The King Of Nothing

-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."