dream realm for the last couple of weeks, safely sealed and contained on a crystal translucent orb for analysis and study. Ever since Luna read the major's report and confirmed her claims that the root of the curse invading Canterlot came from the land of the dream instead of an external force, the princess has spent as much time as she can investigating and trying to discover what could be producing such terrible fog. Yet, she has kept stumbling into one dead end after another. Taking a bit of solace with the major's assistance, she, at the very least, stopped the unusual weather for the time being. Switching tactics, the princess' latest experiment allows her to be briefly infected by the fog to study how it operates in the hopes of finding clues. Which, to her pleasure, was precisely what she saw. "Quite the opposite." Collecting the orb, the princess walked toward an empty and hollow podium with visages extending outwards, imitating a blooming flower. Placing the orb in the middle, the visages retracted and sealed the orb in a steel dome before the podium retracted and was sealed away beneath the room floor. "From what I witnessed, it seems this curse has an objective of vilifying and awoke distrust toward our guest. A clear attempt to paint him as a foe rather than a friend or a victim needing help. Restless, cunning, and far more relentless than any Tantabus I could ever make. Truly the worst abomination ever born from the union of nightmares and curses, with a clear goal in mind." Luna gives back the glass of water and stares directly at Shiitake. "Make us distrust our guest and treat him like the worst criminal of Equestria, maybe even worse, encouraging us to think less of him and forget basic pony laws when passing judgment or even common sense, just like you displayed the night you brought this information to my attention," Luna ends her statement as she looks at the major with a stoic expression. "Your majesty, you surely wouldn't be implying that I'm infected, right?" "No, not infected per se," Luna mentions, bringing her index and thumb fingers to her chin. "Not by the same curse, at the very least," She proclaims with a raised eyebrow, making Shiitake flinch and take a step back. "But I want you to see the facts as they are and apply the same logic you requested me to use when you presented this case, Major Shiitake," Luna asked while circling the mare and eyeing her as if she were some lab rat. "What benefit could there be in casting a spell that openly antagonizes you and subtly encourages your enemies to raise their guard and alert of every move you make?" "Well, empathy, for example, is easy to move around if ponies around you think you are a victim." "Then why not present yourself as a victim from the start?" Luna fires back. "If he truly is responsible for these nightmares, why target himself as the monster? It doesn't make much sense, don't you agree? Not even King Sombra would announce his arrival with anticipation for his foes to stop him, so I repeat, does suggesting this curse is something Amon is creating a will, something that makes sense, major?" "It doesn't, your highness; you are right," Shiitake admitted with a defeated sigh while looking down. "By all intents and purposes, the only pony gaining something from this would be the one that wishes to harm that stallion." "So glad you are starting to see reason," Luna smiled, standing before the major. "Indeed, it doesn't. What makes me believe is that there is someone else at work here; it is obvious that whoever is behind this trouble wishes to put our guest in a less than flattery light; why and how is what concerns me and makes me want to explore further." "I will put my best ponies on the case, your highness; you give me the order." Shiitake salute solemnly. "Thank you for your dedication, major, but please allow me to select the ponies for the job; all we still need to discuss is your actions." "Ma'am?" Shiitake asks with a raised eyebrow. "Major Shiitake, you have been called for misbehavior and abuse of power on more than one occasion. Our resident psychology and mandatory tolerance and acceptance program have done their job and helped you through all of your demons, yet here you are now, in various years. You didn't need to be called to attention for this behavior again until you saw our new guests in the eyes." "Ma'am, with all due respect, he is a homeless pony, freakishly huge, and a stallion; how couldn't I have my suspicions of him? For all we know, he could provoke another Nightmare Moon, maybe even worse, a stallion nightmare moon," Shiitake fires back as Luna remains quiet. Deciding to put pause her sexist ideology and blaming it on the curse for the moment, the princess proceeded calmly. "It's understandable to be wary of a stranger like him, especially how he somehow was homeless despite being an alicorn. And indeed, I'm well aware of the dangers that could represent should he let himself be absorbed by his anger. Yet instead of conducting yourself professionally and observing him before taking any actions that may, I remind you, COULD have triggered the worst-case scenario, what was your first response?" "I… order his arrest with, at best, dubious reasons," Shiitake answers mostly to herself in realization as she has a thousand-mile stare at the ground. "Now you understand why I believe there is more than one type of curse at work here, major?" "But… but that is impossible; when and how could I be infected? I had never seen that alicorn before, and our first encounter was inside the castle walls; no curse could have reached me." "Unless the effects change depending on the beholder." Luna walks to her desk and lays her fingers on Shiitake's report. "Your report could shed some light on those questions, major. Those who have not seen his face seem to visualize a shady, scary figure; those who show empathy or concern are exposed to horrible nightmares and illusions that chip away said emotions and those that have suspicious or negative inclinations seem to have a spike in their feelings to ridiculous extremes and cloud their judgment making them subjective to act irrational and aggressive toward him. It hopes to push this stallion to become the successor to my infamous other half." Luna sighs in shame and pity, "At least that is my hypothesis; based on the clues, all seem to have one goal. Put him as the foe to defeat and keep him isolated from everyone to ensure that result." She approached the major once more. "This requires further study and observation, conducted only by those able to resist, recognize, and dispel this type of magic." Luna put her hands behind her back. "You are dismissed from this case, Major Shiitake." "WHAT?! But… but, your highness, I was the one that brought the issue to your attention." "As well as demonstrating how your mental faculties have been compromised, major, I understand your frustration, but I need a team that I can be sure would remain impartial and focus on the facts instead of being swayed and manipulated by these enchantments, which is why you must remain away from both this case and our guest and place yourself for a full check-up to confirm my hypothesis and receive the proper treatment. Do I make myself clear, major?" The mare in question clenches her teeth and fist before nodding, "As your command, your highness." She gives her a salute. "Good, then you are dismissed; get some rest, Major Shiitake. It's late, and you can be sure your information will be used well. Alongside what my sister found early in the morning, regardless, Amon, you can rest well. We will reach the source of this issue," Luna promised as she showed her the door with her hand. "Thanks, your highness," Shiitake replies as she and her two soldiers leave the room. The trio walks silently throughout the hallway until one of Shiitake's guards replies. "Are you gonna stay away from the case, ma'am?" "Of course not, but you heard her; I must keep my distance from that stallion. But I will use a more indirect approach if I can't get involved directly." She proclaims before summoning a feather and an empty scroll and starting to write on it, "And I know exactly how I'm going to do it." Shiitake smiles as she starts to write something down in the scroll, unconsciously mumbling a minor tune that slowly begins to concern the guards. ~...bring joy to the Nothing King~ ~When I see the light~ ~ leaving your eyes!~ The Next Morning, Fighting against the idea of remaining in bed, Amon tosses away the bedsheets and stretches on his new bed while letting go a long yawn. He rubs his eyes as he stands and sits up at the edge of said bed, glancing at his new room. Even if he was already familiar with it, the sensation of surprise was still fresh in his mind, how luxurious everything looked, from the carpeted light blue floor whose texture felt good under his hooves to the complex intricate carpeting in both the furniture and pillars spread on the spacious room that was even equipped with a mini kitchen, a living room, and two personal bathroom which he assumed was for guest and even a curious chimney that looks more like some bubble suspended in mid-air that contains a fireplace inside letting the smoke out through tiny bubbles that exit the room through a balcony that had a nice view of the city outside currently cover by two glamorous blue and golden curtains depicting the sun and moon cutie marks on them. No different from any other room in the castle? Yeah right. Celestia, your attempts at spoiling me are as subtle as a rock to the face. Amon rolled his eyes as he stood up and approached the kitchen. After putting on his gray sweatpants, he opened the mini fridge, where a cake magically materialized. But I can humor you and let you pamper me a little. Amon admits to himself as he picks up the cake and enjoys his little pastry before breakfast. He did not even bother to look for a fork and just ate it as if it were an apple while sitting on one of the chairs in the living room, savoring each slowly with his eyes closed until a knock on the door got his attention. With his meal officially interrupted, Amon glared at the door before sighing and rushing his treat while heading back to his room, cleaning his hand against his chest as he opened a closet and put on a robe long enough to cover his wings. During that, there was another knock on the door as Amon was heading there while tying his robe. "I'm coming; I heard you the first time." Amon was about to answer when a thought passed through his mind. The cautions grabbed a nearby lamp before opening the door a little, leaning against it away from the opening. "What is it?" He peeked outside to see a maid standing before the door. "Morning, Mr. Amon." The pegasus maid greeted him with a small bow. She was a simple butter-yellow pegasus with a pastel pink shaggy long mane with some volume and a bright yellow stream. Like all other maids, she seemed to be wearing a classing French maid uniform complete with a frilly tiara and long white gloves, and the base feathers of her wings were bright pink, with the rest matching her yellow fur. Now more relaxed, Amon opens the door and greets the mare appropriately, hiding his hand and holding the lamp as a precaution. "Morning, Ms…" Amon replies cautiously as he glances to the right and left of the hallway, checking for guards before looking at the maid. "Viola Heartstrings, at your service, sir, but you can call me Vivi; all my friends do." "Right, nice to meet you, Ms.Heartstrings," Amon replied, putting down the lamp. "Sorry if it was rude, but trust me, you do not wish to have me as a friend." Viola, undeterred, maintains her smile and nods. "It's okay; the princess informed me of your case and how you can be shy. But don't worry, I'm not so easily discouraged. I love changing the tune on other ponies to a more harmonious one." Amon raised an eyebrow at that proclamation. "Did the princess also tell you that becoming friends with me can be a risk to your health?" She kept her friendly, bubbling personality. "She did indeed, and with all due respect, sir, I can protect myself and find the challenge enticing. especially if it could blossom into something… more special." She finished with a smirk and a wink at him. The act made Amon flinch slightly and pretend to clear his throat. "So, Ms. Heartstrings, do you want to tell me something?" "Indeed, sir, I came on behalf of Princess Celestia, who invites you to join her for breakfast and to guide you to the dining room should you accept, although it seems you have already started with a small appetizer." Viola mentions, with a slight smirk, directing her view to Amon's exposed chest, which had a bit of frosting. With a slight blush, Amon covers himself and nods, "Yeah, I suppose I could get something to eat. Just a moment." Closing the door, Amon rushes to the kitchen, soaks a small cloth, and cleans his chest and hands before heading to his room to put all his clothes inside his bag and put on a pair of pants, as well as his trusted beanie, before exiting the room. "Okay, I'm ready." "Eh… why are you taking your bag, sir?" Viola asks as they walk through the hallway. "To keep it close," Amon replied as it was the most obvious question, further confusing Viola. "But why? Sir, nobody will steal your bag; you can leave your stuff in your room; really, there is no problem." "Agree to disagree, tell me, Ms. Heartstrings, have you ever been to a shelter?" "I don't believe I have ever been in one, no," Viola replied, shaking her head. "Then here is a small lesson about those places and being homeless in general work, this." He moves his bag for her to see. "It is worth too much for ponies desperate for bits or drugs who would do anything to get their little hands on it. So, in the street, you should always keep an eye on your stuff and always be ready to defend them or steal someone else's stuff. It's a dog-eat-dog kind of world outside your cozy little home." He put his bag back on. "That is why the bag stays with me; I may have accepted your help and appreciate the private room, but it will be long before I can trust you ponies enough to leave my bag behind." "So you are saying we only need to wait until you trust us?" Viola replies without skipping a beat, smiling, closing her eyes, and nodding several times. Amon looked at her in shock, and before he could reply, she had walked ahead of him. "Fair enough, I can wait; please don't hesitate to ask once you are ready. I would gladly give that bag of yours a good wash." Amon stares at her in confusion before getting startled when she notices him looking and deliberately exaggerates the sway on her hips and the movements of her shaggy tail with a ribbon on the tip. "Are you enjoying the view, sir?" Viola asked while keeping her eyes ahead, making Amon look away in embarrassment, shame, and slight confusion about how she realized his actions the moment he heard her giggle. -Celestia, what kind of crazy-ass maid did you send to look for me? God, I hope this pegasus is the only one like this- Breakfast And Meetings (Edited by PW)After a delightful stroll through the festively adorned hallway, Amon and Viola arrive at the grand entrance to the main dining room. The double doors, like the entire castle, are decorated with vibrant red and green streamers, and two meticulously placed advent wreaths, each bearing a symbol of the sun or moon in a striking blue and orange, grace the center of the doors. The two royal soldiers standing guard don't waste time. They open the door for them, and the aroma of freshly baked confections and other meals exits the room. It assaults their senses and awakens Amon's appetite as they march inside. The first thing that caught Amon's eye was the long and elegant dining table covered by a tablecloth, which showed the same festive decoration on its edges as the rest of the castle. Said table was filled with confections and desserts, like cakes, eggs, cereals, sandwiches of all types, fruits, muffins, and jugs filled with milk, coffee, chocolate, and orange juice. All of that was ready to be served in 3 empty plates at the end of the table, giving Amon a potent reminder of his hunger in the form of a strong and loud growl from his stomach that was starting to resemble the growl of a wild beast. "Oh my, somepony woke up hungry," Celestia replied sarcastically. The two found the princess in question at the end of the table with an empty plate, smirking at Amon. Unlike their first meeting, the princess seemed to be wearing a dark yellow turtleneck long-sleeve shirt made of wool that suited her figure nicely and her usual royal regalia. "My liege." Viola closed her eyes and raised the side of her dress, giving Celestia the proper respect. "As you requested, I brought our guest of honor." "I can see Vivi, and I thank you for that. You are dismissed." Celestia nods and waves at her as Viola nods and opens her eyes." Enjoy your meal, and don't hesitate to call if you require anything else. Also, your sister asked me to pass a message. She apologies for the delay, and she will arrive very soon." And with that, Vivi left the room as Amon looked at her in surprise at the sudden revelation before turning his attention to Celestia. "Your sister is coming? Celestia, I told you the more ponies interact with me…" "...The greater the chances of their lives being in danger," Celestia nodded. "Yes, I recall you mentioning that in detail. That is why she insisted on meeting you, Amon. Being closely familiar with dreadful and corrosive magic has given Luna a special insight into the illness that afflicts and is following you. So, although it is touching how you worry for mine and my sister's well-being, I must remind you that neither of us is a delicate porcelain doll," She explains with a calm and collected smile before extending a hand to one of the empty plates. "So, for now, while we await the arrival of my sister, would you join me for breakfast? I know how hungry you are," she reminded him with a smirk, irritating Amon. He considered walking away, but the smell and another growl from his stomach were enough to change his mind and sit next to Celestia. "For the record, I'm not accepting your invitation. I'm just going to get myself some breakfast, and you do. Nothing else," Amon grumpily replies as Celestia smiles in contentment, seeing him serve himself a significant portion of bread, eggs, and other assortments. Yet rather than hugging all the food, he keeps "accidentally" placing the plates with more of their confections within arm's reach of Celestia. -Oh, Amon, you are as subtle as a rock to the face with that tough guy act. Adorable, but I do hope it will banish soon, when we find the way to cure your curse- Celestia thought as she served herself a cup of tea, "If that's how you wish to view it, then I have no issue with that. Say, Amon, I was curious. Did you enjoy that small gift I left in your room?" Celestia asked with a smirk while noticing some frosting on Amon's chest, which he quickly covered. He looked away with a blush. "Stop doing that!" Amon complained as Celestia merely chuckled at his antics. Deciding to ignore her comments, Amon grumbles and starts to serve himself, filling his plate with as much food as possible and then proceed to hide some bread bums and anything dry that could fit in the pockets of his robe and pants when he believe nobody was looking. They both enjoy their breakfast in silence until Princess Luna enters through the main door with a contained yawn and eyes closed. She was wearing what looked to be a puffy, thick blue robe with stars and constellations embedded on the fabric, mimicking her mane, just like Celestia, her hair and tail wave on an invisible, eternal wind, displaying the fabric of the night on it, and just like her sister, her mere presence was enough to change the atmosphere of the room, with the difference been that while Celestia projected a warm and serene aura, Luna, in contrast, seem to evoke a sense of a chill and quiet night for one to get lost in their thoughts as they admire the moon and stars. "Good morning, Luna; how was your night?" Before answering, Luna glanced at Amon critically, zipping from her coffee and addressing her sister's question. "As uneventful as one could expect, due to recent events, sister, speaking off." Luna looks back at Amon again, returning to her critical glare, while Amon remains stoic, never breaking eye contact with her as he starts to hide bread in his backpack. "You must be the stallion my sister has told me about. It's nice to finally make your acquaintance." "Thanks. I would love to say the pleasure is mutual, but if Celestia told me about me, you understand why that is false. You can still walk away if you wish," Amon replies as Luna nods. "Ah yes, I'm well informed of this curse and how it seems to be operating, a cruel enchantment indeed. I'm more than familiar with a subject that I would understand why I can't stay idly by and let an innocent soul be tormented by said affliction." Amon could only sigh and shake his head in disappointment. "You are just like Celestia." "Why thank you?" Luna smiles and sits opposite him next to Celestia to serve herself. "It wasn't a compliment," Amon clarified, making Luna and Celestia pause as he stared at him stoically. "You both are stubborn and set on helping others whenever they wish for it or not." "If it means the safety of not only you but also our subjects, then we have no shame in admitting it," Luna replied calmly and resumed serving herself. With a sigh, Amon let it go and resumed his breakfast. "So, I imagine you wanted to see me?" Raising his head, Amon looked at both sisters. "Indeed, there is plenty to discuss, but before addressing the biggest issue, there is one little thing I would like to ask you first," Luna mentions, looking at Amon with a curious glance. "Yes, I got some frost smear on my chest. I didn't have a napkin and cleaned my palm in a rush. I will clean it up soon," Amon responded immediately as he started to take various pieces of bread and place them inside his backpack. "That is not what I was going to ask, but it answers why you have that spot on your chest, no… Mr. Amon. I wanted to know, aren't you feeling a bit cold now?" "Cold?" Amon repeats and looks back at Luna, who keeps staring at him with confusion and curiosity. He notices that both sisters are wrapped in far warmer clothes than he is. "What do you mean? If anything, I should be asking if you are not hot with those turtleneck shirts," Amon fires back. Both sisters look at him deadpan before looking at the window outside, where it is currently snowing, before looking back at Amon. "I believe my sister does have a point, Mr. Amon. A robe and sweatpants hardly seem enough to warm yourself during this time of the year. I have proper clothing, and even I'm feeling chilly," Celestia mentions. "Really?" Amon looked at her in surprise, "but you two are…" He stopped, realizing he was pointing as the two sisters raised their eyebrows. "Yes?" The princesses ask at the same time. "...the incarnation of the day and night, how can the manifestation of them get cold or hot?" His comment earns a groan from both sisters. "Mr. Amon, what kind of embellished stories have you heard about us?" Celestia asks, bringing her palm to her face. "Contrary to what some of our subjects believe, we are not goddesses nor ascending converts you into one, yes we are ageless, and we have extraordinary powers that many confused as divine but at the end of the day, we are still just two mares not too different than the pillars of harmony, the Wonderbolts or many other examples of ponies that have reach the top of an specific field, so yes Mr. Amon, my sister and I CAN be affected by extreme weather, just like any other pony would," Luna rants with some irritation in her voice. Once she finished her speech, Amon only nodded a couple of times and replied with a simple yes. "Understood, thanks for clarifying that." He thanked her and tried to resume eating until Luna cleared her throat. "Still waiting for my answer." "Fine, if you need to know, I'm not cold." "Thanks, then follow up question, how?" Luna fired back, and Amon only shrugged. "You may have a very long life under your belt, princess, but you didn't spend years fending for yourself against the elements and without proper clothes," Amon replied with a shrug. "Not to mention how getting cold is kind of hard when you are covered in fuuuuuuuuu…." Amon stops, holding on to the last word as the princesses raise an eyebrow and look at him in suspicion and confusion. "....fantastic, bedsheets!" Amon finally finishes his sentence quickly. "Yeah! You try living out of the street for years, switch to cotton and wool, and tell me if you still feel cold. Bottom line I have build a tolerance for the elements during all my time on the streets." "Amon, I know for a fact you were trying to get away from a blizzard before coming here," Celestia points out with a raised eyebrow. "A) that was an extreme case, and B) I say tolerance, not immunity," He argues back almost immediately. "Yes, horrible weather like that is a nightmare. Compare them to what you have now, and this is barely a chill breeze for me." The princesses stare at him unimpressively before ultimately sighing and shrugging, accepting his response: "Fair enough. In that case, we can move on to more pressing matters, mainly how we will tackle the issue of your curse." Luna mentions serving herself more coffee before pointing at him with said mug. "Yes, finally, the moment I've been waiting to hear what you have to say. Especially how you seem convinced that whatever is happening to me is not a curse." "That is because it's not," Luna quickly responded, gaining his attention. "Allow me to elaborate, Mr. Amon. Ever since my sister told me your story, I have been indulging in some research and trying to piece together any pattern to your affliction according to your experience going from one city to the next." "Right, the mushroom lady profiling, I imagine." Amon rolled his eyes with a huff, remembering that particular mare. "...in part correct, plus I'm trying to figure out where exactly was the hamlet where the worst part occurred, but for some reason, I have been unsuccessful, but that is another subject. The point I want to make here is that the only thing consistent in your curse is how inconsistent your behavior is." "What?" Amon looks at the princess with a raised eyebrow. "I had my suspicious too, but Luna just confirmed it," Celestia chips in. "Amon, for your story, the report, and the nature of what is happening, I can be sure it can't be a curse now." Celestia then starts to list her reasoning behind that idea: "A curse doesn't talk or have a message, so that is a big clue right there; a curse also behaves like a virus or a stream; it follows a pattern, and it never changes on it own, it always a straight line without exception unless something or someone changes its course, yet in one city the weather changed first, in another the songs are the only thing that happens, heck even here in Canterlot nothing happen until months after the conditions supposedly were meet, do you see our point? Whatever is happening is aleatory and erratic; not even Discord could make a curse this inconsistent; at this point, it stops being a curse and becomes just malicious casting." "Wait, you are saying that someone is responsible for my crappy life? Rather than a curse, what is happening is that someone wants to ensure I remain at rock bottom?" Amon asks them incredulously. Both royals nod. "It is the only explanation. How and why are still a mystery, but the clues are certainly there, whoever is after you. Wishes to keep your life the way it was." "And more importantly, it means you can finally rest more easily knowing you are not the cause of all that misery surrounding you, so what we must do now is…" Celestia smiled calmly and nodded with her eyes closed until she, alongside Luna, was startled when Amon hit the table hard. Some electric spark with black coloring started to emerge from his fist as he closed his eyes. "All those lives are gone, the hell I went through, the countless nightmares and guilt that kept me awake at night. It was all because of some ASSHOLE MESSING WITH MY LIFE?!" "Amon, please calm down. We understand how you are feeling, but you need to remember that as an alicorn, your emotions can negatively affect your surroundings if you are not careful," Luna warns him as she points at his hand. Amon looked down and saw a strange black orb starting to form in his fist. It startled him as he lifted it from the table, leaving a perfect half-spheric dent on the furniture as he held his hand. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Amon calms himself. "Are you okay?" Celestia asks Amon as he nods and opens his eyes, seeing his hand back to normal. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Sorry about that. So you were saying?" Amon spun his wrist, inviting them to resume the subject. "Understood as we were saying, in light of all the evidence we have gathered, we hypothesize that a malicious individual capable of wielding magic has been following your steps since you partook in this nomadic lifestyle. Most likely from a safe distance and maybe even by astral projecting his form to avoid detection," Luna resumed her explanation. "The later theory could even explain why the supposed curse managed to speak to you at one point, Amon. They wanted you to feel despair and misery; they wanted to ensure that you would remain isolated from society and make society reject you." While the two sisters kept talking, Amon had to close his eyes and clench his fist as he breathed through his nose to remain calm. His mind at the moment was a raging storm of emotions. He was hearing the sister say all of that. It made him want to yell profanities, demand names, and unleash his anger on the asshole that made his life a living hell. All of that culminates in an old memory that snaps him out of his anger as he recalls the feeling of blood dripping from his hands as he stood in front of a corpse that was beaten to a pulp and became unrecognizable. All his anger immediately turns into guilt, and while the memory manages to calm him down, it also starts to fill his mind with dread and fear as an idea of who he may be after he pops up in his head. "...Amon?" The concerned voice of Celestia snaps him back to reality as Amon opens his eyes to see both royals looking at him in concern. "Did you hear us?" "Sorry, I need a moment there. What were you saying?" "We were saying that to test our theory and, with any luck, lure your attacker; we believe it would be wise to surround you with carefully selected ponies to interact and improve your life." "You want me to make friends?" Amon asks them incredulously, raising an eyebrow at how ridiculous that idea sounds. Celestia smiles and nods. "In a sense, you could call it that, and I know what you are about to say, and yes, they will be aware of how approaching you would put a target on them; that is why we are gonna choose them." "This, in turn, would give us an idea of how to proceed. Your stalker would back away, knowing they could not continue their tricks or change tactics. Either way, with this plan, I can track them down and put an end to their torture." Luna reasoned with determination and a clenched fist. "This is starting to sound like you are setting me on a playdate," Amon mentions with some irritation. "It's nice, though, and I get your reasoning, but who in their right mind would want to hang on with someone they know who would cause them to have nightmares or attract monsters?" Right on cue, Amon hears confetti being fired behind him coming from the central doorway, followed by giggling and what sounds like party music. "Ah, right on time, it seems." Celestia smiles and nods as the sound gets louder as they approach. "To answer your question, you have already met two ponies, Amon, with Ms. Viola and Mr. Purple, who agree to this project and are fully trained to deal with this situation." "Besides them, we also requested the help of two mares that are experts on dealing with monsters, friendship, and illogical situations," Luna continued as Amon started to tense up as the music and giggles kept increasing as he stood up and took a step back away from the doors. "Mr. Amon, allow me to introduce you to…" Suddenly, the two doors burst open, and from it, a pink mare with a blue puffy sweater, a dark pink scarf with lots of fiddly bits on it, and dark blue jeans with figurines on their legs, slid into the room, throwing confetti everywhere. Her mane was puffy and had plenty of volume, and Amon swore he saw more confetti blasting out of it as if her name was coughing. "Pinkie Pie, ponyville party planner resident extraordinary, bearer of the element of laughter, and expert on friendship subjects. "It's a new friend party time!" Pinkie exclaimed in excitement while looking at Amon as he slowly backed away. "And, of course, Fluttershy," Luna continued, and Amon looked at the door again. The pink mare had distracted him from the other mare that had walked in, more calmly and almost nervously, as if she wasn't sure if she should be or not be there. She seemed to be a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane, a green sweater, and a long light green dress underneath it, waving nervously at Amon. "H-hi, Mister," Fluttershy calls as Pinkie doesn't waste time and gets too close to Amon. "Oh wow, you are so big! And you have a huge mane! Hi! My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but all my friends call me Pinkie! Do you want to be friends? Well, of course you do! That is what the princess calls for me, so we can all be friends and have lots of fun and…" Amon covers her mouth and lifts her with one hand, trying to distance her from him as she keeps asking him rapid-fire questions, not bother one bit with how he was easily suspending her in the air with his hands, before looking at Celestia. "Celestia tells me this is some joke. You don't want me to make friends with her, do you?" Amon is alarmed as Pinkie doesn't stop talking, even with her mouth covered. "I'm certainly not, and please, Amon, release her. That is no way to treat your friends. Just calm down, and I will explain everything." Celestia tries to reason with him as Amon looks at her suspiciously before looking at Pinkie Pie. Grabbing her head with his other hand, he slowly let go of her mouth. "...andwecanhaveadventures…" He closes her mouth again and then releases her. "...thenwecaneatlotsofcandy…" Amon repeats the process, gets a slightly curious cover, and quickly lets go of her mouth before covering it again. “And… be… the… best… of… friends!” "Enough Amon! Pinkie Pie is not a toy; let her go properly," Luna demanded, getting irritated at how Amon was treating Pinkie. "Tell me how I can make her stop first," Amon asks the group, seeing how she doesn't see signs of stopping anytime soon. "You can't," They all reply with a stoic expression. "Sorry, Amon, but the only way to stop Pinkie is to let her finish her speech," Celestia explains with a tired sigh. Looking at them in horror and then at Pinkie, Amon looks up as he tries to think of something, groaning when he gets an idea he doesn't particularly like. "God damn, don’t make me…is really no other choice…? Fine! I’ll do something, but she better not get funny ideas," Amon exclaimed. Celestia sighed in relief, thinking he would let go of Pinkie, only to gasp alongside everyone present when, instead of releasing her, Amon blindsided Pinkie with a full-on kiss on the lips as he dipped her. Pinkie's body went stiff, and her mane and tail seemingly popped like balloons before deflating. For the whole 10 seconds, the kiss lasted as her right hoof shot up backward. By the time Amon was finished, he had let go of a stunning Pinkie who had a thousand-mile stare at nothing, her lips puckering as she was speechless, and Amon cleaned his mouth. "I can't fucking believe it, that actually worked," With a sigh, Amon returned to the chair, ignoring all the shock stares coming his way as he looked at Celestia. "So, care to explain this plan you have in mind, Celestia?" "Can you first explain why you just kissed Pinkie Pie?!" Celestia counters, still surprised by his sudden action. For his part, Amon only sighed and shrugged. "I wanted her to stop so I could hear this crazy plan of yours, so that is what I did." "And you thought the only way to do that was to kiss her?" Luna mentions with some irritation as Amon sighs. "Look, I'm not proud about it. I panicked and did the first thing that came to mind. For what is worth it, I'm sorry, Pinkamena. You can slap me or kick me in the groin if it helps," Amon offered, and that seemed to snap Pinkie out of her trance. "What?" Pinkie looked at him in confusion. "We are not gonna hurt you," Fluttershy answers for Pinkie as she glares at Amon. "And you are right to be sorry; what you did was very rude, Amon. Could you not do it again? Pinkie already has a coltfriend." "Who? I-I mean y-yeah, YEAH!" She exclaimed, nodding a couple of times. "I do have a coltfriend, my special cupcake muffin that I love very much!... whose name I can't remember right now for some reason. B-But I still love him and would never betray!" Pinkie quickly added. Amon nods before looking back at the princesses. "There, problem solved. Now, what exactly is your plan? Why are you risking civilian life like this, Celestia?" Amon confronts the princess with a raised eyebrow. Still shaken by what happened, Celestia needed a moment before shaking her head and deciding to move on with the subject. "Well, in the hopes that your actions didn't alter the plan, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are no mere civilians, Amon. These two are well-known heroes of Equestria that have fought and won against strong foes over the years." "Fluttershy has even befriended the manifestation of chaos and is familiar with unpleasant dreams," Luna chips in, "While Pinkie Pie, well, you already meet her. Their qualities made them perfect to combat anyone trying to mess with them through their dreams, and the elements would shield them from any form of mind control." "Yeah, we will know if anyone is trying to make us think you are mean right away, and we will ignore it," Pinkie says with a big smile. "Essentially, we will be forcing whoever wishes to harm you to change tactics with periodic visits, during which you all will enjoy the day and have fun," Celestia explained. “Pinkie and Fluttershy would just be the first of many others to come meet you” "Your plan is for me just to have playdates, then?" Amon questions with sarcasm, looking at the princesses as they nod. "Think about it. They want you to suffer, don't they? Seeing you happy will destroy their goal, and they would have to try something else, and since they can' attack emotionally or mentally, they will only have one last resort," Luna mentions. "When the shadow monsters attack, I would only need one of them to track its origin and find the ones responsible." "And you would not have to hide anymore; you would be free," Fluttershy tells them. Amon remains quiet at that and only closes his eyes for a moment before looking at the two mares. "You realized this would make you into bait, right?" "Don't worry, silly. We are prepared." Pinkie dismisses his concern, and they both show him a pair of golden necklaces. "And like the princess told you, we have dealt with worse before. And nothing would stop me from throwing a Pinkie Pie party, not even you!" Pinkie proclaims as she points ahead of her. Amon stared at her with concern before approaching Fluttershy. "Why is your friend pointing at a wall?" "Just don't overthink about it; that is Pinkie, been Pinkie," Fluttershy answered with a knowing smile and a chuckle. "So! Are you ready to have a fantastic, awesome day!?" Pinkie asks, getting close to Amon once more. "I have a list of the most fun places we can visit," she proclaims, showing him the list. "Wait, you mean right now?" Amon asks in a panic. "Sure! Why not? No time like the present," Pinkie says, grabbing Amon's wrist and dragging him alone. "Hey, wait! Wait, I haven't even said yes yet; at least let me change! I'm in a robe, for pit's sake!" Amon complains as the 3 leave the room, the princesses waving at them goodbye. Once alone, the sisters look at one another. "Do you think this plan would work, Luna?" Celestia finally shows some concern about Luna's idea. "Absolutely. This kind of problem requires the expertise of mares that have experience dealing with this kind of problem before. Besides, if this foe wishes to harm the concept of friendship, who better to stop them than the champions of such? Trust me, sister? No matter what they try, I would be ready to stop it." "But why this way? Why make the introductions gradually? It wouldn't be faster to send him to Ponyville or introduce him to all six simultaneously?" "We must think strategically here, sister; this way, we keep everyone as safe as possible while taunting these aggressors. No matter what they try next, they will have to expose themselves one way or another, and when they do. We will be ready." Celestia nods and sighs, looking at the door. "I hope you are the right sister. As confident as I am with the elements, I can't shake this strange feeling that we are dealing with something unlike anything else we have faced." The First 3 Rules Of Friendship (Edited by PW)After being convinced by Fluttershy, Amon was allowed to change into his regular attire and bathe before heading outside the castle. He was, more or less, wearing an exact copy of his normal clothes. Amon appreciated how the princess procured various clean and new copies, most likely believing he might want something familiar yet clean and probably she dread that otherwise, he might step outside with something smelly, dirty, and in desperate need of tailor work. Or at least that is what Amon assumed. Part of him wasn't exactly sure what to expect, or even if he wanted to be there, but in the hopes of getting rid of the curse that tormented him or discovering the rat that placed him in that situation, he was willing to give the princess's wacky plan a chance. As the group reached the main entrance, Amon was slightly startled to find Purple waiting for them, fully dressed in his royal guard uniform. "Purple?" Amon exclaimed with a raised eyebrow, stopping at the entrance. "Before you ask, I'm coming too because I volunteer. No, this is not extra payment; I'm not asking, and you need an escort. Did I miss anything?" "Purple, you don't get it. These mares give me some weird vibes, especially the pink one, and I live in the streets, man! I have seen weird stuff, and she still topples them." "Boy, you don't know Pinkie Pie, do you? Don't worry. You get used to her, so don't overthink it," Purple chuckles and pats his back before returning with the mares, leaving Amon dumbfounded. The fuck is the issue with this ponies and how chill they are with weirdness? "Fine! Fine, whatever," Amon exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air before looking at Pinkie. "So what do we do?" "Well, normally, I will show you the best and funniest places Canterlot has to offer, but I think you would like it if we…?" Pinkie's line of thought changes when Purple makes a gesture, shaking his palm left and right in front of his neck. "...improvised? And blindly explore the place; we both know a bit of Canterlot, don't we?" Pinkie suggests with a big grin. "You mean, where is the best place to look for food and where you can try to wash your clothes?" "Y-you mean like shelters and refugees for the food part… right?" Fluttershy asks in worry as Amon stares at her for a few minutes. "Suuuuuure," Amon replies slowly, looking away. "Well, while there are places, you know? I was thinking more about what and where you go to have fun." Pinkie clarified. "Fun?" Amon repeats before looking up and then sighing. "With how much time I have spent just surviving, I don't recall the last time I had fun." At that comment, Pinkie only flinched and started to take the longest gasp imaginable. "WHAT?!" "Okay, before you start saying anything…" "Ah, no, nah, I'm NOT gonna stand for another second," Pinkie suddenly yells angrily and takes Amon's wrist. "Hey!" Amon complains as Pinkie drags him outside. "No, remember the last time you had fun? No wonder you are so grumpy; you need to relax and have fun right now, and that is what we are going to do, the Pinkie way. Don't worry, Amon. I will teach you exactly what it is like to laugh and have fun once more." Amon looked at the others for help. "Should I be worried?" "Don't worry, Amon. Remember, this is for you to relax and be happy. Just give it a chance," Fluttershy pleads with him as Amon sighs in defeat and lets Pinkie do her thing. After a while, Pinkie finally let go of Amon’s wrist once the group reached the first place in their tour in the middle of a local park where some families were having a picnic after moving some pockets of snow from the ground and having fun with it, having snowfights, or making snow ponies around them. "Okay, we are here; what is next?" Amon asks, crossing his arms while looking at Pinkie. "Next, we have a picnic!" The mare proclaims as she holds a basket with both hands, startling Amon as he steps back. "Where did you get that picnic basket?" "From my house, silly," Pinkie quickly answers. Everyone laughs and shakes their heads. "Oh, I never get tired of that," Purple says as they look for a spot to sit. "Come, Amon, free food," He reminds him singly. "No, seriously, she didn't have one before. Where did it come from?" Amon repeated his question, yet everyone was ignoring him. The smell of baked goods made him decide to ignore the madness and just go with the flow. Once settled and with some snacks at hand, Pinkie talked to the group. "Okay, this is a great opportunity to teach you the first steps to making friends, Amon, getting to know other ponies," Pinkie mentioned with a proud smile. "The best way to get to know another pony is by sharing stories and telling a little about yourself. It's an awesome ice breaker, and sometimes you even find things in common that you share with others, like this!" Pinkie clears her throat before speaking, "Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie. I come from a rock farm, and I live in…" "Wait, wait, wait!" Amon interrupts and raises an eyebrow. "A rock… farm? Don't you mean a quarry?" He corrected her. "No, silly. I mean, a rock farm, you know? A place where you farm rocks. So anyway, as I was saying…" "What the heck is a rock farm? Do you grow rocks? Do you raise rocks? Do you milk, eat, and/or breed rocks as if they were cows? I'm sorry, I don't understand how a rock farm works." "AMON!" Purple yells at him in anger. "Rule one: When you talk with others, you don't interrupt. Pinkie was trying to tell you something, and you did just that twice, which is really rude. If you have questions, the polite thing is to ask them AFTER she is done talking, okay?" Amon blinks a couple of times at Purple before nodding once. Satisfy Purple looks back at Pinkie. "Please, Ms. Pie, continue." "Thank you, Purple, where was I?" Pinkie looked up in deep thought. "My name, where I came from, how I once ate 5 thousand cupcakes in under a minute? Oh no, wait, that is for later." She snapped her finger. "I remember now! As I said, I live in Ponyville, a small city where I work as a pastry backer and throw all sorts of parties." "So… two jobs?" Amon raises an eyebrow. "You earn so little that you need the extra income?" "Oh no, silly. I just love pastries and sweats, as well as parties so I work both," Pinkie replies calmly, raising even more questions. "Okay, but if you have two jobs, when do you have free time for…?" "Amph!" Pinkie interrupts him, raising her hand. "Of topic, we are getting off-topic; let's go back on the road with Fluttershy!" Pinkie asks calmly, keeping her energetic smile as she points at the yellow pegasus, which went stiff and hid behind her mane when all eyes fell on her. "Ah well… am I… I’m…" I swear, with each word that pink mare said, I understood even less of her. Amon thought for himself while listening to Fluttershy telling her story until something else caught his attention. Someone started to hum the lullaby he had learned to dread. With everyone distracted and sharing stories, nobody noticed Amon starting to look around them in search of whoever was humming, with no result. This… is different; I can feel it. I usually can spot whoever is starting to hum. So. The bastard is here? Are they getting reckless? No, there is no time to think about that. Amon's eyes fell on the entrance of a garden maze for the public, the only place where whoever was singing could hide. Got you, son of a bitch. You wait until I get my hands… "Hello!? Equestria to Amon." Pinkie's face suddenly appearing in Amon's field of vision did more than startle him as he flinched and almost fell back, getting as much space as he could from the pink mare. "Damn it, Pink! You scare me," Amon complains as Pinkie looks at him with surprise and irritation. "Not our fault; we called you because it was your turn. Where are you ignoring us?" She asks with her arms crossed, waiting for an answer. "Wait, what about Yellow, ah… Float Shine, right?"” "Ah, it… Fluttershy," Fluttershy replies in a whisper, looking down and slightly sad. "And no, it wasn't her because she already introduced herself, which you didn't pay any attention to, Mr. Meanie." Pinkie pokes his chest. Rule two: when someone is talking to you, you listen to them. Really, Amon, we are trying to help, and we get you don't have much experience, but not even Discord was this rude." Pinkie complains and shrugs as she shakes her head in disappointment. "Ah… sorry, I'm not good at this, but didn't you hear it?" "Hear what?" Purple asks with a raised eyebrow. "The song the lullaby I… did Celestia not tell you? The thing that's chasing me uses that song. And they started playing a moment ago; tell me you heard it." "We didn't hear anything, Amon," Purple shook his head. "Maybe it was in your head?" Fluttershy suggested. "Are you still hearing it?" At the question, everyone remained quiet, and nobody could hear a thing. "Okay, it stops now, but I'm telling you, I just heard it. We need to act fast," Amon insisted. He tried to stand up, only for Fluttershy to grab and squeeze his hand with both of hers. "Amon, it's okay," She spoke softly. "How long did you live alone, scared, and filled with guilt for Celestia? Nobody would blame you for being on edge and paranoid; please trust us. You are safe now." Amon wanted to argue; he didn’t want to waste any time. The monster behind his nightmare was so close; any second he wasted, they could run away and try something else. Yet the yellow mare words, the softness in her voice and her touch, the pleading eyes. Going against her felt like kicking a puppy. Amon was paralyzed and unable to argue with her, so with a defeated sigh, he relaxed and sat up again. "Thank you." Fluttershy nods and lets go of his hand. "Why don't we resume with our introductions, shall we?" "Whatever," Amon just rolled his eyes and started poking his food. "So you were saying your name was Fluttershy?" "That is right," Fluttershy nods, now more relaxed. "Like Pinkie, I also lived in Ponyville as its resident apothecary and owner of the animal sanctuary." "So you are a veterinarian?" "Oh no, far from it. A veterinarian is a doctor for animals, and while I care for my little friends, I'm more of a guardian of sorts for both wild and domestic animals." Her answer didn't seem to explain much to Amon, yet he abstained from repeating the mistake with Pinkie and just bit his tongue. "Understood, thanks for sharing that, Yell… Fluttershy." "It was my pleasure, and I imagine you know all about Purple already, right? I mean, you two have been friends the longest." "Guess again," Amon replied tiredly, pointing at the royal guard. "I barely spoke two words with this guy based on trying to keep him safe from monsters. And that was because no matter what I tried, he just kept trying to get into my head." "That is right, but yeah, Amon was quite the tough cookie to crack; I never thought that a horde of monsters was needed for him to tell me his name." "Wait, you knew each other for two months and never knew his name?" Pinkie asks in astonishment. "Ah, Pinkie, remember? The situation," Fluttershy reminds her. "Right, right still, wow, three months; you were a good friend, Purple." "Loyal to a fault, or at least that is what all my friends tell me," Purple proclaims in pride. "I was born and raised in Manetattan by the Bronks; dad was a security guard at a museum, one mom was a nurse, and another was a firefighter, so as you can imagine me and my other three sisters had what you would call super parents." Purple chuckled and took a bite of a cookie he was holding. "Anyway, I was born as the middle child; my older sister wanted to follow mom's hoofsteps and became a doctor, one of my younger sisters is currently practicing to earn the gold in a decathlon, and the youngest sibling works odd jobs while finishing her studies in law school, as for me, you can imagine. Follow the old man's example, enlist in the royal guard, make many friends there, and here I am." "Wow, Purple Heart, you have an awesome family," Pinkie says in astonishment at his story, making Fluttershy laugh. "Pinkie, he already told us all of that." "Yeah, but it's still impressive," Pinkie counters before chuckling again. Once they chuckled, they all saw Amon, who was putting some of the cookies in one of his pockets, before noticing all eyes on him as he stopped. "What?" Amon asks as he starts eating one of the cookies. "Now it's your turn, Amon," Pinkie replied. "Tell us a little bit about yourself." "Oh no, I agree to give Celestia a chance; I didn't agree to this," Amon says, starting to get defensive. "It's okay, Amon. You don't need to tell us anything personal," Fluttershy calms him down. You can tell us whatever you are comfortable with. Trust us, it always feels nice to chat," she offers calmly. "Just something short and superficial works too, some story you like to tell, places you visit, food you like IF that is okay," Fluttershy adds when she notices Amon getting defensive. "There is no pressure, and if it helps, don't think of this as a way to lower your defense; think of it as a way to ruin the plans of whoever is hurting you. They want to keep you sad and grumpy, right?" Once more, Amon felt himself against the wall without any arguments against Fluttershy's argument, plus it could force his enemies to make a move if they saw him having a good time. With a defeated sigh, Amon once more nods and closes his eyes. "Okay, I suppose I did promise to give you a chance." "Yay, thank you, Amony," Pinkie cheered and excitedly hugged him. She had stood up, and Amon was still sitting, her chest pressed ideally against the side of Amon's head, giving him some color on his face before he pulled Pinkie away effortlessly with one hand as if she were a cat. "Okay, rule 3: Please don't press your chest against my face. Save that for your boyfriend." Amon asks her with some irritation as Pinkie nods quickly and gives him a thumbs up. "Oki doki, wait boyfriend? What is that?" Pinkie repeats, confused by the term Amon just used. "Not important." Putting Pinkie down and having given up on making sense of her antics, Amon sighs again and starts thinking of something to tell them. He has to pause and shake his head when a nasty memory pops out of his head before he can come up with something else to share. Suddenly, an idea appeared in Amon's head as he glanced at the entrance to the nearby maze, and a plan took form, making him smile and smirk internally. "Well, it is not much of a secret by this point, but recently, I have developed this joy for long walks into the unknown as I discover new places." "You mean exploring?" Purple asks with a raised eyebrow. "In a sense, a bit of the thrill of solving puzzles, discovering new places, and admiring different landscapes, not to mention the serenity in the silence with only you and your thoughts; it involves many things. This made me think of an idea," Amon pointed at the maze. "Would it be okay if I go explore that maze?" The group looks back at said maze before looking at Amon Purple, staring at him suspiciously. "That is an oddly sudden idea, Amon, especially when we just sat down and got to know one another." "Wouldn't you like to do something else first?" Fluttershy suggests before pulling out a bag of seed for some birds to approach her; Amon is slightly startled by how fast and easily wild animals seem to be drawn to her. "You have barely told us anything about you, and it seems you already want to get away from us." Fluttershy sounded hurt as she looked down and discouraged, turning the atmosphere tense until Amon raised his arms. "It's not that I don't want to be here with you," Amon quickly adds, shaking his head when the rest look at him, slightly irritated. “I swear this is just a little something that could help me relax. Just give me five minutes in the maze to clear my thoughts, relax a little, and then I'll be back." He elaborates, yet Purple and Pinkie need to be convinced. "Is that all?" Pinkie questions, leaning closer to Amon, making him uncomfortable. "Yes, I swear that is all." Amon nods rapidly. - Right after I found and broke the legs of the son of a bitch that put me through hell - Amon thought for himself and tried to think of something to calm everyone down. "Tell you what, if you give me five minutes to breathe when I return, I… I will tell you the story of when I rode a Jackalope." The suggestion seemed to do the trick, yet once more, Amon was startled when it appeared to have worked too well in how Fluttershy emotions seemed to have switched, and now she was surprised with some rising excitement. "You rode a Jackalope? How? When? What type? They are so territorial and aggressive. I… you ride a JACKALOPE!?" Fluttershy repeats in complete astonishment, getting very close to Amon as he leans back, blinking several times. "...yes," That is all Amon said before silence. Fluttershy by placing a finger on her lips before she can say anything else. "And I will tell you after you give me some space, promise." Pinkie looks at him with squinted eyes and rubs her chin before smiling and nodding, "Okay." "Wait, just like that?" Purple looked at Pinkie in surprise. "Yeah, Amony just wants a bit of fresh air before he tells us something about him. It is only fair we meet him halfway and let him breathe," Pinkie explains. "Besides, he already pinkie promises he will tell us an awesome story afterward." "Never say such a thing as a Pinkie Promise; don't go around putting words in my mouth," Amon responded as he stood up. "So, do we have a deal?" Purple still seems unsure and starts to think about it before nodding. "Only five minutes; try not to get too far and come back. Don't forget you still have enemies out there, and my job is to protect you, dude." "Duly noted, and don't worry, worse came to pass. Fluttershy can fly up, find a ten-foot-tall pony in the maze, and bring me back. I will be fine and ready to tell you the story. Just a sample. It was a she, and she has cubs." Fluttershy shrinks in delight, hearing that as the group sees Amon retiring into the maze. "You are gonna love that story; just be patient," Amon tells them before disappearing behind one of the grassy walls at the maze's entrance. The moment he was out of their field of vision, Amon didn’t waste time and sprinted into action, trying to pinpoint any sign of the lullaby in the distance. -I’m sorry, everyone, but I know what I heard; I can feel them. All this time, I thought it was the ghost of my past, but now I’m sure. The bastards are here, and I’m not letting them get away. I’m making them pay- His ears suddenly pick up something, and turning a corner, he starts hearing the lullaby in the far distance and manages to glance at a yellow jacket. - You are mine! - Breathing through his nose, Amon ran as fast as he could, hearing the song louder. The individual was barely out of reach, yet Amon was gaining more distance from his target. The song was soon replaced by a wicket-low laughing and taunting for Amon to catch them until the alicorn was about to grab the jacket as he reached the center of the maze. The second he gets past a doorframe. Amon froze in place and went pale in both fear and shock. As the lullaby resonated everywhere, it seemed to have been transported to the hallway with metal walls, roofs, and floors. Blood, guts, and human bodies were spread all over the floor, and a red blinking light covered the place in a red glow. Starting to hyperventilate, Amon took a step back before feeling a hand over his shoulder that made him jump out of his skin and turn around in time to see a girl not older than sixteen wearing a hospital glow and a bloody stain on her forehead, looking at Amon with a thousand-mile stare. "You kill us." "N-No. I-I didn't mean to." Amon tried to defend himself as he started walking backward, and the corpse around him started singing the lullaby. "I swear… I-it was an accident. I… I didn’t think…they made me, I…" "Liar." The girl keeps accusing him as she walks toward him with a stern glare. "You rob us of our only way out, strand us in this hell; you are the reason we are all dead. You are no better than them. This is all your fault." "I'm sorry," Amon pleaded with teary eyes. "Sorry will not bring us back, you kill us, and we will never let you forget." The girl starts to levitate as Amon kneels and holds his head as he tries to make himself as small as possible. The lullaby keeps playing as he shakes like a leaf. "It's all my fault. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." As Amon kept apologizing to nobody, the wind started to pick up force, and it started snowing again. Growls and screams were heard in the distance, yet Amon could barely register them. All he could hear was the infernal lullaby reminding him of the worst day of his life. Heroic Entrance (Edited By PW)While chatting about nothing in particular, Purple and Fluttershy kept glancing at the maze entrance in anticipation and a bit of anxiety that just kept increasing with each passing minute. "Come on, guys. You're paranoid now," Pinkie tries to calm them down. I'm sure Amony is on his way." "Are you sure, Pinkie?" Fluttershy looked back at her friend and then at her watch. "It has been almost 5 minutes and 30 seconds already." Pinkie chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, Shylight, come on! Of course, he would take less than five minutes, too. And this is all he wanted, isn't he? Just a moment to breathe before he opens up a bit. He really is trying. The least we could do is trust him," Pinkie told the two. "Now come! Who wants a piece of lemon pie?" Pinkie tries to distract them with a piece of the dessert, which has whipped cream to entice both. The guard and pegasus look at the plates before nodding and piling their eyes away from the maze. They are starting to enjoy their meal when a low growl alerts the three once again. "Pinkie, please tell me that was your stomach," Purple pleaded before the ground trembled. Then, from it, weird creatures made of black miasma, ice, and snow emerged in all shapes and forms. A giant snowball with rachitic long arms and claw-like fingers grabs hold of anypony nearby before rolling around. A snowman starts clawing his way on a rampage, injuring innocent people. The snow castle keeps grabbing and tossing kids inside as it walks like they were their meals, creating chaos in an instant. "Everyone, stay close! These things are tougher than they look," Purple exclaimed in alarm before turning on his horn, sending an emergency signal into the sky, and confronting the creatures. "And they are coming from the maze," Pinkie points out as she sees a centipede py train made of ice and snow capturing more ponies. "Amon!" Fluttershy tries to fly into the maze, but she is blocked by flying blocks of snow angels with long arms trying to grab her. "Don't separate!" Purple instructs them, blowing up a snowman as he raises a shield for three more, then emerges from the snow. "I called for backup already; we need to keep this thing busy and away from civilians until reinforcement arrives." "But what about Amon? He was probably the first one they attacked and is probably facing a horde right now," Fluttershy complains. "I'm aware, but there are so many civilians here. Some are already injured; we can't just abandon them or split up and risk getting injured ourselves or worse," Purple explains as he blasts a magic beam at the castle, destroying one of its towers only for the snowball to jump in and replace it, putting its victims as hostages. "Damn it! These are more intelligent, and they are using hostages. I can't get a clear shot," Purple complained. "Neither can I," Pinkie adds, blasting more confetti and cake at a snowman who looks primarily annoyed and confused about how a cake blasts one of his arms before another lands in his mouth and yet another until he falls. "Eat fruit cake, you snowmen!" Pinkie yells as she keeps blasting at whatever she can aim. Having to change aim when they start using nearby civilians as meat shields. "Hey, no hostages, that is cheating!" Pinkie calls in annoyance as the monster breaks her party cannon and keeps advancing. Eventually, the monsters began to overwhelm them, and the three soon found themselves trapped inside a ring made by the monstrous centipede. Purple was doing his best to keep a shield up to keep the monsters at bay, yet that, too, was beginning to crack. "Just… a little… more." Purple tried to calm the two mares as he started to pant and had to kneel from exhaustion. "Hold on!" A voice in the distance calls out, and the three look up in time to see a mysterious figure on the clock in a red jacket, blue jeans, and heavy black boots matching his black rubber gloves. He is wielding two flaming swords and descending on top of the monsters. His face is hidden inside a hood he is wearing. Alerted by the mysterious individual, the monsters turned to look at him in time for the castle monster to have its face stabbed and then melted by the flaming swords. This slowed down the man's descent until he reached the door frame, at which point he jumped back and spun around, creating a ring of fire that split the door in two. The monster weil in pain and falls to the ground as the flames keep spreading and melting the structure so the hostages don’t waste time and rush outside. The hero opens them up to escape. "Honey muffins!" Pinkie claims in excitement as the hooded figure slashes away monster after monster, dodging and zig-zagging the creatures that tried to put hostages only for him to cut and melt the monsters away, starting to reduce their numbers. More snowmen try to emerge from the snow, but the heat and fire keep turning the snow into puddles, making it impossible for the monsters to reform. "Sorry to fall on you guys unexpectedly. I saw the party and how you seem to have your handful. I hope you don't mind if I take some of the uglies from you." The man calls in a cheerful tune as he jumps and dashes away, avoiding the creatures' attacks with ease. He almost seems to be playing. "Not at all, Mr. Muffins. There is more than enough to dance with." Purple chuckles and joins in the fight, blasting away at the creatures and summoning purple flames to melt the snow around them once he notices how it was the clue to prevent more of the creatures from emerging. The mares, seeing how the two seemed to have things under control, went and helped rescue the hostages, move them away from the fight, and prevent the monsters from using them as meat shields. Soon, the only creature remaining was the centipede that seemed to be on his way to retrieve back into the maze while the hooded pony gave chase. "Sorry, Thomas, this is your last stop," The mysterious pony quotes before spinning in the air with his swords outstretched, creating a fire saw that chops the final monster in half before it can reenter the maze. Once he reached the head. The pony stops spinning and holds his head, leaning against the doorframe while waiting for the world to stop spinning. "Please tell me that is the last one because I need a moment now," The pony asked before being tackled by Pinkie, who smoothed him against her chest, pointing out that the mysterious individual was at least a head shorter than a standard adult pony. "You were incredible, honey muffins! You were like, wham and zap and zoom. It was like you were a superhero." Pinkie kept praising him as she rubbed her face on top of the pony's hood, making him chuckle and return the hug. "What can I say? When my sweet bum is in danger, I must jump into action," The hooded pony replied. "So glad you did, Mr. Muffin; we appreciate your prompt intervention," Purple mentions as he and Fluttershy approach the two, the latter chuckling when Purple mentions his name. "Yeah, about that, I know it happens a lot considering how you love to name everyone here, but I'm just letting you know, my name is not Honey Muffin," The pony confesses, separating from Pinkie and removing his hood to reveal a human tan face with long curly black hair. "It's Marcus. The honey muffin is just a cute nickname my marefriend loves to use," Marcus said while scratching Pinkie's chin, making her purr before he sheets his swords. "Is everypony okay?" Marcus asked Purple and Fluttershy once he was done with Pinkie. "Thank you, Celestia. They are," Fluttershy replies as she sees other guards finally approaching, handing an injured colt holding his arm to one of them. "There are more injured, and some of them have frostbite. Be careful," Fluttershy told the guard, who nodded. Soon, they all spread out to tend to the injured ponies. The pegasus returns with her group as Purple explains the situation to his superior and then addresses the group. "It seems like they got this. Besides the ones injured, everyone is mostly just terrified, but thank Celestia, nobody lost their lives." Purple explains, looking at the scared family huddling together or trying to do something for those who got slashed, frostbitten, or hurt by the monsters as guards help them out. Their brief moment of peace was unfortunately interrupted abruptly by Fluttershy. "Amon!" She exclaimed in horror. "Who?" Marcus asks in confusion before watching Fluttershy dash inside the maze without saying anything else. "That is right, he is probably still fighting." Pinkie nods as she follows Fluttershy. "Okay, could somebody please tell me what's going on?" Marcus asks, slightly annoyed at being ignored. "It's a long, complicated story, but the short version is that there was someone in the maze when the attack started and might have been injured. Let's go," Purple replies as he follows the mares with Marcus close by. The pony in question was in the process of exiting said maze at that moment as he held his head with one hand and occasionally shook it, trying to forget the experience he had relived, to no avail. To make matters worse, the experience keeps opening old wounds. Scars from his past, his experience when he first entered Equestria and why. The monsters that kept him captive and finally what he did to free himself at the cost of everyone else around him. Why? Why now? That recurring nightmare has been plaguing my dreams ever since I escaped that lab; why is it showing like this now? Amon keeps chastising himself as he leans on one of the maze's walls and sighs before looking up. Could it be that Fluttershy was right? Am I starting to lose my mind? "Amon!" The voice of Fluttershy alerted Amon and made him do a double-take before hiding behind a wall. Crap! I forgot them. The five minutes must be up already. Everyone must be more than a little angry now. Better try and come up with an excuse and fast. Looking around, Amon tries to come up with an excuse until he finds a field of flowers with a bench at one of the corners of the maze, which gives him an idea as he rushes there. Meanwhile, Fluttershy's voice is getting stronger and then getting weaker as she continues. She got pass me? Well it IS a maze after all. Amon turned around and could take a glimpse of the parting mare in the far distance, making him rethink his strategy. Well, better go back. I can always tell them that I got lost. With a new plan, Amon retraced his steps, all his time wandering aimlessly all over the world paying off as he could find his way back to the entrance with ease while his companions seemed to fall into the maze trap. Yet when he was reaching the final stretch back at the entrance, Amon was surprised when he was face to face with Marcus, who seemed to have gotten himself turned around. Both stare at one another, frozen in surprise before Amon gets angry and rushes toward Marcus, lifting him into the air as Marcus is still recovering from the shock. "Why did you look…? H… how is this possible? Who in Equestria are you?" Marcus asks all of a sudden while grabbing into Amon's hands. "That is what I would like to know, buster. Care to explain why you are wearing MY face?" Amon demands in anger before they both hear steps approaching them. The wind starts to pick up force again. Marcus and Amon look to their right in time to see Pinkie and Purple appear from the other end of the maze, looking at Amon holding Marcus against the wall of the grass maze. Meeting As Freaky As Friday (Edited By PW)Soon after encountering the two, Purple and Pinkie didn't waste time and separated them. "It's okay, Amon. It's okay. Marcus is not one of the monsters," Pinkie said, trying to calm Amon down. "What?" Amon looks at her, confused by that statement, before looking at Marcus, who keeps looking at Amon in confusion. "Yeah, I know he looks weird, but it's okay. He is something called a human from another world," Pinkie mentions, calming down and smiling before approaching and hugging Marcus with one arm. "Amon, let me introduce you to my coltfriend, Marcus, my honey muffin. Marcus, meet Amon, my new special friend." "You're what now?" Amon asks in surprise at the statement as Marcus chuckles. "Don't worry, dude, that is just Pinkie being herself, trust me. It is not what you think it is. Also, nice to meet you." "Ah, same," Amon replies, looking at Marcus suspiciously but playing along for now as Marcus turns his attention to Pinkie. "So this is the special duper new friend Celestia asked you to talk to and try to make friends with along with Fluttershy." "Yep," Pinkie nods rapidly. "Speaking of which," Pulling out a flare gun, Pinkie shoots a signal into the air that explodes into confetti to alert Fluttershy and help her reunite with the group. Barely able to react to cover his ear, Amon looked at Pinkie in a mix of irritation and surprise. "Did you always carry a flare gun on your mane?" "Well, duh, don't you?" Pinkie asks, looking back at Amon with a raised eyebrow. Before he could give her a proper reply, the pegasus in question was able to reach the group and didn't waste time in hugging Amon, involuntarily pressing her chest against his face. "Oh, Amon! I was so worried! Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Did you see who summoned them? Don't you dare hide any wounds; let me see. Maybe you didn't notice…" "OK!" Amon yells and prays Fluttershy out of his face with a red face, the others unsure if that was anger or embarrassment from being smothered by Fluttershy's ample chest. "First of all, what did I tell you about pressing your chest against my face?" Amon reminded her in annoyance as Fluttershy realized what she had done. She went stiff and red before looking down in embarrassment as Amon put her down. "And second of all, can some… somepony PLEASE tell me what in Tartarus is going on?" Amon demands, crossing his arms. "You mean they didn't attack you?" Purple asks in astonishment, "Amon, the shadow monsters came back." "What?" Amon exclaimed in shock. "When? How?" Amon asks in quick succession. "Just a couple of minutes ago," Pinkie replied. "And they came from the maze," Fluttershy answered the other question, equally perplexed. "How come you miss them? Didn't they target you specifically?" "You mean that those creatures and him are connected somehow?" Marcus mentions, getting confused, before raising an eyebrow at Amon, "It's kind of lucky that despite being so close, and with them being smart, they miss you completely." "Yeah, you're right; that was their move," Amon replies and nods in realization. "Their move?" Purple repeats. "It's kind of obvious. The plan is to keep me miserable, and before it happens, I… kind of heard again the song." Amon decided to confess, looking at the group as they gasped. "You heard it… and didn't come back to us?" Fluttershy accuses him in irritation. "I know, I know, but you didn't hear it the first time, so I thought it really was my imagination. So I kept walking until I stopped hearing it. Before I knew it, I was on the other corner of the maze and on my way here when I found Marcus." Amon clarifies. "Seems the bastards after me; switch decided a new tactic now." "I think I'm starting to see; rather than follow you, they will start sending the monsters around you so everypony thinks you are summoning them." "Exactly," Amon nods. "An obvious and cliche move, but it makes sense." "Well, I wouldn't say cliche," Marcus mentions. "I mean, are you sure that is what they want? It seems like you are assuming things here, dude." Amon remained quiet while looking at him before speaking after a pause, "No offense, but you are new, so you can't have an opinion here." "Wait, Amon," Fluttershy stood in front of him. "Maybe Marcus could help; this is a great opportunity." "It is?" Amon asks, confused. "Yeah, I know my honey muffins don't look like your typical buff stallion, but he is solid and brilliant," Pinkie praised with a big smile before gasping. "You two could be best friends, too! That way, you can have a mare and MALE friends all day." Pinkie exclaims in excitement as she hugs both Amon and Marcus. Both look a bit uncomfortable at the idea, but Amon quickly gets an idea of his own and nods slowly. "You know what, Pinkie, you're right." She gasped again and had stars in his eyes as everyone, minus Marcus looked at Amon with surprise but a little smile. "You all been trying to help me out, and it seems my enemies are not wasting any time in trying to screw me over, so let's show them; I will not play anymore." Pinkie squeaks and doesn't waste time hugging Amon's chest as hard as she can, her hands barely able to reach his back. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" "Pinkie, your boyfriend! He is right there! What did I tell you!?" Amon yells, feeling two orbs pressing hard on his chest. "They are not on your face," Pinkie mentions in a sing-song, and everyone chuckles at her antics. "And don't worry about another attack. With Princess Luna's guards patrolling, they will be on their trail in no time. Whoever is causing this, they will catch them," Purple promises as they all exit the maze. Later on, in the commercial district of Canterlot, The group explained everything to Marcus, minus the part about Amon being an alicorn and how they've been trying to help him and capture whoever was behind his misfortunes, to which he was more than happy to help. Deciding to take a break, and trying to calm down from the emotions that was the attack, the group headed to one of Canterlot's finest coffee shops, which a friend of Pinkie called Rarity recommended. They left Marcus and Amon alone as the rest went to get in line and pick up the orders for everyone. An opportunity that Amon didn't waste time exploiting: "So 'Marcus' now that we are alone. Care to explain what is going on?" Amon asks with a neutral tone. "Okay, I understand and have the right to be mad, but you have to understand I'm kind of a victim here too," Marcus defended himself, which didn't seem to calm Amon down as he glared at Marcus. "How so?" Amon asks, some venom dripping from his voice. "Because that is supposed to be my body too; look, it complicates it, but I…" Marcus looked around to ensure nobody was listening before leaning in and placing her hand beside his mouth. "... I'm kind of a customer that got screwed over." Amon remains quiet before crossing his arms. "Explain?" "Back when I was a pony, I suffered from dwarfism. A condition in which…" "Don't worry. I know what that is. The concept happens on earth as well." Amon stops himself from feeling a bit of empathy toward Marcus. "And do you know how horrible it is? To have your entire world literally out of reach? And don't start with the bullshit speech of love your body and you are beautiful, and others can have a wonderful life as they are, and all that crap; I heard the speeches, I went to the seminars, and I got the idea. Good for them; they made it and are at peace with their bodies; I don't. I hate being small with a vengeance and will stop at nothing to fix that issue." Marcus slams his fist on the table for emphasis. "No matter the price, and since normal methods became a waste of time and bits, I turn to more… exotic alternatives." "You mean the black market?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. Marcus shushes him in alarm before looking around and then whispers, "Not so loud! But yeah, first of all, I want to let you know. I had no idea what they did to you or the others; my only goal was getting taller. It took a while, but I stumbled into the shady ponies that made us like what we are today. They gave us this special cream and mana therapy sessions that would do the trick, and it worked." Amon breathed through his nose and closed his eyes. "I'm familiar with that cream; they use our skin in making it!" Amon whispers harshly at the memory as Marcus raises his hands. "I didn't know back then; I'm sorry, okay? That must be hell on Equus for you. Like I said, I was ignorant of their actions and only cared to stop being on the same side as an 8-year-old colt. But everything changed on the day of the explosion. I went for the final dose that would make me permanently tall. I went into the chamber as usual, but when the session started, alarms started to flare out, and the personnel tried to run away; next thing I knew, there was this huge explosion, and when I woke up, I was in the middle of Trottinham, naked, injured and… like this." "And that must be why I woke up as a giant stallion then." Amon nods, looking at his hand. "You know, if this was your original goal, you were replacing one problem for another." "I will be worth it," Marcus replied. "And back on the story, I couldn't tell the truth for obvious reasons, so I was forced to play along and see what would happen until Princess Twilight explained what I was and helped me be where I am today. You see now? I'm a victim here, too; I'm sorry for whatever happened to you. I, Celestia, didn't know they were using you in this experiment and thought only I survived. Believe me, if I could, I would switch bodies, no questions asked." Marcus starts to admire Amon with a big smile. "Heck, nothing would make me happier than to do just that right now." Amon snap him back to reality by snapping your fingers. "Focus, Marcus, focus, bigger issues here." "What do you mean?" Marcus asks in alarm. "Look, as much as I would like my face back, too. It looks like whatever monsters are there, they are still not done with me, and I imagine neither with you if what Pinkie told me was true." Marcus shrugs. "Maybe, I mean, from time to time, I end up in a dangerous situation and was forced to learn how to fight outside the box because of how weak and pathetic this body…" Marcus stopped when Amon started to growl, and sparks were fuming from his horn. "T-To defend myself, and my point is that at first I though it was just normal Equestria occurrence, crazy things like that happen in Ponyville all the time. But you may be on to something, if someone wants us death, we need to deal with it, and unfortunately neither can't exactly ask for help without revealing our involvement or true intentions, right? That is why I meant it when I said I would help, I swear," Marcus claimed with raised arms, trying to calm Amon. Taking a deep breath, Amon closed his eyes and nodded. "Good, then we have a deal here: we keep this a secret from the rest, track down whoever did this to us, beat them to a pulp, switch bodies, and put this behind us." "Even better, I can also put on a good word with Princess Twilight, too; she can even send you home once everything is over," Marcus replies, yet Amon retracts and grabs his hands as he looks down. "Home… how I wish I still had one." "Dude?" Marcus asks, but the group returns with their coffee before he can say anything else. "We're back!" Pinkie exclaimed and passed around a round of muffins and coffee to everyone, with the exception of herself and Amon, for whom she brought two medium-sized birthday cakes, one for her and the other for Amon. "Ah, Pinkie, I didn't ask for this… much cake." Amon tried to complain, but Pinkie only giggled. "I know, but I had the feeling you might like it. Princess Celestia told me how much you enjoy cakes, especially with frosting, and how much you would love to have one just for yourself. Don't be afraid, Amony. Sammy here." Pinkie cheered with a big smile as she pointed at herself and then Amon repeatedly. "So instead of just buying one for myself, I wanted to treat you to something sweet. Who knew we both have the same sweet tooth, right?" That lousy rainbow mane… big mouth, little… Celestia! You…! Amon clenches his fist in anger as he pictures the princess herself with a cheeky smile plastered on her face. …why the hell did you tell her that?! Everyone would start thinking I’m some kind of sweet glutton. The rumble on his stomach makes him stop and sigh in defeat before looking at Pinkie. "Thanks, Pinkie, that is sweet of you." "Don't mention it; that is what friends are for." She dismissed him with a have before pouring hot sauce on her cake and started eating without issue. "Sorry for the wait, too; the line was big." "Ah, Pinkie, that is…" Amon slowly points at the bottle, yet Purple interrupts him, causing him to feel a sense of deja vu. "So, what were you talking about while waiting for us?" Purple asks the two. "Oh, Marcus was telling me about how he awoke in Equestria one day," Amon mentioned, deciding to let go of Pinkie and enjoy his treat. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cake was filled with cream inside and started to eat it with gusto, finding that he was already halfway down with it. "Oh yeah, it was quite the surprise that day, the poor dear; it still breaks my heart hearing how somehow you were yanked out of your world and trust into the type of situation you end up in," Fluttershy mentions with pity toward Marcus. “It was some hard times indeed” Marcus nods before sighing and then smile “But I manage to turn everything around soon after that, thanks to all of you” "I say, a respectable inventor, a millionaire, and even dating half the mane six! Those are some accomplishments." Purple lists with a chuckle, surprising Amon as he looks at Marcus again. "Dating half of what now?" Amon asks in surprise and internal horror at the realization that Marcus might have used his body to mess around with horny mares or, even worse, manage to produce offspring. HIS unknowing offspring. "Oh, it's nothing. That kind of thing happens," Marcus admits with a nervous chuckle as Pinkie hugs him and nuzzles his cheek. "Yep, my honey muffin, woe all and every single one of us," Pinkie mentions in pride, showering Marcus with kisses until she finds his mouth and shares one long kiss on the lips. Amon feels shivers when he sees himself kissing Pinkie. It doesn't help that she clearly has hot sauce lips at the moment, judging by the small tears in Marcus' eyes. Oh dear god, the worst thing is that I’m not even sure why I feel creeped out by that image. Midnight Friends And Foes (Edited By PW)Long after sunset, the group returned to the castle to say goodbye to Purple and Amon, promising to return in the morning. Amon decided to keep his word and finally share a bit of himself with the rest. He explained that he has a weakness for sweet things, has developed some understanding of wildlife and camping tricks thanks to his time on the street, and even finds some joy in distracting himself with training on days he particularly feels lonely. Overall, things were going well, and Amon even found out how the mares also came to Canterlot to help a friend's mother organize a baby shower that she wanted to make with a petting zoo on it. And why was Marcus coincidentally here, too? It turns out that he was making a material run for his latest invention and was staying in some luxurious hotel. Amon found it weird that he would need to reserve a room and spend more than a day buying material for his creation, but according to Pinkie, that was a common thing for Marcus, and she had done the same before, so Amon decided to leave things there. Things went well, and everyone went their separate way until a familiar and annoying voice called out to Amon, like a mosquito that would not leave him alone. "Pray, Celestia, is this what I think it is?" Clink's voice alerts the group as they see the stallion in question and an elderly mare exiting the castle's main door. Their eyes land on Amon immediately. The teenager is wearing a luxurious white sweater, pants, and sunglasses. His right hand seems to be bandaged, and he has some golden chains on his shirt. The mare next to him had his mother wearing a noisy, long red sweater with a pink boa around her neck, high heels, and what seemed to be a long, fluffy light red dress underneath her shirt, as well as oversized ugly sunglasses. She appeared chubby, and like her son, she seemed to enjoy showing off and being the center of attention. "Is the royal guard finally putting that freak behind bars? See, mommy? I told you, I told you Princess Celestia would hear us out. There would be no way she would let that menace keep roaming free on the streets," Clink asks excitedly. Amon could only growl in frustration and lower his head. Why god? Why!? Am I paying for something? Is this some sort of divine punishment? "So you are the brute that hurt my sweet, innocent angel then," The mare spoke up, approaching Amon, trying to be intimidating, yet the side difference made it impossible for her to look other than a toddler throwing a hissy fit at her parents. "I was wondering what smelly, dirty hole you crawled into after you hurt my sweet colt and damaged my property. Hope you have enjoyed your time of freedom because this is just the beginning, you brute." Cheetah pokes Amon's chest repeatedly. "You just made a mighty enemy here, mister. I will ensure you pay for everything you broke in my house. And don't think you can gain any pity because you don't have any money. Oh no, you are going to pay one way or another." Cheetah starts to circle their chest of Amon, making him shiver and hold back a gag, reflecting as she continues her attempt at intimidation. Something that, so far, only one thing seems to be working on starting to get a reaction from Amon, even if it was just plain disgust and nausea. "This body of yours can be useful. I can think of a way or two you can pay your debt in services but don't think that would be the end of it, scumbag; it would take a miracle before you would ever see the light of day." She then looks at the guard. "Feel free to skip one or two of his next two or tree meals when you throw him into the dungeon, officer; that surely would soften him up for what would come next." Purple can only sigh and roll his eyes at the comment before responding in annoyance and slight sarcasm "Thanks for your opinion, Ms. Cheetah, but…" The guard starts before feeling a hand over his right shoulder. "...my sentence was already decided, and. So there is no need or require any more of your ideas Ma’am, the princesses already close the case" Amon interrupted Purple and stepped forward with a neutral expression, much to the surprise of the guard who turned his attention to Amon in surprise and confusion. "And frankly, the guards already have their hands full with real threats to the city, so it will be appreciated if you keep your whining to yourself, Ma'am." "How dare you talk back, you huge… excuse of… a… stallion?" Amon leans his body forward, causing both Cheetah and Clink to retreat in surprise and slight fear as the light from the moon cast a shadow of Amon over the two ponies in front of him, slowly covering their bodies. Amon's glare made the two gulp and trembled under his gaze. "What are you talking about, Amon?" Purple asks, blinking a couple of times. "You didn't…" "...have yet to use my right of appeal, officer? I appreciate the reminder, but like I told you," Amon interrupts Purple again. "I will not use it, and frankly, what would be the point? The crown would have to go in circles for something minuscule and pointless, ultimately wasting time and resources when they could be using their time to investigate something more dire, like tax evaders." Cheetah visibly flinched at that comment, and the guard started to look at her suspiciously, making her sweat. "Well…" The mare pretended to cough and look away. "As you were officer, I would not take more of your time, as for you." Cheetah went back to glaring at Amon. "Trespass on my property and hurt my sweet angel again, and I… I… I would not respond to any action I may take in self-defense… in my bedroom… where all my jewels are… and I tend to leave the front window open," she warned him. Once more, Amon flinches as his face turns green for a moment, a sentiment that Purple is currently sharing as they fight the urge to vomit. Oh, sweet merciful god, is that old hag inviting me to rob her? Or is she implying some sick roleplay… AHGH! No! NO! I will not even going to think about it; I don’t need the nightmares. Is she a cheetah or a cougar? Taking his expression as an opportunity, Clink smirked and tried to intimidate Amon, misunderstanding what her mother was doing. "And neither would I," Clink adds with a confident smirk that only confuses the two stallions. "I heard you end up needing medical attention for a week after I was done with you, freak. I'm ready for round two anytime." Clink raises his fist and pretends to be about to punch Amon, yet the stallion remains stoic as he keeps looking at Clink. Who keeps smirking, "Yeah, that's right. I bet you are frozen in fear right now, as you should. You overgrow freak of… hey!" Having had enough, Purple grabbed Clink mid-swing and started to inspect the bandages on it. "Interesting, your hand is covered in bandages, a method used for cuts, burns, or both. Yet in my report, plus being a key eyewitness, I'm more than sure that your injuries were a minor bone fracture in two fingers and knuckles, which would require a cast and should be healed by this point." Purple let go of his hand. "So I assume this is either a new and different injury, or you have a more pressing matter to attend to if your hand hasn't healed yet. Otherwise, this could get you in serious problems, young man." "Really?" Clink asked in surprise as he tried to retrieve his hand, yet Purple wasn't done with it, glaring at the noble teenager. "Oh yes, it is. You see, falsification of injuries and false accusations ARE serious crimes that could mean time in jail, Mr. Clink, and you wouldn't want us to resort to that, right?" "Ah… y-yeah, you're right, officer. Ah, well, ah… I hope you rot!" Clink insults Amon again before he and his mother walk away as fast as they can in an attempt to save face. Amon looked at them before sighing and then looking at Purple. "You didn't need to intervene. I can fight my own battles." "Oh, really?" Purple asks in slight annoyance. "Then please tell me why you lied and let them believe I was arresting you. Because from what I just saw, you were declaring yourself guilty for something that didn't happen and you didn't do." "And yet, is what those assholes wanted to hear. So that was exactly what I gave them while making sure they would hate every second of it. As I force-fed them the news most unpleasantly and painfully imaginable." "Excuse me?" Purple asks, confused at his reasoning. "Look, Purple, you are a respected and noble guard, so you would never understand what it is like to be viewed as inferior by the wealthy, even if I explain my reasoning. But if I know something about my past experiences, it is that against those kinds of pe… ponies, there are two ways to shut them up. You demonstrate that you have more power than them, which I would never be able to do. Or give them what they keep whining about but do so in a way that they hate, fear, and/or would never forget." Amon starts counting the options. "Eh, could have easily spent the rest of the night hearing their whining, or worse, leave them more than ready to unload all of their crap in the royal court for the princesses to hear, or choose the alternative and let them believe a white lie to stop them in their tracks. Forgive me for choosing the option that allows everyone a chance to sleep and put this idiotic subject behind us." "You know this is just a temporary solution, right? Ponies like them will keep coming and be even worse if they know they can get away with it." "That's the thing; they will not come back. It looks like I say you don't get it, nor would you ever be able to understand it. But trust me. I neat this issue on the butt for good." "That as it may be, this could easily snowball into nasty rumors and lies about you, Amon. It could make things harder down the line," Purple warns Amon as they resume their march toward the castle. On his part, the stallion doesn't seem to bother and only shrugs. "It will happen no matter what, and it is a noble Purple; I would be surprised by any rumor they started, which managed to last more than two weeks, AND it is actually real. Just let it go," Amon replied. The guard didn’t seem convinced but held his tongue as they entered the castle as two guards closed the royal gates behind the two. At that moment, in Princess Luna's room, the princess was reading a report given to her by one of her guards before signing and closing her eyes, putting down the paper she was holding. "And you are sure about these numbers?" Luna asks, looking back at Bliss, who is wearing her royal guard uniform and holding her helmet under one arm. "We ran the math three times, your highness, and all gave the same result," Bliss replied with a stoic expression. "The source of today's attack came from within the maze in Canterlot General Park, and the time matches when Amon was the only pony present there." "Just as your report shows, and yet it doesn't make any sense," Luna mentions, standing up and putting the paper on the desk before her as she walks to her balcony. "There have been multiple incidents before where Amon wasn't even near the affected zones. Why is it now showing me this?" “Your Highness, permission to speak freely?” Bliss asks, maintaining her stoic expression as Luna looks at the pegasus with slight confusion over her shoulder. "Granted." "In none of those cases there were reports of monsters appearing. And so far, that was the only other instance where that was the case. Amon was present." "Are you suggesting Amon is responsible for the attacks?" Bliss only shakes her head. "I'm only saying it is a coincidence, but should the same conditions repeat? Then we will be facing a pattern, your highness." Luna remained quiet in thought before sighing and nodding once. "It hurts me to admit it, but you are right, private Bliss." "What are your orders, princess?" "For now, just stay put and keep observing. You have given me plenty to think about, and I need to have a private conversation with Amon tonight. There is a hypothesis I would like to discuss with him." "As you command, ma'am. I will bring him to you." Bliss gave her a short reverence before putting on her helmet and exiting the room, leaving the princess alone with her thoughts. Was I viewing this problem from the wrong angle all along? Could it be possible that Amon is plagued not by an external foe but rather by an inner demon? Luna asks herself questions as she looks at a picture frame on her desk showing her posing next to a bunch of colts and fillies during nightmare night. Luna shows her alter ego, the statue of Nightmare Moon, behind the group and is now getting the princess's attention. Amon told us how he had ascended not too long ago and had done everything in his power to contain his new latent abilities, something I saw firsthand, such as how he doesn’t seem to understand even his magic. Could he be going through the same or even worse ordeal I once went through? Luna picks the photo and exited her balcony to see her full moon. Should that be the case, I dread to imagine what kind of creature poor Amon is unconsciously forming inside him. Luna shakes her head to clear her thoughts and steel her resolve as she stares at the moon. I must make sure the clues align, and I must know if he really is creating these monsters by accident. If so, I must do everything in my power to help Amon stop this madness and save him from walking the same path I once traversed. Equestria doesn't need nor deserve a successor to Nightmare Moon. Moments later, as Luna had requested, Bliss was able to bring Amon to her quarters as he looked at her slightly annoyed. Still wearing the clothes from the morning. Amon didn’t seem particularly thrilled to see her, something understandable considering the unexpected request. "As you requested, your highness, I brought you…" "Let's skip the chitchat and just tell me what you want," Amon interrupts Bliss, to her annoyance and surprise. Amon marches right into Luna without giving her any proper greeting, while the princess remains stoic. "After the day exploring the city at the suggestion of your sister, may I add, I'm tired and would like to call it a night, Luna; I know you are usually awake during this time, but still. This better be big. If it couldn't wait for a sunset or another time, we both would be more awake." For her part, Luna remained quiet and held up a hand before Bliss could say anything. "Thank you, private Bliss; you are dismissed, and do not concern yourself; Mr. Amon is in his right to be angry by this unexpected summon." She snapped her fingers and conjured two cups of coffee for her and Amon. "A peace offer, and to answer your question, this is news you might want to hear immediately. It involves the monster's attacks this morning and an alternative to repel them. With any luck, permanently." Amon, now more awake, kept staring at her before turning his attention to the floating mug and nodding. "Okay, you got my attention," He nodded and picked up the mug before heading to a nearby couch, "And since you offered the drinks, I will be an asshole if I don't return the favor; sorry if this is all I can offer." Amon pulls out a zip-plug bag full of cookies from his picnic the day before, picking one of the treats before leaving the bag on the coffee table. It slightly confused both mares, who blinked before Luna addressed Bliss. "You… can go back to your duties private." "As you wish, your highness," Bliss, still slightly confused, can only salute and leave the two alone as Luna walks toward the chair opposite the couch and picks a cookie. "Thanks for the treat, Mr. Amon, but I must ask, did you always keep a bag of cookies in your pockets?" "Recently? Yes. Before? If cookies were replaced with any food that could be stored, the answer would still be yes. I call it squirrelin, a common practice on the streets." "Ah, I see. It's similar to how squirrels save nuts before winter," Luna nods before picking up her mug. She looks at Amon's bag, which he puts down between his legs in a possessive manner, making her sigh in sorrow. "Yet another topic that will need discussion at a later time. For now, there is another subject I would like to discuss with you." Luna mentioned putting down the mug after taking a sip of her coffee. "Agree." Amon also put his mug down and crossed his arm. "You said you found a way to repel the shadow monsters stalking me?" Luna nods twice. "Indeed, I believe I found something that could assist you in erasing that problem and its potential source. But to be sure, I must answer a couple of questions first, Amon." "Well, might as well, since you summon me." Amon shrugged and sighed before taking a gulp of his mug and looking at the princess. "Fire away, Luna." "Thank you." Luna then summons a folder, which she grabs with one hand before opening and showing Amon the report she inspected in Las Pegasus. She also shows Amon, a creature that resembles a whale with eagle-giant wings and is seemingly made of shadow and neon lights. "Do you recognize this creature, Amon?" "How can I forget it? The bastard tried to fall over me in an attempt to crush me and ended up destroying an entire city block," Amon recalled with anger at the picture. "First and I hope last time, I had to resort to using a building as a spike." "Yeah, I would like to know the story behind that. I am still trying to understand how that happened or if it is even possible." Luna pretended to cough before showing the next picture. "And do you recall this event?" She shows him a strange, moving black cloud that seems to destroy a house as ponies run away. Once more, Amon nods. "Yeah, I recall that horde of lotus. Thank god I could improvise a bug zapper before those things left Trottiham. I dread to imagine what could have done to Equestria crops." "I'm sure that knowing the tale, all the farmers in our kingdom would give you their thanks, Amon. And what about this last one?" Luna shows Amon a third picture, which shows tall humanoid figures that seem to be attacking royal guards and slamming them against the ground or walls as they march throughout the street. "The walker parade in Manehattan. Yeah, I recall that event," Amon sighed and looked at the picture with sorrow. "I wasn't as fast then, and many ponies got injured." Luna notices his expression and interlaces her fingers together. "None of these attacks were your fault, Amon; I need you to remember now and after what I must ask you." Luna mentions this with closed eyes, earning Amon's interest. She opens her eyes and looks at the stallion stoically: "Do you recall what you were doing before these attacks happened? I'm not saying you caused them!" She stops him before he can voice his anger, knowing a response is coming. "I'm asking because each action is linked to their arrival and if my theory is correct. We can stop them for good right here, right now." "You… you think so?" Amon asks in surprise, and some hope mixes in his voice. "I can't guarantee anything until I hear your argument, so please, Amon. Tell me, do you recall what circumstances you were in during each and every attack?" Amon sighed and looked at each picture before trying to remember what was happening to him before dealing with those monsters. "Because of the attack, which has been a while, I may remember wrong." "That's okay; just try to be as detailed as possible," Luna encourages him as she summons a notebook ready to take his statement. With a nod, Amon looks back at the picture once more before pointing at locus attack one. "This one, I had a pretty crappy experience. Trottiham may not be Canterlot, but ponies there were more than a little elitist. Even the lower class didn't want to give me the time of day, and I think there was a food festival or something similar, so I thought they could spare some breadcrumbs or leftovers for me, but it was the opposite." Amon needs to close his eyes and hold his stomach. "I remember how starving I was feeling that day. I had dealt with Mother Nature and nutjobs and crossed a forest just to go there, so I was more than tired, hungry, and injured. Yet finding anything to eat was near impossible." "So you were famished back then?" Luna asks, feeling pity for Amon, who only nods. "It might be there when I learn about squirrelin. I made a mental note to do everything I could to save up every piece of food I could. When those locusts attacked, I was waking up from another blackout from hunger. It… it also wasn't one of my proudest moments," Amon admitted with some guilt as he looked down. "Why?" "I was desperate and starving; those insects were more interested in eating everything else that WASN'T food; there was this farmer competition, or maybe a pie, cake, or whatever. The point was that so much food was on the ground, stomped, muddy, and ruined. But food nonetheless. I needed to eat something, and that mountain of food… they would be thrown away, regardless, so I…" Luna reaches out and grabs one of Amon's hands. "It doesn't make you less for having to eat from the floor, Amon. As you say, it was a desperate moment, and you decided to help even if those ponies turned their back on you. If anyone dares say you broke the law or mock you for that, I promise you, they will have to answer to me next," Luna mentions with a neutral expression, her eyes shining briefly in anger as she lets go of Amon's hand. The stallion, in response, only sighs and nods. "Thanks, but don't bother; like I say, it happened a long time ago. So there will not be any point there." He then pointed at the picture of the whale. "Anyway, moving on, I don't remember all that well, but I think this was when I was left to face a pretty nasty storm in the street of Las Pegasus with nothing but my clothes on. I haven't found my bag yet." "I see." Luna nods and writes everything down. "By chance, were you mistreated at that particular moment?" "...yeah," Amon admitted after a pause, "I heard a rumor that Las Pegasus refugees were particularly famous among my social circle, with warm beds, spacious showers, and job opportunities. You name it. I had my reserves, but I decided to give it a try. Turns out those rumors were just a trap." "How so?" Luna asks, invested in the story as she drinks more coffee. "They offer those things… but there were conditions, it turns out. Some big shots there wanted cheap manual labor, so they offered ponies like me a chance to turn their life around with jobs, food, and shelter. In reality, they only want employees that can perform manual labor for an insultingly low salary, no security, and barely any regulations or employee rights." "Amon this… that is horrible and highly illegal. Who? Who runs such a horrible business and work environment?" Luna demands, starting to get increasingly angry at what she is hearing. "They need to answer for this." Amon shakes his head. "Don't bother, chances are. The bastards know how to cover their tracks and act as "faceless managers." However, that is not the point. You see, they only hired ponies for three months, probably to save face and keep themselves under the radar from the law and, well, most likely you, once that time is over…" "They fired you?" Luna asks in surprise as Amon nods. "Like all the rest, just one hour to pack your stuff and leave, or you would be forcefully removed, and if you don't have something to put your bits or lost them, well, I suppose it's them now. What are you going to do? Sue them? With what money and with what argument? They had an iron-tight contract, so it was a losing battle from start to finish, and that stormy night, I was just thrown into the street after only 15 days. Turns out my size was too much for even their sketchy workplace." Amon sighed and drank more of his coffee. "By the time I was trying to sleep under a cartbox and ignore the rain and the cold, that strange whale appeared ready to crush me and everything around me." Luna remains quiet and turns to the last picture. "I'm so sorry, Amon. I didn't mean to open old wounds." "It's okay if it means I don't have to worry about those monsters. I don't mind much." "Thank you for understanding. I think I understand what is happening, but just to be sure, do you recall the events leading to this attack?" She points at the last picture. Amon stares at the photo briefly before taking a deep breath and looking down in sorrow. "That… that one brings back mixed feelings. And like I say, I couldn't deal with the issue as soon as the rest because when it started, I was in a jail cell inside one of the city police stations." "Why were you arrested?" Luna asked with curiosity. "Bad timing, you could say," Amon shrugs, "I just dealt with a drug addict trying to cut me with a knife as he try to take away my bag, probably to get more drugs or thinking I have some myself. He kept yelling on and on about me handing over some pills. Some officers saw us but crossed their arms and placed bets as if we were some show for them." Amon clenched his fist in anger. "I was furious that day and was a bit scared, so I defended myself and punched my attacker, and because he was so messed up and brittle, well. He fell in one hit with teeth and blood everywhere." Amon has to pause and take some air before continuing, "I suppose that was enough to view me as a treat, so next thing I knew, I was restraint by magic rings all over my body and repeatedly hit with batons as the guards read my right, as pointless as that may sound. Once they got tired, they brought me in and put me in a hole, calling me a crackhead and scum and other slurs before leaving. I didn't want to prove their point, so I held my tongue and try to get some sleep in that cell before thinking what to do next." Luna remained quiet and crossed her fingers while closing her eyes, clenching her hands together as she held back more anger until she managed to continue. After a sigh, she opened her eyes and looked at Amon. "According to the report, you managed to escape that night among the chaos, but for some reason, there was no arrest order. I have an idea why that is now. To fill the report, they would have to declare the motive, and it would not take more than five minutes to determine you are not a drug addict." "I gather as much, and my escape seems to be the only thing real on that pile of lies," Amon mentions in irritation. "That night, I woke up with screams in the commissary and started to fear for my life. I took my chances, and luckily, the hinges on the door were rusty enough and easy to break after a couple of tackles." Amon finished his mug and put it down before looking at the ceiling. "After that, those things were just attacking the officers and tossing them around like rag dolls before turning their attention to me. Easily one of the hardest, considering they were some gaseous form, meaning I couldn't hit them, but they could hit me. So, changing tactics, I lured them out of the city and kept running until they were banished." Amon pauses and looks at the princess. "Does that answer your question? Did you figure out something I didn't?" "In effect," Luna nods and takes a simple zip of her mug before putting the cup away. She starts counting each event: "Because of hunger, for violations of your pony rights, and unjustly profiling and arresting you. All the events share one thing in common. But before I tell you what it is, please remember that you are not responsible, nor am I placing the blame for these attacks on you. As far as I see, you are indeed a victim there," Luna explains, thinking carefully in her following words. "But I'm afraid that you also cause them, Amon." "Excuse me?" Amon asks with anger at her claims. "Please don't misunderstand, I promise you. I'm not accusing you of anything. Far from all I want is to help you make sense of your current predicament." Amon remains quiet before crossing his arms and giving Luna the benefit of the doubt. "I'm listening." "It will be far easier with a visual aid," Luna began and stood up. Tell me, Amon, do you recall my warning this morning? The one regarding your magic and its danger if not appropriately controlled?" Luna mentioned while shining her horn and raising her glowing hand. "Yeah, I recall that, and again, I'm sorry for the hole in the table." Amon apologizes. "I didn't do it on purpose." "And that is exactly the point I wish to make," Luna replied before staring at her glowing hand. "Please pay attention to my hand, Amon; look closely as I teach you a sad truth behind our gift." Luna closes her eyes before opening again, and they turn green and red with a purple miasma coming from their edges. Immediately after, the light blue glow from Luna's magic becomes a very dark blue, and the room starts to get colder. A sensation oddly familiar to Amon as he looks around before looking at Luna, too. "As I told you earlier, as an alicorn, our emotions are linked to our magic far more closely than a normal unicorn, young Amon. Control is more than a suggestion; it is a need we can't ignore. Without it, we risk losing ourselves in our magic as we lose control, and without control, the results can be unpredictable and can only end in disaster." The glow soon turned into a black fog that started to spiral out of control before imploring, rushing a cold wind around the two and making Amon shield his eyes for a moment before looking at Luna, who now seemed to be changed into a more intimidating darker self, making the room so cold Amon felt like he was in the middle of the north pole before returning to normal bringing back the heat on the room, as she lowers her hand and looks at him. "Do you understand what I'm trying to get with this?" "I get that you want me to control my magic. But I'm still not seeing how it is linked to those monsters." "It has to do because those are not external monsters, Amon. They are the manifestation of your magic going rampage and acting on the emotion behind their creation," Luna explains. "What?" Amon looked at her and then at the pictures, perplexed at her claims. "Just think about it. The locus is attacking the farmers that deny you anything to eat. The whale is attacking a city that denies you shelter at the worst time possible, even the reason why faceless ponies target guards as mere toys. Do you need me to compare their treatment toward you?" Luna listens in pity as Amon keeps staring at the pictures. "My god… I'm making them? So that means that attack early…" Amon whispers to himself, feeling guilty and disgusted when looking at the pictures with new eyes. "I will not ask if that is what you fear, Amon. But if there is anything, you would like to tell me. I will be more than happy to listen." "What else is needed to say? I cause this disaster," Amon replied. "Not directly, of course, but rather, these disasters seem to be caused by your magic unchecked and ignored, obeying an unconscious command you refuse to express. I wasn't sure, but even the events leading to our meetings, Amon," Luna sat next to the stallion. "Think about it. The monsters appear soon after shallow ponies attack you. I can't see any other explanation, but I would still listen if you have any other theory." "No," Amon shakes his head before holding it with one hand. "You're right, princess, it makes so much sense. All this time, I thought I was running away from the devil when the devil was me all alone. God, I'm an accidental monster on top of everything else." "No, you aren't!" Luna surprises Amon by grabbing his face with both hands. "Now you listen to me and listen carefully. You made a mistake; you were entrusted with power beyond your understanding or any pony to guide you to control it. None of these events was your fault, not completely, at least. I'm sure somepony was and is still controlling your strings. The whispers, the nightmares, and the mind manipulations? Those are still real, and I know those are not your doing." "But the shadow monsters still come from me, Luna. I still have some blame here," Amon mentions, still feeling guilty, as Luna sighs and lets go of his head. "Please don't fall for their trap, Amon; this guilt you're feeling? Self-pity and calling yourself a monster is what they want to achieve, and I'm sure you don't want that, am I right?" Luna smiles and extends her hand. "Take it from someone who has already walked that road. You don't want what lies at the end of the tunnel. Please take my hand and allow me to take you out of that hell and destroy those demons in your head for good." Amon looks at her, unsure, but takes her hand regardless. "Can it be done? No more attacks or shadow creatures?" "It can and would be as easy or as hard as you make it, Amon. All you need to do is learn how to control your magic, and someone can show you the ropes. I imagine you were born as an earth pony and, therefore, never wilded magic, correct?" Amon nods once. "I gather as much, so you need someone who can act as a guide and help you express your emotions more healthily," Luna reassures him with a big smile. "I suppose; I mean, it would be nice knowing how to cast an expeliarmus," Amon mentions with a little smile as he stares at his hand. "A what now?" Luna questions. "Nothing, just something I heard once. So, getting back on the subject, I imagine you have someone in mind to teach me all of those things?" Amon asks with some intrigue before Luna helps him stand up. "If by someone you mean me? Then yes, now come with me, Amon. There is plenty to discuss before we start your lessons." Luna guides him toward a bookshelf, taking out various books. Amon looks at her in confusion and slight curiosity about whatever plan she has in mind. At the same time, hidden on a dark cloud, a figure covered in a long yellow winter jacket observes the interaction between Luna and Amon with the help of a telescope before getting as far away from the castle as possible before any guard can spot the intruder. Once they reach a safe distance from the castle, the individual takes out a phone and calls in a male voice: "Sir, we might have an issue." Amon The Kind Begger (Edited By PW)With a slight humming, Ms. Viola approaches Amon's room before knocking three times. "Mr. Amon, it's Viola here to wake up and clean your room." "Just a second," The tired voice of Amon calls from the other side. After a small lapse of silence the stallion in question opened the door wearing a robe as he held a yawn “Ms. Viola not to be rude or anything but is it really necessary for you to come wake me up at this hour?” "I'm afraid so, sir, and will, due all respect, it is almost nine o'clock," Viola adds. "I was under the impression you were used to taking advantage of the day considering well…" "I'm a hobo?" Amon finishes for her. "I didn't say or meant to say that, sir." "It's okay, that is what I'm, and you are right on the money; I kind of hate it, but to survive, it's best to be an early bird." Amon nods before holding another yawn. "It's just that Luna kept me awake last night, so I couldn't sleep as much as I wanted." Amon rubs his eyes and steps aside, oblivious to how Viola went stiff, looking in surprise and confusion at the stallion. "E-excuse me, sir?" Viola asked in a slight panic as she stepped inside and saw a pile of books scattered everywhere. "Luna. She gave me a pile of books to read before sending me on my way. By the time she was done explaining why and how they could help me, it was closer to midnight," Amon replied as he made his way to the kitchen. "Sorry for the slight mess I left." "She left you with… OH!" Much to Amon's confusion, she loudly exclaims, who looks at the servant entering and nods. "That is what you meant by her keeping you up all night." "Yeah, what were you thinking? That we hook up in less than a day?" Amon questions her, pouring a glass of milk and pointing to her with the glass. "No! No, that is not what I mean. I… I will start," Viola stuttered before pointing at the pile of books in the living room, organizing them neatly as she read the cover for each one. "Accepting myself, me and my horn, the wonders of magic. Sir, these are self-help and magic understanding books. Princess Celestia suggested one or two of them to Princess Luna when she turned back from being Nightmare Moon." "Yep, that is what Luna told me, too. She believed it could help me, and well," Amon shrugged, "I don't lose anything giving it a try, so I gave a glance over as many as I could before heading to bed; if it is not to bother, could you put the one about harnessing magic in your body, on top of the tower? I want to start with that one," Amon mentions as he finishes making himself a simple breakfast of toast, milk, and juice and heads to the balcony to enjoy his meal. "Sure, no problem, sir; I'm so glad you are trying to improve yourself," Viola smiles before noticing how Amon still refuses to part ways with his bag as he marches to the balcony. "Even if they are small steps." "Just trying not to be an asshole, especially after a warm room and food. I'm thankful for everything you and the sisters have done for me, Ms. Viola," Amon calls from the balcony as the pegasus gets to work making the bed. "So those mean you are ready to drop the formalities in me and start using them with the princesses?" "Don't push it; just because I'm grateful doesn't mean I'm going to lower my guard, as you know. I can still be dangerous." "And what if I like danger? With all due respect, sir, you don't know me. Maybe I volunteer because of that risk. Maybe I like that factor as part of the challenge, and maybe because of the danger, I decided to 'forget' putting on a pair of panties today," Viola corrected and giggled, watching as Amon choked on his orange juice. "I didn't hear that," Amon calls between fits of coughs as Viola laughs and passes him a napkin to clean his face. "Oh sir, you are so easy. Relax, I was messing with you. Or am I?" Viola asks with a smirk as Amon glares at her. "Ma'am, you have issues." "And you need to loosen up," She fires back and winks at him before getting back to work. "So…Neither princess asked me to bring you to the dining room and with all these books. I gather you are going to stay in your room today, sir?" "Nah, I don't like spending the day in my room. So, since Celestia is busy being a queen…" "Princess, sir, she is a princess." "...right, since she has to go be that, Luna is most likely snoring right now, Fluttershy and Diane…" "Pinkie!" Pinkie's voice is heard in the distance, and both ponies are starling momentarily. "Ah, as I was saying, because Fluttershy and Diane…" "It's Pinkie! Just call me Pinkie!" The same voice calls out, startling both of them. Amon stood up and walked inside with a bowl of cereal. "Because Ms. Shy and Ms. Pie are busy…" "That is cheating." Amon closed the glass in surprise and annoyance doors before looking at Viola. "Because those two are busy preparing for their baby shower, and Marcus told me that he has some chores left to do in town, I have the day for myself." Amon finished his meal and put the plates on the sink. "I was thinking of getting some fresh air for myself, visiting Donut Joe's, and…" Amon stopped mid-sentence and shook his head. "Why am I telling you this? I'm going out; that's all you need to know," Amon replied. "Remember, sir, the goal is for you to have fun and make some friends," Viola reminds him with a smirk as she slowly approaches. "And since everyone is busy, a good way to do both is inviting a friend who is available and would like to buy a donut and walk around town." "Don't you have work?" "Personal maid and slow day, sir. I can follow you alongside a guard if need be," Viola fired back, making Amon roll his eyes. "Fine, but you will hold the trash bags." "A…Trash bag, sir?" Viola asks, confused. "What? Do you think I was going to buy a donut? Today, Joe throws away the old batch; you must hurry before the rats get them." As he enters the bathroom, Amon says, "Just wait here while I change, and then we can go. Better have your running shoes ready; those rodents don't mess around." Amon was about to enter the bathroom before Viola stopped him. "SIR! As much as I would love the idea of…" She shivers and has to close her eyes. "...dump diving. If you want those donuts, wouldn't you prefer a less gross and more efficient option?" "If you have a better idea on how to get trash donuts, I'm all ears," Amon says, crossing his arms. Half an hour later. "And here, that should be the last one." Donut Joe finished handing down another bag full of old, unsold donuts to Amon, who was carrying five bags filled with them, while Viola paid for them. “Thank you so much Joe, you are the best” Viola mentions with her usual cheerful smile "Nah, thank you, Vivi. You are mostly doing me a favor here," Joe chuckles before looking at Amon. "Those donuts keep attracting pests, and I don't have the energy to put them away from my shop. You have no idea what fortune I have to spend every month just to keep my store clean from those parasites." "Don't mention it; this was all Amon's idea," Viola mentions. "Then thank you to Amon, you are really doing me a favor here. Also I don't mind selling you my old batches, but what will you do with them? They are too old and stiff, so they would not taste all that good," Joe asks with curiosity. "Oh, don't worry, I know how to use old donuts," Amon mentions as he leaves the store. "Let's go, Ms. Viola." "Bye, Joe!" Viola called before chasing after Amon while they were walking the streets. Amon is once again wearing his usual clean version of clothes. "I told you it would be easier and less gross, and more importantly, you did Joe a favor just now," Viola mentions to Amon as she eats a recently baked glazed donut. "Yeah, and it only cost you a bag of bits," Amon replied before sighing. "You didn't need to go this far. I could have dumpster diving myself." "Out of the question, friends don't let their friends do nasty stuff like that," Viola says with determination. "You wanted those donuts; I got them for you." "Yeah, well, I'm still gonna pay you back." "Forget it, Amon; it was my treat, and why do you want them anyway? It can't be because you are hungry; the castle has you more than covered." "Nah, I had something else in mind," Amon replied as they headed for a public park. Once the two find a pound, Amon looks around until he puts the bags down and takes a couple of donuts from one before looking at Viola. "Stay here," he ordered before he went ahead and slowly approached a family of ducks near the pound. Naturally, the ducks were slightly startled by Amon's arrival, who slowly approached and kneeled down, trying to be a bit less intimidating. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm not here to harm you; I just wanted to talk," Amon says in a slow tone as he shows them the donut. One of the ducks slowly approaches him as Amon crushes the donut into small crumbs. "I bet you all are tired after your trip to the south. The weather is not yet completely warm. And you must likely have some loose feathers in your wings." Amon keeps approaching as the duck keeps staring at the donut. "What about this? A small deal, this and more delicious donuts, for your loose feathers. I can even help you remove them if you allow me. Sounds good?" The ducks look at one another before approaching Amon. Viola watches all of that and can only blink in surprise as more and more birds start flocking to Amon. "Viola! The bags!" Amon calls as he exchanges donut pieces for feathers for the next few hours. Once everything was settled, all the ducks in the pound flew away happily, leaving Amon and Viola with a mountain of feathers and two remaining bags of donuts. "Good, I think that would be enough." Amond nods and starts to secure the feathers in the now empty bags, plus four more additional ones in his backpack. "So you wanted the donuts to feed the ducks?" Viola asks while helping him put the feathers away. "It was more like an exchange. I needed the feathers, so I offered something for them. Everyone wins," Amon explained. "Okay, question. Why do you need duck feathers?" "Later, for now, it is the fish's turn," Amon mentions as he crushes the remaining bags with his fist and pulls out several zip-lock plastic bags from his backpack, filling all of them with the donut crumbs. Once more, Viola was confused until he saw how Amon went around the park selling the crumbs to any pony that went closer to the pound or convincing them to so they could feed the fish on it. Some accept the offer, some refuse, and more than a couple escape or turn aggressive when Amon approaches, with Viola having to intervene and help de-escalate the situation. By noon, both of them had left the park with bags full of feathers and some bits to boost. Amon even paid back what Viola paid for the donuts despite her constant refusal. "I must say, we are having a good time here. You're right, Viola. Without fighting the rats, things have gone far faster than normal," Amon says with a satisfied smile. "Sir, I must ask, before you were discovered and were brought to the castle, was this your daily routine?" Viola asks with some pity in her voice, pity that only increases as Amon nods. "Among other things, but kind of. You make do with what you have, Ms. Viola, and over time, I have learned how to earn a couple of bits out of parks and bakery; it's all about your timing and imagination," Amon says with some pride in his tune, which only makes Viola felt even sadder before she realized they were reaching the limits of the town and approaching the east forest near Canterlot. "Sir, where are you taking me now?" Viola asks in surprise. "A secluded place where we can work on the feathers. Well, I've been trying to haven’t had the chance until today, you would see," Amon explained as they got deeper into the forest. Amon guided her toward a tall and big dead tree before moving some vines and bushes to reveal a secret entrance. Inside was a pony-made dirt tunnel with a ladder made of branches and vines that Amon made and guided Viola inside. Walking some more, the maid was slightly startled when she found herself inside a workbench next to an underground pond. Daylight came from the hole in the rooftop on top of the pond and a grass bed on the side of the cave. "Sir, you… this is where you used to live?!" Viola is impressed by the tiny little hut Amon has going on. Amon only chuckles and nods, "What? Did you think I slept on the street in alleys and used cardboard boxes as my beds? Nah, Ms. Viola, it's all about having the survival mindset with you all the time. Just because you are on the street is no excuse to be lazy. You must look for the best of your situation and use what you have at hand," Amon explains as he puts the bags on a table of branches and wood pieces. "This is just one of my creations, sort of. I have made due with abandoned half-burnt or broken houses and warehouses. I once even made myself a place out of a derailed train cart. Each time I can, I try to make a safe place to sleep and build whenever I can. Of course, none of them last much, as it is just a matter of time before they are discovered and then destroyed by the guards, nut jobs, mother nature, or shadow monsters," Amon mentions in irritation as he sighs and looks around. "Frankly, it is a miracle I managed to learn how to make this kind of thing over the years and another that this place remained intact this long," Amon says as he looks around, seeing the snow piling on everywhere. "Freezing cold at night, especially in winter, but for what I needed, it served its purpose these last two months." "Two months?!" Viola asks in astonishment, "You made all of this in two months?" "Barely, most of it was already made when I found the place; I only added the furniture and the stairs, but yeah. I try to work fast; you never know when you must move." Amon mentions as he opens and puts the feathers on the table before looking for something in his bag. "So what are we making?" Viola asks, intrigued by Amon's little project. "Just a little something I've been meaning to try for a while, but I never got the opportunity," Amon said, pulling out a book with what seemed to be a bow attached to a stick on it. "And I might still can't," he confessed with some sorrow, looking around the place. "With how wet and cold the snow made this place, I don't think I'll be able to start a fire." He passed the book to Viola and opened the page she sought. The book was a surviving guide with a bookmark explaining how to dry feathers and sew them to improvised items like pillows and blankets. "You wanted to make a blanket of feathers?" Viola asked, looking at Amon as he was checking a nearby bonfire before sighing in disappointment. "That was the plan, but with how wet these woods are at the moment, even if somehow we manage to start a fire, it will be close to midnight when one batch of feathers is dried out." "Maybe not," Viola thinks of something as she looks at the rooftop, gaining Amon's attention. "What do you have in mind?" "Do you have a pocket mirror?" She asks before taking the flight. A couple of hours later, with her help, the two started a fire using the sunlight's reflection and some strange gel Viola had in her pocket to dry out the feathers. Not only that, but she was kind enough to teach Amon how to sew each feather properly. The two managed to create a couple of blankets and pillows that they filled with leaves, creating as many of those as the day allowed. By the time the sun set, the two had their hands full of blankets ready to share with others less fortunately in the lower side of town, until it was almost eleven o'clock in the evening. And both were more than tired and hungry. Sharing a small laugh, the two ponies returned to the castle, ready to find something to eat and go to bed. "You know, Viola, you didn't have to stay with me all day? You could have gone home before it got this late." "Sure, just like a certain somepony didn't need to go out of his way to make blankets for the less fortunate just so they stay warm?" Viola replies with a smirk, causing Amon to giggle. "It was the least I could do, when everyone treated me like garbage multiple times. This type of community saved me, Viola; I owe my life to a homeless guy who shared his blanket with me, a lady who gave me an apple she had, and those who helped me traverse the street. It's sad, but they came together in need of help for me and others. I just… I wanted to return the gesture to whoever I can." Viola smiles and places her hand on Amon's arm. "You have a kind soul, Amon. You know that?" "Nah, I'm no saint, just someone trying to do the right thing. But thanks for sticking around… Vivi," Amon mutters, earning a gasp and a smile from the maid. "Did you just call me…?" "Hey," A stallion's voice called to the two. Looking up, they saw a strange unicorn wearing a trench coat, a fedora with some holes in it, and a messy, fluffy purple scarf approaching them. "Kind of late for a maid to be strolling around this part of the city, don't you think sweet cheeks?" He mentioned with a gravel tone of voice while blocking their way. "Thanks for the concern, but we were just on our way." Amon immediately tensed up and took a step forward, getting between the stranger and Vivi. "Oh yes, you can go, but there is no rush for your friend to leave just yet," the stallion says before turning to Viola. "How much?" "Excuse me?!" Viola asks, feeling offended for being confused for an escort. "You heard me, how much for a blowjob?" "I'm not a prostitute, you shithead!" Viola yells and swears, clearly livid. "Oh please, I saw how the big lump took you into the woods to get his way earlier. You expect me to believe that you are a maid?" That stallion chuckled as he approached them. Amon started to notice more and more ponies emerging from the shadows and slowly surrounding them. "Now, I'm going to say it nicely one last time. Get over here, or things are going to get ugly." "I agree," Amon nods with a neutral tune, much to their surprise and horror of Viola. "They will… for you," Amon warns him as he clenches his fist, black lightning starting to discharge from it. "So this is my counteroffer: leave while you still can use your legs." The stallion laughs, "We have a hero among us, guys!" The stranger raises his arms and looks around as his gang appears and surrounds the two. Everyone starts to laugh as well while taking out their weapons. Viola begins to unravel her wings in anticipation, gulping when she sees a couple of pegasus among the group. "Tell you what? I'm feeling in a good mood, you can go. Once you give us that bag of yours, the whore stays," The stallion insists. Viola hugged Amon's side, starting to get afraid as Amon stayed calm about the situation. "Do you trust me?" Amon suddenly whispers and asks Viola, who looks at him in surprise. "What?" "Do you trust me?" Amon repeat. "Y-Yes." "There is an alley to your right, Vivi. Once I give you an opening, go there and hide," Amon instructed before grabbing her arm. Amon lowers his head with a defeated sigh and nods, "Okay, you win. I know when I'm outnumbered." He approaches, dragging Viola toward the creep. "That is it; the stick can actually think; we are having fun today, boys!" He cheers as his companions cheer as well. "Just treat her well, okay?" Amon asks with a glare while handing over Viola to the stallion. "Oh, don't worry, I can be quite romantic; I'll make her evening," The stallion said, licking his lips while looking at the pegasus and then extending his hand. "And the backpack." "Right, you wanted." Amon nods and grabs his bag. "Yeah, now hand it over and leave while I'm in a generous mood." "Sure, you can have it…in your grave!" Amon's arm suddenly turns black and starts to shine as he prepares his punch and hits the creep square in the chest, raising his body and making him lose both his lunch and all of his breath as his eyes turn white. Everything seems to slow down as Amon grabs Vivi's arm. The two rush to the alleyway, where he pushes her behind a dumpster for her to hide while he faces the gang. A pegasus tries to tackle Amon while flying, while other tries to fly past Amon. But Amon grabs the pegasus, trying to get past him by his ankle, and breaks his hoof. Amon then spins in place, ramming the attacker's face on the edge of the alley and tossing him back at his friend, blood spilling everywhere. The one that tried to tackle him pulled out a knife and tried to stab Amon, yet Amon was faster and grabbed his neck as he started to choke him and raise him into the air before ramming him into the floor, breaking the concrete in the process and leaving the pegasus unconscious. Unicorns and earth ponies try to gang on Amon, falling on top of him and using their magic to restrain Amon arms and legs, making it hard for him to move as more ponies get on top of Amon while hitting and cutting him repeatedly everywhere. This results in minor cuts for Amon, who has hardened his body in the same black layer. This causes the attackers' knuckles to bleed and their weapons to bend. Closing his eyes, Amon tanks the attack until something calls his attention and scares him to his core. "AMON!" Vivi's voice alerted him as he tried to look back, allowing the attacker to pin him to the ground and give him a view of Vivi being grabbed by three pegasus. As she tried to escape by taking flight, she managed to kick one into the ground, and there were two more on the ground unconscious, but the three remaining were starting to overpower her and were ripping off her clothes. "Help!" Vivi calls for him, tears in her eyes, as she extends her hand at him. Seeing her in danger seems to make something inside Amon snap, as he can only see red at that point. "Leave her ALONE!" Black lighting started to discharge all over Amon's body as the air surrounding the area got heavier, and a massive wave of air combusted from Amon's body, provoking the ponies to find it hard to breathe. Everyone seems momentarily startled by the outburst, unable to move as the pegasus slowly releases Vivi, giving her the chance to escape and defend herself from the attackers as they drop into the nearby dumpster. Landing on the alley, Viola was slightly startled when the ponies that tried to pin down Amon fell unconscious around him while those that were farther away slowly backed away from Amon, while he slowly rose. Amon's body slowly became covered in a shiny black layer absorbing his face, and his mane turn a shinier shade of white and start to move in an invisible breeze. His body kept discharging black lightning until it created a violent lightning storm around his body that reached the heavens and shook the ground around him. Amon eyes seemed to be gone, replaced by a red glows that emerge from the black layer, and black miasma started to emanate from his body, forming a foggy crown on his head. The lighting show was enough to startle more than one pony in the distance, whom managed to take glimpses of the rare black lightning storm forming on the outskirts of the east side of Canterlot. In particular, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Purple Heart, and Princess Luna. The last one is getting concerned; a familiar fear is rearing its ugly head in her mind. "I need guards to clear the area and stay clear!" Luna commands a nearby guard, "I will handle this." "But, your highness!" One guard complained, but Luna had already taken to the skies before he could say anything else as she approached the zone. At that moment, gulping once, one of the bravest attackers tried to rush at Amon with a knife, but the weapon only broke against his body as the head of Amon slowly turned to him and immediately grabbed the neck and jaw of the attacker. A black ooze started to form in Amon's arm and began to spread and surround the attacker's body as he started to panic and scream, thrashing around under Amon's grip. The rest panicked and ran away as fast as they could, only to be hit by a wave of magic that Amon discharged from his other hand while lowering the one holding his victim. Gravity seems to lose its mind as all the attackers are soon rammed against the walls in front of them, and then they start to feel like they are on a compression press as gravity keeps increasing. Making it impossible for them to do anything else but scream as they thought their bones were about to break while Amon was fusing them to the walls. "A… Amon." Vivi slowly approached Amon with a concerned voice, yet he didn't seem to respond, focusing on his enemies. The ponies started to shrink with tears in their eyes, as if they were in the process of being eaten by their shadow or by the ooze in the case of the one Amon was holding. "Ash to ash, dust to dust, from nowhere I come, into nothing you become" Amon start to speak in a distorted tune as arms emerge from the shadows of his victims and seem to start clawing at them pressing them even further into the wall, as it fingers and nail seem to began to burn their flesh. "Amon, that is enough! You won!" Vivi pleads and yells, rushing at Amon and hugging his back. "Please, please stop! This isn't you. Please let them live!" Her words seem to reach him as Amon's eyes return, and the black layer on his body dissipates slowly among the lightning; his magic gets interrupted, allowing all the ponies to run away as fast as they can, once they fall to the ground and recover, some even lumping away as fast as they could with their injured hooves. Shaking his head and realizing what he was doing, Amon let go of the pony in his grasp, as he was wounded and seemed to have a broken jaw. The pony saw Amon in pure terror and backed away before running away. "I… what happened?" Amon asks, holding his head in pain. "Amon?!" Vivi calls, getting in front of him and sighing in relief. "Thank Celestia; you came back." "Vivi?" Amon asked before noticing how she was almost naked. "Vivi, your clothes!" he quickly pointed out before removing his jacket and putting it over the maid's back, which she quickly hugged while Amon held her shoulder softly. "Did they harm you?" "I'm okay, sir. I'm just still shaken," Vivi replied nervously as she cleared some tears from her eyes. "You save me." "I… I did? Sorry, I don't recall much. I think I blacked out; you were asking for help. Saw you in danger and then…" "It's okay, big guy. I can fill you in later." Vivi chuckles and pats Amon's shoulder. "For now," she tries to put her arms under the jacket, leaving her swimming inside of it before going back to pick up Amon's backpack and place it over her shoulders as she returns to him. "Let's go back to the castle please. And also could it be too much to ask for a piggy ride?" "A… Piggy ride?" Amon repeats, confused by the request, until Viola points at his wings. "It's cold. I'm almost naked, and your wings are exposed, dude. A piggy ride, solve all three problems at once. Not to mention I'm too shaken to walk much right now."” Amon smiles and nods before turning around and kneeling. "Okay, just don't try anything funny." "Like what? This?" Viola smirks and hopes on top of Amon's back, rubbing her chest against his back, making him shiver. "Yeah! Like that! Vivi, you are right. It is very cold. You can cut me with those," Amon complains as he grabs both maid's legs for support. "And seriously what the heck Vivi? Now is DEFINITELY not the time for those jokes" That earns another laughter from part of the servant before she leans her head on Amon's shoulder. "Thank you, I needed a laugh. Please never change, sir." Amon only sigh and shake his head having given up before smiling and then nod as he stood up and they returned to the castle. "I'm sorry, Vivi." "For what?" The maid asks, confused. "What do you mean? Vivi, you almost were raped! We both are injured, and I… this is all my fault. I told you, I'm dangerous; it's not just me; I have the worst of luck, and I keep spreading it to those around me. None of this would have happened if you had kept your distance." "Hey! Enough with the self-pity party. This was my decision, and that is final. I knew the risk and took it anyway." Vivi complains, pulling some of his hair with irritation. "Just give up, big guy; you are stuck with me, whether you like it or not. This only proves that you need ponies like me around you to keep you from degrading yourself," she chuckles, "You really should start seeing the positive things that happen here." "Like what?" "Well, you were the hero today. Sure, it was scary and you are right, what almost happened is not laughing matters, I’m just trying to put a brave face here, but you saved me; you managed to make many ponies happy earlier, and let's not forget the two things pressing on your back as a reward. My hero." "Seriously, Vivi? Flirts in this situation? After what almost happened?" "I need the distraction, okay?! Jokes and teasing help me relax and feel somewhat in control. Plus, I know now that you wouldn't do anything bad to me," Vivi argues with some shaking in her voice “Just please let me have this.” Amon just remains quiet and nods, not wanting to discuss the issue either. "You are not a monster, Amon, the ponies you beat up here? Those are the real monsters, and I will keep saying it until you get it in your thick head." Amon remains quiet and sighs. "You are far stronger than I gave you credit Vivi…thanks." “Anytime” Vivi reply as she hug Amon tight, her shakiness still present, which makes Amon still concern and partly guilty for what almost happened Not too far from them, hidden in the shadows, a figure in a yellow jacket trembled and gulped while sweating bullets. "It's not possible… it can't be!" He harshly whispers as he watches them go, "He is a fucking ALICORN!?" He continued to whisper before feeling someone poking his shoulder. "Okay, buddy, we have to talk. You say this was an easy job. Just scare them and make the big guy angry." One of the attackers confronts the pony in a yellow jacket, once the coast was clear. "You didn't say anything about him being the fucking pony of shadows! Whatever fuck up thing you are cooking here, we don't want part of it, so you better pay us what you owe us plus extra if you want to keep us quiet." The attackers in his group try to extort the pony in yellow with some anger as the pony remains quiet. "Of course, we wouldn't want to leave loose ends, right?" The pony in the jacket mentions with a slight nod before removing his hood. The alley where they were soon filled with the screams of the gang of ponies, as the shadow of tentacles coming from the pony in the yellow jacket picked them all up and absorbed them inside, making some crunch noises. The pegasus that landed on the dumpster lifted the lid only to close it and hide when they saw a glimpse of the carnage and decided to hide, scared off their minds. Exiting the alley, the pony in the yellow jacket burps and cleans some blood from his chin before walking away. "That takes care of one problem." But not the other one. I can’t fucking believe it! How is it even possible? It was bad enough that the specimen was alive; now that we have pinpointed his location, it turns out he is an alicorn?! This is a bad joke, a piece of shit like doesn’t deserve that blessing; the idea alone is a perversion of the laws of gods and ponies! We need to fix this horrible mistake! That monster needs to go! The pony in yellow returns to his rants as he prepares mentally and makes another report. The Royal Scolding (Edited By PW)Soon after managing to distance themselves from their attackers, Amon and Viola are met by a confused and angry Luna who doesn’t waste time demanding answers from both of them, her voice full of concern. Once the air was clear and both were taken to the royal infirmary to be checked and treated, Luna didn’t waste time giving Amon a speech as she kept pacing back and forth. "Do you have ANY idea of the scare you gave me? Roaming the street in the middle of the night on the riskiest part of the city while you are being hunted by enemies whose faces are yet to be seen! Why don't you scream at the skies, "Attack me!" While you are at it!?" Amon flinched as Luna scowled as she recovered and sighed. "I understand you are a grown-up stallion, and you are free to roam the city as you please, but to remain out this late at night in the shadier section of Canterlot on top of that? What did you think would happen? Amon, I felt your magic; you were this close to falling over the edge; is that what you wanted? To give us no choice but to use the elements on you? Do you want to spend a thousand years inside a rock? No, you won't because I have before, and let me tell you, that would be just pure Tartarus!" "We didn't plan to stay there that late, Luna. We lost track of time. And for what is worth it, I'm sorry for the experience Vivi went through," Amon confessed as a nurse finished placing a couple of bandages on his chest and arms, allowing Amon to put back his shirt. Luna, meanwhile, remains quiet and crosses her arms in front of Amon for a moment before sighing in disappointment and pinching the bridge of her nose. "What were you doing so late anyway?" she demanded, letting go of her face as she glared at Amon. "We were giving some handmade blankets and pillows to the less fortunate. I had the time, so I thought I would try sewing, and Vivi offered to help." Amon answered honestly, causing Luna to pause in surprise at that revelation before sighing in exhaustion. "You… you were?" Luna asks, not expecting that answer. "Why?" "You would not get it, but before you decided to give me a room at the castle, the ponies in the street, those with so little. They share with me, Luna. They saved my life more than once," Amon lowers his head and sighs. "I know it sounds ridiculous and maybe insane, but in a way, I know their feelings, Luna. Of being all alone, cold, and scared in a harsh world. This is not something I normally do, but I thought since my situation is improving and now that I don't feel like I will kill anyone who shows me kindness, I… I am obligated to give something back to the community; they saved my life, Luna. I can't just forget them and start acting like I'm better than them because I'm not. Never was… never will," Amon mumbles the last part, mostly to himself. Luna remains quiet before sighing and sitting next to Amon. "I know the feeling you are describing," she confesses softly. "Yeah, right; when have you ever begged for your life? Or fight and struggle to eat a breadcrumb?" "When have you ever spent a thousand years in the vacuum of space with nothing but your nightmares to keep you company?" Luna fired back, silencing Amon. "It may not be the same situation, but believe me, Amon, I have to suffer too, and a night does not pass me by where I don't remember where I once was." Luna touched Amon's shoulder, "Nor did I let my mistake determine my future or make me feel like I'm some kind of prisoner that needs to meet some bizarre quota." "So what? Are you saying that what I did was wrong?" "It is not about whether it was wrong or not. It is about why you did it in the first place," Luna mentions calmly as Amon stares at her. "Tell me, Amon, why did you go out of the way to make those gifts to the point you forgot your problems? Was it because you wanted to, or did you feel it was your obligation?" "It IS my obligation, Luna; I had to. After everything they did to me, I just… I need to do it. It's the least I could do." Luna, for her part, sighs and shakes her head in disappointment. "No, you don't, Amon. And the fact that you don't understand the difference means there is still much for you to learn." Luna stands up and pats his shoulder. "We could spend all night discussing the issue, but that is not my place or the point. Celestia is more wise in this subject anyway. Let's leave it here; please talk with my sister when ready." "I'll see if I do," Amon mumbled sarcastically before sighing without saying anything else, not wanting to discuss the subject and remembering how he was still hungry. As they exit the room, Luna adds one little thing. "Also, the events of tonight made me believe our enemies are far more clever than I anticipated; in two days, you have experienced two attacks, Amon; this is no coincidence, and the fact they keep avoiding me. Concerns me; therefore, I would ask you to remain in the castle for the unforeseen future." "What?" "Just humor me, Amon, please. The best-case scenario is when the enemy becomes reckless and falls right into our hands; the worst-case scenario is when you improve your inner control and magic lesson and say goodbye to summoning any of your beasts ever again. Two weeks is all I ask for now; three at most," Luna negotiated. Amon remained quiet and thought about it before sighing. "Fine, but I don't want a single guard following me around; I draw the line at having a second tail, Luna." "Amon, that is just standard…" Luna sighs and closes her eyes. "Fine! I will see what I can do. The stars now. If I can give you some space, maybe I can get some privacy myself," Luna mumbles. "Not a big fan of guards following you around either?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "I'm like you in that area, Amon. I love my ponies to death, and I'm okay with the attention and feeling of being safe and loved back, but I don't need an escort standing guard while I answer the call of nature," Luna confesses in exasperation. "Oh boy, I hope you are exaggerating with that," Amon says with a slight clinginess and fear. "Only partially and only because I put an end to my sister's madness in control and the idea of "safety" Luna sighed in frustration. "I swear to the stars, if I hadn't reeled back Tia the moment I returned, she would have covered the entire castle in bubble wrap the second a servant got a paper cut." Luna keeps complaining to nobody in particular while Amon stays behind and quiet, allowing her to have her small rant until he hears Pinkie and Fluttershy's voices approaching. "Amon!" With an exhausted sigh, Amon rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "And 3…2…" The next thing Amon knew, he felt two giant orbs on his face. "Are you okay? Vivi told us you were attacked!" "I'm fine, Fluttershy, really," Amon replies, prying Fluttershy from his face and then realizing Pinkie was hugging his chest. "If anything, you should go talk with Vivi. She is the one who got the worst of this. Where is she, anyway?" “Changing clothes and calling a night,” Pinkie answered, letting go of Amon as he put Fluttershy down. “And don’t worry, she is fine. She just got some minor brushes and is still pretty shaken, but other than that, she is okay. Oh, and she asked me to tell you not to dare to blame yourself for what happened.” Pinkie mentions in a stern tone.. "I wasn't about to… It was my fault," Amon confessed, looking away. "Amon!" Fluttershy scolds him a little. "Okay, okay, I'll try. Look, I'm sorry I startled all of you. But it's late, and I bet everyone here would like to call it a night, minus the princess, right?" The mare looks a bit unsure as they exchange glances. "Well, at least I know I am. It was quite the day. And right now, I only want to sleep. Is it okay if we continue this in the morning? Please?" They remained quiet until Fluttershy spoke up. "Of course, we understand, Amon; you and Vivi got the scare of your lives. It will mean not letting you breathe and relax before discussing it. We will be right here in the morning to talk." "Thanks, and sorry for giving you extra work, Luna." "Please, Amon, if anything, THIS is my usual work. But I appreciate the thought. Please rest well," Luna told him with a smile, and Amon retired to his room, leaving the mares alone in the hallway. Once he was out of earshot, Luna sighed and looked at the two mares. "I gather you, too, felt as well?" Luna suddenly asks with a grimace. Both mares nod at the same time. "When those weird black thunders appear, it felt so… cold and scary," Fluttershy confesses, hugging herself. "In effect, what you two most likely felt was a sample of what could have occurred had Ms. Viola not intervened," Luna confirmed her fears as the princess sighed and looked down in shame. "Amon was inches away from becoming something else, something…" Luna glared at a mosaic window that showed the image of Nightmare Moon. "...Perverse and malicious." "A second Nightmare Moon," Pinkie whispered in fear. "No, Nightmare Moon is exclusively my demon, Pinkie Pie, even if the concept is the same. I could only dread to imagine what kind of demon would rise from within Amon." "I wouldn't want to see it either," Fluttershy nods. "Yeah, we need to stop it from happening; no wonder you wanted us to teach Amony how to have friends." Pinkie nods. "This call for a super duper friendship mission, Pinkie style. Don't worry, princess, we will make sure Amony does not feel sad or lonely like you did." "Pinkie!" Fluttershy scolds her in irritation. "It's okay, Fluttershy. I understand what she meant and appreciate it. I just hope the rest of my sister's plan works," Luna mentions as she admires the moon in the distance. The Following Day Passing the page, Amon enjoys a little bit of peace and quiet as he lies on the grass floor in the royal garden while some small animals surround the stallion in question. Using one arm to support his head, he enjoys the sunny yet cool morning day. "So here is where you went?" Purple's voice calls Amon's attention, and he lowers his book and raises his head to see the soldier in question upside down approaching him. "We were waiting for you in the dining room. Why did you skip breakfast?" Purple pauses in surprise. "And how are you not freezing with all that snow on your back?" Amon, in response, can only shrug. "I still have my jacket, and my wings are virtually a bed of feathers; as for the other question, I wasn't exactly in a hungry mood," Amon replied before returning his attention to the book. "I picked a couple of apples from the garden and decided to find something to read since it seems I'm in castle arrest." Purple sighs and shakes his head. "That is not what the princess meant with her decision, and you know it, Amon." "And yet here we are; sorry if I was rude, but I wasn't in a good mood to talk with Celestia, dude." "Was it? Or did you feel bad that Vivi didn't come to work this morning and thought that Celestia would bring the subject when she asked if you were ok?" Amon remains quiet and focuses on his book. "Amon, this is standard procedure; that mare tried to get back to work, but I'm with you. After a scare like that, she would need to rest and collect her thoughts! Do you imagine a relapse?" "Yeah, exactly!" Amon nodded and stood up, pointing at the guard with his book. "That mare needs to do… whatever she needs to do to relax, not play maid to some dirty freak of nature." "You were so close," Vivi replied, appearing from behind Purple with a smirk. She wore casual attire: a dark pink dress and gray sweater, with her mane combed in a ponytail. "That almost was touching if you had just stopped; she needed to relax," Vivi responded with a sigh as she shook her head. "Vivi?" Amon replied, startled by her arrival. "Hi, Amon." "The hell are you doing here?" "Well, if a certain pony had joined us for breakfast this morning, he would have known that I asked the princess if I could spend the day with you and see how you were doing." She knelt and poked his forehead. "I have the right to get worried too, you know?" Amon, for his part, could only sigh and shake his head. "I swear these ponies…" He mumbles something to himself as he stands up. "What was that?" Vivi asked, not entirely understanding what he was saying. "Nothing, just thinking out loud, and thanks. I'm still feeling guilty but other than that, I'm fine, how about you? How are you doing?" "Better, now that the scare is gone, I know you are okay; you cared for me, and more importantly, we have a surprise for you!" "A surprise?" Amon repeats with a raised eyebrow while Vivi takes his hand. "What kind of surprise?" "Oh, I'm sorry. The details are for those who joined the rest of us for breakfast. Now, it will have to be a surprise, and it will not be here. Now, come on! Princess Celestia is waiting for us at the throne room," Vivi mentions as she pulls Amon's arm, and he follows. Soon, the group reached the entrance to the throne room. "Well, this is as far as I can go," Purple mentions before patting Amon back. "Good luck." "You are not coming?" Amon asks him with a raised eyebrow as Purple shakes his head. "I'm still on the clock here, dude. Plus, you are under royal castle arrest and asked for no escort; I can't have one without the other. I will see you at sunset when I finish my shift." Purple waved goodbye as he retired. "Hey, you don't need to sacrifice your free… see you then," Amon sighed in defeat before replying and waving goodbye. Amon then entered the room with Vivi and was greeted by a long, empty hallway with a giant red carpet in the middle leading to a set of stairs with two waterfalls falling on top of a micro river whose origins seem to be the footsteps of another set of stairs leading to two thrones at the end of the room. Princess Celestia was sitting in the taller one with a symbol of the sun on the tip. "Ah! Amon, good morning. I see you received my invitation; please come closer," Celestia called for them to get closer with a calm smile. "My sister informed me of what happened last night. It pains me; imagine how scared both you and Vivi must have felt at that moment, and I hope you both make a full mental recovery." "Thank you, your highness." "Yeah, thanks. I know it's nobody's fault, but still, I should have paid more attention to the time," Amon says with a sigh once they are in front of the princess. Celestia, in turn, raised a hand. "A subject for another time, one I would like to discuss in private, Amon." Celestia's face morphs into a more serious one. "Luna also told me the reasoning behind your actions." "I gather as much and agree. Let's put a pin on that for a later day." Amon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Anyway!" Amon claps his hand, startling both mares. "You mention something about wanting to tell me something, Celestia?" "Indeed I have," Celestia nods. "I was planning on letting you acclimate a little more to your new two friends first, but due to the circumstances, and since you will be spending more time in the castle, I thought you could make more friends today?" "You set me up on another play date?" Amon asked with a raised eyebrow before looking back at the door in slight fear. "You could see it that way, yes, but don't worry, compared to Pinkie Pie, these two mares are more tame, and you will have her and Fluttershy to help you with introductions," Celestia explained. "What about their baby shower?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "That was yesterday, so they have free time and don't need to return to Ponyville until tomorrow, so everything's been taken care of." Celestia then turns to a closed door to the left of the room. "You can come out now, girls," Celestia calls, and soon the door opens, revealing Fluttershy, Marcus, and Pinkie, the latter not wasting time in prancing toward Amon to give him a hug, all of them wearing similar clothes to what they were wearing when meeting "Amon!" After a firm hug, she let go and looked at him sadly. "Why didn't you come for breakfast earlier? I made you my special waffles," She mentions before summoning a tower of the said waffles with a smiley face made of chocolate chips, whipped cream, and strawberries on the top. It even somehow defies the laws of gravity by having a giant Afro made of whip cream with even more confections poking out and yet remaining stable. "How did you do… never mind, sorry," Amon apologizes and takes the plate. "You are learning," Marcus chuckles as he puts his hands behind his head.. "I was feeling a bit bad from yesterday, so I decided to punish myself with no breakfast," Amon explains. "Why would you do that?!" Fluttershy asks in pity, flying closely toward him. "You didn't do anything wrong." "I agree, partner; you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, especially since Pinkie and Shy told me you were the hero that night." A new, heavily Southern voice spoke up, and from the entrance, Amon was greeted once more by two new ponies: another earth pony wearing a stetson hat, long dark blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a brown sweater that she somehow decided to crop so it and the white shirt with red dots exposed her stomach, showing her six packs. "Not to mention breakfast is the most important meal of the day dear, no matter the circumstance, one should never skip it," A unicorn next to the earth pony spoke up in a refined English accent; she had an alabaster fur and deep dark purple long and swirly mane wearing, what Amon could be described as the complete opposite to the cowboy mare, she had a long elegant veil acting as a sort of cape on her back, dark red sweater that reaches her hips and jeans with some sequins on it forming the shape of diamonds as well as high heels giving the impression that she was on her way to a beauty pageant. "Amon, allow me to introduce you to two more elements of harmony, the element of honesty and proud farmer of sweet apple acres, Applejack." "Howdy," AJ tilts her head to Amon in response to Celestia's introduction. "And the element of generosity and expert tailor and fashion designer Rarity," Celestia mentions, pointing at the unicorn who gives him a short bow using her sweater as a dress. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Amon." "Ah… hi," Amon saluted and took a step back, getting his guard up, much to the confusion of both mares. "What did I tell you, girls? Amony is a bit shy, but once you get to know him, he is a nice pony," Pinkie mentions, appearing next to Amon and putting her arm over his neck, forcing him to crunch a little. In response, Amon pinched Pinkie's arm and pulled it away from him so he could stand up again. "Please don't do that." "So you are the stallion the princesses told us about," AJ whistled as she approached with Rarity close behind. "Have to say, partner, I never thought there would be a day I would meet a stallion taller than Rockhoof, but now I think you may have set a new record." "Not to mention that divine mane of yours are simply glorious, darling," Rarity praised as she didn't waste time and grabbed Amon's lock of hair. "This beautiful and elegant silver mane was meant to dazzle! Honestly, it is a crime on its own how badly you have threatened your mane, darling; you must allow me to do something about it." "Ah, thanks?" Amon mentions and slowly pulls Rarity away from his mane. "But I believe I should warn you. This mane has a mind of its own, so you might not want to try, miss," Amon warns her. "Nonsense! It will be no bother to me at all," Rarity confidently insisted. "It will be a perfect opportunity to get to know each other." "Don't fight it, Amon; Rarity is the best, and trust me, you would love it," Marcus botched for her. "My fair lady is the master in dazzling and fabulous everything." "Aw! Darling, stop it!" Rarity blushes as she and Marcus share an Eskimo kiss, surprising Amon as he turns to Pinkie, who seems okay with the show of affection. "Yes, Amon, we are on the same herd, and no, I'm not reading your mind," Pinkie replied calmly. "What? But that is exactly what you just…" "Don't think too hard about it, partner, trust me," AJ interrupts Amon with a shake of her head before looking at the couple. "Okay, enough, you two. You can be dovey-lovey later, but that is not why we are here." AJ separates the two. And come on, Rarity. We came here to have fun and make some friends, not have a spa day," AJ complains, rolling her eyes. "Spa days can be fun, darling," Rarity mentions, causing the mares in the room to chuckle. "I'm sure that it can be a pretty nice experience, but for now, I think you could start with something simpler," Celestia explained before turning to Amon. "Amon, since you like to keep yourself busy and wish to do something for the community, Rarity and Applejack could help you come up with ideas to do just that without risking your or others' safety." That grabbed his attention. "I'm listening." "Well, partner, the princess told us about your past and how you want to do something nice for those ponies that helped you out when you were passing through hardships," AJ comments. "And Vivi told us you were interested in learning how to sew, or am I wrong, dear?" Rarity questions. Amon remains quiet for a moment and sighs. "I had some free time, and I needed to pay back their kindness," Amon confessed, much to everyone's confusion. "Payback?" AJ repeats. "I understand what you are going for here, dude," Marcus then intervenes. "You are just thankful to those ponies that help you and want to make something nice to them in return, right?" "...you could say that, yeah." Amon nods once.. "Now, why didn't you tell us?! We would have love to help," Pinkie complains with trembling lips and wide eyes. "Because it was something I just came up with at the moment. You were busy with your baby shower, and I'm not sure you would like the idea of dumpster diving." "What?!" Rarity asks in alarm. "Never mind!" Vivi is quick to calm everyone down. "And you see Amon? This is exactly what the princess wishes to do to help you: find ways to improve yourself and give back to the community without resorting to…that. EVER!" She finished the last part with more force than needed. "Yeah, partner, usually the apple family recipes are trade secrets, but I can teach you the ropes in the kitchen if you want to produce something to give away." "And I can teach you all sorts of yummy things so we can enjoy and make them together with all your friends," Pinkie offers. "As for me, if you are still interested, I would gladly share some tips on how to make some of the best work when it comes to sewing, dear. I'm impressed by what you did with feathers; I wonder what you could achieve with the right materials," Rarity adds. "Not to mention some self-defense and meditation techniques," Marcus mentions, approaching Amon. "Vivi told us about the attack and how you lose control, big guy; we are worried and want to help you." He then extended his hand. "Would you give us a chance?" He offered his palm, and Amon saw a secret message written in Marcus's hand. "I got news; I'll explain when we're alone." Startled by the message, Amon looks at Marcus in the eyes before nodding and grabbing his hand. "Okay, I will give it a try." "Excellent, so it's decided then," Celestia cheered and clapped with a bright smile. "I'm so happy you truly wish to make an effort, Amon. I hope this experience helps you see the wonders of friendship." "Just take it down a notch, Celestia. I'm still defensive on the subject, but it's nice having someone to talk about," Amon mentions before he feels something on his mane that makes in ichi. When he goes to scratch, he stops when he hears a cry and then looks inside his beanie, only to retrieve a small, scared squirrel. "What in tarnation?" AJ asked in surprise. "Did you have that under your hat all this time, partner?" "Nah, the little rascal must have climbed up when I was resting in the garden," Amon said as he started to pet the squirrel, who was still slightly startled. You must have confused me with a bush or something, didn't you, little guy?" The squirrel, in turn, looked at Amon in surprise before relaxing and leaning on his finger as he continued to pet it. "She is saying that she is sorry, and that was the case." Fluttershy translated as she approached the squirrel. She was fairly impressed with how Amon was able to handle and calm down the scared animal, who seemed to become increasingly relaxed. "It's okay. Nobody wants to hurt you. Just relax." Amon kept calming down the squirrel until she seemed to fall asleep. The intrigue in Fluttershy's eyes soon turned to surprise as she started to see Amon differently. She began to feel weak on her knees and very hot. "Just give me a moment, guys; I will put this little girl on a branch so she can enjoy the rest of her day." "Sounds good. I will go, too. I know where there are some yummy nuts for her," Vivi volunteers before looking at the rest. "Where can we meet you?" "Well, since we just ate, I was thinking of offering Amon some new clothes, and to do that, I would need some measures." Rarity offers, much to Amon's surprise. "What?" "That sounds good. We will see you in his room later. Let's go, Amon," Vivi answers before pushing him out of the room. "Hey, hey, I never agree to a makeover. I'm very reserved. Vivi! Okay, okay, I'm going." Amon complains all the way until they leave the room. "Are you okay, partner?" AJ asks Fluttershy, who seems to be lost in thought. "Wha? I mean, yeah, I'm okay. I need clarification about why a squirrel awoke this early. It was too soon for them to be looking for their nuts," Fluttershy quickly answered as she looked at the ceiling, AJ staring at her with a raised eyebrow. Midnight Stroll (Edited By PW)The rest of the day was mundane, with the group doing pretty much what AJ offered: constructing and teaching Amon how to build a bed. The first tries could barely stand together, but after some trial and error, Amon started to do a much better job, earning a whistle from AJ as she complimented his fast learning. Getting an idea, Amon worked on something smaller. With the help of Vivi and Rarity, he made a medium-large dog bed with a cushion attached to it, gaining the attention of the group. "What do you have there, sugarcube?" AJ asks with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, nothing much," Amon replied, using sandpaper to clean the bed. "Just got an idea for practice now that I'm getting the hang of things. "I thought of making a small pet bed to leave in the garden. A small present for the local animals here." Amon explains as he marches deeper into the garden, looking for a good place to leave his work before he places his bed underneath a nearby tree, where there is a nice shadow cast. All the while, Amon is oblivious to how Fluttershy has gone stiff and is staring right at Amon the second he mentions he is making a present for animals. "I imagined that a cat or a dog would see this bed; in the middle of the day, I was a bit tired and took a small nap. What do you think? Fluttershy, you are the expert. Do you think they would love…?" "...yes!" Fluttershy interrupted as she kept staring at Amon while he was still adjusting the bed so he couldn't see her. On the other hand, the group could see how Fluttershy was acting weird right away. "Darling, are you feeling okay?" Rarity asks in concern, yet Fluttershy can only start panting when a group of wolf cubs and their mother approach Amon. The stallion remains calm and firm, slowly backing away and crouching so as not to seem menacing. The wolf seems to reach for him and isn't aggressive, and the mother says something only Fluttershy understands as "thanks" while lying on the bed. One of the cubs lets Amon scratch her ear. Something in Fluttershy's mind seems to be snapping as she starts to growl and slowly approaches Amon until AJ grabs her shoulder and pushes her away. "Say! We seem to be getting short on paint and nails! We will go get some more; let's go, partner!" AJ yells before taking Fluttershy away as everyone blinks. Marcus looks back between her and Amon before starting to get angry. Are you freaking kidding me! I have been trying for months, and that bitch has not reacted to anything I try, yet he doesn’t try anything, and she is all thirsty! No fair, no fair! Marcus keeps thinking until Rarity chuckles, "My, my, darling, do you think love is in the air?" "I'm speechless here, my gem. This is the last thing I expected from Fluttershy, and at the worst time possible," Marcus adds with concern as he whispers to her. "Amon had a bad experience; I think dating is the last thing he wants or needs." "Agree, but you have to admit if things calm down… maybe we could play matchmaking?" Rarity asks in excitement, causing Marcus to chuckle. "Oh, sweetie, sometimes I wonder if you are the real Princess of Love." Pinkie and Vivi laughed, still looking in complete surprise at the direction Fluttershy went. Meanwhile, far from them, once AJ found a faucet, she used it to splash Fluttershy's head to snap her back to reality. "For pit's sake, Fluttershy! What in the hay happened to you back then? You looked about ready to pounce on the poor stallion," AJ said to her friend, passing her a handkerchief to dry herself. "Wolf cubs, AJ! Wolf cubs, playing with him without any problem! There is nothing more paternal than that! I'm not made of stone!" Fluttershy defends herself in exasperation. "If the momma wolf had let him scratch her belly, I would have jumped his bones right there." "By Celestia, partner, you got it bad for him," AJ mentions in astonishment. "I know! I'm whore and a horrible friend!" Fluttershy screams in shame. "Hey, quit it with the self-degrading; you are not bad, just… feeling lonely. Tell you what. Why don't you rest a little if you can't control yourself? I will tell everyone you didn't feel so good and went to bed to lie down." "N-No, that's okay, AJ, that's okay. Thanks for the concern, but if we stay clear of Amon playing with animals, I think I can control myself; just… just pull me away until we are safe, okay? M-maybe if we go to the kitchen? Yeah! You and Pinkie wanted to teach him some recipes, right? Let's do that. It will clear my mind and keep it busy making something." AJ remains quiet. "Fine, we will do it your way, but better keep a cool head partner; there is a dangerous object in the kitchen." "I'll be careful, promise." Once that was settled and the two mares returned to the group, the rest of the day was spent more or less relaxing as Pinkie and AJ taught Amon some small recipes he could try using the simplest ingredients if he wanted to share them with others. During all that time, Marcus discretely kept giving Amon the sting eye before resuming his act as the doting boyfriend with Rarity and Pinkie, who couldn’t help but be more playful while working in the kitchen. Something that Fluttershy noticed and, alongside Vivi, tried to do the same for Amon, which they found humorous: Amon kept blushing and looking away when their clothes kept getting dirty. Eventually, night arrived, and everyone went their separate ways, with the princesses being kind enough to offer the others a room to stay the night before returning to Ponyville. "I will head out at 10 pm for my stroll. We can meet on the sheet in the garden," Amon whispers to Amon as he nods and prepares for their side project plan. "We must ensure we don't get any surprise visits from your fog monsters, too. Here, use this:" Marcus discreetly gives Amon a big gold ring. "It is a magic dampener; it blocks magic when you place it on your horn. With this, we will take him off guard. We will reunite in the gazebo in the garden's center, waiting for me there at 10." Amon nods and takes the ring. With everything in place and nothing else to do, Amon spent the rest of the night preparing push-ups, planks, and other warm-ups until it was time. The stallion stares at the clock with intensity before taking a deep breath. He was about to grab his backpack and head it up but ultimately decided against it. I'm supposed to take a relaxing walk. It would be weird if I took it with me… I think this one time would not matter. Leaving his luggage behind, Amon exits the room and looks around. As he starts walking, he finds the hallway empty in the dead of night. Reaching a fork in the road, Amon fishes for the ring in his pocket and stares at it momentarily before looking at his reflection in a nearby window. A ring that can block my magic. This is precisely what I needed all these years ago. Those sisters, if the solution was so easy, why did those two insisted on me learning to use magic? Amon pounders before putting the ring on his horn. He immediately finds his answer as he suddenly feels a brief piercing headache and loses his balance, almost tripping. He has to hold himself against the window while he rides the unpleasant sensation until it passes and he can stand up straight once more. Okay, I will grant them that. There was a reason it wasn’t the first option. Amon rolled his eyes and continued his march toward the garden, unaware of how there was a pony not too far from him, following behind, sticking to the shadows to not be seen. Once Amon reached the gazebo in the garden, the stallion had to lean on the frame for support. The dampening ring sting appeared and disappeared sporadically, constantly making him lose his balance. On more than one occasion, Amon felt as if he was seconds away from puking, yet he soldiered on, feeling his revenge was so close. God damn it, is this damn ring supposed to be a torture device? Amon complained that he had regained control in time to hear a branch cracking behind him. Turning around, he saw a shadow hiding behind a tree. Amon was about to call out the individual, thinking it was Marcus, yet decided against it. Figuring there was no point in the human hiding when Marcus set the meeting in the first place, meaning Amon had to act carefully. "Who goes there?" Amon calls, entering as someone caught in the middle of a midnight stroll. His muscles tensed up, and he was ready for an attack any second, only to relax and be surprised when instead of a monster, a royal guard or his primary target. Fluttershy was the pony that stepped outside the tree, wearing a night light pink robe. "Shy… Fluttershy, wasn't it? W- What are you doing here?" Amon asks before looking to the side when the clouds in the sky briefly let the stallion know how the robe wasn’t too large; it was pressing around her chest, and she was showing a bit of skin. "You… ask me here," Fluttershy replies, equally confused as she blinks several times. "Early in the night, you knock on my door and slip me this note," The shy pegasus shows him. "What?" Amon takes the letter and starts reading it, discovering a bizarre note stating that he needs to take something out of his chest, can't stop thinking about her, and must meet her in the pavilion. "You call for me and everything, Amon. What is going on?" Fluttershy questions, confused and slightly hurt. "No, this isn't me, Fluttershy, I… oh no. Fluttershy, you are in terrible danger." "I say." The voice of Amon suddenly speaks up from the shadow, alerting both. "Then again, that is to be expected from anyone dumb enough to get close to you, specimen." Their voice slowly morphs into another masculine one. "You really were a challenge and a half to track down." "Dr. Faust, I presume," Amon mentions as he searches for the pony. "Dr. Faust?" Fluttershy asks, confused as she looks back at Amon. "Amon, you know this pony?" "Only by name and what he did to me," Amon replied as he clenched his fist. "Show yourself, you coward!" "Oh! So, have you heard about me? Good, it makes things easier. Tell me specimen, do you have any idea of what your little rebelion cost me?!" "You could tell me you are in constant pain, and I still couldn't care less. After EVERYTHING you…" Amon stops glancing at Fluttershy. "...after all you did to me. You would still deserve far worse!" That leaves Fluttershy surprised. "Amon he is… he is the one?" "Yeah, he is the son of a bitch that has made my life a living hell." His statement earned Faust laughs: "I can't take credit for the faults of trash. Sure, I spend an annoyingly long time tracking you down. And send the proper precautions so you don't cause any more trouble for me, but how did you decide to live your life? What did you do with the freedom you kept whining and moaning? Becoming a hobo? That was all your doing, specimen." "SHUT UP!" Amon yells in fury. "No specimen! I have had more than enough of your defiance. It's time you learn who your master is. The king of shadows has invited you to his castle," Faust proclaims loudly. "Like I give a damn about your theatrics!" Amon replies in anger. All of a sudden, Fluttershy's body goes stiff, and her pupils disappear. "And I would gratefully accept his invite," The pegasus said, catching Amon off guard "What? Fluttershy, what are you saying? Hey. Hey!" Amon rushes to Fluttershy and starts to shake her, but she seems unresponsive "Don't bother specimens; she is under my complete control. Now kill," Faust orders. Fluttershy pulls out a knife from her robe and almost stabs Amon as she starts to swing her weapon widely. "Oh, doesn't this bring back memories? I still remember when I put all of your primates in a warehouse and then ordered you to start slaughtering each other. It is still ironic how much you whine about it, considering how much your species loves to do that out of pleasure." "Faust, I swear, when I get my hands around your neck…!" Amon exclaims, having managed to grab both of Fluttershy's arms and disarm briefly, only the pegasus to take flight to take him off balance, plunder herself into him to bring both down, and then proceed in trying to strangle Amon. "I think you have more pressing matters at the moment; you shouldn't leave that frail pegasus alone, specimen; Celestia knows whom she may hurt… even herself could be at risk if unattended." The proclamations left Amon stiff, and a cold sweat ran through his back. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to have a chat with the princess." Faust laughed, and Amon could hear footsteps growing quieter until he heard a cry and then a slash. "¿What?" Faust calls out in anger. "So you are famous Faust, then, pleasure," Marcus calls with a smirk as Amon starts hearing a conflict happening not too far from him. Two silhouettes fighting one another get further and further away until they seem to be going deeper into the royal garden. Damn it! Damn it! What should I do? Amon questions himself as he exchanges glances at the fight and then at the pegasus that keeps trying to reach his neck. "...DAMN IT! Fluttershy, I'm so sorry!" Amon yells before headbutting Fluttershy as hard as he can. The blow is enough to make her retreat and hold her head in pain before tripping and falling back when Amon pushes her farther back as he sits down. As he stands up, Amon notices the knife in the ground, picks it up, and tosses it into the two silhouettes. The weapon finds its target, and Amon hears Faust's scream of pain, making the alicorn smile and rush to the sound of the scream. With no time to think, Amon ran as fast as he could, finding signs of struggle, a sword, and knife marks everywhere as proof of a fight. Among the chaos, Amon finds the bloody knife and a trail of blood, yet no sign of Marcus. Not only that, but the fight seems to have stopped, which is starting to worry Amon as he follows the trail of blood. Reaching a pond, Amon froze in place when he found the end of the trail, but instead of Faust, he only discovered Marcus holding his arm in pain, his sword broken and covered in cuts and blood all over his body. "Marcus!" Amon rushes toward him and tries to inspect his wounds. "Are you ok? Where did Faust go? He couldn't be far; I'm sure I hit his leg." "Amon… why?" Marcus suddenly asks out of the blue, looking at Amon with rage. "What do you mean, why?" Amon asks in confusion until he hears Fluttershy's scream. When Amon turns around, he sees the pegasus in question looking directly at Amon and Marcus with her hands covering her mouth. The impression of the position seems clear because Amon is still holding the bloody knife. "Is not what you think." "Fluttershy, run! He is deranged!" Marcus screams at the top of his lungs, which only seems to confuse Amon even further. "What is the meaning of this?!" Shiitake's voice alerted everyone, and looking to his right, Amon was shocked to see the major in question, with her usual guards looking at him in anger. "So you finally show your face, you freak!" "What? No, you get it all wrong. Listen, I… Marcus, he needs help, please." "Save it for the jury! Arrest him!" she orders her guards while pointing at Amon. The guards soon surround Amon and press him into the ground as he looks everywhere for help. His eyes eventually land on Fluttershy, who still seems in shock, covering her mouth and staring right at Amon. Deliveration And Next Move (Edited By PW)The tension in the throne room was palpable, as the royal sisters were facing a difficult meeting between them, Major Shiitake, and their more trusty advisers. "Everypony, please remain calm. We need to keep our heads cool if we want to get to the bottom of this." Celestia asked everyone present to calm down before another discussion could break up. "What else is to deliberate, your highness? That stallion wandered the castle unsupervised, found one of the elements of harmony, and attacked her without rhyme nor reason," Shiitake mentions. "What about motive?" An elderly deep green unicorn stallion with a thick mustache, fancy clothes, and a monocle argues back. "We all heard the report and eyewitnesses, but besides the statement Sir Marcus provided, we have nothing to go around, and frankly, I keep finding the story more odd than you claim, Major Shiitake." "Moose Booze is right," A younger pegasus with puffy yellow wings and suave and long hair with a beautiful dress stepped in. "Amon has never before been known to wander around at night; the attack happened just when the princess conveniently was busy on a long meeting, and Fluttershy just so happened to be lured into meeting him out of the blue. There are just too many coincidences for this to be something random, yet there is no way Amon could have this much knowledge to pull this off." The mare put her hands together as she stared at the major. "I wonder how convenient it was for our steam major to step in at exactly the right moment to make the arrest and place herself a hero with a suppression ring." "I'm not the one being questioned here, Ms. PuffyClouds. We are here to devise the proper punishment for that criminal!" One final pony, an earth pony stallion that seems to be just entering his golden years, with some gray on the side of his mane, fancy clothes, and dark red fur, clears his throat. During all the meetings, he has remained quiet, listening to everything carefully. "We are still missing one final statement to hear, the accused one." The pony finally spoke up. "Did he confess to any wrongdoing? I feel like we are omitting his side of the facts." The princesses just remain quiet and sigh. "That is because he has been oddly quiet about the whole ordeal," Celestia replies. "I can attest to that. Once I heard the news, I went and confronted Amon myself," Luna mentions. "And besides asking for the well-being of Marcus, he simply replied, and I quote: 'Nothing I say will change anything' and then refused to say anything else." "Seems to me like the confession of a guilty conscience," Shiitake mentions while crossing her arms. "And all I hear is the call for help from a desperate stallion, starting to give up hope!" Moose fires back in irritation. "Redwood is right; we are missing crucial pieces. If Amon wanted to hurt anyone, he had plenty of time. For this out-of-the-blue outburst, it simply doesn't make any sense." "I agree," Celestia nods and stands up. "And that is why, until we figure out what is really happening, we will put on hold any form of punishment. But there would not be a need for deliberation for punishment, as I already decided. Whoever caused all of this would be sentenced to petrification. Are there any objections?" "None from me, sister," Luna replied as everyone else remained quiet momentarily before nodding. "And just to finish the meeting, where is the accused at the moment, your highnesses?" Moose asks with a raised eyebrow. "If you must know, he is safe and secure under constant surveillance in one of the cells in the castle dungeon," Luna replied. "He is still in the castle?!" Shiitake asks in alarm, gaining everyone's attention. "We do not need to justify our actions and don't plan to change them, but I must ask: Is there an objection to our decision, Major Shiitake?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow. "None, your highnesses," Shiitake replied in a low tone, clenching her teeth. "And what about the victims? Are they okay?" Redwood asks as well. "Ms. Fluttershy didn't receive any pronunciation injuries, so she was discarded soon enough. Mr. Marcus, on the other hand, still resides in the royal infirmary for treatment," Luna replied. In the room in question, the human was spoiled by his marefriends while AJ just paced back and forth with her arms crossed. "I just don't understand; how could this ever happen inside the castle, for Celestia's sake!" AJ exclaimed in exasperation. "I'm as shocked as you, Applejack," Marcus says dejectedly. "I really don't want to think about it, but the reality is that. It appears we overestimate the mental faculties of Amon." "It's really a sad thing. He really didn't seem like a bad pony, but to have this change of heart suddenly… the poor thing was probably more traumatized than we thought," Pinkie confessed, putting the spoon down. "Even so, what AJ is saying really makes me think," Rarity mentions. "He notices how Fluttershy seems interested in him, then comes off too strong when she confesses, and when she rejects how he became, he acted violently?" Rarity asked herself. "I just didn't view him as the violent type." "It is always whom you least expected, my gem. Frankly, it was a miracle that I was on my midnight jogging when it happened. I dread to imagine what could have happened if I were too late." "Yeah, about that, you say you manage to restrain him using a suppressing right, right? Why were you carrying one in the first place?" AJ asks with a raised eyebrow. "It was part of my last invention. I wanted to develop a prosthesis that can replace lost horns for those born or who have suffered an accident. I had an idea of a ring that could connect and create artificial magic. The suppression ring was simply the base; I must have forgotten I still had one in my persona when I was jogging." "I say, it was extremely lucky," AJ mentions before sighing. I still can't believe things escalated this much. I need to know what that colt has to say for himself," AJ says, heading to the entrance. "AJ, no!" Marcus exclaimed and raised an arm. "What would be the point? I told you already that Amon is mentally unstable; you can't believe anything else he said. Or worse, risk getting hurt yourself." "I appreciate the thought of that, sugarcube, but I want to be the judge, and I can take care of myself. For now, I suggest you do the same." AJ shoots him a grin and thumbs up before continuing her march. "Besides, someone needs to ensure your marefriend doesn't do anything stupid once she arrives and hears what happened to you." "Wait, Dashie is here? I thought she was still on her wonderbolt tour in Las Pegasus." "Come on, sugarcube, we are talking about Dash here. Do you think she would stay still when he hears the news?" AJ asks Marcus with a raised eyebrow. Everyone remains calm for a moment before nodding. "You're right, AJ; you must stop her before she provokes that dangerous stallion and gets herself hurt." "...yeah, that too." AJ plays along and leaves the room, and Pinkie and Rarity keep spoiling Marcus as he recovers. Soon after, in the deepest part of the dungeon, Amon sighs as he leans against one of the walls and occasionally glances at the iron shackles on both his arms and legs. They had a thick chain attached to them, connecting them and, by proxy, Amon to the walls of his cells. At the moment, Amon just remains quiet and stoic, taking notice of the sounds around him but not paying them too much attention, as he occasionally hears the sounds of metal doors opening and closing. It wasn't until he felt someone stopping at his cell and heard a familiar voice that the stallion raised his head. "Amon, thank Celestia, I finally found you," Fluttershy calls out. Amon can see her wearing a black hood to cover her face as she grabs two of the bars in his cell. "Yellow? I mean… ah, Fly, no. Shy… Fluttershy, wasn't it?" Amon asked before shaking his head. "The heck are you doing here? How are you here? Luna told me this was a secluded section of the palace," Amon asked as he stood up and tried to approach, only to stop halfway, thanks to the chains in his shackles. "I ask my friends," Fluttershy replies, standing back and pulling mice from her pocket chips before putting them back in her pocket, her face becoming more worried. "And I needed to talk to you; what happened last night? How did I freeze? And nods to everything they were telling me. Amon, I'm so sorry! I'm the reason why you are here; I should have defended you." "There is no need to apologize, Fluttershy. I'm glad you play along." "You do?" Fluttershy asks, perplexed, as Amon nods. "Tell me, Fluttershy, how much of last night do you recall?" "That is what I feel most guilty over; everything is too blurry. I remember your card, us meeting in the garden, and then I heard some distorted sound; I felt like I was floating, then a hit to my head, and next thing I know, you were in front of Marcus with a bloody knife in your hand." Fluttershy rubs her head before grabbing the bars once more. "Please, Amon, Princess Luna told us you refuse to say anything, but you know something, right? Please tell me what happened last night." "If I could, I would Shy, but right now, anything I say would play right into Faust's hands." "Faust?" Fluttershy repeatedly confused. "Listen, Fluttershy, I know you have questions, and I'm not making any sense right now, but from my perspective, it's the bad ponies that are after me. They moved, put me right where they want me, and are just waiting to finish their plan. They await my reaction; they want me to spread chaos everywhere. But they didn't count on me just staying quiet." Amon smiles and points at his head. "They don't know I'm also playing their sick little game. And right now, I'm chipping away their patience while waiting to make their mistake." "Amon, what are you saying? You are not making any sense," Fluttershy says in a very concerned voice. Before Amon could elaborate, they heard a metal door opening again. "Perfect timing, quick hide! Something tells me you will understand soon enough," Amon asks her as he returns and sits in the corner of the room again. Still confused, Fluttershy could only comply and hide her face as best as she could while going into an open, empty cell and hiding in the shadows in time to see a group of guards approaching. "I must say, specimen, you sure are full of surprise, aren't you?" Faust's voice calls out to Amon as Fluttershy peeks and listens intently to their conversation. For his part, Amon could only chuckle and shake his head as he kept his head down. "Good old Doctor Faust, I was wondering when you would be coming to gloat." He then looked up to face the pony for the first time, seeing a gray stallion in a trench coat and sunglasses. The guards around him had the same lost gaze in their eyes. "I see you have been busy. Would they be my executioners?" Amon asks sarcastically. "That all depends on you, specimen, and how cooperative…" "...Save me the speech, would you, asshole?" Amon interrupted him with a roll of his eyes and a heavy sigh. "If you wanted me dead, you would have only hypnotized a maid to stab me while I sleep. So just shut up and tell me what you want." "You shouldn't test my patience, especially when it is not your life, the one in danger here, but the ponies around you. Or do you want me to bring the head of Fluttershy or that maid that took a shine to you to make my point?" That got Amon's attention as he saw the guards pointing their weapons at their throats after Faust snapped his fingers. "You continue to disappoint me, specimen; you do. You even fail at creating fucking CHAOS!" "What are you doing?!" Amon asks in alarm. "The better question is what are you willing to do, in order to spare their lives? As I said, this all depends on your next words. So either you finally do what you are told, or I'm going to stage a prison break; let's see if you can still keep quiet with a dozen mutilated royal guards surrounding you." "Please, Faust, they have nothing to do with this; let them go." "Are you ready to follow orders?" Faust asks sarcastically as he raises his arm. "I can always look for that bitch maid and the element whore to join the body count." "No! I… I will listen." "Good," Faust cheered and lowered his arm before nodding to the guards who put away their weapons. "See specimen? Things can be easier for us if only you follow commands." "What…do you want?" Amon asks with a clenched fist as Faust laughs. "The same thing I have wanted from the start: specimens. I want a monster, an enemy of the kingdom so vicious and brutal that not even the elements could stop it. I want you to go into a rampage, as I planned." "This was your goal all alone, then? You made my life a living hell, kidnapped and tortured thousands, turned me into… this. Because you want to destroy the kingdom?" "I'll make it better!" Faust exclaimed, hitting one of the cell bars. "You think we are monsters? No, Amon, you don't know shit! I LIVE under the thumb of a real monster, a sociopathic bitch that brainwashed an entire town so that she could play house. I'm the victim here, and you will be the tool for me to get revenge." Faust stands back and takes a moment to breathe before continuing, "Let's not go sidetracked. We are having a gentlemanly conversation here, and don't worry. I don't want you to start foaming from the mouth and act like a caveman. No, you make it so it would raise a lot of questions with your calm demeanor now," Faust admits in irritation. "No, instead, I want you to start your campaign of terror simply enough. I'm going to make arrangements for the bitch that put me in hell to give you a private visit soon enough. The second you two are alone. You are going to defile her and then make your escape through the sewers, where you will await further instructions." "You are sick FAUST I'm not gonna rape an innocent…" Amon protested and stood up as far as the chains allowed him, starting to bend them in anger "THAT WHORE IS ANYTHING BUT INNOCENT, AND YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD, SPECIMEN," Faust yells at him and raises his hand once more. "Or the blood of a lot of innocent ponies will be in YOUR hands, ape." Amon froze and backed away when the soldiers started taking out their weapons again. Regaining control, Faust lowered his hand and smiled at him. "Once that mare enters this cell, there will be blood, either from that whore filthy hole or all the ponies I have under my control. Keep that in mind if you think of defying me." Amon just remains quiet and kneels down as Faust laughs and leaves him alone. "Cheer up, primate. Look on the bright side. Pretty soon, you will get lucky," Faust sadistically comments as he and his group leave Amon alone. Once they were gone, Fluttershy stepped out from her hideout and rushed to Amon. "Amon, was he the bad pony you told us?" "And it is more dangerous than I thought, Fluttershy." Amon shakes his head and looks at her. "Like you just witnessed, he can control other ponies, and it is most likely that he has everyone under some mind control, including you. He might still have it, and you don't realize it yet." "And if you had spoken up, the castle would have been in complete chaos, or he could have used it to label you insane and put you in an even worse situation," Fluttershy speaks mostly to herself. "I needed to remain quiet, and Luna understood that. We both were waiting for Faust to make his move." Amon smiled and pointed behind him where there was an obsidian crystal. "A listening crystal," Fluttershy exclaimed in shock. "You record everything?" Amon nods. "That mare is a genius on deduction; without saying a word, she figured out what I was trying and played her role flawlessly, and now you need to play yours too, Fluttershy," Amon says, picking and handling the crystal to Fluttershy. "Me?" Fluttershy points at herself. "I'm sorry this happened, Fluttershy, but you have become a witness. And for the sake of who knows how many ponies, you would have to act as if you hate me as well as giving and said your testimony to Luna without Faust knowing." "W-What? Why?" "I know it is too much to ask, but please, help me find the truth, Fluttershy. I'm not even sure this is Faust's real body. If we let him escape, who knows what he could ever do next, you saw him. It clear there is no gram of morality left in him" The pegasus remained quiet, scared, confused, and worried from all she had just heard before nodding once. "We must stop that pony and get you out of here." She smiled and took out the mice. "Here, so you don't feel lonely. Whiskers can keep you company." Amon blinks in confusion before approaching and extending his arm as Fluttershy does the same and passes the mice. "Ah… okay, nice to meet you, Mr. Whiskers." Amon smiles and starts petting the mice gently as he sits down. Her fluttershy heart melts at the image and fills her with resolve: "Don't worry, Amon. I will get you out of…" Fluttershy has to hide a second time when she hears yelling on the floor atop them, "Where is he?! Where is the son of a mule that cut my coltfriend!?" The raspy voice of Rainbow Dash alerts both of them. Reckoning Part 1 (Edited By PW)"Well, Sir Marcus, I must admit, I have never seen such a fast recovery before. Even with our best spells and medical treatments, it was to be expecting some minor scarring. For your body not even to present those isn't short of a miracle," A doctor mentions as he reads Marcus's medical record while the human in question starts to get dressed. "What can I tell you, doc?" Marcus replies casually as an astral black tendril emerges from the base of his chest. He picks up a shirt before retreating, leaving a spiral-shaped tattoo behind that Marcus soon covers. "Human anatomy is quite different from equine one, don't you agree?" Marcus asks with black eyes as the rest of his body reshapes and moves around as if he is wearing a skinsuit rather than his actual body. On his part, the doctor had a lost gaze while looking at nothing. "Indeed." That is the only reply the doctor said. He looked at nothing while Marcus finished dressing up in front of a full-body mirror. He stared intensely at his reflection until his eyes went back to normal. "For what it's worth, you serve me well, monkey suit; I admit, I'm gonna miss you," Marcus says as one of the tendrils moves around on the side of his face. His thoughts are interrupted by a phone call that soon irritates the human when he figures out who is calling. "What do you want now?" Marcus answers, making no effort to hide his anger. "Good day, Sir Cross. I hope you are having a lovely day and making a full…" "...What. Do. You. Want?" Marcus interrupts the pony in the other line, his irritation increasing. "Recently, we were informed that you came across and took hold of one of our products, Mr. Cross. We would like it very much; it's safe return." "Cute, but no." "Sir Cross, I understand your reservations, but what you have is our property and…" "No, what I have is the product that I pay for, and instead, I end up deformed because of your incompetence; we might have started this project together because of a shared enemy, but don't forget who was the one that provided the funds for your little enterprise." "You realized that what you have is not the final product, and we require further studies to perfect it, don't you? Cross, please. Think about our goals; our vengeance is at arm's length; we only need…" "Cut the crap, would you? None of you cared when I was forced to wear a monkey suit for years. You used me and disposed of me the second things went south. I'm the one who built myself from scratch, I'm the one who made a new empire from nothing, and I'm the one who soon will have the harem that I deserve, all thanks to my hard work. You are all just a bunch of leeches and rats coming up from the cracks in walls once you start to smell cheese." "...You know there is no turning back if you decide to betray us, don't you?" "Funny, I don't think you would do anything after all; the king of shadows has invited you to his palace." "And I will gladly accept his invitation," The caller suddenly said in surprise. "Now, Dr. Faust, in a couple of days, my specimen is going to pay you a visit in the royal sewers. You are going to meet him there and help him escape. Are we clear?" "Yes, master." "Good, now don't tell anyone we have this conversation, and destroy your phone once I hang up." "Yes, master." Marcus ends the call and smirks at his phone. It is just so easy sometimes, and once I became an alicorn, not even those princesses would be able to resist my charms. Equestria soon would see the birth of his new king! Once he was sure, his disguise was in place. Marcus steps away from the mirror and claps once, making the doctor snap out of his trance and shake his head. "What was I saying?" "You were saying everything was fine with me, and I'm free to go, doc. Are you okay?" Marcus asks with a concerned tone. "Wha-What? Oh! Y-yeah, yeah, I'm okay, just a little light-headed all of a sudden," The doctor replied while holding his head before looking at Marcus's records and then at the human in question. "Apologies if I zoom out for a second there; you are free to go, Marcus." "Don't worry about it, doc, and thanks," Marcus offers a sympathetic smile as he nods and leaves the infirmary. Rarity and Pinkie are waiting for him, ready to give Marcus a big hug. "Darling! How are you?" Rarity is the first to ask. "The doctor said that I'm okay, but I should go easy on myself for the next couple of weeks; maybe I should ask some kind of sexy nurses to help me with some physical therapy," Marcus mentions while grabbing a handful of Rarity rump, making her jump and blush a little. "Darling! You naughty, naughty boy! We are in public," Rarity whispers before using her magic to pull away Marcus' hand. "I'm sorry, my gem, but you know I can't resist that perfectly round rump of yours, and speaking of bubbly, don't think I forget about you, sweetheart." Marcus turned his attention to Pinkie. "And the answer is yes, you can throw me as many parties for my recovery as you want." "Yay," Pinkie cheered as she nuzzled the side of his head. "This is going to be so much fun, and I bet Dashie will be trill with the news." "Yeah, speaking off, where is she?" Marcus asks, looking around. "I was under the impression she would be here by now after what AJ said, but I never even heard that she arrived. Come to think about I haven’t see AJ in days either" "Don't worry, darling. Surprisingly enough, Spitfire managed to catch up with her," Rarity explained while holding her phone. It wasn't easy, but she managed to calm Rainbow Dash enough to wait for a day, fill out the form of release, and then come here by the books. She will be arriving later today." "I see; thank Celestia for Spitfire, am I right?" Marcus jokes as they start walking. "Oh well, I suppose that leaves us the rest of the day for ourselves. What do you say? Do we look for AJ and Fluttershy and have fun in the city? I bet poor sweet Fluttershy is still shaken from what happened and could use the distraction." "I'm afraid that would not be possible, Sir. Marcus." Vivi suddenly appears from the right of the group, startling everyone while remaining stoic. "They and I have a busy day." "So… you are gonna act as Fluttershy and Applejack's maid for the remainder of the day?" Marcus asks with a raised eyebrow. In response, Vivi shook her head. "If only it was that simple, but no. By request of the princesses, the two of them are going to spend today with Amon." "What?!" They all exclaim in complete shock, "Why?" Marcus asks in astonishment. "It is clear that Amon has been shaken by whatever happened in the garden a couple of nights before and refuses to say anything. The princesses believe that with Fluttershy's coaching, he may open up, and with the assistance of AJ, we can guarantee it is the truth." "The truth? He attacked me! What else do you need to know?!" Marcus questions in indignation. “The poor mare have been scare and most likely crying for days and you are simply gonna a throw her into the maniac that did that to her? "Please, sir Marcus, calm down; I know you are still sensitive to the news, but let's not forget. Bad ponies are after Amon. Who is to say that this is not their scheme? In fact it was Fluttershy who spoke up" Vivi counters. "If not for Fluttershy pointing that out yesterday we may overlook it. And frankly, I believe her." "Is that so?" Rarity asks in intrigue, as Vivi smiles and nods. "I have spent enough time with Amon to know that he is a nice stallion and couldn't possibly do what happened last night. Maybe you were the one under an illusion, Sir Marcus. Haven't you considered that?" "I… it… a possibility," Marcus faintly understood as he was screaming internally. "That is why the princesses requested a session with the two elements to help out. We may ask you two, but well. Amon is not the only one who needs help at the moment," she says, pointing out Rarity and Pinkie, who were still clinging to Marcus. "That is very considerate of you, darling. Thanks," Rarity mentions. "Yeah, I would love to help too, but my honey muffins need me more, and we should be there when Rainbow Dash appears. Right, honey muffins?" Pinkie adds. "Y-Yeah, I'm just worrying for those mare sake. I mean poor Fluttershy, for pit's sake! After what Amon did to her…" "Please, Sir. Marcus, please don't underestimate the power of Fluttershy; she is braver than you think. Frankly, after all the passages I made before, Amon couldn't possibly do all of those things. Are you completely sure he was getting too touchy with Fluttershy?" "What are you insinuating?" Rarity questions with a small glare. "Nothing, nothing. I'm just saying it was dark. Maybe there was another stallion there." "Oh! You think Amony was framed?" Pinkie asks, getting worried. "No! I'm telling you, he is guilty! Marcus insisted. “He was the only one that day; I saw him, I saw him like… like, the king of shadows has invited you into his palace." "And I will gladly accept his invitation." All the mares suddenly go stiff with lost eyes as Marcus lets go of his mares and starts back and forth in alarm. What is happening?! This isn't how things should play out! That primate should be hated! Why are they still defending him? The fuck, Fluttershy, you should be clinging to me like a scared puppy, no defending your attacker; I need to make sure to train you once you are mine. With his internal rant over, Marcus takes a deep breath and gets into his position: "Amon is the bad guy; there is no point in hearing anything he has to say." "He is the bad guy," The mares repeat. "AJ and Fluttershy are in grave danger; they shouldn't get closer to him." "Not close." "You need to alert the princess that Amon tried to assault you, too." "He assaulted…wait, was that before or after he kissed me?" Pinkie asks out of the blue, looking at the ceiling. "A-a- he did WHAT!?" Marcus lost his train of thought, and the mares shook their heads. "What were we talking about?" Rarity asks out of the blue. "Oh, we were telling how Amon gave Pinkie a little peek in the lips," Vivi reminded the group, giggling a little. "Oh yeah!" Pinkie nods and laughs. "He was getting scared of how much I was taking, so he panicked and did the first thing that came to mind to keep me quiet. I admit, it works." "Wow, darling, I just… how did you not get mad?" Rarity asks in surprise. "Oh, it was nothing," Pinkie dismissed her concern with a wave. "He apologized immediately and explained that it wasn't like that. He was just not used to being more civil, and he saw a couple do that before." Pinkie dismissed her concerns. "So I gave him one chance. It's a good thing you are not the jealous type, right? Honey muffins?" Pinkie asks while hugging Marcus' arm. "R-Right and I can't exactly blame him either; you are just that irresistible." Marcus plays alone, making Pinkie giggle and blush. "Anyway, we should be getting going. See you later, Vivi." Rarity waves goodbye, and the two mares drag Marcus away before he can think or say anything to change his mind about helping Amon. "Thanks, have fun." Vivi kept smiling and waving until they were gone. She dropped her smile and looked more serious at the direction they went before pulling out earplugs from her ears. As the day progresses, Marcus's tension just keeps escalating. The news is that Rainbow continues to be late for arrival due to problems at work. Then Pinkie and Rarity keep giving him periodic updates on how Amon seems calmer and might be more cooperative soon. Rarity seems to have not given up on playing matchmaker and slowly believing Amon was innocent despite Marcus's protest that he couldn't get into too many details without raising suspicions. Yet all of that pale compared to when he received the worst news he wanted to hear. "Seriously?! Darling, that is fantastic! Thank you so much. You are such an angel doing this despite your condition; kisses!” Rarity let go of her phone and looked at her herd with a big smile as they enjoyed their lunch. "Darlings, you are not gonna believe who I was on the phone just now." "Oh! Oh! Princess Cadence! No! Philomena Petals! No! Godzilla cosplay as Princess Petals!" Pinkie randomly guessed, making Rarity giggle. "None of them, darling, but you were close on the royal part; it was Twilight. She told me how Celestia contacted us for help with the case, and she is bringing the big guns." "Big guns, you said?" Marcus asks with a raised eyebrow. “I still don't see the need, but that's okay. I suppose Twily could clear the air." He comments with a shrug before taking a sip from his coffee. "With the help of Starlight? That is a guarantee." Rarity smiles, ignoring how Marcus almost choked at that name. "Starlight… what?!" Marcus manages to exclaim between coughs. "Glimmer, honey, you remember her, right? She is light purple, has a two-colored mane, and likes to talk to plants." Pinkie giggles as she describes her. "And has experience reforming bad guys and finding out the truth. Equestria couldn't ask for a better duo to talk with Amon," Rarity beamed with pride. "It is so lucky they found the time to visit him. They are on their way to speak with Amon right now." "What?" Marcus's skin drained in terror at that and went pale with Rarity's next words. "Twilight is quite a soldier, wishing to extend her hand even with her heat cycle so close. Isn't that so considerate of her? Darling, are you okay?" Rarity asks, noticing how Marcus went stiff and was completely pale. "I… think… yeah… that sandwich… ah… I think it has… hay. I b-bathroom!" Marcus yelled before rushing as fast as he could to the restaurant bathroom and closing the door inside. Once he was sure he was alone, Marcus's entire body started fuming with black smog as he looked around. His eyeballs and half of his face started to melt and move around underneath the tendrils. No, no, NO! It is too soon, and what is worse is Twilight if he manages to pounce on her. Or worse, inseminate her. NO! I would NOT have him rob me of her innocence or let him create a mini primate! Slowly losing his mind in his rage. Marcus rushes out of the window and into an alley before extending his palm, from which a horn emerges that shines. Then, he summons a yellow trench coat for him to put on. Once secure, Marcus dives into a shadow as if it were water and swims into the castle as fast as he can. Sighing in relief when he noticed how Shiitake's secret passage was still open for him to use. Trying to get out of view and reach the dungeon, Marcus looks desperately for Amon's cells when the screams/moans of Twilight freeze him and fill him with dread. He wanted to intervene, but a wave of guards held his advances for what he perceived as an eternity. Even when they left, he couldn't move, as the castle was pure chaos, and he could barely move without being spotted. Losing track of time, Marcus finally manages to hide behind a bookshelf in a guest room as he listens to the conversation the princesses and Starlight are having. "So he simply attacked you?" Celestia asks in alarm as Luna consoles Twilight, sitting on a couch while holding a blanket. "I'm not sure; I mean, with my cycle, I'm not even sure who made the first move. I recall him telling something to Starlight, then grabbing her neck and pushing her against a wall. Then I push him away from him and hold him closer; our eyes meet, and the next thing I knew, he was aggressively kissing me." No. Marcus screams in horror. "And the worse part is… I… I like it." Nooo! "I mean it was like day and night; nothing I had before compares, and I don't think there will be anyone that could satisfy me like he did." NOOO! AMON YOU ARE DEATH!" Blinded by rage, Marcus tossed the bookshelf and rushed out of the room, with only murder in his mind, as he headed to the sewer entrance. In his outburst, the human failed to notice how the princesses were still calm and collected, as they only smiled in the direction Marcus left. "He is heading your way," Luna casually calls from her phone As Marcus rushed to the sewer, a conversation of some nearby guards caught his attention. "Where did he go?" "He was heading to the sewers, but we blocked his path; we got him a corner in the palace quarry. Be careful; he was able to overpower an alicorn. He is dangerous." With the new data, Marcus made a sharp turn and headed straight to the inner palace's abandoned mining area. To his luck, the security still needed to be improved, and blocking the way so no guards would get in his way was easy. The room was dark with only tenue lights everywhere as its only source of light, filled to the brim with brilliant red crystals that reflected the image of both Marcus and Amon, the former smashing through one of the said reflections once he saw Amon on it sending sharps of crystals everywhere, before standing up, his hood falling revealing the face of Marcus half melted with a tendril poking out of his eye socket. "Amon! Show yourself!" Marcus' demands are still blinded by fury. Amon looks at Marcus in mild surprise before shaking his head. "So it was you, the one in the park that day? I should have expected it. What better way to make you look like the hero than releasing monsters to enslave?" Amon calls, taking notice of the yellow trench coat and speaking disappointedly. "SHUT UP! Once again, you manage to ruin EVERYTHING you were supposed to rape Starlight alone! Twilight was supposed to be mine!" Marcus yells as he extends his hand with his horn and starts blasting away crystals with the image of Amon. "So you were also Dr. Faust. Dear god, all that talk of being in my body was all a lie? You could have turned into a pony anytime you wanted?" Amon demands as clouds of dust prevent Marcus from locating the stallion, and he can only hear the echoes of his voice. "You're wrong, specimen. I meant it when I said I was a client and a victim of your meddling." Marcus spoke up as he started to walk in search of Amon. "By the time I woke up, my body was reduced to mana, consuming itself. Your corpse was the only thing that kept me alive." "So you were forced to use my skin then. I should be disgusted if it weren't somewhat poetic justice after what you were using as a skin treatment. All because you couldn't accept being smaller than the rest. What I'm saying, I bet that was also a lie." "You're wrong!" Marcus starts blasting again, "I suffer for years because of my size; I was ostracized and ridiculed for years, taking solace in my being rich to make those that mock me pay!" Once he calms down, Marcus thinks he sees Amon's silhouette in the distance. He smiles as he slowly approaches him. "I will grant you this: your body, at the very least, allows me to be tall, and I could always switch bodies whenever I felt nostalgic." "Then why didn't you?" "Heck, if I knew, for some reason, your body was the only thing I could remain; if I tried to implant myself in some other pony, their bodies would quickly rot and crumble, cursing me to live as a primate again and again! You can look for their bodies if you don't believe me; they are probably starting to smell by now," Marcus mentions with a smirk. "So you are such an idiot that you didn't bother to dispose of the evidence," Amon chastises him incredulously. "Like I needed to, by day 3, those corpses are nothing but dust taking away the smell; nobody would question that in an abandoned mine. Useless sack of flesh. What I needed was a stronger body, a better body, a taller body." Marcus pounced in time to receive a punch to the face from the side, sending him tumbling away like a mass of flesh and skin that slowly reformed into a human shape as he stood up and looked around, yet Amon had returned to the shadows. "If that was your plan from the start, why didn't you try anything before? Despite my suspicion, I made the mistake of trusting you; why didn't you just take over and instead decide to frame me?" "Because doing that would mean handing over the mares that took me so long to obtain, while I would have to start again as a hobo! I would have to start my collection from scratch all over again. And Tartarus would freeze before that; no, I needed a plan. How would this sound?" Marcus cleared his throat. "I tried to stop him, but he went mad, forcefully removed his ring, and tried to blast me away. Something must have happened because the next thing I knew, I was in his body, and there was nothing but dust and my clothes in front of me." "You did all this to see yourself as the hero while killing me?" Amon demands as his anger continues to rise. "You would have died anyway! No spell nor method could return you to your body anymore; this form is only skin and muscle; with my plan, at least you would have a dignified death! Cheer up, specimen. You would fulfill your purpose; this is your only option. After raping a princess, there will not be a single soul in Equestria that would forgive or believe you. So it's either this or a life in the run." The place remains quiet momentarily, and Amon finally appears in front of Marcus. "There you go; so glad you finally accepted your fate." For his part, Amon remains quiet before smiling and then starts to laugh, much to Marcus' confusion. "What's so funny?" "Just the way your phrase said that, accept your fate. I can't help but think how that is ironic." Amon snaps his fingers, and the room is filled with the lights of thousands of horns surrounding the two of them, three of them belonging to the princesses, looking at Marcus with a stern face. To Marcus' horror, even his herd was among the eyes of anger and/or disgust. The rest of the Mane Six and even Starlight Glimmer. Some of Mane Six had tears in their eyes. Rainbow, in particular, seems more than a little piss off at the moment. "It's hilarious after such a huge confession, so right back at you, Marcus, if that is still your real name. Are you ready to accept your fate?" "You tricked me!" Marcus accused Amon as the stallion approached with an intense glare. "And believe me; it wasn't easy; every fiber of my body is screaming to pummel you into a bloody pulp, and even now, my face is the only thing preventing me from giving into my rage, but that wouldn't have solved anything." Amon stops in front of Marcus. "No, you are gonna an answer for all of your crimes, you are gonna start to give names, and then you are gonna rot in some damp and dark cell for the rest of your life AFTER you give back my body." "You…you, you can't believe him! I'm the victim here. Look at what he did to me," Marcus tried to plead, looking at the princesses in desperation. "Excuses now, Marcus? How low can you get? Give it up; we heard everything. There is no way you can escape justice," Luna proclaimed. "Honey muffin, all this time you… those employees you told us they needed a vacation, the rumors of ponies going missing in your work," Pinkie whispered in horror. "You use us. Oh sweet merciful Celestia, we were with that… that thing, I let him…" Rarity's face turns green, and unable to hold back, she turns away and pukes in disgust. "You never loved us, didn't you asshole? We were only a package deal, the mane six herd—just another weirdo wanting us because of our fame and names rather than for ourselves. I should let Amon beat you up. Heck, I want a part of it," Rainbow exclaimed as she cracked her knuckles. "Just try to keep him alive, sugarcube. Like he said, that rat needs to answer for his crimes," AJ commented with a stoic expression. "What I don't get is why you are so angry at me." Starlight voices her concern. "I don't even meet you. What did I do to earn such wrath?" "I at least took my arrest, gratefully, Marcus. It's your turn," Amon mentions as guards slowly approach him. "No, no, I will not let you win!" Marcus yells with such force that the guards must stand back as air is blasted back. "AMON!" Marcus tackles the stallion in a fury, and both are swallowed by a shadow nearby going deeper into the mine. "The king of shadows has invited you to his palace. Stop the princesses!" Marcus's voice order and echo in the chamber caused many ponies who didn't have earplugs or were alicorns to react and turn against the princess, turning the place into pure chaos. Meanwhile, in the realm of shadows, Marcus grabs Amon's horn. "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me, specimen!" Marcus forcefully yanks the suppressing ring from Amon's horn, causing his magic to go out of control. Shadow eyes shine all around him and are quickly absorbed into Marcus' body, making it convulse, morph, and inflate until they emerge from the shadows. Amon falls onto his back and needs a moment to breathe. A black mass falls in front of him, convulsing and pulsating as it increases inside and takes a new form until it becomes triple the size of Amon. "I… I'm the king of shadows, I'm everywhere, I'm untouchable… I… I'm invisible!" Marcus starts taking in two distorted voices as his face appears. Or rather, the blob takes the form of the trench coat with mantis hands, tendrils instead of a lower torso, and millions of shiny white eyes inside the hood. "Look at me, specimen; look at the face of your death," Marcus complained, wholly deranged and out of his mind. While holding his head and blurry eyes, Amon slowly stood up to see the monster in front of him before having to roll when a scythe almost chopped him in half as Marcus laughed. "How does it feel to be completely drained of magic? It's disorienting, right?" Marcus turns a hand into a tendril and wraps Amon before tossing it away. "I knew you were a moron, but I never imagined you were this stupid," The tendril becomes a hand. "All this magic, all this power at your fingertips, and you decided to hide it?! You might as well be tossing them to the garbage. Or should I say…" Marcus rushes to Amon and grabs him with one hand before ramming him into a crystal wall, making a crate. "For you to have them in the first place is the same as tossing them into garbage cans." With his scythe, Marcus tries to chop off Amon's head, only for the stallion to grab the tip of the weapon and keep it in place. His palm bleeds. "It would be so easy to end you here, but you are right; why rush things?" The scythe turns into a tendril, and Marcus uses it to wrap Amon's neck and start to choke him. "I will enjoy seeing the light leave your eyes." Amon chokes and tries to break free using a pocket knife in the tendril with no results as Marcus laughs. "That is right; humans keep struggling, start begging. I almost forgot how hilarious it was seeing you beg for mercy." As Amon's conscience slowly starts to faint and he drops his knife, he slowly closes his eyes and stops struggling until a voice calls out for him. "Do you want this to be your end?" a deep, booming male voice calls Amon from inside his head, as time seems to have stopped. "You can do way more than this, and you know it. So why are you not getting angry?" "Who are you?" Amon asks with a raspy voice. "Does it matter right now? Ask yourself, this human, what else do you need? He took your life, he killed millions, he saw them suffer, and you wish to make him pay, so what is stopping you? Why aren't you still refusing your emotions?! Get angry already." "The last time I did… so many pay the price." "Do not hide behind excuses! Remember things for how they were," The voice demanded him, and Amon suddenly remembered; he remembered a bloody lab, corpses surrounding him, and a scientist leaning against a control panel. "I remember now, they were testing something in me, this body. It was their doing. I watch how they destroy my body in front of me." "Yes, you were the success trial; they were so elated in the news that they never considered what rage could do to magic." "And still I try to stay in control, I try to save someone else, and then," Amon remembers, the scene plays out again, the scientist turning to look at Amon with a smirk before pressing a red button. "I see; the shock and force must have made you forget. They did all this to you. They will continue to do so with countless others; they claim to be heroes while making monsters. They don't deserve mercy; they deserve your wrath. Now get angry and kill! Conquer! Destroy!" "I…" Amon returns to reality as he slowly sees Marcus. Even without a mouth, Amon could see the monster smirking. "I..." With a shaking hand, Amon grabs the tendril. "I will never forgive you!" Amon grabs the tendril with renowned force, snapping it in two with force alone and making Marcus back away his hand. Now free, Amon used his two hands, spread his wings to grab Marcus' other hand, and started splitting them apart until the monster was on his knees. With one power yank, Amon manages to rip off Marcus's thumb and index fingers before jumping. His fist hits the side of Marcus's face, sending him flying. As Amon hit the floor, dark and white smog emanated from the alicorn's body. "Bastards like you, monsters that get off in the suffering of others. WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Suddenly, air pressure exploded around Amon, blowing everything away and forcing Marcus to sit down. "I won't forgive you; I will never forgive you! People like you deserve to rot in hell!" Suddenly, Amon is encased in a fog cocoon that shines an intense white light before it explodes. From it, Amon emerged with a solid silver line running through his body with two lines passing through his eyes, which were now crimson red, and his wings had a secondary layer of white feathers, as his mane now waved in an invisible wind. "Impossible! I took away all your magic; where is all this power coming from?" Marcus asks in terror. In a flash, Amon appears in front of Marcus and grabs his throat. "Go to hell," Amon mentions with a neutral tone before ramming Marcus against the wall and then flying at top speed with his victim, grinding the wall behind him until they reach the end of the said wall, where Amon launches Marcus forward into a bed of jagged crystals to be impaled with. "The day I awoke in this body, the ponies that did this to me put a fail-safe moments before they blew themselves up. A curse on my magic so I could never be able to use it again. And you were the genius that took it for himself." Amon chuckled briefly while looking at his hand. "It almost feels like a weight was lifted over my shoulder, as if I lived with handcuffs for years, and you just took it away." He then looked at Marcus. "I will make sure to thank you properly by showing you exactly how I destroy the hellhole your dealers put me in." "You stupid specimen, this doesn't change anything!" Marcus recovers and stands up again with new hands, his body regenerating the holes he just sustained and his back reforming. "Even if you still have some magic left, there is no way you can't defeat me. I will make you pay for everything you cost me." With a roar, Marcus turns his hands into tendrils and uses those and the ones on his lower side to pick more crystals before trying to dive back into the shadows. Amon kneels and places his hand on the floor. The entire room becomes red, and the temperature increases to an insane degree as Marcus emerges from the shadow screaming in pain, only for Amon to grab part of his trenchcoat and ram him back into the ground as the rubber in his suit starts to melt and merge with his body. One of the tendrils grabs Amon's waist and flings him back as Marcus manages to escape into the shadows properly. Recovering Amon can only have to recover until tendrils emerge from the shadows with the crystal spears trying to impale him. The stallion teleports left and right the attack as he clenches his fist, creating long, complex spears of light, and he stabs each tendril into the surface while dodging. Eventually, Marcus' head appears, and Amon impales him in the throat, forcing him out of the shadows, and then summons more spears to impale his body before starting to twist each tendril and then yank them away with a tackle that rams Marcus against another wall that destroyed in the impact. Their struggle ends Marcus's mental control, and the princesses' fight comes to a close in time for them to hear and feel trembles on the floor. "What is happening?" Dash asks, looking at the source of the noise. "Amon and Marcus must be in the middle of a fight. And if that human keeps enraging Amon, Equestria helps us," Luna mentions in alarm before looking at Twilight. "We need to tend the wounded and ensure neither escapes Twilight. We entrusted the elements; do what you must to stop them!" "You can count on us; let's go, girls," Twilight calls for the friends, who nod and follow behind Twilight with their elements on the ready. At that moment, during the fight with Marcus, the human is soon overwhelmed by the power of Amon, who stops floating and just walks casually toward the human while blasting away chunks of his body, reducing the monster in size. "You can't do this," Marcus complained, grabbing and lifting a giant long crystal with a tendril hand, only for it to be blasted away, leaving a scorched mark. The monster slowly backed away. "This can't be happening!" Marcus yells, trying to grab another crystal, only for his other arm to be blasted. "I can't lose!" Marcus kept complaining, and fear started to set in his mind when his body was no longer regenerating. "You can't do this to me," Marcus yells and tries to make a run for it, now reduced to a pony with one tendril arm and half a human face. Amon shot his leg, bringing the monster down. He couldn't do anything but crawl until Amon caught him and kicked him in his gut, sending him flying toward another crystal wall. Rather than let him fall, Amon grabs Marcus by the neck and keeps him against the wall, his body reduced now to its human form minus the half-melted side. "Please! Please stop! I don't want to die," Marcus starts to beg, shaking like a leaf. "How many others told you the same? How many humans beg for their lives as you watch them get tortured or killed?!" Amon yells at him before punching the wall behind Marcus, cracking it and then destroying it with a blast of energy, making Marcus scream in panic "I see that now; I will never do it again. So please let me go. Y-You want this body, right? I lie about not being a way; I can still give it to you. There are spells to turn a pony into a parrot; I'm sure there is something to turn you into a primate…" Amon rams him against the wall. "Human! I meant human! And… and I can give you money! Food! A house! Anything, just please, please! Don't kill me." Behind the two, Twilight and the group find them and are startled by Amon's condition. Twilight starts to get ready to fire. "Just shut up! I have nothing left to lose." "That is not true!" Fluttershy suddenly yells, gaining everyone's attention, and she steps closer. "You have us, please, Amon. I know you are angry, but I know you are better than this. Be better than him." Amon kept staring at Fluttershy in surprise until he heard the booming voice again. "She is wrong… don't forget… he knew and did nothing… he might as well have killed them… he doesn't deserve it… just kill! KILL!" Amon starts to struggle as his arm shakes, unsure what to do. "Everyone, get ready!" Twilight calls as they all start to float. "Twilight, wait, I think he still…" "Fluttershy, he is gonna kill him if we don't." Twilight interrupted her in concern and was about to blast until Amon spoke up. "Shut up!" He yells at anyone in particular, creating an airwave that froze everyone. With crimson-red eyes, Amon looks at Marcus. "Don't bother trying to weasel your way out of this asshole. For a long time now, I have come to terms with losing everything I ever held dear. I have nothing to lose, and nothing would make me happier than rip you to shreds like a napkin." Amon tightens his grip on Marcus' neck as Twilight ready the elements until Fluttershy stops her, much to Twilight and the other's surprise, as Fluttershy shakes her head. "But I… I will not be like you! Death would be just too easy; no, is it not me whom you should be afraid of now…" In one fell swoop, Amon ripped Marcus' vocal cords without killing the monster as he held his neck in pain, spitting blood and confused about how the hole there healed as fast as it was made. Amon grabs hold of Marcus's head. "...is what awaits you." Lifting and tossing back, Amon doesn't bother to look back as he walks away. "It's all yours, ladies," Amon tells Twilight as he falls right in front of them. The human tries to say anything, but nothing comes out of his voice. AJ glances between him and Amon, unsure what to do or how to respond to what just happened. Amon's body slowly returns to normal as he sits on a nearby crystal. The mares look at one another as Dash grabs one of Marcus' arms. "Well, 'honey,' it seems you, the princesses, and I have much to discuss. Better grab pen and paper," Dash promises as they slowly drag Marcus away, and he struggles in panic. Fluttershy looks at Amon before looking at the rest. "Please go ahead; I need to do something first." "Same," Pinkie calls as they both approach Amon. The others understand and nod as they take Marcus away. AJ smiled and nodded. "Do what you must; the poor stallion could use your help right about now." Her friends nodded and saw the rest of the group leave Without saying a word, the two mares approach Amon. "Girls, now I don't feel like talking," Amon calls them. "Then don't," Fluttershy calls, and with Pinkie's help, they make him lie down with his head resting in Fluttershy's lap. "Just rest." "What?" "We can talk later, Amony. For now, rest and relax," Pinkie adds, offering a muffin and a smile. "Please" Amon remains quiet as Pinkie hugs his side and nuzzles Amon's chest. The stallion was too tired and confused to question it and decided to take a bite of the muffin. Q&A And Healing Time (Edited by PW)With tension so thick that you could be cut with a knife, the princess of the night kept going through a folder in front of her while Marcus was strapped to a chair in front of the princess of the night with a plain white desk in between the two. The two were in an enclosed dark room with dark blue walls around them and a simple metal door behind the princess. At the time, Marcus was inside a cylinder the size of an oversized couch filled with a green liquid, making it seem that the princess was interrogating a preserved pickle. Without his human skin and ensuring his life wasn't in any danger, everyone could finally see Marcus' actual form. A stallion with a petite frame with a broken horn and a black body that seems made of tar or petroleum, missing an arm and legs and instead having tendrils for both, making it seem like he somehow merges with an octopus with an incomplete spell. "I must say, Marcus, you gave me quite the story to read. Or should I say Mark Cross?" Luna lowered the folder and showed him a picture of a small stallion with expensive formal clothes surrounded by two bodyguards to his sides. "I recall how it reached the news of your mysterious disappearance; your family sure was disheartened and wanted to find you no matter what. I could only dread to imagine what they would think if they saw what you have become." "Please, princess, you have to believe me. I'm the victim here. All I wanted was some beauty treatment. I might have looked up from shady ponies, but I never intended things to end up like… this." Mark tries to defend himself while pointing at his body. "The ponies that did this to me and the monster they made. They are the real criminals; they alter my mind and make me do all of this. That is why I sought the mane six; I thought maybe the elements could…" Luna stopped him by raising her hand. "You can save your excuses for your appeal, Mark. I'm not here to hear you whine." She slammed her hands on the desk. "I want the truth. Who was the group to whom you gave funds? What kind of experiment were you conducting, and to what purpose?" Mark remains quiet, slightly startled at Luna's reaction, before lowering his head. "I want a lawyer." "Fine with me, we can play that way. The punishment for what we have is petrification, your name slander by the media, and after ten years, we can resume this conversation," Luna replied casually. "I was willing to offer you a deal to reduce your sentence and suggest putting you in the Starlight rehabilitation program, but if you don't want to cooperate…" "DON'T YOU DARE BRING THAT BITCH!" Mark suddenly reacts by hitting the glass of his container in fury. "She is the reason I'm like this, the reason for all of this…" Mark pauses to compose himself before speaking again, "You win, princess. I would take the deal and help you, but I would need two conditions. The first, you already know, is to keep Starlight Glimmer as far away from me as possible." "...and the second?" Luna asks with a raised question. "You need to protect me, put me somewhere safe with a new face and identity, because the ponies you are after. After what Glimmer did to us. They have lost any sense of morality." "Tell me what you know, and I will see what I can do," Luna replied, intrigued by his reply. Marcus nodded. "I suppose the beginning is as good a place as anything. Let me ask you, princess, how much did you know of the time that petulant bitch brainwashed an entire town?" "Twilight told me the story in detail, about her plans, ideology… and methodology. I was under the impression that the citizens there managed to forgive Starlight in their hearts. I'm assuming you were once one of her victims back then?" Mark only nods in irritation. "And I wasn't the only one sure the majority, for whatever reason, decided to forgive her, but some of us? Hearing what she did? And even worse, how did it end for her? It was more than enough to blind us in rage. She broke the rules, endangering all of us, and committed criminal actions, and she gets to be the princess's right hand. We do the same and end up like this. Tell me, how is that fair?" Luna remained quiet for a moment before gathering her hands together. "So that was your justification? Amon already told me what you ponies were doing, to think you were kidnapping humans from another world committing atrocities, in what I imagine was scientific curiosity… all of this was for some twisted revenge plot?" Mark shrugged to her mild confusion and surprise, "Heck if I know." I was only one of her final victims, an entrepreneur seeking to make me taller. I had heard of her town when everypony was "equal," and I misinterpreted her meaning. By the time I realized what was happening, she had already taken my cutie mark and tricked me into buying materials for her brainwash chambers. Cross sits on the opposite side of his cylinder. "By the time we were all free of her mind control, I was ready to fill a complaint and make numbers on how much I was willing to pay for her head on a silver trail when other ponies approached me with an offer of a lifetime. A way for me to finally be taller and more." Marcus smiles at the memory. Like I say, I was only the client there all this time." Mark leans forward. "But I can tell you this: if you think I was crazy, you haven't seen anything. Others survived; they are the ones who started this whole thing and this alicorn project. After seeing what that specimen can do? I dread to imagine their original goal was… maybe their plan is still in motion." At that moment, in a well-lit infirmary with the window open, clean beds, and medical equipment, Amon was speaking with Twilight, Purple and one of the royal doctors as the four were looking at the skinsuit that used to be Amon's real body in an iron bed on top of dry ice. Said body was already decomposing and wilter away despite the ice slowing the process, making it look like a dry leaf. "So he was telling the truth then. I can never go back to being human," Amon whispered, keeping his head down while looking at his face in remorse. "I'm so sorry, Amon; if there is a way, by Celestia, I would tell you, but whatever these ponies did to you. To Marc… ah Mark. It irreversibly mutates your body; even a transmutation spell would only last a day." Twilight mentions in a melancholy tune "Furthermore, in all senses of the word, this is a skinsuit," The doctor mentions in dread as he looks at the medical chart. "The muscles and skin are there without any opening cuts, but that is it; there are no bones, blood, organs, or nervous system. Nothing, trying to put you in there, will be no different than putting a brain on a hat." "Okay, doc, we get the idea," Purple says, slightly alarmed by Amon's emotional state. "There's no need for gruesome detail." Amon takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "Now I understand what they meant by "successful trial." Amon held his head with both hands as hard as he could. "Damn it! FUCKING DAMN IT!" “W-Wow dude, stay with us, deep breaths” Purple suggest starting to get afraid "Amon, I know this is horrible, you have every right to be angry but please remember what could happen if…" Twilight began, but Amon interrupted her. "...They skin me alive and then inject me with some weird stuff that brokemy body apart and turn me into…this. Those bastards, it wasn't enough. They skin us as if we were some fish; they use our bodies like guinea pigs, to do… to make god knows what." Everyone in the room went pale the second they heard that. "I swear, if anyone else is still breathing if I ever even heard their names again…" Black smog starts to emerge from Amon's whole body, alerting Twilight "Amon, please calm down. Your emotions are starting to run rampant!" Twilight called for him as his fur got darker. Her voice seems to reach him as Amon stops. His body returns to normal, and the smog slowly clears up. "Could you keep yourself calm after living what I experienced, princess? I was the 'whole package' trial sort of speaker. I imagine they have already tried other alternatives." Amon looked at her sternly. "I bet they didn't even expect me to survive. They only wanted a healthy body." The stallion could barely contain the tears as Twilight stretched her hand. "Amon…" Purple calls yet Amon interrupt him "Just burn it." "What?" The doctor asks. "Burn this… this thing already. Now, it is only a reminder. If I stare at it for even a second more, I am not sure what I would do." Amon's emotions were all over the place as he stormed off the nurse. Twilight was slightly startled before shaking her head. She then went after Amon with Purple, stopping at the door frame to look at the doctor. "Keep it safe. He might want to give it a proper burial or something once he calms down." The doctor could only nod as he placed the skin away in a safe location. Meanwhile Twilight and Purple were running through the hallway trying to catch up to Amon as he stomped and walked as fast as he could, leaving hoof marks on his way. "Amon, Amon, wait up," Twilight calls for him, yet the stallion doesn't slow down. "Listen, princess, I know what you are trying to do, but I am in no mood to talk; I'm beyond furious right now and need something to bend. Don't worry. I have no intention to blow the castle or turn the day into night or whatever you are fearing." "What if I give you a target?" Purple suggests getting in front of Amon and extending her arms so he could finally stop. The princess finally catches up to them and properly holds her knees as she tries to catch her breath. “By Celestia am I out of shape” Twilight tells mostly to herself before looking up satisfy that Amon finally decided to listen and intrigued to what the guard had to said "A place where you can work your anger without any issue. I can take you there; how does that sound?" Purple insisted "...where?" Amon replies, getting curious about the guard’s suggestion. As the three made their way out of the castle, Amon's curiosity kept increasing the further they went away from the city. Soon, the prestigious and expensive houses were replaced with shopping boots as they passed through the commercial district. For a while, Amon groaned internally, thinking Purple had tricked him into some bizarre shopping spread. Purple admitted to lying and said something about distracting his mind or the like. Yet his fear was soon banished and replaced by confusion and wonder once more the second they took him underground in a more secluded part of the city. Amon had to admit to never having visited this part of Canterlot or even having an idea of its existence. An enormous tree root extended from the surface, now acting as their ceiling, toward the deepest part of what Amon could only assume was the whole, whose bottom he couldn't see as the root disappeared into the darkness. Branches and the root itself acted as ladders for the two to use, and once they were deep enough, Amon started to notice how underground the city seemed. There almost seemed to be another city, one whose citizens seemed to be composed entirely of Thestral ponies living underground enjoying their day-to-day lifestyle. Bioluminescent mushrooms in the walls acted as a source of multicolor lights, giving this new section of the city a Neo-Night Live. Most impressive of all was how the place was easily recognizable as part of Canterlot, with the design of the houses, shopping boots, and even the root itself, which had a fine layer of polished concrete on it. Needless to say, the scenery itself was so surprising that much of the anger in Amon was instantly gone. "What the hell is this place?" Amon asks incredulously at the sighs around them. Twilight looked over her shoulder at Amon as they walked with a mix of curiosity and surprise. "You have never been here? From what I heard, I thought you may have known of the inner city of Canterlot," Twilight replied with intrigue before a smile started to form on her face. "In his defense, princess, this is Canterlot we are talking about," Purple mentions, beaming with pride. "The city of a thousand and one surprises, and there is always something new to see each time you visit. I see, you have never been here, dude." Purple extends both arms. "Allow me to introduce you to Neo Canvas, the underground town of the city, a popular hub for the royal guard and residence of most of the Thestral population." "I remember how much Shining Armor talked about this place. The way he described it the first time, I thought it was some sort amusement park." Twilight commented in amusement at the memory. "Shining who?" Amon asks at the sudden name drop. "Oh yeah, you don't know him, right? He is my brother and king of another kingdom called the Crystal Empire, but before that, he was a captain of the royal guard here in Canterlot." "One of the best, too, slayer of evil and woers of princesses," Purple proclaims. "I mean, you had to if he managed to get the attention of the freaking princess of love." "There is another…" Amon stops and leans closer to the two to whisper, "...another male alicorn out there?" "What? Why would you think…? Oh, oh! Yeah, I get why you would think that," Twilight nods as she takes a glance at her wings. “But no, Shiny didn't ascend, although I would not be surprised if he did later. Celestia knows he more than deserves the wings." The princess mentions, beaming with pride. "I can spend all day telling you stories about my B.B.B.F.F some other time. Right now, we are here on a mission, and if I remember the stories of Shining, I know exactly where we are going." "BBB… what?" Amon asked, but before the princess could respond, Purple got the attention of the two. "Yeah, about that." Purple seems to realize something and stops gaining the attention of the group. "Not to be rude or anything, princess, but the invitation was mostly for Amon alone. No, you are welcome to come too, of course!" Purple quickly adds, raising his arms in a panic at the princess, much to her and Amon's mild confusion. "But I was thinking more of the kind of guy thing. And where we are heading, it can be a bit… intense," Purple confessed, with some discomfort in his voice as he realized he hadn't thought of the idea all the way through. "So I must warn you. And suggest you to maybe change clothes, and try to keep a low profile, other guards may get a bit antsy…or worse, happy in seeing their princess in such a place. And I’m too young to meet an enrage captain if something were to happen to his little sister" "Purple…where exactly are you taking us?" Amon asked, more than a bit concerned after hearing that, yet Twilight didn't seem to face at all as she kept her calm smile. "I appreciate the concern, Purple, but I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle. I have faced countless enemies, overcome the most dauntless of obstacles, and won against foes like Discord. There is no way I can’t handle that place," Twilight mentions in confidence before raising her hand with her thumb and index finger pressed together. “But you are right about the disguise idea. I don’t want to make a scene now” By snapping her fingers Twilight changes her fur and mane from purple and black to white fur and blond mane and tail, she also changes clothes. From her formal long purple skirt and blue formal short sleeve shirt with a silver vest. To a simple brown shirt and skirt that cover her legs and robe that cover her face and wings "What do you think? Now, this way, not even my mother would… wait." Twilight held her throat and let her palm shine for a brief moment before speaking again. "There! Now, not even my mom would recognize me," Twilight proclaimed in pride with a higher pitch voice. "Now let's go." "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," Purple shrugs. "Oh, sweet mother Celestia, what is this place?" Twilight says in surprise and is more than a bit uncomfortable once the group reaches their destination. Purple introduces them to a place called the iron cage. Amon could describe the facility as a mix between a gym and a bar. The entrance split into two hallways, one leading to what seemed to be a bar with chairs and tables to enjoy a meal and drinks. The bar was fully stacked, with some patrons sitting on boots enjoying their drinks. They could see little from the entrance, but Amon could see a neo sigh and an intricate and delicate wood detail in the tables with a rustic old western theme. Behind the bar, a thestral bartender woman with short spiky hair, a green apron, black eyeshadow, and a white shirt served a round of beers. The alicorn's attention was then caught on the left side of the building, with an entrance directly in their field of vision, which was also the source of most of the noise. Gym equipment, pool tables, a ring, and other target practice were spread out in different sections of the spacious room, where ponies of the three tribes and Thestral were using the facilities, even sparing in intense fights and flirting with the waitress or among them, without a care in the world. The image alone was pure chaos, and Amon could feel his testosterone rising from all the fighting and taunts coming everywhere as the ponies let loose and competed in all sorts of events, from sparring to even ax tossing. "Welcome to where we royal guards come to vend, practice, train, bet, and/or compete: the royal iron cage." Purple introduces it. "Wow, I… S-Shining forgot to mention how… intense this place was and… are those two fighting or… making up?" Twilight asked nervously, pointing and looking away at the ring, where Amon and Purple were slightly startled to see Bliss and Bricks in some AMM sparring session that ended up with their bodies entangled as they currently were in what appeared to be a very aggressive make-up session. "Oh yeah…that. A little bit of both, I suppose? It is more common than you think with royal guard couples," Purple admits. "What?!" Twilight asks in alarm as Purple gets ahead. "I will say hi and tell them to chill before they get tossed out again. You can wait at the bar in the meantime. Oh, and ah… try not to do anything. This place can awaken your wild side if you are not careful." Purple warns them before going to stop his friends from making a scene. He starts to rush when Bliss seems to be working on removing her shirt. "Sweet Celestia, help me. I hope Shining never brought Cadence here," Twilight mumbles to herself, still processing the place in astonishment as she and Amon head to the bar. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this, Candy… someone is your brother's wife and the so-called princess of love?" Amon takes a while as they find a table with two chairs for them to sit. Some of the guards were slightly surprised at seeing Twilight and more so at Amon, specially the mares, yet the stallion was used to it and was mostly wondering if the surprise was from his size or perhaps what he had just said. "That is right," Twilight nods with equal surprise. “Amon, please don't take this the wrong way, but even if you lived on the street, it is impossible you didn't at least hear more about me and the princesses. How come you know so little of… well, everything? How long have you been in Equestria?" "Honestly, I lost track of time a long time ago, princess; what those bastards took from me…" Amon clenched his fist before relaxing. "Anyway, not to be rude or anything but I’m here to release some stress, not to be question and judge” “Right, sorry I stepped out of line there” Twilight mentions lowering her head in shame making the situation very tense and awkward. Looking at her expression and feeling like he just kicked a puppy Amon has to bite his tongue and relent to her questioning. No matter how angry he was, Amon also knew Twilight wasn’t at fault and heavens know, with everything resolved he had nothing to lose in just telling her. “I was focusing on something else, ok?” Amon mentions looking away gaining Twilight attention “What?” “Why don't I know anything? It is because I simply didn’t care, when your life focuses on survival, you tend to ignore everything else. Maybe that is why I barely knew about the royal sisters, and frankly, if it wasn't related to surviving, I wasn't much interested beyond what was necessary. And frankly with how my encounters with the law went before Purple, I couldn't care less about the government or who ruled this backwards world. Heck you can thank Purple that I even decided to gave Celestia a chance in the first place" "I see," Twilight whispers and lowers her head once more. "You probably hate us and Equestria in general, don't you?" The comment grabs Amon's attention, and he looks at Twilight in surprise as she sighs, "In reality, I can't exactly blame you, for who knows how long, all your memories of ponies have been of pure misery, pain, and suffering, only to be entrusted in this alien world and live Celestia know how much time facing the worst of our society. Anyone would be beyond hostile after all of that." Amon stares at her momentarily before sighing in frustration. "If you really want to know, then yes. There was a time when I couldn't stop cursing the name Equestria and lived day and night building a grudge about this horrible world of nightmares." The brutal, honest reply of Amon only makes Twilight flinch as her body goes stiff at his harsh words and the guilt behind his justification, only to be slightly curious by his next sentence. "But then…" "Hi!" The waitress attending the bar not too far ago appeared in front of the two with a bright smile and notepad. "Welcome to Iron Cage. My name is Livid, and I'll be your waitress for today." The thestral clearly lived up to her name with her chip voice and friendly disposition. "I must say, I don't think I've ever seen you before, and I make a mental note to try and remember our best customers. Are you new recruits of the royal guards?" She suddenly smirked. "Perhaps a high school couple decided to join the ranks? Hmm?" "No, and no," Amon was quick to answer. A friend of ours is a royal guard and suggested this place to vent my anger. Neither of us is a royal guard nor a couple," Amon replied sternly, yet that didn't seem to detriment Livid, who seemed more interested in the last part of his statement. "So you are saying you are available?" Livid asks as her eyes turn sultry. She places a hand on top of Amon's palm, which seems to tense him even more until Twilight intervenes. "Sorry, Ms. Livid. My friend just broke up with her herd recently, so he is not interested in any relationship," Twilight mentions as Amon retreats his hand from the thestral. "Oh, that's okay. I'm not looking for anything serious, either. Tell me, big boy, would you like to know what is the best medicine for a broken heart?" "Right now, I only want the menus and some water, please," Amon cut off the waitress, who simply nodded, unfazed by his cold attitude. "Apologies, I didn't mean to put you on the spot, big guy. But I’m serious there, there is nothing more quick than a nice good old roll in the hay. Just think about it." Livid, she ended her statement with a wink before stepping away. "I will bring you the menus right away. Any drinks while I'm out?" "Just water, thanks," Amon replied, keeping his head down. "Do you have some light apple cider?" Twilight asks as Livid nods. "Coming right up!" She goes to her professional mode and retires as Amon nods in exhaustion. "I swear to god, all the mares…" Amon stops before looking at Twilight. "Please don't get me wrong, I don't mean to generalize, but for some reason, all my encounters with mares end up like this. Minus you, the sisters, and your other friends, for some bizarre reason all mares become this thirsty the moment they see me." "I admit she came up a bit strong, but she was mostly only friendly." Twilight is unsure how to respond to that. "Aren't mares… ah, female humans in your world similar?" "No, I mean… There are some but. No the short answer is just no, and frankly it is exhausting how things work here and your definition of ‘friendly’, specially toward stallions and how many mares are ok with treating them like a slab of meat all the time as the norm, and cringy seeing other stallions happily seen that way and just parade around like it glorious be consider some kind of prize without any shame. It too much for me" "How else do you courtship a herd?" Twilight argues back. "Look, it is clear that there is a cultural shock here, and I don't want to offend anyone. Let's just say that is not for me, and it really didn't help Equestria while I was just wandering around, yet despite that, I don't hate this world anymore, Twilight" Amon admits. "I'm done with whining and crying over the past in that regard." Twilight smiled and nodded. "Do you want to talk about it? It may help you and help me understand you a little better." For a while, Amon just remained quiet, wanting nothing more. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt he had little to lose in telling her. With a resting sigh, the stallion closed his eyes. "Well, I was telling you anyway, so I might as well." He looked back at Twilight. "As I say, for a time I didn’t want anything to do with Equestria, my experience with a humble hamlet and what happened there, make me believe I was cursed to remain alone. I only wanted to be left alone in some dark hole where I could spend the rest of my life pretending I wasn’t in an alien world nor hurt anyone, until one day, as I was looking for scraps, a mare and child in the same boat as me approached me, and they offered me a moldy piece of bread. They were starving, and they found something, and yet despite that. They offered me what little food they had." Amon gathers his hands at the memory. "To this day, I couldn't believe what I was seeing; they had nothing, yet they still showed me kindness; that is when I started to see Equestria in a different light, and try to work hard in making sure nobody would get hurt because of me." "That is when you wanted to give us another chance?" Twilight asks, yet Amon shakes his head. "Nothing much changed; I still hated how mares treated me and wanted to make me some sort of "boy toy project," and I had lost faith in the law, but those small sparks of kindness, the times I felt at peace, slowly made me realize two things. One, I couldn't just spend my life hating all of you. That would not make me any difference from the monsters that made me. And two, how Equestria and Earth aren't that different at the end of the day." "Did… did you also have a hard time in your home world? Where you perhaps a homeless there too" Amon could only nod. "You could say I virtually was one. I was… am a loser, Twilight. Graduate from school, work my ass off trying to get my title to try to make as many connections as possible, and how do I end up? A leech, a freeloader, failure after failure, finding only slave corporations that think they can walk over me, so little money to live and mountains of stress, in other words, the norm of life. And because I was unable to keep a stable job, my family was losing hope in me, they were even threatening me to accept and just endure whatever came my way or not bother coming back to them and just embrace living in the streets. And yes I can see the irony there" Twilight could feel her heartbreak hearing his story, yet she didn't want to interrupt and wanted to wait until Amon finished venting. "Eventually, I thought my luck would finally change with a last opportunity for a job interview; that is how I ended up at Equestria, a trap made by then to lure those that no one would care if they disappeared. After that, you can figure out the rest; before they were gone, they even ensured I would not have a home to return to, one last sadistic trick of theirs." "What did they do?" Twilight asks in alarm. "Dilatation time movement spells something or another, curse. Any humans they caught were placed on some weird magic shenanigan thingy; I don't know what the hell they were trying to accomplish, but for what was a day here, it was 30 years in my world thanks to that. And they made sure to tell us one month after being captured to ensure we will be consumed in rage and despair after well… you can do the math there." "Sweet Celestia, to even rob you of your family like that… is… it beyond in equine." "I don't want to talk about it, Twilight. I just… I don't," Amon asks her before weakly chuckling. "You can go ahead and laugh at the irony, though; heavens know it is the only thing I have left. "The loser that could not obtain anything ends up with nothing. An alicorn who is supposedly a symbol of divinity or whatever the heck you want to call it… having nothing. No place to return, no friends, no family, no past, no identity. Yeah, the king of nothing. A fitting title for me, don't you think?" "Of course not! Amon you don't…" Twilight wanted to say more, but at that moment, Livid returned with their drinks and two menus. "Here you go, two menus and…" Livid paused once she saw the mood. "Wow, did I come at a bad moment?" Livit asked, feeling the tension there and placing a hand on Amon's shoulder. "Listen, dude. I was just messing before, but this is my serious face. Take some time for yourself. Don't dwell too much in the past." Amon was a bit perplexed but just nodded and took the menu. "Thanks." "Anytime, sweetie, and if you ever on the lookup for a rebound…" "Thank you, Livid! We will call you when we are ready!" Amon replies, feeling annoyed once again "Right, I will give you a moment." Once she was gone, Amon could only sigh and shake his head. "I swear, mares like her…" "I'm starting to see what you mean now. That definitely was not the time nor place." Twilight agrees before she looks at the menu. "Amon, I will not say I understand because I don't. You truly lived through hell and have every right to be bitter right now. But if you allow me to say something, I think you still have something of great value." "Oh yeah? And what is that?" Amon asks sarcastically. "You still have your heart," Twilight answered without skipping. "The entire world went against you; you went through horrible ordeals; you even tripped and fell, resigning to anger, and yet you rose up again. You saw the kindness in an otherwise bleak world; you learned and grew in ways I couldn't imagine. If that is not the attributes of a saint I don’t know what it is" "Okay, now you are just buttering me up." "No, I'm serious, Amon. You truly are someone admirable. Any other pony would have broken and gone insane in their rage, deciding to destroy everything in their paths or take the coward's choice and become another monster." Twilight doubles down. "But you didn't. You never broke, nor surrendered. You kept your mind and your will and kept giving others a chance and after all that it finally pay off. I mean, look at where you are right now." Twilight extended her hands. "A roof over your shoulder, actual food. And potential friends, so don't say you are the king of nothing, Amon, because that is not what you are anymore." Twilight lowered her hands. "I don't think you ever were, not here, and I believe not in your world either." Amon remained quiet for a moment and lowered his head, a small smile forming on his face at Twilight's words as he couldn't argue back. He knew that any argument at this point would be petty and childless. There was still so much for him to be furious about, but he couldn't help but agree to Twilight and even remember what Celestia told him and how she managed to win him over. "You and her are quite similar, you know?" "Me and who?" Twilight asks, blinking a couple of times. "Nothing, just me thinking out loud." Amon shakes his head as he scans the menu. "So… if you don't mind paying, should we order something for Purple, too? Maybe a plate of fries?" Twilight can only chuckle and look at the menu. "Maybe you did deserve to ascend," She mumbles to herself. "What?" Amon asks her in confusion. "Nothing, just thinking out loud as well, and yeah, I don't mind paying for some fries for Purple." The two remain quiet while they await the return of their shared friend and his idea on how to vent some steam from the angry alicorn. Venting Steam (Edited By PW)Soon after Purple returned with his friends and they all had a small snack, the group went to the gym section of the cage, where the royal guard introduced Amon to what he was hoping would help him vent some frustration. "And here we go," Purple proclaims, pointing at an area with a target, a series of green line carpets, and a bow next to an empty quill at the other extreme of the green carpet. The boots had safety glass walls at each side of the carpet that helped aim better. "Archery?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "Better, Amon, let me tell you the world of enchanted archery; here, let me show you how it works." Purple takes an arrow and tenses the line. Purple's horn shone, and soon, an arrow made of white light materialized in the bow. "In this game, the bow has a special enchantment, so when you pour magic into it, it will transform into solid light that you can use as arrows," Purple explained while pointing at the target. Amon now notices the screen on top of the target showing 350. "In this game, you wish to reduce your current score to zero instead of getting high scores. Reaching more and you gain more points that you need to reduce." He demonstrated this by hitting a bullseye and reducing the count to 300. "Depending on where the arrow lands, you reduce less or more points, so you need to stay vigilant to your current points to see where you want the arrow to land because you only have five shots," Purple finishes and lowers his arm before offering the bow to Amon. "Or we can go free for all and shoot as much as you want. What do you say?" "I see. In this game, you need to keep focus, but it is not completely necessary to hit the center all the time. It's an interesting twist on the concept. I like it." Twilight nods with a big smile. "Yeah, one slight problem there." Amon leaned closer to whisper to Purple, which only scared him. "You can't use…?!" Amon has to cover his mouth to prevent him from yelling. "There is a reason I whisper it Purple!" "Right, right, sorry." "What is the issue here?" Bliss asks, confused at the outburst, and Amon sighs and repeats the same thing to Purple "What do you mean you can't use magic? I saw you use it when, well…what happened with Marcus?" Twilight says in surprise "Don't know what you saw, but that wasn't magic, Twilight; it was pure rage," Amon clarified. "At that point, I was going through emotions, and my mind was foggy. In a word, I could only think of what I would do to Marcus and… well, you don't want to know the gruesome details. That is kind of the point here, but I'm not sure I can summon whatever I did back then at will," Amon clarified. "Still, it was a noble effort, thanks, Purple; I would simply look for another way to vent…" "Come on, dude; you are giving up way too easy," Brick mentions before chuckling. "There is a reason even earth ponies and pegasus can use this game after all." The earth pony takes the quill. "That is when the quill comes into play. It is also enchanted. You only pay the fee, and it will summon the ammo," Brick explained before demonstrating, putting two golden coins on the empty quill before it inside shines and then filling itself with said arrows ready to be used. "See? Easy as that" "So… unicorns pay for free, but the rest must pay? How is that fair?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "Oh no, I did pay in advance for the equipment. The arrows are extra," Purple replies. "Everything is fair." "So what do you say, big guy?" Bliss took the bow and pressed it against Amon's chest. "You are out of excuses now." "Fine." Amon rolls his eyes, picks up the bow, and takes an arrow. "I'm not sure if it will work, but I might as well try it." "Don't worry, dude, this is just the first stop. We can try all the other games, too," Brick suggests. "And if you are still angry. We could spar a little…although I suggest we avoid that last one." "Yeah, I'm starting to see the mares starting to take glances, and well, shirts could fall," Bliss agrees in concern as she watches some mares stop to eye Amon. "What are you looking at!? This isn't a show, move!" Bliss scares them away, and the mares quickly disperse "Thanks," Amon signed in irritation at the same thing happening before preparing himself to practice. At that time on donuts, Joe and the three mares were discussing among themselves as they tried to come to terms with the revelation of a lifetime. After agreeing to meet up and traverse the streets of Canterlot in silence, the mares reach the local donut shop with her usual colorful yellow floor and walls, pillars with designs of candy cane, and the usual friendly stallion that understands their mood allow them to sit on the far corner of the shop where nobody would interrupt them and they could discuss matters in peace. "By Celestia, I feel so dirty," Rainbow claims mainly to herself as she gulps another jug of cider, consuming half of it before holding her head. "You feel dirty, darling? At least you were the last 'target' and Marc…that thing." Rarity can't finish that sentence without shivering in disgust. "He hadn't taken you to bed yet. I slept with it!" Rarity yells, and her face turns green as she fights the urge to throw up once more. "The worst thing is that I could have got past the tentacles," Pinkie mumbles in a low tone, her mane straight, the color on her fur going grayer, gaining the attention of the mares. "What? I'm open-minded, and I don't care about the looks. Rarity, don't lie. You could turn a hog into the latest fashion hit if you wished. I bet you could have made Marcus spectacular." "I mean… it would have been a challenge, but I'm not backing away from them," Rarity admits after considering it a little. But how he was inside…" "Yeah, that is what truly made him ugly." Pinkie nods, eating a box of donuts, not caring that she eats the napkins. "That is what made him so disgusting. We slept with a monster, not the crazy in bed or party fun type." "Please don't mention it," Rainbow pleads in disgust. "That bastard was only after making his collection. I hope he rots in whatever hole the princesses put him inside," Dash exclaimed with a clenched fist. "Me too," Rarity nods before sighing. "So what happens next? At least you get an out, Dash, but Pinkie and I… we saw and did…" Pinkie shakes her head. "I don't mind Rarity; it was a bonding moment. But if you wish to return to being friends, I understand." "That is not what I mean is just…darling. What we share, I would always treasure it." Rarity smiles and places her hand on top of Pinkie. "I feel the same way and would never break our friendship with either of us." "Thank Celestia because I feel the same way," Dash mentions. We are friends no matter what, stallion or not, and that is not going to change. And hey, if anything, this was a teachable moment." "How so, darling?" "Now we know that no stallion would get in between us, and if we ever wanted to form a herd, it would not ruin things among us." "Wow, Dashi, that… that is pretty wise," Pinkie admits in surprise. "Hey! Just because I'm not an egghead or I'm on all that mushy stuff doesn't mean I'm stupid. I can be deep." Dash comments earn a bit of a chuckle from both mares. "Celestia is good at being able to laugh," Pinkie admits, her glow returning a little before she looks at Rarity in concern. "Would you really be okay, Rarity? What Marcus took…" "Wow, please tell me that the son of a mule didn't take your first…" Dash exclaims in surprise and slow rage when Rarity nods. "But before you go do anything rash, darling, I… I was the one who gave consent, as much as it disgusts me and hates me. He didn't manipulate me or force me. This was all me. And I… I will manage in time." Rarity nods, holding a cup of juice and staring at his reflection. "Gosh, this is too much!" Dash complains, staring at the ceiling. "I need to take a break from this dating thing." "I think I would take time for myself, too," Rarity nods. "I think we all need time for ourselves away from what happens. Don't you agree, Pinkie?" The party mare, on her part, remains quiet. "Pinkie?" Rarity repeats in concern. "I need to confirm something first," Pinkie states as she stands up. "What is it?" Dash asks in surprise, yet Pinkie shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Dashy, but I need to do this alone. I'm thankful we all have this talk and need to process what happened to us in our own personal ways." She leaves some bits on the table and turns around. "So sorry I have to leave so soon; I hope you all understand." Rarity nods and smiles. "I understand, darling. This is just you being you. There is nothing to apologize for. We can chat later." "Thanks! See you!" Pinkie says goodbye with some pep on her way to talk before leaving. Dash remained perplexed before sighing in irritation, "Like I said, I really don't get all this mushy stuff." "It's okay, darling; you don't need to. Just take things one step at a time, and if we ever find ourselves on the same herd, I will gladly show you the ropes," Rarity says with a small smile that helps improve the mood. "Thanks, Rarity, for what it is worth, you did for an awesome head mare." "Well, I really love making all my herd members feel happy and welcome." Rarity can't help but gloat a bit at the compliment as the two mares chat more calmly after all that. Hours later, the group left the iron cage tired and refreshed after having used all the games and machines the place had to offer. Amon was somewhat relaxed, having to admit that the Purple plan worked, and even though he had a lot on his mind, he was better than how he felt in the morning. "Okay, I'm mature enough to admit it; it was a good idea there, Purple. I feel better. I'm still angry, but I'm coping with that." "That is all that matters, dude, taking one step at a time," Purple mentions as they reach the castle. "Anytime you feel like venting some frustration, just come to one of us, and we will take you to the cage." "Or any other guard, for that matter." Brick mentions, "Now that we have captured the one responsible for all of this, things should be okay moving forward." "Well, almost everything. I still have to endure the thing with mares," Amon mentions with a roll of his eyes. "But that is a whole new type of monster, and I'm glad that is not the norm with all the mares like you and Twilight." Amon mentions as he retires Twilight and Bliss. "Yeah… we are not that thirsty," Bliss mentions with a slight chuckle. Brick notices that and decides to walk away. "Oh, come on, Bricky! I'm the only pony here! Please be rational!" Bliss asked as she gave chase. "Oh, I'm going to be more than rational. I will do something about it and rock your brains out so you have your fill." "What? Why would you… I mean, thank you!" Bliss continues to chase after her husband for entirely different reasons, leaving only Twilight and Purple. "Well, this is as far as I go; rest well, princess." "You too." Twilight waves goodbye before going after Amon and catching up to him. "Thanks for giving us an opportunity, Amon," Twilight mentions with a big smile. "Well, back when I was a human, I had the bad habit of trusting strangers quickly and acting impulsively. It gave me a lot more trouble than I would have liked but also allowed me to learn many things. When you have nothing to lose and something to gain, I at least try things.” "That is one way to view things. I'm so happy that they paid off in the end. And speaking of giving things a try." Amon sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry, Twilight Luna beat you to it if you were about to offer to teach me magic." "Oh," Twilight lowered her head in disappointment. "If it's any help, I'm thinking of quitting, though." "Thanks, that a… What?! " Twilight needed a moment to register what Amon had just said, but once she did, she could only yell in shock, "Why would you quit your magic lessons?" "Twilight, you saw what happened to me when I got furious. I was ready to kill, I… I have done so before; I'm dangerous. What would happen if I got frustrated again and decided to do something irrational? I don't want to hurt anyone anymore.… I don't think it would be wise to teach me magic." "That is exactly why you should learn." Twilight doubles down, confusing Amon. "Excuse me?" "Amon magic is not a tool or a weapon; it is an extension of yourself, and yes, I know that you were human once, but as a pony, that is now your right; denying yourself how to use it is like chopping your hand out of fear that you would use it as a fist." "Twilight is not that easy. I can't just… how do I explain this?" Amon asks himself while holding his head. "The human mind has pounder what it could be achieved if magic were in our grasp." "Let me stop you right there. Do you fear it will take a dark turn? That you would abuse it? That it will be weaponized?" Twilight crossed her arms. "To all that, may I ask how you ended up in your current situation again?" "Okay, now you're just being unfair." "And you are being stubborn and looking for excuses, Amon; look, nobody is perfect, and it is noble wanting to keep others safe, but between you and them. You more than deserve magic. And it would help if you learned more than make your horn shine. Magic is more than that; it is a blessing and a tool. It's up to you how to use it. Refusing it may worsen things for you; things like stagnated magic can produce serious problems later." Twilight smiles and looks outside through a window. "Neither I nor anyone else will force you if you truly decide not to learn magic. But I will say this: having nothing and deciding to have nothing are two completely different things, and there is more than one type of magic." Twilight looks back and reverts her illusion, turning back to normal. "You were exposed to only the magic of malice; please don't close yourself at the option of learning the magic of friendship. I promise you, it will enrich your life in ways unimaginable." Amon remains quiet before sighing, "Fucking Christ, how do you keep doing this to me. If not, Celestia is you," Amon complains and stares at the ceiling, frustrated with how Twilight manages to corner him, too. "I… I will think about it, okay? I'm still biased on the idea of magic after everything it did to me." "That's all I ask." Twilight smiles, satisfied at the answer, as they resume their march until they reach Amon's quarters. "If you ever want to talk, know I'm always available. Goodnight, Amon." "Night," Amon waves goodbye and enters his room, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted from the day he had. He wants nothing more than to put an end to this day after responding to another call when he hears his stomach grumble. Unfortunately for him, fate seems to have other plans, with one last surprise and one unexpected visit, which Amon only discovers after digging through the fridge for a little snack. He takes a bite of a cheese sandwich before the living room lights turn on, and Pinkie sits on the couch, wearing a thick light red night robe. "Hi, Amon. We need to talk," Pinkie says in a neutral tone, yet any seriousness quickly evaporates when she sees Amon choking on his food from the surprise. "Whoa, calm down, Amon! I got you." Pinkie rushed to the sink and returned a glass of water for Amon. She patted his back as he drank the contents of said glass. "There you go, slow slips. Breathe in, breathe out," Pinkie instructed in a soft tune. "Pink, what the hell!?" Amon finally otters in rage, staring at Pinkie. "I know, sometimes I end up scaring ponies with my surprise appearance. It is a risk you take in the life of a party planner." "Not that! Well, part of that… Pink, why are you in my room?!" Amon demands to ask. "I told you I needed to talk with you." Pinkie casually reply "At this hour? Waiting in the dark? Right now? And wearing nothing but a bathrobe?" "In that order, yes, no, yes, it's a night robe, and I'm wearing more than that. I have my underwear on. Do you want to confirm?" "NO!" Amon stops her before she disrobes and presses her hands firmly on the fabric before she can do anything. "Pinkie, I’m tired and not in the mood for discussion so for the sake of speed things along, if I listen to whatever you need to say, would you leave?" The pink pony remains quiet with a sad look and nods once. "Okay, then let's get this over with," Amon replies with a defeated sigh as he goes to the living room and sits on the couch. "What do you need to talk about?" "Amon… do you think I'm attractive?" "What?" Amon can only ask after a prolonged pause when he can only blink a few times. Before Pinkie could elaborate, a knock on the door alerted the two. "Amon?" The worried voice of Fluttershy surprised both of them as Amon exchanged glances between the door and Pinkie, who asked him to remain quiet before begging him not to say she was there without speaking and putting her hands together. "Do you have a moment?" "...yes, Fluttershy. What is it?" Amon finally replies, still eyeing Pinkie. "Could I come in? There… there is something I want to discuss with you," Fluttershy asks somberly. Amon takes a glance at Pinkie Pie and points at his bedroom. She spells out thanks with her mouth before rushing and hiding there. I'm hiding a half-naked mare in my room while another wants to see me in the middle of the night. When did my life turn into a soap opera? Amon questions as he sees Pinkie closing his bedroom door. Once out of sight, Amon opened the front door to receive Fluttershy. Who, contrary to his worst fears, was back to using a thick wool yellow egg sweater and her usual long pink skirt. The pegasus in question was keeping her head low and her hands together. "What is it, Fluttershy?" "Sorry to bother you, but what happened to Marcus yesterday gave me a lot to think about," Fluttershy confesses as she enters the room. "It gave all of us a lot to think about. Especially his herd… ah, ex herd, I imagine." Fluttershy nods and goes sit on a couch. "Applejack and I were talking about it earlier. We would have invited the rest, but Twilight was with you and the rest well… as you said, the news hit them the hardest." "I could only imagine," Amon nods as he sits across from Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, I don't want to be rude, and I'm willing to listen to whatever you need to tell me, but what exactly am I doing here? Shouldn't you knock on the princess or any of your friends' doors in this situation? I'm not sure what I can say." "It is a bit hard to explain and requires some context, but there is a reason I wanted to speak with you specifically. And it is not only about Marcus," Fluttershy confesses in her usual low tune, which surprises Amon and Pinkie. "Have you ever heard of the mane six hunters in all your travels?" "I may have heard of them once or twice, but they sounded like a perverse fan club for what I managed to catch in the street." "You could consider them like a creepy group of fans or some bizarre gold diggers," Fluttershy explained with irritation and sadness. "Before meeting Twilight, my friends and I had different levels of success when it meant courting; for Rarity, it was as easy as breathing even though she never went beyond flirting as she was saving herself for… long story, I don't want to bore you." Fluttershy stops herself from going on a tangent before resuming: "AJ was and probably is still married to her job and family, so she never shows any interest. Dash had a long list of pretenders and one stands. I suppose you could consider her a player. Twilight was absorbed in her books and had no interest, and then there was Pinkie and me." Fluttershy finishes with a sigh as she lowers her head in shame. "Is not that I didn't want to, of course, but well, back then, I was timid and got away from any pony interest, and for Pinkie, I'm not sure if any pony was interested in her beyond a clown to make them laugh or so innocent she didn't exactly grasp the concept so dating for us was a bit difficult." "I suppose all that changed when Marcus entered the picture?" To Amon's ask only to be surprised, when Fluttershy shakes her head. "No, everything started changing once our name became public. I think it was around the time we saved the world from Discord. I can tell you later, it's another long story. The important thing is that we all became celebrities after that." "Oh boy, I think I know where this is going," Amon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Allow me to guess, soon talent hunters, magazines, movie deals, and other things came your way, and they keep bugging around? I imagine, considering you are friends with a princess." "Ah… not exactly," Fluttershy replied, slightly taken aback by his response. "Is that what usually happens in your world?" "More or less, let's not get sidetracked, you were saying?" "Right, well, thankfully, not much changed, but we all started to see the birth of the mane six hunters. It started humble enough with ponies in our town congratulating or thanking us for saving them and giving us gifts and the like, then the occasional thank you from strangers in other cities, and finally the arrival of the gold diggers." Fluttershy started with a happy voice, only to end on a more somber tune. "We didn't figure it out at first, but many ponies kept thinking the wrong idea that famous equal money, so they wanted to introduce themselves as kind mares and stallions wanting to be new friends only to run from the hills the moment they knew we weren't rich, or at least I wasn't. I don't know how it went for the others." "Yeah, I can see that happening." Amon nods and wants to help serve her and him a cup of coffee while they talk. Fluttershys holds her cup with both hands. "AJ told me how she had to scare away a lot of stallions pretending to be farmers just to get closer to her by scaring them away with backbreaking labor that revealed how fake they were, as well as business opportunities wishing to transform their farm into something else." Fluttershy chuckles lightly, "Never mess with the Apples, apple farm, Amon. Some of them learn that the hard way. I think one or two had to be kicked out of their property anyway. Eventually, the hype ended, and things return to normal, but the experience left me finding something I didn't realize I yearned for until Marcus arrived." "...a boyfriend?" Amon suggested. "A herd, I know it is corny and stereotypical, but having those that care for you, be a part of a pack, well. There is a reason that is every filly dreams." "...right, I suppose." Amon can only nod and sip his cup, letting Fluttershy continue. "I suppose I was the next target for Marcus because soon after managing to snag Rainbow Dash, he started to try flirting with me. But in how he spoke and buttered me up, I felt his praises were empty and no different than other pretenders. Who knew? I was right all along, yet I was jealous." Fluttershy finally admits, putting her cup down. “Of Marcus?” Amon ask only for Fluttershy to shake her head "Of you, I didn't understand why or how, but when you kissed Pinkie, everything just clicked." "Okay, I think you lost me there for a moment, Fluttershy," Amon confessed after blinking several times. "I thought we were talking about Marcus. How does that incident relate? I told you I only did that to stop her, and because I panicked, no romance was involved." "Even if that was the case, it was real!" Fluttershy exclaimed, adding more questions for Amon, who could only stare at her as she relaxed and kept staring down. "Ever since those creeps appeared, I no longer know if any stallion I interact with is real unless they already have a herd, and even that is difficult. Everyone is after my looks, fame, or the money I don't have. They don't care about me; they only care about Fluttershy, the element of Kindness." Fluttershy marks her point with air quotes. "And that is why you think my kiss was different?" Amon asks, perplexed as she nods. "You don't know anything about us; you don't care about fame or fortune; you only care about surviving and nothing else. Do you know how hard it is for someone like me to find a pony like that?" Fluttershy asks on the verge of tears. "Fluttershy I… I'm so sorry. I suppose this is one of the problems with fame, but I think you are confused. What happened back there… for heaven's sake, I'm not even a pony; I just…" "How long has it been since you have been with a mare?" Fluttershy asks out of the blue. "That…that is kind of personal." "But it has been a long time, don't you? Don't you crave the company? Don't you feel lonely and cold?" "... I'm used to the cold," Amon confessed before sighing. "If you want to know, I never even had a special lady in my world. I was pathetic and a coward, and women could detect that. I never showed any signs of interest, and because of that… to make you laugh, that kiss that meant nothing? Yeah, that was my first." Fluttershy and Pinkie, who were listening, gasped at that confession as Amon chuckled. "Go ahead and laugh; I'm sure I've been doing the same; we'll earn it, too. I bet this kills any mood you wanted…" "...please kiss me," Fluttershy asks out of the blue. "What?" "I know what I say, but please! Just one, I… Marcus stole more than your body. He stole what should have been your new life; all his lies were what you went through but worse. I know I've been irrational, I know I have no right, and you are in a more than vulnerable state… but I don't want to feel this cold, and I bet neither do you… So, I want to confirm this just for tonight. I want to feel that this is something real, please… please… don't pity me. I only want one…" Feeling on the spot and more than sorry for what Fluttershy was saying, Amon with a mix of fear, surprise, empathy and a little bit of lust and curiosity, stood up, grabbed Fluttershy shoulders, and planted one intense kiss on the lips, catching her off guard, wanting to see if that could calm her down and respond a new question forming on his head. Pinkie opened the room door slightly in interest, and when she saw that, she gasped and smiled in contentment. She saw her friend's wings stretch out in pure shock, and then her wings rattled and puffed out as her body went limp. Oh yeah, that is the stuff! Pinkie can't help but chuckle. If that was his first kiss, by Celestia Amon, are you a natural? With a gulp of excitement, Pinkie closed the door and let those two have their moment. Fluttershy slowly melted away in the kiss, and her eyes were about to roll back, only to be interrupted when Amon broke the kiss, leaving her wanting. "There, happy?" Amon asked with a blush and a conflicted look on his face. What the hell is wrong with me?! I just assaulted her? Why did I do it…why do I want to do it again? "I almost was," Fluttershy mumbles before smiling, taking Amon away from his thoughts. "And I was right. It IS real." "I…no. No, Fluttershy, it is not. This is… I don't know what it is, lust, maybe? But you don't know me, and I don't know you. And this…" He points at him and her, "This is not healthy; we are using each other, me because I was alone and never had the experience before. I…shouldn’t have given in to my impulse, and you because you finally found a stallion that didn’t place you on a pedestal. Starting anything from that, it would be for the wrong reasons." That doesn't stop the mare as she approaches him. "And what would be the right reasons?" Something about how Fluttershy spoke up slowly and slightly sultry, how she started to move, and how her eyes were turning was enough to send shivers down Amon's back, and his pants got tight as he stepped back. Even when her clothes were modest, Amon started noticing more of her feminine features, which only made him more nervous than when Pinkie offered to strip in front of him. "A… a date, getting to know each other, start as friends, spend time just hanging around. Lots of steps before jumping to this," Amon quickly numbers, making Fluttershy giggle as she keeps approaching. Once Amon was against the wall, Fluttershy stopped. "You know what? You are right." She nodded in agreement with a bright smile before giving him a soft hug. "I, too, wish for something meaningful and everlasting. I want to know more about you; I want something real." She nuzzles his chest. "But I'm not a slave to my emotions or will be a player that listens to her vagina." Amon stiffened about the shy pony using dirty language before breaking the hug "We both need to do a lot of soul searching and see if we are meant for one another. The last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable." "Right," Amon replied, having calmed down as it seemed Fluttershy wasn't planning something else. "That being said, I want to start right and ask you properly. Amon, would you like to have coffee with me sometime?" "I…" Amon paused, thinking about his options. Part of him wanted to reject her invitation and put a stop to what she wanted or, worse, give her hope and then ruin it after everything she confessed. Yet, the other part felt a sense of curiosity he had never felt before that was slowly winning him over. "...I have a lot on my mind, Fluttershy. Seriously, I don't even know how to feel right now. I don't want to give you hope. If there is nothing there, can I only give you this thought" He put his hand over her shoulder. "I would love to have coffee with my real friends and talk to them about my feelings later. Would that be okay with you?" "Yes, yes, it would." Fluttershy seemed happy and gave Amon another hug, this one even more robust and tighter, making the stallion feel two giant orbs on his chest. This did not help the situation on his pants, so he had to move his hips slightly to the right. "Thank you so much for showing me something real, Amon. Seriously, you have no idea how much I craved it." "A…anytime, buddy. So Fluttershy, not to be rude, but your chest is kind of ah…" "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy realized what she was doing and broke the hug taking a couple of steps back and looking away with an intense blush. "Y…yeah, sorry about that," "Don't be, I… ah, I should be, thank you?" Amon, equally embarrassed, looks at the ceiling and throws Fluttershy a bone. He didn't know what the hell was happening to him; lots of other mares had tried to throw themselves at him, some even bolder with more indecent outfits, yet for some reason, this shy pegasus with a modest get-up was making him act like a teenager all over again. Fluttershy smiled and giggled, still with some color on her cheeks. "Thank you, that is very considerate of you, buddy. I think I should be going; it's pretty late anyway." "Yeah, I need to… that." Amon can't find an excuse, remembering how he still had to deal with whatever Pinkie wanted to say. Fluttershy nods, and the two go to the front door. "We can talk more tomorrow, oh, and Amon. Thank you so much for showing me something real and warm. I will not forget it." "It was only a kiss, Fluttershy. It's not like I rocked your world or anything." Amon dismissed the praise with a roll of his eyes. "You shouldn't sell yourself short, even if a little harsh and sloppy at first; it felt nice, very nice, in fact," Fluttershy insists with a smile before waving. "Night… buddy." "Night," Amon waved goodbye before closing the door and promptly leaned against it to let go of a long breath. "God, this day," he says, bringing his hand to his head. "So I imagine you heard all of that?" Amon asks Pinkie as she exits the door. Even if he cannot see her with his hand over his eyes, Amon can feel her looking back at him. "I did, and wow, you go Fluttershy! I never thought she had it, but I'm sure happy for her." Removing his hand, Amon could see Pinkie smirking at him. "And you should be proud of yourself, you big player." "Excuse me?" "I saw Amon; that was quite the kiss. Fluttershy may sell it short, but her wings and feet were jellies under your touch. You are a natural. She really rock her to the core with one kiss" Amon sighed and let go of the door. "I'm too tired to explain why I can't take the compliment and tell you that you only lack something real." He stopped in front of Pinkie Pie and crossed his arms. "So do I assume that most of what you wanted to tell me, Fluttershy already said it?" "Only half," Pinkie replies with a tired sigh before pointing at his bedroom. Can we talk? I'm not planning anything I swear; I only want to explain my question and side of the story. After that, if you want, I will leave. Don't worry; I'm not asking you to kiss me or anything like that… but I will not be against it if you offer." Pinkie finishes with a slight chuckle and a big smile. Amon just remained quiet for a moment before heading to his bedroom. "Okay, let's hear what is bothering you so I can call it a day already." Amon replied coldly as he sat on one side of his bed. "Right," Pinkie says, keeping her smile. She follows suit before sitting next to Amon. "I suppose since Fluttershy already told you, let me explain how things were for those hunters and me and how the last one managed to get this far with us," Pinkie mentions in a sad tone, gaining the empathy and attention of Amon. The Liquid Cake Incident (Edited By PW)WARNING! This chapter can get a bit steamy, read at your own risk. I have mark the start and end of the steam part in case you wish to avoid it The sound of running water continued to fill the bathroom, accompanied by the sound of heavy pants. The water continued for an extended period of time until it finally stopped once Amon turned off the sink's water and kept his hands submerged in a pool of the same. The fog from the hot water still permeated the place, allowing him some semblance of security as he felt like he was hiding from something. After what felt like an eternity, Amon retrieved his hands and cleared the fog on the mirror before him to stare at his reflection and then at his right hand in a combination of confusion and shame. What in heaven sake did I do? Amon questions himself as he stares at his hand and remembers the events that led him to this very moment. Half an hour earlier, With an exhausted sigh and looking at the ceiling, Pinkie didn't waste time telling Amon her story. "Just as Fluttershy told you, dating wasn't easy for me. My cheerful and upbeat style of life was great for making friends, but it was a burden to keep some ponies. Don't get me wrong, I was part of a relationship here and there, mares, stallions, both. I even had a fling with a golem once." Pinkie started to list off, going into a tangent. "A… golem?" "You don't have those in your world?" "Only in stories, and they are more like walking tanks without life per se…kind of. It's complicated." "Well, here we have them, too, male and female. Let me tell you, they are more delicate than you imagine." Pinkie laughs at the memory before shaking her head. "But I'm getting off track. The point is… I dated a lot, but I never reached the bed, mind you. That… that was part of the problem." "Because they never took it seriously?" Amon asked, feeling what the issue might have been. "That or I didn't take the relationship seriously enough because I often take things too lightly or don't read the room all that well. My partners always end up breaking up with me, saying I'm too childish and immature, which I was, granted, but still, it always hurt a little." Pinkie admits in shame before closing her eyes, "And then things took a turn for the worse with the hunters." "They… they didn't force themselves on you or anything, right?" "Oh heavens no! Nothing THAT bad; it went the other way, actually," Pinkie admitted with a sob and a smile as she looked at Amon. "But the idea that you think they wanted to do that to me in some twisted way makes me happy; thank you, Amon." "Pinkie, that is a horrible thing to say! Never say that again. You need to love yourself more and…" Pinkie silenced him with a firm hug, as she didn't want to let go. "You don't know why, but what you just said makes me even happier now! And I need to explain the reason properly." "Ah… okay?" Amon could only reply, still confused by her sudden mood swings and slightly horrified at how Pinkie was happy by what Amon was fearing was a bad thing. Ending the hug, Pinkie resumed, "As I was saying, and I know this doesn't make much sense, but when they saw my friends, the hunters saw mares to courtship as a ticket to fame and fortune. When they saw me, they saw a clown." Pinkie clears a tear before she can continue. "My child, like nature and immaturity, must have reached the ears of those creeps and got the idea that I had the mindset of a six-year filly and most likely asexual. Ponies stop viewing me as a mare and start seeing me like this innocent child that should not be touched." "Wow, Pinkie, I… I honestly am not sure how to reply to that." Amon was at a loss for words and how to partially console her since, from what he was gathering, Pinkie, in a way, escapes the gaze of perverts and the worst type of creeps. "Then maybe this could help. Do you think it's bad that mares view you as a sex object? Well, the other extreme is equally bad, Amon," Pinkie exclaimed in frustration. She clenched her fist before lowering her hands and head and looking ahead. "Yeah, I love parties, making ponies smile and laugh, and lots and lots of other things, like frosting. Oh, so much frosting." Pinkie started to drool before realizing what she was doing and pretending to cough. "But I'm also a mare, and like anyone else, I like the idea of being wanted and loved in that special way, to feel sexy to feel…desired" Pinkie finally confess as she hugged herself "And because of your exes and those weirdos, anyone that may like you loses interest or thinks that it will go nowhere then, so they stop trying and you were viewed as something you didn’t want or liked, didn’t you?" Amon speculates as Pinkie nods. "I didn't notice it at first, but even those weirdos asking me on dates kept treating me like a filly and didn't put any idea of romance or effort in, they didn’t try to courtship me and that was stringed the most! All dates were the same, with them just taking me where you take fillies so they play around, like arcades, amusement parks, etc. Granted, I still loved going there and had a blast and a half, but COME ON, it's still a date! You can be romantic there too!" Pinkie exclaims in frustration, complaining at no one in particular "But no! No romance for Pinkie; instead, they just thought of that as a chore like babysitting, and when I tried to put a bit of the mood, they viewed my efforts like a kid that got a straight A+ on an exam card or made a drawing for the fridge. It was humiliating and, in a way, eye-opening." Pinkie took a deep breath. "It was at that moment that I understood how and why my other partners gave up on me, and that hurt so much. So when Marcus came into the picture and finally treated me like a mare. Well… it was like taking a sip of water after being trapped in the desert for so long." Pinkie smiles and looks at Amon. "Granted, it was bad water, instead of the good water, like crystal-like water that is even sweeter and hydrates you! No, I'm talking about ambient water that has been on the corner and tastes bad, like metal or even wood or…" "...really bad?" Amon replies, smiling lightly when he sees some color returning to Pinkie's fur as she nods. "Exactly, he came and told me: Hey baby, is that cream with that Jell-O? Or are those just your flanks?" Pinkie imitates Marcus before laughing. "By Celestia, that was probably the worst flirt I ever heard!" Amon can't help but chuckle, too. "Yeah, I have zero experience or ever tried to flirt before, and even I have to say that is just bad, offensive, cringe, and just…no." "RIGHT?!" Pinkie points at him, "It was so pathetic, but…it was still something, so I played along, and even though he was a meany, even though he did those things. He treated me differently; he made me feel like a real mare. It might have been toxic, but thanks to him playing with my special little place…" Pinkie's hand wandered south in memory as Amon realized what she was implying: "...even after all of that, he and Rarity made me feel like a mare again. Well, mostly Rarity, I could barely feel Marcus when we reached the bed, and after he was done with Rarity, he was pretty much spent, so Rarity had to step up with a dildo once our pussies were sore with how much we ground them against each…" "Okay! Okay, stop!" Amon stops Pinkie as he feels the blood going south and his face turning red from the tangent Pinkie is getting at. "I got the picture, Pinkie. Dear god, I… I have a picture burned into my mind now. God, I don't think I will be able to see you or Rarity in the eyes for a while now," Amon complains, turning away at the steam detail. Pinkie looks at him in surprise before giggling and feeling proud of herself. "Sorry I… I tend to get sidetracked, but the point is. I felt love and happiness with them. I felt like I was getting away from being Pinkie, the child element of Laughter. I was Pinkie, the MARE of Laughter, and was treated properly." She sighs content and looks ahead of her. Amon manages to calm down and see her once more. "And that is when the nicknames, Eskimo kisses, hugs, and all that started. I finally understood better what it was like to be in a relationship, and by Celestia, I was determined to make it work no matter what, for pony sake!" "And I just ruin it by revealing the secret." "No, you didn't ruin a thing, Amon; just show me the problems I chose to ignore. Fluttershy was right, Marcus was hollow, he was no different than other creeps, he was subtle, and I was desperate for a compliment; I wanted to feel like someone viewed me more than just a funny clown. And now I’m kind of scare on what that means, if words get out that I can be so easily manipulate. If ponies start thinking I would open my legs with so little effort I…I dread to imagine" "Come on, Pinkie. Of course, you can say no. And not everyone views you as that. What about Rarity? And your other friends after…what you two have made it impossible for her to go back to see you the same way," Amon tries to console her. "I know, and Rarity already told me as much, and I'm thankful for that, but… still, I need something to help my resolve, which is why I thought of you. Amon, have you ever wondered?" "Wonder what?" Amon question. "Come on, don't tell me you weren't curious. You were in Equestria for years; thanks to Marcus, I know human and pony anatomy is not THAT different. Or do you have a weird plant thing in your bellies, scales, rocks, or…?" "...let me stop you there, Pinkie!" Amon stops her from going on, "And I see what you mean. Yeah, we are not that different when it comes to anatomy. The horns, tail, hooves, and wings are the main difference." That interests Pinkie as she leans back. "That is what I wanted to hear. Amon, this will start sounding like a broken record, but when you kissed me when we met, it felt nice, not only because it felt nice, but also because it felt nice." "...you felt that it was real? Even if it were wrong, I would treat you like a mare, not a silly filly. Like I found you attractive?" Amon starts to list surprising Pinkie. "Wow, can you read minds? Oh! Is that like an alicorn thing? Can the princesses and Twilight do it?" She gasped in realization. "Maybe only male alicorns can do it!" "Pinkie, focus, focus," Amon asks her for her attention. "I was just guessing, and… it's kind of sad. If a loser likes me…" "NO!" Pinkie suddenly went into his personal space. "Just like you told me earlier, don't say those things about you, Amony. You are NOT, nor were you ever, a loser." She stood back as Amon was once again taken aback. "Not to us, not to me. You help us a lot. In ways you don't fully understand yet. I need your help again; I asked if you saw me as attractive. Amon, please help me confirm that I'm sexy; help me have confirmation that I'm not viewed as a silly filly but a mare that can be as desirable as anyone else." "Pinkie, I think you are confusing things here," Amon says, grabbing her hand. "I'm sorry all of this happened to you, but considering everything. Don't you think anything I say would be shallow? Of course, you are sexy. I consider you sexy, but you don't need me to do anything else to confirm it; heck, you don't need to do this; doing anything else would be for the wrong reasons; you would be substituting one vice for another. You don't need anyone's approval." Pinkie remains quiet for a moment before sitting back on the edge of the bed. "That is not how I see things," Pinkie shakes her head and then comes up with an idea: "What if this is more just going with the emotions? And I know how to set the mood. What if I told you that there is a way to fix your issue?" Pinkie mentions out of the blue. "What?" Amon asks, perplexed. "Of course, it will not be the same, but what if I tell you of a way for you to return to being human? Furthermore, being on something closely resembling your world is a start-over. With a guarantee that things will go better than your old life." "There is a way? I can go back to a semblance of normality. No more magic or crazy cults or…? Wait, how did you know my previous life was…?" "...does it matter right now? See Amon, you are happy, and I'm happy. Don't you want to do something about it? Two friends want to do something about that, so why not use that as an opportunity? You that have never been with a mare, and now have a golden opportunity to learn and I, to have the opportunity to experience something I'm curious to learn… and teach, don't you find it even a least intriguing?" The way Pinkie lingered on the last word and how she said something so innocent was strangely working on Amon. "Don't you want to learn about mares and our happy place?" Amon was short on words as he could only gulp and start to sweat. "Y-your happy place?" Pinkie smiles and gets closer. "There would not be any string attached, I…I want to pause the idea of dating together, but before doing that, I want to feel like a mare one last time, not only because of the kiss but because I need it for my mental sake. Amon, I need this. I know it doesn't make sense, but you doing this will help me see charlatans and not summit to the next weirdo that compliments my jelly or puff cakes." Even if the names were childish, Amon still blushed, knowing what she was referring to as his eyes subconsciously wandered south to her chest as the robe was slightly open, revealing some cleavage as Amon got more aware of how big her boobs could potentially be. "I wish to repay you for helping me realize I was in a bad place and how easy I felt for the tricks of a hunter. Amon, why don't we help each other? Please help me be more aware and capable of resisting, and in exchange, allow me to teach you and be happy in your skin. Wouldn't you like that?" She suddenly smirks. "Besides, I bet part of you also has wonder, don't you? If you have never been with a mare or any woman before, haven't you ever been curious about learning more about us? Even if only once?" "I…" Dear god! I'm considering it!?! She permits me, and I don't want her to feel sad or rejected. Plus, if it helps her scare away creeps and protect her from something really bad… B-but I… they, this place is so friendly, and after everything, I say to Fluttershy, I… I… "It all has very good points, and you say it will be just learning and helping one another. Plus, a smoking hot mare is just offering me. B-BUT!" Amon shakes his head to recover some semblance of control. "...but Pinkie, what you are saying. This is crazy!" "And what is wrong with being a little bit crazy?" Pinkie asks, placing her hand on Amon's shoulder. "Look, Amony; you spend much time being scared, hiding, and resentful; bad ponies did terrible things to you. You deserve a break, a moment for you to stop being cautious and just go with the flow. Nothing is wrong with being a bit naughty, especially when I'm giving you the ok. Don't you want to be naughty? At least just a tiny bit? It will just be us buddies." Amon remains quiet and looks at the ceiling, finding her invitation increasingly enticing: "...and you would be teaching me how to play with…ah, your happy place?" Amon finally relents, finding his curiosity winning over and starting to forget his reasons for declining her offer, yet he is still pretty much scared of the idea. The comments excite Pinkie even more as she nods rapidly. Her mane somehow starts to inflate and becomes more messy as a result. "Everything you want to know and maybe one trick or two if you like. And if it becomes uncomfortable for one, we stop immediately. How does that sound? OH! And I know exactly what to teach you. Want to learn the mare meter brainmelt?" "We should stick to the basics and see where to go." "Eh, fair enough, but I should tell you, it's easy, it's awesome, and we both would love it!" Pinkie says in excitement as she jumps in bed as if she is about to play some kind of game. "I will take your word for it then," Amon can't help but chuckle before getting more serious. "Also, I have two conditions: I'm new to this, and I don't want to make things awkward later, so clothes stay on, and we focus on you." Pinkie can only blink a few times. "Don't you want to feel good too?" "Yeah, but trust me, it's better that way. I'm not mentally ready to go that far yet." "Ah, got it. Yeah, it's better to take things easy, then. I can respect that," Pinkie nods, maintaining her excitement. "Sure, I can agree to those conditions. It's a shame because I wouldn't mind showing me my puffy cakes, but maybe we could save it for another time." Amon tensed up and ignored that last part before resuming their situation. "So… as the expert, I would need your help, Pinkie. How exactly do we start… this?" Amon asked, pointing at himself and Pinkie. Pinkie, in response, could only giggle and lean forward; Amon could swear a saxophone was starting to play as she spoke with sultry eyes. "As I say, let's just go with the flow, Amony. We can start simply enough; lend me your hand." Amon does so, and Pinkie guides it until Amon places his palm on Pinkie's right cheek as she smiles calmly and looks him in the eyes. "Now, just don't question anything and follow your instincts. There is a mare, a beautiful mare, in front of you. What do you do? Don't say, just act" Her words help him relax as he keeps staring into her eyes, ever vigilant so as not to make her uncomfortable. His actions start simply enough: a simple brush with his thumb, followed by the movements of his remaining fingers. His other hand reaches up to Pinkie's hip, and he slowly pushes Pinkie into bed and then slowly gets his face. Pinkie giggles softly, not seeming discontent with his action. She grabs his other hand, helping him move with more resolve. It takes a second before Amon realizes how Pinkie was helping him reach her ass while the hand on his face was now on her neck and slowly going down. "Pinkie I…" "It's okay; it's even flattering". Pinkie stops and keeps his hands in place, thinking he is starting to get embarrassed. "You can be as naughty as you want. Do you still want me to keep my clothes on?" Amon nods slowly before smiling. "I don't know why, but it makes things hotter somehow." "I know. I feel the same. I think my heart is accelerating." "Mine too," Amon admits, and the two share a laugh as Amon seems to reach his first goal. He grabs a handful of Pinkie's flank with his entire hand over the fabric while his other hand gets inside Pinkie's robe. Then he finds another piece of fabric, this one more elastic and feeling like some rubber shirt. Keep eye contact with Pinkie. Amon doesn't think and gives Pinkie a soft yet long kiss. She accepts with closed eyes as Amon's fingers slip underneath Pinkie's bra, the alicorn in pure bliss as he gets to experience the soft, voluminous texture of a boob for the first time in his life, intrigued and pleased with the fluffiness her fur was providing increasing, even more, the experience. One of Pinkie's hands was intertwined with the hand Amon was using to massage her ass, guiding it in circular motions, while the other was grabbing Amon's face while they continued to kiss. Their make-up session is suddenly interrupted when Pinkie gasps in time for Amon to feel a rugged mount at the top of the hill. He retreats his fingers slightly to see Pinkie in concern. "I'm sorry, Pinkie; I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't know your nipples were sensitive." Amon apologizes, but before he retreats the hand on Pinkie's chest, she stops him, grabbing said hand. "It's okay, Amon. Don't worry, that one was a good gasp," Pinkie explained, panting a little. "A… good gasp?" Amon repeats, slightly taken aback, as she nods. "Oh yeah, we mares had tons of it, and there is a way. It means we like what you are doing and want you to do it a little more. Do you want to learn?" she asks in excitement and a bit of trembling. "Please say yes." "Well, I would like to know more about you." "Yay! B… but that means we should stop kissing lessons. I need to explain after all, and it will be all mumble and hard with my tongue and your dancing tango." Pinkie continues, "It's not impossible, but why risk it, right?" "Right," Amon nods, getting used to Pinkie's antics. "Okay, in that case, let's continue, and you better massage Puff too, or she might get jealous," Pinkie warns him. "Who?" Amon asks. "My booby, silly," Pinkie says before pointing at her left nipple. "That is Puff, and you are playing with Trouffle, or Truff for short." "You named your boobs?" Amon asks, blinking a couple of times. "Well yeah, all mares do; you better remember it, Amony; it good matters to address them correctly if you are gonna play with them." "O…k." Amon nods, slightly confused, but decides to continue. Accepting the fact and enjoying the sensation and triumph of finally being able to be granted access to touch a real-life boob. "Okay, lesson one, circle," Pinkie starts. "This one works on boobies and tails, just lend me your other hand." Pinkie grabs the wrist of the hand on Her flank and, with the help of her tail, which seems to be gaining some control, moves the side of her robe so she can place Amon's hand on the end of Pinkie's back where he feels the base of her tail. The slight touch sends a shiver down Pinkie's back before she continues, "There we go, now circle the edge of my tail clockwise while you pinch my nipple. If you want, you can give it a slight twist, too. The nipple! The nipple! Let go of the tail!" Pinkie yells/clarifies as Amon seems confused and pinchs the base of the tail. "Sorry," Amon stops and would have retreated his hands if not for Pinkie keeping them in place. "It… it's okay, rookie mistake. The pinching there it for the end," Pinkie clarified between paintings as she recovered from the sensation. "Okay, let's try again; I will tell you when you can twist real hard." Amon nods and complies, loving every second of the experience as he gets to play around with the woman's body; what was more, he was learning how to play correctly with it, with various actions and movements in what he could only describe as the most erotic and bizarre massage he has ever done. At some point, Pinkie could only gasp and moan in between paintings, so she had to resort to letting go of her right hand and charade the next movement she wanted Amon to do while twitching uncontrollably. In the heat of passion, Amon kept exploring Pinkie's body inside and on top of her clothes as he kept his promise and did what he could to keep his eyes fixed on Pinkie, who, by this point, was starting to get crossed. After one short kiss, Amon and Pinkie stop when his fingers slip on a clean line, causing both of them to pause and slowly lower their heads. He wasn't sure when or how, but while his left hand was now supporting Pinkie's back of the head, his right hand had disappeared underneath her robe and between her legs. One finger was still pressed on the base of the line Amon was feeling as he looked back at Pinkie. "Pinkie, do you want me to…" "If you say stop, I'm going to get angry," Pinkie warns him with a stern look. "Just wanted to confirm if you were okay," Amon admits with blush and looks away, only now realizing how his lessons have worked a sweat on the poor stallion as Pinkie relaxes and giggles. "You need to work on your confidence, Amon. Okay, now to the last lessons!" She exclaims in excitement, dissolving the tension as she obtains Amon's full attention. Just like with the boobs and ass, Amon was more than happy to learn more about woman's anatomy like this. In reality, he was more than a little excited to learn more. He wanted to explore every itch on Pinkie's body, and his primal side wanted more. He didn't understand why, but he wanted to make her happy. He wanted to make her scream, to make her him somewhat. "Okay, what you did just there with your finger, keep doing it, slide it up and down on the edges, and slowly work yourself inside as if you were making a hole in the soft ground." Amon complied, enjoying the sensation in his finger and feeling how there was some strange sticky goo emanating from Pinkie's entrance as she kept panting and twitching; he made a mental note to ask later as he continued his administration, and ever so slowly, his fingers went inside her pussy. "Increase the number of fingers if you want and s-start, rotating YES, j-just like-oh sweet Celestia like that! Y-you are a quick learner-e-er, faster!" Pinkie's voice seems to get more erratic as her tongue starts to hang out to the side. Amon slowly started to get the idea and became more daring and curious about this strange yet pleasant sensation. Her walls were wet and warm, her tail couldn't stop twitching, and a strange fragrance of strawberry cake was starting to fill the room, even though Amon couldn't understand why. "....N-N-Niauw…p-put your index and middle fingers like this and rotate them inside as I…if you were scratching, no nails! Inside my… little pinky oven and… YIA!!" Amon complied as he kept exploring her softly inside before increasing his speed; he was more than a little entertained and wanted to learn; he could feel her pubic hair and found it funny how it felt as if it was as puffy and voluminous as her mane, her walls felt so nice and just like with her boobs Amon felt a strange mount inside of it. Thinking the same could happen, Amon took a tentative poke at the mountain, making Pinkie's whole body stiff, and she arched her back. "Hey, what is this? I didn't know mares had something here?" Amon asks nobody as he starts playing with it. Seeing Pinkie gasping and moaning even louder makes him think he is doing something right. "Oh, right, let's see. You told me to write letters, right, Pinkie?" Amon remembers what Pinkie suggested, and he starts writing slow words inside her. The result seems to be that Pinkie has transformed into some kind of musical instrument, and Amon is playing with her. After a rocky start, he was fascinating. He was controlling Pinkie's moans in gasps, no matter how long or loud they were, and he managed to grasp somehow the entire birthday song ending on a high pitch as he pressed hard and rubbed Pinkie's mound as fast as he could. Pinkie's eyes rolled back, and her hands moved erratically, yet Amon was too absorbed to notice. He knew something was coming and wanted to know what for some reason. Once she recovered her voice, Pinkie finally warned him, "A-.-A-akj0fk MON! I… I'm about… to…TRANSFORM!" Pinkie suddenly yells at the top of her lungs. The next thing Amon knew, a giant pink puff blinded him momentarily. Standing up and coughing, Amon moved around the pink cloud around him. He could smell the strong smell of a bakery and hear and see confetti, kazoos, and other party sounds coming from the explosion's epicenter, as well as the first half of the star, and he strives to play until everything dies down. "I live again!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly as she jumped out of the cloud, shocking Amon. She was now wearing a one-piece navy blue pajama with balloons and confetti images on it. Her color ultimately returned, and her mane returned to its usual puffy form, with streamers and confetti attached. "What the…" Amon can only exclaim as Pinkie rushes to him and gives him a firm hug. "Thank you so much, Amony! That felt so good! I knew it would, but you were so nice and good, and I like it and feel so much better now. I feel like I just woke from a dream and…" "Pinkie… Pinkie," Amon grabbed her shoulders so she could look him in the eyes. The cold sensation on his right hand made Amon realize his entire arm was now covered in a strange pink goo with glitter on it. He made a mental note to look it up later, as right now, there was a present matter. "You are at 10; I need you at 7. What just happened? What was that explosion, and why? And how did you change clothes?" "Oh, that is easy; that is what happens after my super duper yay," Pinkie explains calmly. "I was right, Amony. You really are a natural AND a quick learner! Good job!" Pinkie complimented and winked at him with an elbow-soft shove. "Your super duper… what?" "Basically, you pull out all my party materials that have been collecting webs since Celestia knows how long since I was with Marcus! I feel so liberated by it! I want to throw a party about it! But they prohibit me from throwing those in public! But seriously, I'm so happy right now! Don't worry, I didn't forget; I will help you later too! My mind is so clear now. This must be what Rarity feels each time she visits the spa, but more naughty. But it is getting late. I should be going. There are lots of things I need to do, bye." Pinkie starts bouncing around and plants a surprise quick peck on Amon's lips before she leaps out of the room, leaving a very confused Amon alone in his room. Looking back, Amon was surprised that once the smoke cleared, his bedroom looked as if a party bomb had just gone off. Confetti, streams, glitter, birthday cakes, and a big banner that only said "Thank you" were attached to his bedpost, and the same glitter glue was spread on the side of his bed. He then looks back at the door, still startled. Did I finger her so hard that I made her blow up and then reset? Is that what happens to mares when they reach orgasm? Oh god, those that mean this is….?!" In alarm, Amon looked at his arm once more before rushing to the bathroom. At first, he only wanted to clean up, but once the surprise died down and Amon remembered what and how it happened, a sensation of pride filled the alicorn, and an urgent, more natural need demanded his attention in his pants. Once he had taken a hot shower and cleaned himself off, Amon returned to his room only to find it clean once more and a note on his pillow. Picking the note, Amon found out it was from Pinkie and addressed to him. Hi Amon! I just remembered that I left a mess behind and decided to clean it up. It was the least I could do after you did decent work with a meter brain melt. It still needs work and is harsh and rocky, but not bad for the first time. Anyway, I want to thank you again, and I will tell you all about the portal tomorrow before leaving. XOXO Pinkie Pie P.S: Don’t worry about the bed and your arm, I call it my liquid cake, we all mare have those. Also, you should be careful in the future; if you are not careful, that move will create a stalker by accident. In case you are wondering, your score is level 3. Level 3? Amon repeated to himself and turned the page, finding more to the letter. If you are reading this, it means you are questioning what level 3 is. Think of the move as a test of strength; here are the levels: 1-Is there something there? 2-Decent 3-Wet panties 4-Back door granted 5-Ultra Instinct 6-Marry Me! 7-Pull my mane and call me your whore And to clarify, it is almost level 4, so good work! Now, for real, ciao! Amon stares at the note for a moment in disbelief before sighing. It is too early in the morning to keep asking questions. I need to get some sleep. Deciding to put things on hold, Amon ignores the letter and just goes to sleep, wanting nothing more than to put an end to the night. New Dawn, New Revelation (Edited By PW)As he is transported out of Canterlot, Mark looks out the window from his prison box as the castle becomes smaller before returning to his seat. He sighs and closes his eyes before the sound of a storm snaps him back to reality. The box went dark and cold, and Mark could feel the cloudy sky getting stormy. He wanted to voice his concern and look around, but the restraints in his tube and the muzzle on his mouth prevented him from saying anything. The criminal starts to fear when he hears a familiar lullaby which the pegasus guards transporting him doesn't seem to notice or care, and they continue as if nothing happened. Not even the appearance of a pony wearing a yellow trench coat suddenly appears from the shadows and sits in front of Mark, as he muffles and trashes around in fear of the appearance of the new passenger. The new pony in question held a musical voice and kept playing the tune before pulling out a cell phone with another hand and dialing a number. "We warn you, Mr. Faust" Faust shakes his head rapidly in fear as tears stream from his eyes. "It's a disappointment. Despite our discussion, we really thought we were forming a sense of friendship. And I'm mature enough to admit that we abandoned you when we thought our research was lost and needed to cut our losses." The voice spoke up in a distorted two-voice type as Mark started hyperventilating. "I was even considering letting things be water under the bridge and just let you rot in jail or something similar, but when you decided to share personal information… well, we both know how that human phrase goes about snitches." The pony left the music box on the side and stood up, pulling out a knife. "For what it's worth, we haven't forgotten about Starlight, even though you did our job twice as hard now. We intend to finish it; once she is in Tartarus, you can have your turn with her." The pony rushes to Mark and stabs his chest, starting to break the tube as Mark is impaled in the chest. The pony released the knife and brought his hand to his hood. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Faust; as a courtesy, we will make it quick." Mark keeps struggling and muffles his yells as the pony does his job and makes the box move violently for a moment. "Quiet there, prisoner!" One of the guards finally spoke up, hitting the side of the transport. "Whine, all you want that muffle, will keep you from saying anything. So save your breath and accept reality. You are not getting away." After a while, the box grows quiet, and the rest of the trip goes into relative silence. The lullaby keeps playing while the sun rises from the horizon for another day in the castle. With the sound of knocking on his door, Amon yawns and approaches the front door. He rubs his eyes. With foggy eyes, he opens it to see Vivi back in her maid outfit and usual cheerful smile. "Good morning, Amon. Did you sleep…?" Viola stops mid-sentence in surprise once she has a closer look at Amon. "Amon, did you sleep with the same clothes you wore yesterday?" She asks in slight surprise, taking notice of his wardrobe. "Ah… yeah, I had a long day; how did you know?" "Years working as a maid have given me a keen eye for wrinkles and used clothes. Also, why is your room smelling like a bakery?" Viola asks, noticing a familiar scent coming from Amon's room. After sniffing, Amon also detected the smell of cake, and his eyes widened as he realized it was coming from his bedroom and part of it from his arm. "I got hungry last night," Amon quickly replied. "So what? Did you take a whole bakery last night?" Viola asks, confused. "No, I… I decided to try baking… a pie at first but gave up halfway and decided to try a cake." "You did?" Viola pokes her head inside, noticing the clean kitchen. "But your kitchen is way cleaner for that smell…and why is it coming from your bedroom?" "We are getting off-topic here, Vivi!" Amon issues her as he grabs his backpack and exits the room, closing the door behind him. "You wanted to ask me something?" "Yeah, the princesses wanted to invite you to breakfast along with the mane six. They say there is much to discuss. Amon, are you feeling okay?" "Yeah, why do you ask?" Amon asks as he starts to walk away with Viola flying close by. "I'm not sure, but I just had this feeling. As something happens to you, you seem different in some way." "A lot happened to me recently, Vivi; of course, I would be more than a little on edge," Amon replied "No, it's not that. There is something else, something new yet familiar, something I'm not sure if it is good or bad," Vivi asked herself. "Something helped you a lot but simultaneously made you ashamed and proud." "Argh, what is it?! This is driving me crazy, but by Celestia's mane, I can't put my finger precisely on what it is." "Just drop it, Vivi," Amon insisted. "Ah, come on, at least let me guess." "No, because there is nothing to guess, so stop asking questions." "Hmm, it has to do with confections because of the smell. You didn't steal them? Oh, Amon, please tell me you didn't go dumpster diving again." Vivi looked at him in disappointment. Amon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Yes, Vivi! That is exactly what happened, happy? I discovered they were throwing away raw frosting in a cake store and decided to stick my entire arm in a filthy place. I felt ashamed immediately and tried to clean," Amon admits sarcastically. "Damn it, Amon! I thought you were over that. Do you have any idea how stupid and dangerous that is? You could have eaten a piece of glass, or screwed, or something even worse." Amon stops and stares at Vivi for a second "What kind of crazy ass cakes have you eaten with those kinds of ingredients?" Amon asks the pegasus in complete astonishment at her warnings. "Don't try to change the subject!" Vivi reprimands him for getting in front of Amon. "No more dumpster diving. Are we clear?" "Fine, Mom. I will not dumpster dive anymore," Amon replies sarcastically as he continues his march. "Now let's go. Celestia and Luna are probably waiting for us," he tells himself as he crosses the corner of the fork in the hallway. Vivi crossed her arms with a straight face. "The dining room is on the other side, sir." After a moment, Amon marches in the opposite direction. "I swear this infernal castle is a maze. How you don't get lost, I would never know," Amon replies, making Vivi sigh and shake her head in disappointment at how light Amon was taking her words. The rest of their walk was spent in silence, with Amon silently thanking himself for tricking Vivi into dropping the subject until they reached their destination. They were immediately received by Pinkie, who didn't waste time giving Amon a big hug. "Good morning!" Pinkie exclaimed in her usual high-paced voice. "Did you sleep well, Amon? Are you hungry? Well, of course you are. It's just morning unless you already ate a snack. Oh! I helped with the breakfast today. You are going to love it! I'm so glad you could join us." AJ chuckles and pry Pinkie away from Amon. "For pony sake, Pinkie, the stallion just woke up; let him breathe," AJ chastised her with a smile before looking at Amon. "Sorry for that, partner. Pinkie can be a bit intense at times." "And I must say, darling, today you seem particularly happy; you are practically glowing," Rarity adds. "Not that any of us are complaining; I'm just saying you seem pretty cheerful today." "Yeah, more cheerful than usual, even," Twilight mentions with some suspicion. "As Rarity said, we are all happy for you, but are you sure you are okay, Pinkie? After what happened to Marcus…" "...I'm sure, Twily!" Pinkie interrupts as she appears in front of the alicorn. I know what happened was terrible, but after much thought last night, I decided not to focus on the negative and keep a happy face. Otherwise, Marcus would have won, and I will not let him," Pinkie proclaims in determination. Dash smirked and shook her head. "Right, lots and lots of thinking. I'm still saying she got herself a date with Mr. Fingy in the stink…" Dash points at Pinkie before Rarity shoves an apple fritter into Dash's mouth as she laughs with embarrassment. "Okay, Dash! That is not table conversation this early, darling!" Rarity complains with a big flush as she points at Amon with her head, and he looks at both, confused. "There is a gentlecolt present for Celestia sake!" Dash only rolls her eyes and nods before eating her treat in silence. "Amon, by all means, please join us," Celestia invited him, and Fluttershy pulled a chair next to him with a calm demeanor. Amon was feeling awkward at the whole thing but decided to ignore it and take a seat. "Thanks." "Well, now that we all gather, this is as good a time as anything to begin, and let's start with introductions. Amon, I don't believe you haven't met Rainbow Dash and Starlight yet, correct?" "Not in person, but Pinkie and Yellow… aw, Shy, Apple, and Raw have told me about you." Pinkie can't help but laugh at that, as the rest have mixed reactions. "Darleen, we understand you have difficulty with names, but please don't butch my name like that; it makes me feel like I'm a piece of meat; it's Rarity Ra-Ri-Ty," The white unicorn complained calmly after shivering at the improvised name. "And I told you, if it's too hard, just call me AJ partner. I'm not a fruit," AJ mentions more casually. "You can keep calling me Shy if it helps," Fluttershy offers. "And you can call me Awesome because that is what I'm; nice to meet you, dude," The blue pegasus with rainbow mane complains on a chill tune. "Likewise," The light purple unicorn replies as Amon takes a better look at both of them. The pegasus was wearing a thick brown avian jacket with a golden wing patch on the chest, and avian insignias on the sleeves. Sunglasses resting on top of her rainbow color mane, dark blue jeans with some holes on it, a white tank top that expose her belly and piercing on his belly button and a golden earing on her right ear, giving her a lay back appearance. The unicorn, in contrast, had a more professional appearance, with her silver best, square long shirt, and long dark purple skirt. Her mane comb, which was tied around her bum, gave her a teacher's air. "And I don't know how much they told you about us, so if it's okay with you, allow us to give you a proper introduction," The unicorn began before clearing her throat. "My name is Starlight Glimmer; I'm currently the chancellor of Twilight school as well as her apprentice," Starlight mentions with a short smile. "A chancellor and a princess apprentice?" Amon repeats before looking at Twilight, "How does that work? Why does it even have to be like that? The economy is so bad that the princess cannot guarantee a secure job. Even your apprentice needs two?" "Two jobs? What do you mean…? Ah, Amon, I think you are confused; Starlight and I both work at the school; I'm the principal there and…" "Even the princess needs two jobs!?!" That only seems to raise even further questions in Amon: "Seriously, how bad is the economy here?" Everyone looked at Amon, confused by that statement, minus Pinkie, who couldn't stop laughing at how things were playing out. "Okay, we can circle back to that later. Better move on." The pegasus quickly adds, "The name is Rainbow Dash, which I'm sure you already heard of since I'm the star of the best flying team of Equestria, which is the Wonderbolts." Dash is filled with pride as she gloats and flies in place with a big grin and closed eyes. She last in that pose for a few seconds before opening an eye to stare at Amon, who stares back at her in confusion. "The Wonderbolts," She repeats, which does nothing as the stallion keeps staring at her in confusion, pondering why she thought that name meant anything. After some tension and silence, Dash looked back at him. "Seriously? Nothing? Come on, dude. There's no need to hold anything back. You can be amazed here," Dash encouraged him. "...okay? Why?" Amon finally replied slowly, still in the dark about what she was saying Dash froze briefly before replying, "Are you seriously asking that? Star of the Wonderbolts?! Right in front of you?! HI?!" Dahs insisted in complete astonishment on how little reaction she was getting from Amon. "Lady, I'm sorry I'm not familiar with your book club or whatever else the Wonderbolts are supposed to be, so I don't know what else to tell you." "You… what… book club?! You think we are a…WHAT?! I just… words… failing…can comprehend…" Amon was surprised at how Rainbow Dash was in the middle of having a mental meltdown out of the blue as he leaned back and looked at Fluttershy. "Is she okay?" Amon asks in worry. "I… I'm not sure," Fluttershy replies, standing up alongside Twilight to help her friend. The princess in question summoned a paper bag so Dash could breathe in and help the pegasus return to her seat. "It's okay, Dash. It's okay, just breathe. We talk about this. The stallion knows next to nothing about Equestria. He barely knew about the princesses, for pony's sake. There was a strong possibility he didn't know about the Wonderbolts either." Twilight encourages her as Dash sits with Fluttershy, rubbing the other pegasus. "How!?" Dash asks with a paper bag on her snout. "The Wonderbolts are the most recognized and best flying team in Equestria?! We… we have the best P.R. in the world, there are posters of us everywhere" Dash list. "I'm wondering about that myself," AJ replied, looking at Amon. “You didn't see any of his publicity before, sugarcube?" The farmer asked him with a raised eyebrow. “At the very least, you should have seen their poster once: three pegasus in blue uniform in line, looking at the horizon." "That thing? Yeah, I saw it once or twice; you are right. It was everywhere, but I thought it was for a…" Amon stops looking at Dash in worry. "...a nevermind." "No! No, go ahead, tell us," Pinkie asks, intrigued. "I… I don't think the blue one would like my answer, Pink," Amon replied. "Dashy? Nah, she is cool. She can take it. Go ahead," Pinkie encourages Amon, and after thinking about it, he complies. "Just keep in mind I can't read, so I was basing myself on the picture alone, so I thought those flyers were for a… circus or an ad to sell you something, like flying travels or a tourist opportunity." Dash's gasp was so strong that she actually swallowed the paper bag and started choking on it. The rest remained quiet, minus Fluttershy and Twilight, who were helping Dash spit the paper bag. "For the sake of Rainbow Dash's sanity and wishing not to get too sidetracked, we might want to put that discussion at a later date as well," Celestia offered, looking at Rainbow Dash with worry before looking at Amon. "There was one last person we wanted to introduce you to, a dragon. Yet, unfortunately, he got down with a case of the flu so that he couldn't join us today." "A… dragon?" Amon asks, equally confused and frightened at meeting a fire-breathing giant dragon. "Oh no! Spike is not like those giant fire-breathing dragons that destroy towns; he is a friendly, smaller one." Pinkie was quick to answer, gaining Amon's attention. "How did you know I was thinking that?" "Marcus once told us about dragons in your world; they love playing around with dice in dungeons and are well-known to be very mean, right?" "Ah… yeah, let's go with that," Amon concedes, not wanting to get sidetracked again. "Better go back to the subject at hand." "Agree, there is much to be discussed and more to explain." Luna nods. "My interrogation with Mark Cross reveals quite an alarming subject, which I believe Starlight Glimmer is better suited to explain so you can better understand the situation. As well as why and how you ended up in Equestria in the first place, Amon," Luna tells in a more somber tune. Amon remains quiet at the news before nodding and paying attention to the light purple unicorn. "Yeah, it will be nice finally getting some answers as to what is going on and how you are involved with a group of cultist nutjobs." Starlight flinches for a second before composing herself and taking a deep breath. "Yeah, it really hurts me saying this, but there is a connection between them and me. They," Starlight pauses and grabs her hands as she lowers her head in shame. "They exist because of me," she finally confesses with a low tune, gaining Amon's full attention. "Excuse me?" Amon asked, with a degree of anger in his tune as Pinkie stood up. "It was long ago, and Starlight never intended this to happen!" She quickly replied, "Nobody is perfect, and Starlight she… was confused." "It's okay, Pinkie. Amon has every right to be mad with me," Starlight replies before looking at the stallion. "Please allow me to explain everything. I may have been indirect, but in a way, I'm responsible for how things end up. You see, those ponies are ex-members of a community I…" Starlight stops herself and shakes her head. "I might as well use the correct name for it." "A cult," Amon finished for her with a cold and venomous voice as everyone looked at him in surprise, even though Amon was talking calmly, almost ominously, about how he was glaring at Starlight. "That is what you wanted to say, didn't you Purple? You were a cult leader? Or should I say, ARE?" As he speaks, dark sparks start to discharge from Amon's body and eyes. "Calm yourself, Amon," Celestia tells him, standing up in alert at his rising anger. The girls do the same, starting to get afraid. "I know this is hard, but Starlight did not have anything to do with your current predicament, and frankly, you are not in a precarious situation, so I advise you to control your emotions and…" "NO CELESTIA!" Amon finally yells and stands up, creating a wind vacuum that sends the table and food flying as sparks of lighting are discharging. "You have NO opinion here. You didn't suffer like I did; you didn't have everything taken away from you, including your species. I spent years in hell. I have experienced things that would make all of you barf! So don't tell me to calm down!" Amon lists with a glare that Celestia matches, yet his anger remains. "She is not your enemy, and you know it" Celestia replies coldly. "Forgive me if that is still not enough, accident or not, she was the spark that started this mess," Amon replied coldly before looking at Starlight, who seemed to be on the verge of tears as she mumbled sorry to herself, the others slowly gathering around her. Amon was slightly startled when he felt a hand grabbing his own, and when he turned, he saw a Fluttershy squishing his hand, looking straight at him in the eyes. After breathing steam from his nose, Amon looked back at Starlight. "Finish the story." "I'm not that mare anymore; I did that because I…" "I don't want to hear the excuses; I want to hear what happens," Amon interrupts her coldly. "Finish. The. Story." Amon's words make Starlight flinch and make her feel so small that she can only nod like a filly being scolded by her parents before nodding. "Long before I met Twilight and her friends, I was upset with the concept of cutie marks and how they divide us into classes. Or at least that is how I view the world after my friend got his cutie mark and left me. By removing our individuality, I wanted to make a better and happier world, one where nobody is better than the rest, where we all are equal. Amon sighs and shakes his head. "Because, of course, you wanted that. No wonder those ponies want you dead in the most horrifying way. I'm starting to see their point, and you have no idea how much that wants me to puke." Starlight just kept her head low as she nodded briefly. "I wouldn't blame them either," Starlight said, getting Amon's attention. "I was a hypocrite who kept my cutie mark, thinking I was doing the best for everyone. That infuriates the most of every pony; after I escape, I… I did something worse later on, and if it wasn't for Twilight's intervention and mercy, I dread to imagine where I would have ended up." Starlight looked back at Twilight, who smiled and placed her hand over Starlight's shoulder before she could continue. "Months later, I returned to the city that I helped create because of an invitation. I was fully hoping the ponies I left behind would be furious, wanting some retribution or anything, yet instead, I was received with forgiveness and comprehension despite my actions. They found community and understanding among them, and the town continues to thrive." Amon doesn't say anything, yet he is more than a little surprised in disbelief at what he is hearing and how she was spared despite brainwashing and who knows what else she could have possibly done. "I managed to gather a large group before, so I never imagined that not all ponies share the same view, and apparently, their hatred toward me evolved into something horrific," Starlight mentions while holding her head. "I can answer that," Luna elaborated, taking control of the conversation. "According to Mark's statement, there was a small faction of ponies that, unlike the rest, I'm afraid they still hold a grudge against, Fair Starlight. Feeling used and humiliated, they retreated into an obscure location where they had time to think and plan." Nobody knew how to reply as they exchanged glances. Luna continued, "It didn't help when the news of you being reformed and appointed as Twilight student reached their ears; for them, it was the biggest confirmation of an unjust world, and they gave up on Equestria law soon after." "Great, so on top of being a cultist group, it turns out I'm the result of a bunch of terrorists then," Amon sighs in exasperation. "You may not be too far off, Amon; these ponies follow the past steps of Starlight and decide to break the rules and dive into forbidden magic, wishing to obtain new power. Glancing at your body, it is clear they may have attempted to find a shortcut into ascension and power, a concerning subject that begs the question of what exactly they performed and how far they are planning to go?" "Does it matter?" Dash asks. "I mean, didn't Amon already blow them up, leaving only Mark as the sole survivor?" "I'm afraid he wasn't the last one," Luna answered. Mark mentions that even though he doesn't know the exact number, others also survive. And they have been chasing Amon from the start." Having heard enough, Amon stood up and turned around. "Amon, please wait. I know all of this is hard, but we still need to talk about this and…" Celestia called and reached out to Amon yet the stallion just pulled away from her and stared at her in the eyes with anger and on the verge of tears. It appears he wishes to say something but is unable to form any words. The tension in the room was palpable until Amon finally turned around and just left the room without saying anything else, closing the door with force as he was having trouble controlling his emotions. The room behind was left in very heavy tension, as the mares were a bit taken aback. A part of them knew where his anger was coming from, and for now, they believed that some space could do Amon good and give him time to think. Treating Emotional Wounds (Edited By PW)Author's Note Merry Christmas to all! Treating Emotional Wounds (Edited By PW) After storming out of the dining room, Amon kept wandering through the castle, getting lost repeatedly until one maid pointed him in the right direction at his destination or at least the closest thing to what he needed. The royal wine cellar where he didn't waste time raiding the place, choking on as much alcohol as he could while sitting in the corner of one room, until he heard a familiar voice. "You know, that wine market price is estimated to be around four thousand bits per bottle," Purple and his group mention, with a neutral expression, getting worried at the various empty bottles surrounding the poor stallion. "Counting the one in your hand and in your pockets, I easily see 35 bottles," Brick says, concerned for Amon's safety and the puddles of wine that were forming around him. “Are you ok dude? The entire castle began a search party once you start bursting doors” "They care, good to know," Amon replies with a glare before returning to his bottle. "You call it off and tell them that you found me. Now fuck off." "Yeah, that is not going to happen, bud," Blissy replies, approaching Amon. "I don't know what put your boxers on a knot, but we can't just let you drink, the royal cellar…" "Why not!?" Amon snapped back, pointing at her and almost dripping red wine all over her uniform. "Equestria already took my liver, eye, and teeth. So I say they owe me big time! A healthy liver alone could be worth 50 thousand easily." He lifted the bottle. "So consider this first payment. Now leave me alone so I can get black-out drunk in peace!" The guards remain quiet before Purple sighs, grabs a nearby crate, and sits down, his friends doing something similar. "Can you at least share?" Purple suggests, "That way, it will not be concerning and sad." "Whatever," Amon holds the bottle in his arms. "I don't think I could keep drinking this shit alone much longer anyway," Amon replies with a disgusted expression as he stares at the bottle. "Seriously, who likes drinking this stuff?" Amon asks no one as he rolls one still-full bottle toward them as Brick picks it up. And grab some mugs to serve him and his friends. "Amon, I hate bursting your bubble, but for the sake of your sanity, I should inform you that an alicorn metabolism would target and cleanse invasive agents on their stomach 5 times faster than a normal pony," Bliss mentions him in a somber tune. "What does that mean?" Amon asks, chucking more of the content of his bottle. "It means that even if you drink this entire cellar, the only thing you would achieve is the urge to pee." She finished, making Amon pause mid-drink. There are rumors of a secret cellar reserved only for the princesses to give them a buzz, but nobody believes it even exists." "And before you give any ideas, the stories said they are stocked somewhere only the princesses would know outside the castle," Bricks adds before Amon can get any ideas. "FUCK!" Amon yells and throws the bottle into a wall, shattering the glass and spreading its contents as he holds his head. "I can't even get drunk?! God damn it, Fuck! FUCK! Am I some kind of sick joke to god? Is that it, god? You want to see me suffer, you fucking prick? Why don't you just kill me already?!" Amon yells at the ceiling. "Hey! Hey! Dude, calm down. Take deep breaths here." Purple urges in concern. "Please, why don't you tell us what happened and how you ended up here?" It takes a moment, but Amon finally manages to calm down enough to sigh and close his eyes. "I was born cursed with the worst possible luck imaginable; that is what is going on." "Yeah, we figure that you were dealt with a crappy hand at the start, but do we really need to keep reminding you of… oh, I don't know? BEEN an alicorn?!" Blissy reminds him sternly. Amon was surprised at that before getting angry and standing up. "And you think what it cost me makes it a fair trade?" Amon starts advancing, making Bliss back away. "My friends, my family, my home, my life, my body, my fucking SANITY! All gone because a stupid bitch couldn't accept the fact that her crush didn't reciprocate her feelings!" "Amon, please calm down," Purple asks him, getting in between him and Blissy Brick, who is getting ready to restrain Amon if needed. "No, I don't want to hear it!" Amon points at them before advancing toward another cellar and grabbing another bottle. "Before I met you, my life was more stable. It was shit, but at least I was ok living under the belief I was cursed, a homeless person just wandering around without any idea on how things could get worse!" He takes another big gulp of his drink before addressing the 3. "Now I find out that I'm just some kind of accident from a bunch of cultists trying to hide their mistake under the rug. Cultist that only exists because Ms. Jonestown was caught before she got the chance of spiking the punch," Amon exclaims, tossing and breaking the bottle under his fit before looking at the 3. While shaking his head, he started to back away. "So don't ask me to calm down because rage… rage is the only thing I have left." "That is not true; you still have us," Purple tells him. "Us?" Amon points at him and chuckles sarcastically.. "No, no, no, I'm not so sure if there is still an "us" here. Not as long as ponies like Purple get away with only a slap on the wrist and a cozy job at the palace, and psychopaths that she made are treated like she just spilled milk." "Are you talking about Starlight Glimmer?" Brick asks before getting surprised. "By Celestia, that is what you meant when you said her name was Ms. Jonestown? Did she have a relapse?" Amon just remains quiet. "I don't know, I don't care. She can go to hell," he says as he leaves. "Hey, where are you going?" "Since I can't get drunk, I'd like to go somewhere where I can be alone," Amon says coldly without looking back. The guards just look at each other, unsure whether they should chase after him or not, until they decide to respect his wishes for the time being. In the meantime, at the dining room, the princesses and mane six were still discussing the problematic situation they had in their hands once a group of servants brought a new table and food for them to finish their meal. "Well, I'm gonna say it because we are all thinking about it; what happens now?" Dash mentions out loud, "Putting the Amon deal aside, we still have to worry about a freaking cult coming after us with magic that can make alicorns. We need to do something and fast before we have an army of brainwashed alicorn monsters or something worse coming after us." "Dash is right." Celestia nods before looking at Luna. "Did Mark tell you anything else? Sister?" "Only their last base of operation, the name of their group, and how they gather their funds on the black market. I want to make preparations, but tracking them down will not be easy, and as things stand, until they reveal their face, they have the upper hand on the situation," Luna explained with a sigh while looking down. "I'm afraid this new threat will present its challenges, unlike other foes from the past." The room was quiet for a moment before Starlight gained everyone's attention. "I can track them," she said. Her comments also gained the attention of everyone: "I know how to traverse the black market, including where and whom to talk to when you wish to track those who want to disappear, especially if they have been making a living in that hellhole." Starlight looks at the royal sisters. "Plus, I'm the reason this mess started in the first place; it's only fair that I fix it." "Absolutely not," Luna said, putting her hoof down. Starlight, we appreciate the offer and the initiative, but these are highly unstable and dangerous ponies to whom you have awoken a primal fury and thirst for revenge. As is, you and Amon are their most prominent targets." "But…" Starlight argues, only to be interrupted. "I'm afraid I must agree with Luna here, Starlight," Celestia adds. "We appreciate the offer, but it would be best if you and he remain in the castle while we work on another solution. Do not dread it. We know of a way to traverse the black market, too. We will find this group in no time." "So you expect me to stay in the castle while you risk your lives? What about Amon? And his chasers? They could still be out there," Starlight asks in indignation. "Starlight is right," Fluttershy adds. "We can't just leave him alone; he needs his friends more than ever." "Yeah! Someone needs to help him turn that frown upside down." Pinkie mentions standing up as well. "Agree, that is why it would be best if we continued in his friendship lessons and that you stay with us for the time being, Starlight," Celestia mentions, surprising the unicorn. "What? Ah, princess. Not to contradict you, but he is not exactly my fan right now. Are you sure leaving us under the same roof will be wise?" "I know it sounds baffling, but because of your shared past, you should spend time together to heal each other. After all, wasn't this what you wanted in part? To be held responsible for your past? To be hated and yelled at and called a monster for your actions? Everyone here has forgiven you your misdeeds from the past, even if you view it as a bit rushed, we still pardon you because we knew the true value of kindness, second chances, and understanding of true repentance, but I ask Starlight. Have you ever had the chance to forgive yourself?" Luna asks with a concerned tone. Starlight can't think of a red bottle and can only remain quiet. "That is what I thought; we can't change what we once were, and we can't take the blame for the actions that others did for our past. Just like you can't take responsibility for this cult, I can't respond to the actions of the Lunar Republic. We can only be responsible for our actions; this is a lesson both you and Amon must learn together." "But how? Now that he knows, he will never listen to anything I have to say," Starlight asks, on the verge of tears. Celestia smiles and lifts Starlight's chin. "With patience and time. The wound is still fresh, so it needs to be treated as soon as possible. It hurts at first and will be more than uncomfortable, but it needs to be done. If you ignore it, then it will just get infected. That is why you need to remain here; if our words can't reach you, then maybe Amon will, as we all help heal him in return." Starlight smiled and choked a little before cleaning her face. "Okay, princess… I… I think I can try." "I have faith in you, Starlight. If you can deal with two old mares bickering, I'm sure you can take care of this as well," Celestia jokes, bringing some color to Starlight's cheeks. "The hours grow late, sister; I must return to my chambers," Luna says, pointing at a grandfather clock. "I concur, sister, it's getting late. We can resume this conversation in the afternoon; for now, the best is to study our enemy and think of a plan; the royal library is at your disposal." "You can count on us, princesses! We will think of something by the time you are back," Twilight proclaims as her friends cheer. "And meanwhile, Starlight and I can go look for Amon," Pinkie offers as she hugs Starlight, hugging the unicorn. "Ah, Pinkie, are you sure that would be wise?" Starlight asks in concern as Pinkie nods repeatedly "Yeah, silly; we wouldn't want him doing something silly like trying to escape and chase after those bad ponies, right?" The room grows quiet at that idea as everyone gets surprised. "Agree; please look after Amon and ensure he doesn't do anything rash, Pinkie," Celestia asks her as the rest nod. Dash then notices something and looks around before addressing the group, "Hey, where did Fluttershy go?" The rest noticed how their shy friend seemed to have just vanished without anyone noticing. Sometime later, Amon kept stumbling his way through the castle opening and closing doors everywhere as he had no choice but to ask the guards for directions even if he himself wasn’t sure where he was going, and just stick to just ask where there were fewer ponies and what directions to avoid like the throne room, the kitchen and changing rooms after one awkward instance where he almost saw something he didn’t want to see and complicate his emotions even further. Eventually Amon resign to just headed to the royal garden and lost himself as deep as he could inside of it, where he could finally be alone with his thoughts as he stare at the horizon while leaning against a tree Downing the remaining of his last bottle Amon throws it away and sigh in exhaustion and looking at sky. I can’t even numb the pain, why me? Am I really cursed? Born with the worst luck…? Amon thought of himself before getting startled when he felt a snout on his side, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a wolf poking him with his ears behind her back as it cried. Surprise, Amon recognized it as the same mama wolf he had met not too long ago, and sure enough, her cubs were not too far away as they appeared around her. All of them looked directly at him. His surprise soon turned to curiosity until the reflection of one of the bottles from afar caught his attention for a moment. Then the wolf said, "Sorry for startling you and your kids, ma'am. I just… I just had a day." Amon sighed and lay down on the bottom of the tree as he prepared to close his eyes again, only to open them once he felt the wolf's head resting on his chest. "Hey, what are you…?" The cubs interrupt him when they start to move erratically and lick his face. "Okay, okay, stop it, I… I'm not in the mood." Amon tries to push them away, but they don't seem to let out, so with a frustrated sigh, he relents and allows them to get comfortable. "Fine, you win." Amon starts to pet them until they seem to have calmed down, staying close to him and closing their eyes. "At least you are soft, and you have each other," Amon mumbles as he pets the head of Mama Wolf. "It must be nice having a place to live with your species." As he scratches her ear, Amon suddenly remembers last night, particularly a bit Pinkie said. "...a place with other humans," Amom mumbles as he slowly sits down. The wolves look at him in confusion. "She said that, a way home, so if she was telling the truth…" "Amon?" Fluttershy's voice alerts him, and when Amon turns back, he sees the pegasus in question being guided by a robin as they approach him tentatively. The pegasus stops in surprise when she notices how Amon is holding a cub in one hand and petting Mama Wolf with another one. "Shy… Sha… Fluttershy?" Amon finally recalled her name. "What… how did you find me?" Fluttershy could only point at the robin that landed on her finger, which surprised Amon. "A little bird literally told you?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow as Fluttershy nods slowly. "Wow, just wow… I shouldn't be surprised, but I'm starting to think birds here love to talk and spy on others." The robin starts to chip aggressively at that. "He says that you are thinking squirrels," Fluttershy responds with a lost gaze. "Right," Amon rolled his eyes and leaned on the tree again, the wolves resting on his lap. "Well, you find me; now, leave me alone." Fluttershy seems to ignore that as she starts to breathe in and start mumbling to herself. Amon catches glimpses of her saying something about her being able to do this and just needing to soldier on before advancing and standing in front of the stallion. "Amon, I'm horny," She finally blurts. "What?" Amon asks in confusion and surprise. "WORRY! I meant Worry!" Fluttershy clarified with a deep red face before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I'm extremely worried for you, Amon, me, and the rest of my friends. The way you just left the dining room after you heard about Starlight, I… we thought you may do something drastic." She says as she glances at some of the empty bottles around Amon, "It's like raiding the royal cellar." "Don't worry. I can't get drunk, and considering what Ms. Jonestone did and where she is now, I imagine the princesses are now discussing if they should make me the ambassador of public relationships or something like that," Amon exclaims in anger. Fluttershy sighs and shakes her head. "Amon, I know this is hard to hear, but don't you think you are taking this somewhat out of proportion?" Fluttershy asks with a nervous smile. "Gee, I don't know, Fluttershy. Let me answer that with another question." Amon stood up. "Better yet, let's make this mental example so you can get a better idea." Amon put the cub down and started circling the pegasus. "Let's imagine for a moment that… there is this arsonist, a naughty pony that is off his rockets and just loves to see ponies burned alive with this psychotic smile on his face. Let's imagine that this arsonist broke into your house, tied you up, and forced you to watch as he burned everything around you as he laughed. What the hell! Let's be dramatic and say he burns your pets, family, and special pony, too!" Amon raises his hands in the air and increases the volume of his voice, yet Fluttershy remains firm. "You get the picture? Now imagine that the only way you escape is because you broke away from your chains and used them to bludge that psycho repeatedly to death, and now you have to live with the nightmares of blood, flesh, and burned fur engraved on your head. Amon points at his head as he stands in front of Fluttershy, kneeling a little so they can be at eye level. "Fast-forward ten years, and you meet the captain of the fire department, who, surprise, surprise, in his youth, was also an arsonist. And he is the father of the same arsonist who took everything to you, plus he taught his son exactly how to burn things. Could you forgive him?!" "I do," Fluttershy says stoically, making Amon retreat and look at her, surprised at how she stood her ground. "And I stand with what I say." Amon starts laughing and turns around, "Oh, this is rich. Even now, you are still defending her. Okay, for the sake of fairness, I will give you a try. Go ahead, tell me right here and now, why should I say anything to Ms. Jonestown? Why should I let her explain herself?" Amon defies her by pointing at the ground. "In both the context of your example and my friend, neither hurt me or any other pony," Fluttershy tells him with a slight glare. "Yes, both of them did bad things, but Starlight never hurt anyone; she deceived others and used mild mind control once, but never once resorted to torture, violence, and inhumane actions. Like your captors did, and you know it." Amon remains quiet, taking some deep breaths before pointing at her, not sure how to reply and finding the right words until he has no choice but to say his reply. "You… clever mare." Mark suddenly gets an idea. I still need them to tell me that option Pinkie mentioned. Maybe I should use them to get out of here. "So you are not mad at her anymore?" Fluttershy asks hopefully as Amon starts walking with her close by. "I never said that; I'm just saying that you have a point; she may still be a cult… ex-cult leader, but you haven't lied to me yet, and… well, I… trss…" "What was that?" Fluttershy asks, blinking a couple of times. "I say that I rather trushsfign you." "I still don't get it." "I say I rather trust you! There! Happy?!" Amon immediately felt Fluttershy flying to him and bringing him into a strong hug. For whatever reason, her chest once more was pressing against the side of his face, catching him off guard. "Oh, Amon! That is so kind of you to say! Thank you so much! You are the sweetest stallion ever! I promise you. I'll not betray your trust; I assure you Starlight is a nice mare that you only need to get to know better," Fluttershy says as she uses her wings and excitement to spin them around. "Fluttershy! Stop! Stop! We talked about this! Your chest… I can feel your boobs in my ear! Stop it! I'm losing my balance!" Amon warns her, but it is too late as they both feel the wolf barking and approaching the two as the cubs want to join the game. Amon tries to pry Fluttershy away from his face, yet she seems to have a firmer grip than usual. Their moment is soon interrupted when they both hear someone clearing her throat. Stopping both ponies, look ahead to see Viola looking at them with a smirk and her arms crossed. "Vivi, I swear, this is NOT how it looks." "I overheard how you seem lost and getting yourself into trouble all over the castle, particularly stumbling your way in the mare changing room. Seriously, sir, if you were feeling lonely, you only needed to ask me," Viola mentions as she stares at Amon. Both Amon and Fluttershy's faces turn red from Vivi's light teasing. Old Plans New Angles ( Edited By PW)While the stallion was guided to his room by his companions, Vivi was having the time of her life, teasing poor Amon all the way there. "Just be wary of the feathers, Amon. They are ticklish at the tip but sensitive at the base, so you may want to explore lightly." For his part, Amon was utterly lost on what the heck Vivi was implying. Still, her giggles and how Fluttershy kept trying to hide her face behind her mane with a bright red face gave him a clue of the nature behind her 'advice,' which only served to confuse him even more about how that is even related to an act of the sexual kind. "For the fifty times, Vivi, we weren't doing anything, especially whatever perverted bizarre fantasy that you are having in that head of yours." "Right, right?" Vivi nods with a sarcastic tone and a smirk as she turns around. "It just so happens that your face found her cleavage while you were doing what? Hugging while lying on the ground? Totally incredible" Amon remains quiet momentarily before replying, "We were standing when the hug happened, and she stumbles me onto the ground." "Oh, so she just decided to hug you with her boobs then? Yeah, that makes way more sense. You are at least a head and a half taller than her, yet, for some reason, she just decided to fly up and give you a free motorboating out of the blue because?" Vivi questions, crossing her arms as she flies backward. "Care to answer that, Fluttershy?" Amon questions, looking at her very silent companion. "...I only wanted to show you how happy I was that you trust me." "Yeah, I felt two hard molds that showed how happy you were with me then. Wait, I just heard myself. Vivi, don't you dare take that out of context?" Amon asked in alarm, but the maid was already smirking and laughing as she turned around. "Don't worry, sir, there is no judgment here. One of these days, I too may want to show you how happy I am to see you, too." Amon could only growl in frustration as Fluttershy kept her head down with her big blush. I completely forgot all the mares in this world are thirsty 24/7. God, I'm living the dream of any pervert, and I hate it! I need to get out of here before I go full native! Amon decided to change the subject before Viola could tease them even more. "So Fluttershy, the other mares, are they also looking for me?" Fluttershy, in turn, shook her head. "There was another subject we needed to focus on, but I overheard Pinkie saying how she and Starlight would be looking for you, too, thinking you may do something drastic while blinded by rage." "Define drastic?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "W-Well, this was mostly Pinkie suggesting it, but we thought you may leave the castle and try confronting your attackers yourself." "Huh." That is all Amon says while looking at Fluttershy before looking ahead of him "Y-You are not gonna do that, right Amon? R-Right?!" Fluttershy asks him in alarm when he goes silent. "We will see," Amon replies, which only increases the concerns of both mares. Yet before any of them could say anything, their group stumbles into Pinkie and Starlight, who seem to be slightly out of breath and looking for them, for how they rush to them the moment they see Amon. "Hi Amon, where were you? We got worried when you weren't in your room, and… why do you smell like liquor?" Pinkie asks with a happy smile and tune that slowly morphs into one of surprise and concern once she takes a sniff of the air surrounding the stallion. "I went for a drink," Amon replied sarcastically. "I thought you didn't drink," Pinkie mentions, blinking several times. "I don't," Amon answered while glaring at Starlight, "But I needed one after what I heard, for all the good that it was." He sighed in frustration. "Alicorns can't get drunk, lucky me." The comment doesn't help Starlight's self-esteem, as she keeps her head low and gathers her hands. With an exhausted sigh, Amon crosses his arms and stares at her. "But enough with the pity party. I'm waiting, Ms. Jonestown." "Ms. Jonestown?" Starlight is confused as she looks at Amon. "That is not my…" "Long story, just know it's a bad thing, but Fluttershy convinced me to give an opportunity to earn back my trust, so I want to hear it; I want to hear exactly how you are gonna fix the mess you started." That surprised Starlight greatly, and a smile started forming on her face. "Y-You are willing to give me a chance?" "Please don't hug me!" Amon backs away, fearing what she may do. "I know how mares like to hug in Equestria." "Huh?" Starlight looked at Amon confused and looked at Vivi, who was laughing behind her hand before shaking her head. "So… your plan?" Amon repeats, waiting for her idea. "R-Right! Right, well, our first course of action is exploring the black market since that is the primary source of income of this new group calling themselves…" "...The Gallileous, yeah, I'm aware of what those cultists call themselves," Amon interrupted with a nod. "Please continue." "...right, it seems obvious you may know their name." Starlight cleared her throat before continuing, "Anyway, the idea is that we go there to find clues and, with any luck, a trace for us to follow back to their hideout, and then we'll go there and put an end to their activities and arrest them." "Sounds like a good start," Amon mentions neutrally. "Okay, let's find those bastards. I want to be there when you make the arrest and make sure they do not just get a slap in the risk and stern wording," Amon demands as his eyes shine. "I want to see them receive the punishment they deserve, and if Equestria doesn't do it, I will, and I swear, Ms. Jonestone, I'll make sure they will never eat solids again if it comes to that," Amon promises in a venomous, cold voice as he advances, making all the mares shiver as he moves through the hallway until Starlight stops him with both arms raised. "A-And justice will be served accordingly! I can promise you that. Also, we appreciate your offering…" "Why do I feel like there is a but coming up?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow at Starlight's statement as she starts to sweat. "Well, the thing is. The princesses thought that you and me…" The castle hallways around the two heard Amon's echoing scream of discontent, alerting everyone, including Princess Celestia and Inkwell, as they both were going through some documents. This forced them to look at the main entrance door, where moments later, Amon burst through with a scold in his eyes as he advanced. Surprised, the guards quickly step into action and rush toward him to block his advances. "You can NOT do this to me, Celestia!" "Ah, Amon, I must admit, after you stormed away from the dining room, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. In less than ideal moment either," Celestia mentions in a neutral tone, maintaining her regal face and calm demeanor to prevent the situation from escalating further. On the other hand, Amon was far from done as he pointed at her. "You expect me just to sit back and do nothing while you send some random ponies to deal with the ones that make my life a living hell?!" "No, I intend to impart justice to those who broke it and keep my kingdom safe while you remain here to continue to treat your physical and emotional wounds," Celestia fires back as she stands up and brings her hands behind her back. “Now, please, Amon, is there really no way for us to postpone this conversation? I'm more than willing to lend an ear if that is what you desire, just not now." Amon tries to approach, but the guards don't let him advance. Soon, Pinkie, Vivi Starlight, and Fluttershy reach the room, too, and they don't waste time grabbing Amon by the arms. "Amon, did you just lose your mind?! You can't just barge in the throne room. Specially! In the middle of the day court!" Vivi yells in alarm as she keeps pulling him away as he resists. "Please excuse us, your highness! We have everything under control here, just a small hiccup." Starlight apologies, getting in front of them, and the guards with both arms raised a red face and a nervous smile. "No, you don't! You can't just drop this bomb and expect me to do nothing! They took everything from me! I have the right to put an end to those bastards!" Amon yells. "Amon, please!" Fluttershy pleads, grabbing his head. "I know you are furious right now, scared and hurt, but this is why we don't want you to rush. You… really want to become that thing again?" The question of Fluttershy gives Amon pause as he finally relaxes and lowers his arms as he takes a deep breath. "This isn't over, Celestia," Amon promises before turning around and letting the mares take him away. "I'm sure it isn't. Once I'm free from my duties, I will listen to anything you wish to share," Celestia responds calmly as she sits down. "Your Highness, are you sure it's okay to let him go like that?" one of the guards asked the princess in surprise. "I'm sure, as Fluttershy said, the poor stallion is confused and hurt. He needs time to reflect and breathe. So, it is fortunate that ponies are willing to assist. Inform Purple and his team of Amon's location; something tells me that Amon is finally ready to hear them out." Rather than take him to his room to take out his rage, Vivi took Amon to an empty dance hall, where there was nothing he could break in a fit of rage. Her idea seemed to work as Amon could only resort to mumbling angrily at himself as he paced back and forth, cursing the name of Celestia constantly for various minutes. "How long has he been going?" Vivi asks Starlight as they both watch the stallion against the wall. The unicorn checks a clock before looking back at Amon. "Around 15 minutes, all and all, I say he is taking things well. I feared he would be shooting magic or flying around by now." "Ah yeah, about that… Amon can't do either of those," Vivi replies in concern, gaining the attention of Starlight. "But I thought he could if he was angry," Pinkie asks, equally confused. "His hands do crazy things, and there was the time when those bad ponies tried to assault you, Vivi, yet he hasn't done anything yet. Why is that?" "I also heard Mark accidentally removed some curse that prevented him from using magic. So there should at least be sparks from what you are saying," Starlight mentions as she starts to think, "Could it be that his magic is in some sort of stasis state?" "You know I can still hear you, right?" Amon complained as he stood in front of them, staring at the mares, who jumped a little. "And for your information, maybe it is for the best if I can't use magic. I'm not interested, and perhaps my body finally decided to listen, so don't worry about that." "Wh-What? You mean to tell me you are unconsciously suppressing… that is not how unicorn magic works"? Starlight complained, astonished. Yet before she could say anything else, Fluttershy walked into the room with a pack of dogs of various races, as well as Purple and his friends. "Amon, wait before you do anything else. I have friends that want to meet you," Fluttershy mentions as she approaches the animals. Amon is slightly startled when the dogs don't waste time surrounding him. "I told them you've been having a bad day, and I remember how…" Fluttershy shivers and closes her eyes before speaking. "Lupe wanted to cheer you up with her pups," she asks in a broken voice before clearing her throat and continuing to speak. "So I thought my friends could help you out once more." "And maybe get you less grumpy; what do you say, dude, ready to talk, or do you need more time to breathe?" Purple asks as Amon remains quiet and sigh "You are lucky; I would never say no to petting a dog," Amon says as he kneels and starts interacting with the dogs. "Yeah, I can talk." "Thank Celestia," Purple sighed in satisfaction while looking at the ceiling. "Because the pity act was starting to get old." "Fluttershy still with us?" Blissy asked Fluttershy, snapping her fingers in front of her as the pegasus was staring directly at Amon, who was belly rubbing one of the female dogs, making one of her hind legs go while "Y-Yeah, just thought it was a cute scene," Fluttershy replies after shaking her head, causing Blissy to look at her in confusion and slight surprise, before starting to smirk "Right… cute. Let's go with that," Blissy nods before looking back at Amon. "Okay, then, dude. Talk to us. What is getting you so down?" Purple asks. "I've been trying to stay focused as to where my anger should be targeted since this morning when I found out how my attackers are still alive and on a mission to turn my life into a living hell." He then turns to look at Starlight. "Then I found out how they were born, and to top it all off, my house arrest just got extended." "Okay, there's plenty to unpack there," Purple nods several times. "Better start simply enough, your attackers. You should focus your rage on them. Tell us what you learned," Purple offers, gathering his hands and pointing at Amon with his index fingers. Amon stays quiet for a moment before finally sighing and relenting: "They call themselves The Gallileous, an obscure reference to another world of a famous inventor and astronomer. They probably thought of the name because they were inventing something or another, I don't know. The bastards most likely just thought the name sounded cool." He then points at Starlight, "And you can thank their creation to this lovely dumbass still fanning over her high school crush." "Amon! You promise!" Fluttershy scolds him into Amon, interrupting her. "Trust me, Fluttershy! I'd been nice right now, but I have a way harsher name in mind," he snapped back. "Could you at least not make me look like I don't have a…" "You made a cult because you miss your 'best friend' and blame magic because he didn't pay any attention to you, making it sound like you two were the only ponies in the world. Look me in the face and tell me THAT is not having a crush." "It-It is not!" Starlight stutters with a blush, unable to maintain eye contact with Amon. "Oh, sweet crist! You still have it?" "N-No! No, I… we are… we were on you, and the dumbass mistake I made, I will own to my mistake! Continue your story!" Starlight asks him, pointing at the group of guards. "I don't know, I kind of want to hear more about this crush of yours," Brick mentions, intrigued. "There is no crush to discuss, and we are not discussing it! Amon continued what did they do? How they pervert my idea of an equalized world." "Nothing of the sort; they only took the idea of rules as a suggestion," Amon clarified, "And that is what they did: explore ideas and experiment without any sense of morality in their bones. God knows how that led them to seek humans and use them as guinea pigs, but there you have it. And that is how I got the unfortunate luck of meeting them and participating in their sick games." "Amon, if you don't want to, you don't need to tell us what they did to you," Pinkie reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Pinkie, but this, as harsh as it may be, is a relief. It needs to be said; I need to tell you," Amon sighs as he keeps his gaze down. The dogs surround him, sensing his emotions. "They start with tricking suckers like me with job opportunities, runaways, drug addicts, basically looking for people that nobody will notice or maybe even care if they disappear or become urban legends. It's… a common rumor of monsters kidnapping people, so they are never be heard of before." They all gasp at that. "This can't be; how long have they been doing this?" Starlight asks in horror. "It's… a complicated subject, and they are not the only ones. I turned out to be one of his victims, and once we crossed the portal, we were stripped, washed, and cataloged as cater. They didn't waste time telling us how doomed we were. If not angry or scared, it was like they wanted us always to feel negative emotions." Amon clenches his fists together. "The mockery, the operations, the experiments. It was hell on earth. For the glimpses and explanations they gave us. These psychos were obsessed with 'the human nature,'" Amon tells them, making air quotes. "Mostly the dark side of humanity. They wanted to break us and see how we reacted; they encouraged the worst of us while punishing any form of humanity, pitting against one another in some ways and slowly turning us into mindless monsters. I can still hear the screams of those that crack, reduced to any other beast that would attack anything they saw." "This is a textbook, taboo magic," Starlight thinks out loud. "There are rules in magic practices about focus and controlling emotions as warnings of losing one mind if one lets rage or other negative emotions control you. Amon, for what you are saying, The Galileos were attempting to artificially recreate those emotions, except that doesn't make sense. Humans don't have magic… unless." Amon could only nod. "I imagine as much." He pressed his palm to the side of his torso. "Besides taking, they also enjoyed putting pieces in us, too—enchanted organs and whatnot, as they were called." He shivers, and his face turns green. "They didn't… they didn't care much about… our bodies." Amon almost barfed more than once. "...It was messy, gross, and painful just to watch as… many ended up inflating like balloons with gangrenous lumps, and other reactions before we… we…" He pantomimes with his hands and shivers. "Pop… those… were the lucky ones." The room had grown quiet, and everyone present had turned pale; Fluttershy was about to pass out, and Brick and Purple were edged from vomiting, yet Starlight kept her gaze hard and focused on every word Amon said. "So what happened to the ones that didn't reject the implants right away?" She asks in determination with a mix of anger and intrigue. "For most of us, we started to cry blood as we could feel our eyes boiling, our eyes started to shine green, and our pupils became red and started fuming some weird purple fog," Amon replied without skipping a bit. "The Sombra gaze!" Pinkie and Fluttershy exclaim in whisper and horror, recognizing that description. "Then it was as we developed the most horrible case of lepers, pieces of our body crystallized with these black and red diamonds and replaced the ones that fell off, mutating our forms as we could barely recognize ourselves as human. During that time, they showed us projections of different creatures to see if our mutation reflected that change that happened; by then, I had already lost an eye, my right hand, my right leg, and two of my left fingers, replaced with claws and sharpened limps." "Adverse mutation to taboo practice," Starlight mentions as she seems to be in educational/ detective mode. "No doubt they were planning on harvesting the results, but to what end? Even from a curious standpoint, this was suicidal. All of them were creating monsters, and besides the result on a nonmagical creature, this was already cataloged in the Canterlot archives." "Ask them if you are interested. As far as I know, they wanted an army; how they constantly put us in the warehouse for us to fight, and we were down to 10 or less, they immobilized us so they could continue their experiments… the rest gets foggy for me. Still, I remember being transferred to Project Ascend and whatnot. I was shocked when I recovered consciousness, and my body was back to normal, like my nightmare was the most hideous case of chicken pots." "Most likely, that was the result of your body finally accepting the enchanted implants, a miracle or a desired outcome, maybe," Starlight hums and nods. "Then the accident happened when you became like this, I gather." Amon nods, "Yeah, they were congratulating each other as I saw them once everything was over. They were probably thinking I was braindead or something. But I was fully aware; I remember everything, and I was more than happy to show them how enraged I was," Amon says with a low, cold voice as he clenches his fist. The group got worried at his rising anger, yet his magic remained sealed for some reason, not as he even cared as Amon finished his tale. "You know the rest by now, the life of a homeless cursed pony, hiding from a world he barely understood, broken and alone." "Until you meet us! And everything will be alright moving forward," Pinkie says as she hugs Amon. Her words help a little, yet he sighs and looks at the guards. "You see why I need to be present? Do you see why I need to put a stop? If those monsters are still there, what stops them from repeating the experiment? To do what they did to me, on to others?" "You," Starlight's reply confused everyone. "As long as you remain, they are stuck. You are the key. I still don't understand much, but your body and what you become give me an idea of one of the goals. They want to become alicorns by passing the ritual of ascension and brute-force a path to power." "Can that even be possible?" Fluttershy asks in shock as Starlight nods. "Taboo magic is forbidden for a lot of reasons, one of them is that it erodes one's mind, it slowly turns whoever it used into a violent zombie, and then attacks the body until it breaks apart and the subject dies. But it also is a sure and fast way to boost one magic; with enough uses and focus, one could even match the force of an Alicorn briefly before their horn well… pop." Judging by her shivering and how Purple was horrified and holding his own horn, Amon could only assume the idea of their horn exploding was less than pleasant, maybe even lethal. "The harvest, the operations, the inhumane conditions. I understand now that they were using you to harvest magic itself; they wanted the boost in their trials to create enough refined power and inject it into themselves artificially. You must have been the final test subject." "I gather as much. Can we come back to that of harvest magic itself? From what I see, magic is like light; how do you collect that?" Amon asks with a confused tone. "Think of it as electricity, the crystals you mention? They are charged with the magic they want. The attempts of altering your bodies are probably so there would be more to collect; from there on out, it will be a matter of grinding the crystal into dust and using it as an ingredient to boost one magic." "How do you know all of that?" Purple asks Starlight with a raised eyebrow. "I know because I learned it on a trip to the badlands, dark market. It is another taboo practice Diamond Dogs used during an old war, so they temporarily gain unicorn magic but use a unicorn horn, not crystallized malice. This is the first time I have heard of using such a horrible method in this way." "Yeah, I can see the picture now," Blissy nods in rage. "Nothing is off the table for those bastards. They look around the catalog of unforgiving taboo magic and say, "Let's try them all. Why not?" "You mention something about Amon being the key that prevents them from repeating the experiment." Brick brings the conversation back to Starlight. "How exactly is he the key?" "Because he burned their base of operation and killed most of the ones involved," Starlight replied. "Even if some of the data was saved, something this daring needs pinpoint precision, or they will end up like Mark or even worse, maybe they already are," Starlight explained. "Without a blueprint, they would need to start all over again, meaning they need a huge base that is fully equipped and a ridiculous amount of defense to protect themselves from the monsters they are creating. Not to mention, from what you are saying, they never write down how your attempt worked or even if it was successful since it ends up killing them." "So what are you saying? They can't make another alicorn until they get me to tie a loose end again?" "More like they need the data; your body IS the blueprint for the body they want. The secret of becoming an alicorn is that from there, they will only need to think about how to remove the mind and soul and place their own." "That is why the princesses need you to stay here! Purple exclaimed, "It's more than just keeping you safe; it's to keep us safe, too. Nothing stops them from mass-producing uber-powerful bad alicorns if they get their hands on you." "Do you see now, Amon?" Fluttershy asks. "The princess only wanted to help you and us. They were thinking about the best course of action." "Yeah, yeah, I got the hint; I'll say sorry to Celestia when I see her," Amon sighed in frustration. "I still need to go there. Those bastards have much to answer for, and I have to ensure that happens." Purple sighed and shook his head. "Amon, I understand your feelings, and I hate having to use this, but I have to play my royal guard card here." Once he is done, he stares at Amon, dead serious. "If you want them to face justice by the books, you NEED to stand back as a civilian and a victim directly connected to their crimes. Or in your world, the law allows the victims to arrest their attackers?" "...No," Amon begrudgingly replies. "So you see how by chasing, you will be breaking the laws and viewing them as options, just as they do. To a lesser degree, yeah, but it still the same principle, which would turn you in…" "...a hypocrite" "There you are.So would you let us do our job and catch the evil ponies. Or interfere, make things harder, and potentially allow them to escape or succeed on their sadistic goals?" Amon clenched his fist and inhaled hard with his eyes clenched shut in anger before replying. "I will stay," He replied with clenched teeth. "There you go and look at it this way. Don't see it as house arrest; see it more like a vacation trip into a luxurious hotel with deserts… and pretty mares," Purple said, mumbling the last part. "What was the last thing?" "All the deserts! You want, AND if you are happy, they lose, so you are ruining their day by not letting them bother you. I promise the second they are in custody, and if you promise to behave, we will let you gloat a little and see all of them in chains." "...can I at least break the face of one?" "You mean punch them in the face, right?" Brick asks. "...yeah, punch them in the face… yeah, let's go with that." "That is still breaking the law, Amon, but tell you what: If they resist arrest or attempt to escape, you can't be held responsible for self-defense. Sounds good?" Blissy compromised. "...ok, I suppose, but Purple, I swear, they BETTER face the proper justice, or I will take it with my own hands." "Duly noted." Purple nods. "And now that you have told us about it, do you feel better?" "Yeah, a little. It's insane, but talking about it really does help. But these puppies also do the trick," Amon chuckles as he plays with the ears of a husky. The group presses their bodies against him while he plays and belly rubs another dog. "Sweet Celestia, have mercy," Fluttershy mumbles before looking away. Blissy takes notice and approaches her. "It is mesmerizing, isn't it?" She asks with a sly smirk on her face. "Yeah, but it is not the time or place. Seriously, what is wrong with me?! Am I that lonely?" Fluttershy asks in a whisper, not thinking before realizing what she just said. "Relax! We are all mares here. Sure, this is the first I heard a mare get the hots from stallion like this, and it's cute, but hey, no judging. And to tell you the truth, maybe this could work," Blissy patted her back. He can move on and be more receptive to our suggestions if he has his mind occupied with something else if you know what I mean." "Wha-I-oh no, I wouldn't dare do anything when he is that vulnerable." Fluttershy stumbles into her words with a big blush. "Relax. I'm just saying it could be good for him to have the distraction; just think about it," Blissy comments. "You know all of this could be very useful," Pinkie thinks out loud. "We should tell Twilight everything you just told us. What do you say?" "If by we you mean you while I go look for a book or something else to keep my mind busy, then sure," Amon shrugs before thinking of something. "Maybe you can tell me something too, like something to help me be happier?" Amon hints, hoping Pinkie will recall the promise she made to him. "I love that idea!" Vivi suddenly intervened. "Starlight and I can take care of that, and the rest can go tell the rest what you told us, so you don't have to revive it," The maid suggested with a big smile. "Wha, but I…" Amon tried to say anything, but Vivi was already pulling him away. "Come on, I will show you where the maids hide the gala pastries. Plus, you did promise to give Starlight a chance, right?" Vivi insisted, and the group seemed to agree but took different paths. He and Fluttershy looked back in slight disappointment, although for various reasons, a plan seemed to be formed. "Sounds good." Amon finally relents and sighs before looking at Starlight. "I don't suppose you know anything about portals and other worlds, do you?" "Do I know?" Starlight replies in surprise, "Amon, the stories I can tell you." "Oh?" Amon's curiosity recapped again as they advanced and left the room. "Don't worry honey, next time," Blissy pat Fluttershy back. "Maybe it's for the best; the guy is still grumpy anyway." Fluttershy nods, follows her group, and gathers the dogs to take them back to the garden. Improvised Networking (Edited By PW)"...and after we went in time one final time to ensure Rainbow Dash finished the race, we returned to the present, where Twilight and I had a heart-to-heart and came to an agreement." Starlight finishes telling her story while passing by the halls of mirrors, stopping in one depicting her and Twilight holding hands. Behind them is a landscape broken into pieces, and a spiral behind the two mares appears. Amon needs to take a deep breath and close his eyes before speaking. "Okay, let me see if I got this right. In essence, during your revenge plan, you travel back in time to the moment when everything would change for Twinkly…" "Twilight," Vivi corrects Amon. "Twilight, thanks; you went to a crucial moment in the life of that princess with the whole goal of ruining her life and her plan because she ruined your idea of an equal world through a cult. Even though you knew full well that it was thanks to her that at least three global menaces were stopped… and you thought it would only affect her." "Okay, I know this sounds… well, I would admit it, even now I'm ashamed to admit how insane and pedantic that plan was, and yeah, I didn't think there would be so many consequences, but everything turns out well in the end." Amon growls and shakes his head. "A-AND! And I didn't just walk free after playing with the time-space continuum!" Starlight quickly exclaimed in alarm. "I'm listening," Amon says with a neutral expression. "Oh yeah, Twilight wanted to reduce my sentence, but the princesses would hear none of that, no sir! I… I was sentenced to all sorts of community services, A-as a teacher where I had to teach risk fillies and colts, a-and clean streets, a year in jail all the legal system." "What?" Vivi looks at Starlight in surprise until Starlight jabs her in the shoulder, and the unicorn laughs nervously at Amon. "See, we all obey the law." "It still sounds like a VERY light sentence for someone playing around and cost lives of billions, possibly even genocide of the same people MULTIPLE times… but I suppose it is something." Amon decided to believe her and sighed. "For someone to forgive that kind of action so quickly is either a saint or dangerously naive, but technically, nothing of that happened, and it gets confused and painful to try to explain what and how you break the law, so I suppose I shouldn’t be so harsh on Celestia." Amon says before advancing, "I will give you this Starlight. It takes guts to come clean like this. You could have easily omitted how stu… how bad you used to be. Especially to someone who is already on thin ice with you." "I just thought it would be fair and didn't want to be any more secrets among us," Starlight mentioned in shame. "To earn your trust, I must first be completely transparent." "Like I said, it takes courage. So I will try to go a bit easy on you." Amon nods before stopping at another window that catches his full attention. "Whoa, whoa, what is happening here?" Amon asks in surprise as he starts looking at the picture of Twilight giving her hoof to a human girl with fire mane in front of a mirror. Under them, there is an inverse image of the two, with Twilight now a human and the human a pony, a crown serving as a separation between the two pictures. "Oh yeah, this one was made homage to when Twilight ventured into the humanoid world and met Sunset Shimmer," Vivi mentions with a smile. "Crazy story, to tell you the truth, and all because of a crown, if you can believe it." Amon's eyes are wide as he remembers Pinkie's world. "…It will not be the same, but it could be an approximation."A human dimension of Equestria, this is what Pinkie was inferring; it is not Earth, but if there is no magic there… This is it! This is my ticket out of here! "What happened?" Amon asks out of the blue as he points at the window and looks at the mares. "What was the story behind this picture?" "Whoa, easy there, stud," Vivi pleaded, raising both hands at how intense Amon was getting. "Why so interested in this story in particular? It's not your world… right?" Vivi asks with a raised eyebrow. "I think you answered your own question," Amon says deadpan before looking at Starlight. "And this is your golden ticket right here, Starlight. You really want to make amends. Tell me everything that needs to be known about this incident and the human world. Do not let out a single piece." Amon says, looking back at the picture again, "Please, I need to know." Starlight remains quiet for a moment before sighing. "It will take two more months." "What?" Amon looked at her in surprise. "The portal to the human world is operational and can be used. I have used it in the past, and I know what you want. But you need to know two things before we even consider this option, Amon. First, the portal opens only one day every two months, and yesterday, it reset, so you would have to wait." "Two months, I can't wait for that," Amon exclaimed. "And the second thing is that there is a law of balance and order; there is a reason we don't let ponies just wander in and out between dimensions, and the portal is heavily guarded. Individuals from other worlds must be careful when stepping into another world to ensure the space-time fabric does not rip." Starlight confesses with some dread, "It was already a huge risk when Sunset made the jump and stayed in that world, so we need to be sure that it would be safe for you to travel as well before we attempt anything." Starlight warns him, "Are we clear?" "...Fine, I will comply, now please tell me everything. Tell me that there really is one last hope for normality" Amon replied impatiently. The mares feel uneasy about how Amon is talking before Starlight nods and starts telling the story of when Twilight became human. At the same time, Major Shiitake was brought to the interrogation room, where another major was waiting for her with a neutral expression and a folder in the middle of a steel desk. "Major Oaks," Shiitake addressed him with the same formal pleasantries. Major said he wore the same uniform and medals as Shiitake. He was an elderly earth pony in his golden years and an imposing frame. Despite his advanced age, the stallion has aged gracefully, with his wrinkles only giving him an air of wisdom. He cared for his body, with how well-sculpted his muscle mass was shown on his recoil sleeves. He had dark brown fur, violet eyes, and a long green mane, making him resemble an oak tree even more. "Major Shiitake, I must say. After everything that has happened, seeing you confess your crimes brings mixed feelings in me," Oak replies with some sorrow in his voice. "I hope one of them is disgusted," Shiitake replied with disgust as she sat and looked away. "Celestia, know that is how I feel about myself right now." "Mark fools us all, Shiitake. Don't act as if this was all your fault here; you only play a role in his mind games," Oak replied. "Yet I was the one that invited him here, I was the one that gave him sensitive information, and I was the one that opened a door for him to step inside the castle. It is only thanks to a miracle that nobody ended up dead, and there was only one injured. I must atone for my mistakes and step down from the force." "I'm sure your father would not be so hard on you, and you can still assist the prom, kid," Oak replied, confused Shiitake as she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, Oak, I'm not a filly." "Then act your damn age MARE!" Oak suddenly yells at her in irritation. "For crying out loud, yes! You made a mistake, broke the law, and played a role. Crime me a fucking river." "Oak, I think you are missing the point; what I did was very bad; I betrayed the trust of the crown and…" "...And you will now have to earn it back," Oak interrupted her as he opened the folder. "Princess Luna already passed your sentence." "I… she… she did?" Shiitake asks incredulously at the revelation. "Yep, you have been demoted to babysit our latest guest." Oak showed her a picture of Amon. "Things are about to get very chaotic around him, and he will need a chaperone." "What? I… I now have to look after him?" Shiitake asks with a mix of indignation, horror, and disgust. "Consider it poetic retribution, and not indefinitely, just as long as it needs. Once the princess dem that you serve your sentence, your title will be placed on probation to prove you can be worthy of the title once more." Oak finishes by passing her a paper with Luna's seal of approval describing the details of her punishment. "This must be a joke, I… what about my sons?" "They are going too, it all there." Oak points at the paper. "But… HIM!? What is the princess thinking? Can't I get a suspension?" "Ah, don't worry, little filly; if you do a good job, the princess will give you one bright little sticker on your forehead." "Okay, okay, I get the idea, don't be a baby, don't be an ass either, Oak," Shiitake demanded in anger. "Think of it as an opportunity, Shishi; according to the princess, Amon is not particularly fond of how we punish and enforce our laws. We are too lax, and the punishment is not quote-on-word or harsh enough. For I see things, the princess wishes to use you as an example and teacher to show how there is logic in our methods." Shiitake sighed and brought her hand to her face. "From a mayor of our army to babysitting a homeless student. Please, somebody shoot me now," She laments until she starts hearing Oak pretending to play the violin. "Stop it, Oak! I swear I will punch you," Shiitake warns him, making the mayor laugh. "Don't worry, Shishi; I still believe in you and know you will do the right thing. You start tomorrow first thing in the morning." Later that day, during lunch, Amon was in a slightly better mood as he joined the rest at the dining table, eager to ask Twilight about her experience in the human world and see what else he could learn about it. "I must say, I was expecting today's conversation to go in a completely different direction," Celestia comments cheerfully. "All things considered, this seems like a pleasant surprise." "I've got time to think and view my options. And for how I see things, an opportunity just presented itself," Amon replied. So, in the spirit of goodwill, I decided to do what I could to improve the mood." Amon then started stirring his soup. "God knows, we all want to sweep this mess under the rug as fast as possible, am I right?" Even if not intentional, his words create a sense of tension in the room. "Way to kill the mood, jackass" Dash breaks the silence with a glare at Amon. The stallion could only look at her, slightly surprised, before reading the room a bit better. Amon felt ashamed and embarrassed for the first time, unsure what to say or do. Even though he still felt angry and found it baffling how their laws and punishments worked, Amon was starting to understand how these ponies were, at the end of the day, just trying to help, and God knows he hadn't been the easiest of guests to deal with. Putting the spoon down, Amon spoke up again. "That came out wrong; I didn't mean for that to sound like…" "I-it's okay, Amon! I understand." Starlight was quick to interrupt him. "The whole news has put us on edge, to say the least. And Celestia knows you are the one who wishes to put those bad memories behind you." Amon looks at her in confusion before looking at Celestia, who looks at him as if using her name didn't phase her before Starlight continues. "So you don't need to apologize. The fact that you are trying is good enough, and we could sure try to be more patient in return." "Thanks," Amon replied, grateful that the tension was breaking to a degree. "I know I haven't been the easiest person to deal with, and despite how much you try, I have been just an asshole to all of you. So I appreciate how patient you all have been." "Eh, water under the bridge, partner; as you said, it's better to move on than to hold grudges," Applejack mentions dismissively. Amon was surprised at how they all seemed to switch moods so fast. "Very well spoken, Applejack," Celestia complimented before looking at Amon. "It makes you think of the value of mercy and kindness, Amon." "Please don't go there, Celestia; I am still wary of your punishment system… but I will grant you this: it IS important to an extent." "I will take it, just small steps." Celestia nods, pleased with his answer. "Speaking on small steps and making amends. I could start paying you back." "I beg your pardon?" Celestia looked at him in surprise. "Celestia, let's be real here; you are taking me in because the kindness of your heart can only go so far. I do not have a single bit in me, no family, no place to return; you just found out I'm not even a pony. Kindness is putting me in some shelter, and ever so often, it sends me flyers for me to obtain a job or something. The castle…" He points everywhere. "...it's going overboard, and then some. The only explanation to offer me to stay here is that you have a crush, which would be ridiculous. Sure, now it makes sense as a form to protect others and me from maniacs, but before that, it was just too much." "Well, I wouldn't be putting it like that per se, but I agree that this is an opportunity for untapped potential Amon," Celestia pounded with curiosity. "Maybe the time has come for your lessons." "I told you I have no intention of learning magic or becoming a prince. I never ask for this or earn it, no matter what you say. Twilight," Amon says, gazing at the princess. "Once the portal is open, I was thinking of leaving, putting things back as they should be. That is why I want to help around him until I'm gone, my way to say thanks." "Well, that is a nice gesture on your part, but taking a page of your book, I'm afraid that would not be enough." "What?" Amon asks in surprise. "The ponies that robbed you of your life did unforgiving things to your body. And you just said that your existence after and before that happened was less than ideal, so I can't let you go until proper compensation is given. That is why you are staying in the castle, which is final. Or would you say that would not be 'fair'?" "I mean…the place is cozy, b-but I don't want to be a leech!" Amon complains. "That is why I want to propose to you a different kind of lesson, one that, if memory serves you right, also needs to complete your recovery." Celestia pretends to pound as she looks at the ceiling. "Now, if only there is something positive about your current predicament?" She asks, playing innocent as she flaps her wings. "Oh no, no, Celestia, tell me you are joking." "On the contrary, Amon, I'm more than serious, and I can list three reasons why you should consider it. The first one is that the mirror would consider the condition of your body, so if your wings are stiff, who knows what may result? Do you wish to find out what a full vertebral column cram feels like?" Amon is stiff and gulps, not liking the idea one bit. "No thanks" "Then there you have it, now for the second reason: your mental health and insurance that your enemies can't get inside your mind anymore. Keeping your mind busy with exercise should do the trick." Celestia continues. "And the third reason?" Celestia smiles and leans back. "Curiosity, call it a hunch, but the moment I saw you, I felt the spirit of a flyer in you, Amon. One who would fall in love with the sky should they ever meet, but you can correct me if I'm wrong. Haven't you ever been curious? It has never crossed your mind what it would be like to know what it is like to fly." "Oh, dude, you HAVE to do it. There is nothing like that. I will teach you right here if you want!" Dash offers herself at the moment until Celestia stops her. "Well, Amon? What is your answer? Don't you wish to at least take this unique opportunity amidst all the misfortune that has fallen on you?" Suddenly, Amon could feel all eyes on him, eagerly awaiting his reply as he was on the spot. "...Uhhhhh." Tuition Schedule And First New Lesson (Edited By Pw And Okoro06)"I can't believe I fell for that again. I don't know what that mare keeps doing to me, but she did it again!" Amon virtually bellows in irritation as he storms back to his room with Vivi close behind. "The princess didn't do anything else but extend the offer, Amon. You were the one who accepted it." The servant replied with a smile before raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. "Although I'm surprised by your choice of a teacher. I mean, Rainbow Dash was right there, practically begging you for the spot." "Exactly. That mare was way too intense for my taste, and I barely knew her. Plus, she’s part of the army, and I didn't sign up to be enlisted," Amon replied. "The army? Sir, the Wonderbolts are not… and she isn't… okay, you were spot on; it may be intense, but still, you could have let her down a little more gently, not to mention who you ended up choosing…" "...What about it?" Amon glances at her with a raised eyebrow. "Not much. It's just surprising you even knew that name." Amon only shrugged at the comment, "I overheard it here and there, no biggie. There’s no problem with that one, right?" "Not at all, sir, and your reasoning seems sound. That was an excellent choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rainbow Dash still wants to be present. Most likely with a forced smile and a determined effort to consider her teaching you at least one lesson." "I wish her luck,” Amon groaned. “Good, as for the other lessons..." Vivi starts until she hears Amon groan even louder. "Yes, I know; everyone convinced me to let Starlight teach me history or something; quit rubbing it in." "Starting tomorrow, your schedule will be hectic, but don't worry. I'm sure you’ll love it. From what I’ve heard, there’s nothing better than casting your first spell," Vivi says before giving him a short bow. "For the time being, sir, get some rest, and please remember that Princess Luna would like to speak with you in the evening, so I will come around 10 p.m. to fetch you." Amon nods and waves farewell to Vivi as the servant leaves him alone with his thoughts. Amon took a moment to breathe before walking to the balcony and admiring the night sky. "So I’m learning to fly. I wonder how that would work for someone who has freaking vertigo." Amon ponders with some degree of anxiety and curiosity, feeling his wings twitching slightly at the thought. He keeps simulating scenarios in his mind, mostly positive ones, as he starts to imagine, with intrigue, what the sensation would feel like. Later that night, a knock on Luna's door alerts the night princess, who is too preoccupied with staring at her night sky to turn back and glance over her shoulder. "Princess Luna," one of her guards calls from the other side of the room. "I brought you, sir Amon, as requested." "Thank you, let him pass. And please inform the other guards that we are not to be disturbed unless an emergency occurs," Luna commands. Soon enough, the double doors of her room open, followed by the stallion in question being escorted by one of the lunar guards. The guard salutes before turning around and closing the door behind them, leaving the two alicorns alone. "Please, Amon, take a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment," Luna says to him, pointing to one of her couches before returning to her work inspecting the stars. For a moment, Amon considers her offer and is about to sit when he notices how Luna's hand seems to glow as she moves it in the air, pretending to touch and move imaginary dots. His curiosity got the better of him, and he approached Luna slowly, trying to understand what she was doing. He pressed his body against one of the sides of the balcony’s frame and tried to hide his body underneath the semi-translucent curtains. "Did my work pique your interest?" Luna replied without looking, making Amon stiff before becoming irritated by Luna's smirk. "If you wish to look, just ask young Amon. Amon steps outside and sighs, being caught red-handed, "Can I watch?" “Oh my goodness, Amon, how daring and unexpected. Not to mention that the mare usually asks for the opportunity to check out the male body. I suppose I’ll have to make an exception this time. Go ahead, but try not to make a mess.” “Check out? What the hell are you…? NO! Your work, your work! That’s what I meant!” Amon exclaims with a bright red face, “For crying out loud, Luna, I can’t believe you were even thinking I would ever ask for that.” “What if you had asked that? What would you have done if I had agreed?” Luna asked with a smirk as she wagged her tail a little for emphasis. Amon flinched for a moment before being able to reply, “Shut up!” Damn you, stupid sexy princess! Amon thinks about this as he tries his hardest to maintain control and not let his mind wander into dirty images of the princess in front of him. Luna only chuckles in response and nods in approval, having had her fun, before looking ahead and resuming what she was doing. "So what are you doing exactly?" Amon asks. "A little bit of star cleaning; look at the sky," Luna replied calmly, pointing ahead with her head. Following her instructions, Amon looked at the starry night, only to be shocked when the stars were literally moving at the command of the princess's skillful hand. "With the stars in constant motion, it is natural for my constellations to fade and become obscured beneath a shower of wandering stars, so on nights like this, when there are few tasks to attend to, I take it upon myself to organize my starry sky and ensure that my constellations remain clear and easy to read to those looking at them for directions." With her work done, Luna cancels her magic and turns to face Amon, who returns her gaze once the stars stop moving to reveal a much clearer starry night with more visible constellations. "I find it relaxing; it's a spring cleaning deal. I can teach you about my constellations once we finish your magic lessons." Amon, for his part, was stunned by what he had just seen before sighing in defeat and shaking his head. "You can command and dictate objects billions, maybe trillions, of light-years away with a mere twitch of your finger, even if most, if not all of their lights have already gone out; maybe you ensure their lights never fade. Sure, why not? So far, that’s the least insane thing this world has to offer." Amon's words were full of sarcasm as he returned to the room. Luna looked at him with surprise, sympathy, and slight curiosity, but Amon seemed to have ignored her proposal. "So Vivi said you wanted to see me. I guess you wanted to start my magic lessons as soon as possible?" Amon asks as he returns to the room and relaxes on the couch Luna had offered. "You could say that; I was told that you wish to escape your problems and dive headfirst into a humanized version of Equestria to seek a sense of normality," Luna responds neutrally as she sits on a sofa in front of Amon and crosses her legs. "Was it that easy for you to abandon your goal of helping those who had previously helped you?" Luna asked, keeping her eyes closed as if she were scolding a foal and not an alien alicorn. "Funny you’re bringing it up when it was you who pushed me to drop that idea, Luna," Amon replies with a glare of his own. "Do not put words in my mouth, Amon; we both know that is not what I said that night. I meant that this was not a question of right or wrong, but of why. Your actions show that all your decisions were made for the wrong reasons." "Again, with this? When are you going to make up your mind already?!" "When you begin to listen. It appears you failed to inform my sister of your situation. It's a shame." Luna sighed and finally opened her eyes to look at him with pity and sorrow. "Amon, please answer me this honestly. Do you hate us?" "What kind of question is that? Of course not, I don't hate you, Luna." "I wasn't talking about myself, nor my sister, nor any other friends you have made while living in the palace. I meant US," Luna repeated, placing her hand on her chest. "Do. You. Hate. Us?" It took Amon a while to figure out what she was saying, and the question made him clench his fist and feel the urge to barf, leaving him with no choice but to turn his head away. "Luna, please, don't. Could you not ask me that? That wound, it… it's still fresh." "Fresh? Or has it simply reopened again?" Luna asks him cryptically again, and Amon responds with silence, filling the room with tension until Luna breaks it with a sigh: "Fair enough; apologies if I stepped out of line there. Just let me add one last comment before starting our lessons." Amon looked at her with curiosity. "Before embarking on your next journey, you should look within yourself for the answer, and accept it no matter the result. You may come to regret your decision otherwise." Luna finished staring melancholically at the desk in front of her. Amon could feel a familiar sensation of sorrow and experience, something he had come to learn over the years. Before moving on to the next subject, he understood where all that advice was coming from. "Anyway, as to the reason you are here, I was informed that your latent magic recently became dormant, isn't that right?" "...yeah, well, honestly, I wouldn't mind if it stayed like this, but I'm sure you could give me a list as to why that's a bad thing." "In alphabetical order, if necessary," Luna finishes. "But rather than wasting time in discussions and arguments, let's look at this as an opportunity." Luna summons a fog with a wave of her hand, which conjures three simple yet heavy volumes on the table between the two. "The path for you to connect with your alicorn magic," Luna says, pointing to a book on the right with a finger, this one showing a symbol of an alicorn on its dark blue hardcover. "Dipping into the foundation of magic as a blueprint for potentially something more," Luna says, pointing to the middle book, the thinnest of the three, which has three stars on the cover and an object hovering, making a circle around those stars. The book is light gray, a clear sign that it is intended for children. "And maybe, just maybe, a dormant desire waiting to grow," Luna says with a smirk, pointing to the last book, a red one that, unlike the others, had no cover and only a title that Amon couldn't read. "Call it a hunch, but I see the spirit of a wizard in you, Amon, someone who may fall in love with the concept of magic and the infinite possibilities that it can provide if given the opportunity." Okay, the fact that she had the same speech as Celestia is scary now. "So, Amon, aren't you the least bit interested in magic? Don't you want to know more about this incredible gift that has fallen into your lap?" "I’d be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind, but after seeing what magic is capable of, if perverse and twisted. I’ve come to wonder if the risks are worth it," Amon sighed. "Magic, like anything else, is only a tool, Amon; it is not a curse that erodes the mind, nor a beast that cannot be controlled—it is simply a tool for you to use. If only you tried, you'd see that too." Luna extended a hand to Amon. "Please let me show you the other side of magic, the side where most of my ponies live, and why many fall in love with mastering it." Amon simply stood silent and thought about it before grabbing her hand. "Okay, at the very least, so all of you stop pestering me into trying it." "Thank you." Luna nods and shakes her head. "In that case, may I request permission to scan your mana pool? I promise you won’t feel a thing, and it will only last a second." "Fine, go ahead," Amon says, shrugging. With his consent, Luna's hand glowed once more, and Amon could feel the warmth radiating from it. The warmth spread to his wrist and then arm, and he realized he was floating in a void. He could only see a giant, bright blue sphere in front of him, encircled by a black miasma. He was brought back to reality, breaking the handshake as Luna gasped and stared at Amon in horror. "Wha? What just happened? What did we see?" "Just as I had feared, an enchanted mental block, all of your fear, rage, and resentment. Think of it like an obstruction in a river; that is why one must be careful of their negative emotions; hold onto them long enough, and they can potentially harden, and, well… you saw the result." "So my rage became a weird miasma fog… thing, and it's blocking my magic, which is why I can't use it?" "It's worse than that; the miasma is merely the first symptom of something far worse," Luna explains, shaking her head as she becomes pale and worried. "What?" "Remember how I told you that magic is a tool? Consider it a spring that you are compressing to its limits before it releases all at once," she demonstrates by making a fist and then opening her hand. "Do I need to explain what this 'expansion' implies?" Amon remains quiet and gulps as he slowly shakes his head. "Okay, you convinced me, so let's start the lesson. Teach me the abracadabra or expelliarmus thing now." "Calm down, Amon, you are not making sense right now, and it's okay; it can be reversed," Luna puts her hands on Amon's shoulders before thinking about something and gazing around the room. "But we might want to move our lessons somewhere less… fragile." She goes to her closet and looks for something before pulling out two cloaks. "Yours may be a little short, but they’ll work." She tosses one of the clocks at Amon before putting on hers. "Follow me and pick up those books; we’re going on a little trip." Luna exclaims with some degree of excitement in her voice. "What about your guards?" Amon asks, putting on his cloak and picking up the reading material. "They’ll be none the wiser," Luna said with a smirk as she put her hand against the door, which turned completely black and became engulfed in shadows before she walked inside. "Now, let's go." So, besides controlling stars and travelling through shadows, can't she also cut and chop? Amon mulls it over as he follows Luna through the portal. Luna Stress Valve (Edited by PW and Okoro06)Deep in the heart of the mountain of Canterlot, an imposing monolith shines with the same magenta light of Princess Luna before its edges are covered in shadows. Moments later, the princess in question marched outside as she was traversing a passage, following close behind her new student. "We are here," Luna announces as she smiles and takes a deep breath. Amon also looks around with some curiosity. "And where is 'here' exactly?" He noticed the figures in the distance fighting and yelling in what he could only assume was some massive fight club hidden deep inside the mountains. The two were standing in what seemed to be the ruins of what once was a temple with desk chairs and remains of pillars, all reclaimed by nature, covered in moss, vines, and flowers of all colors, all of which had their own shine and bright levels. The rooftop was gone, leaving instead a giant hole in the ceiling. Most impressive of all was a table in the center of the table with a crude map of the starry night, with figures representing constellations and how they mirror the stars on top of where they are. "One of the few remaining temples built in my honor from before my…" Luna stops and holds her tongue before rephrasing her words, "...from a time long past. Come on, Amon, while the night is young, let me show you around." Luna issues him as they both leave the entrance and explore the place, following a simple and eroded stone path to a desert arena. As they march, Amon can hear the screams and grunts of others, making him know they are not alone. Others have come to this place, and it seems they arrive with the same objective in mind. "Do not worry about any unforeseen eyes on us, Amon. They don't even know I'm here sharing their goals." "And who are they exactly?" Amon asks as he sees what appears to be a pegasus fighting a minotaur with training gear. They both were wearing gladiator armor, and the pegasus seemed to be sporting leathery bat wings. "Anyone that has answered the call to fight, those that enjoyed the sensation of a good brawl, the pumping of their hearts, the adrenaline of combat, or merely seeks to become stronger in a quest for improvement, I suppose," Luna explains, ending with a shrug. "...and you are one of them?" Rather than answer, Luna turns and looks back at him with a smile. "Is that so hard to believe? A figure like mine does not just stay like this from diet, light jogging, and hot yoga, you know." Luna announces with pride, “Even if Celly thought that is, by the stars, I just love how much she hates that she doesn’t get ‘results’ as fast as me,” The princess mentions mostly to herself and a sly smirk. Geez, mortals, ponies, gods, it's all the same. Siblings just love torturing each other. Amon thinks as they reach the destination, a deserted arena with a sand-circling ring and various boulders spread around it. Modern training equipment was too well preserved and clean to have been here for a long time, making Amon assume Luna brought them to this location for her to use. "...here is where I come to release stress, a secluded place not even Celestia knows where I can express my anger without any issue," Luna explains before punching a boulder next to her so hard it was smashed to pieces. "We all need a release valve from time to time. This is mine, and for the time being, it can be yours as well. I know it is hard to understand now, but trust me. This place," Luna spins and points at the area around the two, "allowed me to escape a dark place in my mind the first couple of months after I returned." "Returned?" Amon repeated with a raised eyebrow. "This is a subject for another time; do not worry about it. Let's begin your lesson". Extending her hand, she raises a podium from the sand and orders Amon to place the red book on it. Once he does that, Luna opens its pages, scanning its content before finding what she is looking for, and pokes the center of it—showcasing an astral image of mares performing combat positioning. "Perfect. This will do just fine for stretching, helping your body relax and let its innate magic flow." Amon looks at the image in interest before remembering something. "What about our clothes? I'm used to what I have, but don't you mind sweating your regalia?" "What regalia?" Luna asked before opening her cloak, revealing that she was now wearing a blue and silver short bra matching her short shorts. Her mane was a comb, and she had silver sweat head, wrist, and leg bands, as well as jogging tennis shoes. "Our cloaks are enchanted for this occasion, allowing us to change our clothes while retaining our normal body heat quickly. The moment we stepped outside, we were already ready." She then smirked and stepped forward. "Were you disappointed that you could not watch me change?" "Okay, Luna, stop!" Amon warns her, taking a step back before noticing the same sweatbands on his wrist and how he was wearing loose jogging shorts and tennis shoes and was bareback. "Luna!" "Don't blame me; the cloaks adapt to what makes you more comfortable to work out," Luna defends herself, raising both hands and shaking her head. "If you want a shirt, just close your cloak, imagine it, and it will be there. Although it is a shame putting away the gun show," Luna laments, admiring the body of Amon until he covers himself. "Hey! Hey! Eyes here! Luna, eyes here!" Amon demands, pointing at his eyes. Geez, and this is what many women on earth have dealt with daily? Amon contemplates as he steps away while Luna chuckles. "Okay, okay, my last one. I swear, in all honesty, shirtless can be better; it lets you breathe more easily, but whatever option makes you feel more comfortable is fine." "Duly noted. I still want a shirt, thank you very much." Amon covers himself, and when he looks again, he is wearing a plain white shirt now. "Speaking of, what about our regular clothes?" "They are safe and sound back in my room. You can collect them once we return. For now, if there is nothing else, let us begin. Please put yourself in the first position,” Luna instructed, pointing at the images again. Amon nods and approaches the illusion pose before getting next to it and trying to copy the position. He raises both arms and clenches his fist as if he is about to enter a boxing match. "Okay, but don't clench your fist so hard," Luna instructs, slowly appetizing Amon as she guides his movements. "This exercise aims to adjust your body to power, focus your mind, and release pent-up anger. To do so, follow this path: First, clear your mind if it helps you close your eyes." Luna steps away and copies the pose beside Amon: "Next, concentrate on your fist, attune yourself with your body, and picture yourself in your mind using your senses." Luna breathes in slowly to demonstrate, "Then comes the tricky part: your anger. Remember something that made you mad, and gather your anger into your fist, if possible, making a sphere around it." Her hand started to glow once more. "When you feel ready, just throw your first punch." She punched the air, and by doing so, a blast of magic was released in a flashy explosion; it was as if her hand had just exploded. Amon was so impressed that he almost didn't notice Luna looking at him. "Okay, now you, remember: Relax, focus, remember, and release." Amon nods, and after taking a couple of deep breaths, he closes his eyes and tries to focus on her pattern. Once he has a clear idea of his body and recalls one of many events that fill him with rage, Amon tries to throw a punch, only for some sparks to emerge from his fist. "Again, try to remember what makes you angry, relieve the idea, but this time, don't contain yourself; act on your impulse," Luna instructs. Amon repeats the process, obtaining similar results for over an hour, while Luna insists that he repeat the action. Once done, Luna passed the page to sword fighting and conjured two wooden swords. "I don't know how it works on Earth, but in Equestria, your weapon is considered an extension of your arm or your wing; by channeling your mana into the object, you use it as a bridge; some of the greatest sages use staffs and even wands to perform spells of great power such as…" Luna demonstrated by slicing a boulder in half once she enchanted the sword. "Okay, with that kind of power, what is the point of having a practice sword?" Amon questions as Luna gets to his right and points ahead to the rings where she made copies of Mark. "He stole your face, mocked your life, and tricked you multiple times. I know that anger still lingers in you; now go." With a light push, Luna puts Amon in the ring where the sand clones attack. By instinct, Amon raises his weapon and starts defending himself. "Don't worry; it's just props. It's a stress reliever, remember? Don't hold back; just let all that anger out," Luna calls as she sits on a bench. Amon keeps moving around until he stabs one of the props, who disintegrates. "There you go! Keep going!" Under her encouragement, Amon fights on, relaxing more and more, yet the results remain the same: only sparks and micro outbursts. He was releasing his magic, but the blockade was still there. Before ending the night, Luna had one last trick she wanted to try in a one-on-one fight, yet it required some extra encouragement. "Okay, try to hit me." "What?" Amon looked at her in surprise. "You heard me?" She responds and raises her hands, extending her palms. "Try hitting my hands." Amon looks at her confused before slowly approaching and shrugging, trying to punch her hand lightly, only to receive a slap on the wrist. "Did I say love tap? I say, hit me! Now, try again, and this time, it hit me. Put actual effort into your swings," she says in a deadly, solemn tone. "Why?" "Just do it." Amon remains quiet before clenching his fist and trying to hit her hand, only to respond with the same result: "Pathetic, again." Amon tries with the other hand, yet the same thing happens again: "Again." Another miss, "Faster." Amon keeps hitting over and over again, getting increasingly angry. "This is just sad, a grown stallion afraid to face any challenge, preferring to run away when things start to get hard." "Enough, Luna." "Make me. Oh, that’s right, you can't. Because that is not in your nature, is it, coward?" "Shut up." "Can't even throw a decent punch. You are right, you should just run, go to your human world, and hide around. I would give you two weeks before you end up homeless again." "Shut up!" Amon tries to hit her with all his force, yet his attack is sloppy and predictable, so Luna has no issue grabbing his arm and sending him flying into the ring with a judo movement. Yelling, Amon stood up and lunged at her as Luna rushed to him, and they began to fight. The stallion was more like a wild beast, so Luna had no issue controlling the fight, but she had seen more significant results, as his magic was discharging all over his body. "Is that all? Is that all you can do, Amon? Show me the monster that everyone is so afraid of; show me what exactly YOU are afraid of; show me the king of nothing." Luna kept poking his buttons until she saw both of his arms starting to glow. For an instant, time seems to have frozen over, Amon could see leaves floating in midair around him, and the shadow figures of the monsters that torture him appear behind Luna, laughing at him. Their faces were obscure in shadows, but Amon could hear them laugh, laugh as they slaughter humans, laugh as they make him watch, as hands start to crawl and grab Amon's face everywhere, making his blood boil, and he can only see red. The drop in temperature and the glimpse in Amon's eyes were the only warnings Luna got before she responded. In one swift move, Luna took to the air to avoid Amon's final attack as he punched a boulder that raised various bits into the air before falling with a loud thud. A clean fist hole still fumes the same smoke on Amon's fist, releasing a good chunk of his magic, draining him of energy, and making the stallion fall to his knees from exhaustion as he pants hard. Luna descends slowly next to Amon. "That will be enough for today." As he continues to pant, Amon clenches his fist and teeth, still frustrated by what happens as Luna rests her hand on his shoulder. "Why?" Amon whispers in a broken and shaking voice, trying to contain his emotions again and forget the still-ringing laughter in his mind. "Because you are still holding back, conscious or unconscious, I don't know why, but I know that it harms you in more ways than one. And should your enemy find out, I assure you. They will exploit it. So, I did what needed to be said to let you release your magic. I'm sorry if it hurt you, but I won't apologize for saving your life." Amon remained quiet as he panted and stared at the ground. The night was getting darker, and they could hear the thunder fast approaching and the smell of rain. After a few minutes of silence, Luna decided to stare at the sky, and the darkness of dark clouds slowly swallowed it. "None of us are saints, you know? Sooner or later, we all traverse our dark paths. Darkness that would forever linger in our hearts. By ignoring and pretending that it is no longer a part of us. Not only hurt us, but it also insults every soul we hurt along the way." "Enough, Luna! Enough," Amon calls for her in frustration. "All night, you have been spouting nonsense about not holding back this and accepting the dark past, as if you knew exactly what I'm going through. When you don't, you have no idea the sort of demon that lives here," Amon exclaims, pointing at his head. "No, Amon! I know that demon more than well because mine has a name, and it's Nightmare Moon," Luna yells back. And before I could defeat her, she made sure to leave a trail of bodies behind," Luna confesses as the sky is swallowed by clouds. Both of them are illuminated by a streak of lightning near them before they are submerged in pure darkness. Luna just sat next to Amon and hugged her legs in shame. "And not even a thousand-year exile inside a rock would be able to erase that memory from my head." For a time, Amon could only stare at her in shock before closing his eyes and finally understanding the intention behind her actions. Inhaling deeply, the two decided to stare ahead of them as the rain began. Other than putting their hoods back on, they refused to move and just let the rain fill the silence. "Do you hear them too?" Amon finally asks in a very low voice. "If you mean the ghost of ponies praising my sister's day while insulting or mocking my night, then yes." "Would they ever go away?" I hope they do. By the stars, I really do. From time to time, I can still hear glimpses of them. At first, it was deafening, but now I can barely hear a whisper. But I'm aware; they are still there." Luna replies with a nod before she turns to him. “What do you hear?" "Mostly mockery or laughter, and the sounds of machines turning on and off, saw drills, and screams. You get the idea" Amon raises a hand to see the raindrops falling from his palms. "What hurt the most was when other victims switched sides as if they had lost their minds or maybe this hell was what they always wanted in the first place. The idea alone is enough to make me furious," Amon confesses as he clenches his fist. "I can still feel the blood dripping in my fist." Another lighting shone on them both, and for a brief moment, Amon saw his fist soaked not in water but in blood before returning to reality. "That is the one thing, Luna. The only thing I don't want to remember ever again." "And yet only by confronting it, by acknowledging it, can we truly be free of them, Amon." Luna mentioned with a sigh, "In my case, my most vivid and hurtful memory was a simple throat slice to the worst of the nobles imaginable, a snob among snobs and rotten to the core. A noble that loves mocking my night," Luna remembers as she admired her fingers the same way Amon was looking at his fist. "Wanting only power for himself, he spread rumors about how weak and gullible I was as a princess, how any shady business could be fair play under my sky, as long as they only apologize later if caught. When I became my demon, he just kept yapping nonsense about being the hero Equestria needed and how he would present my head to my sister as a marriage proposal. I never want to remember our encounter again for as long as I live." "Geez, he sounds like a complete and utter asshole that may have had a death wish." Luna can't help but chuckle and nod. "I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but… yes, yes, he was. A complete and utter asshole, whom I refused to let have any control over me. Do you see now, Amon? That is why this is so important. I want to help you release all that rage inside your heart. She sighs before looking at Amon. "For the sake of my mental health, I did it; one last time, I relived that moment and discovered a way to make peace with myself because only that way. Would that stallion lose control over me? Same for your captors, Amon; until we manage to confront them, they will still control us." Luna explained by placing her hand on Amon's fist, "You are still trapped in that lab, Amon, just like I once was in the castle. Your mind has yet to step out of that dark room and be free. That is why I had to push you this hard. Tell me, when you threw that last fist, how did it feel?" "It… it felt nice, somewhat like a piece of them was gone," Amon admits after thinking about it. “And that is the whole point of us being here, before we do anything else. You need to really let go.” “Didn’t I just do that with that last punch?” Luna can’t help but laugh. “Oh, if only it was that simple, that was just a sample. There is way more to cleanse Amon.” Standing up, Luna offered her hand. “There is a long journey ahead of both of us, but as long as you listen to what I say, that demon in your head will eventually be nothing.” “...thanks.” Amon takes her hand and accepts her help in standing up as Luna nods. “Now let go, the rain is picking up force, and Celestia is gonna kill me if you wake up with a cold,” Luna informs, pointing at the ruined temple. “Sure, just one last thing,” Amon pleaded before taking a couple of steps away and standing in front of a boulder. Close his eyes and concentrate before throwing a punch at it. The rock jumped a little, and it left a dent, but other than a fist mark and some cracks on it, it didn’t do much. Amon even had to retract his hand in pain. “God, that hurt! Why?” Amon asks as he stares at his hand. “I told you, you are mentally blocked, of course your physical strength would be affected. But all in all, it seems like an improvement, now let go,” Luna repeated as she took Amon's hand, and they both retired back for the night. Flight 101 (Edited By PW and Okoro06)Once they returned to her room, Luna took the soaking cloaks and put them in a laundry basket before offering Amon a towel and a change of clothes besides his old clothes back and the books. "You can keep those; they were tailor-made, after all," Luna commented, pointing at the change Amon grabbed once he finished drying himself as best as he could and put back his trench coat. Plus, they would work great for your flying lessons," the princess said, passing him a pair of flying goggles. "Thanks, and Luna, thanks for tonight, in a way. I needed to blow off some steam," Amon mentions with a slight feeling of being more relaxed now. "Don't mention it. If anyone in Equestria knows what you are going through, it is me. And speaking of blowing off steam," Luna approaches Amon with a sly smirk. "Just putting it on the table in case you wish to try. I know of another way to keep your mind occupied and away from those dark thoughts," she suggests, poking at his chest. Amon could only roll his eyes in response. "Thanks, but I’ll pass. I don't think I have the charisma to mess around with politics." He half-joked before being surprised with a sudden kiss on the cheek from part of Luna before she whispered in his ear, "As I say, just something to put on the table." Moving back, Luna opened the door for him as Amon left. "Anyway, Amon, I wish you a good night's rest, and just like you to remember, you would always be welcome in my chambers at any time. And this could happen." Luna turns around and once more surprises Amon by removing her sports bra in front of him while showing her back. She hugged her chest and looked at Amon over her shoulder before giving him a wink. "Sweet dreams, my lord; I hope this keeps you warm during those long, cold, and lonely nights," Luna finished teasing as she dropped the bra on the ground with one hand, kept showing him her back, and then started removing her shorts before the door closed in front of an astonished Amon, who could only blush and gulp hard. Some small snickers return him to reality as he looks to his right and left at the royal guards standing guard in Luna's room. He finds out they are both mares and gives them bedroom eyes. "Ready to serve, sir." One of them teases, making Amon flinch and walk away from the two, causing the mares to chuckle even harder." Holy crap, that was intense; she virtually did nothing, and somehow, it was even hotter than if she had just flashed me; how did she do that? Amon keeps questioning himself as he tries to keep his mind away from the gutter and feels a tension in his pants that scares him as he strolls, trying to keep his groin in place in embarrassment until he reaches his room. ___________________________________________________________________________________ "...so, as you can see, I have already mapped the best spots to teach any pony all over Canterlot, and these tickets are virtually the best of all of Equestria, and I wouldn't want one of my best pals to miss out, so I can just take over for you, no problem, and…" Dash kept flying around a pegasus as they both marched toward Amon's room at the crack of dawn, with Rainbow Dash's friend deciding to fly while Dash did her best impression of a busy fly. "Dash." Having had enough, the pegasus grabbed Rainbow on both shoulders and stared at her in the eyes. "I know what you are doing, and it is just sad. This stallion chose me; you lost. It happens. Get. Over. It." "But you know how much I love coaching others!" Dash whines in frustration as the pegasus keeps advancing. "Nothing stops you from teaching fillies in the orphanage; go there if you want to teach anyone to fight that bad." The pegasus complained with a roll of her eyes. "You know I'm banned from there!" Dash fires back before looking away, slightly embarrassed, "...after the little incident." "Oh yeah, I forgot; I still can't believe you brought the centrifuge to the school." "Hey! They wanted the whole Wonderbolts boot camp experience. I just complied. You should know that you used to love being strapped to that thing." "True, for a grown mare that knows the basics, not six-year-old fillies and colts." "Please, please, at least let me watch." Dash goes down on her knees and starts to beg at the pegasus. "Fine! But I swear if you start getting bossy and all drill sergeant, I will zap you with a thundercloud. Are we clear?" "Crystal! I will be the fly on the cloud," Dash promises to salute her Wonderbolt partner. "Good, now tell me. Is this the room?" The pegasus asked, pointing at the door to their right where the two had stopped walking. Dash turned to look before nodding, "Yeah, here is where the big guy lives. Speaking of, I forgot to mention, what did the princess tell you about Amon in her letter?" "She made me vow of silence before explaining that he is an alicorn if that is what you mean." The pegasus replies as she knocks a couple of times. "Yeah, if that's all, I should warn you… Amon is kind of on the big side of things. "Dash, are you fat-shaming your supposed friend?" The pegasus asks in surprise at the anger glaring at the pegasus. "What? NO! I didn't mean THAT big. I mean, he is big on…" Dash tries to explain, but at that moment, they both hear Amon's voice from the other side of the door. "It's six in the morning. This better be important, Vivi." Amon called in an irritated tone. "Mr. Amon, my name is Cloud Chaser. I heard you called me to instruct you how to fly. I could have come later, but they told me they wanted this lesson to be discreet, so I arrived this early. Or you don't mind other ponies watching?" The mare asked with a smirk at the door. They both hear a long sigh before Amon replies, "Just give me a moment; I'm… not presentable," Amon calls before stepping away. "Well, he is not a morning person, but at least he doesn't sound like the grumpy type. Now, what was that about him being big, Dash?" "Yeah, I mean, the stud is tall, Chaser, like real tall." "So he is tall, what about it?" Chaser asked with a raised eyebrow. "No, I don't think you grasp the idea. When I mean tall, I mean…" Once more, Dash was interrupted when the door of Amon's room opened, and the stallion stepped outside to look at the mare. Thanks to the morning light and their position, Cloud Chaser found herself under the stallion's shadow as she looked up at his imposing frame, making her feel like a filly staring down at a Ursa Mayor. At that moment, Amon decided to wear something appropriate for their training rather than his usual clothes. This consisted of a silver sweatband on his forehead and wrists, a tight, long-sleeve gray shirt with a green line on the right side of his chest, comfortable blue jeans, a brown cape to hide his wings, and his trusty backpack. In his right hand, Amon was holding a flier that he brought closer to his face before lowering it and comparing the mare in front of him with the one in the image of a light purple mare with a silver spiky long mane comb with a ponytail, a black sports bra on top of a loose dark purple shirt, matching her tight shorts, flying goggles, and headband announcing flying lessons, satisfying that it was a complete match and smiling as a result. "Yes, just as I remember, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Chaser." Amon formally greets her with a small smile. "J-Just Cloud would be enough, Mr. Big, A-Mon! Amon, I mean!" Cloud Chaser tells, trying to compose herself from the fright Amon’s figure gave her. "And hi to you too," Dash says, expressing some irritation at being ignored as she crosses her arms. "So, care to tell me again how you knew Chaser before me, dude?" "Sure, just as soon as you tell me what you're doing here wearing that," Amon replies with a blush as he turns his head and covers half of his eyes in embarrassment at Rainbow Dash's choice of wardrobe: a one-piece spandex suit in dark blue that matches her natural fur color, making it harder to ignore as Amon at first though she was wearing nothing at all if not for the yellow lighting pattern that passes through her extremities and half of her stomach, as well as the flying goggles on her head. "It calls a flying suit the official Wonderbolt flying suit." Dash flies in front of Amon and poses proudly in front of him. "Just a little bit of a perk you could have had if you had chosen me as an instructor, isn't it awesome?" "It doesn't leave anything to the imagination; that is what it is!" Amon complains, closing her eyes and confusing Cloud Chaser a little. "Oh, grow up, big guy! We both know you were curious," Dash teased him, poking his cheeks. "And admit it, you like what you are seeing. Why else did you ask for a Wonderbolt to teach you? Even if it was the wrong one. Like this, you have a nice view, and I can fly like I'm wearing nothing at all." "Wait, you are also a Wonderbolt?" Amon asks in shock, which only freezes Dash in place and confused from being completely ignored again as Cloud Chaser was only confused. "...Yeah? You didn't know it? Didn't you say that you remember me?" Cloud Chaser asks with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, from your flying lessons in the park and this flier. I have seen your work with children while I was looking for cans, bottles, and whatever else that could be recycled." Amon shows her said flier. "I didn't know you also served in the army," he says before saluting her. "Thank you for your service, ma'am." "The army? I… wha… what are you talking about?" Cloud Chaser asks as she picks up the flier, looking at Amon back and forth in confusion. As a result, Dash could only groan and facepalm hard: "For the last time, the Wonderbolts are not part of the royal guard!" Dash complained in irritation. "Wait, can we go back to collecting recycling at the park? The only ones that do that at the park are those living…" "...on the street? Yep, that is me, Amon, the king of ponies experiencing homelessness. And that is where I found you. Hope you don't mind that." "N-No, it's not that it's just me… I have so many questions," Cloud mentions, holding her head in confusion. "It's okay; Dash can fill you in once she changes." "What is wrong with what I'm wearing?" Dash asks in confusion. "Well, he does have a point," Cloud Chaser nods. "I wasn't going to say anything because I thought you were going to a photoshoot or something later, but our uniform is for shows or training at the academy, and the princess asked us to be discreet, so that is eye-catching." "Yeah, that's too much, so please, can you change it to something more modest? Preferable with layers, lots and lots of layers, please!" Amon replied. Dash only groans and rolls her eyes. "Fine! You're lost. I will change into something less flashy, then. Just wait for me on the rooftop." Dash shoves a bunch of papers to Cloud Chaser before flying away. "Rooftop?" Amon repeated in surprise. "A good spot to get accustomed to the wind and wing movement. Don't worry, we’re not gonna push you off or anything like that; we aren’t birds." "Right… thanks for clarifying that." Amon nods a couple of times. "And speaking of clarification, while we go there, can you tell me how a freaking Alicorn a symbol of clear royalty and nobility, ends up looking for change in the streets?!" Amon could only sigh and shake his head. "It's kind of a long story, but I suppose I can give you a short version on our way there," Amon suggested as they both started walking. Once they reached the end of the stairs, Amon reached the point of the story where he arrived in Canterlot. "...after that, I spent the next two months just surviving as best as I could, with the help of Purple and his friends, until a powerful blizzard forced my hand, harming me in a way a couple of bandages and twigs could not save, and well… my secret got exposed. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that having wings made you royal." "It's not just having wings! Amon, what you… This is so much; no wonder the princess asked me to keep quiet. And you seriously don't remember a single thing? You just woke up one day in the middle of nowhere like this?" Cloud Chaser asks in astonishment, pointing at himself with both hands. "And cursed whenever I go, that part is important, but yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Amon nods a couple of times. "And before you ask, no, I am not, never was, and never will be a prince, royal, noble, or any other figure of power; I'm just Amon, and that is how I'm gonna remain." "Y-you're kidding, right? You are not serious about just saying no to your destiny." "That is just a myth, Cloud; destiny is the sum of all our decisions in life, not some random encounter you get one time, and my decisions simply don't include sitting around on a fancy chair with a metal ring on my head all day. That's all." "But… you… ascended! You… that… you're right… It doesn't make… who are you?!" "I told you, I'm just a random pony wanting to learn how to fly, that is all," Amon replied casually. "But… Do you realize what ponies will kill to be on your horseshoes? Do you have any idea of the honor of being crowned an alicorn? What are you simply tossing away like a free sample at a supermarket?!" Cloud asked in astonishment and disbelief at what she was hearing. "Oh, believe me, they made sure to tell me in detail; I know the quote-on-quote privileges of growing wings. Almost sounding like a cult," Amon replied, holding the handle of the door to the rooftop, shivering a little before continuing. "I know exactly what I could earn and told them 'no thanks.'" Amon finished and exited the castle and headed towards the rooftop. Said rooftop looks more like an arena or perhaps a training area with how there was a concrete straight layer on the floor, various metal posts holding plastic giant rings, and perches for the pegasus to use, one of which was currently occupied by Dash per, his request, changed into an avian sweater, and jeans on top of her uniform as she was playing with a ring close to her push it slightly until the two exits the castle. "About time you two arrived, what? Did you get lost?" "Is anything not a competition for you, Dash?" Cloud complained with a shake of her head and a sigh before looking at Amon. "Also, shouldn't you and your friends be getting home? Don't you have work?" Amon adds. "Special royal assignment, Bob," Dash pokes his nose. "If there is a national security alert, we are excused indefinitely. Plus, Twilight and Starlight are doing egghead stuff, AJ and Pinkie are gathering supplies for our trip, and Rarity said something about making disguises," Dash listed, and Amon counted with his fingers. "Hey, there is one missing; what about Fluttershy?" Amon asks, and Dash shrugs. "Don't know. She said something about needing to talk with some Bliss guard mare, and I haven't seen her since. Don't worry about it." At that moment, perched on a nearby tower, the two pegasus in question kept an eye on the group. "A... are you sure it's okay for me to be here, Ms. Wind?" Fluttershy asked nervously, holding a telescope in her hands. "For the last time, just Bliss is fine, and yes. Brick and I do this all the time; it's just some harmless birdwatch," the guard replies with a smirk. "Listen, from all the crap Mark gives you, I understand you are in a sensitive spot right now and need to put your thoughts in order, but there is nothing wrong with some fanning over stallions. So think of this as a healthy way to release stress." Bliss nods and pats her back. "I should go back; my shift is about to begin; just remember to lock the room when you leave." "T-Thank you," Fluttershy nods with a little smile and some heat on her cheeks before using the telescope to see Amon's training more closely. "Well! That take care of that so don’t worry about it. And by the way, don't think I buy any of that crap; nobody is capable of rejecting the crown if they knew what they were refusing. You haven't grasped the full image, and once you do, I bet you will change your mind." Amon could only shrug. "If that is your opinion, that is fair. For now, let's stop with politics; we came here to train, right?" "Right, what we came here for," Cloud Chaser nods, getting excited. "Okay, first of all…" "...We are gonna do a couple of wing exercises, stretches, flaps, and feather inspection; you are gonna need all of those…" "DASH!" Cloud pinches the other pegasus' ear and pulls her away. "What did I say? WHAT DID I SAY?!" Cloud asks her in irritation, "I'm the one teaching, not you, I'M-" "I was just making a suggestion, that's all," Dash shrugs nervously until Chaser pulls her ear harder. "Okay! Okay! You are the teacher; I'm not gonna interrupt!" "Thanks," satisfied Cloud Chaser, let go of Dash, and looked at Amon with a smile. "As I was saying, I'm gonna need to know what I'm working with, so backpack and cape off." "What?" Amon asks in surprise. "Both will get in the way and for someone that has never flown before, trust me, the last thing you want is something entangled with your wings. You need to be in tune with your body fully before putting something on it. So please take both off." "But… I don't want to lose them." "Don't worry; Dash will keep an eye on your belongings," Cloud offered with a calm smile. "I’ll what now?" Dash looks at her partner in surprise as Amon thinks about it and then sighs in defeat. "F-Fine, for the sake of things, I will trust you. Both of you better not take anything, Dash; you hear me?" Amon warns her before handing his cape and backpack to Dash, who promptly is brought to the ground as she struggles to stand up. "For Celestia's sake! What the heck are you carrying here?! Rocks?!" Dash complains with a red face. "Hey, those were my surviving tools, so be careful with them. Only half of them are rocks." "Wait, so there ARE actual rocks in here?" Dash asks in astonishment before sniffing it, and her nose recoils. "Ah! And when was the last time you washed this?" "I don't know, since I came to Canterlot, maybe?" "That was almost 3 months ago!" Dash yells in horror. "Suck it up!" Cloud Chaser yells at Dash before looking at Amon once again. "Okay, big guy, spread those wings," she instructs. After taking a deep breath, Amon does as instructed, remembering what he learned in the infirmary. Picturing his wings as extra hands and ever so slowly relaxing, he extended both of them as far as he could go. Soon both wings were fully extended for the mares to see. "Nice, very nice," Cloud mentions as she strokes her chin in wonder. "Wait, are those claws?" Cloud asks, noticing the two hook-like tips at the base of Amon's wings. "Long story, the doctors aren't sure why I have them. One has a theory that it may be a 'male of the species' situation. Don't worry about it." Amon dismisses her surprise with a wave of his hand. "So, how long do I have to keep them stretched?" "Well, you can relax now unless you are happy to see me," Cloud jokes with a smirk before getting confused and then feeling an awkward silence when Amon looks at her with a strange look. "You know, because of the wings?" "I don't follow," Amon says with a shake. "What do you mean you don't follow? You never had sex-aid classes?" "Ah! H-he was born an earth pony and… homeschool… in an all earth ponies hamlet!" Dash quickly intervenes. "Right, big guy?" "R-Right, what she said." "I thought you said you just woke up with no memory in the middle of nowhere," Cloud says, confused. "Yeah, that happened after I woke up." "Wait! So were homeschooled somewhat after waking up in the middle of nowhere and… what you were just so happened to stumbled into an earth pony hamlet?" "Hey, if your school is your home, that is called homeschooling, even if that is an orphanage, so it counts," Amon doubles down. "Orphanage?! What? How old were you when you started traveling?!" Cloud asks in a panic. "Twelve," Amon responded immediately, which only served to scare and surprise Cloud Chaser and Rainbow Dash immediately. "It is a sensitive subject, so please drop it and start the lessons." Amon insisted with some irritation. "Of course! Of course I… Ah… I just… you poor soul, I could never imagine… give me a moment." Cloud excused herself and flew away to a nearby perch so she could collect her thoughts. "Nice cover story, dude," Rainbow Dash compliments with a slow nod. "How did you have that fake backstory locked and loaded so fast?" "On occasions when visiting cities, there were those circles of fires where the less fortunate and I gathered around barrels of fire to fight off the cold. To pass the time, we sometimes exchanged stories, so I tried my best to pay attention and form my own sad past in case a situation like this happened. I concluded that it was easier for everyone this way. The trick is to give enough information for a general idea and not demand more details," Amon explained with a small, proud smile. "Plus, I sprinkle a little bit of a famous fictional character from my world called Amumu; my story is a bit like his, so I imagine I should just adopt it as my own. Hope I didn't just ruin the day for Cloud Chaser." "I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Maybe you should have thought of that when choosing who should train you," Rainbow smirks. "But don't worry, I can fix this. Just let me do some damage control and…" Rainbow's idea flew out of the window when the second Cloud returned and didn't waste time hugging Amon. "I'm so sorry, Amon, you poor wounded soul! I promise things will get better from here on out," Cloud Chaser says with tears in her eyes. The emotion and speed of her action make her not realize how she accidentally brought Amon's face to her chest as she hugged harder. In the tower, the second Fluttershy saw that she was petrified, her wings expanded and crisped from a new and unknown feeling coursing through her veins: anger. "Ah, thanks? Ah, Miss Cloud, could you please…?" Amon asked her while he patted her back twice as she got the idea and let go of Amon. "Right, right, the lessons," she faked coughing and looked away. Sorry for getting sidetracked there; let's get started. Your feathers seem to be a mess, and that could be a big issue, so for today, I'm gonna teach you the proper way to preen, and then we can do some laps around the field." "Ah, like jogging?" Amon asks with some intrigue. "Kind of," Cloud Chaser mentions with a shrug before looking at Rainbow Dash. "Here, Dash, help me demonstrate." "Sure, okay dude, pay close attention to my wings; I'm gonna blow your mind; just flex and relax when I tell you, and you will be…" "Dash, I swear I'm getting the thundercloud right now!" Cloud warns her with finality, prompting Rainbow Dash to stay quiet. Once she does, Cloud Chaser looks back at Amon once more with a calm smile. "As I said, we can move on with the launch-off exercise after preening. You need to control your wings and train them to open and close in time to catch the wind under them for impulse and know when and how to jump." "Okay, I'm listening," Amon replied with interest. "Okay, then pay attention to Dash's wings as she demonstrates how to flap for lift off… SLOWLY." Cloud finished glaring at Dash, knowing her partner all too well. “Ah come on Cloud! At least let me do a couple of flips” Dash whine Cloud just sighs in irritation and pinches the bridge of her nose. “If I let you do a show after training, would you stop whining?” “Just let me do five of our special moves to sold him about wonderbolts” Dash tells in excitement “I will let you do 1” “What about 4?” “2” “Deal!” Dash tells with a chuckle and a smirk “See that Amon that is is how you negotiate” “O…k so can we move onto the demonstration?” Amon asks, blinking a couple of times. “Right, ok the lift up rush consists of 3 fundamental steps, the running start, where you simply run with your wings retracted on your back fully, Dash?” Cloud asks her partner and Dash to comply turning around and show how to place the wings fully horizontal and compress on the back. “This way your wings don’t drag you back with your wings and make you lose balance. Then it the net pose where you kneel and stretch out your wings” Dash goes on one knee with the tip of her fingers on the ground and her wings fully stretch out at each side of her body “And finally the jump/flap, the easiest and final step” Dash does that and create a dash of wind jumping a couple of feet before returning to the ground “You do that in quick succession and you would be in the air” Cloud finish with a smile “Just remember this is to place you on the sky, once there it would be a manner of balance and adjustment, you can’t just flap your wings all willy nilly once in the air. That would only make you spin around without control until you hit something” Dash continued as she approached Amon. “You need slow strokes and flaps to gain distance, then it’s a matter of finding your own rhythm in the air to stay airborne indefinitely. And once that boring part is done we can move to AHHH!” Dash's explanation was interrupted when a thunder hit her rump, making her jump forward from the shock with Cloud Chaser on top of a thunder cloud glaring at Dash. While Fluttershy can’t help but to blush and look away from the surprise and what happen “I warn you Rainbow Dash, I warned you!” Cloud informed as Dash stood up. “It was ADVICE!” Dash glares back with electrified mane and still fuming “What now I can’t even give those?” “Dash, please get off of me” Amon asked gently from beneath Dash catching her attention as Dash realized how the scare and hit caused her to jump his chest first into his face bringing both down. Realizing what she did Dash blush a little as she stood up, her crotch for a moment grinning against Amon making her gasp for a second before she jumps back quickly from the surprise and blush even harder. The glare from Amon prevents her from making any comment as she nervously chuckles “Sorry for that. B-but considering you motorboat me, we can call it even” Amon keep staring at her before closing his eyes and sigh nodding once trying to not make things more complicated for either of them Is my face some kind of breast magnet? Why does this keep happening with any mare I meet? Returning down Cloud Chaser tries to break the awkward silence “A-Anyway, what do you say we start the preening of the wings and then some mild jogging to practice the first and second steps?” Morning Committed (Edited By PW, and Oroko06)Once more, pegasus started to show in the distance, and considering they had made plenty of progress, Amon and his friends decided to leave things there and return to his room, with the promise of continuing tomorrow morning. Dash, in particular, was pissed off that, in the end, she didn't manage to show off her movements and keep her eyes straight forward and a red face. "Oh, come on, Dash. Are you still sore from what happened?" Cloud Chaser asked with a bit of sorrow in her voice. "All I wanted was to show Amon how awesome the Wonderbolts were, but no, you had to take all morning with kindergarten moves," Dash complained, keeping her eyes forward. "Seriously? That is why you are pissed off? not the fact that her second reprimand left you… feeling drafty?" Amon questions, looking at Rainbow's waist where her sweater was now tied up to hide her shame. At some point, while they were jogging, Cloud Chaser told Amon about pointers and maneuvers to glide, which could be a good follow-up from lift-up. Dash in turn decided to interrupted her once again, and she started talking about wing language and how he should be careful not to stare at other ponies' wings too much, especially mares when they were ruffled. All good and well until she constantly interrupts Cloud Chaser whenever she tried to go back to their training, until she had enough and flies up to kick the storm cloud once more and hit Dash right in her behind for a second time. Now, seeing precisely what and how Cloud did such impressive feet, Amon was full of questions to ask or would have, if not for Dash having a wardrobe malfunction when the lightning ripped a piece of her fabric, and she had a huge opening showing her panties. That day, Amon discovers that the daredevil is genuinely a fan of the Wonderbolts, giving her choice of underwear with a plain pair of panties with a huge W in the middle. "That didn't help either!" Dash angrily bellows, glaring at Amon, "And if you keep staring, you will have to buy me dinner, Amon! Eyes out front!" "Sorry." Amon looked ahead of him with some heat on his cheeks. "You know you can always do the show later. Amon can just put on the disguise and see us perform this afternoon at the dome," Cloud Chaser mentions. "But I won't be on it!" Dash complains. It's my day off, and tomorrow we have the mission, so he won't be able to see my awesomeness." "Ah, Dash, do you want me to see the Wonderbolts perform or you perform?" Amon asks deadpan. "Can't we be both?" Dash asks. "No, but if it really means that much to you, what about this? You do what you have to, and then you can perform tonight before you leave, deal?" Amon offers her. "Well, I suppose that could work," Dash mumbles and thinks about it momentarily. "Better take it, Dash. It's not gonna get better than that," Cloud Chaser tells her with an emotionless stare. "Fine, 6 pm sharp at the royal garden it is, don't be late." Dash tells with finality. "I will try to remember," Amon says with a roll of his eyes. Soon, the group reaches the alicorn room and is slightly startled when standing. There was none other than Major Shitake with her usual two guards. Once she saw them approach, she saluted. "Ms. Dash, Ms. Chaser, Mr. Amon. Good morning to all." "Ah… hi?" Amon reply. "Can we help you?" Cloud Chaser asks, slightly surprised to see a royal guard waiting for them. "Negative; I'm here to report for my and my son's new duties." "Duties?" Dash repeats. "Sons?" Amon mentions looking at the two big royal guards behind the major before looking at the major once more. "That is correct. To pay for my crimes and earn back the trust of the crown, we have been assigned as your platoon for the unforeseen future so I can reevaluate my views on you," she says, maintaining a professional, neutral air as she speaks. "Celestia…" "Princess Celestia, please, SIR!" Shiitake corrects him. "Right HER, decided that the best punishment for basic treason is… demotion?" Amon asks with neutrality. "Geez, dude, a bit harsh, don't you think?" Dash says in concern, "I mean, yeah, it sounds a bit weird, but she wants to try to make amends." "Aja, that is cute; if you excuse me, I need to talk, sorry I mean scream some sense on that mare," Amon growls as he storms off; Shiitake and her guards follow close by. "Stop following me!" "We can't, sir; that's our order." "Oh, for the love of… I can't deal with this right now, Cloud Chaser. Do you have an appointment later today?" "Yeah, I have; I need to prepare for a Wonderbolt show soon; why?" "Just checking," Amon says calmly before looking at Dash. "Rainbow, I need your help." "Sure, what can I do?" "I don't trust her" Amon points at the major "So I need you to stay with me all day until I fix this thing with Celestia." "PRINCESS Celestia!" Shiitake corrected him again. "Yeah, this in particular." "I think you are exaggerating, but fine, can I change pants at the very least?" "Sure." "I can help you!" Fluttershy suddenly appears out of nowhere with an eager smile, startling the pegasus, who jumps back. "Dear Celestia, Fluttershy, where the hay did you just come from?" Cloud Chaser asks once she manages to recover from the scare. "I just arrived," Fluttershy mentions with a smile. "And I heard you needed someone to stay with you all day, Amon?" "Yeah, more or less, but don't you have something to do in preparation for tomorrow?" "Hey, come, you didn't ask me that?" Dash asks in indignation. "Considering you weren't supposed to be here now, I felt you open your whole day. Am I wrong?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "...well, not ALL day either, but still." "Okay, then you can change while Fluttershy accompanies me to see Celestia, Shiitake! don't correct me!" "Then use the proper title; it's PRINCESS Celestia, and I will keep repeating it until you do." "Yeah, I would not be able to take this; I'm fixing this; let's go!" Amon declares as he marches away. "So, see you later, then? Bye." Cloud Chaser waved, slightly startled and confused about how things turned out. "Don't worry; he is a nice guy; you just need to get to know him." Fluttershy apologizes before going after Amon. Sometime later at the dining table, Amon marched inside, focusing on Celestia while she casually drank tea; the guards on the wall got alert until Celestia signaled them to stand down. "Celestia, we need to talk," Amon mentions with neutrality. "It Princess…" Shiitake corrected him again until Amon interrupted. "...SHUT UP!" Been more than fed off, Amon yells at Shiitake, startling even himself with his voice and shaking the room slightly. "…Okay, that is new, but I can think of that later; back to the subject, we need to chat." "Good morning to you too, Mr. Amon. I hope everything went well in your first lesson," Celestia replied calmly as she took a sip of her drink before she spoke up. "Also, to your request, I completely agree; I need to discuss something with you, Mr. Amon," Celestia says, remaining calm as she puts her teacup down. "But please, by all means, stallions first." "You put Shiitake to babysit me. I thought I made things clear with your sister when I said I don't want guards acting as my second tails. No offense," Amon says, directing his attention to Celestia's personal guards, who look at him and then at each other in confusion. "That I did." Celestia nodded and used magic to pull a chair beside her and invite him to sit. "And I have my reasoning as to why I did such a thing to a mare that betrayed the nation that wanted to share with you." Amon takes her offer and looks at the mare with suspicion. "Okay, I will give you a chance. What reason could you possibly have to give that sort of job to her that I could agree on?" "I want you to determine her punishment," Celestia replies immediately, quieting the room. "Like hell, I will… what?" Amon had to pause and double-take what Celestia had just said. "Can you repeat that, your highness?" AJ asks, and only now did Amon notice how the remaining Mane Six and Starlight were also present at the table, making him feel imperfect from having ignored all of them a second ago and thinking Celestia was the only one in the room. "Certainly, Applejack, you heard me right; I wish for Amon to determine what kind of punishment should fall on the major after her actions. I know this seems odd, but hearing about the story of Amon and the circumstances behind it made me reevaluate the justice system I have been practicing and find that there may be flaws that I'm yet to grasp and understand fully and could use an outside perspective of things." Amon looked at her with a deadpan. "You only wanted me to "be a prince" with a taste of authority while learning the importance of mercy and why you do things the way you do, don't you?" "On the contrary, Amon, I'm fully on board with listening to criticism and finding common ground to find an acceptable solution. Should you wish to try implementing our ways of harmony and forgiveness, it is completely up to you," Celestia replied before looking at the ceiling and fake ignorance. "But I will not deny that it would be one pleasant bonus should that happen." Amon could only sigh and shake his head in exhaustion. "For pit's sake, how do you do it? How do you make me stop hating you and give you a chance?" "Lots of understanding, practice, and a bit of charm," Celestia replies with a slight giggle, ending with a wink. "So, I assume you would accept my proposal?" Amon glared at her momentarily before speaking up, "I have conditions." "As long as they are not illegal, cruel, or unusual, I will hear them," Celestia replies. "It will only be temporal." "We can discuss an exceptional time frame." "This doesn't mean I accept crowns, titles, or responsibilities." "Never intended for that to be the case." "Once we are done, I don't want guards following me around." "I can't help much there. That is the law, and contrary to what you think, I'm not above it. You don't wish anyone to be there either, am I right?" "...right," Amon replied begrudgingly. "You mischievous fox." "I will take that as a compliment. And don't be discouraged. I always welcome some healthy games of mind, dear Amon." Celestia finishes with a small little giggle before her expression takes a darker tune. "And as much as I would like things to end there so we can enjoy our meals in peace, there is another subject I need to discuss with all of you, a subject that is not going to be of your liking, I'm afraid." "Okay, I'm back. Please tell me I didn't miss much," Dash says as she flies into the room. "Hi, Dashi, I don't think so," Pinkie replies before looking at Celestia. "But Princess Celestia was about to tell us some bad news." The princess nods and invites Dash to take a seat before speaking. "This morning, I was informed of alarming news. Mark never reached the prison," she confesses with some sorrow. "Did he escape?" Twilight asks in concern. "Worse, somepony got to him first. My best soldiers are on their case on when and how it happens, but at some point, somepony intercepts the chariot where he was on and ends his life without anyone noticing." They all gasp at the news. "That is… this is just horrible!" AJ was the first to speak. "I knew he was a meanie, but I didn't want this to happen." "Not to mention, this raises many questions," Twilight said alarmingly. "For any pony to pull this off, they must know that Mark exposed them, know when he will be transferred, and plan a way to intercept the transport in very little time. How is that even possible?" "Because they have ways of tracking others and moving undetected," Amon replies with a sigh, making all eyes fall on him. "Think of it? How else could they have followed me all this time without anyone detecting me? Or better yet, intercept a chariot in mid-air? With means to detect your target and a way to move without restraints, all you miss is the opportunity when nobody will see you." "And inside a chariot with two guards so close was that chance?" AJ tells with a raised eyebrow. Amon shrugs. "I'm only pointing out my theory based on experience; they may also want to send a message with this." "Agree, we will need to think this carefully." Twilight nods a couple of times. "But what you are saying is right; if they have those two things, the rest can easily fall into place." "This brings me to two other subjects I must share with all of you. The first one is fairly obvious and directed at you girls: Do not separate once you leave the castle and investigate the black market. As for the second... you were right about sending a message, Anon. The killer left one on the wall behind the corpse." She finishes with dread. "...what did they write?" Amon asks with neutrality. "You have a monster roaming the castle," she replied with a sigh. "It is clear that this enemy is not a fan of your current living arrangement and want them to stop" the princess mentioned, glancing at Amon. "Or they may be referring to me," Starlight says in a dejected tune. "They want to enact revenge on my past actions after all" "It doesn't matter either way," Dash said. "It's clear what they mean; they are getting mad, and that is more than fine for me," The pegasus confidently mentioned as she hit her palm. "The more angry the easy would be to make a mistake. This only reinforces how they will be paid for what they did, and we will not let them get away, right girls?!" "Yeah," They all cheer in agreement and excitement. "Just be sure not to underestimate them," Amon reminded them with a glare. "If you really are going to face those monsters, then you better be prepared for everything." He then glances at Fluttershy and Pinkie and starts to feel a pang of concern before looking at Celestia and sighing. "Ce… princess, is there no way I can also go? I'm… I'm not sure they may be ready for what they may see." "I'm sure of it, and you should put more faith in them, Amon. This is not something they haven't seen before." "Yeah, partner, we got this," AJ says confidently. "It's not that I don't believe you can," Amon mentions. "It's what you may lose if you march head first into that den of lions." He then looks at Fluttershy: "Specially you. Your view of the world is pure and innocent. And I don't mean this as an insult; far from it. Just please. I didn't think of this before, but what you may encounter…" Amon shivers at the idea, remembering the halls full of blood everywhere, before shaking his head and looking around. "...I don't want you to lose that glimmer of your soul, especially if you lost it because of me." Everyone awws as Fluttershy holds his hand. "Don't worry, Amon. We will be fine, I promise. With Twilight, I'm sure we will be extra careful." "And with me and AJ, we will make sure to kick the flanks of anyone who messes with us." Dash boosted confidence. Amon still seems unsure but sighs in defeat and nods. "Just promise me something: if you have to enter ANY dark and moist room in a basement, secret room or the likes and you start to smell blood, DO NOT ENTER," Amon says with finality. "Call the guards or some form of authority instead and I mean it; those psychos are something else. And I would not be surprise they are messy and willing to left corpses behind if they get spooked." The room remains quiet as some of the mares grow paler. "We will keep that in mind and proceed with extreme caution, yeah," Twilight says with a nervous tone. "Good." Amon nods and starts grabbing a dozen muffins and putting them in his backpack. "Now, if you excuse me, I have some conditions to make" He pause feeling uncomfortable on his own body at the moment "And a shower to take." Immediately, Fluttershy stood up in attention only to be sat down by Amon "Alone." "R-Right, right. I-I thought you meant-" She cleared her throat and looked away. "-Can we see you later?" "Sure, I mean Dash invite me to see one of those Wonderbolts shows anyways." Amon nodded as he retired; the remaining mane six looked at Fluttershy with curiously. "what?" The shy pegasus ask in confusion "What was that just now?" Starlight ask in confusion "He wanted me to stay on his side for a while." Fluttershy reply right away "Oh darling I don't think he meant for you to do just that to the shower" Rarity jokes slightly. "I mean, could you imagine?" "Y-Yeah, that would be crazy." Fluttershy joined the chuckle with some heat on her face, earning a sigh from AJ as she shook her head. "Oh shoot, I completely forgot I must tell Amon something, one moment." Starlight stood up and chased after Amon; Fluttershy was about to follow suit until AJ stopped her, putting her hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. "No! Remember. Baby steps." "Right, sorry." The rest of the mane six kept looking at Fluttershy with curious looks, minus Pinkie, who was just giggling with a knowing smile. "Okay, could somepony please tell me what the hay is going on here?" Dash asks in exasperation.
End Of The Road (Edited By PW D.R Fur And Okoro06) With a tired gaze and moving on autopilot, an extremely tall stallion with light blue fur and a very long and messy mane that reaches his hips, marches through the middle of a forest without a care. His ragged and dirty clothes consisted of black fingerless gloves, a long open black sweater with mod and big stitches and cloth patches on top of a light discolored shirt, a long green scarf, light blue pants with a hole for his messy long silver tail, black boots with a series of thick stitches that barely held them together, a red beanie with a hole for his dark blue horn, and a dirty and big cloak tied together to a considerable bag he carried over his right shoulder. Reaching a dirty road, the stallion looks both ways for upcoming traffic before continuing his march from the edge of the road until nightfall. At nightfall, he enters more profoundly into the forest and makes an improvised camp, sitting on a fallen log and eating from a can of beans while admiring the starry night. The following day, the stallion manages to reach a town where ponies keep avoiding him like a plague, both in repulsion and fear, after taking a glance at him. Looking to his right, the stallion notices how a couple of ponies dressed in police outfits give him the stink eye and follow him around. Turning an alleyway, the stallion kneeled and put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes. Smirking, the two ponies took their batons and beat the stallion repeatedly, laughing and insulting him. By sunset, the stallion reached a street full of ponies dressed like him, gathered around a fire in a trash can. Joining the group, the ponies shared what little food they had with one another, and the stallion even shared some of his rations with them. Nobody said a word and just enjoyed a small moment of peace. Continuing his march, the stallion found himself on a train cart with other homeless ponies, admiring the blue sky from the open door and taking a deep, long sigh. Once reaching another town and feeling hungry, the stallion begs for change while resting at the edge of an alleyway. Managing to get a small amount, the stallion was surprised and attacked by another homeless stallion who only grunted and screamed with a rusty knife in his bloody right hand and foamy mouth, demanding the change. The stallion remained stoic during the assault and calm and collected, almost bored by the crazy pony's actions. Moments later, the personnel of a help center for drug addicts were startled when the crazy pony that tried to assault the stallion was violently thrown inside the second floor of the building, unconscious and with a bloody mouth. The stallion walked away and put the rusty knife in his bag, using his earnings to buy a book. The librarian urges him to leave the place and virtually tosses books at him so he moves faster; the stallion remains calm and picks up all of them on his way out. Returning to the forest, the stallion found a small cavern big enough for him to lay down and read once he finished improvising a door with some logs and vines around the area. A manticore soon found him and tried to claw his way inside, yet the stallion remained jaded. He looked at the animal before grabbing into a log and tying together the rusty knife on one edge. Walking slower, the stallion kept dragging the corpse of the manticore from the edge of another dirty road until he heard low growls in the distance, which made him stop. Sitting on top of a tree, the stallion saw a group of timberwolves eating the manticore corpse. The stallion uses the tail and a piece of the mane of the manticore to fix parts of his clothes. Once the coast was clear, the stallion stepped down from the tree with the manticore's tail safe in his bag. Grabbing a couple of the remaining bones, the stallion kept his march, repeating the process. Selling what he could beg in the street and letting the local authorities have fun beating him up. Under the full moon's gaze, the stallion took full advantage of his privacy and the nearby river to wash himself and his clothes, pouring water onto his face. The stallion looked at his reflection in the water, seeing all the bruises on his toned and cut chest. The water dissipated gradually in front of his eyes before he looked at his hands and wept silently, closing his eyes and clenching his fist. Eventually, the stallion reached his next destination, a sophisticated and glamorous city on the edge of a mountain with a castle at the far end of it. The stallion stopped to consider stopping by or keep walking until he had to hug himself from the cold and started seeing snow falling, helping him decide as he marched inside, glancing at the city entrance. “Welcome to Canterlot,” read a giant sign. “Well, Canterlot, let's see if you’re different from the other cities.” 2 months later, With Hearth's Warming Eve just around the corner, the streets of Canterlot were filled with decorations and all sorts of activities, with the ponies enjoying the festivities with glee and eagerly awaiting the day of celebration. From his usual spot in an alleyway in front of Donut Joe, the stallion sits and smiles in contentment as families enjoy their day, and he takes personal joy in smelling the recently baked goods that Joe offers; his line of thought is suddenly interrupted when he hears a voice next to him. "You know, there are better ways to enjoy a donut, Ragged." The stallion looked to his right to find a unicorn stallion with purple fur and silver tail, the helmet on his face preventing the stallion from seeing his mane, dressed in golden armor and with a red scarf over his neck, offering a jelly-filled donut to the stallion. "Have you considered applying for a job?" Chuckling, Ragged shook his head and took the donut from the royal guard before leaning against one of the walls in the alley. "If only things were that easy, Purple. We’ve had this chat before. No pony in his right mind would hire a 10-foot-tall, analphabet homeless stallion," Ragged replied calmly. In the first few days, Ragged was fully prepared to deal with the local authorities and their propensity to use him to discharge some anger or have a bit of sadistic fun. Instead, he was blindsided by how the royal guards seemed more than respectful to those struggling and often offered help and guidance to escape their current situation. Purple Heart, in particular, seemed to be almost a saint in how much he wanted to help Ragged get a better life by offering some food, some bits, or constantly offering tips and suggestions on how to improve his condition, most of the time involving him moving into a refugee camp and finding the correct ponies that could allow him to put his life back together, always ready to hear his past and what troubles him and respectful each time Ragged asked him not to dig any further. All of that becomes the routine for both of them, as they have some casual chat before going their separate ways and joke around each time they want, like right now. "Not with that attitude; they won't. Seriously, Ragged, if only you cleaned yourself up a little, worked on your resume, and did some job interview practices. I wouldn't mind lending you a hoof and..." "Purple, we talked about this. Please, let's not have this conversation again. I wouldn't say I like shelters, and it is not a matter of pride either. You have never been in one, but the place is not as safe as you think; everyone is out to steal your stuff and pin you as a thief. Just to barely fit, I need two beds; the rooms are cubes that a pony of your size can barely stand in, and they want two or more ponies to stay, so it is a no-go for me, and the less you know about the community showers, the better." "Okay, fair. And, as I said before, Canterlot refugees are nothing like that nightmare you went through. I heard they have a mixed bathhouse now. Ragged, you know? Mares!... BATHING?! As in beautiful mares naked and helping each other bathe." Ragged looked at him with a stoic face before pointing at him. "Okay, first of all, ew; second of all, you need a cold shower dude, and find a herd a.s.a.p.; and third, the refugee camp I was in before also had a mixed bathhouse and believe me when I say the idea you are having is less the beginning of a porno and more the setting for a horror movie," he fired back with a stoic expression before sighing. "Look, Purple, I appreciate the gesture, and I understand what you are trying to say, but trust me, I can take care of myself here," he repeats before walking into the alley. "The weather team says that tonight there will be a snowstorm! A dangerous one that only an alicorn could survive. Please, Ragged, at least for one day. That's all I ask. I don't want to start patrolling tomorrow only to find a 10-foot popsicle of you lying on the street," Purple begs, making Ragged sigh and close his eyes. "One night! And I will not take any bed; I will go, eat, brace the storm, and then I'm out!" Ragged starts turning around to see the royal guard and lifts one finger in front of him. Satisfied, the stallion smiles and nods. "I can take that. Let's go together, and I can give you a tour of the place..." Purple offers yet Ragged step back. "Ja, nice try, but believe it or not, I have something to do first." "You got a job!?" Purple exclaims in complete shock. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. You can close your jaw now," Ragged smirks and crosses his arms. "Well, what is it then? Can't it wait?" Purple asks with a raised eyebrow. "Afraid not. A mare on the upper side of the city asked me if I could find some berries she needed for a special dessert she was making in exchange for some bits. The berries can only be found on the city's outskirts near the forest." "That's on the other side of the city!" Purple exclaims. “No, it's worse than that; she asks you to go outside the city during a storm alert, wander around the nearby forest, and then go there… for some berries?" Ragged nodded and shrugged. "Hey, bits are bits, and it seems easy enough, so I better get a move on," he said as he walked away. "Ragged, I swear, you better not be making this out; whatever that mare offers, you better demand that she double it. I'm serious about the storm. You cannot do this; start a fire to keep yourself warm. If you stay out, you will die!" Purple yells at him, yet Ragged waves at him before putting his hands in his pockets and casually exiting the alleyway from the other side. Picking up his stuff, Ragged started his journey outside the city, ignoring the usual glares and disgust from the ponies that took a glance at him. Something he had grown used to and honestly preferred to the alternative as he saw a lot of mares acting like horny teenagers leering and looking at stallions with lustful eyes as if they were a piece of meat; some stallions even seemed to have a mare on each arm with a big grin on his face and not a care in the world, and those singles didn't seem to mind putting on a show for the mares who were anything but subtle in their advantages. Of all the places Ragged had visited, the same thing had happened, but Canterlot by far seems to have the horniest of mares that just because they think they are better than anyone else, they believe they can pick any stallion as if they were a standard candy. With a sigh and a disapproving shake of his head, Ragged keeps moving. God, enlighten them so that they don't seem to have any shame. He kept thinking until a particular group appeared before Ragged, bringing his mood down even further. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Canterlot local freak," A teenage unicorn colt with light green fur, a blue polo shirt, beige short pants, and a white sweater that he was wearing a scarf proclaimed to the rest of his snobbish friends while they were carrying long cups of coffee, all of them smirking at him and wearing the same clothes with different colors. "Did you get lost, sticks? The circus is over there," the colt replies, pointing to his right as his companions laugh. "Now, now, Clink. Let's not be so mean to the monster; he probably doesn't understand us," another stallion, a deep red one with a yellow and long mane, replied before addressing Ragged. "We should speak slower, Mop, home? Are you lost? Do you need help?" He starts addressing him in a crude, caveman-like tone as Ragged remains stoic and lets the colts have their fun, exchanging insults and trying to anger him to no avail until they stop laughing and there is an awkward silence around them. "Are we done?" Ragged asked with a raised eyebrow, catching the Colts off guard. They were not expecting that reply, as he seemed to scold them like a parent would their child, until Ragged sighed, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Listen, junior, I'm kind of busy right now, and I don't have time to play with you or your fuck buddies," he mentions with a stern voice, alerting the group and making them gasp as a group seemed to be gathering around them, yet Ragged wasn't done yet. "So why don't you go grab each other's dicks somewhere else or go to your mommies for your daily nursing since you all seem cranky as is." The group remains frozen as they hear some bystanders chuckle at the burn while Ragged resumes his journey until one of them trips him over and brings him to his knees. "Careful, freak. You better watch where you are going. You don't want to leave a crater, right?" Clink tells him as he and his group laugh at what happened while Ragged cleans himself up. "Thanks. I will keep it in mind." Ragged only smiled and started cleaning himself up, making Clink even angrier. So he approached the stallion and poured his beverage over Ragged's head. "Here you are, so that you can chill with this hot weather," he replied sarcastically as Ragged discovered he was holding a frozen frappuccino that was now bathing his beanie, part of his mane, head, scarf, and shirt. Some drops reached his mouth, which Ragged decided to taste and shake his head. "Thanks," Ragged continued to smile and stood up. "Anyway, as I say, I'm in a hurry, and you should be too. I heard a mare's nipples start to hurt if they spend too much time without being milked." He doubled down and smirked at Clink as he growled and tossed his empty cup at his chest. "You freak of nature, don't forget your place! You are nothing compared to me; you are nothing, period!" Ragged stayed quiet and crossed his arms, irritating the group until they left. With a sigh, Ragged resumed his walk and soon found himself outside the city and in the forest, where he started looking for the unique berries that a mare asked of him, smirking when he found precisely the ones he was looking for. In her pride, the mare never thought Ragged could tell the difference, so she asked him to pick poisonous berries, no doubt in some strange political game of hers, where she could use him as a scapegoat. Yet Ragged knew exactly what she was trying to do and decided to play a little prank on her, picking a similar type of berry, harmless but valuable as a potent laxative, starting a small bonfire, and in a metal cup, he boiled some water from a nearby river, and using some petals and herbs to paint the berries red to match the ones in the description the mare wanted. Then he uses some leaves and rocks to make a powder that will have the same effect and power, although it will take time before it takes effect. He smears it carefully on his gloves to avoid getting affected by the parting gift to said mare. Enjoy your trip to the toilet, bitch; let's see how you like being poisoned. Satisfied with his plan and the berries matching his desired color, Ragged returned to the city for the sun to start setting. Just as Purple informed him, the night was getting chillier than usual, not helped by Chip's "special gift" that made Ragged feel even colder, and making Purple’s suggestion all the more enticing, yet Ragged persevered and marched onwards to the upper-class district of Canterlot and more specifically the food avenue where, after some time, he managed to reach a local elegant bakery with a sign of bread on the front door. "Ms. Beckley? Are you there?" Ragged knocks hard on the back door a couple of times until a slightly chubby unicorn mare with yellow fur and ginger mane combed into a bulb and covered in a net answers the door and starts to look frantically everywhere. She wore a full white chef uniform, matching her white apron, and was currently covered in flour. "Not so loud!" she harshly whispered before asking him to enter the spacious kitchen. He agreed and stepped inside, ducking his head and stepping aside so Beckley could close the door behind him. She then turned to look at him with a smile and expectful glee. "Do you have them?" "Right here," Ragged showed her a plastic bag with the "red" berries she requested, making her squeak in delight and carefully grab them. "This is it, the berries I needed. Thank you so much, Ragged. And you made sure nobody saw you?" Rolling his eyes, Ragged crossed his arms. "Don't worry, I stuck to the shadows and ensured none of your competitors saw me. Your secret ingredient is safe." "Good, and thank you for taking the extra steps. I know it's weird, but in this throat-cutting culinary world, you would be surprised at the lengths the competition would go to take you out." She explained pouring the berries into a cake mixer and adding other ingredients before blending them. He raged internally, chuckling at his little prank and how it was taking form. "I could only imagine, so not to be rude, but if only you could pay me what we agreed, I would be out of your..." "Oh, of course, of course, your payment as we agreed," Beckley said, stepping out of the kitchen for a moment before returning with a small sack full of bits in it. "Twenty bits, as we discussed," she smiled and handed it over before grabbing his hand and fluttering her eyelashes at him. "You know, Ragged, I was considering that despite being homeless, dirty, and freakishly tall, you have an appealing face for such a tall, attentive stallion. I may have other uses for you in the kitchen. If you play your cards right, I could make your life all the easier," she mentions, stepping closer and closer toward him. Smiling, Ragged grabbed her other hand and looked her in the eyes. "I don't think your husband may approve of said use, ma'am." "I won't tell if you don't." She fires back, thinking they are in a game until Ragged snorts and pats her cheek. "Thanks, but no thanks. This is too much heat for me, and you know what they say about kitchens and heat. Do I smell something burning?" he asks out of the blue, sniffing the air. Immediately, Beckley turns around in horror and starts to sniff, but she doesn't detect anything burning, even though she remembers that she hadn’t put anything in the oven yet. Looking back, she discovers the back door of her establishment open, and big footsteps lead out into the beginning of the storm. Putting on his hood for extra protection, Ragged starts to shiver and keeps hugging himself in a futile attempt to keep himself warm. The cold and wind picked up force and reminded him of how parts of his clothes are still wet, the holes in his boots increasing the cold and making each step more and more painful. AH, damn it! Purple was suitable; if I stay too long in this cold, I will end up a frozen corpse; I am heading to that fucking refugee camp. Ragged started to run, trying to get away from the storm as fast as he could, yet with the wind and snow in his face, not to mention his mane getting in the way, it became increasingly challenging to see where he was going, and before he could make out anything, he stumbled and tripped against some trash cans that, despite the raging blizzard, produced just enough noise to alert a group of ponies dressed in formal attire and exiting what looks to be a formal gala for the festivities. "Well, would you look at that, guys? It's our old pal Mud Stick." Clip's voice immediately made Ragged groan, and he closed his eyes. Oh, for Fuck's sake, no. Please, god, anyone but this asshole and his team of bootlickers. With a sigh, Ragged stood up and cleaned himself from some snow before looking back. His fears were confirmed when he saw the group of stallions in question wearing formal and elegant black tuxedos and grinning at him. Trying to remain calm, Ragged smiled and put the trashcans back in place. "Evening, gentlestallions, what a crazy night we are having, right?" "Indeed, Muddy, with such a big storm, any dangerous freaks might get desperate and try to do something stupid like break private property," Clip mentions as the group approaches. Understanding their intent Ragged looked around, realizing that in his haste, he must have made a wrong turn and, without realizing it, entered a private park connected to an elegant mansion that was having a party, and Clip either lived or was invited to said party. With that realization, Ragged looked at the group again. "Look, guys, please, you made your point; you have everything, and I don't. I'm the king of nothing and will ever be lucky to have the scraps on your table; I'm just dirt under hooves. Isn't that enough?" "It's a start, but you see, Mud Stick, there is the issue of you making us look like fools in front of everyone earlier," Clip reminds him before hitting his stomach. The colt was so pathetic that Ragged barely perceived it, and judging by how Clip was holding his hand and wriggling in pain, the action hurt him more. Yet, to not escalate the situation, Ragged played along and held his stomach, pretending that Clip had just punched the air out of his lungs, kneeling in front of him. "Right," Ragged whistle and chuckle. "That was wrong; I'm sorry, Mr. Clip." "Oh no! You are not, not yet, but you will," Clip demands, having recovered and looking at him with the same sick grin other guards have given Ragged in the past. "As I said, you are invading private property; we are just defending ourselves from a dangerous freak crashing our party before dragging him away." He points behind him, and Ragged sees a group of noble ponies admiring the show from the balcony as if this were part of the party. With a resigned expression, Ragged nods and extends his arms. "Just be quick, would you? The storm is picking up, and I must reach the refugee camp before it is too late." "Right, because it would be such a shame if you ended up frozen to death," Clip replied sarcastically before punching his face; the same thing occurred, and there was blood on Ragged’s face, except it wasn't his blood. The rush of adrenaline or the cold might have been the reason, yet neither Clip nor his friends noticed how, for each hit they made, their knuckles started to bleed as they laughed. The audience behind them was too far to see either and was cheering at the sight of the blood being spilled and Ragged selling the act. They are just kids; better let them have their fun until they get tired and let me leave, Ragged thought as he lay on the ground face down as the group started stomping on him, their hooves beginning to hurt him, yet he kept enduring. "What the heck do you have on your back? Your bed?" One asks, confused by the two lumps on his back, which also confuses the others before they chuckle. "I bet you spent a lot of time picking the cardboard for it. Too bad it's broken now." They laughed when they heard an audible crack underneath his trench coat. "Maybe we are doing Canterlot a favor, considering everything, the freak might have stolen it," They kept laughing as they continue to stomp his back, Ragged enduring and clenching his fist into the snow, waiting for them to finish their game until a familiar voice made them stop and for the first time in the evening made Ragged feel afraid. "What the heck is going on here?" The angry and exasperated sound of Purple alerted everyone as he, along with two other royal guards, one a pegasus mare with the same fur and a red earth pony stallion with muscle mass, rushed toward them and didn't waste time glaring at the teenagers who were starting to back away. "He was invading officers; we were just defending ourselves," Clip quickly answered as the mare and stallion started interrogating the group, and the nobles from the balcony corroborated their story. Meanwhile, Purple was tending to Ragged and helping him stand up. "Stay with me, Ragged; we will get you help." "Purple, you are making a mistake; you need to get away from me," Ragged warned him in alarm. "Like hell I will! Dude, you are fucking bleeding right now." Purple insists, bringing Ragged an arm over his shoulder. "It's not my blood, and more importantly," A high pitch startled the two as Ragged started to look around. "No, no, no, it's too soon. It can't be here already." "What? What is it? Ragged, is there something you are not telling me about?" Purple asks, looking around as the guards force the group to enter the mansion. They are more than alert that the blizzard is becoming so strong that nobody can see anything. Inside the mansion, no pony can see what is happening outside. A mare screams, getting everyone's attention. "My baby, what did that brute do to you?!" A skinny unicorn mare wearing a cocktail dress and a red boa holds Clip's hands as they finally discover how they are bleeding. Outside the mansion, the screech returns and circles the group as Ragged tries to push Purple away. "I need to get away, NOW!" He insists, yet Purple does not let him go. "Are you insane?! We are not leaving you." "There is a blizzard, you are wounded, and a monster is nearby. Like hell, we would let you fend for yourself," the pegasus says as she hovers near them. "You don't get it; that thing is here for me. I'm cursed, and if any pony gets too close to me..." He can't finish the sentence as a stallion soon falls unconscious, a vast diagonal slash appearing on his chest; if it wasn't for his armor, he might have ended up cut in half. Taking out their weapons, the remaining guards look in horror as a pair of red eyes emerge from the blizzard. From a black mist appears what looks to be a creature with the lower half of a black snake, mantis arms, a woman with breasts, a chest, and the head of a jackal as she screeches at them with blood-red eyes and a snake-like tongue. "No!" Both the mare and Ragged exclaim as they rush at the creature, the monster easily dodging the attacks of the pegasus, who uses two small swords and blades on the edge of her wings to try and cut it. Yet, it had no avail as the snake-like creature managed to dodge them and was about to cut her right wing if Ragged did not grab its arm and hold its place. "Forget about me; take your friend and run!" He yells at her in fear. The mare took advantage of Ragged, holding the beast, to take out a crystal ball and toss it at the monster, but it exploded in contact and trapped her in a crystal cocoon. "And like I said, not going to happen; in case you forgot, we are royal guards! We made an oath to protect everyone," she reminded him in irritation before poking his forehead. "That includes you." "Ragged, what is that thing? How did you know it was coming?" Purple asks in astonishment as he tends to the stallion's wound, which puts him in a healing dome. "I told you, I'm cursed. The longer you remain near me, the more at risk your life is," he repeated before they heard more growls and screeches starting to surround them. "Please, I beg of you, leave me alone," Ragged begged as he started to back away, only for the pegasus to get in his way. "Not. Happening. If you are cursed, then you need our help, end of the..." She doesn't have time to finish her statement as a mace hits the side of her head, sending her flying into a topiary, with Clip posing as a saint with his arms extended. The mare lay unconscious with some blood dripping from the side of her head as copies of the female monster appeared, alongside a creature with elephant legs, a boar face, and the upper half of a gorilla holding a wooden and thick mace, all of which were starting to approach Ragged and Purple. Holding the arms of one of the female monsters, Ragged glares at them. "You won, I'm still miserable and I don't have any friends so leave me alone." The monster doesn't reply, and they seem to be approaching Purple, which scares Ragged. "No!" Clenching the arm of the monster with all his force, Ragged managed to rip them off and slice her in half before launching one of the arms and decapitating the boar creature. Rushing to the pegasus, Ragged picks her up with one arm and rushes to Purple, putting her in the dome next to the stallion. With a stoic expression, Ragged points at the creatures with the remaining arm of the she-monster. "Not anymore; I will not let you kill anyone else," he promises before putting down his bag and taking out the edge of the manticore tail to have as a second weapon. More shadow monsters kept appearing. Running on adrenaline alone and ignoring his wounds, Ragged kept fighting and drawing their attention as they kept cutting and hitting his body constantly until he was coughing blood and covered in cuts and wounds. One of the she-monsters managed to slash his back, ripping his shirt and revealing something that made Purple gasp in astonishment. Two long, light blue wings emerge from his back as Ragged turns around to impale the head of the monster and keep the rest at bay, the royal guard noticing how the right wing seems to be broken. "Ragged, y-y-you… you’re a..." Purple tries to say something in between stutters until the monster almost kills him if not for Ragged using the manticore tail to stab her shoulder and drag her toward him to be sliced in half by the ox-like arm. "A true freak of nature, I know. Let's not make a big deal about it," Ragged complains before he keeps fighting. An enormous boar creature soon appeared when the other monsters fell and turned back into black mist. This one also had the nose and tusk of an elephant and was getting ready to charge. With his strength fading fast and finding one of his weapons lost, Amon looked around for a way to defend himself and the ponies around him, until he saw another fence near him. Getting an idea and grabbing the mare's sword, he rushed to the monster, who tried to swat him away as he charged. Jumping into his arm and running toward his neck, Ragged managed to impale the manticore's tail and barely wrap it around before jumping down and using the mare's sword to cut the tendon of one of its legs. Without the support and from the surprise, the creature started to lose his balance as Ragged used what was left of his shirt, tied it to the edge of the tail, and then created a rope that he pulled and made the creature fall backward and into the spiky fence, impaling his head against it. Once it became mist again, Ragged sighed and kneeled on the ground, remembering how exhausted and wounded he was before falling face-first unconscious into the snow. At that moment, Purple teammates wake up with a startle, and their wounds partially heal. "Purple Heart? What happens? Did we win? The last thing I remember was being cut by something," the stallion said before looking down at his open chest. What could cut steel this easily?" "Ah, guys, did I get a concussion, or is that stallion a...?" The mare asked until Purple interrupted her. "I know, Bliss, I'm freaking out too, but right now, he is wounded, and the storm is only going to get worse. We need to bring him to safety quickly! Help me out, Bricks." The stallion nods as they both take one of Ragged's arms and lift him. Bliss follows closely before looking back at the mansion. "And what do we do about the snob squads and snob nobles? If he is an alicorn, then those assholes pretty much attacked a member of royalty, even if he was pretending to be a homeless pony." "We will deal with that later; for now, he comes first," Purple orders as the group rushes to escape the storm. Author's Note Just letting you know this is mostly an experiment inspired by a far superior story so I'm not sure how or even if I will continue. Hope you like it, and hey I recommend you want the original story is pretty good too
Negotiation In Broad Daylight (Edited By PW)"Well, Ms. Shiitake, do we have a deal?" A mysterious figure whose face was partially obscured by a fedora and sunglasses asked the major with his fingers crossed as they were enjoying a meal in one of Canterlot's most elegant restaurants. The major was in her civilian clothing, a formal pink and green dress, while the stallion had a sleek black tux. From what Shiitake could see, the stallion was a slim earth pony with vibrant gray fur and a black mane and tail. The major in question was finishing a salmon dish with gusto while she spoke with the stallion in front of her. "I can't deny that your idea intrigues me, Mr. Faust," Shiitake responded while pointing at the stallion with a fork. "But I still don't see why we can't let the princesses be part of your plan. Their assistance could be a great asset." "An extremely valid point, Ms. Shiitake. I share your logic." The stallion placed his hand on his chest. "Believe me, if the situation were different, I would call the princesses immediately, but as I explained before, this is no ordinary threat either." The stallion pointed at his head. "It is more akin to a mind parasite with a sickening passive skill, trust me. I have studied it closely." "You have, how? And why?" Shiitake asks the stallion with some suspicion and a raised eyebrow. "Because I was there when he first made contact with civilization, a humble little hamlet he raised hell before moving on. I was part of that community until he destroyed it, just an entrepreneur returning to his roots in time to see its destruction." He raises a finger. "I bet he conveniently forgot to mention how he has an innate charisma for those in power, didn't he? And I don't mean authority like you. I mean those that run the show, those at the top, a mayor, a senate… a princess." "By the stars, you… you are not implying he put the royal princesses in some trance?!" Shiitake asks in fear and disgust. "Is there evidence that says otherwise? Think, with such a history of destruction? How come this news never reached the princesses? How do they always end up as contained events? Why is there not a single wanted poster? That is how he messes with everyone's head Shiitake; he looks for the most influential pony and somehow makes them overlook the chaos he brings. Then, he puts this act of the harmless hobo, and once he has his sick fun, he moves on to his next target city. And it finally found its biggest target yet." "That diabolical freak of nature! I knew he was in trouble; something in my gut was telling me that, and I just knew it! We need to stop him before it is too late. The princesses are already mellowing to him around by the stars; they virtually offer him a room in the castle! It's starting!" "Agree, but we can't let the princesses know about this until we release the spell he put them under. We need to act carefully and tactfully. That is why we must leave the sisters out of this for now. We start talking and end up arrested and restrained while that monster drives Canterlot to the ground." "You're right; it hurts me to my core, but you are right; we can't involve the princesses in this yet." "So, do we have an understanding then?" The stallion asks with a smile as he extends his hand. Shiitake stares at it momentarily before shaking it. "Whatever it takes, just do it. Save Canterlot from that monster." "Oh, trust me, Major Shiitake. I will make sure that monster doesn't cause any more trouble," The stallion promised her with a big grin. At that exact moment back at the castle, Once, Amon and Vivi found a tree to leave the squirrel with some acorns for her. The two returned to the group, which was waiting for them, not too far behind them. "Okay, all taken care," Amon replied while cleaning his hands. "Thanks for waiting; now we can get this day started," Vivi mentions excitedly. "Great! Because I have so many ideas on what we can do, board games, hide and seek, makeovers…" Pinkie starts to ramble in increasing excitement. "Pinkie," AJ calls her with a neutral tone. "Or we can start by teaching you healthy, honest, hard-work activities to do in the community," Pinkie finishes as Marcus robs her shoulders. "Don't worry, honey, we can play hide and seek later." AJ rolls her eyes and chuckles briefly. "Okay, while the two birds have their moment, why don't we start with that? I heard you like to move around and keep yourself busy, right?" AJ asks Amon, who shrugs in response. "You start to enjoy it somewhat while you survive, yeah." "What if I tell you there is a way you can do all that and even more in a straightforward project? Tell me, sugarcube, how good are you with a hammer?" "I improvise one from a sharp rock, some branches, and dry vines. Does that count?" Amon replies. "Why did you sharpen the rock?" Vivi asked with a raised eyebrow. Amon shrugs casually. "I was going for a multi-function tool that I could use as an ax as well, but it helped me nail things from the other end, so… it was kind of a hammer." "Well, the point is that some good old construction work can go a long way, and lucky for you, I know a lot about that. We can start small and work our way to building homes for the less fortunate. What do you say, partner?" "That… sounds like a good idea. I have the dimensions and strength to do that kind of work, Ms. Jack; you got my attention." "Ms. Jack?" AJ asks, blinking a couple of times. Pinkie can't help but chuckle, "Don't overthink about it, AJ. Amony, at first, has some trouble with names. When he meets me and Fluttershy, he calls us Pink and Yellow. Can you believe it?" "I'm not good with names; give me a break," Amon complains with a roll of his eyes, "Anyway, what do you have in mind for us to start, Ms. Jack?" "I was thinking of something easy and practical, beds. And please stop with the "Jack things; it makes me feel like I'm some snobbish married rich mare, and I don't even have a special someone," Applejack pleads. "Just call me Applejack or A.J. if it is easier for you, sugarcube." "I will try," Amon simply shrugs. "Let's get to work then." "I love the energy sugarcube; the first things we need are wood tables, nails, sandpaper, and polish." "Me and Amon can bring the wood," Marcus says before chuckling. "Oh, come on, darling, you are more mature than that," Rarity chastised him with a roll of her eyes and a smile. "Maybe, but the last thing I want is to allow these beautiful hands to get splinters," Marcus mentions, holding Rarity's hands. "Oh, ok, you get that." She bops his nose with her index fingers. "Okay, anyway. Rarity and Vivi could go for the polish and fabrics, and Fluttershy and I can go for the tools and nails," AJ suggested. "Sounds good; let's meet here in an hour," Marcus mentions, and they all agree before they head to their destinations. Once they gathered enough space between them and anyone else, Amon talked with Marcus. "So what did you find 'Marcus'?" Amon asked once he made sure there were no ponies to hear them out. "Something that, if we play our cards right, would not only turn things around in our favor, it will lead us straight to the bastards that put us in our current situation," Marcus replied with a low tone as they reached a shed in the garden full of wood planks. "The princesses' theory was correct; last night's attack was just the first wave. I had to collect every favor I had, but I got a lead. One of the workers in the facility that had you restrained? He survives and obtains an unexpected power from the explosion." Marcus explains in between whispers. "I don't have the details on how and why, but rumor has it that with one command, he can control twelve ponies for twelve minutes without exception." "So, the bandits?" Amon asks in surprise, fearing what Marcus is implying. "They were more or less innocent; maybe they wanted to rob you on their own, but Vivi… the idea of her being assaulted in front of you? It would be enough for you to remain miserable, don't you think?" Amon was starting to see white as his fists were shaking. He had to close his eyes as sparks of dark lighting were discharging from his hand and eyes until he remained in control. "You say we can take the offensive if we play our cards, right?" Amon takes a deep breath. "What do you have in mind?" "The pony's name is Dr.Faust, and he plans another attack tonight. Six guards attacking you then harm and knock themselves out to frame you. No doubt following to something nastier once you are secure in a dungeon." The two return to the rest of the group with a bunch of wood tables. "But if we make him waste the twelve minutes, he will be open and vulnerable to us," Amon said, starting to think about an idea. Marcus smiles and nods. "All we have to do is place the perfect bait for the fool to take. Like a midnight stroll in the garden with no guards around. Lead him to the more secluded parts of the castle and then a good old-fashioned ambush." "Curious, I was just thinking about stretching my legs tonight. What a coincidence," Amon nodded with a smile. "Indeed," Marcus nods with a smile of his own. "We only need to make sure nobody bothers us, and I have the perfect idea to do just that." At that moment in another part of the castle, While the rest were busy gathering the materials to make beds, Applejack took the opportunity to chat with Fluttershy while they were looking for the tools in an indoor shed inside the castle. "So, mind telling me what happened to you earlier, sugarcube?" AJ asks out of the blue as she shakes a small box before grabbing two nails and tossing the box into a nearby trash without looking at Fluttershy. "What do you mean, AJ?" Fluttershy asks as she puts on a construction helmet and a tool belt, blinking several times and staring at her friend. "Don't give me that basket of rotten apples, partner." AJ turns around and looks at Fluttershy. We both know what I mean, back at the throne room. The moment Amon starts scratching that squirrel, you begin to stutter worse than when Big Mac saw Sugar Belle practice yoga." AJ finishes crossing her arms. "Please be honest with me, sugarcube. Did you suddenly get a crush on that stallion? I'm not judging; I'm just trying to wrap my head around how that can happen from petting a critter." Fluttershy remains quiet for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Okay, I admit I may have got just a little crush," She admitted with a deep blush, "And I don't get it either; Amon seems like a nice stallion, and I didn't intend for that to happen. Until this morning, he was no different than any other stallion, but when I saw him treating that squirrel so gently and kindly and… paternal, I… may have gotten a tiny bit… on?" Fluttershy confesses in the process of turning into Big Mac for how red her face was turning. "...you're joking. THAT turns you on?" AJ asks in astonishment after blinking a couple of times. "Not so loud!" Fluttershy harshly whispered, "But yeah, a little bit. I'm not sure what happened, but seeing Amon being so gentle and kind with animals, with his big, strong arms, like a papa bear protecting his cubs, made me see him in an unexpected light. Can you blame me, AJ? He IS cute, don't you think?" "Okay, I admit he is easy on the eyes, but I also know he is vulnerable now," AJ reminds Fluttershy as she crosses her arms. "The princesses ask our help teaching him about friendship, not setting up a date." "I know, and I haven't forgotten AJ. But right now, I'm unsure if I can control myself anymore. He is just so… cute," Fluttershy says, getting worried. "Oh my goodness, the last thing I want is to give him the wrong impression about me, or worse, that this is some setup! AJ, you have to help me." "Don't worry, sugarcube, I got you; if you start to feel hot and bothered, I will push you away and help you regain control. We better play this save and not try anything. Maybe this is just having the normal hots, and it will go away naturally as you say. Maybe you only got turned on, and this is just your lust talking." Fluttershy can only continue to blush and look away until AJ pats her shoulder. "There is nothing to be ashamed of; remember how that stallion is fragile and vulnerable. If you still wish to pursue this, I can help you out after things calm down." "Would you do that for me?" Fluttershy asks in surprise as AJ nods. "Sure, that is what friends are for. And not to offend, but I always suspected that you may ask for our help if you ever found that pony that caught your eye," AJ jokes, and Fluttershy can't help but chuckle a little. "Yeah, I may have needed a bit of help." "So, no more ideas of being all lovey-dovey until he is better, okay?" "I will try to control myself…just keep other animals or me away from him until that happens. I'm not sure I could trust myself." "Relax. If I can keep Big Mac away from Sugar Belle long enough for him to do his chores, I'm pretty sure I can keep you two apart," AJ assured her with a thumbs-up as they finished gathering the equipment and leaving the room. "Seriously, a squirrel? A squirrel causes this," AJ keeps mentioning primarily to herself, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "I swear this whole thing about love makes less sense than Discord sometimes." AJ keeps mumbling to herself as they meet with the rest.
Welcoming Committee (Edited By Phetiamwantip)"Well, Mr. Whales, I must say, your resume is impressive. Your degree, colleague titles, and extracurricular activities almost make you look overqualified for the position here. Why did you apply instead of pursuing something closer to your expertise?" A man shrouded in shadows asks Ragged while sitting on a smaller chair opposite the mysterious man, with a desk between the two. Instead of his usual outfit, Ragged had a simple red shirt with a lightning bolt on it and black jeans as he kept his head down; not only that, but Ragged seemed to be talking with a giant since he was small compared to the man in the shadows. Shrugging and shaking his head, Ragged answered casually, "The same story as always, I'm afraid; I have the tools but not the experience, and that is something they keep demanding; that is why I need to build experience in the field, any field to tell you the truth so companies pay more attention to me." "So if something were to come tomorrow, would you leave us?" The man asks, causing Ragged to start to panic. "N-no, right away, of course! Maybe if the payment is… the point is, you can count on me; I will do my best if you could hire me." Ragged was virtually begging him for an opportunity as the man put his hands together. "That's Good. Then, you can start your job as a dishwasher right away. I hope you don't mind, but we'll need you to supply your instruments." "Ah… okay?" Ragged was taken aback by the sudden condition. "You would work from 4 a.m. to midnight six days a week. We will let you know when your day off is." "Wha… what? But that is far more than just 8... okay if that is what it takes." "Also, I need you to slash this filly throat," The man suddenly suggested, holding a mare filly of no more than five with tears in his eyes, which froze Ragged as he stood up. "Are you insane!?" He yells at the man as a flash of light acts as a smile on the shadow figure "Come on, Mr. Whales, it's not like you haven't done this before. Do you want a job? You will obey blindly; now kill! Consume! Conquer!" The man demands in a more distorted and demonic voice. At the same time, horns start emerging from his forehead as Ragged starts to hyperventilate, his hand seemingly moving on his own, and even when he tries to hold it back, his hand keeps moving as a knife appears on his palm, and it is inching closer to the filly neck. Yelling in horror, Ragged woke up and started thrashing around until a hand held him in place. "Easy, Ragged. It's me, Purple. It's easy there. You are safe," Purple tells him, putting his hands on his shoulder and bringing him back to bed. Still startled but more calm, Ragged looked back at the guard, noticing his mane for the first time since he didn't have his helmet on. Revealing a light blue short curly mane made Ragged think he was wearing a piece of toothpaste for a mane. "Purple?" Ragged answer and then looked around, noticing the medical equipment spread all over the room, as well as the morning sunlight entering from the rows of windows at one end of the room, a series of empty beds minus two where the other two guards were, wearing hospital garments in the middle of a game of cards and the familiar smell of medicine in the room, give him all the clues Ragged needed to have an idea on where he was. He also notices that he is on a specially made bed since he could fit inside without an issue and is currently shirtless. One of his wings was suspended on a bizarre trench next to whose ropes were suspended in mid-air and self-adjusted to his moments to make sure the wind remained outstretched and, with bandages matching the ones spread all over his body and an I.V and another cable connected to his right arm to display his heartbeats. "Welcome back to the land of the living, buddy," Purple jokes before his expression morphs into one of concern. "Listen, Ragged, I know you must be having a lot of questions right now, and I know how reserved you are, but I give you my word. Everyone here is a professional, and they only did what they had to to treat your wounds, including the ones on your legs." Startled, he fell and sighed in relief when he noticed he was wearing pants. He ignored that he was not wearing his usual pants and had the same hospital ones Brick was wearing. Taking a deep breath to calm down, Ragged lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking his next words carefully before speaking. "How many know?" he asked without looking, making the room quiet. "Know what, buddy?" Purple asks with a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "You know what I mean!" He reiterates and emphasizes his statement by pointing at the extended wing. "Just us, the doctors that treat you, two nurses, a couple of royal guards, and the princesses; you have been asleep for the last three days. Happy Heart Warming Eve, I suppose," Purple finally answered after signing before raising his hands. "Don't worry, they all swear secrecy, Ragged; I imagine you have reasons to keep that a secret… your majesty." "Stop!" Sitting up, Ragged glares and points at him, "You're right; I don't want ponies knowing about my… situation, especially the sisters! But thanks for, at the very least, not exposing me to the world like some parade animal. Also, let's leave something crystal clear here: I have no authority, I have no power, I'm just a freakishly tall homeless pony living off the street of Canterlot and nothing more." "Yeah, right. Let's see how long that lasts," Bliss says, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Excuse me?!" Ragged angrily asked while looking at the mare. He noticed her head wrapped in bandages and that she had a soft, slightly curly, light pink mane. The stallion next to him had a short, spiky black mane and tail, and Ragged could see a bandage popping out over his shoulder, no dough going diagonal to tend to his wound. "Hey, no need to get angry, dude; I'm just saying, I don't know how things work from wherever you come from, but in here, those little things on your back," she points at his wings. "And that little thing on your forehead," She points at his horn, "Are a big deal here. Ask anyone if you don't believe me, but no matter what you were before, the moment you got those, it meant you were chosen for greatness as royalty. I don't know why you abandoned the call, but something tells me the princess would want to chat with you about it. Who knows, maybe that is why you were cursed in the first place." She elaborates with a shrug as Ragged only blinked a couple of times. "How did you know I wasn't born like this?" Bliss smirked and crossed her arms. "Call it a hunch, but no pony born with wings could ever forget or never use them before," she demonstrated by lifting herself off the bed for a moment, simply standing up before sitting down again. "Plus, you knew how to fight with your fist and have a strong grip, just like an earth pony would. So let's not poke around the bushes and confess; you started as an earth pony, didn't you?" Ragged remains quiet and looks away before replying, "...yes, I am, but it doesn't matter anyway until I manage to get rid of these lumps; the only thing I'm the prince of is nothing; you can call me the cursed prince, nothing destiny to wander alone and always remain as that, just nothing. And this is not me just being dramatic; no, you saw those things that put us all here. I try to warn you; bad things tend to happen to anyone who dares get too close to me." The room remained silent as the guards weren't sure how to reply and just looked at one another until Brick broke the silence with a sigh. "Well, since this is as good a time as any, better get over with the formalities. My name is Brick Breaker; call me Bricks; all my friends do." The earth pony introduces himself. "For what is worth it. Thanks for saving us back then." Ragged just remained quiet before looking down and grabbing the blanket with his two hands. "It was the least I could do since I brought those creatures. I just couldn't bear the thought of more ponies dying because of me." "Idiot," The mare gets everyone's attention as she shakes her head. "You should have come to us for help. The castle is full of protection and containment spells. I'm sure the princess could think of something for this curse of yours. Did you ever consider that possibility?" "And how was I supposed to ask for help? 'Hi, could you help me? I'm cursed, and now every time I try to make friends, monsters appear and kill them all.'" Ragged acts up in frustration. "Yes! That would be a start," The mare kept complaining before sighing in frustration. "Like I say, idiot." She sighs in frustration and crosses her arms while looking away, making the room go tense again until Brick reaches out and grabs one of her hand "Bliss, we talk about this." "Oh, come on, Bricks! You know I'm right," she complained while glaring at the stallion, who smiled calmly. "Blissy, your wrinkles are showing. Let's calm down and count to ten," Brick instructed as he held her hands and put their foreheads together. The mare closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Ragged blinked several times before looking at Purple. "Are they...?" "... They have been engaged since last month, so yeah, they are an item. Can you believe it was Bricks who proposed?" Purple interrupted his question with the answer before chuckling and rolling his eyes. "A stallion proposing to a mare, how have things changed, am I right?" "...right." Ragged only nods while looking at the couple as Bliss calms down and opens her eyes to look at Ragged again more calmly. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you and called you stupid; it angers me that you didn't think we would help you. We don't go around in armor to play dress up. We live to protect you, no matter what, so whatever the hell is happening to you, know we will always help. Why don't we start again? My name is Blessed Winds, but call me Bliss. I prefer something less angelical. Also, only Bricky here can call me Blissy, so don't go get any ideas, you hear?!" She adds with a big blush, breaking more of the tension in the room. "I will keep it in mind," Ragged replied with a tired sigh. "And it's about the insults; I have called worse, so it's not a big deal; as for why I don't ask for help, well, even if it is not an excuse, my previous encounters with the law have been… less than pleasant, that is why I'm kind of wary of asking for help." "What do you mean by that?" Purple asks, tilting his head. "An excellent question," a new female voice says as they all turn to the entrance in time to see a small unicorn mare with gray fur, a bowled-shaped black mane style with a string of gray showing, a royal guard uniform, and a folder in her side marching inside. She is flanked by two muscular guards with white fur, their faces hidden behind their helmets. Ragged had to take a double take at the mare entering the room since his stature almost made him believe she was a filly at first until the other guards stood to attention and saluted the mare "Mayor Shiitake, ma'am!" They all salute at the same time "At ease!" She orders immediately while remaining focused on their guest. She glares at Ragged with her green eyes until she gets lost. When she reaches the side of his bed, she forces Ragged to stretch his head to look at the top of hers. "Care to elaborate on those 'unpleasant' encounters, Mr. Ragged? That is, of course, if that is your real name," The Mayor demands, yet her attempt at sounding intimidating only made her look adorable. "Ah… not really, that is just the nickname Purple gave me," Ragged admitted while looking at the said unicorn, who simply shrugged in confusion. “You don’t say? That is interesting because…” She stops and starts grumbling nonsense. Ragged sees how the mayor is trembling and clenching her fist. "LADDER!" She yells/orders, startling the two guards following her behind. One of them pulled out a foldable ladder and unfolded it beside Ragged bed so the mayor could climb it up and look him in the eyes, but the side difference was still present as she only reached to his shoulder. Once he could look at her more closely, Ragged noticed the wrinkles forming on Shitake's forehead and some spots marking her age, as if she were a mare entering her golden age. "As I was saying, that is interesting. Let me see if I can get this straight. In short, you are the very first alicorn male in history who, for some reason, decided to hide his royal destine, refuses to use his name, and is plagued with a convenient curse that can take care of witnesses that may get too close to your activities, doesn't seem to be registered in the system or even has a birth certificate, and doesn't have the best track record with figures of authority. Is there anything else you would like to add to that?" She questioned sarcastically, taking out a riding crop that she was wearing on her hip to try and press under his chin but had no choice but to try and do that by poking his arm. Ragged quickly noticed how her eyes were starting to wander off into his arm, and her riding crop was making small circles on his muscle before she shook her head and stared at him again. Ragged remains jaded and ignores the clear list of accusations and pervert glances she is giving him. "Yes, can I ask what the point of all this is?" Shiitake smirked and removed the riding crop, pressing it behind her back. "I just wanted to make sure I had all the facts before doing this," she snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Arrest him," She commanded her two guards, who took up handcuffs and were approaching Ragged until Purple intervened and got in between them and Ragged. "Whoa there, Mayor. I don't want to question your authority. It's true that some days ago, a couple of nobles demanded Ragged be arrested, but I told you he didn't do anything, and from what we saw, those teenagers simply hurt themselves. There is no reason to go this far." "On the contrary, soldier, unless this stallion starts giving us some answers, I have all the evidence right here to lock him up for good," Shiitake fired back and waved her folder in front of him. Since the altercation, I have been digging around for our steam guest here." Snapping her fingers, one of her soldiers put a table in front of her as she laid various photos, reports, and other documentation for everyone to see. "Manehattan, Chickcago, Las Pegasus, Appleloosa, Trottiham, and Celestia know where else; you sure have moved around, Mr. Anonymous," Shiitake mentions with a raised eyebrow, looking at Ragged, who remains stoic at her accusation. "I'm a wanderer; I travel a lot, so what?" "So glad you said that because I also asked around and found those unpleasant encounters you mentioned. Disturbing the peace, extortion for information, illegal selling of animal skins and parts without a license!" She kept listening, pointing at the police reports in the folders. "Do I need to say more?" To everyone's confusion, Ragged started to chuckle and shake his head before glaring at Shiitake with a smirk. "Let me guess, plenty of those so-called 'reports' stated that I was terrorizing citizens on my march, trying to steal their bits or demanding something or another. And all of them end with the ponies making the reports sounding like a fairy tale hero defending the peace and order from the strange monster that invades the city?" His statement took Shiitake off guard, and he re-read some of the articles, making Ragged sigh in frustration. "Oh, for the love of… tell me you didn't bother to read all the reports to the end!" Ragged's statement startled the mare, who almost fell off the ladder until one of the guards caught her and helped her stand up again. "It doesn't matter; the point is that you have a record..." "...They are lying, you shroom head moron!" Ragged states that sitting on his bed in front of Shiitake makes her realize even more the size difference between the two and makes her gulp at how easily his shadow covers her body. "Wanna know what those unpleasant experiences were? Everywhere I went, ponies saw me with disgust and fear, rushing away from me, even when I was simply sitting on the street begging for some change; the only thing I'm guilty of is selling animal parts to survive. I will grant you that, but those assholes here!" He pokes his finger on the table for emphasis. "Are just a bunch of spineless monsters that get off from beating others struggling in life and make themselves look like heroes?" He leans his head a bit while glaring at Shiitake. "If you are gonna open an investigation , Mayor, I suggest you do your freaking job and confirm the validity of your facts." He sat straight again and sighed, "Then again, what is to be expected? I'm just a smelly homeless pony. It's my word against your royal guard pals. Who do you gonna believe?" "I will believe the facts, justice, and the truth," Bliss immediately answered and stood next to them. "Mayor Shiitake, I want the list of all the ponies that made those reports and open an investigation to confirm if they are true or not; falsification of reports is a serious crime, and I have some choice of words for those ponies that lie about it" Bliss request, while her wings were extending and getting ruffle by the second until Bricks stood behind her and hold her shoulders before massaging them to calm the mare down. The room got deadly quiet as the Mayor was suddenly in the spotlight before clearing her throat to recover control of the conversation. "Well then, if that is true, I still have the authorization to make an arrest. This stallion is just too suspicious. He doesn't even have a past; he has a fucking legend behind him, for crying out loud; the locals keep referring to him as ‘LongMane" She mentions pointing at Ragged. Confused, Ragged grabs a piece of his mane before looking at the mare. "I have a legend?" "Don't act as if you don't know; you are starting to become a local tale of a tall, mourning spirit walking the streets at night looking for his family or his killer or something. It just raises too many questions, and by the laws written by Princess Celestia herself, it is my right to arrest you." “The only thing you are going to do is leave my patient this instant!” a stern voice calls from the entrance as they all look at a stallion unicorn with yellow fur and a brown mane walk inside the room wearing a formal square shirt, formal pants, and a doctor's shirt. He is followed closely by a pegasus nurse in a pink outfit, light pink fur, and a velvet-long mane next to him, holding a clipboard in front of her as she hides her blush while taking occasional glances at Ragged. Ignoring the rest, the stallion marched straight to Shiitake and moved aside the two guards, who were startled to see how, despite being slim, the stallion managed to move aside the two muscular guards and stand in front of the mayor. "Shiitake, what in Celestia's name are you doing?" The doctor demands, crossing his arms. "Stay out of this Backup. I'm only doing my job, this stallion…" "...is injured, saved three guards, and is currently protected by the law that states that he will be cared for and healed as a member of the less. Fortunately, he is not going anywhere. He is under my care, and he is in no condition to be held accountable for any police investigation unless it is relevant to a murder, terrorist attack, or kidnapping case, which he is not. So I will say this one last time: you will leave this instant before I decide to report you for obstructing basic rights." "But…but he doesn't even have a name! And everything I found, we can't just…" Shiitake tries to argue, but Backup interrupts her from saying anything. "Have a complaint? Talk to the princess, but right now, I have a job to do, so unleash you want to wear those handcuffs, leave my patients alone, and get out of my infirmary." He points at the door with authority, leaving the room quiet until Shiitake gathers her things and gets down from her ladder, "We are not done here, Mr. I have more than a few questions for you, and you are going to..." "OUT!" Backup yells, startling everyone as the mayor and his guards rush outside and close the door behind them. Once they were out, Backup sighed and clapped his hands together as he turned around and addressed the rest of the ponies in the room. "Well! Now that we took that out, how is everyone doing?" He asked cheerfully and smiled before looking at Ragged. "I see our guest has finally woken up. It was so nice to meet you formally, Mr. Ragged. I hope you don't mind me calling you that. We need to fill something out on your medical chart." Ragged remains quiet and lowers his head in frustration, leaving the room silent. "Riiiiight, Mr. Purple told me about your shyness; it's okay. We can discuss that subject later. We have plenty to discuss, mister, particularly the sorry state of your wings and how terrible you have been treating them." Backup then approaches Bliss and Brick and starts asking them questions, inspecting Bliss's eyes and reaction time. The nurse stays close to the doctor but keeps glancing at Ragged, who becomes aware that he is shirtless, so he returns to bed and tries to cover himself up. During all that, Ragged sighed and closed his eyes until he heard Purple's voice beside him. "Ragged, I know you don't want to talk about anything. I'm sorry I put you in this situation, but please, at the very least, I need you to give us a name. We want to help, but we won't be able to do much unless you help us out." Ragged took a glance at Purple with a stoic expression. "The more I share with you, the more in danger you will be. I've not been stubborn here, Purple; you must patch me up, return my clothes and bag, and let me go before something bad happens." "Something terrible WILL happen if you don't do that. Mayor Shiitake was out of line, but she had a point. I don't know what you did before, and I believe those corrupt cops are harassing you, but if you don't help us out, we won't have any choice but to side with the mayor. I know you are worried about yours and our safety, but do you want to end up locked up in a dungeon?" At that comment, Ragged just clenched his fist and eyes in frustration before relaxing both and sighing, opening them again and keeping his eyes down. "...Amon," Ragged tells out suddenly in a whisper tone. "What?" Purple asks in mild surprise. "My name is Amon. If you need it that bad, there you have it." Purple smiles and nods satisfied that he has seen the alicorn open up. "Nice to meet you, Amon; thanks for telling me." "Don't get any ideas, Purple; I'm only doing this because I don't want to give that bitch a reason to lock me up," Amon mentions with a tired sigh. "So don't expect me to start sharing my life story; trust me, you are better off knowing as little as possible." "It's okay. We can start there. Take baby steps. Don't worry, Amon; we won't let her do that. And don't worry, as Bliss said, the castle is the most protected place in Equestria. Whatever this curse is, we will help you fight it, so relax and let us know if we can do anything to put your mind at peace." "Can you keep my existence a secret from the princesses?" Amon asks, looking at Purple with a slight grin and a raised eyebrow. "...except that," Purple mentions, maintaining his smile. "Sorry, dude. We are still guards. We can't pretend we didn't see an alicorn in the streets." "Yeah, I imagine," Amon groaned, looking at the ceiling in defeat. "This will be one long day; I know it."
First Impressions (Edited By Phetiamwantip)Once Backup finished checking on his two other patients and ensuring they were healing properly and taking their medication, the doctor and nurse turned their attention to Amon, chatting with Purple about nothing in particular. As usual, the guard respected his privacy and decided to explain how things went after their encounter with the creatures, revealing how the guards brought Amon to the castle due to his particular circumstance, ensuring that all his bag and all the stuff inside were safe and sound and would be returned the moment he asks for them, how the crown would pay for his medical bill, will receive a fresh change of clothes. And until he fully recovers, he is more than welcome to remain as a guest in the royal castle. The "good" news only makes Amon groan and angrily facepalm. "Yeah, I imagine you would be trilled about the idea," Purple replies sarcastically and chuckles while he pats Amon back. "Listen, I would love to stay and tell you how, after you get all the whining out of your system, you would love spending time here, but I need to go report to the princess that you are awake; she wants to see you and the stars know you two need to have a chat." Purple mentions before standing up, "Oh, and before I forget, the top drawer on your right, I left a small present for you." Amon looks at him, confused, as he sees the stallion leave. Intrigued, the alicorn turns to his side, and sure enough, there is a small coffee table with two drawers on it. Opening the top one, Amon is surprised when he finds a new red beanie; this one is made for unicorns instead of the other one he used to have, and a purple vest for him to wear next to a cart that simply states, “Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Smiling briefly at the thought, Amon picked his presents, putting on the beanie first before grabbing the vest, but Backup's hand stopped him. “I advise putting that one on hold for a while, Mr. We have plenty to discuss regarding your wings.” Dreading these interactions and rolling his eyes, Amon put the vest on his hip and looked at the stallion. “Is that why I woke up without a shirt?” “It is, Mr…” “...Amon, just call me that. Purple convinced me, and you can have my name, so drop the honorifics already,” Amon requests with slight annoyance at how the stallion keeps using titles with him. Remaining momentarily quiet, Backup smiles and nods before writing something down on his clipboard. “You got it, Mr.Amon. Thank you so much for deciding to cooperate. It makes things easier for everyone. Also, you must keep your back exposed until we find a back shirt your size. I’m afraid you must remain like this; your wings urgently need to be spread and get some air.” Backup explains with a worried tone as he approaches the side of the bed and pokes the base of one of them with his pen. The contact sends a strange shiver down Amon's back, similar to the one he experienced when he slept on his arm. The sensation was concentrated on only half his back and riding to his elbows. "See? They are sore and overly sensitive because of lack of use. I would ask when the last time you groomed them was, but I'm afraid you don't even know what that is. And the state on your left wing especially concerns me." Backup points at the other wing as the nurse pokes, extends, and slowly retracts the exposed part of the appendage. The nurse had to take a couple of steps back because the side of the wing was proportional to his size. Amon was still feeling the strange shiver, but on his left wing, it was accompanied by the sensation of sharp electric needles piercing the skin of his wing, a new, confusing, and unpleasant sensation for the poor alicorn. "Thank Celestia. We re-adjusted the bone, and nothing too serious was damaged." Backup explains as he makes a folder appear and levitates two radiographs of his wing, showing the state of his bones and how one fracture was displaced. "Seriously, with how those nobles trample on them so much, it is a miracle you walk away from that with only that amount of damage; we were able to re-adjust your wing, and if nothing else happens, it will fully heal. But until then, you will have to keep it stretched out for at least one more week before folding it, and then we could start the physiotherapy. I want you to move your other one and get some blood pumping there." Backup explains before putting the images in the folder and placing them on the coffee table. "A week?! No, doctor, you don't get it; I can't simply stay shirtless and keep this wing stretched out for everyone to see." "Afraid is not for discussion, Mr. Amon, one week of rest. You can roam around the room, but that is it. Until that wing heals enough, your orders are bed rest and wing exercise." "And don't forget grooming lessons." Cloud mentions leaving his wing and picking one of the feathers out of place. "Seriously, Mr. Amon, this is almost criminal. Why did you decide to hide such beautiful wings? Even the claw at the base is mesmerizing!" She points at said part. "Claw?" Curious, Amon looked and was slightly startled when he noticed that because it was street out, the claw was poking out, a simply black sharp curved claw poking out of the edge of the cast. "Wait, you are telling me that you never noticed that? Did you ever bother to see your wings when you got them?!" Bliss asks in astonishment at Amon's reaction. "I think I made it clear how I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of having them in the first place," Amon said with irritation. "How come you are not proud of them?! Outside of dragons, I have never seen claws on a wing. I was convinced that a pegasus couldn't have them. Is this like an alicorn thing? Is that what happens when a stallion ascends? It is so majestic and mysterious; I have so many questions!" she grunts in frustration. "Why do you keep something so incredible and majestic hidden?!" "Easy, they are easier to hide than a horn on my forehead, and I don't want to stand up and be viewed as some sort of exotic animal," Amon fired back with a slight glare at the pegasus before looking at the doctor. "Let's leave something clear here. I never wanted all of this." He points at the horns and the wings. "I don't know or care how they work or even look. You can have them if you like them that much since the crown pays for everything. They will not mind a simple operation to eliminate them." When he says that everyone in the room remains quiet and completely mortified, Bliss and Cloud hold their wings in complete horror. The stallion didn't seem to care or even mind. He nodded and started to think to himself, forming a morbid idea in his head. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, consider it a gift or payment for your hospitality," He mentions calmly. "You would be doing me a favor; it will make my recovery quicker and not cost you anything since everything will be free anyway. Think of the possibilities. Backup, you can be the very first doctor in Equestria to have the chance to study an aviary mutation in history!" Amon suggests with excitement, looking at the doctor, who stands back and slowly shakes his head, not liking the idea. Amon keeps ignoring everyone's face as he addresses the rest. "And even better, think of the princesses. I'm a political rival at best and an insult to your customs at worst, so if you chop these lumps off my back and head, I stop being a threat as a male alicorn, and they would not have to lock me in a dungeon." "Funny, I don't recall ever writing a law forbidding stallions from ascending." A regal, softening new voice sounded angry and slightly disappointed from behind. When they turned around, they spotted a tall, majestic alicorn mare standing at the front door, looking at Amon with a disappointed scowl as she advanced next to Purple, who gave Amon the same look. She wore an orange winter gown with a sun symbol on the hoodie that revealed some cleavage, a golden tiara with a purple gem in the top, a golden course on her abdomen, and white boots. Her fur and wings were as white as snow, and just as Amon had seen her on newspapers and TV, her pastel-colored rainbow mane, which was longer than his, was flowing on a nonexistent breeze and roughly the same size as he was. Her presence made the room feel warmer and soothing, as everyone looked at her in awe as she marched, looking at him in pity and slight anger. "Princess Celestia!" They all exclaim and immediately lower their heads in respect, bringing their arms to their chest, all minus Amon, who keeps staring at her and breathing through his nose in defiance as he watches her advance toward her "It's such a shame that this is our first encounter. I heard your story, and you finally woke up. Our first meeting would be more joyful, maybe a turning point in your life where the dark clouds in your path could be lifted, a true Hearth's Warming Eve event. Instead, the first thing I hear walking inside is something so horrible that it makes me want to puke." She complains while glaring at the stallion and marches until she is in front of his bed. "It seems that you misunderstood the situation here, Mr. Amon; the crown, indeed, will assist you in making a full recovery, and I will listen to any curse afflicting you. But there would not be any mutilation or talk of such barbaric ideas in here, do I make myself clear?" "Crystal," Amon replies with a sharp tune and crosses his arms immediately. "Anything else? Or did you want to see your competition? If so, let me put your mind at ease; I'm not; I'm no prince, never was and never will be, so unless there is an actual reason for you to be here, you can go now; I bet a kingdom or a party is waiting for you." Everyone is taken aback by Amon's blatant disrespect towards the princess. Their gazes shift between him and Celestia. Amon's eyes, filled with a mix of frustration and anger, lock with Celestia's. Her expression, once soft, now carries a hint of pity. "Amon, did you lose your mind?! You can't talk to the princess like that!" Purple was quick to scowl at him before looking at the princess. "Please forgive him, your highness; Amon has lived a long time in the street and is a bit paranoid and reserved; it took me a while before he spoke two words to me; it was not his fault that…" For her part, Celestia just raised her hand to stop him before looking at Amon again. "Purple Heart told me about the nature of your curse. He says that any pony that gets too close to you and tries to offer their friendship will be targeted by the creatures that put you here. Is that why you want to keep me away? Are you trying to protect me?" Amon's voice quivers as he lowers his head and tightens his fist. "You don't understand the danger you're in. You must stay away from me, all of you. Just walk away and erase me from your memory." Celestia only shook her head and moved closer, going as far as sitting at the end of his bed, much to his surprise and alarm. "You know why we can't do that, and the fact that you are trying so hard to keep us at bay speaks volumes on how, in reality, you are a nice pony, which only encourages me to help and dig further into your case. Please help me understand Amon. How is it possible for a curse to fight one of the strongest forces in all of Equestria?" She asks with a hopeful smile, placing a hand on Amon's knee. Amon stares at her hand before looking at her with a stoic expression. "You are not gonna stop until I tell you, don't you?" Celestia keeps her calm smile and closes her eyes while tilting her head. "Call it the teacher and nurturing side of me. I'm sorry if I come across as nosey, but I always enjoy learning new things, and I never stop when it comes to the safety of my little ponies. Your case, unfortunately, falls into both." Amon remains quiet and takes a deep breath with his eyes closed. "Can I at least have time to think about it?" "But of course!" Celestia patted his knee before standing up again. "I mostly wanted to say hi and give you a proper welcome to Canterlot, and today is Hearth's Warming Eve. There is no need to sour the mood of the holidays. Just focus on rest and healing, Mr. Amon; once you have time to relax and collect your thoughts, we can speak properly." She explains in a cheerful tune and smiles. "Until then, I took the liberty of picking a special menu perfect for an alicorn in recovery." She smirks and raises an eyebrow. "Considering how you have been living on the street before this, you may be open to something more filling?" Before he could say anything, the grumbling sound from his stomach gave Celestia the necessary answer. With a slight blush and telling her it was pointless now, Amon just looked away, causing Celestia to chuckle. "Yeah, I imagine as much. So what do you say, Dr. Backup? Should we serve him now?" He checks a watch on his wrist and nods. "It would be for the best; it is almost noon, and the only nutrient he had before was through I.V. He could use the proteins." "Great, hospital food," Amon replied with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. "I suppose it at least beats dumpster dives, berries, and canned food." "Oh, something tells me it's much better than all that." Celestia issued another nurse to enter the room, another pegasus with the same nurse uniform, pastel yellow fur, and light blue straight hair with some volume. Who was carrying a cart that could easily belong in a fancy restaurant with an entire course of dishes, including a bowl of fruits, a giant plate of pasta with a small mountain of half-melted cheese, and a small glazed-up velvet cake? All of them were covered with a tall glass of what Amon assumed was iced tea next to a jar with the same content and some slices of oranges floating on the top. Amon had to take a double take at food and another one when the nurse placed the cart beside his bed. "Wait, all that just for me!?" Amon has to point at the food before looking at the princess, who chuckles and nods. "Consider it my welcoming gift, and should you decide to stay longer, there may be more meals like this. From one alicorn to another, I know we need just a notch more quantity when it comes to food." She ends with a smirk, taking some of the frosting from the cake and having a taste. Amon cannot look away, unsure if she is trying to be flirty or wants a taste. "Well, Amon, do you still hate staying here?" Purple asks with a knowing smile as he crosses his arms. He wanted to argue and tell him off, but the smell of the pasta overwhelmed his senses. He could feel his stomach screaming at him and reminding him how hungry he was. "This doesn't change anything!" he finally exclaims, taking a fork and eating the fruit before pointing at it with a full mouth. "But I will need some plastic bags when I leave." The rest laugh a little while Amon grumbles and decides to focus on his lunch. Later that night, Once they were discharged from the infirmary, Bliss and Bricks returned to their homes with instructions to rest, take their medication, and return to the castle every three days for treatment. In Brick's case, this was so his chest finished healing and didn't leave any scars. After changing to more casual clothes, consisting of thick sweaters, jeans, and snow boots, and promising Purple and Amon that they would stop by and visit, the couple returns home after finishing some shopping. "Ah, home sweet home," Bliss sighs in relief, plotting herself on the couch and adjusting her body in contentment as Bricks chuckle and put their grocery bags on their kitchen counter. "Carefully, Blissy, you know what Backup says; we have to take it easy for the next two weeks and rest before returning to the force." Bliss sighed and said, "Pay vacation for two weeks to relax and rest. Oh, me, oh my, what would we do to spend the time?" Bliss asked sarcastically as she removed her sweater and shirt, revealing a frilly black bra with an erect nipple showing underneath the fabric. She looked at Bricks with sultry eyes and started playing with her mane. "Seriously, Bliss? Now?" Bricks questions in mild surprise as he removes his sweater, revealing a simple semi-translucent white shirt without sleeves and neck, putting away their groceries in the kitchen. She chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, it's still Hearth's Warming Eve, and I'm a sucker for traditions, especially the sexy kind," She defended herself, sitting on the couch and letting loose one of the strings on her bra. "Besides, don't tell you aren't interested, big boy, or is that an eggplant you stole from the store?" she asks sarcastically, looking down at Bricks. Caught off guard, the stallion covers his crotch and blushes intensely. "That is just… well. Can it at least wait until I finish putting things in the freezer? You know how much I hate wasting food, and things here need refrigeration, including your favorite biscuits." Bliss only growls and tackles Bricks against the fridge, hugging him tight with her hands and grabbing his flanks. "By Celestia, how I love it when you are flustered, but not as much as the beast between your pants." She starts to dry hump his crouch making him shiver as Bricks tries to control himself. "Blissy, please! Just five minutes," Bricks pleads, sweating bullets and keeping his eyes closed. "I'm sorry, honey, but after spending all afternoon looking at that Alicorn chest. I'm at my limit here; give me a taste of…" She starts to trace kissing over his neck until all of a sudden, Bricks grabs her shoulder and pulls her away. "What did you just say?" Bricks question in a demanding tune. "Come on, Bricky, don't act coy with me. Do you think I didn't catch you glancing at the nurse's flanks?" Bliss mentions with a smirk poking his nose with her wings, "I know how crazy you are about pegasus flanks." "Yes, but I still see you when we made love, Blissy; right now, are you seeing me as me, or are you using me and pretending that I'm Amon?" Brick put her down and demanded an answer while crossing his arms. "What? Brick, you are not jealous, now, are you? You never were like this before. Don't you remember how we used to joke around this thing?" "Answer the question!" he insisted with a glare. Having been put on the spot, Bliss looked away and remained quiet. The room around the two was getting cold, and shadow figures started to circle the couple. "I have never felt this insulted in my life," Bricks exclaimed, practically fuming as he marched to their room. "Come on, Bricky, don't be like this! Is not even that big of a deal, really, so I got horny from another stallion; that doesn't mean I don't love you." "No, it just tells me that I'm not good enough, so you need someone else to get you off, and I'm just the dildo to fill your fantasy," Bricks fires back as he keeps walking up the stairs to the second floor of their house and into their room. "Okay, now you are being dramatic. This is just me having a bit of fun, like role-playing. Remember when we occasionally did that? We can role-play right now! What if you think you are doing it with Princess Celestia? Doesn't that sound hot?" Bliss tried to negotiate, but Bricks was in no mood. He grabbed the door handle and turned around to glare at Bliss. "The fact you are not seeing what is wrong shows how much you need to think about Blessed Winds," The mention of her full name made Bliss gasp and take a step back in shock. "You can put the rest of the groceries yourself. And since you like it so much, you can spend the night on the couch," He replied before slamming the door in front of the pegasus. "Bricks, please! Don't be like that! You would still be getting lucky for crying out loud! Since when do you say no to sex?!" She insisted on repeatedly knocking on the door, "It's our heartwarming tradition!" The door opens, allowing a pillow, blanket, and vibrator to fall on Bliss' face before it is slammed again. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve! I hope you have fun with Amon," Bricks calls from the other side of the room, leaving Bliss astonished and kneeling in front of the door. The shadow figures keep circling Bliss as they start singing an eerie lullaby that clouds her mind without noticing. The same arms spread across Canterlot, targeting ponies and putting them in dreadful situations. Noticing a dark blue alicorn with a long, starry mane and wearing a black hood fly around town using her magic to dispel the rachitic and demonic hands as discreetly as she could to avoid generating panic, making mental notes on the house she wasn't as quick to dispel the issue. She would need to finish the job in the dream escape. Finding more and more of the dark clouds appearing, the alicorn had no choice but to fly into the center of the city and discharge a large wave of magic that finally success in clearing the air from the dreadful apparition and left the mare panting and leaning against a light pole. What in Equestria is going on?! Where did all these apparitions come from? "Princess Luna!" Shiitake's voice alerts the hooded alicorn, who looks up in time to see the Mayor being carried by a pegasus guard and heading straight for her. "Thank the stars. I managed to find you," Shiitake tells her while the pegasus keeps holding her in the air. "There is something urgent I need to discuss with you." "Now is not the best time, Mayor Shiitake," Princess Luna mentions as she looks at the sky, where more stormy clouds are starting to form again. "I don't know what is causing it, but the sky of Canterlot seems to be invaded by strange apparitions, so whatever you need to tell me, it will have to wait." Luna tries to fly away, only for the mayor and her guard to chase after her. "That is the thing, your highness! I know what is causing this, and unless we stop him, this storm will return each night. And it will only get worse from there." That grabs Luna's attention, who stops and looks at Shiitake. "What do you know, Mayor?" Shiitake smiles and offers the princess a folder full of papers. "Please read this, your highness."
The Cursed Tale Of Amon (Edited By Phetiamwantip)-Seven days remaining before removing the cast After recovering his bag, Amon didn’t waste time making a small inventory of its contents to ensure everything was still there and to distract himself in the empty room. -They wash out my two change of clothes and three plastic bags of berries. They threw the poisonous ones, my metal cup and spoon, four cans of food, my beanie and scarf, needle and treat, five manticore teeth and stingers, my hood, and two mismatched pairs of globes. Yep, is all here- Sighing in relief, Amon put on his hood as best as he could, feeling better that something was covering part of his body. He was shocked when his good wing suddenly sprang out and stayed stiff against his will, reminding him how sore it was as the hood was left dangling from the tip of the wing. Not only that, but his injured one also goes stiff and reminds him of the bandages tied to it. The resulting pain was enough to bring tears to his eyes. Amon brings his head down until his horn touches and grinds the floor as he releases a scream until he blacks out. -Six Days remaining After spending the previous night on the floor and seeing how his wings refused to fold, Amon resigned to his fate and asked for help when the doctor came to check on him. "You should have called us yesterday, Mr. Amon; it could have saved you lots of time and pain," Backup scolded him and crossed his arms. "There is a button next to your bed for this situation." "Duly noted. Can you please tell me how I can control these things?" Amon ignores the scold and grabs hold of his good wing, trying to fold it again, only for it to spring into action again and send another jolt of pain to his back. Backup only sighs and shakes his head. "You can start by moving them independently instead of grabbing them with your arms. Those are your wings, Mr. Amon, not foldable chairs. Nurse Cloud, could you demonstrate, please?" "With pleasure, doctor." The pegasus nurse nods and approaches Amon, who has finished riding the new jolt of pain. "It seems like you are experiencing a common muscle spasm; it will not go away until you stretch out your wing and spread it as far as you can." "Fine… how?" Amon asks with his arms crossed, confusing Cloud and Backup. "By… moving your wing? You don't know how wings work?" She asked, perplexed. "I wasn't born with them, so you could forgive me there," Amon answered with irritation. "But this is not something about having or not having wings; it is basic knowledge. Didn't you go to school…" Cloud stopped herself and closed her eyes. "It's not my place to judge or pry. It's okay, Mr. Amon. I will gladly teach you." She brings her thumb and index finger to her chin in thought before snapping her fingers. "I got it! First, close your eyes and think of your wings as a second pair of arms and hands…" -Four Days Remaining In the middle of the night, his wings sprung into action again, preventing him from sleeping again. For a moment, Amon considered calling a nurse for help but decided against it and once more tried to resolve the issue on his own. Standing up and remembering what the nurse told him, Amon closed his eyes and pictured his wings as if they were hands for him to control. The sensation was in no way pleasant, and the sensation of ants on his back didn't help, but slowly, he started to get used to it. Opening his eyes slowly, he was mildly pleased when he saw his good wing starting to obey him. After a couple of flexes, the wing relaxed, and he could fold it normally, sighing in relief. Amon then turned to his other wing and, out of curiosity, tried to stretch it too, only to receive a horrible jolt of pain that almost made him kneel as he held his shoulder, causing tears in his eyes. Instinctively, Amon's wings twisted forward and rammed their claws into the wall, leaving a clean hole in it and helping him keep his balance for a moment before he jumped in both surprise and shivered at the cold sensation of concrete on his additional finger. Impressed by the action, Amon approached the damage and rubbed his palm against it, intrigued, before looking at his wind and extending slightly to see the claw poking out of the base. He became increasingly intrigued when he realized that said claw could be used as a sort of thumb that has its rotation, and he could retract it inside the wing or extend it slightly. -Two days Remaining "An extra joint?" Amon repeats while Backup nods, checks both wings' condition, and explains what they discovered when treating him. "When I looked at your radiographs, I was more than a little shocked to see how your wings seem to have an additional joint, allowing them to rotate further than a standard wing and work in conjunction with your claws, I would hypothesis you could move them almost 270 maybe a bit more not only to back and forward but also ahead and behind, you may use them as capes since the claw are perfectly shape to lay on your shoulders." Backup then starts poking and moving around his claw, requesting him to try to push and retract it a couple of times before continuing. "Yep, just like I imagine, they are similar to dragons and Thestrals anatomy here, most likely an evolutionary result of living in caves, mountains, and other rocky areas. In particular, they use their wings; this claw helps them move vertically more easily. The claw facilitates climbing by piercing rocks and acts as additional support. It is fascinating if this is an aspect of the evolution of male alicorns. It could give us clues that you and the princess's ancestors used to live in tall mountains or very rocky and precarious areas." Letting go of his wings, Amon stares at the claw with intrigue and is slightly curious about what it would be like to climb a tree with the extra help until Backup talks. "Also, I know it was an accident, and you may get too excited, but please don't punch more holes in the wall, okay?" "Understood," Amon mentions before he spotted someone in the corner of his eye; looking at the entrance, he saw Purple, Bliss, and Bricks passing by and looking in his direction; the couple, for some reason, giving him the stink eye while all 3 of them had bags underneath their eyes. The lullabies are starting then. I knew it; not even Canterlot can repel the curse. -Present With the week complete, the doctor and nurse assist Amon in changing the bandages on his wing and removing some of the ones in his arms. The doctor sighs in relief when he notices that there aren't any scars there. "A full recovery without even a scar. You have to love modern medicine, don't you?" Backup joke as Amon holds his arms and wiggles his fingers a little. "That is putting it lightly. I have my fair share of scars in this arm, but now I can't see any of them." "That is what happens when you have a proper meal and follow your doctor's order. Plus, Canterlot's medical program, magic, and equipment are nothing to scuff off; it is still local, but soon enough, things like scars would be more like an esthetic choice. But don't think we are done here; you are not out of the woods yet, mister; just because you can fold your wing now doesn't mean it has healed yet. It only means you are ready to start your physiotherapy." "I imagine." Amon remains quiet, sitting on his bed and staring at his hands before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "So that means I moved from the infirmary to the guest room today?" "Indeed, now that you can move more freely, I see no issue in wandering around the castle halls as long as you don't disturb the court or put unnecessary pressure on your left wing," Backup replied with a smile and a small joke. "I see. I'm not going to lie. The idea of exploring a bit sounds tempting. Say, doctor. Do you think you could do me a small favor?" Backup looks back at him after writing down on his clipboards, "As long as it is not something too big or unreasonable, I don't see why not. What can I do for you?" "Oh, not much. I was just wondering if you could pass a message to Princess Celestia. Tell her I'm ready to talk as long as she agrees with some conditions," Amon mentions calmly as the room quiets. Cloud and Backup look at him in surprise before looking at one another. One hour later, Casually sipping on her morning tea, Celestia waited patiently for her next morning meeting. This one, mainly, was important to her as it involved the newly appointed alicorn and the unusual curse that plagued him. She wore a simple pastel blue gown with her usual tiara, gold regalia, and white boots. Ever since she heard the news, the princess has been trying to find an answer to a question lingering in her mind. How can there be a curse that targets the most potent force in all Equestria? After long, sleepless nights trying to find an answer to such an enigma, Amon finally agreed to explain his condition further and, with any luck, bring out a clue that may lead her to an answer. A knock on the door snapped her out of her daydream, and after she allowed access, the stallion of the hour marched in, holding his usual bag and an old trench coat that once more was hiding his wings. Part of the princess was disappointed that after spending a week in recovery hearing why he shouldn't hide them, Amon ultimately ignored his doctor's instructions, refusing the change of clothes she had hand-picked for him to try. Hiding such majestic wings behind an old trench coat is a shame. "Mr. Amon, you didn't waste time ignoring Dr. Backup's recommendation. Didn't the muscle spasms, the soreness, and occasional involuntary sprints of wings weren't enough reasons as to why hiding them is not exactly a good idea?" "It is better than the alternative," Amon mentions as he sits beside her. "I heard what you have to say and will deal with it my way once I leave the city. I just came to ensure neither you nor someone else tries something stupid, like trying to convince me to stay or help me out." "Ah yes, this unusual and potent curse that summons monsters each time a pony tries to approach you. Mr. Amon, consider how mighty the power of friendship and love can be; I'm intrigued to know how it could snuff it out entirely. "You would be surprised how fragile those powers can be, and my curse seems to have been made with that in mind," Amon mentions as he grabs a cup that Celestia fills. "That is why I don't want you or your sister to know this; this is me coming to a past scenario, and I must reveal it to only one of you." Celestia looked at him before closing her eyes and taking a sip of her drink. Then she said, "If you ask me not to tell Luna about this, it is a bit late. But I will refrain from explaining further depending on what you say." Amon was annoyed and angry hearing that but held his tongue and just sighed before explaining. "If you expect a fantastic story of heroism or passing trials, you can forget about that. By the time I obtained my horn and wings, I was already alone, just standing in the middle of a desert surrounded by ruins with no memory of how I ended up as I am today." Amon explains while looking at his reflection on his drink. "The closest desert from here would be Appleloosa, and I would have heard of either an alicorn or ruins found there by now. So it can't be from there, and even if your name is common from the other alternative, I don't believe you would come from Saddle Arabia because of your accent. No, it sounds more like the zones of Stalliona or the Mareivens, but neither place has a dessert. Dear Amon, where exactly do you come from?" He only shook his head. "Don't bother searching; I come from afar and very secluded land; you would not be able to find it." He held his cup tighter. "And I have been away from home for so long that it will make little difference to my current situation if I ever return." He shook his head in frustration. "That is not the point, and I have already said too much! This is supposed to explain my curse and why there is nothing you can do to help me." The princess made a mental note to return to the subject of his origins for another time and nodded once, "Please proceed." Amon nods before continuing, "After that, I wandered the land in a daze, confused and scared. Facing the elements and having to develop an instinct to survive quickly, I eventually found civilization, and for a brief moment, I had hoped that my search for someone was over. The place was nothing special; it was a simple hamlet with a handful of ponies and three farmer families, mostly without many means of communication." He closed his eyes and sighed, taking another sip of his tea before continuing, "They were startled when they saw my wings and horn, and I was scared when I noticed they had neither of them. Yet they were friendly and offered me a sanctuary, teaching me about the land, Equestria culture, the book of friendship, and even you. They were nice ponies, and I spent much time with them until I learned about my curse." "The monsters appear and attack you, I presume," Celestia mentions with pity. "They were just the start; I don't know when or how exactly they work, but if the monsters don't push ponies away, the hallucinations will." "Hallucinations, you said?" Celestia asks with a raised eyebrow and an intrigued tune. Amon only shrugs and sighs. "Ponies are starting to yell at monsters that weren't there or get paranoid, panic, and start attacking the air or their friends without reason, but the worst come to the victims that start humming pieces of that infernal lullaby” “Why? What happened then?” Celestia asks with fear and intrigued on how things could get worse. “Soon after, the singers start to lose their minds and become carriers of the curse, with their creepy wide eyes and full teeth smiles. As the tune gets stronger and catchier, so anyone that hears long enough start copying them. That goes on for days or maybe even weeks, I don’t know and I don’t want to test it, but once they stop with the singing they become violent and irrational. In one case, I spotted a stallion just laughing in a corner while holding a pitchfork, daring the devil to try and catch him before going back to sing that lullaby, and then end his own life. Turns out his family came before that. It is not a pretty image, nor what happened to the handful of ponies that still tried to stay close to me despite all that.” "I'm starting to understand what you are implying and why you were so wary of approaching others if you lived through that, Amon." Celestia nods and closes her eyes as she finishes her tea before looking at him. "What happened after all that?" "The weather seemed to turn for the worse, like a heavy storm that appeared out of nowhere. And the mood of the ponies around me matched the storm. Invaded by a blind rage and chasing me out of the hamlet." Amon hugged himself at the memory. "After that, I wandered the land again, and before realizing it, I was in a refugee camp. It was a hellhole, and I could spend all day complaining about how that place was Tartarus itself, but it wasn't until a little filly showed a bit of compassion that I started to understand how my curse worked." He gulps the rest of his tea and cleanses his lips. "This time, I didn't stay long after the monster's attack and just kept running, realizing how the further I was getting from everyone, the less of those creatures appeared. It wasn't until I was tired, heartbroken, and cold that the curse manifested before me. It didn't take a specific form, but I still remember it whispering. It made a plea telling me I would never have any friends and remain alone no matter what I try." Amon glares at the princess with the tea gone and his eyes clear. "So tell me, princess. Could you risk the lives of your little ponies? Or did I finally get to you, and now you understand why I must go?" In response, the princess remained quiet and put her hands together. "Before I reply, I want you to answer these three questions first." She requested, opening her eyes and lifting three of her fingers. "The first one is pretty straightforward. What would be next for you should you leave? Keep wandering the land in fear of this curse? Place yourself into complete isolation until your mind slowly and inevitably decays. And please don't insult me by saying you are used to being alone. We both know that is not true. The fact that you keep approaching civilization is proof enough of that. So I ask you, what next?" Amon clenches his fist and looks down, unable to come up with an answer. He hates how much Celestia is making right now. "Yeah, I imagine as much, and just to drive my point across, take it from someone that had a thousand years experience in faking "be fine," those demons, and I mean your inner demons. They will catch on, sooner or later, all of this." She waves around her arm at him, referring to the situation he lived through: "It will only repeat, and it may be even worse. Since you would not have a castle that can repel curses nor ponies with experience and willing to help fight them." Celestia then smiles calmly while pouring herself another cup of tea. "If I were on your horseshoes, I would rather spend my time more productively instead of just feeling sorry for myself and focusing on surviving, which brings me to my second question." Celestia raised an eyebrow and offered the cup of tea with a smile. "Wouldn't you rather seek a way to remove your curse instead of just keep running from your problems? Think about it. Here, you can have a sanctuary, a bed, actual food, the means to help you out, and much more if you just let us help. Don't you think the universe has finally granted you an opportunity to turn your life around?" Amon looked at her with skepticism yet took the cup regardless. "Of course, I would love that; it was only two weeks, but staying in the infirmary was a thousand times better than just sleeping on top of the cardboard, the ground, or an improvised shelter somewhere," Amon finally admitted, taking a deep gulp before pointing at Celestia, who was in the middle herself, a new cup of tea. "But let's be realistic here. Have you realized what you are putting on the line here? We succeed, and I'm a free man; we fail, and Canterlots ends up in ruins." "Please, Amon," Celestia quickly replies, placing her cup down. "Do not underestimate the magic of friendship; greater foes and forces of nature alike have tried to destroy it. All of them have shared the same fate; if I'm allowed this small moment of confidence, your curse would not be the exception; in fact, I'm questioning if we should still be calling it by that name at all." "What?" Amon could only blink in surprise at that statement while Celestia raised her hand. "A subject to discuss in a moment, but before that and for you to consider before making any decision, my third and final question." She looked at him with a stoic face and raised a single finger. "Early, you asked me if I could live with the blood of my ponies in my hands. The crude answer is yes; as cold as it may sound, I have lived through countless battles, and I'm more than familiar with the concept of having to make the toughest of choices. Do not question my resolve regarding the safety and freedom of my kingdom." She points at him, "Now is your turn to answer the same question. Until now, you have been struggling with forces you couldn't fully understand. Right now, in front of you, there is a chance to learn from them and maybe even stop that. Or you can waste the opportunity and leave to let countless other innocent ponies get hurt or worse. Tell me, Amon, can you live with that on your conscience?" "Oh, no, no, no! Don't you dare turn this around, Celestia; you have no idea how long I must go to keep everyone safe!" Amon fires back, standing up in anger; Celestia doesn't seem faced by his reaction as she drinks her tea. "Did you? Or did you spend all this time just wandering around feeling sorry for yourself and trying to escape something you refused to understand?" Celestia fires back. Amon stares at her for a moment before lowering his head. Then he starts to chuckle and shake his head. His laugh grows in volume gradually until he grabs the table and flips it to the side. The princess remains calm as she holds her cup of tea and a small plate. "SCREW YOU CELESTIA! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME OR THE TYPE OF HELL I WENT THROUGH!" Amon points an accusing finger at her in a complete rage, yet the princess remains calm and collected. "The beatings I have to endure, the stares and degrading insults I have heard, the countless times I have feared for my life, you know NOTHING! So don't act all holy than thou on me and start insulting me like I'm just some brat complaining that it didn't get the toy he wanted." "You're right; I know nothing." Celestia put the cup down and looked at him with an empathetic smile and an outstretched hand. "That is why I want to know you better. I want to help but can't do it unless you ask. Please, Amon, think of yourself. Think about what you can accomplish here. Do you think outside would be better?" Amon takes a step back and stares at her in a mix of anger and fear as he shakes his head. "I'm poison, Celestia… and you don't want to have anything to do with me." He turns around and starts heading to the front door. "You still haven't answered my question," Celestia reminded him, making Amon stop in his tracks as he was holding the door knob. "Can you live with yourself like this? And I don't only mean those around you." Celestia stood up and stepped forward. "What is the point of having wings if you don't fly? What is the point of living safely if you are miserable? What is the point of surviving if you don't live?" Amon clenches his teeth and starts to tremble as he lowers his head and clenches his eyes shut. "I will be fine. I don't need your help; I don't want your help. I can handle myself out there. I… I…” Amon kneels in front of the door and supports his head against it, unable to contain his tears. "Celestia…" He turns his head to look at the princess. "Please help me." He finally confesses in a whisper as the princess approaches from behind and kneels, bringing him into a hug. "That is all I wanted to hear, and I promise it will be different this time. I'll show you that no power would ever be able to destroy the power of friendship."
The Nightmare Lullaby (Edited By PW)Walking through a desolate hallway in the Castle, a tall blue alicorn wearing silver regalia and a dark purple glow scans her surroundings cautiously, guided by an eerie lullaby echoing through the walls and paintings that sing along with the tune with a child like tune. ~ Hush, now, ~ ~ Hide, all you little ones. ~ ~ Run, now, ~ before he sees you, ~ ~ and take you, ~ ~ Where friendship and love have long died ~ The princess has to pause that last part of the lullaby in surprise and concern as she reaches the end of the hallway, where a statue of the Mane Six is in front of her. Only their eyes had been carved out, and there was a slash on their necks where red liquid was flowing, imitating a wound as they seem to be singing as well. The scene was freezing the princess' veins and shivering her fur, yet she pressed on and erased the illusion while continuing her march. The song seems to pick volume as she walks up a set of stairs where stained glasses depict her citizens escaping fires or being grabbed by giant black hands from a pony on a hoodie, no doubt another attempt to gaslight the princess into distrusting the individual. ~ Pain and Fear follows the Nothing King, ~ ~ When his kingdom comes ~ ~ Darkness is night! ~ Reaching the top of the stairs, the princess was faced with a set of double doors that, when open, transported her into another part of the castle: the underground levels below the dungeon, where the castle's central cores reside. Once more, the song continued as more images of soldiers and maids turning apart were presented to the princess all over the floor as she advanced through a pony-made hallway of rock bricks. In the distance, she could see a source of light beckoning for her to get closer. ~ Quiet ~ ~ When he approaches remain, ~ ~ silent. ~ ~ With secretive feelings of ~ ~ Fearsome, ~ ~ hatred that reaches the skies ~ Reaching the end of the hallway and entering the room of the central core, Luna's blood froze when she saw a tall alicorn stallion with a long silver mane raising his wings with claws on as well as a beat-up, unconscious, and bloody Celestia been held up and choke with one arm by the stallion alicorn and ramming her head against the magic sphere in the center of the room which was in the process of breaking and become unstable. ~ You will bring ~ ~ Joy to the Nothing King, ~ ~ When he sees the light ~ ~ Leaving your eyes. ~ At the last part of the lullaby, the stallion succeeded in breaking both the orb and Celestia's skull, creating a giant explosion that faded everything into white and brought the princess back to her studio with a slight startle and a shake before sitting up and holding her head. "Are you okay, your highness? Water!" Shiitake orders one of her guards to comply and give the princess a glass of water while the major grabs her free hand. "Did you see what my report told you about?" "I saw a hallucination attempting to cloud my judgment, indeed," Princess Luna replied after taking a deep sip of her glass of water before addressing Shiitake. "But nothing that would indicate Amon is responsible for them," she declared with finality as she stood up and looked at the source of her bad dream. A piece of the mysterious toxic fog plaguing the dream realm for the last couple of weeks, safely sealed and contained on a crystal translucent orb for analysis and study. Ever since Luna read the major's report and confirmed her claims that the root of the curse invading Canterlot came from the land of the dream instead of an external force, the princess has spent as much time as she can investigating and trying to discover what could be producing such terrible fog. Yet, she has kept stumbling into one dead end after another. Taking a bit of solace with the major's assistance, she, at the very least, stopped the unusual weather for the time being. Switching tactics, the princess' latest experiment allows her to be briefly infected by the fog to study how it operates in the hopes of finding clues. Which, to her pleasure, was precisely what she saw. "Quite the opposite." Collecting the orb, the princess walked toward an empty and hollow podium with visages extending outwards, imitating a blooming flower. Placing the orb in the middle, the visages retracted and sealed the orb in a steel dome before the podium retracted and was sealed away beneath the room floor. "From what I witnessed, it seems this curse has an objective of vilifying and awoke distrust toward our guest. A clear attempt to paint him as a foe rather than a friend or a victim needing help. Restless, cunning, and far more relentless than any Tantabus I could ever make. Truly the worst abomination ever born from the union of nightmares and curses, with a clear goal in mind." Luna gives back the glass of water and stares directly at Shiitake. "Make us distrust our guest and treat him like the worst criminal of Equestria, maybe even worse, encouraging us to think less of him and forget basic pony laws when passing judgment or even common sense, just like you displayed the night you brought this information to my attention," Luna ends her statement as she looks at the major with a stoic expression. "Your majesty, you surely wouldn't be implying that I'm infected, right?" "No, not infected per se," Luna mentions, bringing her index and thumb fingers to her chin. "Not by the same curse, at the very least," She proclaims with a raised eyebrow, making Shiitake flinch and take a step back. "But I want you to see the facts as they are and apply the same logic you requested me to use when you presented this case, Major Shiitake," Luna asked while circling the mare and eyeing her as if she were some lab rat. "What benefit could there be in casting a spell that openly antagonizes you and subtly encourages your enemies to raise their guard and alert of every move you make?" "Well, empathy, for example, is easy to move around if ponies around you think you are a victim." "Then why not present yourself as a victim from the start?" Luna fires back. "If he truly is responsible for these nightmares, why target himself as the monster? It doesn't make much sense, don't you agree? Not even King Sombra would announce his arrival with anticipation for his foes to stop him, so I repeat, does suggesting this curse is something Amon is creating a will, something that makes sense, major?" "It doesn't, your highness; you are right," Shiitake admitted with a defeated sigh while looking down. "By all intents and purposes, the only pony gaining something from this would be the one that wishes to harm that stallion." "So glad you are starting to see reason," Luna smiled, standing before the major. "Indeed, it doesn't. What makes me believe is that there is someone else at work here; it is obvious that whoever is behind this trouble wishes to put our guest in a less than flattery light; why and how is what concerns me and makes me want to explore further." "I will put my best ponies on the case, your highness; you give me the order." Shiitake salute solemnly. "Thank you for your dedication, major, but please allow me to select the ponies for the job; all we still need to discuss is your actions." "Ma'am?" Shiitake asks with a raised eyebrow. "Major Shiitake, you have been called for misbehavior and abuse of power on more than one occasion. Our resident psychology and mandatory tolerance and acceptance program have done their job and helped you through all of your demons, yet here you are now, in various years. You didn't need to be called to attention for this behavior again until you saw our new guests in the eyes." "Ma'am, with all due respect, he is a homeless pony, freakishly huge, and a stallion; how couldn't I have my suspicions of him? For all we know, he could provoke another Nightmare Moon, maybe even worse, a stallion nightmare moon," Shiitake fires back as Luna remains quiet. Deciding to put pause her sexist ideology and blaming it on the curse for the moment, the princess proceeded calmly. "It's understandable to be wary of a stranger like him, especially how he somehow was homeless despite being an alicorn. And indeed, I'm well aware of the dangers that could represent should he let himself be absorbed by his anger. Yet instead of conducting yourself professionally and observing him before taking any actions that may, I remind you, COULD have triggered the worst-case scenario, what was your first response?" "I… order his arrest with, at best, dubious reasons," Shiitake answers mostly to herself in realization as she has a thousand-mile stare at the ground. "Now you understand why I believe there is more than one type of curse at work here, major?" "But… but that is impossible; when and how could I be infected? I had never seen that alicorn before, and our first encounter was inside the castle walls; no curse could have reached me." "Unless the effects change depending on the beholder." Luna walks to her desk and lays her fingers on Shiitake's report. "Your report could shed some light on those questions, major. Those who have not seen his face seem to visualize a shady, scary figure; those who show empathy or concern are exposed to horrible nightmares and illusions that chip away said emotions and those that have suspicious or negative inclinations seem to have a spike in their feelings to ridiculous extremes and cloud their judgment making them subjective to act irrational and aggressive toward him. It hopes to push this stallion to become the successor to my infamous other half." Luna sighs in shame and pity, "At least that is my hypothesis; based on the clues, all seem to have one goal. Put him as the foe to defeat and keep him isolated from everyone to ensure that result." She approached the major once more. "This requires further study and observation, conducted only by those able to resist, recognize, and dispel this type of magic." Luna put her hands behind her back. "You are dismissed from this case, Major Shiitake." "WHAT?! But… but, your highness, I was the one that brought the issue to your attention." "As well as demonstrating how your mental faculties have been compromised, major, I understand your frustration, but I need a team that I can be sure would remain impartial and focus on the facts instead of being swayed and manipulated by these enchantments, which is why you must remain away from both this case and our guest and place yourself for a full check-up to confirm my hypothesis and receive the proper treatment. Do I make myself clear, major?" The mare in question clenches her teeth and fist before nodding, "As your command, your highness." She gives her a salute. "Good, then you are dismissed; get some rest, Major Shiitake. It's late, and you can be sure your information will be used well. Alongside what my sister found early in the morning, regardless, Amon, you can rest well. We will reach the source of this issue," Luna promised as she showed her the door with her hand. "Thanks, your highness," Shiitake replies as she and her two soldiers leave the room. The trio walks silently throughout the hallway until one of Shiitake's guards replies. "Are you gonna stay away from the case, ma'am?" "Of course not, but you heard her; I must keep my distance from that stallion. But I will use a more indirect approach if I can't get involved directly." She proclaims before summoning a feather and an empty scroll and starting to write on it, "And I know exactly how I'm going to do it." Shiitake smiles as she starts to write something down in the scroll, unconsciously mumbling a minor tune that slowly begins to concern the guards. ~...bring joy to the Nothing King~ ~When I see the light~ ~ leaving your eyes!~ The Next Morning, Fighting against the idea of remaining in bed, Amon tosses away the bedsheets and stretches on his new bed while letting go a long yawn. He rubs his eyes as he stands and sits up at the edge of said bed, glancing at his new room. Even if he was already familiar with it, the sensation of surprise was still fresh in his mind, how luxurious everything looked, from the carpeted light blue floor whose texture felt good under his hooves to the complex intricate carpeting in both the furniture and pillars spread on the spacious room that was even equipped with a mini kitchen, a living room, and two personal bathroom which he assumed was for guest and even a curious chimney that looks more like some bubble suspended in mid-air that contains a fireplace inside letting the smoke out through tiny bubbles that exit the room through a balcony that had a nice view of the city outside currently cover by two glamorous blue and golden curtains depicting the sun and moon cutie marks on them. No different from any other room in the castle? Yeah right. Celestia, your attempts at spoiling me are as subtle as a rock to the face. Amon rolled his eyes as he stood up and approached the kitchen. After putting on his gray sweatpants, he opened the mini fridge, where a cake magically materialized. But I can humor you and let you pamper me a little. Amon admits to himself as he picks up the cake and enjoys his little pastry before breakfast. He did not even bother to look for a fork and just ate it as if it were an apple while sitting on one of the chairs in the living room, savoring each slowly with his eyes closed until a knock on the door got his attention. With his meal officially interrupted, Amon glared at the door before sighing and rushing his treat while heading back to his room, cleaning his hand against his chest as he opened a closet and put on a robe long enough to cover his wings. During that, there was another knock on the door as Amon was heading there while tying his robe. "I'm coming; I heard you the first time." Amon was about to answer when a thought passed through his mind. The cautions grabbed a nearby lamp before opening the door a little, leaning against it away from the opening. "What is it?" He peeked outside to see a maid standing before the door. "Morning, Mr. Amon." The pegasus maid greeted him with a small bow. She was a simple butter-yellow pegasus with a pastel pink shaggy long mane with some volume and a bright yellow stream. Like all other maids, she seemed to be wearing a classing French maid uniform complete with a frilly tiara and long white gloves, and the base feathers of her wings were bright pink, with the rest matching her yellow fur. Now more relaxed, Amon opens the door and greets the mare appropriately, hiding his hand and holding the lamp as a precaution. "Morning, Ms…" Amon replies cautiously as he glances to the right and left of the hallway, checking for guards before looking at the maid. "Viola Heartstrings, at your service, sir, but you can call me Vivi; all my friends do." "Right, nice to meet you, Ms.Heartstrings," Amon replied, putting down the lamp. "Sorry if it was rude, but trust me, you do not wish to have me as a friend." Viola, undeterred, maintains her smile and nods. "It's okay; the princess informed me of your case and how you can be shy. But don't worry, I'm not so easily discouraged. I love changing the tune on other ponies to a more harmonious one." Amon raised an eyebrow at that proclamation. "Did the princess also tell you that becoming friends with me can be a risk to your health?" She kept her friendly, bubbling personality. "She did indeed, and with all due respect, sir, I can protect myself and find the challenge enticing. especially if it could blossom into something… more special." She finished with a smirk and a wink at him. The act made Amon flinch slightly and pretend to clear his throat. "So, Ms. Heartstrings, do you want to tell me something?" "Indeed, sir, I came on behalf of Princess Celestia, who invites you to join her for breakfast and to guide you to the dining room should you accept, although it seems you have already started with a small appetizer." Viola mentions, with a slight smirk, directing her view to Amon's exposed chest, which had a bit of frosting. With a slight blush, Amon covers himself and nods, "Yeah, I suppose I could get something to eat. Just a moment." Closing the door, Amon rushes to the kitchen, soaks a small cloth, and cleans his chest and hands before heading to his room to put all his clothes inside his bag and put on a pair of pants, as well as his trusted beanie, before exiting the room. "Okay, I'm ready." "Eh… why are you taking your bag, sir?" Viola asks as they walk through the hallway. "To keep it close," Amon replied as it was the most obvious question, further confusing Viola. "But why? Sir, nobody will steal your bag; you can leave your stuff in your room; really, there is no problem." "Agree to disagree, tell me, Ms. Heartstrings, have you ever been to a shelter?" "I don't believe I have ever been in one, no," Viola replied, shaking her head. "Then here is a small lesson about those places and being homeless in general work, this." He moves his bag for her to see. "It is worth too much for ponies desperate for bits or drugs who would do anything to get their little hands on it. So, in the street, you should always keep an eye on your stuff and always be ready to defend them or steal someone else's stuff. It's a dog-eat-dog kind of world outside your cozy little home." He put his bag back on. "That is why the bag stays with me; I may have accepted your help and appreciate the private room, but it will be long before I can trust you ponies enough to leave my bag behind." "So you are saying we only need to wait until you trust us?" Viola replies without skipping a beat, smiling, closing her eyes, and nodding several times. Amon looked at her in shock, and before he could reply, she had walked ahead of him. "Fair enough, I can wait; please don't hesitate to ask once you are ready. I would gladly give that bag of yours a good wash." Amon stares at her in confusion before getting startled when she notices him looking and deliberately exaggerates the sway on her hips and the movements of her shaggy tail with a ribbon on the tip. "Are you enjoying the view, sir?" Viola asked while keeping her eyes ahead, making Amon look away in embarrassment, shame, and slight confusion about how she realized his actions the moment he heard her giggle. -Celestia, what kind of crazy-ass maid did you send to look for me? God, I hope this pegasus is the only one like this-
Breakfast And Meetings (Edited by PW)After a delightful stroll through the festively adorned hallway, Amon and Viola arrive at the grand entrance to the main dining room. The double doors, like the entire castle, are decorated with vibrant red and green streamers, and two meticulously placed advent wreaths, each bearing a symbol of the sun or moon in a striking blue and orange, grace the center of the doors. The two royal soldiers standing guard don't waste time. They open the door for them, and the aroma of freshly baked confections and other meals exits the room. It assaults their senses and awakens Amon's appetite as they march inside. The first thing that caught Amon's eye was the long and elegant dining table covered by a tablecloth, which showed the same festive decoration on its edges as the rest of the castle. Said table was filled with confections and desserts, like cakes, eggs, cereals, sandwiches of all types, fruits, muffins, and jugs filled with milk, coffee, chocolate, and orange juice. All of that was ready to be served in 3 empty plates at the end of the table, giving Amon a potent reminder of his hunger in the form of a strong and loud growl from his stomach that was starting to resemble the growl of a wild beast. "Oh my, somepony woke up hungry," Celestia replied sarcastically. The two found the princess in question at the end of the table with an empty plate, smirking at Amon. Unlike their first meeting, the princess seemed to be wearing a dark yellow turtleneck long-sleeve shirt made of wool that suited her figure nicely and her usual royal regalia. "My liege." Viola closed her eyes and raised the side of her dress, giving Celestia the proper respect. "As you requested, I brought our guest of honor." "I can see Vivi, and I thank you for that. You are dismissed." Celestia nods and waves at her as Viola nods and opens her eyes." Enjoy your meal, and don't hesitate to call if you require anything else. Also, your sister asked me to pass a message. She apologies for the delay, and she will arrive very soon." And with that, Vivi left the room as Amon looked at her in surprise at the sudden revelation before turning his attention to Celestia. "Your sister is coming? Celestia, I told you the more ponies interact with me…" "...The greater the chances of their lives being in danger," Celestia nodded. "Yes, I recall you mentioning that in detail. That is why she insisted on meeting you, Amon. Being closely familiar with dreadful and corrosive magic has given Luna a special insight into the illness that afflicts and is following you. So, although it is touching how you worry for mine and my sister's well-being, I must remind you that neither of us is a delicate porcelain doll," She explains with a calm and collected smile before extending a hand to one of the empty plates. "So, for now, while we await the arrival of my sister, would you join me for breakfast? I know how hungry you are," she reminded him with a smirk, irritating Amon. He considered walking away, but the smell and another growl from his stomach were enough to change his mind and sit next to Celestia. "For the record, I'm not accepting your invitation. I'm just going to get myself some breakfast, and you do. Nothing else," Amon grumpily replies as Celestia smiles in contentment, seeing him serve himself a significant portion of bread, eggs, and other assortments. Yet rather than hugging all the food, he keeps "accidentally" placing the plates with more of their confections within arm's reach of Celestia. -Oh, Amon, you are as subtle as a rock to the face with that tough guy act. Adorable, but I do hope it will banish soon, when we find the way to cure your curse- Celestia thought as she served herself a cup of tea, "If that's how you wish to view it, then I have no issue with that. Say, Amon, I was curious. Did you enjoy that small gift I left in your room?" Celestia asked with a smirk while noticing some frosting on Amon's chest, which he quickly covered. He looked away with a blush. "Stop doing that!" Amon complained as Celestia merely chuckled at his antics. Deciding to ignore her comments, Amon grumbles and starts to serve himself, filling his plate with as much food as possible and then proceed to hide some bread bums and anything dry that could fit in the pockets of his robe and pants when he believe nobody was looking. They both enjoy their breakfast in silence until Princess Luna enters through the main door with a contained yawn and eyes closed. She was wearing what looked to be a puffy, thick blue robe with stars and constellations embedded on the fabric, mimicking her mane, just like Celestia, her hair and tail wave on an invisible, eternal wind, displaying the fabric of the night on it, and just like her sister, her mere presence was enough to change the atmosphere of the room, with the difference been that while Celestia projected a warm and serene aura, Luna, in contrast, seem to evoke a sense of a chill and quiet night for one to get lost in their thoughts as they admire the moon and stars. "Good morning, Luna; how was your night?" Before answering, Luna glanced at Amon critically, zipping from her coffee and addressing her sister's question. "As uneventful as one could expect, due to recent events, sister, speaking off." Luna looks back at Amon again, returning to her critical glare, while Amon remains stoic, never breaking eye contact with her as he starts to hide bread in his backpack. "You must be the stallion my sister has told me about. It's nice to finally make your acquaintance." "Thanks. I would love to say the pleasure is mutual, but if Celestia told me about me, you understand why that is false. You can still walk away if you wish," Amon replies as Luna nods. "Ah yes, I'm well informed of this curse and how it seems to be operating, a cruel enchantment indeed. I'm more than familiar with a subject that I would understand why I can't stay idly by and let an innocent soul be tormented by said affliction." Amon could only sigh and shake his head in disappointment. "You are just like Celestia." "Why thank you?" Luna smiles and sits opposite him next to Celestia to serve herself. "It wasn't a compliment," Amon clarified, making Luna and Celestia pause as he stared at him stoically. "You both are stubborn and set on helping others whenever they wish for it or not." "If it means the safety of not only you but also our subjects, then we have no shame in admitting it," Luna replied calmly and resumed serving herself. With a sigh, Amon let it go and resumed his breakfast. "So, I imagine you wanted to see me?" Raising his head, Amon looked at both sisters. "Indeed, there is plenty to discuss, but before addressing the biggest issue, there is one little thing I would like to ask you first," Luna mentions, looking at Amon with a curious glance. "Yes, I got some frost smear on my chest. I didn't have a napkin and cleaned my palm in a rush. I will clean it up soon," Amon responded immediately as he started to take various pieces of bread and place them inside his backpack. "That is not what I was going to ask, but it answers why you have that spot on your chest, no… Mr. Amon. I wanted to know, aren't you feeling a bit cold now?" "Cold?" Amon repeats and looks back at Luna, who keeps staring at him with confusion and curiosity. He notices that both sisters are wrapped in far warmer clothes than he is. "What do you mean? If anything, I should be asking if you are not hot with those turtleneck shirts," Amon fires back. Both sisters look at him deadpan before looking at the window outside, where it is currently snowing, before looking back at Amon. "I believe my sister does have a point, Mr. Amon. A robe and sweatpants hardly seem enough to warm yourself during this time of the year. I have proper clothing, and even I'm feeling chilly," Celestia mentions. "Really?" Amon looked at her in surprise, "but you two are…" He stopped, realizing he was pointing as the two sisters raised their eyebrows. "Yes?" The princesses ask at the same time. "...the incarnation of the day and night, how can the manifestation of them get cold or hot?" His comment earns a groan from both sisters. "Mr. Amon, what kind of embellished stories have you heard about us?" Celestia asks, bringing her palm to her face. "Contrary to what some of our subjects believe, we are not goddesses nor ascending converts you into one, yes we are ageless, and we have extraordinary powers that many confused as divine but at the end of the day, we are still just two mares not too different than the pillars of harmony, the Wonderbolts or many other examples of ponies that have reach the top of an specific field, so yes Mr. Amon, my sister and I CAN be affected by extreme weather, just like any other pony would," Luna rants with some irritation in her voice. Once she finished her speech, Amon only nodded a couple of times and replied with a simple yes. "Understood, thanks for clarifying that." He thanked her and tried to resume eating until Luna cleared her throat. "Still waiting for my answer." "Fine, if you need to know, I'm not cold." "Thanks, then follow up question, how?" Luna fired back, and Amon only shrugged. "You may have a very long life under your belt, princess, but you didn't spend years fending for yourself against the elements and without proper clothes," Amon replied with a shrug. "Not to mention how getting cold is kind of hard when you are covered in fuuuuuuuuu…." Amon stops, holding on to the last word as the princesses raise an eyebrow and look at him in suspicion and confusion. "....fantastic, bedsheets!" Amon finally finishes his sentence quickly. "Yeah! You try living out of the street for years, switch to cotton and wool, and tell me if you still feel cold. Bottom line I have build a tolerance for the elements during all my time on the streets." "Amon, I know for a fact you were trying to get away from a blizzard before coming here," Celestia points out with a raised eyebrow. "A) that was an extreme case, and B) I say tolerance, not immunity," He argues back almost immediately. "Yes, horrible weather like that is a nightmare. Compare them to what you have now, and this is barely a chill breeze for me." The princesses stare at him unimpressively before ultimately sighing and shrugging, accepting his response: "Fair enough. In that case, we can move on to more pressing matters, mainly how we will tackle the issue of your curse." Luna mentions serving herself more coffee before pointing at him with said mug. "Yes, finally, the moment I've been waiting to hear what you have to say. Especially how you seem convinced that whatever is happening to me is not a curse." "That is because it's not," Luna quickly responded, gaining his attention. "Allow me to elaborate, Mr. Amon. Ever since my sister told me your story, I have been indulging in some research and trying to piece together any pattern to your affliction according to your experience going from one city to the next." "Right, the mushroom lady profiling, I imagine." Amon rolled his eyes with a huff, remembering that particular mare. "...in part correct, plus I'm trying to figure out where exactly was the hamlet where the worst part occurred, but for some reason, I have been unsuccessful, but that is another subject. The point I want to make here is that the only thing consistent in your curse is how inconsistent your behavior is." "What?" Amon looks at the princess with a raised eyebrow. "I had my suspicious too, but Luna just confirmed it," Celestia chips in. "Amon, for your story, the report, and the nature of what is happening, I can be sure it can't be a curse now." Celestia then starts to list her reasoning behind that idea: "A curse doesn't talk or have a message, so that is a big clue right there; a curse also behaves like a virus or a stream; it follows a pattern, and it never changes on it own, it always a straight line without exception unless something or someone changes its course, yet in one city the weather changed first, in another the songs are the only thing that happens, heck even here in Canterlot nothing happen until months after the conditions supposedly were meet, do you see our point? Whatever is happening is aleatory and erratic; not even Discord could make a curse this inconsistent; at this point, it stops being a curse and becomes just malicious casting." "Wait, you are saying that someone is responsible for my crappy life? Rather than a curse, what is happening is that someone wants to ensure I remain at rock bottom?" Amon asks them incredulously. Both royals nod. "It is the only explanation. How and why are still a mystery, but the clues are certainly there, whoever is after you. Wishes to keep your life the way it was." "And more importantly, it means you can finally rest more easily knowing you are not the cause of all that misery surrounding you, so what we must do now is…" Celestia smiled calmly and nodded with her eyes closed until she, alongside Luna, was startled when Amon hit the table hard. Some electric spark with black coloring started to emerge from his fist as he closed his eyes. "All those lives are gone, the hell I went through, the countless nightmares and guilt that kept me awake at night. It was all because of some ASSHOLE MESSING WITH MY LIFE?!" "Amon, please calm down. We understand how you are feeling, but you need to remember that as an alicorn, your emotions can negatively affect your surroundings if you are not careful," Luna warns him as she points at his hand. Amon looked down and saw a strange black orb starting to form in his fist. It startled him as he lifted it from the table, leaving a perfect half-spheric dent on the furniture as he held his hand. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Amon calms himself. "Are you okay?" Celestia asks Amon as he nods and opens his eyes, seeing his hand back to normal. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Sorry about that. So you were saying?" Amon spun his wrist, inviting them to resume the subject. "Understood as we were saying, in light of all the evidence we have gathered, we hypothesize that a malicious individual capable of wielding magic has been following your steps since you partook in this nomadic lifestyle. Most likely from a safe distance and maybe even by astral projecting his form to avoid detection," Luna resumed her explanation. "The later theory could even explain why the supposed curse managed to speak to you at one point, Amon. They wanted you to feel despair and misery; they wanted to ensure that you would remain isolated from society and make society reject you." While the two sisters kept talking, Amon had to close his eyes and clench his fist as he breathed through his nose to remain calm. His mind at the moment was a raging storm of emotions. He was hearing the sister say all of that. It made him want to yell profanities, demand names, and unleash his anger on the asshole that made his life a living hell. All of that culminates in an old memory that snaps him out of his anger as he recalls the feeling of blood dripping from his hands as he stood in front of a corpse that was beaten to a pulp and became unrecognizable. All his anger immediately turns into guilt, and while the memory manages to calm him down, it also starts to fill his mind with dread and fear as an idea of who he may be after he pops up in his head. "...Amon?" The concerned voice of Celestia snaps him back to reality as Amon opens his eyes to see both royals looking at him in concern. "Did you hear us?" "Sorry, I need a moment there. What were you saying?" "We were saying that to test our theory and, with any luck, lure your attacker; we believe it would be wise to surround you with carefully selected ponies to interact and improve your life." "You want me to make friends?" Amon asks them incredulously, raising an eyebrow at how ridiculous that idea sounds. Celestia smiles and nods. "In a sense, you could call it that, and I know what you are about to say, and yes, they will be aware of how approaching you would put a target on them; that is why we are gonna choose them." "This, in turn, would give us an idea of how to proceed. Your stalker would back away, knowing they could not continue their tricks or change tactics. Either way, with this plan, I can track them down and put an end to their torture." Luna reasoned with determination and a clenched fist. "This is starting to sound like you are setting me on a playdate," Amon mentions with some irritation. "It's nice, though, and I get your reasoning, but who in their right mind would want to hang on with someone they know who would cause them to have nightmares or attract monsters?" Right on cue, Amon hears confetti being fired behind him coming from the central doorway, followed by giggling and what sounds like party music. "Ah, right on time, it seems." Celestia smiles and nods as the sound gets louder as they approach. "To answer your question, you have already met two ponies, Amon, with Ms. Viola and Mr. Purple, who agree to this project and are fully trained to deal with this situation." "Besides them, we also requested the help of two mares that are experts on dealing with monsters, friendship, and illogical situations," Luna continued as Amon started to tense up as the music and giggles kept increasing as he stood up and took a step back away from the doors. "Mr. Amon, allow me to introduce you to…" Suddenly, the two doors burst open, and from it, a pink mare with a blue puffy sweater, a dark pink scarf with lots of fiddly bits on it, and dark blue jeans with figurines on their legs, slid into the room, throwing confetti everywhere. Her mane was puffy and had plenty of volume, and Amon swore he saw more confetti blasting out of it as if her name was coughing. "Pinkie Pie, ponyville party planner resident extraordinary, bearer of the element of laughter, and expert on friendship subjects. "It's a new friend party time!" Pinkie exclaimed in excitement while looking at Amon as he slowly backed away. "And, of course, Fluttershy," Luna continued, and Amon looked at the door again. The pink mare had distracted him from the other mare that had walked in, more calmly and almost nervously, as if she wasn't sure if she should be or not be there. She seemed to be a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane, a green sweater, and a long light green dress underneath it, waving nervously at Amon. "H-hi, Mister," Fluttershy calls as Pinkie doesn't waste time and gets too close to Amon. "Oh wow, you are so big! And you have a huge mane! Hi! My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but all my friends call me Pinkie! Do you want to be friends? Well, of course you do! That is what the princess calls for me, so we can all be friends and have lots of fun and…" Amon covers her mouth and lifts her with one hand, trying to distance her from him as she keeps asking him rapid-fire questions, not bother one bit with how he was easily suspending her in the air with his hands, before looking at Celestia. "Celestia tells me this is some joke. You don't want me to make friends with her, do you?" Amon is alarmed as Pinkie doesn't stop talking, even with her mouth covered. "I'm certainly not, and please, Amon, release her. That is no way to treat your friends. Just calm down, and I will explain everything." Celestia tries to reason with him as Amon looks at her suspiciously before looking at Pinkie Pie. Grabbing her head with his other hand, he slowly let go of her mouth. "...andwecanhaveadventures…" He closes her mouth again and then releases her. "...thenwecaneatlotsofcandy…" Amon repeats the process, gets a slightly curious cover, and quickly lets go of her mouth before covering it again. “And… be… the… best… of… friends!” "Enough Amon! Pinkie Pie is not a toy; let her go properly," Luna demanded, getting irritated at how Amon was treating Pinkie. "Tell me how I can make her stop first," Amon asks the group, seeing how she doesn't see signs of stopping anytime soon. "You can't," They all reply with a stoic expression. "Sorry, Amon, but the only way to stop Pinkie is to let her finish her speech," Celestia explains with a tired sigh. Looking at them in horror and then at Pinkie, Amon looks up as he tries to think of something, groaning when he gets an idea he doesn't particularly like. "God damn, don’t make me…is really no other choice…? Fine! I’ll do something, but she better not get funny ideas," Amon exclaimed. Celestia sighed in relief, thinking he would let go of Pinkie, only to gasp alongside everyone present when, instead of releasing her, Amon blindsided Pinkie with a full-on kiss on the lips as he dipped her. Pinkie's body went stiff, and her mane and tail seemingly popped like balloons before deflating. For the whole 10 seconds, the kiss lasted as her right hoof shot up backward. By the time Amon was finished, he had let go of a stunning Pinkie who had a thousand-mile stare at nothing, her lips puckering as she was speechless, and Amon cleaned his mouth. "I can't fucking believe it, that actually worked," With a sigh, Amon returned to the chair, ignoring all the shock stares coming his way as he looked at Celestia. "So, care to explain this plan you have in mind, Celestia?" "Can you first explain why you just kissed Pinkie Pie?!" Celestia counters, still surprised by his sudden action. For his part, Amon only sighed and shrugged. "I wanted her to stop so I could hear this crazy plan of yours, so that is what I did." "And you thought the only way to do that was to kiss her?" Luna mentions with some irritation as Amon sighs. "Look, I'm not proud about it. I panicked and did the first thing that came to mind. For what is worth it, I'm sorry, Pinkamena. You can slap me or kick me in the groin if it helps," Amon offered, and that seemed to snap Pinkie out of her trance. "What?" Pinkie looked at him in confusion. "We are not gonna hurt you," Fluttershy answers for Pinkie as she glares at Amon. "And you are right to be sorry; what you did was very rude, Amon. Could you not do it again? Pinkie already has a coltfriend." "Who? I-I mean y-yeah, YEAH!" She exclaimed, nodding a couple of times. "I do have a coltfriend, my special cupcake muffin that I love very much!... whose name I can't remember right now for some reason. B-But I still love him and would never betray!" Pinkie quickly added. Amon nods before looking back at the princesses. "There, problem solved. Now, what exactly is your plan? Why are you risking civilian life like this, Celestia?" Amon confronts the princess with a raised eyebrow. Still shaken by what happened, Celestia needed a moment before shaking her head and deciding to move on with the subject. "Well, in the hopes that your actions didn't alter the plan, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are no mere civilians, Amon. These two are well-known heroes of Equestria that have fought and won against strong foes over the years." "Fluttershy has even befriended the manifestation of chaos and is familiar with unpleasant dreams," Luna chips in, "While Pinkie Pie, well, you already meet her. Their qualities made them perfect to combat anyone trying to mess with them through their dreams, and the elements would shield them from any form of mind control." "Yeah, we will know if anyone is trying to make us think you are mean right away, and we will ignore it," Pinkie says with a big smile. "Essentially, we will be forcing whoever wishes to harm you to change tactics with periodic visits, during which you all will enjoy the day and have fun," Celestia explained. “Pinkie and Fluttershy would just be the first of many others to come meet you” "Your plan is for me just to have playdates, then?" Amon questions with sarcasm, looking at the princesses as they nod. "Think about it. They want you to suffer, don't they? Seeing you happy will destroy their goal, and they would have to try something else, and since they can' attack emotionally or mentally, they will only have one last resort," Luna mentions. "When the shadow monsters attack, I would only need one of them to track its origin and find the ones responsible." "And you would not have to hide anymore; you would be free," Fluttershy tells them. Amon remains quiet at that and only closes his eyes for a moment before looking at the two mares. "You realized this would make you into bait, right?" "Don't worry, silly. We are prepared." Pinkie dismisses his concern, and they both show him a pair of golden necklaces. "And like the princess told you, we have dealt with worse before. And nothing would stop me from throwing a Pinkie Pie party, not even you!" Pinkie proclaims as she points ahead of her. Amon stared at her with concern before approaching Fluttershy. "Why is your friend pointing at a wall?" "Just don't overthink about it; that is Pinkie, been Pinkie," Fluttershy answered with a knowing smile and a chuckle. "So! Are you ready to have a fantastic, awesome day!?" Pinkie asks, getting close to Amon once more. "I have a list of the most fun places we can visit," she proclaims, showing him the list. "Wait, you mean right now?" Amon asks in a panic. "Sure! Why not? No time like the present," Pinkie says, grabbing Amon's wrist and dragging him alone. "Hey, wait! Wait, I haven't even said yes yet; at least let me change! I'm in a robe, for pit's sake!" Amon complains as the 3 leave the room, the princesses waving at them goodbye. Once alone, the sisters look at one another. "Do you think this plan would work, Luna?" Celestia finally shows some concern about Luna's idea. "Absolutely. This kind of problem requires the expertise of mares that have experience dealing with this kind of problem before. Besides, if this foe wishes to harm the concept of friendship, who better to stop them than the champions of such? Trust me, sister? No matter what they try, I would be ready to stop it." "But why this way? Why make the introductions gradually? It wouldn't be faster to send him to Ponyville or introduce him to all six simultaneously?" "We must think strategically here, sister; this way, we keep everyone as safe as possible while taunting these aggressors. No matter what they try next, they will have to expose themselves one way or another, and when they do. We will be ready." Celestia nods and sighs, looking at the door. "I hope you are the right sister. As confident as I am with the elements, I can't shake this strange feeling that we are dealing with something unlike anything else we have faced."
The First 3 Rules Of Friendship (Edited by PW)After being convinced by Fluttershy, Amon was allowed to change into his regular attire and bathe before heading outside the castle. He was, more or less, wearing an exact copy of his normal clothes. Amon appreciated how the princess procured various clean and new copies, most likely believing he might want something familiar yet clean and probably she dread that otherwise, he might step outside with something smelly, dirty, and in desperate need of tailor work. Or at least that is what Amon assumed. Part of him wasn't exactly sure what to expect, or even if he wanted to be there, but in the hopes of getting rid of the curse that tormented him or discovering the rat that placed him in that situation, he was willing to give the princess's wacky plan a chance. As the group reached the main entrance, Amon was slightly startled to find Purple waiting for them, fully dressed in his royal guard uniform. "Purple?" Amon exclaimed with a raised eyebrow, stopping at the entrance. "Before you ask, I'm coming too because I volunteer. No, this is not extra payment; I'm not asking, and you need an escort. Did I miss anything?" "Purple, you don't get it. These mares give me some weird vibes, especially the pink one, and I live in the streets, man! I have seen weird stuff, and she still topples them." "Boy, you don't know Pinkie Pie, do you? Don't worry. You get used to her, so don't overthink it," Purple chuckles and pats his back before returning with the mares, leaving Amon dumbfounded. The fuck is the issue with this ponies and how chill they are with weirdness? "Fine! Fine, whatever," Amon exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air before looking at Pinkie. "So what do we do?" "Well, normally, I will show you the best and funniest places Canterlot has to offer, but I think you would like it if we…?" Pinkie's line of thought changes when Purple makes a gesture, shaking his palm left and right in front of his neck. "...improvised? And blindly explore the place; we both know a bit of Canterlot, don't we?" Pinkie suggests with a big grin. "You mean, where is the best place to look for food and where you can try to wash your clothes?" "Y-you mean like shelters and refugees for the food part… right?" Fluttershy asks in worry as Amon stares at her for a few minutes. "Suuuuuure," Amon replies slowly, looking away. "Well, while there are places, you know? I was thinking more about what and where you go to have fun." Pinkie clarified. "Fun?" Amon repeats before looking up and then sighing. "With how much time I have spent just surviving, I don't recall the last time I had fun." At that comment, Pinkie only flinched and started to take the longest gasp imaginable. "WHAT?!" "Okay, before you start saying anything…" "Ah, no, nah, I'm NOT gonna stand for another second," Pinkie suddenly yells angrily and takes Amon's wrist. "Hey!" Amon complains as Pinkie drags him outside. "No, remember the last time you had fun? No wonder you are so grumpy; you need to relax and have fun right now, and that is what we are going to do, the Pinkie way. Don't worry, Amon. I will teach you exactly what it is like to laugh and have fun once more." Amon looked at the others for help. "Should I be worried?" "Don't worry, Amon. Remember, this is for you to relax and be happy. Just give it a chance," Fluttershy pleads with him as Amon sighs in defeat and lets Pinkie do her thing. After a while, Pinkie finally let go of Amon’s wrist once the group reached the first place in their tour in the middle of a local park where some families were having a picnic after moving some pockets of snow from the ground and having fun with it, having snowfights, or making snow ponies around them. "Okay, we are here; what is next?" Amon asks, crossing his arms while looking at Pinkie. "Next, we have a picnic!" The mare proclaims as she holds a basket with both hands, startling Amon as he steps back. "Where did you get that picnic basket?" "From my house, silly," Pinkie quickly answers. Everyone laughs and shakes their heads. "Oh, I never get tired of that," Purple says as they look for a spot to sit. "Come, Amon, free food," He reminds him singly. "No, seriously, she didn't have one before. Where did it come from?" Amon repeated his question, yet everyone was ignoring him. The smell of baked goods made him decide to ignore the madness and just go with the flow. Once settled and with some snacks at hand, Pinkie talked to the group. "Okay, this is a great opportunity to teach you the first steps to making friends, Amon, getting to know other ponies," Pinkie mentioned with a proud smile. "The best way to get to know another pony is by sharing stories and telling a little about yourself. It's an awesome ice breaker, and sometimes you even find things in common that you share with others, like this!" Pinkie clears her throat before speaking, "Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie. I come from a rock farm, and I live in…" "Wait, wait, wait!" Amon interrupts and raises an eyebrow. "A rock… farm? Don't you mean a quarry?" He corrected her. "No, silly. I mean, a rock farm, you know? A place where you farm rocks. So anyway, as I was saying…" "What the heck is a rock farm? Do you grow rocks? Do you raise rocks? Do you milk, eat, and/or breed rocks as if they were cows? I'm sorry, I don't understand how a rock farm works." "AMON!" Purple yells at him in anger. "Rule one: When you talk with others, you don't interrupt. Pinkie was trying to tell you something, and you did just that twice, which is really rude. If you have questions, the polite thing is to ask them AFTER she is done talking, okay?" Amon blinks a couple of times at Purple before nodding once. Satisfy Purple looks back at Pinkie. "Please, Ms. Pie, continue." "Thank you, Purple, where was I?" Pinkie looked up in deep thought. "My name, where I came from, how I once ate 5 thousand cupcakes in under a minute? Oh no, wait, that is for later." She snapped her finger. "I remember now! As I said, I live in Ponyville, a small city where I work as a pastry backer and throw all sorts of parties." "So… two jobs?" Amon raises an eyebrow. "You earn so little that you need the extra income?" "Oh no, silly. I just love pastries and sweats, as well as parties so I work both," Pinkie replies calmly, raising even more questions. "Okay, but if you have two jobs, when do you have free time for…?" "Amph!" Pinkie interrupts him, raising her hand. "Of topic, we are getting off-topic; let's go back on the road with Fluttershy!" Pinkie asks calmly, keeping her energetic smile as she points at the yellow pegasus, which went stiff and hid behind her mane when all eyes fell on her. "Ah well… am I… I’m…" I swear, with each word that pink mare said, I understood even less of her. Amon thought for himself while listening to Fluttershy telling her story until something else caught his attention. Someone started to hum the lullaby he had learned to dread. With everyone distracted and sharing stories, nobody noticed Amon starting to look around them in search of whoever was humming, with no result. This… is different; I can feel it. I usually can spot whoever is starting to hum. So. The bastard is here? Are they getting reckless? No, there is no time to think about that. Amon's eyes fell on the entrance of a garden maze for the public, the only place where whoever was singing could hide. Got you, son of a bitch. You wait until I get my hands… "Hello!? Equestria to Amon." Pinkie's face suddenly appearing in Amon's field of vision did more than startle him as he flinched and almost fell back, getting as much space as he could from the pink mare. "Damn it, Pink! You scare me," Amon complains as Pinkie looks at him with surprise and irritation. "Not our fault; we called you because it was your turn. Where are you ignoring us?" She asks with her arms crossed, waiting for an answer. "Wait, what about Yellow, ah… Float Shine, right?"” "Ah, it… Fluttershy," Fluttershy replies in a whisper, looking down and slightly sad. "And no, it wasn't her because she already introduced herself, which you didn't pay any attention to, Mr. Meanie." Pinkie pokes his chest. Rule two: when someone is talking to you, you listen to them. Really, Amon, we are trying to help, and we get you don't have much experience, but not even Discord was this rude." Pinkie complains and shrugs as she shakes her head in disappointment. "Ah… sorry, I'm not good at this, but didn't you hear it?" "Hear what?" Purple asks with a raised eyebrow. "The song the lullaby I… did Celestia not tell you? The thing that's chasing me uses that song. And they started playing a moment ago; tell me you heard it." "We didn't hear anything, Amon," Purple shook his head. "Maybe it was in your head?" Fluttershy suggested. "Are you still hearing it?" At the question, everyone remained quiet, and nobody could hear a thing. "Okay, it stops now, but I'm telling you, I just heard it. We need to act fast," Amon insisted. He tried to stand up, only for Fluttershy to grab and squeeze his hand with both of hers. "Amon, it's okay," She spoke softly. "How long did you live alone, scared, and filled with guilt for Celestia? Nobody would blame you for being on edge and paranoid; please trust us. You are safe now." Amon wanted to argue; he didn’t want to waste any time. The monster behind his nightmare was so close; any second he wasted, they could run away and try something else. Yet the yellow mare words, the softness in her voice and her touch, the pleading eyes. Going against her felt like kicking a puppy. Amon was paralyzed and unable to argue with her, so with a defeated sigh, he relaxed and sat up again. "Thank you." Fluttershy nods and lets go of his hand. "Why don't we resume with our introductions, shall we?" "Whatever," Amon just rolled his eyes and started poking his food. "So you were saying your name was Fluttershy?" "That is right," Fluttershy nods, now more relaxed. "Like Pinkie, I also lived in Ponyville as its resident apothecary and owner of the animal sanctuary." "So you are a veterinarian?" "Oh no, far from it. A veterinarian is a doctor for animals, and while I care for my little friends, I'm more of a guardian of sorts for both wild and domestic animals." Her answer didn't seem to explain much to Amon, yet he abstained from repeating the mistake with Pinkie and just bit his tongue. "Understood, thanks for sharing that, Yell… Fluttershy." "It was my pleasure, and I imagine you know all about Purple already, right? I mean, you two have been friends the longest." "Guess again," Amon replied tiredly, pointing at the royal guard. "I barely spoke two words with this guy based on trying to keep him safe from monsters. And that was because no matter what I tried, he just kept trying to get into my head." "That is right, but yeah, Amon was quite the tough cookie to crack; I never thought that a horde of monsters was needed for him to tell me his name." "Wait, you knew each other for two months and never knew his name?" Pinkie asks in astonishment. "Ah, Pinkie, remember? The situation," Fluttershy reminds her. "Right, right still, wow, three months; you were a good friend, Purple." "Loyal to a fault, or at least that is what all my friends tell me," Purple proclaims in pride. "I was born and raised in Manetattan by the Bronks; dad was a security guard at a museum, one mom was a nurse, and another was a firefighter, so as you can imagine me and my other three sisters had what you would call super parents." Purple chuckled and took a bite of a cookie he was holding. "Anyway, I was born as the middle child; my older sister wanted to follow mom's hoofsteps and became a doctor, one of my younger sisters is currently practicing to earn the gold in a decathlon, and the youngest sibling works odd jobs while finishing her studies in law school, as for me, you can imagine. Follow the old man's example, enlist in the royal guard, make many friends there, and here I am." "Wow, Purple Heart, you have an awesome family," Pinkie says in astonishment at his story, making Fluttershy laugh. "Pinkie, he already told us all of that." "Yeah, but it's still impressive," Pinkie counters before chuckling again. Once they chuckled, they all saw Amon, who was putting some of the cookies in one of his pockets, before noticing all eyes on him as he stopped. "What?" Amon asks as he starts eating one of the cookies. "Now it's your turn, Amon," Pinkie replied. "Tell us a little bit about yourself." "Oh no, I agree to give Celestia a chance; I didn't agree to this," Amon says, starting to get defensive. "It's okay, Amon. You don't need to tell us anything personal," Fluttershy calms him down. You can tell us whatever you are comfortable with. Trust us, it always feels nice to chat," she offers calmly. "Just something short and superficial works too, some story you like to tell, places you visit, food you like IF that is okay," Fluttershy adds when she notices Amon getting defensive. "There is no pressure, and if it helps, don't think of this as a way to lower your defense; think of it as a way to ruin the plans of whoever is hurting you. They want to keep you sad and grumpy, right?" Once more, Amon felt himself against the wall without any arguments against Fluttershy's argument, plus it could force his enemies to make a move if they saw him having a good time. With a defeated sigh, Amon once more nods and closes his eyes. "Okay, I suppose I did promise to give you a chance." "Yay, thank you, Amony," Pinkie cheered and excitedly hugged him. She had stood up, and Amon was still sitting, her chest pressed ideally against the side of Amon's head, giving him some color on his face before he pulled Pinkie away effortlessly with one hand as if she were a cat. "Okay, rule 3: Please don't press your chest against my face. Save that for your boyfriend." Amon asks her with some irritation as Pinkie nods quickly and gives him a thumbs up. "Oki doki, wait boyfriend? What is that?" Pinkie repeats, confused by the term Amon just used. "Not important." Putting Pinkie down and having given up on making sense of her antics, Amon sighs again and starts thinking of something to tell them. He has to pause and shake his head when a nasty memory pops out of his head before he can come up with something else to share. Suddenly, an idea appeared in Amon's head as he glanced at the entrance to the nearby maze, and a plan took form, making him smile and smirk internally. "Well, it is not much of a secret by this point, but recently, I have developed this joy for long walks into the unknown as I discover new places." "You mean exploring?" Purple asks with a raised eyebrow. "In a sense, a bit of the thrill of solving puzzles, discovering new places, and admiring different landscapes, not to mention the serenity in the silence with only you and your thoughts; it involves many things. This made me think of an idea," Amon pointed at the maze. "Would it be okay if I go explore that maze?" The group looks back at said maze before looking at Amon Purple, staring at him suspiciously. "That is an oddly sudden idea, Amon, especially when we just sat down and got to know one another." "Wouldn't you like to do something else first?" Fluttershy suggests before pulling out a bag of seed for some birds to approach her; Amon is slightly startled by how fast and easily wild animals seem to be drawn to her. "You have barely told us anything about you, and it seems you already want to get away from us." Fluttershy sounded hurt as she looked down and discouraged, turning the atmosphere tense until Amon raised his arms. "It's not that I don't want to be here with you," Amon quickly adds, shaking his head when the rest look at him, slightly irritated. “I swear this is just a little something that could help me relax. Just give me five minutes in the maze to clear my thoughts, relax a little, and then I'll be back." He elaborates, yet Purple and Pinkie need to be convinced. "Is that all?" Pinkie questions, leaning closer to Amon, making him uncomfortable. "Yes, I swear that is all." Amon nods rapidly. - Right after I found and broke the legs of the son of a bitch that put me through hell - Amon thought for himself and tried to think of something to calm everyone down. "Tell you what, if you give me five minutes to breathe when I return, I… I will tell you the story of when I rode a Jackalope." The suggestion seemed to do the trick, yet once more, Amon was startled when it appeared to have worked too well in how Fluttershy emotions seemed to have switched, and now she was surprised with some rising excitement. "You rode a Jackalope? How? When? What type? They are so territorial and aggressive. I… you ride a JACKALOPE!?" Fluttershy repeats in complete astonishment, getting very close to Amon as he leans back, blinking several times. "...yes," That is all Amon said before silence. Fluttershy by placing a finger on her lips before she can say anything else. "And I will tell you after you give me some space, promise." Pinkie looks at him with squinted eyes and rubs her chin before smiling and nodding, "Okay." "Wait, just like that?" Purple looked at Pinkie in surprise. "Yeah, Amony just wants a bit of fresh air before he tells us something about him. It is only fair we meet him halfway and let him breathe," Pinkie explains. "Besides, he already pinkie promises he will tell us an awesome story afterward." "Never say such a thing as a Pinkie Promise; don't go around putting words in my mouth," Amon responded as he stood up. "So, do we have a deal?" Purple still seems unsure and starts to think about it before nodding. "Only five minutes; try not to get too far and come back. Don't forget you still have enemies out there, and my job is to protect you, dude." "Duly noted, and don't worry, worse came to pass. Fluttershy can fly up, find a ten-foot-tall pony in the maze, and bring me back. I will be fine and ready to tell you the story. Just a sample. It was a she, and she has cubs." Fluttershy shrinks in delight, hearing that as the group sees Amon retiring into the maze. "You are gonna love that story; just be patient," Amon tells them before disappearing behind one of the grassy walls at the maze's entrance. The moment he was out of their field of vision, Amon didn’t waste time and sprinted into action, trying to pinpoint any sign of the lullaby in the distance. -I’m sorry, everyone, but I know what I heard; I can feel them. All this time, I thought it was the ghost of my past, but now I’m sure. The bastards are here, and I’m not letting them get away. I’m making them pay- His ears suddenly pick up something, and turning a corner, he starts hearing the lullaby in the far distance and manages to glance at a yellow jacket. - You are mine! - Breathing through his nose, Amon ran as fast as he could, hearing the song louder. The individual was barely out of reach, yet Amon was gaining more distance from his target. The song was soon replaced by a wicket-low laughing and taunting for Amon to catch them until the alicorn was about to grab the jacket as he reached the center of the maze. The second he gets past a doorframe. Amon froze in place and went pale in both fear and shock. As the lullaby resonated everywhere, it seemed to have been transported to the hallway with metal walls, roofs, and floors. Blood, guts, and human bodies were spread all over the floor, and a red blinking light covered the place in a red glow. Starting to hyperventilate, Amon took a step back before feeling a hand over his shoulder that made him jump out of his skin and turn around in time to see a girl not older than sixteen wearing a hospital glow and a bloody stain on her forehead, looking at Amon with a thousand-mile stare. "You kill us." "N-No. I-I didn't mean to." Amon tried to defend himself as he started walking backward, and the corpse around him started singing the lullaby. "I swear… I-it was an accident. I… I didn’t think…they made me, I…" "Liar." The girl keeps accusing him as she walks toward him with a stern glare. "You rob us of our only way out, strand us in this hell; you are the reason we are all dead. You are no better than them. This is all your fault." "I'm sorry," Amon pleaded with teary eyes. "Sorry will not bring us back, you kill us, and we will never let you forget." The girl starts to levitate as Amon kneels and holds his head as he tries to make himself as small as possible. The lullaby keeps playing as he shakes like a leaf. "It's all my fault. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." As Amon kept apologizing to nobody, the wind started to pick up force, and it started snowing again. Growls and screams were heard in the distance, yet Amon could barely register them. All he could hear was the infernal lullaby reminding him of the worst day of his life.
Heroic Entrance (Edited By PW)While chatting about nothing in particular, Purple and Fluttershy kept glancing at the maze entrance in anticipation and a bit of anxiety that just kept increasing with each passing minute. "Come on, guys. You're paranoid now," Pinkie tries to calm them down. I'm sure Amony is on his way." "Are you sure, Pinkie?" Fluttershy looked back at her friend and then at her watch. "It has been almost 5 minutes and 30 seconds already." Pinkie chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, Shylight, come on! Of course, he would take less than five minutes, too. And this is all he wanted, isn't he? Just a moment to breathe before he opens up a bit. He really is trying. The least we could do is trust him," Pinkie told the two. "Now come! Who wants a piece of lemon pie?" Pinkie tries to distract them with a piece of the dessert, which has whipped cream to entice both. The guard and pegasus look at the plates before nodding and piling their eyes away from the maze. They are starting to enjoy their meal when a low growl alerts the three once again. "Pinkie, please tell me that was your stomach," Purple pleaded before the ground trembled. Then, from it, weird creatures made of black miasma, ice, and snow emerged in all shapes and forms. A giant snowball with rachitic long arms and claw-like fingers grabs hold of anypony nearby before rolling around. A snowman starts clawing his way on a rampage, injuring innocent people. The snow castle keeps grabbing and tossing kids inside as it walks like they were their meals, creating chaos in an instant. "Everyone, stay close! These things are tougher than they look," Purple exclaimed in alarm before turning on his horn, sending an emergency signal into the sky, and confronting the creatures. "And they are coming from the maze," Pinkie points out as she sees a centipede py train made of ice and snow capturing more ponies. "Amon!" Fluttershy tries to fly into the maze, but she is blocked by flying blocks of snow angels with long arms trying to grab her. "Don't separate!" Purple instructs them, blowing up a snowman as he raises a shield for three more, then emerges from the snow. "I called for backup already; we need to keep this thing busy and away from civilians until reinforcement arrives." "But what about Amon? He was probably the first one they attacked and is probably facing a horde right now," Fluttershy complains. "I'm aware, but there are so many civilians here. Some are already injured; we can't just abandon them or split up and risk getting injured ourselves or worse," Purple explains as he blasts a magic beam at the castle, destroying one of its towers only for the snowball to jump in and replace it, putting its victims as hostages. "Damn it! These are more intelligent, and they are using hostages. I can't get a clear shot," Purple complained. "Neither can I," Pinkie adds, blasting more confetti and cake at a snowman who looks primarily annoyed and confused about how a cake blasts one of his arms before another lands in his mouth and yet another until he falls. "Eat fruit cake, you snowmen!" Pinkie yells as she keeps blasting at whatever she can aim. Having to change aim when they start using nearby civilians as meat shields. "Hey, no hostages, that is cheating!" Pinkie calls in annoyance as the monster breaks her party cannon and keeps advancing. Eventually, the monsters began to overwhelm them, and the three soon found themselves trapped inside a ring made by the monstrous centipede. Purple was doing his best to keep a shield up to keep the monsters at bay, yet that, too, was beginning to crack. "Just… a little… more." Purple tried to calm the two mares as he started to pant and had to kneel from exhaustion. "Hold on!" A voice in the distance calls out, and the three look up in time to see a mysterious figure on the clock in a red jacket, blue jeans, and heavy black boots matching his black rubber gloves. He is wielding two flaming swords and descending on top of the monsters. His face is hidden inside a hood he is wearing. Alerted by the mysterious individual, the monsters turned to look at him in time for the castle monster to have its face stabbed and then melted by the flaming swords. This slowed down the man's descent until he reached the door frame, at which point he jumped back and spun around, creating a ring of fire that split the door in two. The monster weil in pain and falls to the ground as the flames keep spreading and melting the structure so the hostages don’t waste time and rush outside. The hero opens them up to escape. "Honey muffins!" Pinkie claims in excitement as the hooded figure slashes away monster after monster, dodging and zig-zagging the creatures that tried to put hostages only for him to cut and melt the monsters away, starting to reduce their numbers. More snowmen try to emerge from the snow, but the heat and fire keep turning the snow into puddles, making it impossible for the monsters to reform. "Sorry to fall on you guys unexpectedly. I saw the party and how you seem to have your handful. I hope you don't mind if I take some of the uglies from you." The man calls in a cheerful tune as he jumps and dashes away, avoiding the creatures' attacks with ease. He almost seems to be playing. "Not at all, Mr. Muffins. There is more than enough to dance with." Purple chuckles and joins in the fight, blasting away at the creatures and summoning purple flames to melt the snow around them once he notices how it was the clue to prevent more of the creatures from emerging. The mares, seeing how the two seemed to have things under control, went and helped rescue the hostages, move them away from the fight, and prevent the monsters from using them as meat shields. Soon, the only creature remaining was the centipede that seemed to be on his way to retrieve back into the maze while the hooded pony gave chase. "Sorry, Thomas, this is your last stop," The mysterious pony quotes before spinning in the air with his swords outstretched, creating a fire saw that chops the final monster in half before it can reenter the maze. Once he reached the head. The pony stops spinning and holds his head, leaning against the doorframe while waiting for the world to stop spinning. "Please tell me that is the last one because I need a moment now," The pony asked before being tackled by Pinkie, who smoothed him against her chest, pointing out that the mysterious individual was at least a head shorter than a standard adult pony. "You were incredible, honey muffins! You were like, wham and zap and zoom. It was like you were a superhero." Pinkie kept praising him as she rubbed her face on top of the pony's hood, making him chuckle and return the hug. "What can I say? When my sweet bum is in danger, I must jump into action," The hooded pony replied. "So glad you did, Mr. Muffin; we appreciate your prompt intervention," Purple mentions as he and Fluttershy approach the two, the latter chuckling when Purple mentions his name. "Yeah, about that, I know it happens a lot considering how you love to name everyone here, but I'm just letting you know, my name is not Honey Muffin," The pony confesses, separating from Pinkie and removing his hood to reveal a human tan face with long curly black hair. "It's Marcus. The honey muffin is just a cute nickname my marefriend loves to use," Marcus said while scratching Pinkie's chin, making her purr before he sheets his swords. "Is everypony okay?" Marcus asked Purple and Fluttershy once he was done with Pinkie. "Thank you, Celestia. They are," Fluttershy replies as she sees other guards finally approaching, handing an injured colt holding his arm to one of them. "There are more injured, and some of them have frostbite. Be careful," Fluttershy told the guard, who nodded. Soon, they all spread out to tend to the injured ponies. The pegasus returns with her group as Purple explains the situation to his superior and then addresses the group. "It seems like they got this. Besides the ones injured, everyone is mostly just terrified, but thank Celestia, nobody lost their lives." Purple explains, looking at the scared family huddling together or trying to do something for those who got slashed, frostbitten, or hurt by the monsters as guards help them out. Their brief moment of peace was unfortunately interrupted abruptly by Fluttershy. "Amon!" She exclaimed in horror. "Who?" Marcus asks in confusion before watching Fluttershy dash inside the maze without saying anything else. "That is right, he is probably still fighting." Pinkie nods as she follows Fluttershy. "Okay, could somebody please tell me what's going on?" Marcus asks, slightly annoyed at being ignored. "It's a long, complicated story, but the short version is that there was someone in the maze when the attack started and might have been injured. Let's go," Purple replies as he follows the mares with Marcus close by. The pony in question was in the process of exiting said maze at that moment as he held his head with one hand and occasionally shook it, trying to forget the experience he had relived, to no avail. To make matters worse, the experience keeps opening old wounds. Scars from his past, his experience when he first entered Equestria and why. The monsters that kept him captive and finally what he did to free himself at the cost of everyone else around him. Why? Why now? That recurring nightmare has been plaguing my dreams ever since I escaped that lab; why is it showing like this now? Amon keeps chastising himself as he leans on one of the maze's walls and sighs before looking up. Could it be that Fluttershy was right? Am I starting to lose my mind? "Amon!" The voice of Fluttershy alerted Amon and made him do a double-take before hiding behind a wall. Crap! I forgot them. The five minutes must be up already. Everyone must be more than a little angry now. Better try and come up with an excuse and fast. Looking around, Amon tries to come up with an excuse until he finds a field of flowers with a bench at one of the corners of the maze, which gives him an idea as he rushes there. Meanwhile, Fluttershy's voice is getting stronger and then getting weaker as she continues. She got pass me? Well it IS a maze after all. Amon turned around and could take a glimpse of the parting mare in the far distance, making him rethink his strategy. Well, better go back. I can always tell them that I got lost. With a new plan, Amon retraced his steps, all his time wandering aimlessly all over the world paying off as he could find his way back to the entrance with ease while his companions seemed to fall into the maze trap. Yet when he was reaching the final stretch back at the entrance, Amon was surprised when he was face to face with Marcus, who seemed to have gotten himself turned around. Both stare at one another, frozen in surprise before Amon gets angry and rushes toward Marcus, lifting him into the air as Marcus is still recovering from the shock. "Why did you look…? H… how is this possible? Who in Equestria are you?" Marcus asks all of a sudden while grabbing into Amon's hands. "That is what I would like to know, buster. Care to explain why you are wearing MY face?" Amon demands in anger before they both hear steps approaching them. The wind starts to pick up force again. Marcus and Amon look to their right in time to see Pinkie and Purple appear from the other end of the maze, looking at Amon holding Marcus against the wall of the grass maze.
Meeting As Freaky As Friday (Edited By PW)Soon after encountering the two, Purple and Pinkie didn't waste time and separated them. "It's okay, Amon. It's okay. Marcus is not one of the monsters," Pinkie said, trying to calm Amon down. "What?" Amon looks at her, confused by that statement, before looking at Marcus, who keeps looking at Amon in confusion. "Yeah, I know he looks weird, but it's okay. He is something called a human from another world," Pinkie mentions, calming down and smiling before approaching and hugging Marcus with one arm. "Amon, let me introduce you to my coltfriend, Marcus, my honey muffin. Marcus, meet Amon, my new special friend." "You're what now?" Amon asks in surprise at the statement as Marcus chuckles. "Don't worry, dude, that is just Pinkie being herself, trust me. It is not what you think it is. Also, nice to meet you." "Ah, same," Amon replies, looking at Marcus suspiciously but playing along for now as Marcus turns his attention to Pinkie. "So this is the special duper new friend Celestia asked you to talk to and try to make friends with along with Fluttershy." "Yep," Pinkie nods rapidly. "Speaking of which," Pulling out a flare gun, Pinkie shoots a signal into the air that explodes into confetti to alert Fluttershy and help her reunite with the group. Barely able to react to cover his ear, Amon looked at Pinkie in a mix of irritation and surprise. "Did you always carry a flare gun on your mane?" "Well, duh, don't you?" Pinkie asks, looking back at Amon with a raised eyebrow. Before he could give her a proper reply, the pegasus in question was able to reach the group and didn't waste time in hugging Amon, involuntarily pressing her chest against his face. "Oh, Amon! I was so worried! Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Did you see who summoned them? Don't you dare hide any wounds; let me see. Maybe you didn't notice…" "OK!" Amon yells and prays Fluttershy out of his face with a red face, the others unsure if that was anger or embarrassment from being smothered by Fluttershy's ample chest. "First of all, what did I tell you about pressing your chest against my face?" Amon reminded her in annoyance as Fluttershy realized what she had done. She went stiff and red before looking down in embarrassment as Amon put her down. "And second of all, can some… somepony PLEASE tell me what in Tartarus is going on?" Amon demands, crossing his arms. "You mean they didn't attack you?" Purple asks in astonishment, "Amon, the shadow monsters came back." "What?" Amon exclaimed in shock. "When? How?" Amon asks in quick succession. "Just a couple of minutes ago," Pinkie replied. "And they came from the maze," Fluttershy answered the other question, equally perplexed. "How come you miss them? Didn't they target you specifically?" "You mean that those creatures and him are connected somehow?" Marcus mentions, getting confused, before raising an eyebrow at Amon, "It's kind of lucky that despite being so close, and with them being smart, they miss you completely." "Yeah, you're right; that was their move," Amon replies and nods in realization. "Their move?" Purple repeats. "It's kind of obvious. The plan is to keep me miserable, and before it happens, I… kind of heard again the song." Amon decided to confess, looking at the group as they gasped. "You heard it… and didn't come back to us?" Fluttershy accuses him in irritation. "I know, I know, but you didn't hear it the first time, so I thought it really was my imagination. So I kept walking until I stopped hearing it. Before I knew it, I was on the other corner of the maze and on my way here when I found Marcus." Amon clarifies. "Seems the bastards after me; switch decided a new tactic now." "I think I'm starting to see; rather than follow you, they will start sending the monsters around you so everypony thinks you are summoning them." "Exactly," Amon nods. "An obvious and cliche move, but it makes sense." "Well, I wouldn't say cliche," Marcus mentions. "I mean, are you sure that is what they want? It seems like you are assuming things here, dude." Amon remained quiet while looking at him before speaking after a pause, "No offense, but you are new, so you can't have an opinion here." "Wait, Amon," Fluttershy stood in front of him. "Maybe Marcus could help; this is a great opportunity." "It is?" Amon asks, confused. "Yeah, I know my honey muffins don't look like your typical buff stallion, but he is solid and brilliant," Pinkie praised with a big smile before gasping. "You two could be best friends, too! That way, you can have a mare and MALE friends all day." Pinkie exclaims in excitement as she hugs both Amon and Marcus. Both look a bit uncomfortable at the idea, but Amon quickly gets an idea of his own and nods slowly. "You know what, Pinkie, you're right." She gasped again and had stars in his eyes as everyone, minus Marcus looked at Amon with surprise but a little smile. "You all been trying to help me out, and it seems my enemies are not wasting any time in trying to screw me over, so let's show them; I will not play anymore." Pinkie squeaks and doesn't waste time hugging Amon's chest as hard as she can, her hands barely able to reach his back. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" "Pinkie, your boyfriend! He is right there! What did I tell you!?" Amon yells, feeling two orbs pressing hard on his chest. "They are not on your face," Pinkie mentions in a sing-song, and everyone chuckles at her antics. "And don't worry about another attack. With Princess Luna's guards patrolling, they will be on their trail in no time. Whoever is causing this, they will catch them," Purple promises as they all exit the maze. Later on, in the commercial district of Canterlot, The group explained everything to Marcus, minus the part about Amon being an alicorn and how they've been trying to help him and capture whoever was behind his misfortunes, to which he was more than happy to help. Deciding to take a break, and trying to calm down from the emotions that was the attack, the group headed to one of Canterlot's finest coffee shops, which a friend of Pinkie called Rarity recommended. They left Marcus and Amon alone as the rest went to get in line and pick up the orders for everyone. An opportunity that Amon didn't waste time exploiting: "So 'Marcus' now that we are alone. Care to explain what is going on?" Amon asks with a neutral tone. "Okay, I understand and have the right to be mad, but you have to understand I'm kind of a victim here too," Marcus defended himself, which didn't seem to calm Amon down as he glared at Marcus. "How so?" Amon asks, some venom dripping from his voice. "Because that is supposed to be my body too; look, it complicates it, but I…" Marcus looked around to ensure nobody was listening before leaning in and placing her hand beside his mouth. "... I'm kind of a customer that got screwed over." Amon remains quiet before crossing his arms. "Explain?" "Back when I was a pony, I suffered from dwarfism. A condition in which…" "Don't worry. I know what that is. The concept happens on earth as well." Amon stops himself from feeling a bit of empathy toward Marcus. "And do you know how horrible it is? To have your entire world literally out of reach? And don't start with the bullshit speech of love your body and you are beautiful, and others can have a wonderful life as they are, and all that crap; I heard the speeches, I went to the seminars, and I got the idea. Good for them; they made it and are at peace with their bodies; I don't. I hate being small with a vengeance and will stop at nothing to fix that issue." Marcus slams his fist on the table for emphasis. "No matter the price, and since normal methods became a waste of time and bits, I turn to more… exotic alternatives." "You mean the black market?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. Marcus shushes him in alarm before looking around and then whispers, "Not so loud! But yeah, first of all, I want to let you know. I had no idea what they did to you or the others; my only goal was getting taller. It took a while, but I stumbled into the shady ponies that made us like what we are today. They gave us this special cream and mana therapy sessions that would do the trick, and it worked." Amon breathed through his nose and closed his eyes. "I'm familiar with that cream; they use our skin in making it!" Amon whispers harshly at the memory as Marcus raises his hands. "I didn't know back then; I'm sorry, okay? That must be hell on Equus for you. Like I said, I was ignorant of their actions and only cared to stop being on the same side as an 8-year-old colt. But everything changed on the day of the explosion. I went for the final dose that would make me permanently tall. I went into the chamber as usual, but when the session started, alarms started to flare out, and the personnel tried to run away; next thing I knew, there was this huge explosion, and when I woke up, I was in the middle of Trottinham, naked, injured and… like this." "And that must be why I woke up as a giant stallion then." Amon nods, looking at his hand. "You know, if this was your original goal, you were replacing one problem for another." "I will be worth it," Marcus replied. "And back on the story, I couldn't tell the truth for obvious reasons, so I was forced to play along and see what would happen until Princess Twilight explained what I was and helped me be where I am today. You see now? I'm a victim here, too; I'm sorry for whatever happened to you. I, Celestia, didn't know they were using you in this experiment and thought only I survived. Believe me, if I could, I would switch bodies, no questions asked." Marcus starts to admire Amon with a big smile. "Heck, nothing would make me happier than to do just that right now." Amon snap him back to reality by snapping your fingers. "Focus, Marcus, focus, bigger issues here." "What do you mean?" Marcus asks in alarm. "Look, as much as I would like my face back, too. It looks like whatever monsters are there, they are still not done with me, and I imagine neither with you if what Pinkie told me was true." Marcus shrugs. "Maybe, I mean, from time to time, I end up in a dangerous situation and was forced to learn how to fight outside the box because of how weak and pathetic this body…" Marcus stopped when Amon started to growl, and sparks were fuming from his horn. "T-To defend myself, and my point is that at first I though it was just normal Equestria occurrence, crazy things like that happen in Ponyville all the time. But you may be on to something, if someone wants us death, we need to deal with it, and unfortunately neither can't exactly ask for help without revealing our involvement or true intentions, right? That is why I meant it when I said I would help, I swear," Marcus claimed with raised arms, trying to calm Amon. Taking a deep breath, Amon closed his eyes and nodded. "Good, then we have a deal here: we keep this a secret from the rest, track down whoever did this to us, beat them to a pulp, switch bodies, and put this behind us." "Even better, I can also put on a good word with Princess Twilight, too; she can even send you home once everything is over," Marcus replies, yet Amon retracts and grabs his hands as he looks down. "Home… how I wish I still had one." "Dude?" Marcus asks, but the group returns with their coffee before he can say anything else. "We're back!" Pinkie exclaimed and passed around a round of muffins and coffee to everyone, with the exception of herself and Amon, for whom she brought two medium-sized birthday cakes, one for her and the other for Amon. "Ah, Pinkie, I didn't ask for this… much cake." Amon tried to complain, but Pinkie only giggled. "I know, but I had the feeling you might like it. Princess Celestia told me how much you enjoy cakes, especially with frosting, and how much you would love to have one just for yourself. Don't be afraid, Amony. Sammy here." Pinkie cheered with a big smile as she pointed at herself and then Amon repeatedly. "So instead of just buying one for myself, I wanted to treat you to something sweet. Who knew we both have the same sweet tooth, right?" That lousy rainbow mane… big mouth, little… Celestia! You…! Amon clenches his fist in anger as he pictures the princess herself with a cheeky smile plastered on her face. …why the hell did you tell her that?! Everyone would start thinking I’m some kind of sweet glutton. The rumble on his stomach makes him stop and sigh in defeat before looking at Pinkie. "Thanks, Pinkie, that is sweet of you." "Don't mention it; that is what friends are for." She dismissed him with a have before pouring hot sauce on her cake and started eating without issue. "Sorry for the wait, too; the line was big." "Ah, Pinkie, that is…" Amon slowly points at the bottle, yet Purple interrupts him, causing him to feel a sense of deja vu. "So, what were you talking about while waiting for us?" Purple asks the two. "Oh, Marcus was telling me about how he awoke in Equestria one day," Amon mentioned, deciding to let go of Pinkie and enjoy his treat. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cake was filled with cream inside and started to eat it with gusto, finding that he was already halfway down with it. "Oh yeah, it was quite the surprise that day, the poor dear; it still breaks my heart hearing how somehow you were yanked out of your world and trust into the type of situation you end up in," Fluttershy mentions with pity toward Marcus. “It was some hard times indeed” Marcus nods before sighing and then smile “But I manage to turn everything around soon after that, thanks to all of you” "I say, a respectable inventor, a millionaire, and even dating half the mane six! Those are some accomplishments." Purple lists with a chuckle, surprising Amon as he looks at Marcus again. "Dating half of what now?" Amon asks in surprise and internal horror at the realization that Marcus might have used his body to mess around with horny mares or, even worse, manage to produce offspring. HIS unknowing offspring. "Oh, it's nothing. That kind of thing happens," Marcus admits with a nervous chuckle as Pinkie hugs him and nuzzles his cheek. "Yep, my honey muffin, woe all and every single one of us," Pinkie mentions in pride, showering Marcus with kisses until she finds his mouth and shares one long kiss on the lips. Amon feels shivers when he sees himself kissing Pinkie. It doesn't help that she clearly has hot sauce lips at the moment, judging by the small tears in Marcus' eyes. Oh dear god, the worst thing is that I’m not even sure why I feel creeped out by that image.
Midnight Friends And Foes (Edited By PW)Long after sunset, the group returned to the castle to say goodbye to Purple and Amon, promising to return in the morning. Amon decided to keep his word and finally share a bit of himself with the rest. He explained that he has a weakness for sweet things, has developed some understanding of wildlife and camping tricks thanks to his time on the street, and even finds some joy in distracting himself with training on days he particularly feels lonely. Overall, things were going well, and Amon even found out how the mares also came to Canterlot to help a friend's mother organize a baby shower that she wanted to make with a petting zoo on it. And why was Marcus coincidentally here, too? It turns out that he was making a material run for his latest invention and was staying in some luxurious hotel. Amon found it weird that he would need to reserve a room and spend more than a day buying material for his creation, but according to Pinkie, that was a common thing for Marcus, and she had done the same before, so Amon decided to leave things there. Things went well, and everyone went their separate way until a familiar and annoying voice called out to Amon, like a mosquito that would not leave him alone. "Pray, Celestia, is this what I think it is?" Clink's voice alerts the group as they see the stallion in question and an elderly mare exiting the castle's main door. Their eyes land on Amon immediately. The teenager is wearing a luxurious white sweater, pants, and sunglasses. His right hand seems to be bandaged, and he has some golden chains on his shirt. The mare next to him had his mother wearing a noisy, long red sweater with a pink boa around her neck, high heels, and what seemed to be a long, fluffy light red dress underneath her shirt, as well as oversized ugly sunglasses. She appeared chubby, and like her son, she seemed to enjoy showing off and being the center of attention. "Is the royal guard finally putting that freak behind bars? See, mommy? I told you, I told you Princess Celestia would hear us out. There would be no way she would let that menace keep roaming free on the streets," Clink asks excitedly. Amon could only growl in frustration and lower his head. Why god? Why!? Am I paying for something? Is this some sort of divine punishment? "So you are the brute that hurt my sweet, innocent angel then," The mare spoke up, approaching Amon, trying to be intimidating, yet the side difference made it impossible for her to look other than a toddler throwing a hissy fit at her parents. "I was wondering what smelly, dirty hole you crawled into after you hurt my sweet colt and damaged my property. Hope you have enjoyed your time of freedom because this is just the beginning, you brute." Cheetah pokes Amon's chest repeatedly. "You just made a mighty enemy here, mister. I will ensure you pay for everything you broke in my house. And don't think you can gain any pity because you don't have any money. Oh no, you are going to pay one way or another." Cheetah starts to circle their chest of Amon, making him shiver and hold back a gag, reflecting as she continues her attempt at intimidation. Something that, so far, only one thing seems to be working on starting to get a reaction from Amon, even if it was just plain disgust and nausea. "This body of yours can be useful. I can think of a way or two you can pay your debt in services but don't think that would be the end of it, scumbag; it would take a miracle before you would ever see the light of day." She then looks at the guard. "Feel free to skip one or two of his next two or tree meals when you throw him into the dungeon, officer; that surely would soften him up for what would come next." Purple can only sigh and roll his eyes at the comment before responding in annoyance and slight sarcasm "Thanks for your opinion, Ms. Cheetah, but…" The guard starts before feeling a hand over his right shoulder. "...my sentence was already decided, and. So there is no need or require any more of your ideas Ma’am, the princesses already close the case" Amon interrupted Purple and stepped forward with a neutral expression, much to the surprise of the guard who turned his attention to Amon in surprise and confusion. "And frankly, the guards already have their hands full with real threats to the city, so it will be appreciated if you keep your whining to yourself, Ma'am." "How dare you talk back, you huge… excuse of… a… stallion?" Amon leans his body forward, causing both Cheetah and Clink to retreat in surprise and slight fear as the light from the moon cast a shadow of Amon over the two ponies in front of him, slowly covering their bodies. Amon's glare made the two gulp and trembled under his gaze. "What are you talking about, Amon?" Purple asks, blinking a couple of times. "You didn't…" "...have yet to use my right of appeal, officer? I appreciate the reminder, but like I told you," Amon interrupts Purple again. "I will not use it, and frankly, what would be the point? The crown would have to go in circles for something minuscule and pointless, ultimately wasting time and resources when they could be using their time to investigate something more dire, like tax evaders." Cheetah visibly flinched at that comment, and the guard started to look at her suspiciously, making her sweat. "Well…" The mare pretended to cough and look away. "As you were officer, I would not take more of your time, as for you." Cheetah went back to glaring at Amon. "Trespass on my property and hurt my sweet angel again, and I… I… I would not respond to any action I may take in self-defense… in my bedroom… where all my jewels are… and I tend to leave the front window open," she warned him. Once more, Amon flinches as his face turns green for a moment, a sentiment that Purple is currently sharing as they fight the urge to vomit. Oh, sweet merciful god, is that old hag inviting me to rob her? Or is she implying some sick roleplay… AHGH! No! NO! I will not even going to think about it; I don’t need the nightmares. Is she a cheetah or a cougar? Taking his expression as an opportunity, Clink smirked and tried to intimidate Amon, misunderstanding what her mother was doing. "And neither would I," Clink adds with a confident smirk that only confuses the two stallions. "I heard you end up needing medical attention for a week after I was done with you, freak. I'm ready for round two anytime." Clink raises his fist and pretends to be about to punch Amon, yet the stallion remains stoic as he keeps looking at Clink. Who keeps smirking, "Yeah, that's right. I bet you are frozen in fear right now, as you should. You overgrow freak of… hey!" Having had enough, Purple grabbed Clink mid-swing and started to inspect the bandages on it. "Interesting, your hand is covered in bandages, a method used for cuts, burns, or both. Yet in my report, plus being a key eyewitness, I'm more than sure that your injuries were a minor bone fracture in two fingers and knuckles, which would require a cast and should be healed by this point." Purple let go of his hand. "So I assume this is either a new and different injury, or you have a more pressing matter to attend to if your hand hasn't healed yet. Otherwise, this could get you in serious problems, young man." "Really?" Clink asked in surprise as he tried to retrieve his hand, yet Purple wasn't done with it, glaring at the noble teenager. "Oh yes, it is. You see, falsification of injuries and false accusations ARE serious crimes that could mean time in jail, Mr. Clink, and you wouldn't want us to resort to that, right?" "Ah… y-yeah, you're right, officer. Ah, well, ah… I hope you rot!" Clink insults Amon again before he and his mother walk away as fast as they can in an attempt to save face. Amon looked at them before sighing and then looking at Purple. "You didn't need to intervene. I can fight my own battles." "Oh, really?" Purple asks in slight annoyance. "Then please tell me why you lied and let them believe I was arresting you. Because from what I just saw, you were declaring yourself guilty for something that didn't happen and you didn't do." "And yet, is what those assholes wanted to hear. So that was exactly what I gave them while making sure they would hate every second of it. As I force-fed them the news most unpleasantly and painfully imaginable." "Excuse me?" Purple asks, confused at his reasoning. "Look, Purple, you are a respected and noble guard, so you would never understand what it is like to be viewed as inferior by the wealthy, even if I explain my reasoning. But if I know something about my past experiences, it is that against those kinds of pe… ponies, there are two ways to shut them up. You demonstrate that you have more power than them, which I would never be able to do. Or give them what they keep whining about but do so in a way that they hate, fear, and/or would never forget." Amon starts counting the options. "Eh, could have easily spent the rest of the night hearing their whining, or worse, leave them more than ready to unload all of their crap in the royal court for the princesses to hear, or choose the alternative and let them believe a white lie to stop them in their tracks. Forgive me for choosing the option that allows everyone a chance to sleep and put this idiotic subject behind us." "You know this is just a temporary solution, right? Ponies like them will keep coming and be even worse if they know they can get away with it." "That's the thing; they will not come back. It looks like I say you don't get it, nor would you ever be able to understand it. But trust me. I neat this issue on the butt for good." "That as it may be, this could easily snowball into nasty rumors and lies about you, Amon. It could make things harder down the line," Purple warns Amon as they resume their march toward the castle. On his part, the stallion doesn't seem to bother and only shrugs. "It will happen no matter what, and it is a noble Purple; I would be surprised by any rumor they started, which managed to last more than two weeks, AND it is actually real. Just let it go," Amon replied. The guard didn’t seem convinced but held his tongue as they entered the castle as two guards closed the royal gates behind the two. At that moment, in Princess Luna's room, the princess was reading a report given to her by one of her guards before signing and closing her eyes, putting down the paper she was holding. "And you are sure about these numbers?" Luna asks, looking back at Bliss, who is wearing her royal guard uniform and holding her helmet under one arm. "We ran the math three times, your highness, and all gave the same result," Bliss replied with a stoic expression. "The source of today's attack came from within the maze in Canterlot General Park, and the time matches when Amon was the only pony present there." "Just as your report shows, and yet it doesn't make any sense," Luna mentions, standing up and putting the paper on the desk before her as she walks to her balcony. "There have been multiple incidents before where Amon wasn't even near the affected zones. Why is it now showing me this?" “Your Highness, permission to speak freely?” Bliss asks, maintaining her stoic expression as Luna looks at the pegasus with slight confusion over her shoulder. "Granted." "In none of those cases there were reports of monsters appearing. And so far, that was the only other instance where that was the case. Amon was present." "Are you suggesting Amon is responsible for the attacks?" Bliss only shakes her head. "I'm only saying it is a coincidence, but should the same conditions repeat? Then we will be facing a pattern, your highness." Luna remained quiet in thought before sighing and nodding once. "It hurts me to admit it, but you are right, private Bliss." "What are your orders, princess?" "For now, just stay put and keep observing. You have given me plenty to think about, and I need to have a private conversation with Amon tonight. There is a hypothesis I would like to discuss with him." "As you command, ma'am. I will bring him to you." Bliss gave her a short reverence before putting on her helmet and exiting the room, leaving the princess alone with her thoughts. Was I viewing this problem from the wrong angle all along? Could it be possible that Amon is plagued not by an external foe but rather by an inner demon? Luna asks herself questions as she looks at a picture frame on her desk showing her posing next to a bunch of colts and fillies during nightmare night. Luna shows her alter ego, the statue of Nightmare Moon, behind the group and is now getting the princess's attention. Amon told us how he had ascended not too long ago and had done everything in his power to contain his new latent abilities, something I saw firsthand, such as how he doesn’t seem to understand even his magic. Could he be going through the same or even worse ordeal I once went through? Luna picks the photo and exited her balcony to see her full moon. Should that be the case, I dread to imagine what kind of creature poor Amon is unconsciously forming inside him. Luna shakes her head to clear her thoughts and steel her resolve as she stares at the moon. I must make sure the clues align, and I must know if he really is creating these monsters by accident. If so, I must do everything in my power to help Amon stop this madness and save him from walking the same path I once traversed. Equestria doesn't need nor deserve a successor to Nightmare Moon. Moments later, as Luna had requested, Bliss was able to bring Amon to her quarters as he looked at her slightly annoyed. Still wearing the clothes from the morning. Amon didn’t seem particularly thrilled to see her, something understandable considering the unexpected request. "As you requested, your highness, I brought you…" "Let's skip the chitchat and just tell me what you want," Amon interrupts Bliss, to her annoyance and surprise. Amon marches right into Luna without giving her any proper greeting, while the princess remains stoic. "After the day exploring the city at the suggestion of your sister, may I add, I'm tired and would like to call it a night, Luna; I know you are usually awake during this time, but still. This better be big. If it couldn't wait for a sunset or another time, we both would be more awake." For her part, Luna remained quiet and held up a hand before Bliss could say anything. "Thank you, private Bliss; you are dismissed, and do not concern yourself; Mr. Amon is in his right to be angry by this unexpected summon." She snapped her fingers and conjured two cups of coffee for her and Amon. "A peace offer, and to answer your question, this is news you might want to hear immediately. It involves the monster's attacks this morning and an alternative to repel them. With any luck, permanently." Amon, now more awake, kept staring at her before turning his attention to the floating mug and nodding. "Okay, you got my attention," He nodded and picked up the mug before heading to a nearby couch, "And since you offered the drinks, I will be an asshole if I don't return the favor; sorry if this is all I can offer." Amon pulls out a zip-plug bag full of cookies from his picnic the day before, picking one of the treats before leaving the bag on the coffee table. It slightly confused both mares, who blinked before Luna addressed Bliss. "You… can go back to your duties private." "As you wish, your highness," Bliss, still slightly confused, can only salute and leave the two alone as Luna walks toward the chair opposite the couch and picks a cookie. "Thanks for the treat, Mr. Amon, but I must ask, did you always keep a bag of cookies in your pockets?" "Recently? Yes. Before? If cookies were replaced with any food that could be stored, the answer would still be yes. I call it squirrelin, a common practice on the streets." "Ah, I see. It's similar to how squirrels save nuts before winter," Luna nods before picking up her mug. She looks at Amon's bag, which he puts down between his legs in a possessive manner, making her sigh in sorrow. "Yet another topic that will need discussion at a later time. For now, there is another subject I would like to discuss with you." Luna mentioned putting down the mug after taking a sip of her coffee. "Agree." Amon also put his mug down and crossed his arm. "You said you found a way to repel the shadow monsters stalking me?" Luna nods twice. "Indeed, I believe I found something that could assist you in erasing that problem and its potential source. But to be sure, I must answer a couple of questions first, Amon." "Well, might as well, since you summon me." Amon shrugged and sighed before taking a gulp of his mug and looking at the princess. "Fire away, Luna." "Thank you." Luna then summons a folder, which she grabs with one hand before opening and showing Amon the report she inspected in Las Pegasus. She also shows Amon, a creature that resembles a whale with eagle-giant wings and is seemingly made of shadow and neon lights. "Do you recognize this creature, Amon?" "How can I forget it? The bastard tried to fall over me in an attempt to crush me and ended up destroying an entire city block," Amon recalled with anger at the picture. "First and I hope last time, I had to resort to using a building as a spike." "Yeah, I would like to know the story behind that. I am still trying to understand how that happened or if it is even possible." Luna pretended to cough before showing the next picture. "And do you recall this event?" She shows him a strange, moving black cloud that seems to destroy a house as ponies run away. Once more, Amon nods. "Yeah, I recall that horde of lotus. Thank god I could improvise a bug zapper before those things left Trottiham. I dread to imagine what could have done to Equestria crops." "I'm sure that knowing the tale, all the farmers in our kingdom would give you their thanks, Amon. And what about this last one?" Luna shows Amon a third picture, which shows tall humanoid figures that seem to be attacking royal guards and slamming them against the ground or walls as they march throughout the street. "The walker parade in Manehattan. Yeah, I recall that event," Amon sighed and looked at the picture with sorrow. "I wasn't as fast then, and many ponies got injured." Luna notices his expression and interlaces her fingers together. "None of these attacks were your fault, Amon; I need you to remember now and after what I must ask you." Luna mentions this with closed eyes, earning Amon's interest. She opens her eyes and looks at the stallion stoically: "Do you recall what you were doing before these attacks happened? I'm not saying you caused them!" She stops him before he can voice his anger, knowing a response is coming. "I'm asking because each action is linked to their arrival and if my theory is correct. We can stop them for good right here, right now." "You… you think so?" Amon asks in surprise, and some hope mixes in his voice. "I can't guarantee anything until I hear your argument, so please, Amon. Tell me, do you recall what circumstances you were in during each and every attack?" Amon sighed and looked at each picture before trying to remember what was happening to him before dealing with those monsters. "Because of the attack, which has been a while, I may remember wrong." "That's okay; just try to be as detailed as possible," Luna encourages him as she summons a notebook ready to take his statement. With a nod, Amon looks back at the picture once more before pointing at locus attack one. "This one, I had a pretty crappy experience. Trottiham may not be Canterlot, but ponies there were more than a little elitist. Even the lower class didn't want to give me the time of day, and I think there was a food festival or something similar, so I thought they could spare some breadcrumbs or leftovers for me, but it was the opposite." Amon needs to close his eyes and hold his stomach. "I remember how starving I was feeling that day. I had dealt with Mother Nature and nutjobs and crossed a forest just to go there, so I was more than tired, hungry, and injured. Yet finding anything to eat was near impossible." "So you were famished back then?" Luna asks, feeling pity for Amon, who only nods. "It might be there when I learn about squirrelin. I made a mental note to do everything I could to save up every piece of food I could. When those locusts attacked, I was waking up from another blackout from hunger. It… it also wasn't one of my proudest moments," Amon admitted with some guilt as he looked down. "Why?" "I was desperate and starving; those insects were more interested in eating everything else that WASN'T food; there was this farmer competition, or maybe a pie, cake, or whatever. The point was that so much food was on the ground, stomped, muddy, and ruined. But food nonetheless. I needed to eat something, and that mountain of food… they would be thrown away, regardless, so I…" Luna reaches out and grabs one of Amon's hands. "It doesn't make you less for having to eat from the floor, Amon. As you say, it was a desperate moment, and you decided to help even if those ponies turned their back on you. If anyone dares say you broke the law or mock you for that, I promise you, they will have to answer to me next," Luna mentions with a neutral expression, her eyes shining briefly in anger as she lets go of Amon's hand. The stallion, in response, only sighs and nods. "Thanks, but don't bother; like I say, it happened a long time ago. So there will not be any point there." He then pointed at the picture of the whale. "Anyway, moving on, I don't remember all that well, but I think this was when I was left to face a pretty nasty storm in the street of Las Pegasus with nothing but my clothes on. I haven't found my bag yet." "I see." Luna nods and writes everything down. "By chance, were you mistreated at that particular moment?" "...yeah," Amon admitted after a pause, "I heard a rumor that Las Pegasus refugees were particularly famous among my social circle, with warm beds, spacious showers, and job opportunities. You name it. I had my reserves, but I decided to give it a try. Turns out those rumors were just a trap." "How so?" Luna asks, invested in the story as she drinks more coffee. "They offer those things… but there were conditions, it turns out. Some big shots there wanted cheap manual labor, so they offered ponies like me a chance to turn their life around with jobs, food, and shelter. In reality, they only want employees that can perform manual labor for an insultingly low salary, no security, and barely any regulations or employee rights." "Amon this… that is horrible and highly illegal. Who? Who runs such a horrible business and work environment?" Luna demands, starting to get increasingly angry at what she is hearing. "They need to answer for this." Amon shakes his head. "Don't bother, chances are. The bastards know how to cover their tracks and act as "faceless managers." However, that is not the point. You see, they only hired ponies for three months, probably to save face and keep themselves under the radar from the law and, well, most likely you, once that time is over…" "They fired you?" Luna asks in surprise as Amon nods. "Like all the rest, just one hour to pack your stuff and leave, or you would be forcefully removed, and if you don't have something to put your bits or lost them, well, I suppose it's them now. What are you going to do? Sue them? With what money and with what argument? They had an iron-tight contract, so it was a losing battle from start to finish, and that stormy night, I was just thrown into the street after only 15 days. Turns out my size was too much for even their sketchy workplace." Amon sighed and drank more of his coffee. "By the time I was trying to sleep under a cartbox and ignore the rain and the cold, that strange whale appeared ready to crush me and everything around me." Luna remains quiet and turns to the last picture. "I'm so sorry, Amon. I didn't mean to open old wounds." "It's okay if it means I don't have to worry about those monsters. I don't mind much." "Thank you for understanding. I think I understand what is happening, but just to be sure, do you recall the events leading to this attack?" She points at the last picture. Amon stares at the photo briefly before taking a deep breath and looking down in sorrow. "That… that one brings back mixed feelings. And like I say, I couldn't deal with the issue as soon as the rest because when it started, I was in a jail cell inside one of the city police stations." "Why were you arrested?" Luna asked with curiosity. "Bad timing, you could say," Amon shrugs, "I just dealt with a drug addict trying to cut me with a knife as he try to take away my bag, probably to get more drugs or thinking I have some myself. He kept yelling on and on about me handing over some pills. Some officers saw us but crossed their arms and placed bets as if we were some show for them." Amon clenched his fist in anger. "I was furious that day and was a bit scared, so I defended myself and punched my attacker, and because he was so messed up and brittle, well. He fell in one hit with teeth and blood everywhere." Amon has to pause and take some air before continuing, "I suppose that was enough to view me as a treat, so next thing I knew, I was restraint by magic rings all over my body and repeatedly hit with batons as the guards read my right, as pointless as that may sound. Once they got tired, they brought me in and put me in a hole, calling me a crackhead and scum and other slurs before leaving. I didn't want to prove their point, so I held my tongue and try to get some sleep in that cell before thinking what to do next." Luna remained quiet and crossed her fingers while closing her eyes, clenching her hands together as she held back more anger until she managed to continue. After a sigh, she opened her eyes and looked at Amon. "According to the report, you managed to escape that night among the chaos, but for some reason, there was no arrest order. I have an idea why that is now. To fill the report, they would have to declare the motive, and it would not take more than five minutes to determine you are not a drug addict." "I gather as much, and my escape seems to be the only thing real on that pile of lies," Amon mentions in irritation. "That night, I woke up with screams in the commissary and started to fear for my life. I took my chances, and luckily, the hinges on the door were rusty enough and easy to break after a couple of tackles." Amon finished his mug and put it down before looking at the ceiling. "After that, those things were just attacking the officers and tossing them around like rag dolls before turning their attention to me. Easily one of the hardest, considering they were some gaseous form, meaning I couldn't hit them, but they could hit me. So, changing tactics, I lured them out of the city and kept running until they were banished." Amon pauses and looks at the princess. "Does that answer your question? Did you figure out something I didn't?" "In effect," Luna nods and takes a simple zip of her mug before putting the cup away. She starts counting each event: "Because of hunger, for violations of your pony rights, and unjustly profiling and arresting you. All the events share one thing in common. But before I tell you what it is, please remember that you are not responsible, nor am I placing the blame for these attacks on you. As far as I see, you are indeed a victim there," Luna explains, thinking carefully in her following words. "But I'm afraid that you also cause them, Amon." "Excuse me?" Amon asks with anger at her claims. "Please don't misunderstand, I promise you. I'm not accusing you of anything. Far from all I want is to help you make sense of your current predicament." Amon remains quiet before crossing his arms and giving Luna the benefit of the doubt. "I'm listening." "It will be far easier with a visual aid," Luna began and stood up. Tell me, Amon, do you recall my warning this morning? The one regarding your magic and its danger if not appropriately controlled?" Luna mentioned while shining her horn and raising her glowing hand. "Yeah, I recall that, and again, I'm sorry for the hole in the table." Amon apologizes. "I didn't do it on purpose." "And that is exactly the point I wish to make," Luna replied before staring at her glowing hand. "Please pay attention to my hand, Amon; look closely as I teach you a sad truth behind our gift." Luna closes her eyes before opening again, and they turn green and red with a purple miasma coming from their edges. Immediately after, the light blue glow from Luna's magic becomes a very dark blue, and the room starts to get colder. A sensation oddly familiar to Amon as he looks around before looking at Luna, too. "As I told you earlier, as an alicorn, our emotions are linked to our magic far more closely than a normal unicorn, young Amon. Control is more than a suggestion; it is a need we can't ignore. Without it, we risk losing ourselves in our magic as we lose control, and without control, the results can be unpredictable and can only end in disaster." The glow soon turned into a black fog that started to spiral out of control before imploring, rushing a cold wind around the two and making Amon shield his eyes for a moment before looking at Luna, who now seemed to be changed into a more intimidating darker self, making the room so cold Amon felt like he was in the middle of the north pole before returning to normal bringing back the heat on the room, as she lowers her hand and looks at him. "Do you understand what I'm trying to get with this?" "I get that you want me to control my magic. But I'm still not seeing how it is linked to those monsters." "It has to do because those are not external monsters, Amon. They are the manifestation of your magic going rampage and acting on the emotion behind their creation," Luna explains. "What?" Amon looked at her and then at the pictures, perplexed at her claims. "Just think about it. The locus is attacking the farmers that deny you anything to eat. The whale is attacking a city that denies you shelter at the worst time possible, even the reason why faceless ponies target guards as mere toys. Do you need me to compare their treatment toward you?" Luna listens in pity as Amon keeps staring at the pictures. "My god… I'm making them? So that means that attack early…" Amon whispers to himself, feeling guilty and disgusted when looking at the pictures with new eyes. "I will not ask if that is what you fear, Amon. But if there is anything, you would like to tell me. I will be more than happy to listen." "What else is needed to say? I cause this disaster," Amon replied. "Not directly, of course, but rather, these disasters seem to be caused by your magic unchecked and ignored, obeying an unconscious command you refuse to express. I wasn't sure, but even the events leading to our meetings, Amon," Luna sat next to the stallion. "Think about it. The monsters appear soon after shallow ponies attack you. I can't see any other explanation, but I would still listen if you have any other theory." "No," Amon shakes his head before holding it with one hand. "You're right, princess, it makes so much sense. All this time, I thought I was running away from the devil when the devil was me all alone. God, I'm an accidental monster on top of everything else." "No, you aren't!" Luna surprises Amon by grabbing his face with both hands. "Now you listen to me and listen carefully. You made a mistake; you were entrusted with power beyond your understanding or any pony to guide you to control it. None of these events was your fault, not completely, at least. I'm sure somepony was and is still controlling your strings. The whispers, the nightmares, and the mind manipulations? Those are still real, and I know those are not your doing." "But the shadow monsters still come from me, Luna. I still have some blame here," Amon mentions, still feeling guilty, as Luna sighs and lets go of his head. "Please don't fall for their trap, Amon; this guilt you're feeling? Self-pity and calling yourself a monster is what they want to achieve, and I'm sure you don't want that, am I right?" Luna smiles and extends her hand. "Take it from someone who has already walked that road. You don't want what lies at the end of the tunnel. Please take my hand and allow me to take you out of that hell and destroy those demons in your head for good." Amon looks at her, unsure, but takes her hand regardless. "Can it be done? No more attacks or shadow creatures?" "It can and would be as easy or as hard as you make it, Amon. All you need to do is learn how to control your magic, and someone can show you the ropes. I imagine you were born as an earth pony and, therefore, never wilded magic, correct?" Amon nods once. "I gather as much, so you need someone who can act as a guide and help you express your emotions more healthily," Luna reassures him with a big smile. "I suppose; I mean, it would be nice knowing how to cast an expeliarmus," Amon mentions with a little smile as he stares at his hand. "A what now?" Luna questions. "Nothing, just something I heard once. So, getting back on the subject, I imagine you have someone in mind to teach me all of those things?" Amon asks with some intrigue before Luna helps him stand up. "If by someone you mean me? Then yes, now come with me, Amon. There is plenty to discuss before we start your lessons." Luna guides him toward a bookshelf, taking out various books. Amon looks at her in confusion and slight curiosity about whatever plan she has in mind. At the same time, hidden on a dark cloud, a figure covered in a long yellow winter jacket observes the interaction between Luna and Amon with the help of a telescope before getting as far away from the castle as possible before any guard can spot the intruder. Once they reach a safe distance from the castle, the individual takes out a phone and calls in a male voice: "Sir, we might have an issue."
Amon The Kind Begger (Edited By PW)With a slight humming, Ms. Viola approaches Amon's room before knocking three times. "Mr. Amon, it's Viola here to wake up and clean your room." "Just a second," The tired voice of Amon calls from the other side. After a small lapse of silence the stallion in question opened the door wearing a robe as he held a yawn “Ms. Viola not to be rude or anything but is it really necessary for you to come wake me up at this hour?” "I'm afraid so, sir, and will, due all respect, it is almost nine o'clock," Viola adds. "I was under the impression you were used to taking advantage of the day considering well…" "I'm a hobo?" Amon finishes for her. "I didn't say or meant to say that, sir." "It's okay, that is what I'm, and you are right on the money; I kind of hate it, but to survive, it's best to be an early bird." Amon nods before holding another yawn. "It's just that Luna kept me awake last night, so I couldn't sleep as much as I wanted." Amon rubs his eyes and steps aside, oblivious to how Viola went stiff, looking in surprise and confusion at the stallion. "E-excuse me, sir?" Viola asked in a slight panic as she stepped inside and saw a pile of books scattered everywhere. "Luna. She gave me a pile of books to read before sending me on my way. By the time she was done explaining why and how they could help me, it was closer to midnight," Amon replied as he made his way to the kitchen. "Sorry for the slight mess I left." "She left you with… OH!" Much to Amon's confusion, she loudly exclaims, who looks at the servant entering and nods. "That is what you meant by her keeping you up all night." "Yeah, what were you thinking? That we hook up in less than a day?" Amon questions her, pouring a glass of milk and pointing to her with the glass. "No! No, that is not what I mean. I… I will start," Viola stuttered before pointing at the pile of books in the living room, organizing them neatly as she read the cover for each one. "Accepting myself, me and my horn, the wonders of magic. Sir, these are self-help and magic understanding books. Princess Celestia suggested one or two of them to Princess Luna when she turned back from being Nightmare Moon." "Yep, that is what Luna told me, too. She believed it could help me, and well," Amon shrugged, "I don't lose anything giving it a try, so I gave a glance over as many as I could before heading to bed; if it is not to bother, could you put the one about harnessing magic in your body, on top of the tower? I want to start with that one," Amon mentions as he finishes making himself a simple breakfast of toast, milk, and juice and heads to the balcony to enjoy his meal. "Sure, no problem, sir; I'm so glad you are trying to improve yourself," Viola smiles before noticing how Amon still refuses to part ways with his bag as he marches to the balcony. "Even if they are small steps." "Just trying not to be an asshole, especially after a warm room and food. I'm thankful for everything you and the sisters have done for me, Ms. Viola," Amon calls from the balcony as the pegasus gets to work making the bed. "So those mean you are ready to drop the formalities in me and start using them with the princesses?" "Don't push it; just because I'm grateful doesn't mean I'm going to lower my guard, as you know. I can still be dangerous." "And what if I like danger? With all due respect, sir, you don't know me. Maybe I volunteer because of that risk. Maybe I like that factor as part of the challenge, and maybe because of the danger, I decided to 'forget' putting on a pair of panties today," Viola corrected and giggled, watching as Amon choked on his orange juice. "I didn't hear that," Amon calls between fits of coughs as Viola laughs and passes him a napkin to clean his face. "Oh sir, you are so easy. Relax, I was messing with you. Or am I?" Viola asks with a smirk as Amon glares at her. "Ma'am, you have issues." "And you need to loosen up," She fires back and winks at him before getting back to work. "So…Neither princess asked me to bring you to the dining room and with all these books. I gather you are going to stay in your room today, sir?" "Nah, I don't like spending the day in my room. So, since Celestia is busy being a queen…" "Princess, sir, she is a princess." "...right, since she has to go be that, Luna is most likely snoring right now, Fluttershy and Diane…" "Pinkie!" Pinkie's voice is heard in the distance, and both ponies are starling momentarily. "Ah, as I was saying, because Fluttershy and Diane…" "It's Pinkie! Just call me Pinkie!" The same voice calls out, startling both of them. Amon stood up and walked inside with a bowl of cereal. "Because Ms. Shy and Ms. Pie are busy…" "That is cheating." Amon closed the glass in surprise and annoyance doors before looking at Viola. "Because those two are busy preparing for their baby shower, and Marcus told me that he has some chores left to do in town, I have the day for myself." Amon finished his meal and put the plates on the sink. "I was thinking of getting some fresh air for myself, visiting Donut Joe's, and…" Amon stopped mid-sentence and shook his head. "Why am I telling you this? I'm going out; that's all you need to know," Amon replied. "Remember, sir, the goal is for you to have fun and make some friends," Viola reminds him with a smirk as she slowly approaches. "And since everyone is busy, a good way to do both is inviting a friend who is available and would like to buy a donut and walk around town." "Don't you have work?" "Personal maid and slow day, sir. I can follow you alongside a guard if need be," Viola fired back, making Amon roll his eyes. "Fine, but you will hold the trash bags." "A…Trash bag, sir?" Viola asks, confused. "What? Do you think I was going to buy a donut? Today, Joe throws away the old batch; you must hurry before the rats get them." As he enters the bathroom, Amon says, "Just wait here while I change, and then we can go. Better have your running shoes ready; those rodents don't mess around." Amon was about to enter the bathroom before Viola stopped him. "SIR! As much as I would love the idea of…" She shivers and has to close her eyes. "...dump diving. If you want those donuts, wouldn't you prefer a less gross and more efficient option?" "If you have a better idea on how to get trash donuts, I'm all ears," Amon says, crossing his arms. Half an hour later. "And here, that should be the last one." Donut Joe finished handing down another bag full of old, unsold donuts to Amon, who was carrying five bags filled with them, while Viola paid for them. “Thank you so much Joe, you are the best” Viola mentions with her usual cheerful smile "Nah, thank you, Vivi. You are mostly doing me a favor here," Joe chuckles before looking at Amon. "Those donuts keep attracting pests, and I don't have the energy to put them away from my shop. You have no idea what fortune I have to spend every month just to keep my store clean from those parasites." "Don't mention it; this was all Amon's idea," Viola mentions. "Then thank you to Amon, you are really doing me a favor here. Also I don't mind selling you my old batches, but what will you do with them? They are too old and stiff, so they would not taste all that good," Joe asks with curiosity. "Oh, don't worry, I know how to use old donuts," Amon mentions as he leaves the store. "Let's go, Ms. Viola." "Bye, Joe!" Viola called before chasing after Amon while they were walking the streets. Amon is once again wearing his usual clean version of clothes. "I told you it would be easier and less gross, and more importantly, you did Joe a favor just now," Viola mentions to Amon as she eats a recently baked glazed donut. "Yeah, and it only cost you a bag of bits," Amon replied before sighing. "You didn't need to go this far. I could have dumpster diving myself." "Out of the question, friends don't let their friends do nasty stuff like that," Viola says with determination. "You wanted those donuts; I got them for you." "Yeah, well, I'm still gonna pay you back." "Forget it, Amon; it was my treat, and why do you want them anyway? It can't be because you are hungry; the castle has you more than covered." "Nah, I had something else in mind," Amon replied as they headed for a public park. Once the two find a pound, Amon looks around until he puts the bags down and takes a couple of donuts from one before looking at Viola. "Stay here," he ordered before he went ahead and slowly approached a family of ducks near the pound. Naturally, the ducks were slightly startled by Amon's arrival, who slowly approached and kneeled down, trying to be a bit less intimidating. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm not here to harm you; I just wanted to talk," Amon says in a slow tone as he shows them the donut. One of the ducks slowly approaches him as Amon crushes the donut into small crumbs. "I bet you all are tired after your trip to the south. The weather is not yet completely warm. And you must likely have some loose feathers in your wings." Amon keeps approaching as the duck keeps staring at the donut. "What about this? A small deal, this and more delicious donuts, for your loose feathers. I can even help you remove them if you allow me. Sounds good?" The ducks look at one another before approaching Amon. Viola watches all of that and can only blink in surprise as more and more birds start flocking to Amon. "Viola! The bags!" Amon calls as he exchanges donut pieces for feathers for the next few hours. Once everything was settled, all the ducks in the pound flew away happily, leaving Amon and Viola with a mountain of feathers and two remaining bags of donuts. "Good, I think that would be enough." Amond nods and starts to secure the feathers in the now empty bags, plus four more additional ones in his backpack. "So you wanted the donuts to feed the ducks?" Viola asks while helping him put the feathers away. "It was more like an exchange. I needed the feathers, so I offered something for them. Everyone wins," Amon explained. "Okay, question. Why do you need duck feathers?" "Later, for now, it is the fish's turn," Amon mentions as he crushes the remaining bags with his fist and pulls out several zip-lock plastic bags from his backpack, filling all of them with the donut crumbs. Once more, Viola was confused until he saw how Amon went around the park selling the crumbs to any pony that went closer to the pound or convincing them to so they could feed the fish on it. Some accept the offer, some refuse, and more than a couple escape or turn aggressive when Amon approaches, with Viola having to intervene and help de-escalate the situation. By noon, both of them had left the park with bags full of feathers and some bits to boost. Amon even paid back what Viola paid for the donuts despite her constant refusal. "I must say, we are having a good time here. You're right, Viola. Without fighting the rats, things have gone far faster than normal," Amon says with a satisfied smile. "Sir, I must ask, before you were discovered and were brought to the castle, was this your daily routine?" Viola asks with some pity in her voice, pity that only increases as Amon nods. "Among other things, but kind of. You make do with what you have, Ms. Viola, and over time, I have learned how to earn a couple of bits out of parks and bakery; it's all about your timing and imagination," Amon says with some pride in his tune, which only makes Viola felt even sadder before she realized they were reaching the limits of the town and approaching the east forest near Canterlot. "Sir, where are you taking me now?" Viola asks in surprise. "A secluded place where we can work on the feathers. Well, I've been trying to haven’t had the chance until today, you would see," Amon explained as they got deeper into the forest. Amon guided her toward a tall and big dead tree before moving some vines and bushes to reveal a secret entrance. Inside was a pony-made dirt tunnel with a ladder made of branches and vines that Amon made and guided Viola inside. Walking some more, the maid was slightly startled when she found herself inside a workbench next to an underground pond. Daylight came from the hole in the rooftop on top of the pond and a grass bed on the side of the cave. "Sir, you… this is where you used to live?!" Viola is impressed by the tiny little hut Amon has going on. Amon only chuckles and nods, "What? Did you think I slept on the street in alleys and used cardboard boxes as my beds? Nah, Ms. Viola, it's all about having the survival mindset with you all the time. Just because you are on the street is no excuse to be lazy. You must look for the best of your situation and use what you have at hand," Amon explains as he puts the bags on a table of branches and wood pieces. "This is just one of my creations, sort of. I have made due with abandoned half-burnt or broken houses and warehouses. I once even made myself a place out of a derailed train cart. Each time I can, I try to make a safe place to sleep and build whenever I can. Of course, none of them last much, as it is just a matter of time before they are discovered and then destroyed by the guards, nut jobs, mother nature, or shadow monsters," Amon mentions in irritation as he sighs and looks around. "Frankly, it is a miracle I managed to learn how to make this kind of thing over the years and another that this place remained intact this long," Amon says as he looks around, seeing the snow piling on everywhere. "Freezing cold at night, especially in winter, but for what I needed, it served its purpose these last two months." "Two months?!" Viola asks in astonishment, "You made all of this in two months?" "Barely, most of it was already made when I found the place; I only added the furniture and the stairs, but yeah. I try to work fast; you never know when you must move." Amon mentions as he opens and puts the feathers on the table before looking for something in his bag. "So what are we making?" Viola asks, intrigued by Amon's little project. "Just a little something I've been meaning to try for a while, but I never got the opportunity," Amon said, pulling out a book with what seemed to be a bow attached to a stick on it. "And I might still can't," he confessed with some sorrow, looking around the place. "With how wet and cold the snow made this place, I don't think I'll be able to start a fire." He passed the book to Viola and opened the page she sought. The book was a surviving guide with a bookmark explaining how to dry feathers and sew them to improvised items like pillows and blankets. "You wanted to make a blanket of feathers?" Viola asked, looking at Amon as he was checking a nearby bonfire before sighing in disappointment. "That was the plan, but with how wet these woods are at the moment, even if somehow we manage to start a fire, it will be close to midnight when one batch of feathers is dried out." "Maybe not," Viola thinks of something as she looks at the rooftop, gaining Amon's attention. "What do you have in mind?" "Do you have a pocket mirror?" She asks before taking the flight. A couple of hours later, with her help, the two started a fire using the sunlight's reflection and some strange gel Viola had in her pocket to dry out the feathers. Not only that, but she was kind enough to teach Amon how to sew each feather properly. The two managed to create a couple of blankets and pillows that they filled with leaves, creating as many of those as the day allowed. By the time the sun set, the two had their hands full of blankets ready to share with others less fortunately in the lower side of town, until it was almost eleven o'clock in the evening. And both were more than tired and hungry. Sharing a small laugh, the two ponies returned to the castle, ready to find something to eat and go to bed. "You know, Viola, you didn't have to stay with me all day? You could have gone home before it got this late." "Sure, just like a certain somepony didn't need to go out of his way to make blankets for the less fortunate just so they stay warm?" Viola replies with a smirk, causing Amon to giggle. "It was the least I could do, when everyone treated me like garbage multiple times. This type of community saved me, Viola; I owe my life to a homeless guy who shared his blanket with me, a lady who gave me an apple she had, and those who helped me traverse the street. It's sad, but they came together in need of help for me and others. I just… I wanted to return the gesture to whoever I can." Viola smiles and places her hand on Amon's arm. "You have a kind soul, Amon. You know that?" "Nah, I'm no saint, just someone trying to do the right thing. But thanks for sticking around… Vivi," Amon mutters, earning a gasp and a smile from the maid. "Did you just call me…?" "Hey," A stallion's voice called to the two. Looking up, they saw a strange unicorn wearing a trench coat, a fedora with some holes in it, and a messy, fluffy purple scarf approaching them. "Kind of late for a maid to be strolling around this part of the city, don't you think sweet cheeks?" He mentioned with a gravel tone of voice while blocking their way. "Thanks for the concern, but we were just on our way." Amon immediately tensed up and took a step forward, getting between the stranger and Vivi. "Oh yes, you can go, but there is no rush for your friend to leave just yet," the stallion says before turning to Viola. "How much?" "Excuse me?!" Viola asks, feeling offended for being confused for an escort. "You heard me, how much for a blowjob?" "I'm not a prostitute, you shithead!" Viola yells and swears, clearly livid. "Oh please, I saw how the big lump took you into the woods to get his way earlier. You expect me to believe that you are a maid?" That stallion chuckled as he approached them. Amon started to notice more and more ponies emerging from the shadows and slowly surrounding them. "Now, I'm going to say it nicely one last time. Get over here, or things are going to get ugly." "I agree," Amon nods with a neutral tune, much to their surprise and horror of Viola. "They will… for you," Amon warns him as he clenches his fist, black lightning starting to discharge from it. "So this is my counteroffer: leave while you still can use your legs." The stallion laughs, "We have a hero among us, guys!" The stranger raises his arms and looks around as his gang appears and surrounds the two. Everyone starts to laugh as well while taking out their weapons. Viola begins to unravel her wings in anticipation, gulping when she sees a couple of pegasus among the group. "Tell you what? I'm feeling in a good mood, you can go. Once you give us that bag of yours, the whore stays," The stallion insists. Viola hugged Amon's side, starting to get afraid as Amon stayed calm about the situation. "Do you trust me?" Amon suddenly whispers and asks Viola, who looks at him in surprise. "What?" "Do you trust me?" Amon repeat. "Y-Yes." "There is an alley to your right, Vivi. Once I give you an opening, go there and hide," Amon instructed before grabbing her arm. Amon lowers his head with a defeated sigh and nods, "Okay, you win. I know when I'm outnumbered." He approaches, dragging Viola toward the creep. "That is it; the stick can actually think; we are having fun today, boys!" He cheers as his companions cheer as well. "Just treat her well, okay?" Amon asks with a glare while handing over Viola to the stallion. "Oh, don't worry, I can be quite romantic; I'll make her evening," The stallion said, licking his lips while looking at the pegasus and then extending his hand. "And the backpack." "Right, you wanted." Amon nods and grabs his bag. "Yeah, now hand it over and leave while I'm in a generous mood." "Sure, you can have it…in your grave!" Amon's arm suddenly turns black and starts to shine as he prepares his punch and hits the creep square in the chest, raising his body and making him lose both his lunch and all of his breath as his eyes turn white. Everything seems to slow down as Amon grabs Vivi's arm. The two rush to the alleyway, where he pushes her behind a dumpster for her to hide while he faces the gang. A pegasus tries to tackle Amon while flying, while other tries to fly past Amon. But Amon grabs the pegasus, trying to get past him by his ankle, and breaks his hoof. Amon then spins in place, ramming the attacker's face on the edge of the alley and tossing him back at his friend, blood spilling everywhere. The one that tried to tackle him pulled out a knife and tried to stab Amon, yet Amon was faster and grabbed his neck as he started to choke him and raise him into the air before ramming him into the floor, breaking the concrete in the process and leaving the pegasus unconscious. Unicorns and earth ponies try to gang on Amon, falling on top of him and using their magic to restrain Amon arms and legs, making it hard for him to move as more ponies get on top of Amon while hitting and cutting him repeatedly everywhere. This results in minor cuts for Amon, who has hardened his body in the same black layer. This causes the attackers' knuckles to bleed and their weapons to bend. Closing his eyes, Amon tanks the attack until something calls his attention and scares him to his core. "AMON!" Vivi's voice alerted him as he tried to look back, allowing the attacker to pin him to the ground and give him a view of Vivi being grabbed by three pegasus. As she tried to escape by taking flight, she managed to kick one into the ground, and there were two more on the ground unconscious, but the three remaining were starting to overpower her and were ripping off her clothes. "Help!" Vivi calls for him, tears in her eyes, as she extends her hand at him. Seeing her in danger seems to make something inside Amon snap, as he can only see red at that point. "Leave her ALONE!" Black lighting started to discharge all over Amon's body as the air surrounding the area got heavier, and a massive wave of air combusted from Amon's body, provoking the ponies to find it hard to breathe. Everyone seems momentarily startled by the outburst, unable to move as the pegasus slowly releases Vivi, giving her the chance to escape and defend herself from the attackers as they drop into the nearby dumpster. Landing on the alley, Viola was slightly startled when the ponies that tried to pin down Amon fell unconscious around him while those that were farther away slowly backed away from Amon, while he slowly rose. Amon's body slowly became covered in a shiny black layer absorbing his face, and his mane turn a shinier shade of white and start to move in an invisible breeze. His body kept discharging black lightning until it created a violent lightning storm around his body that reached the heavens and shook the ground around him. Amon eyes seemed to be gone, replaced by a red glows that emerge from the black layer, and black miasma started to emanate from his body, forming a foggy crown on his head. The lighting show was enough to startle more than one pony in the distance, whom managed to take glimpses of the rare black lightning storm forming on the outskirts of the east side of Canterlot. In particular, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Purple Heart, and Princess Luna. The last one is getting concerned; a familiar fear is rearing its ugly head in her mind. "I need guards to clear the area and stay clear!" Luna commands a nearby guard, "I will handle this." "But, your highness!" One guard complained, but Luna had already taken to the skies before he could say anything else as she approached the zone. At that moment, gulping once, one of the bravest attackers tried to rush at Amon with a knife, but the weapon only broke against his body as the head of Amon slowly turned to him and immediately grabbed the neck and jaw of the attacker. A black ooze started to form in Amon's arm and began to spread and surround the attacker's body as he started to panic and scream, thrashing around under Amon's grip. The rest panicked and ran away as fast as they could, only to be hit by a wave of magic that Amon discharged from his other hand while lowering the one holding his victim. Gravity seems to lose its mind as all the attackers are soon rammed against the walls in front of them, and then they start to feel like they are on a compression press as gravity keeps increasing. Making it impossible for them to do anything else but scream as they thought their bones were about to break while Amon was fusing them to the walls. "A… Amon." Vivi slowly approached Amon with a concerned voice, yet he didn't seem to respond, focusing on his enemies. The ponies started to shrink with tears in their eyes, as if they were in the process of being eaten by their shadow or by the ooze in the case of the one Amon was holding. "Ash to ash, dust to dust, from nowhere I come, into nothing you become" Amon start to speak in a distorted tune as arms emerge from the shadows of his victims and seem to start clawing at them pressing them even further into the wall, as it fingers and nail seem to began to burn their flesh. "Amon, that is enough! You won!" Vivi pleads and yells, rushing at Amon and hugging his back. "Please, please stop! This isn't you. Please let them live!" Her words seem to reach him as Amon's eyes return, and the black layer on his body dissipates slowly among the lightning; his magic gets interrupted, allowing all the ponies to run away as fast as they can, once they fall to the ground and recover, some even lumping away as fast as they could with their injured hooves. Shaking his head and realizing what he was doing, Amon let go of the pony in his grasp, as he was wounded and seemed to have a broken jaw. The pony saw Amon in pure terror and backed away before running away. "I… what happened?" Amon asks, holding his head in pain. "Amon?!" Vivi calls, getting in front of him and sighing in relief. "Thank Celestia; you came back." "Vivi?" Amon asked before noticing how she was almost naked. "Vivi, your clothes!" he quickly pointed out before removing his jacket and putting it over the maid's back, which she quickly hugged while Amon held her shoulder softly. "Did they harm you?" "I'm okay, sir. I'm just still shaken," Vivi replied nervously as she cleared some tears from her eyes. "You save me." "I… I did? Sorry, I don't recall much. I think I blacked out; you were asking for help. Saw you in danger and then…" "It's okay, big guy. I can fill you in later." Vivi chuckles and pats Amon's shoulder. "For now," she tries to put her arms under the jacket, leaving her swimming inside of it before going back to pick up Amon's backpack and place it over her shoulders as she returns to him. "Let's go back to the castle please. And also could it be too much to ask for a piggy ride?" "A… Piggy ride?" Amon repeats, confused by the request, until Viola points at his wings. "It's cold. I'm almost naked, and your wings are exposed, dude. A piggy ride, solve all three problems at once. Not to mention I'm too shaken to walk much right now."” Amon smiles and nods before turning around and kneeling. "Okay, just don't try anything funny." "Like what? This?" Viola smirks and hopes on top of Amon's back, rubbing her chest against his back, making him shiver. "Yeah! Like that! Vivi, you are right. It is very cold. You can cut me with those," Amon complains as he grabs both maid's legs for support. "And seriously what the heck Vivi? Now is DEFINITELY not the time for those jokes" That earns another laughter from part of the servant before she leans her head on Amon's shoulder. "Thank you, I needed a laugh. Please never change, sir." Amon only sigh and shake his head having given up before smiling and then nod as he stood up and they returned to the castle. "I'm sorry, Vivi." "For what?" The maid asks, confused. "What do you mean? Vivi, you almost were raped! We both are injured, and I… this is all my fault. I told you, I'm dangerous; it's not just me; I have the worst of luck, and I keep spreading it to those around me. None of this would have happened if you had kept your distance." "Hey! Enough with the self-pity party. This was my decision, and that is final. I knew the risk and took it anyway." Vivi complains, pulling some of his hair with irritation. "Just give up, big guy; you are stuck with me, whether you like it or not. This only proves that you need ponies like me around you to keep you from degrading yourself," she chuckles, "You really should start seeing the positive things that happen here." "Like what?" "Well, you were the hero today. Sure, it was scary and you are right, what almost happened is not laughing matters, I’m just trying to put a brave face here, but you saved me; you managed to make many ponies happy earlier, and let's not forget the two things pressing on your back as a reward. My hero." "Seriously, Vivi? Flirts in this situation? After what almost happened?" "I need the distraction, okay?! Jokes and teasing help me relax and feel somewhat in control. Plus, I know now that you wouldn't do anything bad to me," Vivi argues with some shaking in her voice “Just please let me have this.” Amon just remains quiet and nods, not wanting to discuss the issue either. "You are not a monster, Amon, the ponies you beat up here? Those are the real monsters, and I will keep saying it until you get it in your thick head." Amon remains quiet and sighs. "You are far stronger than I gave you credit Vivi…thanks." “Anytime” Vivi reply as she hug Amon tight, her shakiness still present, which makes Amon still concern and partly guilty for what almost happened Not too far from them, hidden in the shadows, a figure in a yellow jacket trembled and gulped while sweating bullets. "It's not possible… it can't be!" He harshly whispers as he watches them go, "He is a fucking ALICORN!?" He continued to whisper before feeling someone poking his shoulder. "Okay, buddy, we have to talk. You say this was an easy job. Just scare them and make the big guy angry." One of the attackers confronts the pony in a yellow jacket, once the coast was clear. "You didn't say anything about him being the fucking pony of shadows! Whatever fuck up thing you are cooking here, we don't want part of it, so you better pay us what you owe us plus extra if you want to keep us quiet." The attackers in his group try to extort the pony in yellow with some anger as the pony remains quiet. "Of course, we wouldn't want to leave loose ends, right?" The pony in the jacket mentions with a slight nod before removing his hood. The alley where they were soon filled with the screams of the gang of ponies, as the shadow of tentacles coming from the pony in the yellow jacket picked them all up and absorbed them inside, making some crunch noises. The pegasus that landed on the dumpster lifted the lid only to close it and hide when they saw a glimpse of the carnage and decided to hide, scared off their minds. Exiting the alley, the pony in the yellow jacket burps and cleans some blood from his chin before walking away. "That takes care of one problem." But not the other one. I can’t fucking believe it! How is it even possible? It was bad enough that the specimen was alive; now that we have pinpointed his location, it turns out he is an alicorn?! This is a bad joke, a piece of shit like doesn’t deserve that blessing; the idea alone is a perversion of the laws of gods and ponies! We need to fix this horrible mistake! That monster needs to go! The pony in yellow returns to his rants as he prepares mentally and makes another report.
The Royal Scolding (Edited By PW)Soon after managing to distance themselves from their attackers, Amon and Viola are met by a confused and angry Luna who doesn’t waste time demanding answers from both of them, her voice full of concern. Once the air was clear and both were taken to the royal infirmary to be checked and treated, Luna didn’t waste time giving Amon a speech as she kept pacing back and forth. "Do you have ANY idea of the scare you gave me? Roaming the street in the middle of the night on the riskiest part of the city while you are being hunted by enemies whose faces are yet to be seen! Why don't you scream at the skies, "Attack me!" While you are at it!?" Amon flinched as Luna scowled as she recovered and sighed. "I understand you are a grown-up stallion, and you are free to roam the city as you please, but to remain out this late at night in the shadier section of Canterlot on top of that? What did you think would happen? Amon, I felt your magic; you were this close to falling over the edge; is that what you wanted? To give us no choice but to use the elements on you? Do you want to spend a thousand years inside a rock? No, you won't because I have before, and let me tell you, that would be just pure Tartarus!" "We didn't plan to stay there that late, Luna. We lost track of time. And for what is worth it, I'm sorry for the experience Vivi went through," Amon confessed as a nurse finished placing a couple of bandages on his chest and arms, allowing Amon to put back his shirt. Luna, meanwhile, remains quiet and crosses her arms in front of Amon for a moment before sighing in disappointment and pinching the bridge of her nose. "What were you doing so late anyway?" she demanded, letting go of her face as she glared at Amon. "We were giving some handmade blankets and pillows to the less fortunate. I had the time, so I thought I would try sewing, and Vivi offered to help." Amon answered honestly, causing Luna to pause in surprise at that revelation before sighing in exhaustion. "You… you were?" Luna asks, not expecting that answer. "Why?" "You would not get it, but before you decided to give me a room at the castle, the ponies in the street, those with so little. They share with me, Luna. They saved my life more than once," Amon lowers his head and sighs. "I know it sounds ridiculous and maybe insane, but in a way, I know their feelings, Luna. Of being all alone, cold, and scared in a harsh world. This is not something I normally do, but I thought since my situation is improving and now that I don't feel like I will kill anyone who shows me kindness, I… I am obligated to give something back to the community; they saved my life, Luna. I can't just forget them and start acting like I'm better than them because I'm not. Never was… never will," Amon mumbles the last part, mostly to himself. Luna remains quiet before sighing and sitting next to Amon. "I know the feeling you are describing," she confesses softly. "Yeah, right; when have you ever begged for your life? Or fight and struggle to eat a breadcrumb?" "When have you ever spent a thousand years in the vacuum of space with nothing but your nightmares to keep you company?" Luna fired back, silencing Amon. "It may not be the same situation, but believe me, Amon, I have to suffer too, and a night does not pass me by where I don't remember where I once was." Luna touched Amon's shoulder, "Nor did I let my mistake determine my future or make me feel like I'm some kind of prisoner that needs to meet some bizarre quota." "So what? Are you saying that what I did was wrong?" "It is not about whether it was wrong or not. It is about why you did it in the first place," Luna mentions calmly as Amon stares at her. "Tell me, Amon, why did you go out of the way to make those gifts to the point you forgot your problems? Was it because you wanted to, or did you feel it was your obligation?" "It IS my obligation, Luna; I had to. After everything they did to me, I just… I need to do it. It's the least I could do." Luna, for her part, sighs and shakes her head in disappointment. "No, you don't, Amon. And the fact that you don't understand the difference means there is still much for you to learn." Luna stands up and pats his shoulder. "We could spend all night discussing the issue, but that is not my place or the point. Celestia is more wise in this subject anyway. Let's leave it here; please talk with my sister when ready." "I'll see if I do," Amon mumbled sarcastically before sighing without saying anything else, not wanting to discuss the subject and remembering how he was still hungry. As they exit the room, Luna adds one little thing. "Also, the events of tonight made me believe our enemies are far more clever than I anticipated; in two days, you have experienced two attacks, Amon; this is no coincidence, and the fact they keep avoiding me. Concerns me; therefore, I would ask you to remain in the castle for the unforeseen future." "What?" "Just humor me, Amon, please. The best-case scenario is when the enemy becomes reckless and falls right into our hands; the worst-case scenario is when you improve your inner control and magic lesson and say goodbye to summoning any of your beasts ever again. Two weeks is all I ask for now; three at most," Luna negotiated. Amon remained quiet and thought about it before sighing. "Fine, but I don't want a single guard following me around; I draw the line at having a second tail, Luna." "Amon, that is just standard…" Luna sighs and closes her eyes. "Fine! I will see what I can do. The stars now. If I can give you some space, maybe I can get some privacy myself," Luna mumbles. "Not a big fan of guards following you around either?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "I'm like you in that area, Amon. I love my ponies to death, and I'm okay with the attention and feeling of being safe and loved back, but I don't need an escort standing guard while I answer the call of nature," Luna confesses in exasperation. "Oh boy, I hope you are exaggerating with that," Amon says with a slight clinginess and fear. "Only partially and only because I put an end to my sister's madness in control and the idea of "safety" Luna sighed in frustration. "I swear to the stars, if I hadn't reeled back Tia the moment I returned, she would have covered the entire castle in bubble wrap the second a servant got a paper cut." Luna keeps complaining to nobody in particular while Amon stays behind and quiet, allowing her to have her small rant until he hears Pinkie and Fluttershy's voices approaching. "Amon!" With an exhausted sigh, Amon rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "And 3…2…" The next thing Amon knew, he felt two giant orbs on his face. "Are you okay? Vivi told us you were attacked!" "I'm fine, Fluttershy, really," Amon replies, prying Fluttershy from his face and then realizing Pinkie was hugging his chest. "If anything, you should go talk with Vivi. She is the one who got the worst of this. Where is she, anyway?" “Changing clothes and calling a night,” Pinkie answered, letting go of Amon as he put Fluttershy down. “And don’t worry, she is fine. She just got some minor brushes and is still pretty shaken, but other than that, she is okay. Oh, and she asked me to tell you not to dare to blame yourself for what happened.” Pinkie mentions in a stern tone.. "I wasn't about to… It was my fault," Amon confessed, looking away. "Amon!" Fluttershy scolds him a little. "Okay, okay, I'll try. Look, I'm sorry I startled all of you. But it's late, and I bet everyone here would like to call it a night, minus the princess, right?" The mare looks a bit unsure as they exchange glances. "Well, at least I know I am. It was quite the day. And right now, I only want to sleep. Is it okay if we continue this in the morning? Please?" They remained quiet until Fluttershy spoke up. "Of course, we understand, Amon; you and Vivi got the scare of your lives. It will mean not letting you breathe and relax before discussing it. We will be right here in the morning to talk." "Thanks, and sorry for giving you extra work, Luna." "Please, Amon, if anything, THIS is my usual work. But I appreciate the thought. Please rest well," Luna told him with a smile, and Amon retired to his room, leaving the mares alone in the hallway. Once he was out of earshot, Luna sighed and looked at the two mares. "I gather you, too, felt as well?" Luna suddenly asks with a grimace. Both mares nod at the same time. "When those weird black thunders appear, it felt so… cold and scary," Fluttershy confesses, hugging herself. "In effect, what you two most likely felt was a sample of what could have occurred had Ms. Viola not intervened," Luna confirmed her fears as the princess sighed and looked down in shame. "Amon was inches away from becoming something else, something…" Luna glared at a mosaic window that showed the image of Nightmare Moon. "...Perverse and malicious." "A second Nightmare Moon," Pinkie whispered in fear. "No, Nightmare Moon is exclusively my demon, Pinkie Pie, even if the concept is the same. I could only dread to imagine what kind of demon would rise from within Amon." "I wouldn't want to see it either," Fluttershy nods. "Yeah, we need to stop it from happening; no wonder you wanted us to teach Amony how to have friends." Pinkie nods. "This call for a super duper friendship mission, Pinkie style. Don't worry, princess, we will make sure Amony does not feel sad or lonely like you did." "Pinkie!" Fluttershy scolds her in irritation. "It's okay, Fluttershy. I understand what she meant and appreciate it. I just hope the rest of my sister's plan works," Luna mentions as she admires the moon in the distance. The Following Day Passing the page, Amon enjoys a little bit of peace and quiet as he lies on the grass floor in the royal garden while some small animals surround the stallion in question. Using one arm to support his head, he enjoys the sunny yet cool morning day. "So here is where you went?" Purple's voice calls Amon's attention, and he lowers his book and raises his head to see the soldier in question upside down approaching him. "We were waiting for you in the dining room. Why did you skip breakfast?" Purple pauses in surprise. "And how are you not freezing with all that snow on your back?" Amon, in response, can only shrug. "I still have my jacket, and my wings are virtually a bed of feathers; as for the other question, I wasn't exactly in a hungry mood," Amon replied before returning his attention to the book. "I picked a couple of apples from the garden and decided to find something to read since it seems I'm in castle arrest." Purple sighs and shakes his head. "That is not what the princess meant with her decision, and you know it, Amon." "And yet here we are; sorry if I was rude, but I wasn't in a good mood to talk with Celestia, dude." "Was it? Or did you feel bad that Vivi didn't come to work this morning and thought that Celestia would bring the subject when she asked if you were ok?" Amon remains quiet and focuses on his book. "Amon, this is standard procedure; that mare tried to get back to work, but I'm with you. After a scare like that, she would need to rest and collect her thoughts! Do you imagine a relapse?" "Yeah, exactly!" Amon nodded and stood up, pointing at the guard with his book. "That mare needs to do… whatever she needs to do to relax, not play maid to some dirty freak of nature." "You were so close," Vivi replied, appearing from behind Purple with a smirk. She wore casual attire: a dark pink dress and gray sweater, with her mane combed in a ponytail. "That almost was touching if you had just stopped; she needed to relax," Vivi responded with a sigh as she shook her head. "Vivi?" Amon replied, startled by her arrival. "Hi, Amon." "The hell are you doing here?" "Well, if a certain pony had joined us for breakfast this morning, he would have known that I asked the princess if I could spend the day with you and see how you were doing." She knelt and poked his forehead. "I have the right to get worried too, you know?" Amon, for his part, could only sigh and shake his head. "I swear these ponies…" He mumbles something to himself as he stands up. "What was that?" Vivi asked, not entirely understanding what he was saying. "Nothing, just thinking out loud, and thanks. I'm still feeling guilty but other than that, I'm fine, how about you? How are you doing?" "Better, now that the scare is gone, I know you are okay; you cared for me, and more importantly, we have a surprise for you!" "A surprise?" Amon repeats with a raised eyebrow while Vivi takes his hand. "What kind of surprise?" "Oh, I'm sorry. The details are for those who joined the rest of us for breakfast. Now, it will have to be a surprise, and it will not be here. Now, come on! Princess Celestia is waiting for us at the throne room," Vivi mentions as she pulls Amon's arm, and he follows. Soon, the group reached the entrance to the throne room. "Well, this is as far as I can go," Purple mentions before patting Amon back. "Good luck." "You are not coming?" Amon asks him with a raised eyebrow as Purple shakes his head. "I'm still on the clock here, dude. Plus, you are under royal castle arrest and asked for no escort; I can't have one without the other. I will see you at sunset when I finish my shift." Purple waved goodbye as he retired. "Hey, you don't need to sacrifice your free… see you then," Amon sighed in defeat before replying and waving goodbye. Amon then entered the room with Vivi and was greeted by a long, empty hallway with a giant red carpet in the middle leading to a set of stairs with two waterfalls falling on top of a micro river whose origins seem to be the footsteps of another set of stairs leading to two thrones at the end of the room. Princess Celestia was sitting in the taller one with a symbol of the sun on the tip. "Ah! Amon, good morning. I see you received my invitation; please come closer," Celestia called for them to get closer with a calm smile. "My sister informed me of what happened last night. It pains me; imagine how scared both you and Vivi must have felt at that moment, and I hope you both make a full mental recovery." "Thank you, your highness." "Yeah, thanks. I know it's nobody's fault, but still, I should have paid more attention to the time," Amon says with a sigh once they are in front of the princess. Celestia, in turn, raised a hand. "A subject for another time, one I would like to discuss in private, Amon." Celestia's face morphs into a more serious one. "Luna also told me the reasoning behind your actions." "I gather as much and agree. Let's put a pin on that for a later day." Amon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Anyway!" Amon claps his hand, startling both mares. "You mention something about wanting to tell me something, Celestia?" "Indeed I have," Celestia nods. "I was planning on letting you acclimate a little more to your new two friends first, but due to the circumstances, and since you will be spending more time in the castle, I thought you could make more friends today?" "You set me up on another play date?" Amon asked with a raised eyebrow before looking back at the door in slight fear. "You could see it that way, yes, but don't worry, compared to Pinkie Pie, these two mares are more tame, and you will have her and Fluttershy to help you with introductions," Celestia explained. "What about their baby shower?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "That was yesterday, so they have free time and don't need to return to Ponyville until tomorrow, so everything's been taken care of." Celestia then turns to a closed door to the left of the room. "You can come out now, girls," Celestia calls, and soon the door opens, revealing Fluttershy, Marcus, and Pinkie, the latter not wasting time in prancing toward Amon to give him a hug, all of them wearing similar clothes to what they were wearing when meeting "Amon!" After a firm hug, she let go and looked at him sadly. "Why didn't you come for breakfast earlier? I made you my special waffles," She mentions before summoning a tower of the said waffles with a smiley face made of chocolate chips, whipped cream, and strawberries on the top. It even somehow defies the laws of gravity by having a giant Afro made of whip cream with even more confections poking out and yet remaining stable. "How did you do… never mind, sorry," Amon apologizes and takes the plate. "You are learning," Marcus chuckles as he puts his hands behind his head.. "I was feeling a bit bad from yesterday, so I decided to punish myself with no breakfast," Amon explains. "Why would you do that?!" Fluttershy asks in pity, flying closely toward him. "You didn't do anything wrong." "I agree, partner; you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, especially since Pinkie and Shy told me you were the hero that night." A new, heavily Southern voice spoke up, and from the entrance, Amon was greeted once more by two new ponies: another earth pony wearing a stetson hat, long dark blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a brown sweater that she somehow decided to crop so it and the white shirt with red dots exposed her stomach, showing her six packs. "Not to mention breakfast is the most important meal of the day dear, no matter the circumstance, one should never skip it," A unicorn next to the earth pony spoke up in a refined English accent; she had an alabaster fur and deep dark purple long and swirly mane wearing, what Amon could be described as the complete opposite to the cowboy mare, she had a long elegant veil acting as a sort of cape on her back, dark red sweater that reaches her hips and jeans with some sequins on it forming the shape of diamonds as well as high heels giving the impression that she was on her way to a beauty pageant. "Amon, allow me to introduce you to two more elements of harmony, the element of honesty and proud farmer of sweet apple acres, Applejack." "Howdy," AJ tilts her head to Amon in response to Celestia's introduction. "And the element of generosity and expert tailor and fashion designer Rarity," Celestia mentions, pointing at the unicorn who gives him a short bow using her sweater as a dress. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Amon." "Ah… hi," Amon saluted and took a step back, getting his guard up, much to the confusion of both mares. "What did I tell you, girls? Amony is a bit shy, but once you get to know him, he is a nice pony," Pinkie mentions, appearing next to Amon and putting her arm over his neck, forcing him to crunch a little. In response, Amon pinched Pinkie's arm and pulled it away from him so he could stand up again. "Please don't do that." "So you are the stallion the princesses told us about," AJ whistled as she approached with Rarity close behind. "Have to say, partner, I never thought there would be a day I would meet a stallion taller than Rockhoof, but now I think you may have set a new record." "Not to mention that divine mane of yours are simply glorious, darling," Rarity praised as she didn't waste time and grabbed Amon's lock of hair. "This beautiful and elegant silver mane was meant to dazzle! Honestly, it is a crime on its own how badly you have threatened your mane, darling; you must allow me to do something about it." "Ah, thanks?" Amon mentions and slowly pulls Rarity away from his mane. "But I believe I should warn you. This mane has a mind of its own, so you might not want to try, miss," Amon warns her. "Nonsense! It will be no bother to me at all," Rarity confidently insisted. "It will be a perfect opportunity to get to know each other." "Don't fight it, Amon; Rarity is the best, and trust me, you would love it," Marcus botched for her. "My fair lady is the master in dazzling and fabulous everything." "Aw! Darling, stop it!" Rarity blushes as she and Marcus share an Eskimo kiss, surprising Amon as he turns to Pinkie, who seems okay with the show of affection. "Yes, Amon, we are on the same herd, and no, I'm not reading your mind," Pinkie replied calmly. "What? But that is exactly what you just…" "Don't think too hard about it, partner, trust me," AJ interrupts Amon with a shake of her head before looking at the couple. "Okay, enough, you two. You can be dovey-lovey later, but that is not why we are here." AJ separates the two. And come on, Rarity. We came here to have fun and make some friends, not have a spa day," AJ complains, rolling her eyes. "Spa days can be fun, darling," Rarity mentions, causing the mares in the room to chuckle. "I'm sure that it can be a pretty nice experience, but for now, I think you could start with something simpler," Celestia explained before turning to Amon. "Amon, since you like to keep yourself busy and wish to do something for the community, Rarity and Applejack could help you come up with ideas to do just that without risking your or others' safety." That grabbed his attention. "I'm listening." "Well, partner, the princess told us about your past and how you want to do something nice for those ponies that helped you out when you were passing through hardships," AJ comments. "And Vivi told us you were interested in learning how to sew, or am I wrong, dear?" Rarity questions. Amon remains quiet for a moment and sighs. "I had some free time, and I needed to pay back their kindness," Amon confessed, much to everyone's confusion. "Payback?" AJ repeats. "I understand what you are going for here, dude," Marcus then intervenes. "You are just thankful to those ponies that help you and want to make something nice to them in return, right?" "...you could say that, yeah." Amon nods once.. "Now, why didn't you tell us?! We would have love to help," Pinkie complains with trembling lips and wide eyes. "Because it was something I just came up with at the moment. You were busy with your baby shower, and I'm not sure you would like the idea of dumpster diving." "What?!" Rarity asks in alarm. "Never mind!" Vivi is quick to calm everyone down. "And you see Amon? This is exactly what the princess wishes to do to help you: find ways to improve yourself and give back to the community without resorting to…that. EVER!" She finished the last part with more force than needed. "Yeah, partner, usually the apple family recipes are trade secrets, but I can teach you the ropes in the kitchen if you want to produce something to give away." "And I can teach you all sorts of yummy things so we can enjoy and make them together with all your friends," Pinkie offers. "As for me, if you are still interested, I would gladly share some tips on how to make some of the best work when it comes to sewing, dear. I'm impressed by what you did with feathers; I wonder what you could achieve with the right materials," Rarity adds. "Not to mention some self-defense and meditation techniques," Marcus mentions, approaching Amon. "Vivi told us about the attack and how you lose control, big guy; we are worried and want to help you." He then extended his hand. "Would you give us a chance?" He offered his palm, and Amon saw a secret message written in Marcus's hand. "I got news; I'll explain when we're alone." Startled by the message, Amon looks at Marcus in the eyes before nodding and grabbing his hand. "Okay, I will give it a try." "Excellent, so it's decided then," Celestia cheered and clapped with a bright smile. "I'm so happy you truly wish to make an effort, Amon. I hope this experience helps you see the wonders of friendship." "Just take it down a notch, Celestia. I'm still defensive on the subject, but it's nice having someone to talk about," Amon mentions before he feels something on his mane that makes in ichi. When he goes to scratch, he stops when he hears a cry and then looks inside his beanie, only to retrieve a small, scared squirrel. "What in tarnation?" AJ asked in surprise. "Did you have that under your hat all this time, partner?" "Nah, the little rascal must have climbed up when I was resting in the garden," Amon said as he started to pet the squirrel, who was still slightly startled. You must have confused me with a bush or something, didn't you, little guy?" The squirrel, in turn, looked at Amon in surprise before relaxing and leaning on his finger as he continued to pet it. "She is saying that she is sorry, and that was the case." Fluttershy translated as she approached the squirrel. She was fairly impressed with how Amon was able to handle and calm down the scared animal, who seemed to become increasingly relaxed. "It's okay. Nobody wants to hurt you. Just relax." Amon kept calming down the squirrel until she seemed to fall asleep. The intrigue in Fluttershy's eyes soon turned to surprise as she started to see Amon differently. She began to feel weak on her knees and very hot. "Just give me a moment, guys; I will put this little girl on a branch so she can enjoy the rest of her day." "Sounds good. I will go, too. I know where there are some yummy nuts for her," Vivi volunteers before looking at the rest. "Where can we meet you?" "Well, since we just ate, I was thinking of offering Amon some new clothes, and to do that, I would need some measures." Rarity offers, much to Amon's surprise. "What?" "That sounds good. We will see you in his room later. Let's go, Amon," Vivi answers before pushing him out of the room. "Hey, hey, I never agree to a makeover. I'm very reserved. Vivi! Okay, okay, I'm going." Amon complains all the way until they leave the room. "Are you okay, partner?" AJ asks Fluttershy, who seems to be lost in thought. "Wha? I mean, yeah, I'm okay. I need clarification about why a squirrel awoke this early. It was too soon for them to be looking for their nuts," Fluttershy quickly answered as she looked at the ceiling, AJ staring at her with a raised eyebrow.
Midnight Stroll (Edited By PW)The rest of the day was mundane, with the group doing pretty much what AJ offered: constructing and teaching Amon how to build a bed. The first tries could barely stand together, but after some trial and error, Amon started to do a much better job, earning a whistle from AJ as she complimented his fast learning. Getting an idea, Amon worked on something smaller. With the help of Vivi and Rarity, he made a medium-large dog bed with a cushion attached to it, gaining the attention of the group. "What do you have there, sugarcube?" AJ asks with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, nothing much," Amon replied, using sandpaper to clean the bed. "Just got an idea for practice now that I'm getting the hang of things. "I thought of making a small pet bed to leave in the garden. A small present for the local animals here." Amon explains as he marches deeper into the garden, looking for a good place to leave his work before he places his bed underneath a nearby tree, where there is a nice shadow cast. All the while, Amon is oblivious to how Fluttershy has gone stiff and is staring right at Amon the second he mentions he is making a present for animals. "I imagined that a cat or a dog would see this bed; in the middle of the day, I was a bit tired and took a small nap. What do you think? Fluttershy, you are the expert. Do you think they would love…?" "...yes!" Fluttershy interrupted as she kept staring at Amon while he was still adjusting the bed so he couldn't see her. On the other hand, the group could see how Fluttershy was acting weird right away. "Darling, are you feeling okay?" Rarity asks in concern, yet Fluttershy can only start panting when a group of wolf cubs and their mother approach Amon. The stallion remains calm and firm, slowly backing away and crouching so as not to seem menacing. The wolf seems to reach for him and isn't aggressive, and the mother says something only Fluttershy understands as "thanks" while lying on the bed. One of the cubs lets Amon scratch her ear. Something in Fluttershy's mind seems to be snapping as she starts to growl and slowly approaches Amon until AJ grabs her shoulder and pushes her away. "Say! We seem to be getting short on paint and nails! We will go get some more; let's go, partner!" AJ yells before taking Fluttershy away as everyone blinks. Marcus looks back between her and Amon before starting to get angry. Are you freaking kidding me! I have been trying for months, and that bitch has not reacted to anything I try, yet he doesn’t try anything, and she is all thirsty! No fair, no fair! Marcus keeps thinking until Rarity chuckles, "My, my, darling, do you think love is in the air?" "I'm speechless here, my gem. This is the last thing I expected from Fluttershy, and at the worst time possible," Marcus adds with concern as he whispers to her. "Amon had a bad experience; I think dating is the last thing he wants or needs." "Agree, but you have to admit if things calm down… maybe we could play matchmaking?" Rarity asks in excitement, causing Marcus to chuckle. "Oh, sweetie, sometimes I wonder if you are the real Princess of Love." Pinkie and Vivi laughed, still looking in complete surprise at the direction Fluttershy went. Meanwhile, far from them, once AJ found a faucet, she used it to splash Fluttershy's head to snap her back to reality. "For pit's sake, Fluttershy! What in the hay happened to you back then? You looked about ready to pounce on the poor stallion," AJ said to her friend, passing her a handkerchief to dry herself. "Wolf cubs, AJ! Wolf cubs, playing with him without any problem! There is nothing more paternal than that! I'm not made of stone!" Fluttershy defends herself in exasperation. "If the momma wolf had let him scratch her belly, I would have jumped his bones right there." "By Celestia, partner, you got it bad for him," AJ mentions in astonishment. "I know! I'm whore and a horrible friend!" Fluttershy screams in shame. "Hey, quit it with the self-degrading; you are not bad, just… feeling lonely. Tell you what. Why don't you rest a little if you can't control yourself? I will tell everyone you didn't feel so good and went to bed to lie down." "N-No, that's okay, AJ, that's okay. Thanks for the concern, but if we stay clear of Amon playing with animals, I think I can control myself; just… just pull me away until we are safe, okay? M-maybe if we go to the kitchen? Yeah! You and Pinkie wanted to teach him some recipes, right? Let's do that. It will clear my mind and keep it busy making something." AJ remains quiet. "Fine, we will do it your way, but better keep a cool head partner; there is a dangerous object in the kitchen." "I'll be careful, promise." Once that was settled and the two mares returned to the group, the rest of the day was spent more or less relaxing as Pinkie and AJ taught Amon some small recipes he could try using the simplest ingredients if he wanted to share them with others. During all that time, Marcus discretely kept giving Amon the sting eye before resuming his act as the doting boyfriend with Rarity and Pinkie, who couldn’t help but be more playful while working in the kitchen. Something that Fluttershy noticed and, alongside Vivi, tried to do the same for Amon, which they found humorous: Amon kept blushing and looking away when their clothes kept getting dirty. Eventually, night arrived, and everyone went their separate ways, with the princesses being kind enough to offer the others a room to stay the night before returning to Ponyville. "I will head out at 10 pm for my stroll. We can meet on the sheet in the garden," Amon whispers to Amon as he nods and prepares for their side project plan. "We must ensure we don't get any surprise visits from your fog monsters, too. Here, use this:" Marcus discreetly gives Amon a big gold ring. "It is a magic dampener; it blocks magic when you place it on your horn. With this, we will take him off guard. We will reunite in the gazebo in the garden's center, waiting for me there at 10." Amon nods and takes the ring. With everything in place and nothing else to do, Amon spent the rest of the night preparing push-ups, planks, and other warm-ups until it was time. The stallion stares at the clock with intensity before taking a deep breath. He was about to grab his backpack and head it up but ultimately decided against it. I'm supposed to take a relaxing walk. It would be weird if I took it with me… I think this one time would not matter. Leaving his luggage behind, Amon exits the room and looks around. As he starts walking, he finds the hallway empty in the dead of night. Reaching a fork in the road, Amon fishes for the ring in his pocket and stares at it momentarily before looking at his reflection in a nearby window. A ring that can block my magic. This is precisely what I needed all these years ago. Those sisters, if the solution was so easy, why did those two insisted on me learning to use magic? Amon pounders before putting the ring on his horn. He immediately finds his answer as he suddenly feels a brief piercing headache and loses his balance, almost tripping. He has to hold himself against the window while he rides the unpleasant sensation until it passes and he can stand up straight once more. Okay, I will grant them that. There was a reason it wasn’t the first option. Amon rolled his eyes and continued his march toward the garden, unaware of how there was a pony not too far from him, following behind, sticking to the shadows to not be seen. Once Amon reached the gazebo in the garden, the stallion had to lean on the frame for support. The dampening ring sting appeared and disappeared sporadically, constantly making him lose his balance. On more than one occasion, Amon felt as if he was seconds away from puking, yet he soldiered on, feeling his revenge was so close. God damn it, is this damn ring supposed to be a torture device? Amon complained that he had regained control in time to hear a branch cracking behind him. Turning around, he saw a shadow hiding behind a tree. Amon was about to call out the individual, thinking it was Marcus, yet decided against it. Figuring there was no point in the human hiding when Marcus set the meeting in the first place, meaning Amon had to act carefully. "Who goes there?" Amon calls, entering as someone caught in the middle of a midnight stroll. His muscles tensed up, and he was ready for an attack any second, only to relax and be surprised when instead of a monster, a royal guard or his primary target. Fluttershy was the pony that stepped outside the tree, wearing a night light pink robe. "Shy… Fluttershy, wasn't it? W- What are you doing here?" Amon asks before looking to the side when the clouds in the sky briefly let the stallion know how the robe wasn’t too large; it was pressing around her chest, and she was showing a bit of skin. "You… ask me here," Fluttershy replies, equally confused as she blinks several times. "Early in the night, you knock on my door and slip me this note," The shy pegasus shows him. "What?" Amon takes the letter and starts reading it, discovering a bizarre note stating that he needs to take something out of his chest, can't stop thinking about her, and must meet her in the pavilion. "You call for me and everything, Amon. What is going on?" Fluttershy questions, confused and slightly hurt. "No, this isn't me, Fluttershy, I… oh no. Fluttershy, you are in terrible danger." "I say." The voice of Amon suddenly speaks up from the shadow, alerting both. "Then again, that is to be expected from anyone dumb enough to get close to you, specimen." Their voice slowly morphs into another masculine one. "You really were a challenge and a half to track down." "Dr. Faust, I presume," Amon mentions as he searches for the pony. "Dr. Faust?" Fluttershy asks, confused as she looks back at Amon. "Amon, you know this pony?" "Only by name and what he did to me," Amon replied as he clenched his fist. "Show yourself, you coward!" "Oh! So, have you heard about me? Good, it makes things easier. Tell me specimen, do you have any idea of what your little rebelion cost me?!" "You could tell me you are in constant pain, and I still couldn't care less. After EVERYTHING you…" Amon stops glancing at Fluttershy. "...after all you did to me. You would still deserve far worse!" That leaves Fluttershy surprised. "Amon he is… he is the one?" "Yeah, he is the son of a bitch that has made my life a living hell." His statement earned Faust laughs: "I can't take credit for the faults of trash. Sure, I spend an annoyingly long time tracking you down. And send the proper precautions so you don't cause any more trouble for me, but how did you decide to live your life? What did you do with the freedom you kept whining and moaning? Becoming a hobo? That was all your doing, specimen." "SHUT UP!" Amon yells in fury. "No specimen! I have had more than enough of your defiance. It's time you learn who your master is. The king of shadows has invited you to his castle," Faust proclaims loudly. "Like I give a damn about your theatrics!" Amon replies in anger. All of a sudden, Fluttershy's body goes stiff, and her pupils disappear. "And I would gratefully accept his invite," The pegasus said, catching Amon off guard "What? Fluttershy, what are you saying? Hey. Hey!" Amon rushes to Fluttershy and starts to shake her, but she seems unresponsive "Don't bother specimens; she is under my complete control. Now kill," Faust orders. Fluttershy pulls out a knife from her robe and almost stabs Amon as she starts to swing her weapon widely. "Oh, doesn't this bring back memories? I still remember when I put all of your primates in a warehouse and then ordered you to start slaughtering each other. It is still ironic how much you whine about it, considering how much your species loves to do that out of pleasure." "Faust, I swear, when I get my hands around your neck…!" Amon exclaims, having managed to grab both of Fluttershy's arms and disarm briefly, only the pegasus to take flight to take him off balance, plunder herself into him to bring both down, and then proceed in trying to strangle Amon. "I think you have more pressing matters at the moment; you shouldn't leave that frail pegasus alone, specimen; Celestia knows whom she may hurt… even herself could be at risk if unattended." The proclamations left Amon stiff, and a cold sweat ran through his back. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to have a chat with the princess." Faust laughed, and Amon could hear footsteps growing quieter until he heard a cry and then a slash. "¿What?" Faust calls out in anger. "So you are famous Faust, then, pleasure," Marcus calls with a smirk as Amon starts hearing a conflict happening not too far from him. Two silhouettes fighting one another get further and further away until they seem to be going deeper into the royal garden. Damn it! Damn it! What should I do? Amon questions himself as he exchanges glances at the fight and then at the pegasus that keeps trying to reach his neck. "...DAMN IT! Fluttershy, I'm so sorry!" Amon yells before headbutting Fluttershy as hard as he can. The blow is enough to make her retreat and hold her head in pain before tripping and falling back when Amon pushes her farther back as he sits down. As he stands up, Amon notices the knife in the ground, picks it up, and tosses it into the two silhouettes. The weapon finds its target, and Amon hears Faust's scream of pain, making the alicorn smile and rush to the sound of the scream. With no time to think, Amon ran as fast as he could, finding signs of struggle, a sword, and knife marks everywhere as proof of a fight. Among the chaos, Amon finds the bloody knife and a trail of blood, yet no sign of Marcus. Not only that, but the fight seems to have stopped, which is starting to worry Amon as he follows the trail of blood. Reaching a pond, Amon froze in place when he found the end of the trail, but instead of Faust, he only discovered Marcus holding his arm in pain, his sword broken and covered in cuts and blood all over his body. "Marcus!" Amon rushes toward him and tries to inspect his wounds. "Are you ok? Where did Faust go? He couldn't be far; I'm sure I hit his leg." "Amon… why?" Marcus suddenly asks out of the blue, looking at Amon with rage. "What do you mean, why?" Amon asks in confusion until he hears Fluttershy's scream. When Amon turns around, he sees the pegasus in question looking directly at Amon and Marcus with her hands covering her mouth. The impression of the position seems clear because Amon is still holding the bloody knife. "Is not what you think." "Fluttershy, run! He is deranged!" Marcus screams at the top of his lungs, which only seems to confuse Amon even further. "What is the meaning of this?!" Shiitake's voice alerted everyone, and looking to his right, Amon was shocked to see the major in question, with her usual guards looking at him in anger. "So you finally show your face, you freak!" "What? No, you get it all wrong. Listen, I… Marcus, he needs help, please." "Save it for the jury! Arrest him!" she orders her guards while pointing at Amon. The guards soon surround Amon and press him into the ground as he looks everywhere for help. His eyes eventually land on Fluttershy, who still seems in shock, covering her mouth and staring right at Amon.
Deliveration And Next Move (Edited By PW)The tension in the throne room was palpable, as the royal sisters were facing a difficult meeting between them, Major Shiitake, and their more trusty advisers. "Everypony, please remain calm. We need to keep our heads cool if we want to get to the bottom of this." Celestia asked everyone present to calm down before another discussion could break up. "What else is to deliberate, your highness? That stallion wandered the castle unsupervised, found one of the elements of harmony, and attacked her without rhyme nor reason," Shiitake mentions. "What about motive?" An elderly deep green unicorn stallion with a thick mustache, fancy clothes, and a monocle argues back. "We all heard the report and eyewitnesses, but besides the statement Sir Marcus provided, we have nothing to go around, and frankly, I keep finding the story more odd than you claim, Major Shiitake." "Moose Booze is right," A younger pegasus with puffy yellow wings and suave and long hair with a beautiful dress stepped in. "Amon has never before been known to wander around at night; the attack happened just when the princess conveniently was busy on a long meeting, and Fluttershy just so happened to be lured into meeting him out of the blue. There are just too many coincidences for this to be something random, yet there is no way Amon could have this much knowledge to pull this off." The mare put her hands together as she stared at the major. "I wonder how convenient it was for our steam major to step in at exactly the right moment to make the arrest and place herself a hero with a suppression ring." "I'm not the one being questioned here, Ms. PuffyClouds. We are here to devise the proper punishment for that criminal!" One final pony, an earth pony stallion that seems to be just entering his golden years, with some gray on the side of his mane, fancy clothes, and dark red fur, clears his throat. During all the meetings, he has remained quiet, listening to everything carefully. "We are still missing one final statement to hear, the accused one." The pony finally spoke up. "Did he confess to any wrongdoing? I feel like we are omitting his side of the facts." The princesses just remain quiet and sigh. "That is because he has been oddly quiet about the whole ordeal," Celestia replies. "I can attest to that. Once I heard the news, I went and confronted Amon myself," Luna mentions. "And besides asking for the well-being of Marcus, he simply replied, and I quote: 'Nothing I say will change anything' and then refused to say anything else." "Seems to me like the confession of a guilty conscience," Shiitake mentions while crossing her arms. "And all I hear is the call for help from a desperate stallion, starting to give up hope!" Moose fires back in irritation. "Redwood is right; we are missing crucial pieces. If Amon wanted to hurt anyone, he had plenty of time. For this out-of-the-blue outburst, it simply doesn't make any sense." "I agree," Celestia nods and stands up. "And that is why, until we figure out what is really happening, we will put on hold any form of punishment. But there would not be a need for deliberation for punishment, as I already decided. Whoever caused all of this would be sentenced to petrification. Are there any objections?" "None from me, sister," Luna replied as everyone else remained quiet momentarily before nodding. "And just to finish the meeting, where is the accused at the moment, your highnesses?" Moose asks with a raised eyebrow. "If you must know, he is safe and secure under constant surveillance in one of the cells in the castle dungeon," Luna replied. "He is still in the castle?!" Shiitake asks in alarm, gaining everyone's attention. "We do not need to justify our actions and don't plan to change them, but I must ask: Is there an objection to our decision, Major Shiitake?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow. "None, your highnesses," Shiitake replied in a low tone, clenching her teeth. "And what about the victims? Are they okay?" Redwood asks as well. "Ms. Fluttershy didn't receive any pronunciation injuries, so she was discarded soon enough. Mr. Marcus, on the other hand, still resides in the royal infirmary for treatment," Luna replied. In the room in question, the human was spoiled by his marefriends while AJ just paced back and forth with her arms crossed. "I just don't understand; how could this ever happen inside the castle, for Celestia's sake!" AJ exclaimed in exasperation. "I'm as shocked as you, Applejack," Marcus says dejectedly. "I really don't want to think about it, but the reality is that. It appears we overestimate the mental faculties of Amon." "It's really a sad thing. He really didn't seem like a bad pony, but to have this change of heart suddenly… the poor thing was probably more traumatized than we thought," Pinkie confessed, putting the spoon down. "Even so, what AJ is saying really makes me think," Rarity mentions. "He notices how Fluttershy seems interested in him, then comes off too strong when she confesses, and when she rejects how he became, he acted violently?" Rarity asked herself. "I just didn't view him as the violent type." "It is always whom you least expected, my gem. Frankly, it was a miracle that I was on my midnight jogging when it happened. I dread to imagine what could have happened if I were too late." "Yeah, about that, you say you manage to restrain him using a suppressing right, right? Why were you carrying one in the first place?" AJ asks with a raised eyebrow. "It was part of my last invention. I wanted to develop a prosthesis that can replace lost horns for those born or who have suffered an accident. I had an idea of a ring that could connect and create artificial magic. The suppression ring was simply the base; I must have forgotten I still had one in my persona when I was jogging." "I say, it was extremely lucky," AJ mentions before sighing. I still can't believe things escalated this much. I need to know what that colt has to say for himself," AJ says, heading to the entrance. "AJ, no!" Marcus exclaimed and raised an arm. "What would be the point? I told you already that Amon is mentally unstable; you can't believe anything else he said. Or worse, risk getting hurt yourself." "I appreciate the thought of that, sugarcube, but I want to be the judge, and I can take care of myself. For now, I suggest you do the same." AJ shoots him a grin and thumbs up before continuing her march. "Besides, someone needs to ensure your marefriend doesn't do anything stupid once she arrives and hears what happened to you." "Wait, Dashie is here? I thought she was still on her wonderbolt tour in Las Pegasus." "Come on, sugarcube, we are talking about Dash here. Do you think she would stay still when he hears the news?" AJ asks Marcus with a raised eyebrow. Everyone remains calm for a moment before nodding. "You're right, AJ; you must stop her before she provokes that dangerous stallion and gets herself hurt." "...yeah, that too." AJ plays along and leaves the room, and Pinkie and Rarity keep spoiling Marcus as he recovers. Soon after, in the deepest part of the dungeon, Amon sighs as he leans against one of the walls and occasionally glances at the iron shackles on both his arms and legs. They had a thick chain attached to them, connecting them and, by proxy, Amon to the walls of his cells. At the moment, Amon just remains quiet and stoic, taking notice of the sounds around him but not paying them too much attention, as he occasionally hears the sounds of metal doors opening and closing. It wasn't until he felt someone stopping at his cell and heard a familiar voice that the stallion raised his head. "Amon, thank Celestia, I finally found you," Fluttershy calls out. Amon can see her wearing a black hood to cover her face as she grabs two of the bars in his cell. "Yellow? I mean… ah, Fly, no. Shy… Fluttershy, wasn't it?" Amon asked before shaking his head. "The heck are you doing here? How are you here? Luna told me this was a secluded section of the palace," Amon asked as he stood up and tried to approach, only to stop halfway, thanks to the chains in his shackles. "I ask my friends," Fluttershy replies, standing back and pulling mice from her pocket chips before putting them back in her pocket, her face becoming more worried. "And I needed to talk to you; what happened last night? How did I freeze? And nods to everything they were telling me. Amon, I'm so sorry! I'm the reason why you are here; I should have defended you." "There is no need to apologize, Fluttershy. I'm glad you play along." "You do?" Fluttershy asks, perplexed, as Amon nods. "Tell me, Fluttershy, how much of last night do you recall?" "That is what I feel most guilty over; everything is too blurry. I remember your card, us meeting in the garden, and then I heard some distorted sound; I felt like I was floating, then a hit to my head, and next thing I know, you were in front of Marcus with a bloody knife in your hand." Fluttershy rubs her head before grabbing the bars once more. "Please, Amon, Princess Luna told us you refuse to say anything, but you know something, right? Please tell me what happened last night." "If I could, I would Shy, but right now, anything I say would play right into Faust's hands." "Faust?" Fluttershy repeatedly confused. "Listen, Fluttershy, I know you have questions, and I'm not making any sense right now, but from my perspective, it's the bad ponies that are after me. They moved, put me right where they want me, and are just waiting to finish their plan. They await my reaction; they want me to spread chaos everywhere. But they didn't count on me just staying quiet." Amon smiles and points at his head. "They don't know I'm also playing their sick little game. And right now, I'm chipping away their patience while waiting to make their mistake." "Amon, what are you saying? You are not making any sense," Fluttershy says in a very concerned voice. Before Amon could elaborate, they heard a metal door opening again. "Perfect timing, quick hide! Something tells me you will understand soon enough," Amon asks her as he returns and sits in the corner of the room again. Still confused, Fluttershy could only comply and hide her face as best as she could while going into an open, empty cell and hiding in the shadows in time to see a group of guards approaching. "I must say, specimen, you sure are full of surprise, aren't you?" Faust's voice calls out to Amon as Fluttershy peeks and listens intently to their conversation. For his part, Amon could only chuckle and shake his head as he kept his head down. "Good old Doctor Faust, I was wondering when you would be coming to gloat." He then looked up to face the pony for the first time, seeing a gray stallion in a trench coat and sunglasses. The guards around him had the same lost gaze in their eyes. "I see you have been busy. Would they be my executioners?" Amon asks sarcastically. "That all depends on you, specimen, and how cooperative…" "...Save me the speech, would you, asshole?" Amon interrupted him with a roll of his eyes and a heavy sigh. "If you wanted me dead, you would have only hypnotized a maid to stab me while I sleep. So just shut up and tell me what you want." "You shouldn't test my patience, especially when it is not your life, the one in danger here, but the ponies around you. Or do you want me to bring the head of Fluttershy or that maid that took a shine to you to make my point?" That got Amon's attention as he saw the guards pointing their weapons at their throats after Faust snapped his fingers. "You continue to disappoint me, specimen; you do. You even fail at creating fucking CHAOS!" "What are you doing?!" Amon asks in alarm. "The better question is what are you willing to do, in order to spare their lives? As I said, this all depends on your next words. So either you finally do what you are told, or I'm going to stage a prison break; let's see if you can still keep quiet with a dozen mutilated royal guards surrounding you." "Please, Faust, they have nothing to do with this; let them go." "Are you ready to follow orders?" Faust asks sarcastically as he raises his arm. "I can always look for that bitch maid and the element whore to join the body count." "No! I… I will listen." "Good," Faust cheered and lowered his arm before nodding to the guards who put away their weapons. "See specimen? Things can be easier for us if only you follow commands." "What…do you want?" Amon asks with a clenched fist as Faust laughs. "The same thing I have wanted from the start: specimens. I want a monster, an enemy of the kingdom so vicious and brutal that not even the elements could stop it. I want you to go into a rampage, as I planned." "This was your goal all alone, then? You made my life a living hell, kidnapped and tortured thousands, turned me into… this. Because you want to destroy the kingdom?" "I'll make it better!" Faust exclaimed, hitting one of the cell bars. "You think we are monsters? No, Amon, you don't know shit! I LIVE under the thumb of a real monster, a sociopathic bitch that brainwashed an entire town so that she could play house. I'm the victim here, and you will be the tool for me to get revenge." Faust stands back and takes a moment to breathe before continuing, "Let's not go sidetracked. We are having a gentlemanly conversation here, and don't worry. I don't want you to start foaming from the mouth and act like a caveman. No, you make it so it would raise a lot of questions with your calm demeanor now," Faust admits in irritation. "No, instead, I want you to start your campaign of terror simply enough. I'm going to make arrangements for the bitch that put me in hell to give you a private visit soon enough. The second you two are alone. You are going to defile her and then make your escape through the sewers, where you will await further instructions." "You are sick FAUST I'm not gonna rape an innocent…" Amon protested and stood up as far as the chains allowed him, starting to bend them in anger "THAT WHORE IS ANYTHING BUT INNOCENT, AND YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD, SPECIMEN," Faust yells at him and raises his hand once more. "Or the blood of a lot of innocent ponies will be in YOUR hands, ape." Amon froze and backed away when the soldiers started taking out their weapons again. Regaining control, Faust lowered his hand and smiled at him. "Once that mare enters this cell, there will be blood, either from that whore filthy hole or all the ponies I have under my control. Keep that in mind if you think of defying me." Amon just remains quiet and kneels down as Faust laughs and leaves him alone. "Cheer up, primate. Look on the bright side. Pretty soon, you will get lucky," Faust sadistically comments as he and his group leave Amon alone. Once they were gone, Fluttershy stepped out from her hideout and rushed to Amon. "Amon, was he the bad pony you told us?" "And it is more dangerous than I thought, Fluttershy." Amon shakes his head and looks at her. "Like you just witnessed, he can control other ponies, and it is most likely that he has everyone under some mind control, including you. He might still have it, and you don't realize it yet." "And if you had spoken up, the castle would have been in complete chaos, or he could have used it to label you insane and put you in an even worse situation," Fluttershy speaks mostly to herself. "I needed to remain quiet, and Luna understood that. We both were waiting for Faust to make his move." Amon smiled and pointed behind him where there was an obsidian crystal. "A listening crystal," Fluttershy exclaimed in shock. "You record everything?" Amon nods. "That mare is a genius on deduction; without saying a word, she figured out what I was trying and played her role flawlessly, and now you need to play yours too, Fluttershy," Amon says, picking and handling the crystal to Fluttershy. "Me?" Fluttershy points at herself. "I'm sorry this happened, Fluttershy, but you have become a witness. And for the sake of who knows how many ponies, you would have to act as if you hate me as well as giving and said your testimony to Luna without Faust knowing." "W-What? Why?" "I know it is too much to ask, but please, help me find the truth, Fluttershy. I'm not even sure this is Faust's real body. If we let him escape, who knows what he could ever do next, you saw him. It clear there is no gram of morality left in him" The pegasus remained quiet, scared, confused, and worried from all she had just heard before nodding once. "We must stop that pony and get you out of here." She smiled and took out the mice. "Here, so you don't feel lonely. Whiskers can keep you company." Amon blinks in confusion before approaching and extending his arm as Fluttershy does the same and passes the mice. "Ah… okay, nice to meet you, Mr. Whiskers." Amon smiles and starts petting the mice gently as he sits down. Her fluttershy heart melts at the image and fills her with resolve: "Don't worry, Amon. I will get you out of…" Fluttershy has to hide a second time when she hears yelling on the floor atop them, "Where is he?! Where is the son of a mule that cut my coltfriend!?" The raspy voice of Rainbow Dash alerts both of them.
Reckoning Part 1 (Edited By PW)"Well, Sir Marcus, I must admit, I have never seen such a fast recovery before. Even with our best spells and medical treatments, it was to be expecting some minor scarring. For your body not even to present those isn't short of a miracle," A doctor mentions as he reads Marcus's medical record while the human in question starts to get dressed. "What can I tell you, doc?" Marcus replies casually as an astral black tendril emerges from the base of his chest. He picks up a shirt before retreating, leaving a spiral-shaped tattoo behind that Marcus soon covers. "Human anatomy is quite different from equine one, don't you agree?" Marcus asks with black eyes as the rest of his body reshapes and moves around as if he is wearing a skinsuit rather than his actual body. On his part, the doctor had a lost gaze while looking at nothing. "Indeed." That is the only reply the doctor said. He looked at nothing while Marcus finished dressing up in front of a full-body mirror. He stared intensely at his reflection until his eyes went back to normal. "For what it's worth, you serve me well, monkey suit; I admit, I'm gonna miss you," Marcus says as one of the tendrils moves around on the side of his face. His thoughts are interrupted by a phone call that soon irritates the human when he figures out who is calling. "What do you want now?" Marcus answers, making no effort to hide his anger. "Good day, Sir Cross. I hope you are having a lovely day and making a full…" "...What. Do. You. Want?" Marcus interrupts the pony in the other line, his irritation increasing. "Recently, we were informed that you came across and took hold of one of our products, Mr. Cross. We would like it very much; it's safe return." "Cute, but no." "Sir Cross, I understand your reservations, but what you have is our property and…" "No, what I have is the product that I pay for, and instead, I end up deformed because of your incompetence; we might have started this project together because of a shared enemy, but don't forget who was the one that provided the funds for your little enterprise." "You realized that what you have is not the final product, and we require further studies to perfect it, don't you? Cross, please. Think about our goals; our vengeance is at arm's length; we only need…" "Cut the crap, would you? None of you cared when I was forced to wear a monkey suit for years. You used me and disposed of me the second things went south. I'm the one who built myself from scratch, I'm the one who made a new empire from nothing, and I'm the one who soon will have the harem that I deserve, all thanks to my hard work. You are all just a bunch of leeches and rats coming up from the cracks in walls once you start to smell cheese." "...You know there is no turning back if you decide to betray us, don't you?" "Funny, I don't think you would do anything after all; the king of shadows has invited you to his palace." "And I will gladly accept his invitation," The caller suddenly said in surprise. "Now, Dr. Faust, in a couple of days, my specimen is going to pay you a visit in the royal sewers. You are going to meet him there and help him escape. Are we clear?" "Yes, master." "Good, now don't tell anyone we have this conversation, and destroy your phone once I hang up." "Yes, master." Marcus ends the call and smirks at his phone. It is just so easy sometimes, and once I became an alicorn, not even those princesses would be able to resist my charms. Equestria soon would see the birth of his new king! Once he was sure, his disguise was in place. Marcus steps away from the mirror and claps once, making the doctor snap out of his trance and shake his head. "What was I saying?" "You were saying everything was fine with me, and I'm free to go, doc. Are you okay?" Marcus asks with a concerned tone. "Wha-What? Oh! Y-yeah, yeah, I'm okay, just a little light-headed all of a sudden," The doctor replied while holding his head before looking at Marcus's records and then at the human in question. "Apologies if I zoom out for a second there; you are free to go, Marcus." "Don't worry about it, doc, and thanks," Marcus offers a sympathetic smile as he nods and leaves the infirmary. Rarity and Pinkie are waiting for him, ready to give Marcus a big hug. "Darling! How are you?" Rarity is the first to ask. "The doctor said that I'm okay, but I should go easy on myself for the next couple of weeks; maybe I should ask some kind of sexy nurses to help me with some physical therapy," Marcus mentions while grabbing a handful of Rarity rump, making her jump and blush a little. "Darling! You naughty, naughty boy! We are in public," Rarity whispers before using her magic to pull away Marcus' hand. "I'm sorry, my gem, but you know I can't resist that perfectly round rump of yours, and speaking of bubbly, don't think I forget about you, sweetheart." Marcus turned his attention to Pinkie. "And the answer is yes, you can throw me as many parties for my recovery as you want." "Yay," Pinkie cheered as she nuzzled the side of his head. "This is going to be so much fun, and I bet Dashie will be trill with the news." "Yeah, speaking off, where is she?" Marcus asks, looking around. "I was under the impression she would be here by now after what AJ said, but I never even heard that she arrived. Come to think about I haven’t see AJ in days either" "Don't worry, darling. Surprisingly enough, Spitfire managed to catch up with her," Rarity explained while holding her phone. It wasn't easy, but she managed to calm Rainbow Dash enough to wait for a day, fill out the form of release, and then come here by the books. She will be arriving later today." "I see; thank Celestia for Spitfire, am I right?" Marcus jokes as they start walking. "Oh well, I suppose that leaves us the rest of the day for ourselves. What do you say? Do we look for AJ and Fluttershy and have fun in the city? I bet poor sweet Fluttershy is still shaken from what happened and could use the distraction." "I'm afraid that would not be possible, Sir. Marcus." Vivi suddenly appears from the right of the group, startling everyone while remaining stoic. "They and I have a busy day." "So… you are gonna act as Fluttershy and Applejack's maid for the remainder of the day?" Marcus asks with a raised eyebrow. In response, Vivi shook her head. "If only it was that simple, but no. By request of the princesses, the two of them are going to spend today with Amon." "What?!" They all exclaim in complete shock, "Why?" Marcus asks in astonishment. "It is clear that Amon has been shaken by whatever happened in the garden a couple of nights before and refuses to say anything. The princesses believe that with Fluttershy's coaching, he may open up, and with the assistance of AJ, we can guarantee it is the truth." "The truth? He attacked me! What else do you need to know?!" Marcus questions in indignation. “The poor mare have been scare and most likely crying for days and you are simply gonna a throw her into the maniac that did that to her? "Please, sir Marcus, calm down; I know you are still sensitive to the news, but let's not forget. Bad ponies are after Amon. Who is to say that this is not their scheme? In fact it was Fluttershy who spoke up" Vivi counters. "If not for Fluttershy pointing that out yesterday we may overlook it. And frankly, I believe her." "Is that so?" Rarity asks in intrigue, as Vivi smiles and nods. "I have spent enough time with Amon to know that he is a nice stallion and couldn't possibly do what happened last night. Maybe you were the one under an illusion, Sir Marcus. Haven't you considered that?" "I… it… a possibility," Marcus faintly understood as he was screaming internally. "That is why the princesses requested a session with the two elements to help out. We may ask you two, but well. Amon is not the only one who needs help at the moment," she says, pointing out Rarity and Pinkie, who were still clinging to Marcus. "That is very considerate of you, darling. Thanks," Rarity mentions. "Yeah, I would love to help too, but my honey muffins need me more, and we should be there when Rainbow Dash appears. Right, honey muffins?" Pinkie adds. "Y-Yeah, I'm just worrying for those mare sake. I mean poor Fluttershy, for pit's sake! After what Amon did to her…" "Please, Sir. Marcus, please don't underestimate the power of Fluttershy; she is braver than you think. Frankly, after all the passages I made before, Amon couldn't possibly do all of those things. Are you completely sure he was getting too touchy with Fluttershy?" "What are you insinuating?" Rarity questions with a small glare. "Nothing, nothing. I'm just saying it was dark. Maybe there was another stallion there." "Oh! You think Amony was framed?" Pinkie asks, getting worried. "No! I'm telling you, he is guilty! Marcus insisted. “He was the only one that day; I saw him, I saw him like… like, the king of shadows has invited you into his palace." "And I will gladly accept his invitation." All the mares suddenly go stiff with lost eyes as Marcus lets go of his mares and starts back and forth in alarm. What is happening?! This isn't how things should play out! That primate should be hated! Why are they still defending him? The fuck, Fluttershy, you should be clinging to me like a scared puppy, no defending your attacker; I need to make sure to train you once you are mine. With his internal rant over, Marcus takes a deep breath and gets into his position: "Amon is the bad guy; there is no point in hearing anything he has to say." "He is the bad guy," The mares repeat. "AJ and Fluttershy are in grave danger; they shouldn't get closer to him." "Not close." "You need to alert the princess that Amon tried to assault you, too." "He assaulted…wait, was that before or after he kissed me?" Pinkie asks out of the blue, looking at the ceiling. "A-a- he did WHAT!?" Marcus lost his train of thought, and the mares shook their heads. "What were we talking about?" Rarity asks out of the blue. "Oh, we were telling how Amon gave Pinkie a little peek in the lips," Vivi reminded the group, giggling a little. "Oh yeah!" Pinkie nods and laughs. "He was getting scared of how much I was taking, so he panicked and did the first thing that came to mind to keep me quiet. I admit, it works." "Wow, darling, I just… how did you not get mad?" Rarity asks in surprise. "Oh, it was nothing," Pinkie dismissed her concern with a wave. "He apologized immediately and explained that it wasn't like that. He was just not used to being more civil, and he saw a couple do that before." Pinkie dismissed her concerns. "So I gave him one chance. It's a good thing you are not the jealous type, right? Honey muffins?" Pinkie asks while hugging Marcus' arm. "R-Right and I can't exactly blame him either; you are just that irresistible." Marcus plays alone, making Pinkie giggle and blush. "Anyway, we should be getting going. See you later, Vivi." Rarity waves goodbye, and the two mares drag Marcus away before he can think or say anything to change his mind about helping Amon. "Thanks, have fun." Vivi kept smiling and waving until they were gone. She dropped her smile and looked more serious at the direction they went before pulling out earplugs from her ears. As the day progresses, Marcus's tension just keeps escalating. The news is that Rainbow continues to be late for arrival due to problems at work. Then Pinkie and Rarity keep giving him periodic updates on how Amon seems calmer and might be more cooperative soon. Rarity seems to have not given up on playing matchmaker and slowly believing Amon was innocent despite Marcus's protest that he couldn't get into too many details without raising suspicions. Yet all of that pale compared to when he received the worst news he wanted to hear. "Seriously?! Darling, that is fantastic! Thank you so much. You are such an angel doing this despite your condition; kisses!” Rarity let go of her phone and looked at her herd with a big smile as they enjoyed their lunch. "Darlings, you are not gonna believe who I was on the phone just now." "Oh! Oh! Princess Cadence! No! Philomena Petals! No! Godzilla cosplay as Princess Petals!" Pinkie randomly guessed, making Rarity giggle. "None of them, darling, but you were close on the royal part; it was Twilight. She told me how Celestia contacted us for help with the case, and she is bringing the big guns." "Big guns, you said?" Marcus asks with a raised eyebrow. “I still don't see the need, but that's okay. I suppose Twily could clear the air." He comments with a shrug before taking a sip from his coffee. "With the help of Starlight? That is a guarantee." Rarity smiles, ignoring how Marcus almost choked at that name. "Starlight… what?!" Marcus manages to exclaim between coughs. "Glimmer, honey, you remember her, right? She is light purple, has a two-colored mane, and likes to talk to plants." Pinkie giggles as she describes her. "And has experience reforming bad guys and finding out the truth. Equestria couldn't ask for a better duo to talk with Amon," Rarity beamed with pride. "It is so lucky they found the time to visit him. They are on their way to speak with Amon right now." "What?" Marcus's skin drained in terror at that and went pale with Rarity's next words. "Twilight is quite a soldier, wishing to extend her hand even with her heat cycle so close. Isn't that so considerate of her? Darling, are you okay?" Rarity asks, noticing how Marcus went stiff and was completely pale. "I… think… yeah… that sandwich… ah… I think it has… hay. I b-bathroom!" Marcus yelled before rushing as fast as he could to the restaurant bathroom and closing the door inside. Once he was sure he was alone, Marcus's entire body started fuming with black smog as he looked around. His eyeballs and half of his face started to melt and move around underneath the tendrils. No, no, NO! It is too soon, and what is worse is Twilight if he manages to pounce on her. Or worse, inseminate her. NO! I would NOT have him rob me of her innocence or let him create a mini primate! Slowly losing his mind in his rage. Marcus rushes out of the window and into an alley before extending his palm, from which a horn emerges that shines. Then, he summons a yellow trench coat for him to put on. Once secure, Marcus dives into a shadow as if it were water and swims into the castle as fast as he can. Sighing in relief when he noticed how Shiitake's secret passage was still open for him to use. Trying to get out of view and reach the dungeon, Marcus looks desperately for Amon's cells when the screams/moans of Twilight freeze him and fill him with dread. He wanted to intervene, but a wave of guards held his advances for what he perceived as an eternity. Even when they left, he couldn't move, as the castle was pure chaos, and he could barely move without being spotted. Losing track of time, Marcus finally manages to hide behind a bookshelf in a guest room as he listens to the conversation the princesses and Starlight are having. "So he simply attacked you?" Celestia asks in alarm as Luna consoles Twilight, sitting on a couch while holding a blanket. "I'm not sure; I mean, with my cycle, I'm not even sure who made the first move. I recall him telling something to Starlight, then grabbing her neck and pushing her against a wall. Then I push him away from him and hold him closer; our eyes meet, and the next thing I knew, he was aggressively kissing me." No. Marcus screams in horror. "And the worse part is… I… I like it." Nooo! "I mean it was like day and night; nothing I had before compares, and I don't think there will be anyone that could satisfy me like he did." NOOO! AMON YOU ARE DEATH!" Blinded by rage, Marcus tossed the bookshelf and rushed out of the room, with only murder in his mind, as he headed to the sewer entrance. In his outburst, the human failed to notice how the princesses were still calm and collected, as they only smiled in the direction Marcus left. "He is heading your way," Luna casually calls from her phone As Marcus rushed to the sewer, a conversation of some nearby guards caught his attention. "Where did he go?" "He was heading to the sewers, but we blocked his path; we got him a corner in the palace quarry. Be careful; he was able to overpower an alicorn. He is dangerous." With the new data, Marcus made a sharp turn and headed straight to the inner palace's abandoned mining area. To his luck, the security still needed to be improved, and blocking the way so no guards would get in his way was easy. The room was dark with only tenue lights everywhere as its only source of light, filled to the brim with brilliant red crystals that reflected the image of both Marcus and Amon, the former smashing through one of the said reflections once he saw Amon on it sending sharps of crystals everywhere, before standing up, his hood falling revealing the face of Marcus half melted with a tendril poking out of his eye socket. "Amon! Show yourself!" Marcus' demands are still blinded by fury. Amon looks at Marcus in mild surprise before shaking his head. "So it was you, the one in the park that day? I should have expected it. What better way to make you look like the hero than releasing monsters to enslave?" Amon calls, taking notice of the yellow trench coat and speaking disappointedly. "SHUT UP! Once again, you manage to ruin EVERYTHING you were supposed to rape Starlight alone! Twilight was supposed to be mine!" Marcus yells as he extends his hand with his horn and starts blasting away crystals with the image of Amon. "So you were also Dr. Faust. Dear god, all that talk of being in my body was all a lie? You could have turned into a pony anytime you wanted?" Amon demands as clouds of dust prevent Marcus from locating the stallion, and he can only hear the echoes of his voice. "You're wrong, specimen. I meant it when I said I was a client and a victim of your meddling." Marcus spoke up as he started to walk in search of Amon. "By the time I woke up, my body was reduced to mana, consuming itself. Your corpse was the only thing that kept me alive." "So you were forced to use my skin then. I should be disgusted if it weren't somewhat poetic justice after what you were using as a skin treatment. All because you couldn't accept being smaller than the rest. What I'm saying, I bet that was also a lie." "You're wrong!" Marcus starts blasting again, "I suffer for years because of my size; I was ostracized and ridiculed for years, taking solace in my being rich to make those that mock me pay!" Once he calms down, Marcus thinks he sees Amon's silhouette in the distance. He smiles as he slowly approaches him. "I will grant you this: your body, at the very least, allows me to be tall, and I could always switch bodies whenever I felt nostalgic." "Then why didn't you?" "Heck, if I knew, for some reason, your body was the only thing I could remain; if I tried to implant myself in some other pony, their bodies would quickly rot and crumble, cursing me to live as a primate again and again! You can look for their bodies if you don't believe me; they are probably starting to smell by now," Marcus mentions with a smirk. "So you are such an idiot that you didn't bother to dispose of the evidence," Amon chastises him incredulously. "Like I needed to, by day 3, those corpses are nothing but dust taking away the smell; nobody would question that in an abandoned mine. Useless sack of flesh. What I needed was a stronger body, a better body, a taller body." Marcus pounced in time to receive a punch to the face from the side, sending him tumbling away like a mass of flesh and skin that slowly reformed into a human shape as he stood up and looked around, yet Amon had returned to the shadows. "If that was your plan from the start, why didn't you try anything before? Despite my suspicion, I made the mistake of trusting you; why didn't you just take over and instead decide to frame me?" "Because doing that would mean handing over the mares that took me so long to obtain, while I would have to start again as a hobo! I would have to start my collection from scratch all over again. And Tartarus would freeze before that; no, I needed a plan. How would this sound?" Marcus cleared his throat. "I tried to stop him, but he went mad, forcefully removed his ring, and tried to blast me away. Something must have happened because the next thing I knew, I was in his body, and there was nothing but dust and my clothes in front of me." "You did all this to see yourself as the hero while killing me?" Amon demands as his anger continues to rise. "You would have died anyway! No spell nor method could return you to your body anymore; this form is only skin and muscle; with my plan, at least you would have a dignified death! Cheer up, specimen. You would fulfill your purpose; this is your only option. After raping a princess, there will not be a single soul in Equestria that would forgive or believe you. So it's either this or a life in the run." The place remains quiet momentarily, and Amon finally appears in front of Marcus. "There you go; so glad you finally accepted your fate." For his part, Amon remains quiet before smiling and then starts to laugh, much to Marcus' confusion. "What's so funny?" "Just the way your phrase said that, accept your fate. I can't help but think how that is ironic." Amon snaps his fingers, and the room is filled with the lights of thousands of horns surrounding the two of them, three of them belonging to the princesses, looking at Marcus with a stern face. To Marcus' horror, even his herd was among the eyes of anger and/or disgust. The rest of the Mane Six and even Starlight Glimmer. Some of Mane Six had tears in their eyes. Rainbow, in particular, seems more than a little piss off at the moment. "It's hilarious after such a huge confession, so right back at you, Marcus, if that is still your real name. Are you ready to accept your fate?" "You tricked me!" Marcus accused Amon as the stallion approached with an intense glare. "And believe me; it wasn't easy; every fiber of my body is screaming to pummel you into a bloody pulp, and even now, my face is the only thing preventing me from giving into my rage, but that wouldn't have solved anything." Amon stops in front of Marcus. "No, you are gonna an answer for all of your crimes, you are gonna start to give names, and then you are gonna rot in some damp and dark cell for the rest of your life AFTER you give back my body." "You…you, you can't believe him! I'm the victim here. Look at what he did to me," Marcus tried to plead, looking at the princesses in desperation. "Excuses now, Marcus? How low can you get? Give it up; we heard everything. There is no way you can escape justice," Luna proclaimed. "Honey muffin, all this time you… those employees you told us they needed a vacation, the rumors of ponies going missing in your work," Pinkie whispered in horror. "You use us. Oh sweet merciful Celestia, we were with that… that thing, I let him…" Rarity's face turns green, and unable to hold back, she turns away and pukes in disgust. "You never loved us, didn't you asshole? We were only a package deal, the mane six herd—just another weirdo wanting us because of our fame and names rather than for ourselves. I should let Amon beat you up. Heck, I want a part of it," Rainbow exclaimed as she cracked her knuckles. "Just try to keep him alive, sugarcube. Like he said, that rat needs to answer for his crimes," AJ commented with a stoic expression. "What I don't get is why you are so angry at me." Starlight voices her concern. "I don't even meet you. What did I do to earn such wrath?" "I at least took my arrest, gratefully, Marcus. It's your turn," Amon mentions as guards slowly approach him. "No, no, I will not let you win!" Marcus yells with such force that the guards must stand back as air is blasted back. "AMON!" Marcus tackles the stallion in a fury, and both are swallowed by a shadow nearby going deeper into the mine. "The king of shadows has invited you to his palace. Stop the princesses!" Marcus's voice order and echo in the chamber caused many ponies who didn't have earplugs or were alicorns to react and turn against the princess, turning the place into pure chaos. Meanwhile, in the realm of shadows, Marcus grabs Amon's horn. "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me, specimen!" Marcus forcefully yanks the suppressing ring from Amon's horn, causing his magic to go out of control. Shadow eyes shine all around him and are quickly absorbed into Marcus' body, making it convulse, morph, and inflate until they emerge from the shadows. Amon falls onto his back and needs a moment to breathe. A black mass falls in front of him, convulsing and pulsating as it increases inside and takes a new form until it becomes triple the size of Amon. "I… I'm the king of shadows, I'm everywhere, I'm untouchable… I… I'm invisible!" Marcus starts taking in two distorted voices as his face appears. Or rather, the blob takes the form of the trench coat with mantis hands, tendrils instead of a lower torso, and millions of shiny white eyes inside the hood. "Look at me, specimen; look at the face of your death," Marcus complained, wholly deranged and out of his mind. While holding his head and blurry eyes, Amon slowly stood up to see the monster in front of him before having to roll when a scythe almost chopped him in half as Marcus laughed. "How does it feel to be completely drained of magic? It's disorienting, right?" Marcus turns a hand into a tendril and wraps Amon before tossing it away. "I knew you were a moron, but I never imagined you were this stupid," The tendril becomes a hand. "All this magic, all this power at your fingertips, and you decided to hide it?! You might as well be tossing them to the garbage. Or should I say…" Marcus rushes to Amon and grabs him with one hand before ramming him into a crystal wall, making a crate. "For you to have them in the first place is the same as tossing them into garbage cans." With his scythe, Marcus tries to chop off Amon's head, only for the stallion to grab the tip of the weapon and keep it in place. His palm bleeds. "It would be so easy to end you here, but you are right; why rush things?" The scythe turns into a tendril, and Marcus uses it to wrap Amon's neck and start to choke him. "I will enjoy seeing the light leave your eyes." Amon chokes and tries to break free using a pocket knife in the tendril with no results as Marcus laughs. "That is right; humans keep struggling, start begging. I almost forgot how hilarious it was seeing you beg for mercy." As Amon's conscience slowly starts to faint and he drops his knife, he slowly closes his eyes and stops struggling until a voice calls out for him. "Do you want this to be your end?" a deep, booming male voice calls Amon from inside his head, as time seems to have stopped. "You can do way more than this, and you know it. So why are you not getting angry?" "Who are you?" Amon asks with a raspy voice. "Does it matter right now? Ask yourself, this human, what else do you need? He took your life, he killed millions, he saw them suffer, and you wish to make him pay, so what is stopping you? Why aren't you still refusing your emotions?! Get angry already." "The last time I did… so many pay the price." "Do not hide behind excuses! Remember things for how they were," The voice demanded him, and Amon suddenly remembered; he remembered a bloody lab, corpses surrounding him, and a scientist leaning against a control panel. "I remember now, they were testing something in me, this body. It was their doing. I watch how they destroy my body in front of me." "Yes, you were the success trial; they were so elated in the news that they never considered what rage could do to magic." "And still I try to stay in control, I try to save someone else, and then," Amon remembers, the scene plays out again, the scientist turning to look at Amon with a smirk before pressing a red button. "I see; the shock and force must have made you forget. They did all this to you. They will continue to do so with countless others; they claim to be heroes while making monsters. They don't deserve mercy; they deserve your wrath. Now get angry and kill! Conquer! Destroy!" "I…" Amon returns to reality as he slowly sees Marcus. Even without a mouth, Amon could see the monster smirking. "I..." With a shaking hand, Amon grabs the tendril. "I will never forgive you!" Amon grabs the tendril with renowned force, snapping it in two with force alone and making Marcus back away his hand. Now free, Amon used his two hands, spread his wings to grab Marcus' other hand, and started splitting them apart until the monster was on his knees. With one power yank, Amon manages to rip off Marcus's thumb and index fingers before jumping. His fist hits the side of Marcus's face, sending him flying. As Amon hit the floor, dark and white smog emanated from the alicorn's body. "Bastards like you, monsters that get off in the suffering of others. WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Suddenly, air pressure exploded around Amon, blowing everything away and forcing Marcus to sit down. "I won't forgive you; I will never forgive you! People like you deserve to rot in hell!" Suddenly, Amon is encased in a fog cocoon that shines an intense white light before it explodes. From it, Amon emerged with a solid silver line running through his body with two lines passing through his eyes, which were now crimson red, and his wings had a secondary layer of white feathers, as his mane now waved in an invisible wind. "Impossible! I took away all your magic; where is all this power coming from?" Marcus asks in terror. In a flash, Amon appears in front of Marcus and grabs his throat. "Go to hell," Amon mentions with a neutral tone before ramming Marcus against the wall and then flying at top speed with his victim, grinding the wall behind him until they reach the end of the said wall, where Amon launches Marcus forward into a bed of jagged crystals to be impaled with. "The day I awoke in this body, the ponies that did this to me put a fail-safe moments before they blew themselves up. A curse on my magic so I could never be able to use it again. And you were the genius that took it for himself." Amon chuckled briefly while looking at his hand. "It almost feels like a weight was lifted over my shoulder, as if I lived with handcuffs for years, and you just took it away." He then looked at Marcus. "I will make sure to thank you properly by showing you exactly how I destroy the hellhole your dealers put me in." "You stupid specimen, this doesn't change anything!" Marcus recovers and stands up again with new hands, his body regenerating the holes he just sustained and his back reforming. "Even if you still have some magic left, there is no way you can't defeat me. I will make you pay for everything you cost me." With a roar, Marcus turns his hands into tendrils and uses those and the ones on his lower side to pick more crystals before trying to dive back into the shadows. Amon kneels and places his hand on the floor. The entire room becomes red, and the temperature increases to an insane degree as Marcus emerges from the shadow screaming in pain, only for Amon to grab part of his trenchcoat and ram him back into the ground as the rubber in his suit starts to melt and merge with his body. One of the tendrils grabs Amon's waist and flings him back as Marcus manages to escape into the shadows properly. Recovering Amon can only have to recover until tendrils emerge from the shadows with the crystal spears trying to impale him. The stallion teleports left and right the attack as he clenches his fist, creating long, complex spears of light, and he stabs each tendril into the surface while dodging. Eventually, Marcus' head appears, and Amon impales him in the throat, forcing him out of the shadows, and then summons more spears to impale his body before starting to twist each tendril and then yank them away with a tackle that rams Marcus against another wall that destroyed in the impact. Their struggle ends Marcus's mental control, and the princesses' fight comes to a close in time for them to hear and feel trembles on the floor. "What is happening?" Dash asks, looking at the source of the noise. "Amon and Marcus must be in the middle of a fight. And if that human keeps enraging Amon, Equestria helps us," Luna mentions in alarm before looking at Twilight. "We need to tend the wounded and ensure neither escapes Twilight. We entrusted the elements; do what you must to stop them!" "You can count on us; let's go, girls," Twilight calls for the friends, who nod and follow behind Twilight with their elements on the ready. At that moment, during the fight with Marcus, the human is soon overwhelmed by the power of Amon, who stops floating and just walks casually toward the human while blasting away chunks of his body, reducing the monster in size. "You can't do this," Marcus complained, grabbing and lifting a giant long crystal with a tendril hand, only for it to be blasted away, leaving a scorched mark. The monster slowly backed away. "This can't be happening!" Marcus yells, trying to grab another crystal, only for his other arm to be blasted. "I can't lose!" Marcus kept complaining, and fear started to set in his mind when his body was no longer regenerating. "You can't do this to me," Marcus yells and tries to make a run for it, now reduced to a pony with one tendril arm and half a human face. Amon shot his leg, bringing the monster down. He couldn't do anything but crawl until Amon caught him and kicked him in his gut, sending him flying toward another crystal wall. Rather than let him fall, Amon grabs Marcus by the neck and keeps him against the wall, his body reduced now to its human form minus the half-melted side. "Please! Please stop! I don't want to die," Marcus starts to beg, shaking like a leaf. "How many others told you the same? How many humans beg for their lives as you watch them get tortured or killed?!" Amon yells at him before punching the wall behind Marcus, cracking it and then destroying it with a blast of energy, making Marcus scream in panic "I see that now; I will never do it again. So please let me go. Y-You want this body, right? I lie about not being a way; I can still give it to you. There are spells to turn a pony into a parrot; I'm sure there is something to turn you into a primate…" Amon rams him against the wall. "Human! I meant human! And… and I can give you money! Food! A house! Anything, just please, please! Don't kill me." Behind the two, Twilight and the group find them and are startled by Amon's condition. Twilight starts to get ready to fire. "Just shut up! I have nothing left to lose." "That is not true!" Fluttershy suddenly yells, gaining everyone's attention, and she steps closer. "You have us, please, Amon. I know you are angry, but I know you are better than this. Be better than him." Amon kept staring at Fluttershy in surprise until he heard the booming voice again. "She is wrong… don't forget… he knew and did nothing… he might as well have killed them… he doesn't deserve it… just kill! KILL!" Amon starts to struggle as his arm shakes, unsure what to do. "Everyone, get ready!" Twilight calls as they all start to float. "Twilight, wait, I think he still…" "Fluttershy, he is gonna kill him if we don't." Twilight interrupted her in concern and was about to blast until Amon spoke up. "Shut up!" He yells at anyone in particular, creating an airwave that froze everyone. With crimson-red eyes, Amon looks at Marcus. "Don't bother trying to weasel your way out of this asshole. For a long time now, I have come to terms with losing everything I ever held dear. I have nothing to lose, and nothing would make me happier than rip you to shreds like a napkin." Amon tightens his grip on Marcus' neck as Twilight ready the elements until Fluttershy stops her, much to Twilight and the other's surprise, as Fluttershy shakes her head. "But I… I will not be like you! Death would be just too easy; no, is it not me whom you should be afraid of now…" In one fell swoop, Amon ripped Marcus' vocal cords without killing the monster as he held his neck in pain, spitting blood and confused about how the hole there healed as fast as it was made. Amon grabs hold of Marcus's head. "...is what awaits you." Lifting and tossing back, Amon doesn't bother to look back as he walks away. "It's all yours, ladies," Amon tells Twilight as he falls right in front of them. The human tries to say anything, but nothing comes out of his voice. AJ glances between him and Amon, unsure what to do or how to respond to what just happened. Amon's body slowly returns to normal as he sits on a nearby crystal. The mares look at one another as Dash grabs one of Marcus' arms. "Well, 'honey,' it seems you, the princesses, and I have much to discuss. Better grab pen and paper," Dash promises as they slowly drag Marcus away, and he struggles in panic. Fluttershy looks at Amon before looking at the rest. "Please go ahead; I need to do something first." "Same," Pinkie calls as they both approach Amon. The others understand and nod as they take Marcus away. AJ smiled and nodded. "Do what you must; the poor stallion could use your help right about now." Her friends nodded and saw the rest of the group leave Without saying a word, the two mares approach Amon. "Girls, now I don't feel like talking," Amon calls them. "Then don't," Fluttershy calls, and with Pinkie's help, they make him lie down with his head resting in Fluttershy's lap. "Just rest." "What?" "We can talk later, Amony. For now, rest and relax," Pinkie adds, offering a muffin and a smile. "Please" Amon remains quiet as Pinkie hugs his side and nuzzles Amon's chest. The stallion was too tired and confused to question it and decided to take a bite of the muffin.
Q&A And Healing Time (Edited by PW)With tension so thick that you could be cut with a knife, the princess of the night kept going through a folder in front of her while Marcus was strapped to a chair in front of the princess of the night with a plain white desk in between the two. The two were in an enclosed dark room with dark blue walls around them and a simple metal door behind the princess. At the time, Marcus was inside a cylinder the size of an oversized couch filled with a green liquid, making it seem that the princess was interrogating a preserved pickle. Without his human skin and ensuring his life wasn't in any danger, everyone could finally see Marcus' actual form. A stallion with a petite frame with a broken horn and a black body that seems made of tar or petroleum, missing an arm and legs and instead having tendrils for both, making it seem like he somehow merges with an octopus with an incomplete spell. "I must say, Marcus, you gave me quite the story to read. Or should I say Mark Cross?" Luna lowered the folder and showed him a picture of a small stallion with expensive formal clothes surrounded by two bodyguards to his sides. "I recall how it reached the news of your mysterious disappearance; your family sure was disheartened and wanted to find you no matter what. I could only dread to imagine what they would think if they saw what you have become." "Please, princess, you have to believe me. I'm the victim here. All I wanted was some beauty treatment. I might have looked up from shady ponies, but I never intended things to end up like… this." Mark tries to defend himself while pointing at his body. "The ponies that did this to me and the monster they made. They are the real criminals; they alter my mind and make me do all of this. That is why I sought the mane six; I thought maybe the elements could…" Luna stopped him by raising her hand. "You can save your excuses for your appeal, Mark. I'm not here to hear you whine." She slammed her hands on the desk. "I want the truth. Who was the group to whom you gave funds? What kind of experiment were you conducting, and to what purpose?" Mark remains quiet, slightly startled at Luna's reaction, before lowering his head. "I want a lawyer." "Fine with me, we can play that way. The punishment for what we have is petrification, your name slander by the media, and after ten years, we can resume this conversation," Luna replied casually. "I was willing to offer you a deal to reduce your sentence and suggest putting you in the Starlight rehabilitation program, but if you don't want to cooperate…" "DON'T YOU DARE BRING THAT BITCH!" Mark suddenly reacts by hitting the glass of his container in fury. "She is the reason I'm like this, the reason for all of this…" Mark pauses to compose himself before speaking again, "You win, princess. I would take the deal and help you, but I would need two conditions. The first, you already know, is to keep Starlight Glimmer as far away from me as possible." "...and the second?" Luna asks with a raised question. "You need to protect me, put me somewhere safe with a new face and identity, because the ponies you are after. After what Glimmer did to us. They have lost any sense of morality." "Tell me what you know, and I will see what I can do," Luna replied, intrigued by his reply. Marcus nodded. "I suppose the beginning is as good a place as anything. Let me ask you, princess, how much did you know of the time that petulant bitch brainwashed an entire town?" "Twilight told me the story in detail, about her plans, ideology… and methodology. I was under the impression that the citizens there managed to forgive Starlight in their hearts. I'm assuming you were once one of her victims back then?" Mark only nods in irritation. "And I wasn't the only one sure the majority, for whatever reason, decided to forgive her, but some of us? Hearing what she did? And even worse, how did it end for her? It was more than enough to blind us in rage. She broke the rules, endangering all of us, and committed criminal actions, and she gets to be the princess's right hand. We do the same and end up like this. Tell me, how is that fair?" Luna remained quiet for a moment before gathering her hands together. "So that was your justification? Amon already told me what you ponies were doing, to think you were kidnapping humans from another world committing atrocities, in what I imagine was scientific curiosity… all of this was for some twisted revenge plot?" Mark shrugged to her mild confusion and surprise, "Heck if I know." I was only one of her final victims, an entrepreneur seeking to make me taller. I had heard of her town when everypony was "equal," and I misinterpreted her meaning. By the time I realized what was happening, she had already taken my cutie mark and tricked me into buying materials for her brainwash chambers. Cross sits on the opposite side of his cylinder. "By the time we were all free of her mind control, I was ready to fill a complaint and make numbers on how much I was willing to pay for her head on a silver trail when other ponies approached me with an offer of a lifetime. A way for me to finally be taller and more." Marcus smiles at the memory. Like I say, I was only the client there all this time." Mark leans forward. "But I can tell you this: if you think I was crazy, you haven't seen anything. Others survived; they are the ones who started this whole thing and this alicorn project. After seeing what that specimen can do? I dread to imagine their original goal was… maybe their plan is still in motion." At that moment, in a well-lit infirmary with the window open, clean beds, and medical equipment, Amon was speaking with Twilight, Purple and one of the royal doctors as the four were looking at the skinsuit that used to be Amon's real body in an iron bed on top of dry ice. Said body was already decomposing and wilter away despite the ice slowing the process, making it look like a dry leaf. "So he was telling the truth then. I can never go back to being human," Amon whispered, keeping his head down while looking at his face in remorse. "I'm so sorry, Amon; if there is a way, by Celestia, I would tell you, but whatever these ponies did to you. To Marc… ah Mark. It irreversibly mutates your body; even a transmutation spell would only last a day." Twilight mentions in a melancholy tune "Furthermore, in all senses of the word, this is a skinsuit," The doctor mentions in dread as he looks at the medical chart. "The muscles and skin are there without any opening cuts, but that is it; there are no bones, blood, organs, or nervous system. Nothing, trying to put you in there, will be no different than putting a brain on a hat." "Okay, doc, we get the idea," Purple says, slightly alarmed by Amon's emotional state. "There's no need for gruesome detail." Amon takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "Now I understand what they meant by "successful trial." Amon held his head with both hands as hard as he could. "Damn it! FUCKING DAMN IT!" “W-Wow dude, stay with us, deep breaths” Purple suggest starting to get afraid "Amon, I know this is horrible, you have every right to be angry but please remember what could happen if…" Twilight began, but Amon interrupted her. "...They skin me alive and then inject me with some weird stuff that brokemy body apart and turn me into…this. Those bastards, it wasn't enough. They skin us as if we were some fish; they use our bodies like guinea pigs, to do… to make god knows what." Everyone in the room went pale the second they heard that. "I swear, if anyone else is still breathing if I ever even heard their names again…" Black smog starts to emerge from Amon's whole body, alerting Twilight "Amon, please calm down. Your emotions are starting to run rampant!" Twilight called for him as his fur got darker. Her voice seems to reach him as Amon stops. His body returns to normal, and the smog slowly clears up. "Could you keep yourself calm after living what I experienced, princess? I was the 'whole package' trial sort of speaker. I imagine they have already tried other alternatives." Amon looked at her sternly. "I bet they didn't even expect me to survive. They only wanted a healthy body." The stallion could barely contain the tears as Twilight stretched her hand. "Amon…" Purple calls yet Amon interrupt him "Just burn it." "What?" The doctor asks. "Burn this… this thing already. Now, it is only a reminder. If I stare at it for even a second more, I am not sure what I would do." Amon's emotions were all over the place as he stormed off the nurse. Twilight was slightly startled before shaking her head. She then went after Amon with Purple, stopping at the door frame to look at the doctor. "Keep it safe. He might want to give it a proper burial or something once he calms down." The doctor could only nod as he placed the skin away in a safe location. Meanwhile Twilight and Purple were running through the hallway trying to catch up to Amon as he stomped and walked as fast as he could, leaving hoof marks on his way. "Amon, Amon, wait up," Twilight calls for him, yet the stallion doesn't slow down. "Listen, princess, I know what you are trying to do, but I am in no mood to talk; I'm beyond furious right now and need something to bend. Don't worry. I have no intention to blow the castle or turn the day into night or whatever you are fearing." "What if I give you a target?" Purple suggests getting in front of Amon and extending her arms so he could finally stop. The princess finally catches up to them and properly holds her knees as she tries to catch her breath. “By Celestia am I out of shape” Twilight tells mostly to herself before looking up satisfy that Amon finally decided to listen and intrigued to what the guard had to said "A place where you can work your anger without any issue. I can take you there; how does that sound?" Purple insisted "...where?" Amon replies, getting curious about the guard’s suggestion. As the three made their way out of the castle, Amon's curiosity kept increasing the further they went away from the city. Soon, the prestigious and expensive houses were replaced with shopping boots as they passed through the commercial district. For a while, Amon groaned internally, thinking Purple had tricked him into some bizarre shopping spread. Purple admitted to lying and said something about distracting his mind or the like. Yet his fear was soon banished and replaced by confusion and wonder once more the second they took him underground in a more secluded part of the city. Amon had to admit to never having visited this part of Canterlot or even having an idea of its existence. An enormous tree root extended from the surface, now acting as their ceiling, toward the deepest part of what Amon could only assume was the whole, whose bottom he couldn't see as the root disappeared into the darkness. Branches and the root itself acted as ladders for the two to use, and once they were deep enough, Amon started to notice how underground the city seemed. There almost seemed to be another city, one whose citizens seemed to be composed entirely of Thestral ponies living underground enjoying their day-to-day lifestyle. Bioluminescent mushrooms in the walls acted as a source of multicolor lights, giving this new section of the city a Neo-Night Live. Most impressive of all was how the place was easily recognizable as part of Canterlot, with the design of the houses, shopping boots, and even the root itself, which had a fine layer of polished concrete on it. Needless to say, the scenery itself was so surprising that much of the anger in Amon was instantly gone. "What the hell is this place?" Amon asks incredulously at the sighs around them. Twilight looked over her shoulder at Amon as they walked with a mix of curiosity and surprise. "You have never been here? From what I heard, I thought you may have known of the inner city of Canterlot," Twilight replied with intrigue before a smile started to form on her face. "In his defense, princess, this is Canterlot we are talking about," Purple mentions, beaming with pride. "The city of a thousand and one surprises, and there is always something new to see each time you visit. I see, you have never been here, dude." Purple extends both arms. "Allow me to introduce you to Neo Canvas, the underground town of the city, a popular hub for the royal guard and residence of most of the Thestral population." "I remember how much Shining Armor talked about this place. The way he described it the first time, I thought it was some sort amusement park." Twilight commented in amusement at the memory. "Shining who?" Amon asks at the sudden name drop. "Oh yeah, you don't know him, right? He is my brother and king of another kingdom called the Crystal Empire, but before that, he was a captain of the royal guard here in Canterlot." "One of the best, too, slayer of evil and woers of princesses," Purple proclaims. "I mean, you had to if he managed to get the attention of the freaking princess of love." "There is another…" Amon stops and leans closer to the two to whisper, "...another male alicorn out there?" "What? Why would you think…? Oh, oh! Yeah, I get why you would think that," Twilight nods as she takes a glance at her wings. “But no, Shiny didn't ascend, although I would not be surprised if he did later. Celestia knows he more than deserves the wings." The princess mentions, beaming with pride. "I can spend all day telling you stories about my B.B.B.F.F some other time. Right now, we are here on a mission, and if I remember the stories of Shining, I know exactly where we are going." "BBB… what?" Amon asked, but before the princess could respond, Purple got the attention of the two. "Yeah, about that." Purple seems to realize something and stops gaining the attention of the group. "Not to be rude or anything, princess, but the invitation was mostly for Amon alone. No, you are welcome to come too, of course!" Purple quickly adds, raising his arms in a panic at the princess, much to her and Amon's mild confusion. "But I was thinking more of the kind of guy thing. And where we are heading, it can be a bit… intense," Purple confessed, with some discomfort in his voice as he realized he hadn't thought of the idea all the way through. "So I must warn you. And suggest you to maybe change clothes, and try to keep a low profile, other guards may get a bit antsy…or worse, happy in seeing their princess in such a place. And I’m too young to meet an enrage captain if something were to happen to his little sister" "Purple…where exactly are you taking us?" Amon asked, more than a bit concerned after hearing that, yet Twilight didn't seem to face at all as she kept her calm smile. "I appreciate the concern, Purple, but I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle. I have faced countless enemies, overcome the most dauntless of obstacles, and won against foes like Discord. There is no way I can’t handle that place," Twilight mentions in confidence before raising her hand with her thumb and index finger pressed together. “But you are right about the disguise idea. I don’t want to make a scene now” By snapping her fingers Twilight changes her fur and mane from purple and black to white fur and blond mane and tail, she also changes clothes. From her formal long purple skirt and blue formal short sleeve shirt with a silver vest. To a simple brown shirt and skirt that cover her legs and robe that cover her face and wings "What do you think? Now, this way, not even my mother would… wait." Twilight held her throat and let her palm shine for a brief moment before speaking again. "There! Now, not even my mom would recognize me," Twilight proclaimed in pride with a higher pitch voice. "Now let's go." "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," Purple shrugs. "Oh, sweet mother Celestia, what is this place?" Twilight says in surprise and is more than a bit uncomfortable once the group reaches their destination. Purple introduces them to a place called the iron cage. Amon could describe the facility as a mix between a gym and a bar. The entrance split into two hallways, one leading to what seemed to be a bar with chairs and tables to enjoy a meal and drinks. The bar was fully stacked, with some patrons sitting on boots enjoying their drinks. They could see little from the entrance, but Amon could see a neo sigh and an intricate and delicate wood detail in the tables with a rustic old western theme. Behind the bar, a thestral bartender woman with short spiky hair, a green apron, black eyeshadow, and a white shirt served a round of beers. The alicorn's attention was then caught on the left side of the building, with an entrance directly in their field of vision, which was also the source of most of the noise. Gym equipment, pool tables, a ring, and other target practice were spread out in different sections of the spacious room, where ponies of the three tribes and Thestral were using the facilities, even sparing in intense fights and flirting with the waitress or among them, without a care in the world. The image alone was pure chaos, and Amon could feel his testosterone rising from all the fighting and taunts coming everywhere as the ponies let loose and competed in all sorts of events, from sparring to even ax tossing. "Welcome to where we royal guards come to vend, practice, train, bet, and/or compete: the royal iron cage." Purple introduces it. "Wow, I… S-Shining forgot to mention how… intense this place was and… are those two fighting or… making up?" Twilight asked nervously, pointing and looking away at the ring, where Amon and Purple were slightly startled to see Bliss and Bricks in some AMM sparring session that ended up with their bodies entangled as they currently were in what appeared to be a very aggressive make-up session. "Oh yeah…that. A little bit of both, I suppose? It is more common than you think with royal guard couples," Purple admits. "What?!" Twilight asks in alarm as Purple gets ahead. "I will say hi and tell them to chill before they get tossed out again. You can wait at the bar in the meantime. Oh, and ah… try not to do anything. This place can awaken your wild side if you are not careful." Purple warns them before going to stop his friends from making a scene. He starts to rush when Bliss seems to be working on removing her shirt. "Sweet Celestia, help me. I hope Shining never brought Cadence here," Twilight mumbles to herself, still processing the place in astonishment as she and Amon head to the bar. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this, Candy… someone is your brother's wife and the so-called princess of love?" Amon takes a while as they find a table with two chairs for them to sit. Some of the guards were slightly surprised at seeing Twilight and more so at Amon, specially the mares, yet the stallion was used to it and was mostly wondering if the surprise was from his size or perhaps what he had just said. "That is right," Twilight nods with equal surprise. “Amon, please don't take this the wrong way, but even if you lived on the street, it is impossible you didn't at least hear more about me and the princesses. How come you know so little of… well, everything? How long have you been in Equestria?" "Honestly, I lost track of time a long time ago, princess; what those bastards took from me…" Amon clenched his fist before relaxing. "Anyway, not to be rude or anything but I’m here to release some stress, not to be question and judge” “Right, sorry I stepped out of line there” Twilight mentions lowering her head in shame making the situation very tense and awkward. Looking at her expression and feeling like he just kicked a puppy Amon has to bite his tongue and relent to her questioning. No matter how angry he was, Amon also knew Twilight wasn’t at fault and heavens know, with everything resolved he had nothing to lose in just telling her. “I was focusing on something else, ok?” Amon mentions looking away gaining Twilight attention “What?” “Why don't I know anything? It is because I simply didn’t care, when your life focuses on survival, you tend to ignore everything else. Maybe that is why I barely knew about the royal sisters, and frankly, if it wasn't related to surviving, I wasn't much interested beyond what was necessary. And frankly with how my encounters with the law went before Purple, I couldn't care less about the government or who ruled this backwards world. Heck you can thank Purple that I even decided to gave Celestia a chance in the first place" "I see," Twilight whispers and lowers her head once more. "You probably hate us and Equestria in general, don't you?" The comment grabs Amon's attention, and he looks at Twilight in surprise as she sighs, "In reality, I can't exactly blame you, for who knows how long, all your memories of ponies have been of pure misery, pain, and suffering, only to be entrusted in this alien world and live Celestia know how much time facing the worst of our society. Anyone would be beyond hostile after all of that." Amon stares at her momentarily before sighing in frustration. "If you really want to know, then yes. There was a time when I couldn't stop cursing the name Equestria and lived day and night building a grudge about this horrible world of nightmares." The brutal, honest reply of Amon only makes Twilight flinch as her body goes stiff at his harsh words and the guilt behind his justification, only to be slightly curious by his next sentence. "But then…" "Hi!" The waitress attending the bar not too far ago appeared in front of the two with a bright smile and notepad. "Welcome to Iron Cage. My name is Livid, and I'll be your waitress for today." The thestral clearly lived up to her name with her chip voice and friendly disposition. "I must say, I don't think I've ever seen you before, and I make a mental note to try and remember our best customers. Are you new recruits of the royal guards?" She suddenly smirked. "Perhaps a high school couple decided to join the ranks? Hmm?" "No, and no," Amon was quick to answer. A friend of ours is a royal guard and suggested this place to vent my anger. Neither of us is a royal guard nor a couple," Amon replied sternly, yet that didn't seem to detriment Livid, who seemed more interested in the last part of his statement. "So you are saying you are available?" Livid asks as her eyes turn sultry. She places a hand on top of Amon's palm, which seems to tense him even more until Twilight intervenes. "Sorry, Ms. Livid. My friend just broke up with her herd recently, so he is not interested in any relationship," Twilight mentions as Amon retreats his hand from the thestral. "Oh, that's okay. I'm not looking for anything serious, either. Tell me, big boy, would you like to know what is the best medicine for a broken heart?" "Right now, I only want the menus and some water, please," Amon cut off the waitress, who simply nodded, unfazed by his cold attitude. "Apologies, I didn't mean to put you on the spot, big guy. But I’m serious there, there is nothing more quick than a nice good old roll in the hay. Just think about it." Livid, she ended her statement with a wink before stepping away. "I will bring you the menus right away. Any drinks while I'm out?" "Just water, thanks," Amon replied, keeping his head down. "Do you have some light apple cider?" Twilight asks as Livid nods. "Coming right up!" She goes to her professional mode and retires as Amon nods in exhaustion. "I swear to god, all the mares…" Amon stops before looking at Twilight. "Please don't get me wrong, I don't mean to generalize, but for some reason, all my encounters with mares end up like this. Minus you, the sisters, and your other friends, for some bizarre reason all mares become this thirsty the moment they see me." "I admit she came up a bit strong, but she was mostly only friendly." Twilight is unsure how to respond to that. "Aren't mares… ah, female humans in your world similar?" "No, I mean… There are some but. No the short answer is just no, and frankly it is exhausting how things work here and your definition of ‘friendly’, specially toward stallions and how many mares are ok with treating them like a slab of meat all the time as the norm, and cringy seeing other stallions happily seen that way and just parade around like it glorious be consider some kind of prize without any shame. It too much for me" "How else do you courtship a herd?" Twilight argues back. "Look, it is clear that there is a cultural shock here, and I don't want to offend anyone. Let's just say that is not for me, and it really didn't help Equestria while I was just wandering around, yet despite that, I don't hate this world anymore, Twilight" Amon admits. "I'm done with whining and crying over the past in that regard." Twilight smiled and nodded. "Do you want to talk about it? It may help you and help me understand you a little better." For a while, Amon just remained quiet, wanting nothing more. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt he had little to lose in telling her. With a resting sigh, the stallion closed his eyes. "Well, I was telling you anyway, so I might as well." He looked back at Twilight. "As I say, for a time I didn’t want anything to do with Equestria, my experience with a humble hamlet and what happened there, make me believe I was cursed to remain alone. I only wanted to be left alone in some dark hole where I could spend the rest of my life pretending I wasn’t in an alien world nor hurt anyone, until one day, as I was looking for scraps, a mare and child in the same boat as me approached me, and they offered me a moldy piece of bread. They were starving, and they found something, and yet despite that. They offered me what little food they had." Amon gathers his hands at the memory. "To this day, I couldn't believe what I was seeing; they had nothing, yet they still showed me kindness; that is when I started to see Equestria in a different light, and try to work hard in making sure nobody would get hurt because of me." "That is when you wanted to give us another chance?" Twilight asks, yet Amon shakes his head. "Nothing much changed; I still hated how mares treated me and wanted to make me some sort of "boy toy project," and I had lost faith in the law, but those small sparks of kindness, the times I felt at peace, slowly made me realize two things. One, I couldn't just spend my life hating all of you. That would not make me any difference from the monsters that made me. And two, how Equestria and Earth aren't that different at the end of the day." "Did… did you also have a hard time in your home world? Where you perhaps a homeless there too" Amon could only nod. "You could say I virtually was one. I was… am a loser, Twilight. Graduate from school, work my ass off trying to get my title to try to make as many connections as possible, and how do I end up? A leech, a freeloader, failure after failure, finding only slave corporations that think they can walk over me, so little money to live and mountains of stress, in other words, the norm of life. And because I was unable to keep a stable job, my family was losing hope in me, they were even threatening me to accept and just endure whatever came my way or not bother coming back to them and just embrace living in the streets. And yes I can see the irony there" Twilight could feel her heartbreak hearing his story, yet she didn't want to interrupt and wanted to wait until Amon finished venting. "Eventually, I thought my luck would finally change with a last opportunity for a job interview; that is how I ended up at Equestria, a trap made by then to lure those that no one would care if they disappeared. After that, you can figure out the rest; before they were gone, they even ensured I would not have a home to return to, one last sadistic trick of theirs." "What did they do?" Twilight asks in alarm. "Dilatation time movement spells something or another, curse. Any humans they caught were placed on some weird magic shenanigan thingy; I don't know what the hell they were trying to accomplish, but for what was a day here, it was 30 years in my world thanks to that. And they made sure to tell us one month after being captured to ensure we will be consumed in rage and despair after well… you can do the math there." "Sweet Celestia, to even rob you of your family like that… is… it beyond in equine." "I don't want to talk about it, Twilight. I just… I don't," Amon asks her before weakly chuckling. "You can go ahead and laugh at the irony, though; heavens know it is the only thing I have left. "The loser that could not obtain anything ends up with nothing. An alicorn who is supposedly a symbol of divinity or whatever the heck you want to call it… having nothing. No place to return, no friends, no family, no past, no identity. Yeah, the king of nothing. A fitting title for me, don't you think?" "Of course not! Amon you don't…" Twilight wanted to say more, but at that moment, Livid returned with their drinks and two menus. "Here you go, two menus and…" Livid paused once she saw the mood. "Wow, did I come at a bad moment?" Livit asked, feeling the tension there and placing a hand on Amon's shoulder. "Listen, dude. I was just messing before, but this is my serious face. Take some time for yourself. Don't dwell too much in the past." Amon was a bit perplexed but just nodded and took the menu. "Thanks." "Anytime, sweetie, and if you ever on the lookup for a rebound…" "Thank you, Livid! We will call you when we are ready!" Amon replies, feeling annoyed once again "Right, I will give you a moment." Once she was gone, Amon could only sigh and shake his head. "I swear, mares like her…" "I'm starting to see what you mean now. That definitely was not the time nor place." Twilight agrees before she looks at the menu. "Amon, I will not say I understand because I don't. You truly lived through hell and have every right to be bitter right now. But if you allow me to say something, I think you still have something of great value." "Oh yeah? And what is that?" Amon asks sarcastically. "You still have your heart," Twilight answered without skipping. "The entire world went against you; you went through horrible ordeals; you even tripped and fell, resigning to anger, and yet you rose up again. You saw the kindness in an otherwise bleak world; you learned and grew in ways I couldn't imagine. If that is not the attributes of a saint I don’t know what it is" "Okay, now you are just buttering me up." "No, I'm serious, Amon. You truly are someone admirable. Any other pony would have broken and gone insane in their rage, deciding to destroy everything in their paths or take the coward's choice and become another monster." Twilight doubles down. "But you didn't. You never broke, nor surrendered. You kept your mind and your will and kept giving others a chance and after all that it finally pay off. I mean, look at where you are right now." Twilight extended her hands. "A roof over your shoulder, actual food. And potential friends, so don't say you are the king of nothing, Amon, because that is not what you are anymore." Twilight lowered her hands. "I don't think you ever were, not here, and I believe not in your world either." Amon remained quiet for a moment and lowered his head, a small smile forming on his face at Twilight's words as he couldn't argue back. He knew that any argument at this point would be petty and childless. There was still so much for him to be furious about, but he couldn't help but agree to Twilight and even remember what Celestia told him and how she managed to win him over. "You and her are quite similar, you know?" "Me and who?" Twilight asks, blinking a couple of times. "Nothing, just me thinking out loud." Amon shakes his head as he scans the menu. "So… if you don't mind paying, should we order something for Purple, too? Maybe a plate of fries?" Twilight can only chuckle and look at the menu. "Maybe you did deserve to ascend," She mumbles to herself. "What?" Amon asks her in confusion. "Nothing, just thinking out loud as well, and yeah, I don't mind paying for some fries for Purple." The two remain quiet while they await the return of their shared friend and his idea on how to vent some steam from the angry alicorn.
Venting Steam (Edited By PW)Soon after Purple returned with his friends and they all had a small snack, the group went to the gym section of the cage, where the royal guard introduced Amon to what he was hoping would help him vent some frustration. "And here we go," Purple proclaims, pointing at an area with a target, a series of green line carpets, and a bow next to an empty quill at the other extreme of the green carpet. The boots had safety glass walls at each side of the carpet that helped aim better. "Archery?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "Better, Amon, let me tell you the world of enchanted archery; here, let me show you how it works." Purple takes an arrow and tenses the line. Purple's horn shone, and soon, an arrow made of white light materialized in the bow. "In this game, the bow has a special enchantment, so when you pour magic into it, it will transform into solid light that you can use as arrows," Purple explained while pointing at the target. Amon now notices the screen on top of the target showing 350. "In this game, you wish to reduce your current score to zero instead of getting high scores. Reaching more and you gain more points that you need to reduce." He demonstrated this by hitting a bullseye and reducing the count to 300. "Depending on where the arrow lands, you reduce less or more points, so you need to stay vigilant to your current points to see where you want the arrow to land because you only have five shots," Purple finishes and lowers his arm before offering the bow to Amon. "Or we can go free for all and shoot as much as you want. What do you say?" "I see. In this game, you need to keep focus, but it is not completely necessary to hit the center all the time. It's an interesting twist on the concept. I like it." Twilight nods with a big smile. "Yeah, one slight problem there." Amon leaned closer to whisper to Purple, which only scared him. "You can't use…?!" Amon has to cover his mouth to prevent him from yelling. "There is a reason I whisper it Purple!" "Right, right, sorry." "What is the issue here?" Bliss asks, confused at the outburst, and Amon sighs and repeats the same thing to Purple "What do you mean you can't use magic? I saw you use it when, well…what happened with Marcus?" Twilight says in surprise "Don't know what you saw, but that wasn't magic, Twilight; it was pure rage," Amon clarified. "At that point, I was going through emotions, and my mind was foggy. In a word, I could only think of what I would do to Marcus and… well, you don't want to know the gruesome details. That is kind of the point here, but I'm not sure I can summon whatever I did back then at will," Amon clarified. "Still, it was a noble effort, thanks, Purple; I would simply look for another way to vent…" "Come on, dude; you are giving up way too easy," Brick mentions before chuckling. "There is a reason even earth ponies and pegasus can use this game after all." The earth pony takes the quill. "That is when the quill comes into play. It is also enchanted. You only pay the fee, and it will summon the ammo," Brick explained before demonstrating, putting two golden coins on the empty quill before it inside shines and then filling itself with said arrows ready to be used. "See? Easy as that" "So… unicorns pay for free, but the rest must pay? How is that fair?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "Oh no, I did pay in advance for the equipment. The arrows are extra," Purple replies. "Everything is fair." "So what do you say, big guy?" Bliss took the bow and pressed it against Amon's chest. "You are out of excuses now." "Fine." Amon rolls his eyes, picks up the bow, and takes an arrow. "I'm not sure if it will work, but I might as well try it." "Don't worry, dude, this is just the first stop. We can try all the other games, too," Brick suggests. "And if you are still angry. We could spar a little…although I suggest we avoid that last one." "Yeah, I'm starting to see the mares starting to take glances, and well, shirts could fall," Bliss agrees in concern as she watches some mares stop to eye Amon. "What are you looking at!? This isn't a show, move!" Bliss scares them away, and the mares quickly disperse "Thanks," Amon signed in irritation at the same thing happening before preparing himself to practice. At that time on donuts, Joe and the three mares were discussing among themselves as they tried to come to terms with the revelation of a lifetime. After agreeing to meet up and traverse the streets of Canterlot in silence, the mares reach the local donut shop with her usual colorful yellow floor and walls, pillars with designs of candy cane, and the usual friendly stallion that understands their mood allow them to sit on the far corner of the shop where nobody would interrupt them and they could discuss matters in peace. "By Celestia, I feel so dirty," Rainbow claims mainly to herself as she gulps another jug of cider, consuming half of it before holding her head. "You feel dirty, darling? At least you were the last 'target' and Marc…that thing." Rarity can't finish that sentence without shivering in disgust. "He hadn't taken you to bed yet. I slept with it!" Rarity yells, and her face turns green as she fights the urge to throw up once more. "The worst thing is that I could have got past the tentacles," Pinkie mumbles in a low tone, her mane straight, the color on her fur going grayer, gaining the attention of the mares. "What? I'm open-minded, and I don't care about the looks. Rarity, don't lie. You could turn a hog into the latest fashion hit if you wished. I bet you could have made Marcus spectacular." "I mean… it would have been a challenge, but I'm not backing away from them," Rarity admits after considering it a little. But how he was inside…" "Yeah, that is what truly made him ugly." Pinkie nods, eating a box of donuts, not caring that she eats the napkins. "That is what made him so disgusting. We slept with a monster, not the crazy in bed or party fun type." "Please don't mention it," Rainbow pleads in disgust. "That bastard was only after making his collection. I hope he rots in whatever hole the princesses put him inside," Dash exclaimed with a clenched fist. "Me too," Rarity nods before sighing. "So what happens next? At least you get an out, Dash, but Pinkie and I… we saw and did…" Pinkie shakes her head. "I don't mind Rarity; it was a bonding moment. But if you wish to return to being friends, I understand." "That is not what I mean is just…darling. What we share, I would always treasure it." Rarity smiles and places her hand on top of Pinkie. "I feel the same way and would never break our friendship with either of us." "Thank Celestia because I feel the same way," Dash mentions. We are friends no matter what, stallion or not, and that is not going to change. And hey, if anything, this was a teachable moment." "How so, darling?" "Now we know that no stallion would get in between us, and if we ever wanted to form a herd, it would not ruin things among us." "Wow, Dashi, that… that is pretty wise," Pinkie admits in surprise. "Hey! Just because I'm not an egghead or I'm on all that mushy stuff doesn't mean I'm stupid. I can be deep." Dash comments earn a bit of a chuckle from both mares. "Celestia is good at being able to laugh," Pinkie admits, her glow returning a little before she looks at Rarity in concern. "Would you really be okay, Rarity? What Marcus took…" "Wow, please tell me that the son of a mule didn't take your first…" Dash exclaims in surprise and slow rage when Rarity nods. "But before you go do anything rash, darling, I… I was the one who gave consent, as much as it disgusts me and hates me. He didn't manipulate me or force me. This was all me. And I… I will manage in time." Rarity nods, holding a cup of juice and staring at his reflection. "Gosh, this is too much!" Dash complains, staring at the ceiling. "I need to take a break from this dating thing." "I think I would take time for myself, too," Rarity nods. "I think we all need time for ourselves away from what happens. Don't you agree, Pinkie?" The party mare, on her part, remains quiet. "Pinkie?" Rarity repeats in concern. "I need to confirm something first," Pinkie states as she stands up. "What is it?" Dash asks in surprise, yet Pinkie shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Dashy, but I need to do this alone. I'm thankful we all have this talk and need to process what happened to us in our own personal ways." She leaves some bits on the table and turns around. "So sorry I have to leave so soon; I hope you all understand." Rarity nods and smiles. "I understand, darling. This is just you being you. There is nothing to apologize for. We can chat later." "Thanks! See you!" Pinkie says goodbye with some pep on her way to talk before leaving. Dash remained perplexed before sighing in irritation, "Like I said, I really don't get all this mushy stuff." "It's okay, darling; you don't need to. Just take things one step at a time, and if we ever find ourselves on the same herd, I will gladly show you the ropes," Rarity says with a small smile that helps improve the mood. "Thanks, Rarity, for what it is worth, you did for an awesome head mare." "Well, I really love making all my herd members feel happy and welcome." Rarity can't help but gloat a bit at the compliment as the two mares chat more calmly after all that. Hours later, the group left the iron cage tired and refreshed after having used all the games and machines the place had to offer. Amon was somewhat relaxed, having to admit that the Purple plan worked, and even though he had a lot on his mind, he was better than how he felt in the morning. "Okay, I'm mature enough to admit it; it was a good idea there, Purple. I feel better. I'm still angry, but I'm coping with that." "That is all that matters, dude, taking one step at a time," Purple mentions as they reach the castle. "Anytime you feel like venting some frustration, just come to one of us, and we will take you to the cage." "Or any other guard, for that matter." Brick mentions, "Now that we have captured the one responsible for all of this, things should be okay moving forward." "Well, almost everything. I still have to endure the thing with mares," Amon mentions with a roll of his eyes. "But that is a whole new type of monster, and I'm glad that is not the norm with all the mares like you and Twilight." Amon mentions as he retires Twilight and Bliss. "Yeah… we are not that thirsty," Bliss mentions with a slight chuckle. Brick notices that and decides to walk away. "Oh, come on, Bricky! I'm the only pony here! Please be rational!" Bliss asked as she gave chase. "Oh, I'm going to be more than rational. I will do something about it and rock your brains out so you have your fill." "What? Why would you… I mean, thank you!" Bliss continues to chase after her husband for entirely different reasons, leaving only Twilight and Purple. "Well, this is as far as I go; rest well, princess." "You too." Twilight waves goodbye before going after Amon and catching up to him. "Thanks for giving us an opportunity, Amon," Twilight mentions with a big smile. "Well, back when I was a human, I had the bad habit of trusting strangers quickly and acting impulsively. It gave me a lot more trouble than I would have liked but also allowed me to learn many things. When you have nothing to lose and something to gain, I at least try things.” "That is one way to view things. I'm so happy that they paid off in the end. And speaking of giving things a try." Amon sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry, Twilight Luna beat you to it if you were about to offer to teach me magic." "Oh," Twilight lowered her head in disappointment. "If it's any help, I'm thinking of quitting, though." "Thanks, that a… What?! " Twilight needed a moment to register what Amon had just said, but once she did, she could only yell in shock, "Why would you quit your magic lessons?" "Twilight, you saw what happened to me when I got furious. I was ready to kill, I… I have done so before; I'm dangerous. What would happen if I got frustrated again and decided to do something irrational? I don't want to hurt anyone anymore.… I don't think it would be wise to teach me magic." "That is exactly why you should learn." Twilight doubles down, confusing Amon. "Excuse me?" "Amon magic is not a tool or a weapon; it is an extension of yourself, and yes, I know that you were human once, but as a pony, that is now your right; denying yourself how to use it is like chopping your hand out of fear that you would use it as a fist." "Twilight is not that easy. I can't just… how do I explain this?" Amon asks himself while holding his head. "The human mind has pounder what it could be achieved if magic were in our grasp." "Let me stop you right there. Do you fear it will take a dark turn? That you would abuse it? That it will be weaponized?" Twilight crossed her arms. "To all that, may I ask how you ended up in your current situation again?" "Okay, now you're just being unfair." "And you are being stubborn and looking for excuses, Amon; look, nobody is perfect, and it is noble wanting to keep others safe, but between you and them. You more than deserve magic. And it would help if you learned more than make your horn shine. Magic is more than that; it is a blessing and a tool. It's up to you how to use it. Refusing it may worsen things for you; things like stagnated magic can produce serious problems later." Twilight smiles and looks outside through a window. "Neither I nor anyone else will force you if you truly decide not to learn magic. But I will say this: having nothing and deciding to have nothing are two completely different things, and there is more than one type of magic." Twilight looks back and reverts her illusion, turning back to normal. "You were exposed to only the magic of malice; please don't close yourself at the option of learning the magic of friendship. I promise you, it will enrich your life in ways unimaginable." Amon remains quiet before sighing, "Fucking Christ, how do you keep doing this to me. If not, Celestia is you," Amon complains and stares at the ceiling, frustrated with how Twilight manages to corner him, too. "I… I will think about it, okay? I'm still biased on the idea of magic after everything it did to me." "That's all I ask." Twilight smiles, satisfied at the answer, as they resume their march until they reach Amon's quarters. "If you ever want to talk, know I'm always available. Goodnight, Amon." "Night," Amon waves goodbye and enters his room, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted from the day he had. He wants nothing more than to put an end to this day after responding to another call when he hears his stomach grumble. Unfortunately for him, fate seems to have other plans, with one last surprise and one unexpected visit, which Amon only discovers after digging through the fridge for a little snack. He takes a bite of a cheese sandwich before the living room lights turn on, and Pinkie sits on the couch, wearing a thick light red night robe. "Hi, Amon. We need to talk," Pinkie says in a neutral tone, yet any seriousness quickly evaporates when she sees Amon choking on his food from the surprise. "Whoa, calm down, Amon! I got you." Pinkie rushed to the sink and returned a glass of water for Amon. She patted his back as he drank the contents of said glass. "There you go, slow slips. Breathe in, breathe out," Pinkie instructed in a soft tune. "Pink, what the hell!?" Amon finally otters in rage, staring at Pinkie. "I know, sometimes I end up scaring ponies with my surprise appearance. It is a risk you take in the life of a party planner." "Not that! Well, part of that… Pink, why are you in my room?!" Amon demands to ask. "I told you I needed to talk with you." Pinkie casually reply "At this hour? Waiting in the dark? Right now? And wearing nothing but a bathrobe?" "In that order, yes, no, yes, it's a night robe, and I'm wearing more than that. I have my underwear on. Do you want to confirm?" "NO!" Amon stops her before she disrobes and presses her hands firmly on the fabric before she can do anything. "Pinkie, I’m tired and not in the mood for discussion so for the sake of speed things along, if I listen to whatever you need to say, would you leave?" The pink pony remains quiet with a sad look and nods once. "Okay, then let's get this over with," Amon replies with a defeated sigh as he goes to the living room and sits on the couch. "What do you need to talk about?" "Amon… do you think I'm attractive?" "What?" Amon can only ask after a prolonged pause when he can only blink a few times. Before Pinkie could elaborate, a knock on the door alerted the two. "Amon?" The worried voice of Fluttershy surprised both of them as Amon exchanged glances between the door and Pinkie, who asked him to remain quiet before begging him not to say she was there without speaking and putting her hands together. "Do you have a moment?" "...yes, Fluttershy. What is it?" Amon finally replies, still eyeing Pinkie. "Could I come in? There… there is something I want to discuss with you," Fluttershy asks somberly. Amon takes a glance at Pinkie Pie and points at his bedroom. She spells out thanks with her mouth before rushing and hiding there. I'm hiding a half-naked mare in my room while another wants to see me in the middle of the night. When did my life turn into a soap opera? Amon questions as he sees Pinkie closing his bedroom door. Once out of sight, Amon opened the front door to receive Fluttershy. Who, contrary to his worst fears, was back to using a thick wool yellow egg sweater and her usual long pink skirt. The pegasus in question was keeping her head low and her hands together. "What is it, Fluttershy?" "Sorry to bother you, but what happened to Marcus yesterday gave me a lot to think about," Fluttershy confesses as she enters the room. "It gave all of us a lot to think about. Especially his herd… ah, ex herd, I imagine." Fluttershy nods and goes sit on a couch. "Applejack and I were talking about it earlier. We would have invited the rest, but Twilight was with you and the rest well… as you said, the news hit them the hardest." "I could only imagine," Amon nods as he sits across from Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, I don't want to be rude, and I'm willing to listen to whatever you need to tell me, but what exactly am I doing here? Shouldn't you knock on the princess or any of your friends' doors in this situation? I'm not sure what I can say." "It is a bit hard to explain and requires some context, but there is a reason I wanted to speak with you specifically. And it is not only about Marcus," Fluttershy confesses in her usual low tune, which surprises Amon and Pinkie. "Have you ever heard of the mane six hunters in all your travels?" "I may have heard of them once or twice, but they sounded like a perverse fan club for what I managed to catch in the street." "You could consider them like a creepy group of fans or some bizarre gold diggers," Fluttershy explained with irritation and sadness. "Before meeting Twilight, my friends and I had different levels of success when it meant courting; for Rarity, it was as easy as breathing even though she never went beyond flirting as she was saving herself for… long story, I don't want to bore you." Fluttershy stops herself from going on a tangent before resuming: "AJ was and probably is still married to her job and family, so she never shows any interest. Dash had a long list of pretenders and one stands. I suppose you could consider her a player. Twilight was absorbed in her books and had no interest, and then there was Pinkie and me." Fluttershy finishes with a sigh as she lowers her head in shame. "Is not that I didn't want to, of course, but well, back then, I was timid and got away from any pony interest, and for Pinkie, I'm not sure if any pony was interested in her beyond a clown to make them laugh or so innocent she didn't exactly grasp the concept so dating for us was a bit difficult." "I suppose all that changed when Marcus entered the picture?" To Amon's ask only to be surprised, when Fluttershy shakes her head. "No, everything started changing once our name became public. I think it was around the time we saved the world from Discord. I can tell you later, it's another long story. The important thing is that we all became celebrities after that." "Oh boy, I think I know where this is going," Amon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Allow me to guess, soon talent hunters, magazines, movie deals, and other things came your way, and they keep bugging around? I imagine, considering you are friends with a princess." "Ah… not exactly," Fluttershy replied, slightly taken aback by his response. "Is that what usually happens in your world?" "More or less, let's not get sidetracked, you were saying?" "Right, well, thankfully, not much changed, but we all started to see the birth of the mane six hunters. It started humble enough with ponies in our town congratulating or thanking us for saving them and giving us gifts and the like, then the occasional thank you from strangers in other cities, and finally the arrival of the gold diggers." Fluttershy started with a happy voice, only to end on a more somber tune. "We didn't figure it out at first, but many ponies kept thinking the wrong idea that famous equal money, so they wanted to introduce themselves as kind mares and stallions wanting to be new friends only to run from the hills the moment they knew we weren't rich, or at least I wasn't. I don't know how it went for the others." "Yeah, I can see that happening." Amon nods and wants to help serve her and him a cup of coffee while they talk. Fluttershys holds her cup with both hands. "AJ told me how she had to scare away a lot of stallions pretending to be farmers just to get closer to her by scaring them away with backbreaking labor that revealed how fake they were, as well as business opportunities wishing to transform their farm into something else." Fluttershy chuckles lightly, "Never mess with the Apples, apple farm, Amon. Some of them learn that the hard way. I think one or two had to be kicked out of their property anyway. Eventually, the hype ended, and things return to normal, but the experience left me finding something I didn't realize I yearned for until Marcus arrived." "...a boyfriend?" Amon suggested. "A herd, I know it is corny and stereotypical, but having those that care for you, be a part of a pack, well. There is a reason that is every filly dreams." "...right, I suppose." Amon can only nod and sip his cup, letting Fluttershy continue. "I suppose I was the next target for Marcus because soon after managing to snag Rainbow Dash, he started to try flirting with me. But in how he spoke and buttered me up, I felt his praises were empty and no different than other pretenders. Who knew? I was right all along, yet I was jealous." Fluttershy finally admits, putting her cup down. “Of Marcus?” Amon ask only for Fluttershy to shake her head "Of you, I didn't understand why or how, but when you kissed Pinkie, everything just clicked." "Okay, I think you lost me there for a moment, Fluttershy," Amon confessed after blinking several times. "I thought we were talking about Marcus. How does that incident relate? I told you I only did that to stop her, and because I panicked, no romance was involved." "Even if that was the case, it was real!" Fluttershy exclaimed, adding more questions for Amon, who could only stare at her as she relaxed and kept staring down. "Ever since those creeps appeared, I no longer know if any stallion I interact with is real unless they already have a herd, and even that is difficult. Everyone is after my looks, fame, or the money I don't have. They don't care about me; they only care about Fluttershy, the element of Kindness." Fluttershy marks her point with air quotes. "And that is why you think my kiss was different?" Amon asks, perplexed as she nods. "You don't know anything about us; you don't care about fame or fortune; you only care about surviving and nothing else. Do you know how hard it is for someone like me to find a pony like that?" Fluttershy asks on the verge of tears. "Fluttershy I… I'm so sorry. I suppose this is one of the problems with fame, but I think you are confused. What happened back there… for heaven's sake, I'm not even a pony; I just…" "How long has it been since you have been with a mare?" Fluttershy asks out of the blue. "That…that is kind of personal." "But it has been a long time, don't you? Don't you crave the company? Don't you feel lonely and cold?" "... I'm used to the cold," Amon confessed before sighing. "If you want to know, I never even had a special lady in my world. I was pathetic and a coward, and women could detect that. I never showed any signs of interest, and because of that… to make you laugh, that kiss that meant nothing? Yeah, that was my first." Fluttershy and Pinkie, who were listening, gasped at that confession as Amon chuckled. "Go ahead and laugh; I'm sure I've been doing the same; we'll earn it, too. I bet this kills any mood you wanted…" "...please kiss me," Fluttershy asks out of the blue. "What?" "I know what I say, but please! Just one, I… Marcus stole more than your body. He stole what should have been your new life; all his lies were what you went through but worse. I know I've been irrational, I know I have no right, and you are in a more than vulnerable state… but I don't want to feel this cold, and I bet neither do you… So, I want to confirm this just for tonight. I want to feel that this is something real, please… please… don't pity me. I only want one…" Feeling on the spot and more than sorry for what Fluttershy was saying, Amon with a mix of fear, surprise, empathy and a little bit of lust and curiosity, stood up, grabbed Fluttershy shoulders, and planted one intense kiss on the lips, catching her off guard, wanting to see if that could calm her down and respond a new question forming on his head. Pinkie opened the room door slightly in interest, and when she saw that, she gasped and smiled in contentment. She saw her friend's wings stretch out in pure shock, and then her wings rattled and puffed out as her body went limp. Oh yeah, that is the stuff! Pinkie can't help but chuckle. If that was his first kiss, by Celestia Amon, are you a natural? With a gulp of excitement, Pinkie closed the door and let those two have their moment. Fluttershy slowly melted away in the kiss, and her eyes were about to roll back, only to be interrupted when Amon broke the kiss, leaving her wanting. "There, happy?" Amon asked with a blush and a conflicted look on his face. What the hell is wrong with me?! I just assaulted her? Why did I do it…why do I want to do it again? "I almost was," Fluttershy mumbles before smiling, taking Amon away from his thoughts. "And I was right. It IS real." "I…no. No, Fluttershy, it is not. This is… I don't know what it is, lust, maybe? But you don't know me, and I don't know you. And this…" He points at him and her, "This is not healthy; we are using each other, me because I was alone and never had the experience before. I…shouldn’t have given in to my impulse, and you because you finally found a stallion that didn’t place you on a pedestal. Starting anything from that, it would be for the wrong reasons." That doesn't stop the mare as she approaches him. "And what would be the right reasons?" Something about how Fluttershy spoke up slowly and slightly sultry, how she started to move, and how her eyes were turning was enough to send shivers down Amon's back, and his pants got tight as he stepped back. Even when her clothes were modest, Amon started noticing more of her feminine features, which only made him more nervous than when Pinkie offered to strip in front of him. "A… a date, getting to know each other, start as friends, spend time just hanging around. Lots of steps before jumping to this," Amon quickly numbers, making Fluttershy giggle as she keeps approaching. Once Amon was against the wall, Fluttershy stopped. "You know what? You are right." She nodded in agreement with a bright smile before giving him a soft hug. "I, too, wish for something meaningful and everlasting. I want to know more about you; I want something real." She nuzzles his chest. "But I'm not a slave to my emotions or will be a player that listens to her vagina." Amon stiffened about the shy pony using dirty language before breaking the hug "We both need to do a lot of soul searching and see if we are meant for one another. The last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable." "Right," Amon replied, having calmed down as it seemed Fluttershy wasn't planning something else. "That being said, I want to start right and ask you properly. Amon, would you like to have coffee with me sometime?" "I…" Amon paused, thinking about his options. Part of him wanted to reject her invitation and put a stop to what she wanted or, worse, give her hope and then ruin it after everything she confessed. Yet, the other part felt a sense of curiosity he had never felt before that was slowly winning him over. "...I have a lot on my mind, Fluttershy. Seriously, I don't even know how to feel right now. I don't want to give you hope. If there is nothing there, can I only give you this thought" He put his hand over her shoulder. "I would love to have coffee with my real friends and talk to them about my feelings later. Would that be okay with you?" "Yes, yes, it would." Fluttershy seemed happy and gave Amon another hug, this one even more robust and tighter, making the stallion feel two giant orbs on his chest. This did not help the situation on his pants, so he had to move his hips slightly to the right. "Thank you so much for showing me something real, Amon. Seriously, you have no idea how much I craved it." "A…anytime, buddy. So Fluttershy, not to be rude, but your chest is kind of ah…" "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy realized what she was doing and broke the hug taking a couple of steps back and looking away with an intense blush. "Y…yeah, sorry about that," "Don't be, I… ah, I should be, thank you?" Amon, equally embarrassed, looks at the ceiling and throws Fluttershy a bone. He didn't know what the hell was happening to him; lots of other mares had tried to throw themselves at him, some even bolder with more indecent outfits, yet for some reason, this shy pegasus with a modest get-up was making him act like a teenager all over again. Fluttershy smiled and giggled, still with some color on her cheeks. "Thank you, that is very considerate of you, buddy. I think I should be going; it's pretty late anyway." "Yeah, I need to… that." Amon can't find an excuse, remembering how he still had to deal with whatever Pinkie wanted to say. Fluttershy nods, and the two go to the front door. "We can talk more tomorrow, oh, and Amon. Thank you so much for showing me something real and warm. I will not forget it." "It was only a kiss, Fluttershy. It's not like I rocked your world or anything." Amon dismissed the praise with a roll of his eyes. "You shouldn't sell yourself short, even if a little harsh and sloppy at first; it felt nice, very nice, in fact," Fluttershy insists with a smile before waving. "Night… buddy." "Night," Amon waved goodbye before closing the door and promptly leaned against it to let go of a long breath. "God, this day," he says, bringing his hand to his head. "So I imagine you heard all of that?" Amon asks Pinkie as she exits the door. Even if he cannot see her with his hand over his eyes, Amon can feel her looking back at him. "I did, and wow, you go Fluttershy! I never thought she had it, but I'm sure happy for her." Removing his hand, Amon could see Pinkie smirking at him. "And you should be proud of yourself, you big player." "Excuse me?" "I saw Amon; that was quite the kiss. Fluttershy may sell it short, but her wings and feet were jellies under your touch. You are a natural. She really rock her to the core with one kiss" Amon sighed and let go of the door. "I'm too tired to explain why I can't take the compliment and tell you that you only lack something real." He stopped in front of Pinkie Pie and crossed his arms. "So do I assume that most of what you wanted to tell me, Fluttershy already said it?" "Only half," Pinkie replies with a tired sigh before pointing at his bedroom. Can we talk? I'm not planning anything I swear; I only want to explain my question and side of the story. After that, if you want, I will leave. Don't worry; I'm not asking you to kiss me or anything like that… but I will not be against it if you offer." Pinkie finishes with a slight chuckle and a big smile. Amon just remained quiet for a moment before heading to his bedroom. "Okay, let's hear what is bothering you so I can call it a day already." Amon replied coldly as he sat on one side of his bed. "Right," Pinkie says, keeping her smile. She follows suit before sitting next to Amon. "I suppose since Fluttershy already told you, let me explain how things were for those hunters and me and how the last one managed to get this far with us," Pinkie mentions in a sad tone, gaining the empathy and attention of Amon.
The Liquid Cake Incident (Edited By PW)WARNING! This chapter can get a bit steamy, read at your own risk. I have mark the start and end of the steam part in case you wish to avoid it The sound of running water continued to fill the bathroom, accompanied by the sound of heavy pants. The water continued for an extended period of time until it finally stopped once Amon turned off the sink's water and kept his hands submerged in a pool of the same. The fog from the hot water still permeated the place, allowing him some semblance of security as he felt like he was hiding from something. After what felt like an eternity, Amon retrieved his hands and cleared the fog on the mirror before him to stare at his reflection and then at his right hand in a combination of confusion and shame. What in heaven sake did I do? Amon questions himself as he stares at his hand and remembers the events that led him to this very moment. Half an hour earlier, With an exhausted sigh and looking at the ceiling, Pinkie didn't waste time telling Amon her story. "Just as Fluttershy told you, dating wasn't easy for me. My cheerful and upbeat style of life was great for making friends, but it was a burden to keep some ponies. Don't get me wrong, I was part of a relationship here and there, mares, stallions, both. I even had a fling with a golem once." Pinkie started to list off, going into a tangent. "A… golem?" "You don't have those in your world?" "Only in stories, and they are more like walking tanks without life per se…kind of. It's complicated." "Well, here we have them, too, male and female. Let me tell you, they are more delicate than you imagine." Pinkie laughs at the memory before shaking her head. "But I'm getting off track. The point is… I dated a lot, but I never reached the bed, mind you. That… that was part of the problem." "Because they never took it seriously?" Amon asked, feeling what the issue might have been. "That or I didn't take the relationship seriously enough because I often take things too lightly or don't read the room all that well. My partners always end up breaking up with me, saying I'm too childish and immature, which I was, granted, but still, it always hurt a little." Pinkie admits in shame before closing her eyes, "And then things took a turn for the worse with the hunters." "They… they didn't force themselves on you or anything, right?" "Oh heavens no! Nothing THAT bad; it went the other way, actually," Pinkie admitted with a sob and a smile as she looked at Amon. "But the idea that you think they wanted to do that to me in some twisted way makes me happy; thank you, Amon." "Pinkie, that is a horrible thing to say! Never say that again. You need to love yourself more and…" Pinkie silenced him with a firm hug, as she didn't want to let go. "You don't know why, but what you just said makes me even happier now! And I need to explain the reason properly." "Ah… okay?" Amon could only reply, still confused by her sudden mood swings and slightly horrified at how Pinkie was happy by what Amon was fearing was a bad thing. Ending the hug, Pinkie resumed, "As I was saying, and I know this doesn't make much sense, but when they saw my friends, the hunters saw mares to courtship as a ticket to fame and fortune. When they saw me, they saw a clown." Pinkie clears a tear before she can continue. "My child, like nature and immaturity, must have reached the ears of those creeps and got the idea that I had the mindset of a six-year filly and most likely asexual. Ponies stop viewing me as a mare and start seeing me like this innocent child that should not be touched." "Wow, Pinkie, I… I honestly am not sure how to reply to that." Amon was at a loss for words and how to partially console her since, from what he was gathering, Pinkie, in a way, escapes the gaze of perverts and the worst type of creeps. "Then maybe this could help. Do you think it's bad that mares view you as a sex object? Well, the other extreme is equally bad, Amon," Pinkie exclaimed in frustration. She clenched her fist before lowering her hands and head and looking ahead. "Yeah, I love parties, making ponies smile and laugh, and lots and lots of other things, like frosting. Oh, so much frosting." Pinkie started to drool before realizing what she was doing and pretending to cough. "But I'm also a mare, and like anyone else, I like the idea of being wanted and loved in that special way, to feel sexy to feel…desired" Pinkie finally confess as she hugged herself "And because of your exes and those weirdos, anyone that may like you loses interest or thinks that it will go nowhere then, so they stop trying and you were viewed as something you didn’t want or liked, didn’t you?" Amon speculates as Pinkie nods. "I didn't notice it at first, but even those weirdos asking me on dates kept treating me like a filly and didn't put any idea of romance or effort in, they didn’t try to courtship me and that was stringed the most! All dates were the same, with them just taking me where you take fillies so they play around, like arcades, amusement parks, etc. Granted, I still loved going there and had a blast and a half, but COME ON, it's still a date! You can be romantic there too!" Pinkie exclaims in frustration, complaining at no one in particular "But no! No romance for Pinkie; instead, they just thought of that as a chore like babysitting, and when I tried to put a bit of the mood, they viewed my efforts like a kid that got a straight A+ on an exam card or made a drawing for the fridge. It was humiliating and, in a way, eye-opening." Pinkie took a deep breath. "It was at that moment that I understood how and why my other partners gave up on me, and that hurt so much. So when Marcus came into the picture and finally treated me like a mare. Well… it was like taking a sip of water after being trapped in the desert for so long." Pinkie smiles and looks at Amon. "Granted, it was bad water, instead of the good water, like crystal-like water that is even sweeter and hydrates you! No, I'm talking about ambient water that has been on the corner and tastes bad, like metal or even wood or…" "...really bad?" Amon replies, smiling lightly when he sees some color returning to Pinkie's fur as she nods. "Exactly, he came and told me: Hey baby, is that cream with that Jell-O? Or are those just your flanks?" Pinkie imitates Marcus before laughing. "By Celestia, that was probably the worst flirt I ever heard!" Amon can't help but chuckle, too. "Yeah, I have zero experience or ever tried to flirt before, and even I have to say that is just bad, offensive, cringe, and just…no." "RIGHT?!" Pinkie points at him, "It was so pathetic, but…it was still something, so I played along, and even though he was a meany, even though he did those things. He treated me differently; he made me feel like a real mare. It might have been toxic, but thanks to him playing with my special little place…" Pinkie's hand wandered south in memory as Amon realized what she was implying: "...even after all of that, he and Rarity made me feel like a mare again. Well, mostly Rarity, I could barely feel Marcus when we reached the bed, and after he was done with Rarity, he was pretty much spent, so Rarity had to step up with a dildo once our pussies were sore with how much we ground them against each…" "Okay! Okay, stop!" Amon stops Pinkie as he feels the blood going south and his face turning red from the tangent Pinkie is getting at. "I got the picture, Pinkie. Dear god, I… I have a picture burned into my mind now. God, I don't think I will be able to see you or Rarity in the eyes for a while now," Amon complains, turning away at the steam detail. Pinkie looks at him in surprise before giggling and feeling proud of herself. "Sorry I… I tend to get sidetracked, but the point is. I felt love and happiness with them. I felt like I was getting away from being Pinkie, the child element of Laughter. I was Pinkie, the MARE of Laughter, and was treated properly." She sighs content and looks ahead of her. Amon manages to calm down and see her once more. "And that is when the nicknames, Eskimo kisses, hugs, and all that started. I finally understood better what it was like to be in a relationship, and by Celestia, I was determined to make it work no matter what, for pony sake!" "And I just ruin it by revealing the secret." "No, you didn't ruin a thing, Amon; just show me the problems I chose to ignore. Fluttershy was right, Marcus was hollow, he was no different than other creeps, he was subtle, and I was desperate for a compliment; I wanted to feel like someone viewed me more than just a funny clown. And now I’m kind of scare on what that means, if words get out that I can be so easily manipulate. If ponies start thinking I would open my legs with so little effort I…I dread to imagine" "Come on, Pinkie. Of course, you can say no. And not everyone views you as that. What about Rarity? And your other friends after…what you two have made it impossible for her to go back to see you the same way," Amon tries to console her. "I know, and Rarity already told me as much, and I'm thankful for that, but… still, I need something to help my resolve, which is why I thought of you. Amon, have you ever wondered?" "Wonder what?" Amon question. "Come on, don't tell me you weren't curious. You were in Equestria for years; thanks to Marcus, I know human and pony anatomy is not THAT different. Or do you have a weird plant thing in your bellies, scales, rocks, or…?" "...let me stop you there, Pinkie!" Amon stops her from going on, "And I see what you mean. Yeah, we are not that different when it comes to anatomy. The horns, tail, hooves, and wings are the main difference." That interests Pinkie as she leans back. "That is what I wanted to hear. Amon, this will start sounding like a broken record, but when you kissed me when we met, it felt nice, not only because it felt nice, but also because it felt nice." "...you felt that it was real? Even if it were wrong, I would treat you like a mare, not a silly filly. Like I found you attractive?" Amon starts to list surprising Pinkie. "Wow, can you read minds? Oh! Is that like an alicorn thing? Can the princesses and Twilight do it?" She gasped in realization. "Maybe only male alicorns can do it!" "Pinkie, focus, focus," Amon asks her for her attention. "I was just guessing, and… it's kind of sad. If a loser likes me…" "NO!" Pinkie suddenly went into his personal space. "Just like you told me earlier, don't say those things about you, Amony. You are NOT, nor were you ever, a loser." She stood back as Amon was once again taken aback. "Not to us, not to me. You help us a lot. In ways you don't fully understand yet. I need your help again; I asked if you saw me as attractive. Amon, please help me confirm that I'm sexy; help me have confirmation that I'm not viewed as a silly filly but a mare that can be as desirable as anyone else." "Pinkie, I think you are confusing things here," Amon says, grabbing her hand. "I'm sorry all of this happened to you, but considering everything. Don't you think anything I say would be shallow? Of course, you are sexy. I consider you sexy, but you don't need me to do anything else to confirm it; heck, you don't need to do this; doing anything else would be for the wrong reasons; you would be substituting one vice for another. You don't need anyone's approval." Pinkie remains quiet for a moment before sitting back on the edge of the bed. "That is not how I see things," Pinkie shakes her head and then comes up with an idea: "What if this is more just going with the emotions? And I know how to set the mood. What if I told you that there is a way to fix your issue?" Pinkie mentions out of the blue. "What?" Amon asks, perplexed. "Of course, it will not be the same, but what if I tell you of a way for you to return to being human? Furthermore, being on something closely resembling your world is a start-over. With a guarantee that things will go better than your old life." "There is a way? I can go back to a semblance of normality. No more magic or crazy cults or…? Wait, how did you know my previous life was…?" "...does it matter right now? See Amon, you are happy, and I'm happy. Don't you want to do something about it? Two friends want to do something about that, so why not use that as an opportunity? You that have never been with a mare, and now have a golden opportunity to learn and I, to have the opportunity to experience something I'm curious to learn… and teach, don't you find it even a least intriguing?" The way Pinkie lingered on the last word and how she said something so innocent was strangely working on Amon. "Don't you want to learn about mares and our happy place?" Amon was short on words as he could only gulp and start to sweat. "Y-your happy place?" Pinkie smiles and gets closer. "There would not be any string attached, I…I want to pause the idea of dating together, but before doing that, I want to feel like a mare one last time, not only because of the kiss but because I need it for my mental sake. Amon, I need this. I know it doesn't make sense, but you doing this will help me see charlatans and not summit to the next weirdo that compliments my jelly or puff cakes." Even if the names were childish, Amon still blushed, knowing what she was referring to as his eyes subconsciously wandered south to her chest as the robe was slightly open, revealing some cleavage as Amon got more aware of how big her boobs could potentially be. "I wish to repay you for helping me realize I was in a bad place and how easy I felt for the tricks of a hunter. Amon, why don't we help each other? Please help me be more aware and capable of resisting, and in exchange, allow me to teach you and be happy in your skin. Wouldn't you like that?" She suddenly smirks. "Besides, I bet part of you also has wonder, don't you? If you have never been with a mare or any woman before, haven't you ever been curious about learning more about us? Even if only once?" "I…" Dear god! I'm considering it!?! She permits me, and I don't want her to feel sad or rejected. Plus, if it helps her scare away creeps and protect her from something really bad… B-but I… they, this place is so friendly, and after everything, I say to Fluttershy, I… I… "It all has very good points, and you say it will be just learning and helping one another. Plus, a smoking hot mare is just offering me. B-BUT!" Amon shakes his head to recover some semblance of control. "...but Pinkie, what you are saying. This is crazy!" "And what is wrong with being a little bit crazy?" Pinkie asks, placing her hand on Amon's shoulder. "Look, Amony; you spend much time being scared, hiding, and resentful; bad ponies did terrible things to you. You deserve a break, a moment for you to stop being cautious and just go with the flow. Nothing is wrong with being a bit naughty, especially when I'm giving you the ok. Don't you want to be naughty? At least just a tiny bit? It will just be us buddies." Amon remains quiet and looks at the ceiling, finding her invitation increasingly enticing: "...and you would be teaching me how to play with…ah, your happy place?" Amon finally relents, finding his curiosity winning over and starting to forget his reasons for declining her offer, yet he is still pretty much scared of the idea. The comments excite Pinkie even more as she nods rapidly. Her mane somehow starts to inflate and becomes more messy as a result. "Everything you want to know and maybe one trick or two if you like. And if it becomes uncomfortable for one, we stop immediately. How does that sound? OH! And I know exactly what to teach you. Want to learn the mare meter brainmelt?" "We should stick to the basics and see where to go." "Eh, fair enough, but I should tell you, it's easy, it's awesome, and we both would love it!" Pinkie says in excitement as she jumps in bed as if she is about to play some kind of game. "I will take your word for it then," Amon can't help but chuckle before getting more serious. "Also, I have two conditions: I'm new to this, and I don't want to make things awkward later, so clothes stay on, and we focus on you." Pinkie can only blink a few times. "Don't you want to feel good too?" "Yeah, but trust me, it's better that way. I'm not mentally ready to go that far yet." "Ah, got it. Yeah, it's better to take things easy, then. I can respect that," Pinkie nods, maintaining her excitement. "Sure, I can agree to those conditions. It's a shame because I wouldn't mind showing me my puffy cakes, but maybe we could save it for another time." Amon tensed up and ignored that last part before resuming their situation. "So… as the expert, I would need your help, Pinkie. How exactly do we start… this?" Amon asked, pointing at himself and Pinkie. Pinkie, in response, could only giggle and lean forward; Amon could swear a saxophone was starting to play as she spoke with sultry eyes. "As I say, let's just go with the flow, Amony. We can start simply enough; lend me your hand." Amon does so, and Pinkie guides it until Amon places his palm on Pinkie's right cheek as she smiles calmly and looks him in the eyes. "Now, just don't question anything and follow your instincts. There is a mare, a beautiful mare, in front of you. What do you do? Don't say, just act" Her words help him relax as he keeps staring into her eyes, ever vigilant so as not to make her uncomfortable. His actions start simply enough: a simple brush with his thumb, followed by the movements of his remaining fingers. His other hand reaches up to Pinkie's hip, and he slowly pushes Pinkie into bed and then slowly gets his face. Pinkie giggles softly, not seeming discontent with his action. She grabs his other hand, helping him move with more resolve. It takes a second before Amon realizes how Pinkie was helping him reach her ass while the hand on his face was now on her neck and slowly going down. "Pinkie I…" "It's okay; it's even flattering". Pinkie stops and keeps his hands in place, thinking he is starting to get embarrassed. "You can be as naughty as you want. Do you still want me to keep my clothes on?" Amon nods slowly before smiling. "I don't know why, but it makes things hotter somehow." "I know. I feel the same. I think my heart is accelerating." "Mine too," Amon admits, and the two share a laugh as Amon seems to reach his first goal. He grabs a handful of Pinkie's flank with his entire hand over the fabric while his other hand gets inside Pinkie's robe. Then he finds another piece of fabric, this one more elastic and feeling like some rubber shirt. Keep eye contact with Pinkie. Amon doesn't think and gives Pinkie a soft yet long kiss. She accepts with closed eyes as Amon's fingers slip underneath Pinkie's bra, the alicorn in pure bliss as he gets to experience the soft, voluminous texture of a boob for the first time in his life, intrigued and pleased with the fluffiness her fur was providing increasing, even more, the experience. One of Pinkie's hands was intertwined with the hand Amon was using to massage her ass, guiding it in circular motions, while the other was grabbing Amon's face while they continued to kiss. Their make-up session is suddenly interrupted when Pinkie gasps in time for Amon to feel a rugged mount at the top of the hill. He retreats his fingers slightly to see Pinkie in concern. "I'm sorry, Pinkie; I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't know your nipples were sensitive." Amon apologizes, but before he retreats the hand on Pinkie's chest, she stops him, grabbing said hand. "It's okay, Amon. Don't worry, that one was a good gasp," Pinkie explained, panting a little. "A… good gasp?" Amon repeats, slightly taken aback, as she nods. "Oh yeah, we mares had tons of it, and there is a way. It means we like what you are doing and want you to do it a little more. Do you want to learn?" she asks in excitement and a bit of trembling. "Please say yes." "Well, I would like to know more about you." "Yay! B… but that means we should stop kissing lessons. I need to explain after all, and it will be all mumble and hard with my tongue and your dancing tango." Pinkie continues, "It's not impossible, but why risk it, right?" "Right," Amon nods, getting used to Pinkie's antics. "Okay, in that case, let's continue, and you better massage Puff too, or she might get jealous," Pinkie warns him. "Who?" Amon asks. "My booby, silly," Pinkie says before pointing at her left nipple. "That is Puff, and you are playing with Trouffle, or Truff for short." "You named your boobs?" Amon asks, blinking a couple of times. "Well yeah, all mares do; you better remember it, Amony; it good matters to address them correctly if you are gonna play with them." "O…k." Amon nods, slightly confused, but decides to continue. Accepting the fact and enjoying the sensation and triumph of finally being able to be granted access to touch a real-life boob. "Okay, lesson one, circle," Pinkie starts. "This one works on boobies and tails, just lend me your other hand." Pinkie grabs the wrist of the hand on Her flank and, with the help of her tail, which seems to be gaining some control, moves the side of her robe so she can place Amon's hand on the end of Pinkie's back where he feels the base of her tail. The slight touch sends a shiver down Pinkie's back before she continues, "There we go, now circle the edge of my tail clockwise while you pinch my nipple. If you want, you can give it a slight twist, too. The nipple! The nipple! Let go of the tail!" Pinkie yells/clarifies as Amon seems confused and pinchs the base of the tail. "Sorry," Amon stops and would have retreated his hands if not for Pinkie keeping them in place. "It… it's okay, rookie mistake. The pinching there it for the end," Pinkie clarified between paintings as she recovered from the sensation. "Okay, let's try again; I will tell you when you can twist real hard." Amon nods and complies, loving every second of the experience as he gets to play around with the woman's body; what was more, he was learning how to play correctly with it, with various actions and movements in what he could only describe as the most erotic and bizarre massage he has ever done. At some point, Pinkie could only gasp and moan in between paintings, so she had to resort to letting go of her right hand and charade the next movement she wanted Amon to do while twitching uncontrollably. In the heat of passion, Amon kept exploring Pinkie's body inside and on top of her clothes as he kept his promise and did what he could to keep his eyes fixed on Pinkie, who, by this point, was starting to get crossed. After one short kiss, Amon and Pinkie stop when his fingers slip on a clean line, causing both of them to pause and slowly lower their heads. He wasn't sure when or how, but while his left hand was now supporting Pinkie's back of the head, his right hand had disappeared underneath her robe and between her legs. One finger was still pressed on the base of the line Amon was feeling as he looked back at Pinkie. "Pinkie, do you want me to…" "If you say stop, I'm going to get angry," Pinkie warns him with a stern look. "Just wanted to confirm if you were okay," Amon admits with blush and looks away, only now realizing how his lessons have worked a sweat on the poor stallion as Pinkie relaxes and giggles. "You need to work on your confidence, Amon. Okay, now to the last lessons!" She exclaims in excitement, dissolving the tension as she obtains Amon's full attention. Just like with the boobs and ass, Amon was more than happy to learn more about woman's anatomy like this. In reality, he was more than a little excited to learn more. He wanted to explore every itch on Pinkie's body, and his primal side wanted more. He didn't understand why, but he wanted to make her happy. He wanted to make her scream, to make her him somewhat. "Okay, what you did just there with your finger, keep doing it, slide it up and down on the edges, and slowly work yourself inside as if you were making a hole in the soft ground." Amon complied, enjoying the sensation in his finger and feeling how there was some strange sticky goo emanating from Pinkie's entrance as she kept panting and twitching; he made a mental note to ask later as he continued his administration, and ever so slowly, his fingers went inside her pussy. "Increase the number of fingers if you want and s-start, rotating YES, j-just like-oh sweet Celestia like that! Y-you are a quick learner-e-er, faster!" Pinkie's voice seems to get more erratic as her tongue starts to hang out to the side. Amon slowly started to get the idea and became more daring and curious about this strange yet pleasant sensation. Her walls were wet and warm, her tail couldn't stop twitching, and a strange fragrance of strawberry cake was starting to fill the room, even though Amon couldn't understand why. "....N-N-Niauw…p-put your index and middle fingers like this and rotate them inside as I…if you were scratching, no nails! Inside my… little pinky oven and… YIA!!" Amon complied as he kept exploring her softly inside before increasing his speed; he was more than a little entertained and wanted to learn; he could feel her pubic hair and found it funny how it felt as if it was as puffy and voluminous as her mane, her walls felt so nice and just like with her boobs Amon felt a strange mount inside of it. Thinking the same could happen, Amon took a tentative poke at the mountain, making Pinkie's whole body stiff, and she arched her back. "Hey, what is this? I didn't know mares had something here?" Amon asks nobody as he starts playing with it. Seeing Pinkie gasping and moaning even louder makes him think he is doing something right. "Oh, right, let's see. You told me to write letters, right, Pinkie?" Amon remembers what Pinkie suggested, and he starts writing slow words inside her. The result seems to be that Pinkie has transformed into some kind of musical instrument, and Amon is playing with her. After a rocky start, he was fascinating. He was controlling Pinkie's moans in gasps, no matter how long or loud they were, and he managed to grasp somehow the entire birthday song ending on a high pitch as he pressed hard and rubbed Pinkie's mound as fast as he could. Pinkie's eyes rolled back, and her hands moved erratically, yet Amon was too absorbed to notice. He knew something was coming and wanted to know what for some reason. Once she recovered her voice, Pinkie finally warned him, "A-.-A-akj0fk MON! I… I'm about… to…TRANSFORM!" Pinkie suddenly yells at the top of her lungs. The next thing Amon knew, a giant pink puff blinded him momentarily. Standing up and coughing, Amon moved around the pink cloud around him. He could smell the strong smell of a bakery and hear and see confetti, kazoos, and other party sounds coming from the explosion's epicenter, as well as the first half of the star, and he strives to play until everything dies down. "I live again!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly as she jumped out of the cloud, shocking Amon. She was now wearing a one-piece navy blue pajama with balloons and confetti images on it. Her color ultimately returned, and her mane returned to its usual puffy form, with streamers and confetti attached. "What the…" Amon can only exclaim as Pinkie rushes to him and gives him a firm hug. "Thank you so much, Amony! That felt so good! I knew it would, but you were so nice and good, and I like it and feel so much better now. I feel like I just woke from a dream and…" "Pinkie… Pinkie," Amon grabbed her shoulders so she could look him in the eyes. The cold sensation on his right hand made Amon realize his entire arm was now covered in a strange pink goo with glitter on it. He made a mental note to look it up later, as right now, there was a present matter. "You are at 10; I need you at 7. What just happened? What was that explosion, and why? And how did you change clothes?" "Oh, that is easy; that is what happens after my super duper yay," Pinkie explains calmly. "I was right, Amony. You really are a natural AND a quick learner! Good job!" Pinkie complimented and winked at him with an elbow-soft shove. "Your super duper… what?" "Basically, you pull out all my party materials that have been collecting webs since Celestia knows how long since I was with Marcus! I feel so liberated by it! I want to throw a party about it! But they prohibit me from throwing those in public! But seriously, I'm so happy right now! Don't worry, I didn't forget; I will help you later too! My mind is so clear now. This must be what Rarity feels each time she visits the spa, but more naughty. But it is getting late. I should be going. There are lots of things I need to do, bye." Pinkie starts bouncing around and plants a surprise quick peck on Amon's lips before she leaps out of the room, leaving a very confused Amon alone in his room. Looking back, Amon was surprised that once the smoke cleared, his bedroom looked as if a party bomb had just gone off. Confetti, streams, glitter, birthday cakes, and a big banner that only said "Thank you" were attached to his bedpost, and the same glitter glue was spread on the side of his bed. He then looks back at the door, still startled. Did I finger her so hard that I made her blow up and then reset? Is that what happens to mares when they reach orgasm? Oh god, those that mean this is….?!" In alarm, Amon looked at his arm once more before rushing to the bathroom. At first, he only wanted to clean up, but once the surprise died down and Amon remembered what and how it happened, a sensation of pride filled the alicorn, and an urgent, more natural need demanded his attention in his pants. Once he had taken a hot shower and cleaned himself off, Amon returned to his room only to find it clean once more and a note on his pillow. Picking the note, Amon found out it was from Pinkie and addressed to him. Hi Amon! I just remembered that I left a mess behind and decided to clean it up. It was the least I could do after you did decent work with a meter brain melt. It still needs work and is harsh and rocky, but not bad for the first time. Anyway, I want to thank you again, and I will tell you all about the portal tomorrow before leaving. XOXO Pinkie Pie P.S: Don’t worry about the bed and your arm, I call it my liquid cake, we all mare have those. Also, you should be careful in the future; if you are not careful, that move will create a stalker by accident. In case you are wondering, your score is level 3. Level 3? Amon repeated to himself and turned the page, finding more to the letter. If you are reading this, it means you are questioning what level 3 is. Think of the move as a test of strength; here are the levels: 1-Is there something there? 2-Decent 3-Wet panties 4-Back door granted 5-Ultra Instinct 6-Marry Me! 7-Pull my mane and call me your whore And to clarify, it is almost level 4, so good work! Now, for real, ciao! Amon stares at the note for a moment in disbelief before sighing. It is too early in the morning to keep asking questions. I need to get some sleep. Deciding to put things on hold, Amon ignores the letter and just goes to sleep, wanting nothing more than to put an end to the night.
New Dawn, New Revelation (Edited By PW)As he is transported out of Canterlot, Mark looks out the window from his prison box as the castle becomes smaller before returning to his seat. He sighs and closes his eyes before the sound of a storm snaps him back to reality. The box went dark and cold, and Mark could feel the cloudy sky getting stormy. He wanted to voice his concern and look around, but the restraints in his tube and the muzzle on his mouth prevented him from saying anything. The criminal starts to fear when he hears a familiar lullaby which the pegasus guards transporting him doesn't seem to notice or care, and they continue as if nothing happened. Not even the appearance of a pony wearing a yellow trench coat suddenly appears from the shadows and sits in front of Mark, as he muffles and trashes around in fear of the appearance of the new passenger. The new pony in question held a musical voice and kept playing the tune before pulling out a cell phone with another hand and dialing a number. "We warn you, Mr. Faust" Faust shakes his head rapidly in fear as tears stream from his eyes. "It's a disappointment. Despite our discussion, we really thought we were forming a sense of friendship. And I'm mature enough to admit that we abandoned you when we thought our research was lost and needed to cut our losses." The voice spoke up in a distorted two-voice type as Mark started hyperventilating. "I was even considering letting things be water under the bridge and just let you rot in jail or something similar, but when you decided to share personal information… well, we both know how that human phrase goes about snitches." The pony left the music box on the side and stood up, pulling out a knife. "For what it's worth, we haven't forgotten about Starlight, even though you did our job twice as hard now. We intend to finish it; once she is in Tartarus, you can have your turn with her." The pony rushes to Mark and stabs his chest, starting to break the tube as Mark is impaled in the chest. The pony released the knife and brought his hand to his hood. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Faust; as a courtesy, we will make it quick." Mark keeps struggling and muffles his yells as the pony does his job and makes the box move violently for a moment. "Quiet there, prisoner!" One of the guards finally spoke up, hitting the side of the transport. "Whine, all you want that muffle, will keep you from saying anything. So save your breath and accept reality. You are not getting away." After a while, the box grows quiet, and the rest of the trip goes into relative silence. The lullaby keeps playing while the sun rises from the horizon for another day in the castle. With the sound of knocking on his door, Amon yawns and approaches the front door. He rubs his eyes. With foggy eyes, he opens it to see Vivi back in her maid outfit and usual cheerful smile. "Good morning, Amon. Did you sleep…?" Viola stops mid-sentence in surprise once she has a closer look at Amon. "Amon, did you sleep with the same clothes you wore yesterday?" She asks in slight surprise, taking notice of his wardrobe. "Ah… yeah, I had a long day; how did you know?" "Years working as a maid have given me a keen eye for wrinkles and used clothes. Also, why is your room smelling like a bakery?" Viola asks, noticing a familiar scent coming from Amon's room. After sniffing, Amon also detected the smell of cake, and his eyes widened as he realized it was coming from his bedroom and part of it from his arm. "I got hungry last night," Amon quickly replied. "So what? Did you take a whole bakery last night?" Viola asks, confused. "No, I… I decided to try baking… a pie at first but gave up halfway and decided to try a cake." "You did?" Viola pokes her head inside, noticing the clean kitchen. "But your kitchen is way cleaner for that smell…and why is it coming from your bedroom?" "We are getting off-topic here, Vivi!" Amon issues her as he grabs his backpack and exits the room, closing the door behind him. "You wanted to ask me something?" "Yeah, the princesses wanted to invite you to breakfast along with the mane six. They say there is much to discuss. Amon, are you feeling okay?" "Yeah, why do you ask?" Amon asks as he starts to walk away with Viola flying close by. "I'm not sure, but I just had this feeling. As something happens to you, you seem different in some way." "A lot happened to me recently, Vivi; of course, I would be more than a little on edge," Amon replied "No, it's not that. There is something else, something new yet familiar, something I'm not sure if it is good or bad," Vivi asked herself. "Something helped you a lot but simultaneously made you ashamed and proud." "Argh, what is it?! This is driving me crazy, but by Celestia's mane, I can't put my finger precisely on what it is." "Just drop it, Vivi," Amon insisted. "Ah, come on, at least let me guess." "No, because there is nothing to guess, so stop asking questions." "Hmm, it has to do with confections because of the smell. You didn't steal them? Oh, Amon, please tell me you didn't go dumpster diving again." Vivi looked at him in disappointment. Amon sighs and rolls his eyes. "Yes, Vivi! That is exactly what happened, happy? I discovered they were throwing away raw frosting in a cake store and decided to stick my entire arm in a filthy place. I felt ashamed immediately and tried to clean," Amon admits sarcastically. "Damn it, Amon! I thought you were over that. Do you have any idea how stupid and dangerous that is? You could have eaten a piece of glass, or screwed, or something even worse." Amon stops and stares at Vivi for a second "What kind of crazy ass cakes have you eaten with those kinds of ingredients?" Amon asks the pegasus in complete astonishment at her warnings. "Don't try to change the subject!" Vivi reprimands him for getting in front of Amon. "No more dumpster diving. Are we clear?" "Fine, Mom. I will not dumpster dive anymore," Amon replies sarcastically as he continues his march. "Now let's go. Celestia and Luna are probably waiting for us," he tells himself as he crosses the corner of the fork in the hallway. Vivi crossed her arms with a straight face. "The dining room is on the other side, sir." After a moment, Amon marches in the opposite direction. "I swear this infernal castle is a maze. How you don't get lost, I would never know," Amon replies, making Vivi sigh and shake her head in disappointment at how light Amon was taking her words. The rest of their walk was spent in silence, with Amon silently thanking himself for tricking Vivi into dropping the subject until they reached their destination. They were immediately received by Pinkie, who didn't waste time giving Amon a big hug. "Good morning!" Pinkie exclaimed in her usual high-paced voice. "Did you sleep well, Amon? Are you hungry? Well, of course you are. It's just morning unless you already ate a snack. Oh! I helped with the breakfast today. You are going to love it! I'm so glad you could join us." AJ chuckles and pry Pinkie away from Amon. "For pony sake, Pinkie, the stallion just woke up; let him breathe," AJ chastised her with a smile before looking at Amon. "Sorry for that, partner. Pinkie can be a bit intense at times." "And I must say, darling, today you seem particularly happy; you are practically glowing," Rarity adds. "Not that any of us are complaining; I'm just saying you seem pretty cheerful today." "Yeah, more cheerful than usual, even," Twilight mentions with some suspicion. "As Rarity said, we are all happy for you, but are you sure you are okay, Pinkie? After what happened to Marcus…" "...I'm sure, Twily!" Pinkie interrupts as she appears in front of the alicorn. I know what happened was terrible, but after much thought last night, I decided not to focus on the negative and keep a happy face. Otherwise, Marcus would have won, and I will not let him," Pinkie proclaims in determination. Dash smirked and shook her head. "Right, lots and lots of thinking. I'm still saying she got herself a date with Mr. Fingy in the stink…" Dash points at Pinkie before Rarity shoves an apple fritter into Dash's mouth as she laughs with embarrassment. "Okay, Dash! That is not table conversation this early, darling!" Rarity complains with a big flush as she points at Amon with her head, and he looks at both, confused. "There is a gentlecolt present for Celestia sake!" Dash only rolls her eyes and nods before eating her treat in silence. "Amon, by all means, please join us," Celestia invited him, and Fluttershy pulled a chair next to him with a calm demeanor. Amon was feeling awkward at the whole thing but decided to ignore it and take a seat. "Thanks." "Well, now that we all gather, this is as good a time as anything to begin, and let's start with introductions. Amon, I don't believe you haven't met Rainbow Dash and Starlight yet, correct?" "Not in person, but Pinkie and Yellow… aw, Shy, Apple, and Raw have told me about you." Pinkie can't help but laugh at that, as the rest have mixed reactions. "Darleen, we understand you have difficulty with names, but please don't butch my name like that; it makes me feel like I'm a piece of meat; it's Rarity Ra-Ri-Ty," The white unicorn complained calmly after shivering at the improvised name. "And I told you, if it's too hard, just call me AJ partner. I'm not a fruit," AJ mentions more casually. "You can keep calling me Shy if it helps," Fluttershy offers. "And you can call me Awesome because that is what I'm; nice to meet you, dude," The blue pegasus with rainbow mane complains on a chill tune. "Likewise," The light purple unicorn replies as Amon takes a better look at both of them. The pegasus was wearing a thick brown avian jacket with a golden wing patch on the chest, and avian insignias on the sleeves. Sunglasses resting on top of her rainbow color mane, dark blue jeans with some holes on it, a white tank top that expose her belly and piercing on his belly button and a golden earing on her right ear, giving her a lay back appearance. The unicorn, in contrast, had a more professional appearance, with her silver best, square long shirt, and long dark purple skirt. Her mane comb, which was tied around her bum, gave her a teacher's air. "And I don't know how much they told you about us, so if it's okay with you, allow us to give you a proper introduction," The unicorn began before clearing her throat. "My name is Starlight Glimmer; I'm currently the chancellor of Twilight school as well as her apprentice," Starlight mentions with a short smile. "A chancellor and a princess apprentice?" Amon repeats before looking at Twilight, "How does that work? Why does it even have to be like that? The economy is so bad that the princess cannot guarantee a secure job. Even your apprentice needs two?" "Two jobs? What do you mean…? Ah, Amon, I think you are confused; Starlight and I both work at the school; I'm the principal there and…" "Even the princess needs two jobs!?!" That only seems to raise even further questions in Amon: "Seriously, how bad is the economy here?" Everyone looked at Amon, confused by that statement, minus Pinkie, who couldn't stop laughing at how things were playing out. "Okay, we can circle back to that later. Better move on." The pegasus quickly adds, "The name is Rainbow Dash, which I'm sure you already heard of since I'm the star of the best flying team of Equestria, which is the Wonderbolts." Dash is filled with pride as she gloats and flies in place with a big grin and closed eyes. She last in that pose for a few seconds before opening an eye to stare at Amon, who stares back at her in confusion. "The Wonderbolts," She repeats, which does nothing as the stallion keeps staring at her in confusion, pondering why she thought that name meant anything. After some tension and silence, Dash looked back at him. "Seriously? Nothing? Come on, dude. There's no need to hold anything back. You can be amazed here," Dash encouraged him. "...okay? Why?" Amon finally replied slowly, still in the dark about what she was saying Dash froze briefly before replying, "Are you seriously asking that? Star of the Wonderbolts?! Right in front of you?! HI?!" Dahs insisted in complete astonishment on how little reaction she was getting from Amon. "Lady, I'm sorry I'm not familiar with your book club or whatever else the Wonderbolts are supposed to be, so I don't know what else to tell you." "You… what… book club?! You think we are a…WHAT?! I just… words… failing…can comprehend…" Amon was surprised at how Rainbow Dash was in the middle of having a mental meltdown out of the blue as he leaned back and looked at Fluttershy. "Is she okay?" Amon asks in worry. "I… I'm not sure," Fluttershy replies, standing up alongside Twilight to help her friend. The princess in question summoned a paper bag so Dash could breathe in and help the pegasus return to her seat. "It's okay, Dash. It's okay, just breathe. We talk about this. The stallion knows next to nothing about Equestria. He barely knew about the princesses, for pony's sake. There was a strong possibility he didn't know about the Wonderbolts either." Twilight encourages her as Dash sits with Fluttershy, rubbing the other pegasus. "How!?" Dash asks with a paper bag on her snout. "The Wonderbolts are the most recognized and best flying team in Equestria?! We… we have the best P.R. in the world, there are posters of us everywhere" Dash list. "I'm wondering about that myself," AJ replied, looking at Amon. “You didn't see any of his publicity before, sugarcube?" The farmer asked him with a raised eyebrow. “At the very least, you should have seen their poster once: three pegasus in blue uniform in line, looking at the horizon." "That thing? Yeah, I saw it once or twice; you are right. It was everywhere, but I thought it was for a…" Amon stops looking at Dash in worry. "...a nevermind." "No! No, go ahead, tell us," Pinkie asks, intrigued. "I… I don't think the blue one would like my answer, Pink," Amon replied. "Dashy? Nah, she is cool. She can take it. Go ahead," Pinkie encourages Amon, and after thinking about it, he complies. "Just keep in mind I can't read, so I was basing myself on the picture alone, so I thought those flyers were for a… circus or an ad to sell you something, like flying travels or a tourist opportunity." Dash's gasp was so strong that she actually swallowed the paper bag and started choking on it. The rest remained quiet, minus Fluttershy and Twilight, who were helping Dash spit the paper bag. "For the sake of Rainbow Dash's sanity and wishing not to get too sidetracked, we might want to put that discussion at a later date as well," Celestia offered, looking at Rainbow Dash with worry before looking at Amon. "There was one last person we wanted to introduce you to, a dragon. Yet, unfortunately, he got down with a case of the flu so that he couldn't join us today." "A… dragon?" Amon asks, equally confused and frightened at meeting a fire-breathing giant dragon. "Oh no! Spike is not like those giant fire-breathing dragons that destroy towns; he is a friendly, smaller one." Pinkie was quick to answer, gaining Amon's attention. "How did you know I was thinking that?" "Marcus once told us about dragons in your world; they love playing around with dice in dungeons and are well-known to be very mean, right?" "Ah… yeah, let's go with that," Amon concedes, not wanting to get sidetracked again. "Better go back to the subject at hand." "Agree, there is much to be discussed and more to explain." Luna nods. "My interrogation with Mark Cross reveals quite an alarming subject, which I believe Starlight Glimmer is better suited to explain so you can better understand the situation. As well as why and how you ended up in Equestria in the first place, Amon," Luna tells in a more somber tune. Amon remains quiet at the news before nodding and paying attention to the light purple unicorn. "Yeah, it will be nice finally getting some answers as to what is going on and how you are involved with a group of cultist nutjobs." Starlight flinches for a second before composing herself and taking a deep breath. "Yeah, it really hurts me saying this, but there is a connection between them and me. They," Starlight pauses and grabs her hands as she lowers her head in shame. "They exist because of me," she finally confesses with a low tune, gaining Amon's full attention. "Excuse me?" Amon asked, with a degree of anger in his tune as Pinkie stood up. "It was long ago, and Starlight never intended this to happen!" She quickly replied, "Nobody is perfect, and Starlight she… was confused." "It's okay, Pinkie. Amon has every right to be mad with me," Starlight replies before looking at the stallion. "Please allow me to explain everything. I may have been indirect, but in a way, I'm responsible for how things end up. You see, those ponies are ex-members of a community I…" Starlight stops herself and shakes her head. "I might as well use the correct name for it." "A cult," Amon finished for her with a cold and venomous voice as everyone looked at him in surprise, even though Amon was talking calmly, almost ominously, about how he was glaring at Starlight. "That is what you wanted to say, didn't you Purple? You were a cult leader? Or should I say, ARE?" As he speaks, dark sparks start to discharge from Amon's body and eyes. "Calm yourself, Amon," Celestia tells him, standing up in alert at his rising anger. The girls do the same, starting to get afraid. "I know this is hard, but Starlight did not have anything to do with your current predicament, and frankly, you are not in a precarious situation, so I advise you to control your emotions and…" "NO CELESTIA!" Amon finally yells and stands up, creating a wind vacuum that sends the table and food flying as sparks of lighting are discharging. "You have NO opinion here. You didn't suffer like I did; you didn't have everything taken away from you, including your species. I spent years in hell. I have experienced things that would make all of you barf! So don't tell me to calm down!" Amon lists with a glare that Celestia matches, yet his anger remains. "She is not your enemy, and you know it" Celestia replies coldly. "Forgive me if that is still not enough, accident or not, she was the spark that started this mess," Amon replied coldly before looking at Starlight, who seemed to be on the verge of tears as she mumbled sorry to herself, the others slowly gathering around her. Amon was slightly startled when he felt a hand grabbing his own, and when he turned, he saw a Fluttershy squishing his hand, looking straight at him in the eyes. After breathing steam from his nose, Amon looked back at Starlight. "Finish the story." "I'm not that mare anymore; I did that because I…" "I don't want to hear the excuses; I want to hear what happens," Amon interrupts her coldly. "Finish. The. Story." Amon's words make Starlight flinch and make her feel so small that she can only nod like a filly being scolded by her parents before nodding. "Long before I met Twilight and her friends, I was upset with the concept of cutie marks and how they divide us into classes. Or at least that is how I view the world after my friend got his cutie mark and left me. By removing our individuality, I wanted to make a better and happier world, one where nobody is better than the rest, where we all are equal. Amon sighs and shakes his head. "Because, of course, you wanted that. No wonder those ponies want you dead in the most horrifying way. I'm starting to see their point, and you have no idea how much that wants me to puke." Starlight just kept her head low as she nodded briefly. "I wouldn't blame them either," Starlight said, getting Amon's attention. "I was a hypocrite who kept my cutie mark, thinking I was doing the best for everyone. That infuriates the most of every pony; after I escape, I… I did something worse later on, and if it wasn't for Twilight's intervention and mercy, I dread to imagine where I would have ended up." Starlight looked back at Twilight, who smiled and placed her hand over Starlight's shoulder before she could continue. "Months later, I returned to the city that I helped create because of an invitation. I was fully hoping the ponies I left behind would be furious, wanting some retribution or anything, yet instead, I was received with forgiveness and comprehension despite my actions. They found community and understanding among them, and the town continues to thrive." Amon doesn't say anything, yet he is more than a little surprised in disbelief at what he is hearing and how she was spared despite brainwashing and who knows what else she could have possibly done. "I managed to gather a large group before, so I never imagined that not all ponies share the same view, and apparently, their hatred toward me evolved into something horrific," Starlight mentions while holding her head. "I can answer that," Luna elaborated, taking control of the conversation. "According to Mark's statement, there was a small faction of ponies that, unlike the rest, I'm afraid they still hold a grudge against, Fair Starlight. Feeling used and humiliated, they retreated into an obscure location where they had time to think and plan." Nobody knew how to reply as they exchanged glances. Luna continued, "It didn't help when the news of you being reformed and appointed as Twilight student reached their ears; for them, it was the biggest confirmation of an unjust world, and they gave up on Equestria law soon after." "Great, so on top of being a cultist group, it turns out I'm the result of a bunch of terrorists then," Amon sighs in exasperation. "You may not be too far off, Amon; these ponies follow the past steps of Starlight and decide to break the rules and dive into forbidden magic, wishing to obtain new power. Glancing at your body, it is clear they may have attempted to find a shortcut into ascension and power, a concerning subject that begs the question of what exactly they performed and how far they are planning to go?" "Does it matter?" Dash asks. "I mean, didn't Amon already blow them up, leaving only Mark as the sole survivor?" "I'm afraid he wasn't the last one," Luna answered. Mark mentions that even though he doesn't know the exact number, others also survive. And they have been chasing Amon from the start." Having heard enough, Amon stood up and turned around. "Amon, please wait. I know all of this is hard, but we still need to talk about this and…" Celestia called and reached out to Amon yet the stallion just pulled away from her and stared at her in the eyes with anger and on the verge of tears. It appears he wishes to say something but is unable to form any words. The tension in the room was palpable until Amon finally turned around and just left the room without saying anything else, closing the door with force as he was having trouble controlling his emotions. The room behind was left in very heavy tension, as the mares were a bit taken aback. A part of them knew where his anger was coming from, and for now, they believed that some space could do Amon good and give him time to think.
Treating Emotional Wounds (Edited By PW)Author's Note Merry Christmas to all! Treating Emotional Wounds (Edited By PW) After storming out of the dining room, Amon kept wandering through the castle, getting lost repeatedly until one maid pointed him in the right direction at his destination or at least the closest thing to what he needed. The royal wine cellar where he didn't waste time raiding the place, choking on as much alcohol as he could while sitting in the corner of one room, until he heard a familiar voice. "You know, that wine market price is estimated to be around four thousand bits per bottle," Purple and his group mention, with a neutral expression, getting worried at the various empty bottles surrounding the poor stallion. "Counting the one in your hand and in your pockets, I easily see 35 bottles," Brick says, concerned for Amon's safety and the puddles of wine that were forming around him. “Are you ok dude? The entire castle began a search party once you start bursting doors” "They care, good to know," Amon replies with a glare before returning to his bottle. "You call it off and tell them that you found me. Now fuck off." "Yeah, that is not going to happen, bud," Blissy replies, approaching Amon. "I don't know what put your boxers on a knot, but we can't just let you drink, the royal cellar…" "Why not!?" Amon snapped back, pointing at her and almost dripping red wine all over her uniform. "Equestria already took my liver, eye, and teeth. So I say they owe me big time! A healthy liver alone could be worth 50 thousand easily." He lifted the bottle. "So consider this first payment. Now leave me alone so I can get black-out drunk in peace!" The guards remain quiet before Purple sighs, grabs a nearby crate, and sits down, his friends doing something similar. "Can you at least share?" Purple suggests, "That way, it will not be concerning and sad." "Whatever," Amon holds the bottle in his arms. "I don't think I could keep drinking this shit alone much longer anyway," Amon replies with a disgusted expression as he stares at the bottle. "Seriously, who likes drinking this stuff?" Amon asks no one as he rolls one still-full bottle toward them as Brick picks it up. And grab some mugs to serve him and his friends. "Amon, I hate bursting your bubble, but for the sake of your sanity, I should inform you that an alicorn metabolism would target and cleanse invasive agents on their stomach 5 times faster than a normal pony," Bliss mentions him in a somber tune. "What does that mean?" Amon asks, chucking more of the content of his bottle. "It means that even if you drink this entire cellar, the only thing you would achieve is the urge to pee." She finished, making Amon pause mid-drink. There are rumors of a secret cellar reserved only for the princesses to give them a buzz, but nobody believes it even exists." "And before you give any ideas, the stories said they are stocked somewhere only the princesses would know outside the castle," Bricks adds before Amon can get any ideas. "FUCK!" Amon yells and throws the bottle into a wall, shattering the glass and spreading its contents as he holds his head. "I can't even get drunk?! God damn it, Fuck! FUCK! Am I some kind of sick joke to god? Is that it, god? You want to see me suffer, you fucking prick? Why don't you just kill me already?!" Amon yells at the ceiling. "Hey! Hey! Dude, calm down. Take deep breaths here." Purple urges in concern. "Please, why don't you tell us what happened and how you ended up here?" It takes a moment, but Amon finally manages to calm down enough to sigh and close his eyes. "I was born cursed with the worst possible luck imaginable; that is what is going on." "Yeah, we figure that you were dealt with a crappy hand at the start, but do we really need to keep reminding you of… oh, I don't know? BEEN an alicorn?!" Blissy reminds him sternly. Amon was surprised at that before getting angry and standing up. "And you think what it cost me makes it a fair trade?" Amon starts advancing, making Bliss back away. "My friends, my family, my home, my life, my body, my fucking SANITY! All gone because a stupid bitch couldn't accept the fact that her crush didn't reciprocate her feelings!" "Amon, please calm down," Purple asks him, getting in between him and Blissy Brick, who is getting ready to restrain Amon if needed. "No, I don't want to hear it!" Amon points at them before advancing toward another cellar and grabbing another bottle. "Before I met you, my life was more stable. It was shit, but at least I was ok living under the belief I was cursed, a homeless person just wandering around without any idea on how things could get worse!" He takes another big gulp of his drink before addressing the 3. "Now I find out that I'm just some kind of accident from a bunch of cultists trying to hide their mistake under the rug. Cultist that only exists because Ms. Jonestown was caught before she got the chance of spiking the punch," Amon exclaims, tossing and breaking the bottle under his fit before looking at the 3. While shaking his head, he started to back away. "So don't ask me to calm down because rage… rage is the only thing I have left." "That is not true; you still have us," Purple tells him. "Us?" Amon points at him and chuckles sarcastically.. "No, no, no, I'm not so sure if there is still an "us" here. Not as long as ponies like Purple get away with only a slap on the wrist and a cozy job at the palace, and psychopaths that she made are treated like she just spilled milk." "Are you talking about Starlight Glimmer?" Brick asks before getting surprised. "By Celestia, that is what you meant when you said her name was Ms. Jonestown? Did she have a relapse?" Amon just remains quiet. "I don't know, I don't care. She can go to hell," he says as he leaves. "Hey, where are you going?" "Since I can't get drunk, I'd like to go somewhere where I can be alone," Amon says coldly without looking back. The guards just look at each other, unsure whether they should chase after him or not, until they decide to respect his wishes for the time being. In the meantime, at the dining room, the princesses and mane six were still discussing the problematic situation they had in their hands once a group of servants brought a new table and food for them to finish their meal. "Well, I'm gonna say it because we are all thinking about it; what happens now?" Dash mentions out loud, "Putting the Amon deal aside, we still have to worry about a freaking cult coming after us with magic that can make alicorns. We need to do something and fast before we have an army of brainwashed alicorn monsters or something worse coming after us." "Dash is right." Celestia nods before looking at Luna. "Did Mark tell you anything else? Sister?" "Only their last base of operation, the name of their group, and how they gather their funds on the black market. I want to make preparations, but tracking them down will not be easy, and as things stand, until they reveal their face, they have the upper hand on the situation," Luna explained with a sigh while looking down. "I'm afraid this new threat will present its challenges, unlike other foes from the past." The room was quiet for a moment before Starlight gained everyone's attention. "I can track them," she said. Her comments also gained the attention of everyone: "I know how to traverse the black market, including where and whom to talk to when you wish to track those who want to disappear, especially if they have been making a living in that hellhole." Starlight looks at the royal sisters. "Plus, I'm the reason this mess started in the first place; it's only fair that I fix it." "Absolutely not," Luna said, putting her hoof down. Starlight, we appreciate the offer and the initiative, but these are highly unstable and dangerous ponies to whom you have awoken a primal fury and thirst for revenge. As is, you and Amon are their most prominent targets." "But…" Starlight argues, only to be interrupted. "I'm afraid I must agree with Luna here, Starlight," Celestia adds. "We appreciate the offer, but it would be best if you and he remain in the castle while we work on another solution. Do not dread it. We know of a way to traverse the black market, too. We will find this group in no time." "So you expect me to stay in the castle while you risk your lives? What about Amon? And his chasers? They could still be out there," Starlight asks in indignation. "Starlight is right," Fluttershy adds. "We can't just leave him alone; he needs his friends more than ever." "Yeah! Someone needs to help him turn that frown upside down." Pinkie mentions standing up as well. "Agree, that is why it would be best if we continued in his friendship lessons and that you stay with us for the time being, Starlight," Celestia mentions, surprising the unicorn. "What? Ah, princess. Not to contradict you, but he is not exactly my fan right now. Are you sure leaving us under the same roof will be wise?" "I know it sounds baffling, but because of your shared past, you should spend time together to heal each other. After all, wasn't this what you wanted in part? To be held responsible for your past? To be hated and yelled at and called a monster for your actions? Everyone here has forgiven you your misdeeds from the past, even if you view it as a bit rushed, we still pardon you because we knew the true value of kindness, second chances, and understanding of true repentance, but I ask Starlight. Have you ever had the chance to forgive yourself?" Luna asks with a concerned tone. Starlight can't think of a red bottle and can only remain quiet. "That is what I thought; we can't change what we once were, and we can't take the blame for the actions that others did for our past. Just like you can't take responsibility for this cult, I can't respond to the actions of the Lunar Republic. We can only be responsible for our actions; this is a lesson both you and Amon must learn together." "But how? Now that he knows, he will never listen to anything I have to say," Starlight asks, on the verge of tears. Celestia smiles and lifts Starlight's chin. "With patience and time. The wound is still fresh, so it needs to be treated as soon as possible. It hurts at first and will be more than uncomfortable, but it needs to be done. If you ignore it, then it will just get infected. That is why you need to remain here; if our words can't reach you, then maybe Amon will, as we all help heal him in return." Starlight smiled and choked a little before cleaning her face. "Okay, princess… I… I think I can try." "I have faith in you, Starlight. If you can deal with two old mares bickering, I'm sure you can take care of this as well," Celestia jokes, bringing some color to Starlight's cheeks. "The hours grow late, sister; I must return to my chambers," Luna says, pointing at a grandfather clock. "I concur, sister, it's getting late. We can resume this conversation in the afternoon; for now, the best is to study our enemy and think of a plan; the royal library is at your disposal." "You can count on us, princesses! We will think of something by the time you are back," Twilight proclaims as her friends cheer. "And meanwhile, Starlight and I can go look for Amon," Pinkie offers as she hugs Starlight, hugging the unicorn. "Ah, Pinkie, are you sure that would be wise?" Starlight asks in concern as Pinkie nods repeatedly "Yeah, silly; we wouldn't want him doing something silly like trying to escape and chase after those bad ponies, right?" The room grows quiet at that idea as everyone gets surprised. "Agree; please look after Amon and ensure he doesn't do anything rash, Pinkie," Celestia asks her as the rest nod. Dash then notices something and looks around before addressing the group, "Hey, where did Fluttershy go?" The rest noticed how their shy friend seemed to have just vanished without anyone noticing. Sometime later, Amon kept stumbling his way through the castle opening and closing doors everywhere as he had no choice but to ask the guards for directions even if he himself wasn’t sure where he was going, and just stick to just ask where there were fewer ponies and what directions to avoid like the throne room, the kitchen and changing rooms after one awkward instance where he almost saw something he didn’t want to see and complicate his emotions even further. Eventually Amon resign to just headed to the royal garden and lost himself as deep as he could inside of it, where he could finally be alone with his thoughts as he stare at the horizon while leaning against a tree Downing the remaining of his last bottle Amon throws it away and sigh in exhaustion and looking at sky. I can’t even numb the pain, why me? Am I really cursed? Born with the worst luck…? Amon thought of himself before getting startled when he felt a snout on his side, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a wolf poking him with his ears behind her back as it cried. Surprise, Amon recognized it as the same mama wolf he had met not too long ago, and sure enough, her cubs were not too far away as they appeared around her. All of them looked directly at him. His surprise soon turned to curiosity until the reflection of one of the bottles from afar caught his attention for a moment. Then the wolf said, "Sorry for startling you and your kids, ma'am. I just… I just had a day." Amon sighed and lay down on the bottom of the tree as he prepared to close his eyes again, only to open them once he felt the wolf's head resting on his chest. "Hey, what are you…?" The cubs interrupt him when they start to move erratically and lick his face. "Okay, okay, stop it, I… I'm not in the mood." Amon tries to push them away, but they don't seem to let out, so with a frustrated sigh, he relents and allows them to get comfortable. "Fine, you win." Amon starts to pet them until they seem to have calmed down, staying close to him and closing their eyes. "At least you are soft, and you have each other," Amon mumbles as he pets the head of Mama Wolf. "It must be nice having a place to live with your species." As he scratches her ear, Amon suddenly remembers last night, particularly a bit Pinkie said. "...a place with other humans," Amom mumbles as he slowly sits down. The wolves look at him in confusion. "She said that, a way home, so if she was telling the truth…" "Amon?" Fluttershy's voice alerts him, and when Amon turns back, he sees the pegasus in question being guided by a robin as they approach him tentatively. The pegasus stops in surprise when she notices how Amon is holding a cub in one hand and petting Mama Wolf with another one. "Shy… Sha… Fluttershy?" Amon finally recalled her name. "What… how did you find me?" Fluttershy could only point at the robin that landed on her finger, which surprised Amon. "A little bird literally told you?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow as Fluttershy nods slowly. "Wow, just wow… I shouldn't be surprised, but I'm starting to think birds here love to talk and spy on others." The robin starts to chip aggressively at that. "He says that you are thinking squirrels," Fluttershy responds with a lost gaze. "Right," Amon rolled his eyes and leaned on the tree again, the wolves resting on his lap. "Well, you find me; now, leave me alone." Fluttershy seems to ignore that as she starts to breathe in and start mumbling to herself. Amon catches glimpses of her saying something about her being able to do this and just needing to soldier on before advancing and standing in front of the stallion. "Amon, I'm horny," She finally blurts. "What?" Amon asks in confusion and surprise. "WORRY! I meant Worry!" Fluttershy clarified with a deep red face before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I'm extremely worried for you, Amon, me, and the rest of my friends. The way you just left the dining room after you heard about Starlight, I… we thought you may do something drastic." She says as she glances at some of the empty bottles around Amon, "It's like raiding the royal cellar." "Don't worry. I can't get drunk, and considering what Ms. Jonestone did and where she is now, I imagine the princesses are now discussing if they should make me the ambassador of public relationships or something like that," Amon exclaims in anger. Fluttershy sighs and shakes her head. "Amon, I know this is hard to hear, but don't you think you are taking this somewhat out of proportion?" Fluttershy asks with a nervous smile. "Gee, I don't know, Fluttershy. Let me answer that with another question." Amon stood up. "Better yet, let's make this mental example so you can get a better idea." Amon put the cub down and started circling the pegasus. "Let's imagine for a moment that… there is this arsonist, a naughty pony that is off his rockets and just loves to see ponies burned alive with this psychotic smile on his face. Let's imagine that this arsonist broke into your house, tied you up, and forced you to watch as he burned everything around you as he laughed. What the hell! Let's be dramatic and say he burns your pets, family, and special pony, too!" Amon raises his hands in the air and increases the volume of his voice, yet Fluttershy remains firm. "You get the picture? Now imagine that the only way you escape is because you broke away from your chains and used them to bludge that psycho repeatedly to death, and now you have to live with the nightmares of blood, flesh, and burned fur engraved on your head. Amon points at his head as he stands in front of Fluttershy, kneeling a little so they can be at eye level. "Fast-forward ten years, and you meet the captain of the fire department, who, surprise, surprise, in his youth, was also an arsonist. And he is the father of the same arsonist who took everything to you, plus he taught his son exactly how to burn things. Could you forgive him?!" "I do," Fluttershy says stoically, making Amon retreat and look at her, surprised at how she stood her ground. "And I stand with what I say." Amon starts laughing and turns around, "Oh, this is rich. Even now, you are still defending her. Okay, for the sake of fairness, I will give you a try. Go ahead, tell me right here and now, why should I say anything to Ms. Jonestown? Why should I let her explain herself?" Amon defies her by pointing at the ground. "In both the context of your example and my friend, neither hurt me or any other pony," Fluttershy tells him with a slight glare. "Yes, both of them did bad things, but Starlight never hurt anyone; she deceived others and used mild mind control once, but never once resorted to torture, violence, and inhumane actions. Like your captors did, and you know it." Amon remains quiet, taking some deep breaths before pointing at her, not sure how to reply and finding the right words until he has no choice but to say his reply. "You… clever mare." Mark suddenly gets an idea. I still need them to tell me that option Pinkie mentioned. Maybe I should use them to get out of here. "So you are not mad at her anymore?" Fluttershy asks hopefully as Amon starts walking with her close by. "I never said that; I'm just saying that you have a point; she may still be a cult… ex-cult leader, but you haven't lied to me yet, and… well, I… trss…" "What was that?" Fluttershy asks, blinking a couple of times. "I say that I rather trushsfign you." "I still don't get it." "I say I rather trust you! There! Happy?!" Amon immediately felt Fluttershy flying to him and bringing him into a strong hug. For whatever reason, her chest once more was pressing against the side of his face, catching him off guard. "Oh, Amon! That is so kind of you to say! Thank you so much! You are the sweetest stallion ever! I promise you. I'll not betray your trust; I assure you Starlight is a nice mare that you only need to get to know better," Fluttershy says as she uses her wings and excitement to spin them around. "Fluttershy! Stop! Stop! We talked about this! Your chest… I can feel your boobs in my ear! Stop it! I'm losing my balance!" Amon warns her, but it is too late as they both feel the wolf barking and approaching the two as the cubs want to join the game. Amon tries to pry Fluttershy away from his face, yet she seems to have a firmer grip than usual. Their moment is soon interrupted when they both hear someone clearing her throat. Stopping both ponies, look ahead to see Viola looking at them with a smirk and her arms crossed. "Vivi, I swear, this is NOT how it looks." "I overheard how you seem lost and getting yourself into trouble all over the castle, particularly stumbling your way in the mare changing room. Seriously, sir, if you were feeling lonely, you only needed to ask me," Viola mentions as she stares at Amon. Both Amon and Fluttershy's faces turn red from Vivi's light teasing.
Old Plans New Angles ( Edited By PW)While the stallion was guided to his room by his companions, Vivi was having the time of her life, teasing poor Amon all the way there. "Just be wary of the feathers, Amon. They are ticklish at the tip but sensitive at the base, so you may want to explore lightly." For his part, Amon was utterly lost on what the heck Vivi was implying. Still, her giggles and how Fluttershy kept trying to hide her face behind her mane with a bright red face gave him a clue of the nature behind her 'advice,' which only served to confuse him even more about how that is even related to an act of the sexual kind. "For the fifty times, Vivi, we weren't doing anything, especially whatever perverted bizarre fantasy that you are having in that head of yours." "Right, right?" Vivi nods with a sarcastic tone and a smirk as she turns around. "It just so happens that your face found her cleavage while you were doing what? Hugging while lying on the ground? Totally incredible" Amon remains quiet momentarily before replying, "We were standing when the hug happened, and she stumbles me onto the ground." "Oh, so she just decided to hug you with her boobs then? Yeah, that makes way more sense. You are at least a head and a half taller than her, yet, for some reason, she just decided to fly up and give you a free motorboating out of the blue because?" Vivi questions, crossing her arms as she flies backward. "Care to answer that, Fluttershy?" Amon questions, looking at her very silent companion. "...I only wanted to show you how happy I was that you trust me." "Yeah, I felt two hard molds that showed how happy you were with me then. Wait, I just heard myself. Vivi, don't you dare take that out of context?" Amon asked in alarm, but the maid was already smirking and laughing as she turned around. "Don't worry, sir, there is no judgment here. One of these days, I too may want to show you how happy I am to see you, too." Amon could only growl in frustration as Fluttershy kept her head down with her big blush. I completely forgot all the mares in this world are thirsty 24/7. God, I'm living the dream of any pervert, and I hate it! I need to get out of here before I go full native! Amon decided to change the subject before Viola could tease them even more. "So Fluttershy, the other mares, are they also looking for me?" Fluttershy, in turn, shook her head. "There was another subject we needed to focus on, but I overheard Pinkie saying how she and Starlight would be looking for you, too, thinking you may do something drastic while blinded by rage." "Define drastic?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "W-Well, this was mostly Pinkie suggesting it, but we thought you may leave the castle and try confronting your attackers yourself." "Huh." That is all Amon says while looking at Fluttershy before looking ahead of him "Y-You are not gonna do that, right Amon? R-Right?!" Fluttershy asks him in alarm when he goes silent. "We will see," Amon replies, which only increases the concerns of both mares. Yet before any of them could say anything, their group stumbles into Pinkie and Starlight, who seem to be slightly out of breath and looking for them, for how they rush to them the moment they see Amon. "Hi Amon, where were you? We got worried when you weren't in your room, and… why do you smell like liquor?" Pinkie asks with a happy smile and tune that slowly morphs into one of surprise and concern once she takes a sniff of the air surrounding the stallion. "I went for a drink," Amon replied sarcastically. "I thought you didn't drink," Pinkie mentions, blinking several times. "I don't," Amon answered while glaring at Starlight, "But I needed one after what I heard, for all the good that it was." He sighed in frustration. "Alicorns can't get drunk, lucky me." The comment doesn't help Starlight's self-esteem, as she keeps her head low and gathers her hands. With an exhausted sigh, Amon crosses his arms and stares at her. "But enough with the pity party. I'm waiting, Ms. Jonestown." "Ms. Jonestown?" Starlight is confused as she looks at Amon. "That is not my…" "Long story, just know it's a bad thing, but Fluttershy convinced me to give an opportunity to earn back my trust, so I want to hear it; I want to hear exactly how you are gonna fix the mess you started." That surprised Starlight greatly, and a smile started forming on her face. "Y-You are willing to give me a chance?" "Please don't hug me!" Amon backs away, fearing what she may do. "I know how mares like to hug in Equestria." "Huh?" Starlight looked at Amon confused and looked at Vivi, who was laughing behind her hand before shaking her head. "So… your plan?" Amon repeats, waiting for her idea. "R-Right! Right, well, our first course of action is exploring the black market since that is the primary source of income of this new group calling themselves…" "...The Gallileous, yeah, I'm aware of what those cultists call themselves," Amon interrupted with a nod. "Please continue." "...right, it seems obvious you may know their name." Starlight cleared her throat before continuing, "Anyway, the idea is that we go there to find clues and, with any luck, a trace for us to follow back to their hideout, and then we'll go there and put an end to their activities and arrest them." "Sounds like a good start," Amon mentions neutrally. "Okay, let's find those bastards. I want to be there when you make the arrest and make sure they do not just get a slap in the risk and stern wording," Amon demands as his eyes shine. "I want to see them receive the punishment they deserve, and if Equestria doesn't do it, I will, and I swear, Ms. Jonestone, I'll make sure they will never eat solids again if it comes to that," Amon promises in a venomous, cold voice as he advances, making all the mares shiver as he moves through the hallway until Starlight stops him with both arms raised. "A-And justice will be served accordingly! I can promise you that. Also, we appreciate your offering…" "Why do I feel like there is a but coming up?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow at Starlight's statement as she starts to sweat. "Well, the thing is. The princesses thought that you and me…" The castle hallways around the two heard Amon's echoing scream of discontent, alerting everyone, including Princess Celestia and Inkwell, as they both were going through some documents. This forced them to look at the main entrance door, where moments later, Amon burst through with a scold in his eyes as he advanced. Surprised, the guards quickly step into action and rush toward him to block his advances. "You can NOT do this to me, Celestia!" "Ah, Amon, I must admit, after you stormed away from the dining room, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. In less than ideal moment either," Celestia mentions in a neutral tone, maintaining her regal face and calm demeanor to prevent the situation from escalating further. On the other hand, Amon was far from done as he pointed at her. "You expect me just to sit back and do nothing while you send some random ponies to deal with the ones that make my life a living hell?!" "No, I intend to impart justice to those who broke it and keep my kingdom safe while you remain here to continue to treat your physical and emotional wounds," Celestia fires back as she stands up and brings her hands behind her back. “Now, please, Amon, is there really no way for us to postpone this conversation? I'm more than willing to lend an ear if that is what you desire, just not now." Amon tries to approach, but the guards don't let him advance. Soon, Pinkie, Vivi Starlight, and Fluttershy reach the room, too, and they don't waste time grabbing Amon by the arms. "Amon, did you just lose your mind?! You can't just barge in the throne room. Specially! In the middle of the day court!" Vivi yells in alarm as she keeps pulling him away as he resists. "Please excuse us, your highness! We have everything under control here, just a small hiccup." Starlight apologies, getting in front of them, and the guards with both arms raised a red face and a nervous smile. "No, you don't! You can't just drop this bomb and expect me to do nothing! They took everything from me! I have the right to put an end to those bastards!" Amon yells. "Amon, please!" Fluttershy pleads, grabbing his head. "I know you are furious right now, scared and hurt, but this is why we don't want you to rush. You… really want to become that thing again?" The question of Fluttershy gives Amon pause as he finally relaxes and lowers his arms as he takes a deep breath. "This isn't over, Celestia," Amon promises before turning around and letting the mares take him away. "I'm sure it isn't. Once I'm free from my duties, I will listen to anything you wish to share," Celestia responds calmly as she sits down. "Your Highness, are you sure it's okay to let him go like that?" one of the guards asked the princess in surprise. "I'm sure, as Fluttershy said, the poor stallion is confused and hurt. He needs time to reflect and breathe. So, it is fortunate that ponies are willing to assist. Inform Purple and his team of Amon's location; something tells me that Amon is finally ready to hear them out." Rather than take him to his room to take out his rage, Vivi took Amon to an empty dance hall, where there was nothing he could break in a fit of rage. Her idea seemed to work as Amon could only resort to mumbling angrily at himself as he paced back and forth, cursing the name of Celestia constantly for various minutes. "How long has he been going?" Vivi asks Starlight as they both watch the stallion against the wall. The unicorn checks a clock before looking back at Amon. "Around 15 minutes, all and all, I say he is taking things well. I feared he would be shooting magic or flying around by now." "Ah yeah, about that… Amon can't do either of those," Vivi replies in concern, gaining the attention of Starlight. "But I thought he could if he was angry," Pinkie asks, equally confused. "His hands do crazy things, and there was the time when those bad ponies tried to assault you, Vivi, yet he hasn't done anything yet. Why is that?" "I also heard Mark accidentally removed some curse that prevented him from using magic. So there should at least be sparks from what you are saying," Starlight mentions as she starts to think, "Could it be that his magic is in some sort of stasis state?" "You know I can still hear you, right?" Amon complained as he stood in front of them, staring at the mares, who jumped a little. "And for your information, maybe it is for the best if I can't use magic. I'm not interested, and perhaps my body finally decided to listen, so don't worry about that." "Wh-What? You mean to tell me you are unconsciously suppressing… that is not how unicorn magic works"? Starlight complained, astonished. Yet before she could say anything else, Fluttershy walked into the room with a pack of dogs of various races, as well as Purple and his friends. "Amon, wait before you do anything else. I have friends that want to meet you," Fluttershy mentions as she approaches the animals. Amon is slightly startled when the dogs don't waste time surrounding him. "I told them you've been having a bad day, and I remember how…" Fluttershy shivers and closes her eyes before speaking. "Lupe wanted to cheer you up with her pups," she asks in a broken voice before clearing her throat and continuing to speak. "So I thought my friends could help you out once more." "And maybe get you less grumpy; what do you say, dude, ready to talk, or do you need more time to breathe?" Purple asks as Amon remains quiet and sigh "You are lucky; I would never say no to petting a dog," Amon says as he kneels and starts interacting with the dogs. "Yeah, I can talk." "Thank Celestia," Purple sighed in satisfaction while looking at the ceiling. "Because the pity act was starting to get old." "Fluttershy still with us?" Blissy asked Fluttershy, snapping her fingers in front of her as the pegasus was staring directly at Amon, who was belly rubbing one of the female dogs, making one of her hind legs go while "Y-Yeah, just thought it was a cute scene," Fluttershy replies after shaking her head, causing Blissy to look at her in confusion and slight surprise, before starting to smirk "Right… cute. Let's go with that," Blissy nods before looking back at Amon. "Okay, then, dude. Talk to us. What is getting you so down?" Purple asks. "I've been trying to stay focused as to where my anger should be targeted since this morning when I found out how my attackers are still alive and on a mission to turn my life into a living hell." He then turns to look at Starlight. "Then I found out how they were born, and to top it all off, my house arrest just got extended." "Okay, there's plenty to unpack there," Purple nods several times. "Better start simply enough, your attackers. You should focus your rage on them. Tell us what you learned," Purple offers, gathering his hands and pointing at Amon with his index fingers. Amon stays quiet for a moment before finally sighing and relenting: "They call themselves The Gallileous, an obscure reference to another world of a famous inventor and astronomer. They probably thought of the name because they were inventing something or another, I don't know. The bastards most likely just thought the name sounded cool." He then points at Starlight, "And you can thank their creation to this lovely dumbass still fanning over her high school crush." "Amon! You promise!" Fluttershy scolds him into Amon, interrupting her. "Trust me, Fluttershy! I'd been nice right now, but I have a way harsher name in mind," he snapped back. "Could you at least not make me look like I don't have a…" "You made a cult because you miss your 'best friend' and blame magic because he didn't pay any attention to you, making it sound like you two were the only ponies in the world. Look me in the face and tell me THAT is not having a crush." "It-It is not!" Starlight stutters with a blush, unable to maintain eye contact with Amon. "Oh, sweet crist! You still have it?" "N-No! No, I… we are… we were on you, and the dumbass mistake I made, I will own to my mistake! Continue your story!" Starlight asks him, pointing at the group of guards. "I don't know, I kind of want to hear more about this crush of yours," Brick mentions, intrigued. "There is no crush to discuss, and we are not discussing it! Amon continued what did they do? How they pervert my idea of an equalized world." "Nothing of the sort; they only took the idea of rules as a suggestion," Amon clarified, "And that is what they did: explore ideas and experiment without any sense of morality in their bones. God knows how that led them to seek humans and use them as guinea pigs, but there you have it. And that is how I got the unfortunate luck of meeting them and participating in their sick games." "Amon, if you don't want to, you don't need to tell us what they did to you," Pinkie reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Pinkie, but this, as harsh as it may be, is a relief. It needs to be said; I need to tell you," Amon sighs as he keeps his gaze down. The dogs surround him, sensing his emotions. "They start with tricking suckers like me with job opportunities, runaways, drug addicts, basically looking for people that nobody will notice or maybe even care if they disappear or become urban legends. It's… a common rumor of monsters kidnapping people, so they are never be heard of before." They all gasp at that. "This can't be; how long have they been doing this?" Starlight asks in horror. "It's… a complicated subject, and they are not the only ones. I turned out to be one of his victims, and once we crossed the portal, we were stripped, washed, and cataloged as cater. They didn't waste time telling us how doomed we were. If not angry or scared, it was like they wanted us always to feel negative emotions." Amon clenches his fists together. "The mockery, the operations, the experiments. It was hell on earth. For the glimpses and explanations they gave us. These psychos were obsessed with 'the human nature,'" Amon tells them, making air quotes. "Mostly the dark side of humanity. They wanted to break us and see how we reacted; they encouraged the worst of us while punishing any form of humanity, pitting against one another in some ways and slowly turning us into mindless monsters. I can still hear the screams of those that crack, reduced to any other beast that would attack anything they saw." "This is a textbook, taboo magic," Starlight thinks out loud. "There are rules in magic practices about focus and controlling emotions as warnings of losing one mind if one lets rage or other negative emotions control you. Amon, for what you are saying, The Galileos were attempting to artificially recreate those emotions, except that doesn't make sense. Humans don't have magic… unless." Amon could only nod. "I imagine as much." He pressed his palm to the side of his torso. "Besides taking, they also enjoyed putting pieces in us, too—enchanted organs and whatnot, as they were called." He shivers, and his face turns green. "They didn't… they didn't care much about… our bodies." Amon almost barfed more than once. "...It was messy, gross, and painful just to watch as… many ended up inflating like balloons with gangrenous lumps, and other reactions before we… we…" He pantomimes with his hands and shivers. "Pop… those… were the lucky ones." The room had grown quiet, and everyone present had turned pale; Fluttershy was about to pass out, and Brick and Purple were edged from vomiting, yet Starlight kept her gaze hard and focused on every word Amon said. "So what happened to the ones that didn't reject the implants right away?" She asks in determination with a mix of anger and intrigue. "For most of us, we started to cry blood as we could feel our eyes boiling, our eyes started to shine green, and our pupils became red and started fuming some weird purple fog," Amon replied without skipping a bit. "The Sombra gaze!" Pinkie and Fluttershy exclaim in whisper and horror, recognizing that description. "Then it was as we developed the most horrible case of lepers, pieces of our body crystallized with these black and red diamonds and replaced the ones that fell off, mutating our forms as we could barely recognize ourselves as human. During that time, they showed us projections of different creatures to see if our mutation reflected that change that happened; by then, I had already lost an eye, my right hand, my right leg, and two of my left fingers, replaced with claws and sharpened limps." "Adverse mutation to taboo practice," Starlight mentions as she seems to be in educational/ detective mode. "No doubt they were planning on harvesting the results, but to what end? Even from a curious standpoint, this was suicidal. All of them were creating monsters, and besides the result on a nonmagical creature, this was already cataloged in the Canterlot archives." "Ask them if you are interested. As far as I know, they wanted an army; how they constantly put us in the warehouse for us to fight, and we were down to 10 or less, they immobilized us so they could continue their experiments… the rest gets foggy for me. Still, I remember being transferred to Project Ascend and whatnot. I was shocked when I recovered consciousness, and my body was back to normal, like my nightmare was the most hideous case of chicken pots." "Most likely, that was the result of your body finally accepting the enchanted implants, a miracle or a desired outcome, maybe," Starlight hums and nods. "Then the accident happened when you became like this, I gather." Amon nods, "Yeah, they were congratulating each other as I saw them once everything was over. They were probably thinking I was braindead or something. But I was fully aware; I remember everything, and I was more than happy to show them how enraged I was," Amon says with a low, cold voice as he clenches his fist. The group got worried at his rising anger, yet his magic remained sealed for some reason, not as he even cared as Amon finished his tale. "You know the rest by now, the life of a homeless cursed pony, hiding from a world he barely understood, broken and alone." "Until you meet us! And everything will be alright moving forward," Pinkie says as she hugs Amon. Her words help a little, yet he sighs and looks at the guards. "You see why I need to be present? Do you see why I need to put a stop? If those monsters are still there, what stops them from repeating the experiment? To do what they did to me, on to others?" "You," Starlight's reply confused everyone. "As long as you remain, they are stuck. You are the key. I still don't understand much, but your body and what you become give me an idea of one of the goals. They want to become alicorns by passing the ritual of ascension and brute-force a path to power." "Can that even be possible?" Fluttershy asks in shock as Starlight nods. "Taboo magic is forbidden for a lot of reasons, one of them is that it erodes one's mind, it slowly turns whoever it used into a violent zombie, and then attacks the body until it breaks apart and the subject dies. But it also is a sure and fast way to boost one magic; with enough uses and focus, one could even match the force of an Alicorn briefly before their horn well… pop." Judging by her shivering and how Purple was horrified and holding his own horn, Amon could only assume the idea of their horn exploding was less than pleasant, maybe even lethal. "The harvest, the operations, the inhumane conditions. I understand now that they were using you to harvest magic itself; they wanted the boost in their trials to create enough refined power and inject it into themselves artificially. You must have been the final test subject." "I gather as much. Can we come back to that of harvest magic itself? From what I see, magic is like light; how do you collect that?" Amon asks with a confused tone. "Think of it as electricity, the crystals you mention? They are charged with the magic they want. The attempts of altering your bodies are probably so there would be more to collect; from there on out, it will be a matter of grinding the crystal into dust and using it as an ingredient to boost one magic." "How do you know all of that?" Purple asks Starlight with a raised eyebrow. "I know because I learned it on a trip to the badlands, dark market. It is another taboo practice Diamond Dogs used during an old war, so they temporarily gain unicorn magic but use a unicorn horn, not crystallized malice. This is the first time I have heard of using such a horrible method in this way." "Yeah, I can see the picture now," Blissy nods in rage. "Nothing is off the table for those bastards. They look around the catalog of unforgiving taboo magic and say, "Let's try them all. Why not?" "You mention something about Amon being the key that prevents them from repeating the experiment." Brick brings the conversation back to Starlight. "How exactly is he the key?" "Because he burned their base of operation and killed most of the ones involved," Starlight replied. "Even if some of the data was saved, something this daring needs pinpoint precision, or they will end up like Mark or even worse, maybe they already are," Starlight explained. "Without a blueprint, they would need to start all over again, meaning they need a huge base that is fully equipped and a ridiculous amount of defense to protect themselves from the monsters they are creating. Not to mention, from what you are saying, they never write down how your attempt worked or even if it was successful since it ends up killing them." "So what are you saying? They can't make another alicorn until they get me to tie a loose end again?" "More like they need the data; your body IS the blueprint for the body they want. The secret of becoming an alicorn is that from there, they will only need to think about how to remove the mind and soul and place their own." "That is why the princesses need you to stay here! Purple exclaimed, "It's more than just keeping you safe; it's to keep us safe, too. Nothing stops them from mass-producing uber-powerful bad alicorns if they get their hands on you." "Do you see now, Amon?" Fluttershy asks. "The princess only wanted to help you and us. They were thinking about the best course of action." "Yeah, yeah, I got the hint; I'll say sorry to Celestia when I see her," Amon sighed in frustration. "I still need to go there. Those bastards have much to answer for, and I have to ensure that happens." Purple sighed and shook his head. "Amon, I understand your feelings, and I hate having to use this, but I have to play my royal guard card here." Once he is done, he stares at Amon, dead serious. "If you want them to face justice by the books, you NEED to stand back as a civilian and a victim directly connected to their crimes. Or in your world, the law allows the victims to arrest their attackers?" "...No," Amon begrudgingly replies. "So you see how by chasing, you will be breaking the laws and viewing them as options, just as they do. To a lesser degree, yeah, but it still the same principle, which would turn you in…" "...a hypocrite" "There you are.So would you let us do our job and catch the evil ponies. Or interfere, make things harder, and potentially allow them to escape or succeed on their sadistic goals?" Amon clenched his fist and inhaled hard with his eyes clenched shut in anger before replying. "I will stay," He replied with clenched teeth. "There you go and look at it this way. Don't see it as house arrest; see it more like a vacation trip into a luxurious hotel with deserts… and pretty mares," Purple said, mumbling the last part. "What was the last thing?" "All the deserts! You want, AND if you are happy, they lose, so you are ruining their day by not letting them bother you. I promise the second they are in custody, and if you promise to behave, we will let you gloat a little and see all of them in chains." "...can I at least break the face of one?" "You mean punch them in the face, right?" Brick asks. "...yeah, punch them in the face… yeah, let's go with that." "That is still breaking the law, Amon, but tell you what: If they resist arrest or attempt to escape, you can't be held responsible for self-defense. Sounds good?" Blissy compromised. "...ok, I suppose, but Purple, I swear, they BETTER face the proper justice, or I will take it with my own hands." "Duly noted." Purple nods. "And now that you have told us about it, do you feel better?" "Yeah, a little. It's insane, but talking about it really does help. But these puppies also do the trick," Amon chuckles as he plays with the ears of a husky. The group presses their bodies against him while he plays and belly rubs another dog. "Sweet Celestia, have mercy," Fluttershy mumbles before looking away. Blissy takes notice and approaches her. "It is mesmerizing, isn't it?" She asks with a sly smirk on her face. "Yeah, but it is not the time or place. Seriously, what is wrong with me?! Am I that lonely?" Fluttershy asks in a whisper, not thinking before realizing what she just said. "Relax! We are all mares here. Sure, this is the first I heard a mare get the hots from stallion like this, and it's cute, but hey, no judging. And to tell you the truth, maybe this could work," Blissy patted her back. He can move on and be more receptive to our suggestions if he has his mind occupied with something else if you know what I mean." "Wha-I-oh no, I wouldn't dare do anything when he is that vulnerable." Fluttershy stumbles into her words with a big blush. "Relax. I'm just saying it could be good for him to have the distraction; just think about it," Blissy comments. "You know all of this could be very useful," Pinkie thinks out loud. "We should tell Twilight everything you just told us. What do you say?" "If by we you mean you while I go look for a book or something else to keep my mind busy, then sure," Amon shrugs before thinking of something. "Maybe you can tell me something too, like something to help me be happier?" Amon hints, hoping Pinkie will recall the promise she made to him. "I love that idea!" Vivi suddenly intervened. "Starlight and I can take care of that, and the rest can go tell the rest what you told us, so you don't have to revive it," The maid suggested with a big smile. "Wha, but I…" Amon tried to say anything, but Vivi was already pulling him away. "Come on, I will show you where the maids hide the gala pastries. Plus, you did promise to give Starlight a chance, right?" Vivi insisted, and the group seemed to agree but took different paths. He and Fluttershy looked back in slight disappointment, although for various reasons, a plan seemed to be formed. "Sounds good." Amon finally relents and sighs before looking at Starlight. "I don't suppose you know anything about portals and other worlds, do you?" "Do I know?" Starlight replies in surprise, "Amon, the stories I can tell you." "Oh?" Amon's curiosity recapped again as they advanced and left the room. "Don't worry honey, next time," Blissy pat Fluttershy back. "Maybe it's for the best; the guy is still grumpy anyway." Fluttershy nods, follows her group, and gathers the dogs to take them back to the garden.
Improvised Networking (Edited By PW)"...and after we went in time one final time to ensure Rainbow Dash finished the race, we returned to the present, where Twilight and I had a heart-to-heart and came to an agreement." Starlight finishes telling her story while passing by the halls of mirrors, stopping in one depicting her and Twilight holding hands. Behind them is a landscape broken into pieces, and a spiral behind the two mares appears. Amon needs to take a deep breath and close his eyes before speaking. "Okay, let me see if I got this right. In essence, during your revenge plan, you travel back in time to the moment when everything would change for Twinkly…" "Twilight," Vivi corrects Amon. "Twilight, thanks; you went to a crucial moment in the life of that princess with the whole goal of ruining her life and her plan because she ruined your idea of an equal world through a cult. Even though you knew full well that it was thanks to her that at least three global menaces were stopped… and you thought it would only affect her." "Okay, I know this sounds… well, I would admit it, even now I'm ashamed to admit how insane and pedantic that plan was, and yeah, I didn't think there would be so many consequences, but everything turns out well in the end." Amon growls and shakes his head. "A-AND! And I didn't just walk free after playing with the time-space continuum!" Starlight quickly exclaimed in alarm. "I'm listening," Amon says with a neutral expression. "Oh yeah, Twilight wanted to reduce my sentence, but the princesses would hear none of that, no sir! I… I was sentenced to all sorts of community services, A-as a teacher where I had to teach risk fillies and colts, a-and clean streets, a year in jail all the legal system." "What?" Vivi looks at Starlight in surprise until Starlight jabs her in the shoulder, and the unicorn laughs nervously at Amon. "See, we all obey the law." "It still sounds like a VERY light sentence for someone playing around and cost lives of billions, possibly even genocide of the same people MULTIPLE times… but I suppose it is something." Amon decided to believe her and sighed. "For someone to forgive that kind of action so quickly is either a saint or dangerously naive, but technically, nothing of that happened, and it gets confused and painful to try to explain what and how you break the law, so I suppose I shouldn’t be so harsh on Celestia." Amon says before advancing, "I will give you this Starlight. It takes guts to come clean like this. You could have easily omitted how stu… how bad you used to be. Especially to someone who is already on thin ice with you." "I just thought it would be fair and didn't want to be any more secrets among us," Starlight mentioned in shame. "To earn your trust, I must first be completely transparent." "Like I said, it takes courage. So I will try to go a bit easy on you." Amon nods before stopping at another window that catches his full attention. "Whoa, whoa, what is happening here?" Amon asks in surprise as he starts looking at the picture of Twilight giving her hoof to a human girl with fire mane in front of a mirror. Under them, there is an inverse image of the two, with Twilight now a human and the human a pony, a crown serving as a separation between the two pictures. "Oh yeah, this one was made homage to when Twilight ventured into the humanoid world and met Sunset Shimmer," Vivi mentions with a smile. "Crazy story, to tell you the truth, and all because of a crown, if you can believe it." Amon's eyes are wide as he remembers Pinkie's world. "…It will not be the same, but it could be an approximation."A human dimension of Equestria, this is what Pinkie was inferring; it is not Earth, but if there is no magic there… This is it! This is my ticket out of here! "What happened?" Amon asks out of the blue as he points at the window and looks at the mares. "What was the story behind this picture?" "Whoa, easy there, stud," Vivi pleaded, raising both hands at how intense Amon was getting. "Why so interested in this story in particular? It's not your world… right?" Vivi asks with a raised eyebrow. "I think you answered your own question," Amon says deadpan before looking at Starlight. "And this is your golden ticket right here, Starlight. You really want to make amends. Tell me everything that needs to be known about this incident and the human world. Do not let out a single piece." Amon says, looking back at the picture again, "Please, I need to know." Starlight remains quiet for a moment before sighing. "It will take two more months." "What?" Amon looked at her in surprise. "The portal to the human world is operational and can be used. I have used it in the past, and I know what you want. But you need to know two things before we even consider this option, Amon. First, the portal opens only one day every two months, and yesterday, it reset, so you would have to wait." "Two months, I can't wait for that," Amon exclaimed. "And the second thing is that there is a law of balance and order; there is a reason we don't let ponies just wander in and out between dimensions, and the portal is heavily guarded. Individuals from other worlds must be careful when stepping into another world to ensure the space-time fabric does not rip." Starlight confesses with some dread, "It was already a huge risk when Sunset made the jump and stayed in that world, so we need to be sure that it would be safe for you to travel as well before we attempt anything." Starlight warns him, "Are we clear?" "...Fine, I will comply, now please tell me everything. Tell me that there really is one last hope for normality" Amon replied impatiently. The mares feel uneasy about how Amon is talking before Starlight nods and starts telling the story of when Twilight became human. At the same time, Major Shiitake was brought to the interrogation room, where another major was waiting for her with a neutral expression and a folder in the middle of a steel desk. "Major Oaks," Shiitake addressed him with the same formal pleasantries. Major said he wore the same uniform and medals as Shiitake. He was an elderly earth pony in his golden years and an imposing frame. Despite his advanced age, the stallion has aged gracefully, with his wrinkles only giving him an air of wisdom. He cared for his body, with how well-sculpted his muscle mass was shown on his recoil sleeves. He had dark brown fur, violet eyes, and a long green mane, making him resemble an oak tree even more. "Major Shiitake, I must say. After everything that has happened, seeing you confess your crimes brings mixed feelings in me," Oak replies with some sorrow in his voice. "I hope one of them is disgusted," Shiitake replied with disgust as she sat and looked away. "Celestia, know that is how I feel about myself right now." "Mark fools us all, Shiitake. Don't act as if this was all your fault here; you only play a role in his mind games," Oak replied. "Yet I was the one that invited him here, I was the one that gave him sensitive information, and I was the one that opened a door for him to step inside the castle. It is only thanks to a miracle that nobody ended up dead, and there was only one injured. I must atone for my mistakes and step down from the force." "I'm sure your father would not be so hard on you, and you can still assist the prom, kid," Oak replied, confused Shiitake as she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, Oak, I'm not a filly." "Then act your damn age MARE!" Oak suddenly yells at her in irritation. "For crying out loud, yes! You made a mistake, broke the law, and played a role. Crime me a fucking river." "Oak, I think you are missing the point; what I did was very bad; I betrayed the trust of the crown and…" "...And you will now have to earn it back," Oak interrupted her as he opened the folder. "Princess Luna already passed your sentence." "I… she… she did?" Shiitake asks incredulously at the revelation. "Yep, you have been demoted to babysit our latest guest." Oak showed her a picture of Amon. "Things are about to get very chaotic around him, and he will need a chaperone." "What? I… I now have to look after him?" Shiitake asks with a mix of indignation, horror, and disgust. "Consider it poetic retribution, and not indefinitely, just as long as it needs. Once the princess dem that you serve your sentence, your title will be placed on probation to prove you can be worthy of the title once more." Oak finishes by passing her a paper with Luna's seal of approval describing the details of her punishment. "This must be a joke, I… what about my sons?" "They are going too, it all there." Oak points at the paper. "But… HIM!? What is the princess thinking? Can't I get a suspension?" "Ah, don't worry, little filly; if you do a good job, the princess will give you one bright little sticker on your forehead." "Okay, okay, I get the idea, don't be a baby, don't be an ass either, Oak," Shiitake demanded in anger. "Think of it as an opportunity, Shishi; according to the princess, Amon is not particularly fond of how we punish and enforce our laws. We are too lax, and the punishment is not quote-on-word or harsh enough. For I see things, the princess wishes to use you as an example and teacher to show how there is logic in our methods." Shiitake sighed and brought her hand to her face. "From a mayor of our army to babysitting a homeless student. Please, somebody shoot me now," She laments until she starts hearing Oak pretending to play the violin. "Stop it, Oak! I swear I will punch you," Shiitake warns him, making the mayor laugh. "Don't worry, Shishi; I still believe in you and know you will do the right thing. You start tomorrow first thing in the morning." Later that day, during lunch, Amon was in a slightly better mood as he joined the rest at the dining table, eager to ask Twilight about her experience in the human world and see what else he could learn about it. "I must say, I was expecting today's conversation to go in a completely different direction," Celestia comments cheerfully. "All things considered, this seems like a pleasant surprise." "I've got time to think and view my options. And for how I see things, an opportunity just presented itself," Amon replied. So, in the spirit of goodwill, I decided to do what I could to improve the mood." Amon then started stirring his soup. "God knows, we all want to sweep this mess under the rug as fast as possible, am I right?" Even if not intentional, his words create a sense of tension in the room. "Way to kill the mood, jackass" Dash breaks the silence with a glare at Amon. The stallion could only look at her, slightly surprised, before reading the room a bit better. Amon felt ashamed and embarrassed for the first time, unsure what to say or do. Even though he still felt angry and found it baffling how their laws and punishments worked, Amon was starting to understand how these ponies were, at the end of the day, just trying to help, and God knows he hadn't been the easiest of guests to deal with. Putting the spoon down, Amon spoke up again. "That came out wrong; I didn't mean for that to sound like…" "I-it's okay, Amon! I understand." Starlight was quick to interrupt him. "The whole news has put us on edge, to say the least. And Celestia knows you are the one who wishes to put those bad memories behind you." Amon looks at her in confusion before looking at Celestia, who looks at him as if using her name didn't phase her before Starlight continues. "So you don't need to apologize. The fact that you are trying is good enough, and we could sure try to be more patient in return." "Thanks," Amon replied, grateful that the tension was breaking to a degree. "I know I haven't been the easiest person to deal with, and despite how much you try, I have been just an asshole to all of you. So I appreciate how patient you all have been." "Eh, water under the bridge, partner; as you said, it's better to move on than to hold grudges," Applejack mentions dismissively. Amon was surprised at how they all seemed to switch moods so fast. "Very well spoken, Applejack," Celestia complimented before looking at Amon. "It makes you think of the value of mercy and kindness, Amon." "Please don't go there, Celestia; I am still wary of your punishment system… but I will grant you this: it IS important to an extent." "I will take it, just small steps." Celestia nods, pleased with his answer. "Speaking on small steps and making amends. I could start paying you back." "I beg your pardon?" Celestia looked at him in surprise. "Celestia, let's be real here; you are taking me in because the kindness of your heart can only go so far. I do not have a single bit in me, no family, no place to return; you just found out I'm not even a pony. Kindness is putting me in some shelter, and ever so often, it sends me flyers for me to obtain a job or something. The castle…" He points everywhere. "...it's going overboard, and then some. The only explanation to offer me to stay here is that you have a crush, which would be ridiculous. Sure, now it makes sense as a form to protect others and me from maniacs, but before that, it was just too much." "Well, I wouldn't be putting it like that per se, but I agree that this is an opportunity for untapped potential Amon," Celestia pounded with curiosity. "Maybe the time has come for your lessons." "I told you I have no intention of learning magic or becoming a prince. I never ask for this or earn it, no matter what you say. Twilight," Amon says, gazing at the princess. "Once the portal is open, I was thinking of leaving, putting things back as they should be. That is why I want to help around him until I'm gone, my way to say thanks." "Well, that is a nice gesture on your part, but taking a page of your book, I'm afraid that would not be enough." "What?" Amon asks in surprise. "The ponies that robbed you of your life did unforgiving things to your body. And you just said that your existence after and before that happened was less than ideal, so I can't let you go until proper compensation is given. That is why you are staying in the castle, which is final. Or would you say that would not be 'fair'?" "I mean…the place is cozy, b-but I don't want to be a leech!" Amon complains. "That is why I want to propose to you a different kind of lesson, one that, if memory serves you right, also needs to complete your recovery." Celestia pretends to pound as she looks at the ceiling. "Now, if only there is something positive about your current predicament?" She asks, playing innocent as she flaps her wings. "Oh no, no, Celestia, tell me you are joking." "On the contrary, Amon, I'm more than serious, and I can list three reasons why you should consider it. The first one is that the mirror would consider the condition of your body, so if your wings are stiff, who knows what may result? Do you wish to find out what a full vertebral column cram feels like?" Amon is stiff and gulps, not liking the idea one bit. "No thanks" "Then there you have it, now for the second reason: your mental health and insurance that your enemies can't get inside your mind anymore. Keeping your mind busy with exercise should do the trick." Celestia continues. "And the third reason?" Celestia smiles and leans back. "Curiosity, call it a hunch, but the moment I saw you, I felt the spirit of a flyer in you, Amon. One who would fall in love with the sky should they ever meet, but you can correct me if I'm wrong. Haven't you ever been curious? It has never crossed your mind what it would be like to know what it is like to fly." "Oh, dude, you HAVE to do it. There is nothing like that. I will teach you right here if you want!" Dash offers herself at the moment until Celestia stops her. "Well, Amon? What is your answer? Don't you wish to at least take this unique opportunity amidst all the misfortune that has fallen on you?" Suddenly, Amon could feel all eyes on him, eagerly awaiting his reply as he was on the spot. "...Uhhhhh."
Tuition Schedule And First New Lesson (Edited By Pw And Okoro06)"I can't believe I fell for that again. I don't know what that mare keeps doing to me, but she did it again!" Amon virtually bellows in irritation as he storms back to his room with Vivi close behind. "The princess didn't do anything else but extend the offer, Amon. You were the one who accepted it." The servant replied with a smile before raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. "Although I'm surprised by your choice of a teacher. I mean, Rainbow Dash was right there, practically begging you for the spot." "Exactly. That mare was way too intense for my taste, and I barely knew her. Plus, she’s part of the army, and I didn't sign up to be enlisted," Amon replied. "The army? Sir, the Wonderbolts are not… and she isn't… okay, you were spot on; it may be intense, but still, you could have let her down a little more gently, not to mention who you ended up choosing…" "...What about it?" Amon glances at her with a raised eyebrow. "Not much. It's just surprising you even knew that name." Amon only shrugged at the comment, "I overheard it here and there, no biggie. There’s no problem with that one, right?" "Not at all, sir, and your reasoning seems sound. That was an excellent choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rainbow Dash still wants to be present. Most likely with a forced smile and a determined effort to consider her teaching you at least one lesson." "I wish her luck,” Amon groaned. “Good, as for the other lessons..." Vivi starts until she hears Amon groan even louder. "Yes, I know; everyone convinced me to let Starlight teach me history or something; quit rubbing it in." "Starting tomorrow, your schedule will be hectic, but don't worry. I'm sure you’ll love it. From what I’ve heard, there’s nothing better than casting your first spell," Vivi says before giving him a short bow. "For the time being, sir, get some rest, and please remember that Princess Luna would like to speak with you in the evening, so I will come around 10 p.m. to fetch you." Amon nods and waves farewell to Vivi as the servant leaves him alone with his thoughts. Amon took a moment to breathe before walking to the balcony and admiring the night sky. "So I’m learning to fly. I wonder how that would work for someone who has freaking vertigo." Amon ponders with some degree of anxiety and curiosity, feeling his wings twitching slightly at the thought. He keeps simulating scenarios in his mind, mostly positive ones, as he starts to imagine, with intrigue, what the sensation would feel like. Later that night, a knock on Luna's door alerts the night princess, who is too preoccupied with staring at her night sky to turn back and glance over her shoulder. "Princess Luna," one of her guards calls from the other side of the room. "I brought you, sir Amon, as requested." "Thank you, let him pass. And please inform the other guards that we are not to be disturbed unless an emergency occurs," Luna commands. Soon enough, the double doors of her room open, followed by the stallion in question being escorted by one of the lunar guards. The guard salutes before turning around and closing the door behind them, leaving the two alicorns alone. "Please, Amon, take a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment," Luna says to him, pointing to one of her couches before returning to her work inspecting the stars. For a moment, Amon considers her offer and is about to sit when he notices how Luna's hand seems to glow as she moves it in the air, pretending to touch and move imaginary dots. His curiosity got the better of him, and he approached Luna slowly, trying to understand what she was doing. He pressed his body against one of the sides of the balcony’s frame and tried to hide his body underneath the semi-translucent curtains. "Did my work pique your interest?" Luna replied without looking, making Amon stiff before becoming irritated by Luna's smirk. "If you wish to look, just ask young Amon. Amon steps outside and sighs, being caught red-handed, "Can I watch?" “Oh my goodness, Amon, how daring and unexpected. Not to mention that the mare usually asks for the opportunity to check out the male body. I suppose I’ll have to make an exception this time. Go ahead, but try not to make a mess.” “Check out? What the hell are you…? NO! Your work, your work! That’s what I meant!” Amon exclaims with a bright red face, “For crying out loud, Luna, I can’t believe you were even thinking I would ever ask for that.” “What if you had asked that? What would you have done if I had agreed?” Luna asked with a smirk as she wagged her tail a little for emphasis. Amon flinched for a moment before being able to reply, “Shut up!” Damn you, stupid sexy princess! Amon thinks about this as he tries his hardest to maintain control and not let his mind wander into dirty images of the princess in front of him. Luna only chuckles in response and nods in approval, having had her fun, before looking ahead and resuming what she was doing. "So what are you doing exactly?" Amon asks. "A little bit of star cleaning; look at the sky," Luna replied calmly, pointing ahead with her head. Following her instructions, Amon looked at the starry night, only to be shocked when the stars were literally moving at the command of the princess's skillful hand. "With the stars in constant motion, it is natural for my constellations to fade and become obscured beneath a shower of wandering stars, so on nights like this, when there are few tasks to attend to, I take it upon myself to organize my starry sky and ensure that my constellations remain clear and easy to read to those looking at them for directions." With her work done, Luna cancels her magic and turns to face Amon, who returns her gaze once the stars stop moving to reveal a much clearer starry night with more visible constellations. "I find it relaxing; it's a spring cleaning deal. I can teach you about my constellations once we finish your magic lessons." Amon, for his part, was stunned by what he had just seen before sighing in defeat and shaking his head. "You can command and dictate objects billions, maybe trillions, of light-years away with a mere twitch of your finger, even if most, if not all of their lights have already gone out; maybe you ensure their lights never fade. Sure, why not? So far, that’s the least insane thing this world has to offer." Amon's words were full of sarcasm as he returned to the room. Luna looked at him with surprise, sympathy, and slight curiosity, but Amon seemed to have ignored her proposal. "So Vivi said you wanted to see me. I guess you wanted to start my magic lessons as soon as possible?" Amon asks as he returns to the room and relaxes on the couch Luna had offered. "You could say that; I was told that you wish to escape your problems and dive headfirst into a humanized version of Equestria to seek a sense of normality," Luna responds neutrally as she sits on a sofa in front of Amon and crosses her legs. "Was it that easy for you to abandon your goal of helping those who had previously helped you?" Luna asked, keeping her eyes closed as if she were scolding a foal and not an alien alicorn. "Funny you’re bringing it up when it was you who pushed me to drop that idea, Luna," Amon replies with a glare of his own. "Do not put words in my mouth, Amon; we both know that is not what I said that night. I meant that this was not a question of right or wrong, but of why. Your actions show that all your decisions were made for the wrong reasons." "Again, with this? When are you going to make up your mind already?!" "When you begin to listen. It appears you failed to inform my sister of your situation. It's a shame." Luna sighed and finally opened her eyes to look at him with pity and sorrow. "Amon, please answer me this honestly. Do you hate us?" "What kind of question is that? Of course not, I don't hate you, Luna." "I wasn't talking about myself, nor my sister, nor any other friends you have made while living in the palace. I meant US," Luna repeated, placing her hand on her chest. "Do. You. Hate. Us?" It took Amon a while to figure out what she was saying, and the question made him clench his fist and feel the urge to barf, leaving him with no choice but to turn his head away. "Luna, please, don't. Could you not ask me that? That wound, it… it's still fresh." "Fresh? Or has it simply reopened again?" Luna asks him cryptically again, and Amon responds with silence, filling the room with tension until Luna breaks it with a sigh: "Fair enough; apologies if I stepped out of line there. Just let me add one last comment before starting our lessons." Amon looked at her with curiosity. "Before embarking on your next journey, you should look within yourself for the answer, and accept it no matter the result. You may come to regret your decision otherwise." Luna finished staring melancholically at the desk in front of her. Amon could feel a familiar sensation of sorrow and experience, something he had come to learn over the years. Before moving on to the next subject, he understood where all that advice was coming from. "Anyway, as to the reason you are here, I was informed that your latent magic recently became dormant, isn't that right?" "...yeah, well, honestly, I wouldn't mind if it stayed like this, but I'm sure you could give me a list as to why that's a bad thing." "In alphabetical order, if necessary," Luna finishes. "But rather than wasting time in discussions and arguments, let's look at this as an opportunity." Luna summons a fog with a wave of her hand, which conjures three simple yet heavy volumes on the table between the two. "The path for you to connect with your alicorn magic," Luna says, pointing to a book on the right with a finger, this one showing a symbol of an alicorn on its dark blue hardcover. "Dipping into the foundation of magic as a blueprint for potentially something more," Luna says, pointing to the middle book, the thinnest of the three, which has three stars on the cover and an object hovering, making a circle around those stars. The book is light gray, a clear sign that it is intended for children. "And maybe, just maybe, a dormant desire waiting to grow," Luna says with a smirk, pointing to the last book, a red one that, unlike the others, had no cover and only a title that Amon couldn't read. "Call it a hunch, but I see the spirit of a wizard in you, Amon, someone who may fall in love with the concept of magic and the infinite possibilities that it can provide if given the opportunity." Okay, the fact that she had the same speech as Celestia is scary now. "So, Amon, aren't you the least bit interested in magic? Don't you want to know more about this incredible gift that has fallen into your lap?" "I’d be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind, but after seeing what magic is capable of, if perverse and twisted. I’ve come to wonder if the risks are worth it," Amon sighed. "Magic, like anything else, is only a tool, Amon; it is not a curse that erodes the mind, nor a beast that cannot be controlled—it is simply a tool for you to use. If only you tried, you'd see that too." Luna extended a hand to Amon. "Please let me show you the other side of magic, the side where most of my ponies live, and why many fall in love with mastering it." Amon simply stood silent and thought about it before grabbing her hand. "Okay, at the very least, so all of you stop pestering me into trying it." "Thank you." Luna nods and shakes her head. "In that case, may I request permission to scan your mana pool? I promise you won’t feel a thing, and it will only last a second." "Fine, go ahead," Amon says, shrugging. With his consent, Luna's hand glowed once more, and Amon could feel the warmth radiating from it. The warmth spread to his wrist and then arm, and he realized he was floating in a void. He could only see a giant, bright blue sphere in front of him, encircled by a black miasma. He was brought back to reality, breaking the handshake as Luna gasped and stared at Amon in horror. "Wha? What just happened? What did we see?" "Just as I had feared, an enchanted mental block, all of your fear, rage, and resentment. Think of it like an obstruction in a river; that is why one must be careful of their negative emotions; hold onto them long enough, and they can potentially harden, and, well… you saw the result." "So my rage became a weird miasma fog… thing, and it's blocking my magic, which is why I can't use it?" "It's worse than that; the miasma is merely the first symptom of something far worse," Luna explains, shaking her head as she becomes pale and worried. "What?" "Remember how I told you that magic is a tool? Consider it a spring that you are compressing to its limits before it releases all at once," she demonstrates by making a fist and then opening her hand. "Do I need to explain what this 'expansion' implies?" Amon remains quiet and gulps as he slowly shakes his head. "Okay, you convinced me, so let's start the lesson. Teach me the abracadabra or expelliarmus thing now." "Calm down, Amon, you are not making sense right now, and it's okay; it can be reversed," Luna puts her hands on Amon's shoulders before thinking about something and gazing around the room. "But we might want to move our lessons somewhere less… fragile." She goes to her closet and looks for something before pulling out two cloaks. "Yours may be a little short, but they’ll work." She tosses one of the clocks at Amon before putting on hers. "Follow me and pick up those books; we’re going on a little trip." Luna exclaims with some degree of excitement in her voice. "What about your guards?" Amon asks, putting on his cloak and picking up the reading material. "They’ll be none the wiser," Luna said with a smirk as she put her hand against the door, which turned completely black and became engulfed in shadows before she walked inside. "Now, let's go." So, besides controlling stars and travelling through shadows, can't she also cut and chop? Amon mulls it over as he follows Luna through the portal.
Luna Stress Valve (Edited by PW and Okoro06)Deep in the heart of the mountain of Canterlot, an imposing monolith shines with the same magenta light of Princess Luna before its edges are covered in shadows. Moments later, the princess in question marched outside as she was traversing a passage, following close behind her new student. "We are here," Luna announces as she smiles and takes a deep breath. Amon also looks around with some curiosity. "And where is 'here' exactly?" He noticed the figures in the distance fighting and yelling in what he could only assume was some massive fight club hidden deep inside the mountains. The two were standing in what seemed to be the ruins of what once was a temple with desk chairs and remains of pillars, all reclaimed by nature, covered in moss, vines, and flowers of all colors, all of which had their own shine and bright levels. The rooftop was gone, leaving instead a giant hole in the ceiling. Most impressive of all was a table in the center of the table with a crude map of the starry night, with figures representing constellations and how they mirror the stars on top of where they are. "One of the few remaining temples built in my honor from before my…" Luna stops and holds her tongue before rephrasing her words, "...from a time long past. Come on, Amon, while the night is young, let me show you around." Luna issues him as they both leave the entrance and explore the place, following a simple and eroded stone path to a desert arena. As they march, Amon can hear the screams and grunts of others, making him know they are not alone. Others have come to this place, and it seems they arrive with the same objective in mind. "Do not worry about any unforeseen eyes on us, Amon. They don't even know I'm here sharing their goals." "And who are they exactly?" Amon asks as he sees what appears to be a pegasus fighting a minotaur with training gear. They both were wearing gladiator armor, and the pegasus seemed to be sporting leathery bat wings. "Anyone that has answered the call to fight, those that enjoyed the sensation of a good brawl, the pumping of their hearts, the adrenaline of combat, or merely seeks to become stronger in a quest for improvement, I suppose," Luna explains, ending with a shrug. "...and you are one of them?" Rather than answer, Luna turns and looks back at him with a smile. "Is that so hard to believe? A figure like mine does not just stay like this from diet, light jogging, and hot yoga, you know." Luna announces with pride, “Even if Celly thought that is, by the stars, I just love how much she hates that she doesn’t get ‘results’ as fast as me,” The princess mentions mostly to herself and a sly smirk. Geez, mortals, ponies, gods, it's all the same. Siblings just love torturing each other. Amon thinks as they reach the destination, a deserted arena with a sand-circling ring and various boulders spread around it. Modern training equipment was too well preserved and clean to have been here for a long time, making Amon assume Luna brought them to this location for her to use. "...here is where I come to release stress, a secluded place not even Celestia knows where I can express my anger without any issue," Luna explains before punching a boulder next to her so hard it was smashed to pieces. "We all need a release valve from time to time. This is mine, and for the time being, it can be yours as well. I know it is hard to understand now, but trust me. This place," Luna spins and points at the area around the two, "allowed me to escape a dark place in my mind the first couple of months after I returned." "Returned?" Amon repeated with a raised eyebrow. "This is a subject for another time; do not worry about it. Let's begin your lesson". Extending her hand, she raises a podium from the sand and orders Amon to place the red book on it. Once he does that, Luna opens its pages, scanning its content before finding what she is looking for, and pokes the center of it—showcasing an astral image of mares performing combat positioning. "Perfect. This will do just fine for stretching, helping your body relax and let its innate magic flow." Amon looks at the image in interest before remembering something. "What about our clothes? I'm used to what I have, but don't you mind sweating your regalia?" "What regalia?" Luna asked before opening her cloak, revealing that she was now wearing a blue and silver short bra matching her short shorts. Her mane was a comb, and she had silver sweat head, wrist, and leg bands, as well as jogging tennis shoes. "Our cloaks are enchanted for this occasion, allowing us to change our clothes while retaining our normal body heat quickly. The moment we stepped outside, we were already ready." She then smirked and stepped forward. "Were you disappointed that you could not watch me change?" "Okay, Luna, stop!" Amon warns her, taking a step back before noticing the same sweatbands on his wrist and how he was wearing loose jogging shorts and tennis shoes and was bareback. "Luna!" "Don't blame me; the cloaks adapt to what makes you more comfortable to work out," Luna defends herself, raising both hands and shaking her head. "If you want a shirt, just close your cloak, imagine it, and it will be there. Although it is a shame putting away the gun show," Luna laments, admiring the body of Amon until he covers himself. "Hey! Hey! Eyes here! Luna, eyes here!" Amon demands, pointing at his eyes. Geez, and this is what many women on earth have dealt with daily? Amon contemplates as he steps away while Luna chuckles. "Okay, okay, my last one. I swear, in all honesty, shirtless can be better; it lets you breathe more easily, but whatever option makes you feel more comfortable is fine." "Duly noted. I still want a shirt, thank you very much." Amon covers himself, and when he looks again, he is wearing a plain white shirt now. "Speaking of, what about our regular clothes?" "They are safe and sound back in my room. You can collect them once we return. For now, if there is nothing else, let us begin. Please put yourself in the first position,” Luna instructed, pointing at the images again. Amon nods and approaches the illusion pose before getting next to it and trying to copy the position. He raises both arms and clenches his fist as if he is about to enter a boxing match. "Okay, but don't clench your fist so hard," Luna instructs, slowly appetizing Amon as she guides his movements. "This exercise aims to adjust your body to power, focus your mind, and release pent-up anger. To do so, follow this path: First, clear your mind if it helps you close your eyes." Luna steps away and copies the pose beside Amon: "Next, concentrate on your fist, attune yourself with your body, and picture yourself in your mind using your senses." Luna breathes in slowly to demonstrate, "Then comes the tricky part: your anger. Remember something that made you mad, and gather your anger into your fist, if possible, making a sphere around it." Her hand started to glow once more. "When you feel ready, just throw your first punch." She punched the air, and by doing so, a blast of magic was released in a flashy explosion; it was as if her hand had just exploded. Amon was so impressed that he almost didn't notice Luna looking at him. "Okay, now you, remember: Relax, focus, remember, and release." Amon nods, and after taking a couple of deep breaths, he closes his eyes and tries to focus on her pattern. Once he has a clear idea of his body and recalls one of many events that fill him with rage, Amon tries to throw a punch, only for some sparks to emerge from his fist. "Again, try to remember what makes you angry, relieve the idea, but this time, don't contain yourself; act on your impulse," Luna instructs. Amon repeats the process, obtaining similar results for over an hour, while Luna insists that he repeat the action. Once done, Luna passed the page to sword fighting and conjured two wooden swords. "I don't know how it works on Earth, but in Equestria, your weapon is considered an extension of your arm or your wing; by channeling your mana into the object, you use it as a bridge; some of the greatest sages use staffs and even wands to perform spells of great power such as…" Luna demonstrated by slicing a boulder in half once she enchanted the sword. "Okay, with that kind of power, what is the point of having a practice sword?" Amon questions as Luna gets to his right and points ahead to the rings where she made copies of Mark. "He stole your face, mocked your life, and tricked you multiple times. I know that anger still lingers in you; now go." With a light push, Luna puts Amon in the ring where the sand clones attack. By instinct, Amon raises his weapon and starts defending himself. "Don't worry; it's just props. It's a stress reliever, remember? Don't hold back; just let all that anger out," Luna calls as she sits on a bench. Amon keeps moving around until he stabs one of the props, who disintegrates. "There you go! Keep going!" Under her encouragement, Amon fights on, relaxing more and more, yet the results remain the same: only sparks and micro outbursts. He was releasing his magic, but the blockade was still there. Before ending the night, Luna had one last trick she wanted to try in a one-on-one fight, yet it required some extra encouragement. "Okay, try to hit me." "What?" Amon looked at her in surprise. "You heard me?" She responds and raises her hands, extending her palms. "Try hitting my hands." Amon looks at her confused before slowly approaching and shrugging, trying to punch her hand lightly, only to receive a slap on the wrist. "Did I say love tap? I say, hit me! Now, try again, and this time, it hit me. Put actual effort into your swings," she says in a deadly, solemn tone. "Why?" "Just do it." Amon remains quiet before clenching his fist and trying to hit her hand, only to respond with the same result: "Pathetic, again." Amon tries with the other hand, yet the same thing happens again: "Again." Another miss, "Faster." Amon keeps hitting over and over again, getting increasingly angry. "This is just sad, a grown stallion afraid to face any challenge, preferring to run away when things start to get hard." "Enough, Luna." "Make me. Oh, that’s right, you can't. Because that is not in your nature, is it, coward?" "Shut up." "Can't even throw a decent punch. You are right, you should just run, go to your human world, and hide around. I would give you two weeks before you end up homeless again." "Shut up!" Amon tries to hit her with all his force, yet his attack is sloppy and predictable, so Luna has no issue grabbing his arm and sending him flying into the ring with a judo movement. Yelling, Amon stood up and lunged at her as Luna rushed to him, and they began to fight. The stallion was more like a wild beast, so Luna had no issue controlling the fight, but she had seen more significant results, as his magic was discharging all over his body. "Is that all? Is that all you can do, Amon? Show me the monster that everyone is so afraid of; show me what exactly YOU are afraid of; show me the king of nothing." Luna kept poking his buttons until she saw both of his arms starting to glow. For an instant, time seems to have frozen over, Amon could see leaves floating in midair around him, and the shadow figures of the monsters that torture him appear behind Luna, laughing at him. Their faces were obscure in shadows, but Amon could hear them laugh, laugh as they slaughter humans, laugh as they make him watch, as hands start to crawl and grab Amon's face everywhere, making his blood boil, and he can only see red. The drop in temperature and the glimpse in Amon's eyes were the only warnings Luna got before she responded. In one swift move, Luna took to the air to avoid Amon's final attack as he punched a boulder that raised various bits into the air before falling with a loud thud. A clean fist hole still fumes the same smoke on Amon's fist, releasing a good chunk of his magic, draining him of energy, and making the stallion fall to his knees from exhaustion as he pants hard. Luna descends slowly next to Amon. "That will be enough for today." As he continues to pant, Amon clenches his fist and teeth, still frustrated by what happens as Luna rests her hand on his shoulder. "Why?" Amon whispers in a broken and shaking voice, trying to contain his emotions again and forget the still-ringing laughter in his mind. "Because you are still holding back, conscious or unconscious, I don't know why, but I know that it harms you in more ways than one. And should your enemy find out, I assure you. They will exploit it. So, I did what needed to be said to let you release your magic. I'm sorry if it hurt you, but I won't apologize for saving your life." Amon remained quiet as he panted and stared at the ground. The night was getting darker, and they could hear the thunder fast approaching and the smell of rain. After a few minutes of silence, Luna decided to stare at the sky, and the darkness of dark clouds slowly swallowed it. "None of us are saints, you know? Sooner or later, we all traverse our dark paths. Darkness that would forever linger in our hearts. By ignoring and pretending that it is no longer a part of us. Not only hurt us, but it also insults every soul we hurt along the way." "Enough, Luna! Enough," Amon calls for her in frustration. "All night, you have been spouting nonsense about not holding back this and accepting the dark past, as if you knew exactly what I'm going through. When you don't, you have no idea the sort of demon that lives here," Amon exclaims, pointing at his head. "No, Amon! I know that demon more than well because mine has a name, and it's Nightmare Moon," Luna yells back. And before I could defeat her, she made sure to leave a trail of bodies behind," Luna confesses as the sky is swallowed by clouds. Both of them are illuminated by a streak of lightning near them before they are submerged in pure darkness. Luna just sat next to Amon and hugged her legs in shame. "And not even a thousand-year exile inside a rock would be able to erase that memory from my head." For a time, Amon could only stare at her in shock before closing his eyes and finally understanding the intention behind her actions. Inhaling deeply, the two decided to stare ahead of them as the rain began. Other than putting their hoods back on, they refused to move and just let the rain fill the silence. "Do you hear them too?" Amon finally asks in a very low voice. "If you mean the ghost of ponies praising my sister's day while insulting or mocking my night, then yes." "Would they ever go away?" I hope they do. By the stars, I really do. From time to time, I can still hear glimpses of them. At first, it was deafening, but now I can barely hear a whisper. But I'm aware; they are still there." Luna replies with a nod before she turns to him. “What do you hear?" "Mostly mockery or laughter, and the sounds of machines turning on and off, saw drills, and screams. You get the idea" Amon raises a hand to see the raindrops falling from his palms. "What hurt the most was when other victims switched sides as if they had lost their minds or maybe this hell was what they always wanted in the first place. The idea alone is enough to make me furious," Amon confesses as he clenches his fist. "I can still feel the blood dripping in my fist." Another lighting shone on them both, and for a brief moment, Amon saw his fist soaked not in water but in blood before returning to reality. "That is the one thing, Luna. The only thing I don't want to remember ever again." "And yet only by confronting it, by acknowledging it, can we truly be free of them, Amon." Luna mentioned with a sigh, "In my case, my most vivid and hurtful memory was a simple throat slice to the worst of the nobles imaginable, a snob among snobs and rotten to the core. A noble that loves mocking my night," Luna remembers as she admired her fingers the same way Amon was looking at his fist. "Wanting only power for himself, he spread rumors about how weak and gullible I was as a princess, how any shady business could be fair play under my sky, as long as they only apologize later if caught. When I became my demon, he just kept yapping nonsense about being the hero Equestria needed and how he would present my head to my sister as a marriage proposal. I never want to remember our encounter again for as long as I live." "Geez, he sounds like a complete and utter asshole that may have had a death wish." Luna can't help but chuckle and nod. "I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but… yes, yes, he was. A complete and utter asshole, whom I refused to let have any control over me. Do you see now, Amon? That is why this is so important. I want to help you release all that rage inside your heart. She sighs before looking at Amon. "For the sake of my mental health, I did it; one last time, I relived that moment and discovered a way to make peace with myself because only that way. Would that stallion lose control over me? Same for your captors, Amon; until we manage to confront them, they will still control us." Luna explained by placing her hand on Amon's fist, "You are still trapped in that lab, Amon, just like I once was in the castle. Your mind has yet to step out of that dark room and be free. That is why I had to push you this hard. Tell me, when you threw that last fist, how did it feel?" "It… it felt nice, somewhat like a piece of them was gone," Amon admits after thinking about it. “And that is the whole point of us being here, before we do anything else. You need to really let go.” “Didn’t I just do that with that last punch?” Luna can’t help but laugh. “Oh, if only it was that simple, that was just a sample. There is way more to cleanse Amon.” Standing up, Luna offered her hand. “There is a long journey ahead of both of us, but as long as you listen to what I say, that demon in your head will eventually be nothing.” “...thanks.” Amon takes her hand and accepts her help in standing up as Luna nods. “Now let go, the rain is picking up force, and Celestia is gonna kill me if you wake up with a cold,” Luna informs, pointing at the ruined temple. “Sure, just one last thing,” Amon pleaded before taking a couple of steps away and standing in front of a boulder. Close his eyes and concentrate before throwing a punch at it. The rock jumped a little, and it left a dent, but other than a fist mark and some cracks on it, it didn’t do much. Amon even had to retract his hand in pain. “God, that hurt! Why?” Amon asks as he stares at his hand. “I told you, you are mentally blocked, of course your physical strength would be affected. But all in all, it seems like an improvement, now let go,” Luna repeated as she took Amon's hand, and they both retired back for the night.
Flight 101 (Edited By PW and Okoro06)Once they returned to her room, Luna took the soaking cloaks and put them in a laundry basket before offering Amon a towel and a change of clothes besides his old clothes back and the books. "You can keep those; they were tailor-made, after all," Luna commented, pointing at the change Amon grabbed once he finished drying himself as best as he could and put back his trench coat. Plus, they would work great for your flying lessons," the princess said, passing him a pair of flying goggles. "Thanks, and Luna, thanks for tonight, in a way. I needed to blow off some steam," Amon mentions with a slight feeling of being more relaxed now. "Don't mention it. If anyone in Equestria knows what you are going through, it is me. And speaking of blowing off steam," Luna approaches Amon with a sly smirk. "Just putting it on the table in case you wish to try. I know of another way to keep your mind occupied and away from those dark thoughts," she suggests, poking at his chest. Amon could only roll his eyes in response. "Thanks, but I’ll pass. I don't think I have the charisma to mess around with politics." He half-joked before being surprised with a sudden kiss on the cheek from part of Luna before she whispered in his ear, "As I say, just something to put on the table." Moving back, Luna opened the door for him as Amon left. "Anyway, Amon, I wish you a good night's rest, and just like you to remember, you would always be welcome in my chambers at any time. And this could happen." Luna turns around and once more surprises Amon by removing her sports bra in front of him while showing her back. She hugged her chest and looked at Amon over her shoulder before giving him a wink. "Sweet dreams, my lord; I hope this keeps you warm during those long, cold, and lonely nights," Luna finished teasing as she dropped the bra on the ground with one hand, kept showing him her back, and then started removing her shorts before the door closed in front of an astonished Amon, who could only blush and gulp hard. Some small snickers return him to reality as he looks to his right and left at the royal guards standing guard in Luna's room. He finds out they are both mares and gives them bedroom eyes. "Ready to serve, sir." One of them teases, making Amon flinch and walk away from the two, causing the mares to chuckle even harder." Holy crap, that was intense; she virtually did nothing, and somehow, it was even hotter than if she had just flashed me; how did she do that? Amon keeps questioning himself as he tries to keep his mind away from the gutter and feels a tension in his pants that scares him as he strolls, trying to keep his groin in place in embarrassment until he reaches his room. ___________________________________________________________________________________ "...so, as you can see, I have already mapped the best spots to teach any pony all over Canterlot, and these tickets are virtually the best of all of Equestria, and I wouldn't want one of my best pals to miss out, so I can just take over for you, no problem, and…" Dash kept flying around a pegasus as they both marched toward Amon's room at the crack of dawn, with Rainbow Dash's friend deciding to fly while Dash did her best impression of a busy fly. "Dash." Having had enough, the pegasus grabbed Rainbow on both shoulders and stared at her in the eyes. "I know what you are doing, and it is just sad. This stallion chose me; you lost. It happens. Get. Over. It." "But you know how much I love coaching others!" Dash whines in frustration as the pegasus keeps advancing. "Nothing stops you from teaching fillies in the orphanage; go there if you want to teach anyone to fight that bad." The pegasus complained with a roll of her eyes. "You know I'm banned from there!" Dash fires back before looking away, slightly embarrassed, "...after the little incident." "Oh yeah, I forgot; I still can't believe you brought the centrifuge to the school." "Hey! They wanted the whole Wonderbolts boot camp experience. I just complied. You should know that you used to love being strapped to that thing." "True, for a grown mare that knows the basics, not six-year-old fillies and colts." "Please, please, at least let me watch." Dash goes down on her knees and starts to beg at the pegasus. "Fine! But I swear if you start getting bossy and all drill sergeant, I will zap you with a thundercloud. Are we clear?" "Crystal! I will be the fly on the cloud," Dash promises to salute her Wonderbolt partner. "Good, now tell me. Is this the room?" The pegasus asked, pointing at the door to their right where the two had stopped walking. Dash turned to look before nodding, "Yeah, here is where the big guy lives. Speaking of, I forgot to mention, what did the princess tell you about Amon in her letter?" "She made me vow of silence before explaining that he is an alicorn if that is what you mean." The pegasus replies as she knocks a couple of times. "Yeah, if that's all, I should warn you… Amon is kind of on the big side of things. "Dash, are you fat-shaming your supposed friend?" The pegasus asks in surprise at the anger glaring at the pegasus. "What? NO! I didn't mean THAT big. I mean, he is big on…" Dash tries to explain, but at that moment, they both hear Amon's voice from the other side of the door. "It's six in the morning. This better be important, Vivi." Amon called in an irritated tone. "Mr. Amon, my name is Cloud Chaser. I heard you called me to instruct you how to fly. I could have come later, but they told me they wanted this lesson to be discreet, so I arrived this early. Or you don't mind other ponies watching?" The mare asked with a smirk at the door. They both hear a long sigh before Amon replies, "Just give me a moment; I'm… not presentable," Amon calls before stepping away. "Well, he is not a morning person, but at least he doesn't sound like the grumpy type. Now, what was that about him being big, Dash?" "Yeah, I mean, the stud is tall, Chaser, like real tall." "So he is tall, what about it?" Chaser asked with a raised eyebrow. "No, I don't think you grasp the idea. When I mean tall, I mean…" Once more, Dash was interrupted when the door of Amon's room opened, and the stallion stepped outside to look at the mare. Thanks to the morning light and their position, Cloud Chaser found herself under the stallion's shadow as she looked up at his imposing frame, making her feel like a filly staring down at a Ursa Mayor. At that moment, Amon decided to wear something appropriate for their training rather than his usual clothes. This consisted of a silver sweatband on his forehead and wrists, a tight, long-sleeve gray shirt with a green line on the right side of his chest, comfortable blue jeans, a brown cape to hide his wings, and his trusty backpack. In his right hand, Amon was holding a flier that he brought closer to his face before lowering it and comparing the mare in front of him with the one in the image of a light purple mare with a silver spiky long mane comb with a ponytail, a black sports bra on top of a loose dark purple shirt, matching her tight shorts, flying goggles, and headband announcing flying lessons, satisfying that it was a complete match and smiling as a result. "Yes, just as I remember, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Chaser." Amon formally greets her with a small smile. "J-Just Cloud would be enough, Mr. Big, A-Mon! Amon, I mean!" Cloud Chaser tells, trying to compose herself from the fright Amon’s figure gave her. "And hi to you too," Dash says, expressing some irritation at being ignored as she crosses her arms. "So, care to tell me again how you knew Chaser before me, dude?" "Sure, just as soon as you tell me what you're doing here wearing that," Amon replies with a blush as he turns his head and covers half of his eyes in embarrassment at Rainbow Dash's choice of wardrobe: a one-piece spandex suit in dark blue that matches her natural fur color, making it harder to ignore as Amon at first though she was wearing nothing at all if not for the yellow lighting pattern that passes through her extremities and half of her stomach, as well as the flying goggles on her head. "It calls a flying suit the official Wonderbolt flying suit." Dash flies in front of Amon and poses proudly in front of him. "Just a little bit of a perk you could have had if you had chosen me as an instructor, isn't it awesome?" "It doesn't leave anything to the imagination; that is what it is!" Amon complains, closing her eyes and confusing Cloud Chaser a little. "Oh, grow up, big guy! We both know you were curious," Dash teased him, poking his cheeks. "And admit it, you like what you are seeing. Why else did you ask for a Wonderbolt to teach you? Even if it was the wrong one. Like this, you have a nice view, and I can fly like I'm wearing nothing at all." "Wait, you are also a Wonderbolt?" Amon asks in shock, which only freezes Dash in place and confused from being completely ignored again as Cloud Chaser was only confused. "...Yeah? You didn't know it? Didn't you say that you remember me?" Cloud Chaser asks with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, from your flying lessons in the park and this flier. I have seen your work with children while I was looking for cans, bottles, and whatever else that could be recycled." Amon shows her said flier. "I didn't know you also served in the army," he says before saluting her. "Thank you for your service, ma'am." "The army? I… wha… what are you talking about?" Cloud Chaser asks as she picks up the flier, looking at Amon back and forth in confusion. As a result, Dash could only groan and facepalm hard: "For the last time, the Wonderbolts are not part of the royal guard!" Dash complained in irritation. "Wait, can we go back to collecting recycling at the park? The only ones that do that at the park are those living…" "...on the street? Yep, that is me, Amon, the king of ponies experiencing homelessness. And that is where I found you. Hope you don't mind that." "N-No, it's not that it's just me… I have so many questions," Cloud mentions, holding her head in confusion. "It's okay; Dash can fill you in once she changes." "What is wrong with what I'm wearing?" Dash asks in confusion. "Well, he does have a point," Cloud Chaser nods. "I wasn't going to say anything because I thought you were going to a photoshoot or something later, but our uniform is for shows or training at the academy, and the princess asked us to be discreet, so that is eye-catching." "Yeah, that's too much, so please, can you change it to something more modest? Preferable with layers, lots and lots of layers, please!" Amon replied. Dash only groans and rolls her eyes. "Fine! You're lost. I will change into something less flashy, then. Just wait for me on the rooftop." Dash shoves a bunch of papers to Cloud Chaser before flying away. "Rooftop?" Amon repeated in surprise. "A good spot to get accustomed to the wind and wing movement. Don't worry, we’re not gonna push you off or anything like that; we aren’t birds." "Right… thanks for clarifying that." Amon nods a couple of times. "And speaking of clarification, while we go there, can you tell me how a freaking Alicorn a symbol of clear royalty and nobility, ends up looking for change in the streets?!" Amon could only sigh and shake his head. "It's kind of a long story, but I suppose I can give you a short version on our way there," Amon suggested as they both started walking. Once they reached the end of the stairs, Amon reached the point of the story where he arrived in Canterlot. "...after that, I spent the next two months just surviving as best as I could, with the help of Purple and his friends, until a powerful blizzard forced my hand, harming me in a way a couple of bandages and twigs could not save, and well… my secret got exposed. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that having wings made you royal." "It's not just having wings! Amon, what you… This is so much; no wonder the princess asked me to keep quiet. And you seriously don't remember a single thing? You just woke up one day in the middle of nowhere like this?" Cloud Chaser asks in astonishment, pointing at himself with both hands. "And cursed whenever I go, that part is important, but yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Amon nods a couple of times. "And before you ask, no, I am not, never was, and never will be a prince, royal, noble, or any other figure of power; I'm just Amon, and that is how I'm gonna remain." "Y-you're kidding, right? You are not serious about just saying no to your destiny." "That is just a myth, Cloud; destiny is the sum of all our decisions in life, not some random encounter you get one time, and my decisions simply don't include sitting around on a fancy chair with a metal ring on my head all day. That's all." "But… you… ascended! You… that… you're right… It doesn't make… who are you?!" "I told you, I'm just a random pony wanting to learn how to fly, that is all," Amon replied casually. "But… Do you realize what ponies will kill to be on your horseshoes? Do you have any idea of the honor of being crowned an alicorn? What are you simply tossing away like a free sample at a supermarket?!" Cloud asked in astonishment and disbelief at what she was hearing. "Oh, believe me, they made sure to tell me in detail; I know the quote-on-quote privileges of growing wings. Almost sounding like a cult," Amon replied, holding the handle of the door to the rooftop, shivering a little before continuing. "I know exactly what I could earn and told them 'no thanks.'" Amon finished and exited the castle and headed towards the rooftop. Said rooftop looks more like an arena or perhaps a training area with how there was a concrete straight layer on the floor, various metal posts holding plastic giant rings, and perches for the pegasus to use, one of which was currently occupied by Dash per, his request, changed into an avian sweater, and jeans on top of her uniform as she was playing with a ring close to her push it slightly until the two exits the castle. "About time you two arrived, what? Did you get lost?" "Is anything not a competition for you, Dash?" Cloud complained with a shake of her head and a sigh before looking at Amon. "Also, shouldn't you and your friends be getting home? Don't you have work?" Amon adds. "Special royal assignment, Bob," Dash pokes his nose. "If there is a national security alert, we are excused indefinitely. Plus, Twilight and Starlight are doing egghead stuff, AJ and Pinkie are gathering supplies for our trip, and Rarity said something about making disguises," Dash listed, and Amon counted with his fingers. "Hey, there is one missing; what about Fluttershy?" Amon asks, and Dash shrugs. "Don't know. She said something about needing to talk with some Bliss guard mare, and I haven't seen her since. Don't worry about it." At that moment, perched on a nearby tower, the two pegasus in question kept an eye on the group. "A... are you sure it's okay for me to be here, Ms. Wind?" Fluttershy asked nervously, holding a telescope in her hands. "For the last time, just Bliss is fine, and yes. Brick and I do this all the time; it's just some harmless birdwatch," the guard replies with a smirk. "Listen, from all the crap Mark gives you, I understand you are in a sensitive spot right now and need to put your thoughts in order, but there is nothing wrong with some fanning over stallions. So think of this as a healthy way to release stress." Bliss nods and pats her back. "I should go back; my shift is about to begin; just remember to lock the room when you leave." "T-Thank you," Fluttershy nods with a little smile and some heat on her cheeks before using the telescope to see Amon's training more closely. "Well! That take care of that so don’t worry about it. And by the way, don't think I buy any of that crap; nobody is capable of rejecting the crown if they knew what they were refusing. You haven't grasped the full image, and once you do, I bet you will change your mind." Amon could only shrug. "If that is your opinion, that is fair. For now, let's stop with politics; we came here to train, right?" "Right, what we came here for," Cloud Chaser nods, getting excited. "Okay, first of all…" "...We are gonna do a couple of wing exercises, stretches, flaps, and feather inspection; you are gonna need all of those…" "DASH!" Cloud pinches the other pegasus' ear and pulls her away. "What did I say? WHAT DID I SAY?!" Cloud asks her in irritation, "I'm the one teaching, not you, I'M-" "I was just making a suggestion, that's all," Dash shrugs nervously until Chaser pulls her ear harder. "Okay! Okay! You are the teacher; I'm not gonna interrupt!" "Thanks," satisfied Cloud Chaser, let go of Dash, and looked at Amon with a smile. "As I was saying, I'm gonna need to know what I'm working with, so backpack and cape off." "What?" Amon asks in surprise. "Both will get in the way and for someone that has never flown before, trust me, the last thing you want is something entangled with your wings. You need to be in tune with your body fully before putting something on it. So please take both off." "But… I don't want to lose them." "Don't worry; Dash will keep an eye on your belongings," Cloud offered with a calm smile. "I’ll what now?" Dash looks at her partner in surprise as Amon thinks about it and then sighs in defeat. "F-Fine, for the sake of things, I will trust you. Both of you better not take anything, Dash; you hear me?" Amon warns her before handing his cape and backpack to Dash, who promptly is brought to the ground as she struggles to stand up. "For Celestia's sake! What the heck are you carrying here?! Rocks?!" Dash complains with a red face. "Hey, those were my surviving tools, so be careful with them. Only half of them are rocks." "Wait, so there ARE actual rocks in here?" Dash asks in astonishment before sniffing it, and her nose recoils. "Ah! And when was the last time you washed this?" "I don't know, since I came to Canterlot, maybe?" "That was almost 3 months ago!" Dash yells in horror. "Suck it up!" Cloud Chaser yells at Dash before looking at Amon once again. "Okay, big guy, spread those wings," she instructs. After taking a deep breath, Amon does as instructed, remembering what he learned in the infirmary. Picturing his wings as extra hands and ever so slowly relaxing, he extended both of them as far as he could go. Soon both wings were fully extended for the mares to see. "Nice, very nice," Cloud mentions as she strokes her chin in wonder. "Wait, are those claws?" Cloud asks, noticing the two hook-like tips at the base of Amon's wings. "Long story, the doctors aren't sure why I have them. One has a theory that it may be a 'male of the species' situation. Don't worry about it." Amon dismisses her surprise with a wave of his hand. "So, how long do I have to keep them stretched?" "Well, you can relax now unless you are happy to see me," Cloud jokes with a smirk before getting confused and then feeling an awkward silence when Amon looks at her with a strange look. "You know, because of the wings?" "I don't follow," Amon says with a shake. "What do you mean you don't follow? You never had sex-aid classes?" "Ah! H-he was born an earth pony and… homeschool… in an all earth ponies hamlet!" Dash quickly intervenes. "Right, big guy?" "R-Right, what she said." "I thought you said you just woke up with no memory in the middle of nowhere," Cloud says, confused. "Yeah, that happened after I woke up." "Wait! So were homeschooled somewhat after waking up in the middle of nowhere and… what you were just so happened to stumbled into an earth pony hamlet?" "Hey, if your school is your home, that is called homeschooling, even if that is an orphanage, so it counts," Amon doubles down. "Orphanage?! What? How old were you when you started traveling?!" Cloud asks in a panic. "Twelve," Amon responded immediately, which only served to scare and surprise Cloud Chaser and Rainbow Dash immediately. "It is a sensitive subject, so please drop it and start the lessons." Amon insisted with some irritation. "Of course! Of course I… Ah… I just… you poor soul, I could never imagine… give me a moment." Cloud excused herself and flew away to a nearby perch so she could collect her thoughts. "Nice cover story, dude," Rainbow Dash compliments with a slow nod. "How did you have that fake backstory locked and loaded so fast?" "On occasions when visiting cities, there were those circles of fires where the less fortunate and I gathered around barrels of fire to fight off the cold. To pass the time, we sometimes exchanged stories, so I tried my best to pay attention and form my own sad past in case a situation like this happened. I concluded that it was easier for everyone this way. The trick is to give enough information for a general idea and not demand more details," Amon explained with a small, proud smile. "Plus, I sprinkle a little bit of a famous fictional character from my world called Amumu; my story is a bit like his, so I imagine I should just adopt it as my own. Hope I didn't just ruin the day for Cloud Chaser." "I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Maybe you should have thought of that when choosing who should train you," Rainbow smirks. "But don't worry, I can fix this. Just let me do some damage control and…" Rainbow's idea flew out of the window when the second Cloud returned and didn't waste time hugging Amon. "I'm so sorry, Amon, you poor wounded soul! I promise things will get better from here on out," Cloud Chaser says with tears in her eyes. The emotion and speed of her action make her not realize how she accidentally brought Amon's face to her chest as she hugged harder. In the tower, the second Fluttershy saw that she was petrified, her wings expanded and crisped from a new and unknown feeling coursing through her veins: anger. "Ah, thanks? Ah, Miss Cloud, could you please…?" Amon asked her while he patted her back twice as she got the idea and let go of Amon. "Right, right, the lessons," she faked coughing and looked away. Sorry for getting sidetracked there; let's get started. Your feathers seem to be a mess, and that could be a big issue, so for today, I'm gonna teach you the proper way to preen, and then we can do some laps around the field." "Ah, like jogging?" Amon asks with some intrigue. "Kind of," Cloud Chaser mentions with a shrug before looking at Rainbow Dash. "Here, Dash, help me demonstrate." "Sure, okay dude, pay close attention to my wings; I'm gonna blow your mind; just flex and relax when I tell you, and you will be…" "Dash, I swear I'm getting the thundercloud right now!" Cloud warns her with finality, prompting Rainbow Dash to stay quiet. Once she does, Cloud Chaser looks back at Amon once more with a calm smile. "As I said, we can move on with the launch-off exercise after preening. You need to control your wings and train them to open and close in time to catch the wind under them for impulse and know when and how to jump." "Okay, I'm listening," Amon replied with interest. "Okay, then pay attention to Dash's wings as she demonstrates how to flap for lift off… SLOWLY." Cloud finished glaring at Dash, knowing her partner all too well. “Ah come on Cloud! At least let me do a couple of flips” Dash whine Cloud just sighs in irritation and pinches the bridge of her nose. “If I let you do a show after training, would you stop whining?” “Just let me do five of our special moves to sold him about wonderbolts” Dash tells in excitement “I will let you do 1” “What about 4?” “2” “Deal!” Dash tells with a chuckle and a smirk “See that Amon that is is how you negotiate” “O…k so can we move onto the demonstration?” Amon asks, blinking a couple of times. “Right, ok the lift up rush consists of 3 fundamental steps, the running start, where you simply run with your wings retracted on your back fully, Dash?” Cloud asks her partner and Dash to comply turning around and show how to place the wings fully horizontal and compress on the back. “This way your wings don’t drag you back with your wings and make you lose balance. Then it the net pose where you kneel and stretch out your wings” Dash goes on one knee with the tip of her fingers on the ground and her wings fully stretch out at each side of her body “And finally the jump/flap, the easiest and final step” Dash does that and create a dash of wind jumping a couple of feet before returning to the ground “You do that in quick succession and you would be in the air” Cloud finish with a smile “Just remember this is to place you on the sky, once there it would be a manner of balance and adjustment, you can’t just flap your wings all willy nilly once in the air. That would only make you spin around without control until you hit something” Dash continued as she approached Amon. “You need slow strokes and flaps to gain distance, then it’s a matter of finding your own rhythm in the air to stay airborne indefinitely. And once that boring part is done we can move to AHHH!” Dash's explanation was interrupted when a thunder hit her rump, making her jump forward from the shock with Cloud Chaser on top of a thunder cloud glaring at Dash. While Fluttershy can’t help but to blush and look away from the surprise and what happen “I warn you Rainbow Dash, I warned you!” Cloud informed as Dash stood up. “It was ADVICE!” Dash glares back with electrified mane and still fuming “What now I can’t even give those?” “Dash, please get off of me” Amon asked gently from beneath Dash catching her attention as Dash realized how the scare and hit caused her to jump his chest first into his face bringing both down. Realizing what she did Dash blush a little as she stood up, her crotch for a moment grinning against Amon making her gasp for a second before she jumps back quickly from the surprise and blush even harder. The glare from Amon prevents her from making any comment as she nervously chuckles “Sorry for that. B-but considering you motorboat me, we can call it even” Amon keep staring at her before closing his eyes and sigh nodding once trying to not make things more complicated for either of them Is my face some kind of breast magnet? Why does this keep happening with any mare I meet? Returning down Cloud Chaser tries to break the awkward silence “A-Anyway, what do you say we start the preening of the wings and then some mild jogging to practice the first and second steps?”
Morning Committed (Edited By PW, and Oroko06)Once more, pegasus started to show in the distance, and considering they had made plenty of progress, Amon and his friends decided to leave things there and return to his room, with the promise of continuing tomorrow morning. Dash, in particular, was pissed off that, in the end, she didn't manage to show off her movements and keep her eyes straight forward and a red face. "Oh, come on, Dash. Are you still sore from what happened?" Cloud Chaser asked with a bit of sorrow in her voice. "All I wanted was to show Amon how awesome the Wonderbolts were, but no, you had to take all morning with kindergarten moves," Dash complained, keeping her eyes forward. "Seriously? That is why you are pissed off? not the fact that her second reprimand left you… feeling drafty?" Amon questions, looking at Rainbow's waist where her sweater was now tied up to hide her shame. At some point, while they were jogging, Cloud Chaser told Amon about pointers and maneuvers to glide, which could be a good follow-up from lift-up. Dash in turn decided to interrupted her once again, and she started talking about wing language and how he should be careful not to stare at other ponies' wings too much, especially mares when they were ruffled. All good and well until she constantly interrupts Cloud Chaser whenever she tried to go back to their training, until she had enough and flies up to kick the storm cloud once more and hit Dash right in her behind for a second time. Now, seeing precisely what and how Cloud did such impressive feet, Amon was full of questions to ask or would have, if not for Dash having a wardrobe malfunction when the lightning ripped a piece of her fabric, and she had a huge opening showing her panties. That day, Amon discovers that the daredevil is genuinely a fan of the Wonderbolts, giving her choice of underwear with a plain pair of panties with a huge W in the middle. "That didn't help either!" Dash angrily bellows, glaring at Amon, "And if you keep staring, you will have to buy me dinner, Amon! Eyes out front!" "Sorry." Amon looked ahead of him with some heat on his cheeks. "You know you can always do the show later. Amon can just put on the disguise and see us perform this afternoon at the dome," Cloud Chaser mentions. "But I won't be on it!" Dash complains. It's my day off, and tomorrow we have the mission, so he won't be able to see my awesomeness." "Ah, Dash, do you want me to see the Wonderbolts perform or you perform?" Amon asks deadpan. "Can't we be both?" Dash asks. "No, but if it really means that much to you, what about this? You do what you have to, and then you can perform tonight before you leave, deal?" Amon offers her. "Well, I suppose that could work," Dash mumbles and thinks about it momentarily. "Better take it, Dash. It's not gonna get better than that," Cloud Chaser tells her with an emotionless stare. "Fine, 6 pm sharp at the royal garden it is, don't be late." Dash tells with finality. "I will try to remember," Amon says with a roll of his eyes. Soon, the group reaches the alicorn room and is slightly startled when standing. There was none other than Major Shitake with her usual two guards. Once she saw them approach, she saluted. "Ms. Dash, Ms. Chaser, Mr. Amon. Good morning to all." "Ah… hi?" Amon reply. "Can we help you?" Cloud Chaser asks, slightly surprised to see a royal guard waiting for them. "Negative; I'm here to report for my and my son's new duties." "Duties?" Dash repeats. "Sons?" Amon mentions looking at the two big royal guards behind the major before looking at the major once more. "That is correct. To pay for my crimes and earn back the trust of the crown, we have been assigned as your platoon for the unforeseen future so I can reevaluate my views on you," she says, maintaining a professional, neutral air as she speaks. "Celestia…" "Princess Celestia, please, SIR!" Shiitake corrects him. "Right HER, decided that the best punishment for basic treason is… demotion?" Amon asks with neutrality. "Geez, dude, a bit harsh, don't you think?" Dash says in concern, "I mean, yeah, it sounds a bit weird, but she wants to try to make amends." "Aja, that is cute; if you excuse me, I need to talk, sorry I mean scream some sense on that mare," Amon growls as he storms off; Shiitake and her guards follow close by. "Stop following me!" "We can't, sir; that's our order." "Oh, for the love of… I can't deal with this right now, Cloud Chaser. Do you have an appointment later today?" "Yeah, I have; I need to prepare for a Wonderbolt show soon; why?" "Just checking," Amon says calmly before looking at Dash. "Rainbow, I need your help." "Sure, what can I do?" "I don't trust her" Amon points at the major "So I need you to stay with me all day until I fix this thing with Celestia." "PRINCESS Celestia!" Shiitake corrected him again. "Yeah, this in particular." "I think you are exaggerating, but fine, can I change pants at the very least?" "Sure." "I can help you!" Fluttershy suddenly appears out of nowhere with an eager smile, startling the pegasus, who jumps back. "Dear Celestia, Fluttershy, where the hay did you just come from?" Cloud Chaser asks once she manages to recover from the scare. "I just arrived," Fluttershy mentions with a smile. "And I heard you needed someone to stay with you all day, Amon?" "Yeah, more or less, but don't you have something to do in preparation for tomorrow?" "Hey, come, you didn't ask me that?" Dash asks in indignation. "Considering you weren't supposed to be here now, I felt you open your whole day. Am I wrong?" Amon asks with a raised eyebrow. "...well, not ALL day either, but still." "Okay, then you can change while Fluttershy accompanies me to see Celestia, Shiitake! don't correct me!" "Then use the proper title; it's PRINCESS Celestia, and I will keep repeating it until you do." "Yeah, I would not be able to take this; I'm fixing this; let's go!" Amon declares as he marches away. "So, see you later, then? Bye." Cloud Chaser waved, slightly startled and confused about how things turned out. "Don't worry; he is a nice guy; you just need to get to know him." Fluttershy apologizes before going after Amon. Sometime later at the dining table, Amon marched inside, focusing on Celestia while she casually drank tea; the guards on the wall got alert until Celestia signaled them to stand down. "Celestia, we need to talk," Amon mentions with neutrality. "It Princess…" Shiitake corrected him again until Amon interrupted. "...SHUT UP!" Been more than fed off, Amon yells at Shiitake, startling even himself with his voice and shaking the room slightly. "…Okay, that is new, but I can think of that later; back to the subject, we need to chat." "Good morning to you too, Mr. Amon. I hope everything went well in your first lesson," Celestia replied calmly as she took a sip of her drink before she spoke up. "Also, to your request, I completely agree; I need to discuss something with you, Mr. Amon," Celestia says, remaining calm as she puts her teacup down. "But please, by all means, stallions first." "You put Shiitake to babysit me. I thought I made things clear with your sister when I said I don't want guards acting as my second tails. No offense," Amon says, directing his attention to Celestia's personal guards, who look at him and then at each other in confusion. "That I did." Celestia nodded and used magic to pull a chair beside her and invite him to sit. "And I have my reasoning as to why I did such a thing to a mare that betrayed the nation that wanted to share with you." Amon takes her offer and looks at the mare with suspicion. "Okay, I will give you a chance. What reason could you possibly have to give that sort of job to her that I could agree on?" "I want you to determine her punishment," Celestia replies immediately, quieting the room. "Like hell, I will… what?" Amon had to pause and double-take what Celestia had just said. "Can you repeat that, your highness?" AJ asks, and only now did Amon notice how the remaining Mane Six and Starlight were also present at the table, making him feel imperfect from having ignored all of them a second ago and thinking Celestia was the only one in the room. "Certainly, Applejack, you heard me right; I wish for Amon to determine what kind of punishment should fall on the major after her actions. I know this seems odd, but hearing about the story of Amon and the circumstances behind it made me reevaluate the justice system I have been practicing and find that there may be flaws that I'm yet to grasp and understand fully and could use an outside perspective of things." Amon looked at her with a deadpan. "You only wanted me to "be a prince" with a taste of authority while learning the importance of mercy and why you do things the way you do, don't you?" "On the contrary, Amon, I'm fully on board with listening to criticism and finding common ground to find an acceptable solution. Should you wish to try implementing our ways of harmony and forgiveness, it is completely up to you," Celestia replied before looking at the ceiling and fake ignorance. "But I will not deny that it would be one pleasant bonus should that happen." Amon could only sigh and shake his head in exhaustion. "For pit's sake, how do you do it? How do you make me stop hating you and give you a chance?" "Lots of understanding, practice, and a bit of charm," Celestia replies with a slight giggle, ending with a wink. "So, I assume you would accept my proposal?" Amon glared at her momentarily before speaking up, "I have conditions." "As long as they are not illegal, cruel, or unusual, I will hear them," Celestia replies. "It will only be temporal." "We can discuss an exceptional time frame." "This doesn't mean I accept crowns, titles, or responsibilities." "Never intended for that to be the case." "Once we are done, I don't want guards following me around." "I can't help much there. That is the law, and contrary to what you think, I'm not above it. You don't wish anyone to be there either, am I right?" "...right," Amon replied begrudgingly. "You mischievous fox." "I will take that as a compliment. And don't be discouraged. I always welcome some healthy games of mind, dear Amon." Celestia finishes with a small little giggle before her expression takes a darker tune. "And as much as I would like things to end there so we can enjoy our meals in peace, there is another subject I need to discuss with all of you, a subject that is not going to be of your liking, I'm afraid." "Okay, I'm back. Please tell me I didn't miss much," Dash says as she flies into the room. "Hi, Dashi, I don't think so," Pinkie replies before looking at Celestia. "But Princess Celestia was about to tell us some bad news." The princess nods and invites Dash to take a seat before speaking. "This morning, I was informed of alarming news. Mark never reached the prison," she confesses with some sorrow. "Did he escape?" Twilight asks in concern. "Worse, somepony got to him first. My best soldiers are on their case on when and how it happens, but at some point, somepony intercepts the chariot where he was on and ends his life without anyone noticing." They all gasp at the news. "That is… this is just horrible!" AJ was the first to speak. "I knew he was a meanie, but I didn't want this to happen." "Not to mention, this raises many questions," Twilight said alarmingly. "For any pony to pull this off, they must know that Mark exposed them, know when he will be transferred, and plan a way to intercept the transport in very little time. How is that even possible?" "Because they have ways of tracking others and moving undetected," Amon replies with a sigh, making all eyes fall on him. "Think of it? How else could they have followed me all this time without anyone detecting me? Or better yet, intercept a chariot in mid-air? With means to detect your target and a way to move without restraints, all you miss is the opportunity when nobody will see you." "And inside a chariot with two guards so close was that chance?" AJ tells with a raised eyebrow. Amon shrugs. "I'm only pointing out my theory based on experience; they may also want to send a message with this." "Agree, we will need to think this carefully." Twilight nods a couple of times. "But what you are saying is right; if they have those two things, the rest can easily fall into place." "This brings me to two other subjects I must share with all of you. The first one is fairly obvious and directed at you girls: Do not separate once you leave the castle and investigate the black market. As for the second... you were right about sending a message, Anon. The killer left one on the wall behind the corpse." She finishes with dread. "...what did they write?" Amon asks with neutrality. "You have a monster roaming the castle," she replied with a sigh. "It is clear that this enemy is not a fan of your current living arrangement and want them to stop" the princess mentioned, glancing at Amon. "Or they may be referring to me," Starlight says in a dejected tune. "They want to enact revenge on my past actions after all" "It doesn't matter either way," Dash said. "It's clear what they mean; they are getting mad, and that is more than fine for me," The pegasus confidently mentioned as she hit her palm. "The more angry the easy would be to make a mistake. This only reinforces how they will be paid for what they did, and we will not let them get away, right girls?!" "Yeah," They all cheer in agreement and excitement. "Just be sure not to underestimate them," Amon reminded them with a glare. "If you really are going to face those monsters, then you better be prepared for everything." He then glances at Fluttershy and Pinkie and starts to feel a pang of concern before looking at Celestia and sighing. "Ce… princess, is there no way I can also go? I'm… I'm not sure they may be ready for what they may see." "I'm sure of it, and you should put more faith in them, Amon. This is not something they haven't seen before." "Yeah, partner, we got this," AJ says confidently. "It's not that I don't believe you can," Amon mentions. "It's what you may lose if you march head first into that den of lions." He then looks at Fluttershy: "Specially you. Your view of the world is pure and innocent. And I don't mean this as an insult; far from it. Just please. I didn't think of this before, but what you may encounter…" Amon shivers at the idea, remembering the halls full of blood everywhere, before shaking his head and looking around. "...I don't want you to lose that glimmer of your soul, especially if you lost it because of me." Everyone awws as Fluttershy holds his hand. "Don't worry, Amon. We will be fine, I promise. With Twilight, I'm sure we will be extra careful." "And with me and AJ, we will make sure to kick the flanks of anyone who messes with us." Dash boosted confidence. Amon still seems unsure but sighs in defeat and nods. "Just promise me something: if you have to enter ANY dark and moist room in a basement, secret room or the likes and you start to smell blood, DO NOT ENTER," Amon says with finality. "Call the guards or some form of authority instead and I mean it; those psychos are something else. And I would not be surprise they are messy and willing to left corpses behind if they get spooked." The room remains quiet as some of the mares grow paler. "We will keep that in mind and proceed with extreme caution, yeah," Twilight says with a nervous tone. "Good." Amon nods and starts grabbing a dozen muffins and putting them in his backpack. "Now, if you excuse me, I have some conditions to make" He pause feeling uncomfortable on his own body at the moment "And a shower to take." Immediately, Fluttershy stood up in attention only to be sat down by Amon "Alone." "R-Right, right. I-I thought you meant-" She cleared her throat and looked away. "-Can we see you later?" "Sure, I mean Dash invite me to see one of those Wonderbolts shows anyways." Amon nodded as he retired; the remaining mane six looked at Fluttershy with curiously. "what?" The shy pegasus ask in confusion "What was that just now?" Starlight ask in confusion "He wanted me to stay on his side for a while." Fluttershy reply right away "Oh darling I don't think he meant for you to do just that to the shower" Rarity jokes slightly. "I mean, could you imagine?" "Y-Yeah, that would be crazy." Fluttershy joined the chuckle with some heat on her face, earning a sigh from AJ as she shook her head. "Oh shoot, I completely forgot I must tell Amon something, one moment." Starlight stood up and chased after Amon; Fluttershy was about to follow suit until AJ stopped her, putting her hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. "No! Remember. Baby steps." "Right, sorry." The rest of the mane six kept looking at Fluttershy with curious looks, minus Pinkie, who was just giggling with a knowing smile. "Okay, could somepony please tell me what the hay is going on here?" Dash asks in exasperation.
