Struggling through the stormy gale, my wings were frozen to my sides, my horn elongated with an icicle. The top of my body was covered in snow, covering the usual black of my mane in white. My sides revealed a swirl of black and crimson. The self-made goggles covering my eyes helped me maintain a straight path to wherever it was I was headed. The storm grew heavier and trying to keep on top of the snowy path was becoming increasingly difficult. I was starving, thirsty beyond all imagination and drained of power and all I thought about as I finally collapsed at the edge of a forest, was why this had happened to me.
As the Storm took me, I felt the presence of somepony powerful, like me. I tried to open my eyes, but they were frozen shut. I felt numb and stiff as whoever had noticed me lifted me onto their back, the warmth of their body unfamiliar to me. I knew that I was propped like a depressed looking statue as I couldn’t even lower my head. It was difficult to breathe as my body was frozen to a certain stretching point. I felt the bumpety-bump of the pony beneath me as he or she ran to cover to warm me up. I lost consciousness afterward, waking to the crackling sound of a fire.
As my eyes opened, the eyelashes still slightly damp from the frost, I saw the fire before me, tilted entirely to the right. Clearly, I was on the floor. I slowly and heavily lifted my sore head, feeling the still slightly defrosting skin stretch and break. As my skin broke, so did my silence. It hurt, everything was painfully clear to me. I’d been found half frozen by somepony who took pity on me. I felt that I’d have been better off undiscovered until it was too late. I wanted death at this very moment. I felt more of my body break around my hoof and blood, half solidified and slushy, seeped out along with whatever remained of the pure warm blood spurting along with it. I felt like I was dying again as I collapsed with nowhere to go. And I lost consciousness once again.
I awoke some time later, having slept long enough for two dreams to fully complete themselves. My eyes didn’t feel as heavy as I looked down to my hooves to find them bandaged. Whoever had helped me before was still around, either out every time I woke or waiting in the background for me to fall into a deep slumber once more. The latter possibility gave me a slight sense of danger, feeling partially superior in that respect. The triumph lasted for a second as I tried to rise again, the broken skin aching like pinched nerves. I gave up after three attempts, only managing to roll over to the other side with a groan.
“How do you feel?” asked a fairly feminine voice. I could tell that this pony was female, around my age. I turned my head slowly to see a Violet coloured pony with a straight cut dark purple mane and a pink stripe on one side. Her eyes were an ivory colour from what I could see. I motioned to turn around to face her better, but my body was being stubborn.
“Better than last time.” I replied, my voice croaky and barely audible.
“That’s good. I had Zecora make up something for your frostbite.” she stated. I looked back at the bandages.
“Was it you that carried me?” I asked, staring into the fire as I heard the wood pop and crackle. The Violet pony approached me and lay down beside me.
“It was. I’ve had practice carrying things on my back before, including a certain baby dragon upstairs.” she replied. I turned my head to look at her, her eyes sparkling as they reflected the fire. She returned my gaze and smiled innocently.
“My name’s Twilight Sparkle.” she said, stretching her hoof toward mine.
“Power House.” I replied, placing mine on top of hers. She smiled and nodded. Using her unicorn horn, she brought a large fluffy pillow from across the room to my side.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Power.” she said, fluffing the pillow further. She placed it beneath me and allowed me to rest.
“My friends… called me House. I never knew why.” I replied, resting my head on the corner of the pillow, watching the little royal-looking golden lacing dangle above the ground.
“Alright House, it’s nice to meet you.” she repeated.
“And you, Twilight Sparkle.” I complied. Twilight chuckled gently and brushed my mane from out of my hair.
“Just Twilight, House.” she mused.
“Thank you for saving my life, Twilight.” I finished, closing my eyes.
“You’re very welcome. May I ask where you’re from?” she asked. I opened my eyes instanty and looked at her.
“Um… I’m from the Northern Mountains.” I replied, shamefully. Twilight gasped, her response not what I expected. She had a giddy smile on her face as if she’d just won something.
“You’re from the Mountains? What’s it like?” she asked, suddenly bringing a book and quill to afloat beside her head.
“Nomadic. The weak suffer while the strong survive. Honour is what matters to my people and if you don’t gain honour, or dishonour your family, you are exiled from the Northern Mountains and sent to fend for yourself until you either gain some small amount of honour, along with proof… or you die. I’m the first of us to even make it past the ice. Everypony else didn’t make it a third of the way in.” I replied. Twilight, who had begun writing this down, stopped, seeming to feel rather morbid after what I’d said. She cleared her throat and placed her jotting equipment down.
“Perhaps I’ll ask you more questions in the morning. I don’t want to bother you tonight. Get some sleep, House.” she said, tossing another log in the fireplace. I complied with her command and closed my eyes, my vision already blurry.
I woke to the sound of whispering. I knew right away that others inside were whispering about me.
“If he’s from the North, then he could be dangerous. He might be looking for the strongest pony to take back to his land in order to prove his worth.” said one of them. She sounded slightly tom-boyish, and as I turned my head to get a better look, I traced the voice to a cyan pony with a rainbow coloured mane and tail. With my eyes still heavy, I could only see her for an instant before I had to close them yet again. The strain brought tears to the surface and they slipped through the cracks of my lids. Having momentarily forgotten that my body had frozen over, I stretched. I expected great pain to emerge through my legs, but nothing came through. Despite this, I yelped, more out of surprise than anything else. This drew the attention of everypony in the room. I lay still, my eyes wide open now. I was panting, unsure what to do with myself.
“Oh, House! You’re awake. Meet my… sceptical friends.” Twilight said. I heard her trot over to me. She helped me up, allowing me to use her as something to lean on while I got my hoofing. The bandages around my hooves fell to the ground and I felt revived, a brand new stallion. I tried stretching once again, my bones popping delightfully. I could hear some of the onlookers shudder; two pairs of Pegasus wings ruffling.
“How do you feel?” Twilight asked. I straightened up, standing just a little higher than the others.
“I feel revived again… I’m energized again.” I replied. Twilight smiled sweetly at me. I turned away shyly, unused to such a response.
“An’ What do ya’h say to the pony who done saved your hide?” asked an orange mare with a blonde mane and a hat on her head.
“Oh, yes. Thank you… wait, I thanked you last night. Oh it’s going to be frustrating learning the nature of Southern ponies… And to answer the rainbow Pegasus’ suspicion, I am not planning on bringing back the strongest Equestrian to my land.” The cyan pony with the rainbow mane dug at the floorboards sheepishly.
“Sorry.” She uttered. I then noticed something was out of place.
“Didn’t I hear two sets of Pegasus wings?” I asked. The other ponies looked around. The orange one looked underneath her and jumped.
“Dag Nebit, Fluttershy! Why you always gotta be hidin’ under me? It’s socially awkward, not to mention darn annoyin’.” She said. A pale yellow Pegasus mare with a pink mane emerged awkwardly from underneath the orange Earth pony.
“Let me introduce everypony. House, this is Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Girls, this is Power House.” As Twilight introduced everypony to me, Pinkie Pie sprang forward and began babbling, starting with an excited gasp.
“Oh my gosh, this is so super awesome, I can throw you a Welcome-to-the-South Party and line it up with the Welcome-to-Ponyville Party so it will be doubly awesome. I wonder if I should bake two cakes for each party or make one really big one, because all of Ponyville will probably be there to welcome you and want to get to know you, except maybe Cranky Doodle and Matilda because they’re often alone together in that old house of theirs, I rarely see them anymore which is a shame because-.” I watched the mouth on this pink mare move like a bolt of lightning, then stop after my wings ruffled. The snow white mare, known as Rarity, clamped Pinkie’s mouth shut with her hooves.
“That’s enough Pinkie, you’re getting off topic… Why don’t you go and prepare the invitations, the rest of us will do what we do best.” She said, shooing her out the door. The Pinkie continued to speak through a muffled mouth until she left the house with Rarity’s help. I tilted my head towards the entrance, my eye twitching all the while.
“Is it bad that I wanted to do the dance of my people and kill her?” I asked. I heard a snicker from Twilight.
“No. Everypony wants to kill her every now and then.” Rainbow Dash replied. I shivered, stretching my wings and then folded them back again, the feathers now sleek and flat against my body.
“So, you’re an Alicorn, then?” Rarity asked. I nodded, saying nothing.
“What’s the fashion like in the North? What are the clothes made of?” she asked. It seemed like a simple enough question, but Twilight closed my mouth before I could reply.
“I think that’s a topic best left undiscussed until a certain Pegasus with a love for animals is absent.” She said. I caught on immediately that Fluttershy must have been the animal lover, for her head emerged from behind Applejack and looked to Twilight suspiciously.
“Hey, Power House. How fast a flyer are you?” asked Rainbow Dash. I didn’t see the importance of knowing the speed of another flyer until I remembered Pegasi were extremely competitive.
“We don’t really have the necessary tools to measure our speed in the North. Compared to this place, we’re actually rather primitive.” I replied. Rarity frowned in thought.
“How primitive, exactly?” she asked. I considered the question.
“We sleep in tents, don’t have books but speak stories verbally. Marriages are arranged based upon strength and dexterity and some of us have poor grammar. The strong survive and the weak are left behind.” I said.
“Is that what happened to you?” Fluttershy asked. I looked at her blankly, frightening her slightly. I looked back toward the entrance to the house, then around the room. Books were lined up on rows in crevices. It was a live-in Library.
“Say, maybe somepony could show me around this Ponyville? There’s so much I’d like to learn, including the history of Equestria.” Twilight gasped lightly, just enough for us all to hear her.
“When it comes to History, I’m your mare. I’ve been through these books five times and I’m half way through the sixth. I’d be happy to teach you the history over the course of your stay.” She said. I looked back to her and smiled, the expression long forgotten to me.
“That sounds absolutely… calming.”
The following day, I’d been given a timetable, supplied by my new housemate. Unfortunately, I couldn’t read, so I had to trust in Pinkie Pie’s word. I was to meet with and get to know Twilight’s friends more closely. Pinkie led me to Sweet Apple Acres first, where Applejack introduced me to her family; All thirty members who had travelled from their own farms and companies just to meet me: the Stallion of the North. While they prodded me for information regarding the lifestyles of my kin, I always dodged the personal questions. I relied on Pinkie’s sense of time to keep me up to speed with the timetable. As we left Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack seeing us out to the edge of the property, she told me how much her family loved me and how well-mannered I had been despite what I’d told them about Northern mannerisms. I knew that she was impressed with me, and that I’d made a friend in her. Pinkie and I waved her a goodbye and proceeded to Fluttershy’s home. I learned right away that her trust in somepony would reflect her animals’ perceptions of them. When her Angel bunny hopped up on my head as if he’d known me for years, Fluttershy took on a completely different tone with me. I could hear her words with ease and we spoke of animals of all kinds. I avoided telling her that domestic animals such as chickens were a delicacy to us and instead spoke of how we worked together with larger animals, protecting each other in harmony.
By the time my session with her was over, I’d earned her friendship and a free massage. She was surprisingly strong and delicate at the same time. I hadn’t felt looser in my life. It disturbed me how Pinkie mimicked my positions without the aid of a masseuse. Her cracks were louder than mine. Next, I met up with Rarity. She smiled at me the instant I walked in. At first, I thought she’d already considered me a friend after we’d met the previous day. While she said as much, the reason behind her smile became evident to me as she magically threw different clothes and designs on me. She grimaced as my figure was too bulky for her designs. I found myself growing ever so slightly bored. Removing the clothing, she began to take my measurements. Pinkie Pie began playing with a paddle ball, leading me to wonder where she got it from. With nothing better to do, I just watched her as Rarity silently took measurements and began trying new clothes on me.
I hadn’t felt more relieved when my time there was up. The clothes were so soft, but at the same time, very itchy. I missed my animal skins. Pinkie told me that Rainbow Dash was next. Since she couldn’t fly, I had to carry her on my back. She was lighter than I expected, given the size of her flank. I jumped up into the sky, shooting towards Cloudsdale. I broke the sound barrier upon take-off, a wave of darkness spreading out like a ripple in the water. Pinkie commented that it resembled Rainbow’s ‘Sonic Rainboom’. I wasn’t sure what she meant until the cyan mare led us from her house to the Pegasus training grounds. Her mere presence was enough to scatter the other pegasi. Leaving me on the balcony, she leaped off and rose toward the midday sun. As she descended as quickly as she could, she exploded, shooting further downward with a rainbow trail. A round wave of rainbow colours spread out towards the onlooking Pegasi. The colours hit me and I could taste a variety of different flavours from each one. Rainbow Dash had become the first pony to genuinely impress me. She taunted me, telling me to beat that display. Without a glance, I shot out to the middle of the field. I dove under, then flew upward. Throwing my hooves back with my wings, I shot into the sky, creating a black wave in contrast to her Rainboom. It only took me a second to climb higher than she had. I spread my wings, slowing my ascent. Folding them in, I fell. Angling myself downward, I opened my wings slightly and began rotating. I repeated my own sonic boom, but instead of a wave, it became a spiralling torrent, spreading itself out as I flashed down toward the ground like a bolt of lightning. I stopped myself again, just short of hitting the ground, and then repeated the boom so I could meet Rainbow Dash and see her reaction to my display. As I’d hoped, her jaw was hanging down, her eyes as far out as they could possibly go. Speechless, I landed beside her and placed a wing on her back. Offering to teach her, she bowed to me with renewed respect. She led me back to her home with Pinkie Pie behind us and we discussed her dream of becoming a wonderbolt, supposedly the fastest and strongest Pegasi in all of Equestria. She declared flat out that after learning my technique, they would be begging her to join. It felt nice to be appreciated.
As Dusk came upon us, Pinkie asked me to drop her off at her place. She invited me inside. While my timetable left little time for her, I enjoyed making cupcakes with her. Something about how they tasted rang familiar to me and I was reminded of the first time I ever ate a chicken. She invited me over to Applejack’s barn after my history lesson with Twilight, and to bring her along. Thinking it another Southern custom, I accepted the invitation.
It was a short walk back to the Library, my new home if only temporarily. Twilight was waiting by the fireplace with a thick book on a pillow beside her. She looked over to me with a delicate smile and I blushed.
“Welcome home, House. How was your day? Did the timetable help?” she asked. I cantered up to the fireplace and sat down beside her, the book between us. The fireplace reflected in her eyes and they sparkled so brightly, living up to her namesake.
“It was very productive and the timetable did help greatly, as did Pinkie Pie when it came to Rarity’s session.” Twilight chuckled and gave me a guilty apology.
“I’m sorry, I should have given you something to do for when you went to Rarity’s. I don’t know why I thought she’d actually use her time with you wisely. And how was everypony else? Rainbow Dash seemed excited to show you up in the field.” She said. I smirked at that comment.
“Not so much when it turned out to be the other way around.” I replied. Twilight’s face grew with surprise.
“You… showed her up?” she asked. I nodded with internalised pride, the Pegasus in me rearing its competitive head. Twilight’s surprise remained as she tried to smile at me.
“I… I don’t believe it. Rainbow Dash bested by a single pony… maybe she’ll be more mellow now she’s been beaten.”
“I’ve taken her under my wing. She’s going to be even faster than before and have more energy than all of Couldsdale by the time I’ve finished training her.” I declared. Twilight’s surprise and smile faded.
“You’ve decided to apprentice her?” she asked. My own pride and happiness deflated as she pierced me with her seemingly saddened look.
“Yes… is that wrong?” I asked. She looked into the fireplace, the reflection slightly foggy compared to a minute ago.
“No… it’s just that… it’ll make a mess of the timetable.” She lied to me. She was hiding something. I decided not to pursue the matter.
“It’s fine. If I stick to the timetable you gave me this morning, I’ll train Rainbow Dash during the visiting sessions. Getting better and faster seems to be her only interest anyway. So it’s really no big deal.” Twilight’s eyes darkened at my comment. She rose to her hooves and closed the book between us, placing it in its rightful place.
“I’m not in the teaching mood right now. Maybe tomorrow.” Without another word, she walked off to her room and closed the door.
“Did I say something?” I didn’t expect a reply, but Spike, the little dragon emerged from the kitchen.
“Fillies… you can’t live with ‘em. They go through the weirdest moods. I haven’t seen her so disconnected since she first started living here in Ponyville. She was homesick for two weeks. Princess Celestia’s like a second mother to her.” He said. I watched him walk over to a table that had been set for two.
“Expecting company, Spike?” I asked. He shrugged.
“Twilight asked me to set this up for you both. She said she wanted you to get to know her better. But it seems like that idea’s gone out the window. So I thought you and I could get to know each other instead?” he proposed. So far, all of Twilight’s friends were nice in their own way, excluding Rarity whom I couldn’t get a word out of. She was still undecided.
“That sounds like an excellent idea.” I replied. We ate a delicious meal together while Twilight remained in her room. Spike and I discussed my day first. He seemed to really enjoy the fact that Rainbow Dash had been shown up.
“So on top of that, you lied to Fluttershy about the relationship between your people and the animals, said nothing to Rarity about how bored you were, told Pinkie her stories were interesting and let Applejack believe you were Mister Nice Guy?” he asked with a hint of excitement about it all.
“Everypony lies, Spike. Sometimes that’s what’s required in order to keep the peace. I told everypony what they wanted to hear and avoided telling them what they didn’t want to hear. If one or two of them disliked me, it would cause a conflict between them. That’s not why I’m here. I came here to get a new life and leave my old one behind.” Spike considered my reasoning for a moment, then resigned with a nod.
“Makes sense to me.” The evening progressed and the topics of discussions changed quickly.
“So how do you know which gems are better? You’re a pony, you don’t eat them.” He asked. I chuckled.
“I knew a dragon back in the north. He was a good friend. We did a little experiment together. I’d tap random gems with my horn and listen to the sound they made, and then he’d eat them. He’d judge which ones were tastier and I’d learn to tell the best gems by their sounds. It was actually very easy to do. Sadly, some of the larger ones can sometimes be rotten… or so he said.” Spike sighed, his mind obviously trailing to large ripe gems.
“Man, I wish I could tell the ripeness of gems like that.” He said.
“Well, it’d only take about twenty minutes to teach you. But you might need revising every now and then until you master the skill.”
“Y-you’d teach me?” Spike rose to his feet on the chair, leaning on the table. His tail wagged from side to side happily.
“Sure. You said you often assist Rarity when she goes gem hunting, so I’ll come to the next few and teach you to tell the ripe ones apart.”
“But wouldn’t she want them for her dresses?” I smiled and winked at him.
“Actually, it’s the least ripe ones that are best for clothes. Though they all look the same, if they sound rotten, then they’ll last longer. Surely you’ve come across ones that are hard to break.”
“Yeah?”
“Those are the ones Rarity will want. Everypony’s happy then.” I heard a faint huff from Twilight’s room. Looking back, I saw the time on the clock above the door.
“The history lesson would have been over in five minutes… What do I do, Spike? I can’t have my host mad at me. Even a Northerner knows that much.” I asked. Spike shrugged and hopped off the chair, taking our plates.
“My advice: apologise. She likes you, House. She’s likely to forgive you, even if you don’t know what you did wrong. Also, don’t ask her what it is, it makes the apology sound insincere.” With that, he left me at the table to ponder what to say. Unable to think of anything, I just went up to the door and knocked, hoping the words would come out themselves. She answered a few seconds later, her eyes puffy with hidden tears and her mane out of place. My breath caught and I froze. I didn’t know what to say. My mind scattered around, looking for words to help mend the situation, but they were all lost in the black pit of nervousness. She went to close the door again and I instinctively blocked it with my hoof. She looked up at me with mild irritation.
“I’m sorry…” I began. She opened the door again and waited for me to finish. “I’m sorry I upset you, even though I don’t know how. Spike said not to tell you that I didn’t understand what I did, but how can I learn if you don’t teach me these things? I… I want to make things right between us if I’m going to live here, but I need you to tell me what I have to do. I need you to teach me how to act in this society. I… just plain need you.” Twilight’s brow rose and she began to look sceptical.
“You seem to have social standing down pat. You’ve befriended my friends, impressed everypony in their family, despite lying. What do you need me for?” she asked. I sighed at her and removed my hoof from the doorway.
“I need you to forgive me. I’ve just been dragged into a hexagon consisting of you and your friends, and if you’re unhappy with me, then why should I bother with them? You’re the one who saved my life. I indulge them for your sake, I owe you that, but if you’re mad at me, then I can’t repay you for saving me.” I replied. Twilight looked into my eyes. I figured she was searching for any lie to my statement. She closed the door again. I thought I’d blown it, but she emerged a few seconds later with straightened out hair. Even with puffy eyes, she looked beautiful. A confusing reaction emerged in my heart. Unsure about what it was, I placed my hoof over my chest.
“Are you alright?” she asked with a delicate smile. Not wanting to worry her, I nodded.
“Yeah… I think so. Must be a reaction to… today’s activities.” I said, letting my hoof fall beneath me. As Twilight emerged, I took the liberty of closing the door behind her. I sat her down at the dinner table and rushed into the kitchen. Spike had gone, but that was okay. I pulled a cook book out from the cupboard and began searching for something that looked delectable. Going through each recipe, I saw ticks and crosses next to some of them. Most of the good looking delicacies were crossed out and the simpler foods ticked. I came to the conclusion that they represented what Spike could cook and what he couldn’t. I decided to go with something that was similar to take-out food in taste. I’d made this before and the image was all I needed. I turned the stoves on and grabbed all the ingredients necessary for this dish. I timed everything right, allowing me to break every five minutes so I could talk to Twilight and keep her entertained while she waited.
“If you can’t read… then how are you able to cook whatever that delicious smelling meal is?” she asked. I smiled and placed my hoof to my lips.
“That’s my little secret.” I teased.
“You’ve cooked it before, haven’t you?” she guessed. I said nothing and trotted back into the kitchen, causing her to laugh.
“I thought so! I’m not that silly.” She called out. I just laughed with her as I began to dish everything up. I tried my best to make it look like the picture. Not bad. I thought to myself as I hovered the dish over my head.
“Miss Twilight Sparkle, I present to you ‘Vegetarian Lasagne’ with a side of Hay fries.” I said as I lifted the cover, presenting the meal. Twilight gasped in delight as she laid eyes upon the perfectly presented dinner.
“Oh my… I’ve always wanted to try this, but the only place they make this is much too expensive and Spike couldn’t do it justice. This looks absolutely amazing.” She said.
“Thank you. I’d have done a parmagiana, but I know you Southern ponies don’t eat meat. So vegetarian it is.” Twilight prepared to dig into her food as I used my magic to tie her napkin around her neck. She started with the Hay fries, clearly wanting to save the best for last.
“Mmm! These are exactly like the take-out fries… how did you do it?”
“Artificial Batter.” I replied. She gave me a delighted smile as she continued to eat. When she took her first bite of the Lasagne, she practically melted.
“Oh sweet Celestia, this is edible heaven! How did you make this?!” she exclaimed, looking at me with pleading eyes.
“There are some customs I will not abandon, if that’s alright with you? We only reveal our greatest secrets to those we are bound to by marriage.” I replied. Twilight whined slightly before returning to her meal.
“Well if that’s the cost, I’ll marry you just for this recipe.” I blushed slightly and she paused after saying that.
“Why bother? I’m going to live here anyway, I’ll just cook it whenever you want.” I said. She looked at me and smiled.
“I’d like that.”
“When you’re done with that, meet me outside. I’d like to take you somewhere.” Twilight stopped her meal and gave him a curious look.
“Where?”
“Pinkie invited me to Applejack’s barn. She said to bring you if you wanted. She was very vague about the occasion.” Twilight looked as though she’d begun thinking about Pinkie’s reasons for inviting us over to Applejack’s barn. Whether she came to a conclusion or not remained a mystery to me as she shrugged and continued to finish her dinner. I stepped outside and shivered. The temperature had dropped dramatically. I’d forgotten that it was the middle of Winter. I rushed back inside and shivered rigorously.
“I should have mentioned that a drop in temperature was scheduled from an hour ago. It’ll be like that all night.” I gave her a disturbed look.
“Was that neglect revenge or something?” I asked.
“You’ll have to marry me to find out that secret.” She teased. I sighed and went toward the fireplace. I felt my legs stiffen up now that I’d been out in the cold. My bones hurt. A groan escaped me and Twilight stopped once again.
“You alright House?” she asked.
“Yeah… just need to cover my legs if I’m going out there. Seems I’m still a little vulnerable to the cold.” I replied. Twilight ate her last bite and rushed into her room. She emerged moments later with a set of Lavender socks.
“Here, try these. I know they’re not exactly Stallion’s wear, but I had hoped Zecora’s treatment would have given your bones and hooves a slight resistance to the cold.” She said. I accepted them with a smile and tried them on. They were a snug fit, but they were warm.
“Thank you, Twilight.” She blushed as she looked me over in these socks.
“What?” I asked. She just reddened and shook her head.
“Nothing… just thoughts coming to mind.” She said, giggling. I watched as she walked past me, grabbing a couple of scarfs from the hat rack.
“Such thoughts won’t come to others’ minds I hope?” I asked. Twilight shrugged. She gave one of the scarfs to me and placed the other around her neck and then left me in the Library. I quickly followed suit and shut the Library door behind me.
We walked together, discussing our plans for tomorrow. Everypony was gathering for a picnic and I was invited along. I suggested training Rainbow Dash before we ate, so she could get her energy under control. Twilight agreed, though I had the feeling that hanging out with Rainbow Dash was the source of our discomfort. Why, I still didn’t know. She said that after Lunch, she would start teaching me to read. I figured that was an excellent idea. I’d be able to cook more dishes for her then. She asked me to help prepare some of the food for the picnic and I chuckled as I knew that was what she wanted to lead the conversation with. I agreed and we continued to speak of nothing in particular the rest of the way.
When we arrived at the Barn, it was dark and quiet. Applejack’s house was just as quiet. It seemed a little too early for everypony to be asleep.
“Pinkie? I’m here with Twilight, like you said. Hello?” I called inside. Knocking on the door, it creaked open. I looked to Twilight who seemed just as confused as I was.
“Applejack never leaves the barn unlocked. She even drilled that habit into Applebloom.” She said.
“What about one of the visiting relatives? Would they know to keep it locked? Maybe Applejack asked one of them to do her a favour in here because she was busy with something else.” I suggested. Twilight shrugged. The cold temperature was getting to me and I hurried inside, Twilight behind me. We closed the door and began shaking ourselves. Twilight huddled up beside me, using my body as a heat source. I blushed deeply under the dark of night.
“It’s warmer in here at least… Damn that Pinkie! She’s pulled a prank on me and dragged you into it.” I growled.
“It’s just a prank, House.” She defended.
“I know, but I’d like these pranks to not relate to my near-death experience from two days ago.” I argued. The next thing we knew, Lights went on in the barn and the entire Apple family as well as Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy emerged and yelled out “SURPRISE!!!” I jumped up in alarm, literally going through the roof. I fell back through a moment later and found a few of the ponies laughing at me. Rainbow Dash stepped forward and offered her hoof.
“Sorry ‘bout that House. But Pinkie did say it was going to be a surprise party… From the looks of things, you were twenty percent more surprised than Fluttershy was for her surprise birthday party.” She said, laughing afterward.
“I feel sorry for Fluttershy.” I said, clutching my heart.
“Why are you wearing socks?” she asked.
“Bones still can’t take the cold.” I replied, inhaling deeply. Dash shrugged and patted my shoulder.
“Well, how do you like the surprise? Pinkie’s the best party thrower in Ponyville.” She asked. Pinkie then interrupted, appearing from beneath her.
“You mean: best party thrower in Equestria?!” she cried, disappearing as quickly as she came.
“Yeah, that.” Dash corrected. I looked around at everypony I’d met so far. Every guest was here for me, and I hadn’t even done anything to warrant this as far as I knew.
“It’s new to me… I’ve never had a party before.” Rainbow Dash seemed surprised.
“Really? Not even a Birthday party?”
“No. We celebrate achievements and victories. Even then, it’s just a bunch of us drinking ourselves stupid in name of everypony who achieved something. We don’t celebrate for any individual pony.” I replied.
“The Northern Ponies are Nomadic, remember? They respect strength and honour. They don’t bother to mark the date of one’s birth. You either pull your own weight, otherwise you’re dead or gone.” Twilight added. Dash leaned away from her, seemingly disturbed.
“You are such a buzz kill, Twilight. Now I’m gonna be morbid all night.” She said. Twilight huffed and looked away from the cyan mare. I chuckled at this.
“Maybe this will cheer you up. Tomorrow, at the picnic, I’m going to begin your training.” I said. Rainbow Dash leaped in the air and flipped around, cheering.
“Alright! Thanks a million, House. With your skills, I’ll get into the Wonderbolts for sure and my life-long dream will be fulfilled.” She said.
“Don’t mention it.” I said. As Dash floated away with renewed excitement, Applejack cantered up, her hat missing from her head.
“Ah heard ya’ll talkin’ out there ‘bout my visitin’ relatives, an’ how they might not remember to close the barn proper. Ah never thought to ask them. So thanks for the idea, House.” she said. I nodded to her.
“You’re welcome… No hat tonight?” I asked. Applejack looked up to where her hat would be as if forgetting it wasn’t there.
“Nah’, Ah don’t bring it to parties anymore. Not since it nearly got trampled on last time. It’s back in the house.” she replied. I realised that after having divulged all I wanted to earlier today, there was next to nothing for the two of us to discuss, but unlike Rainbow Dash, she didn’t leave after the small talk.
The entire party was spent in the barn. Surrounding me, were dancing stallions, mares, colts and fillies. I met the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ and found their conquests to be about as interesting as watching the hay age. They asked me about my own Cutie Mark. The red dragon’s claw grasping at a pony’s skull was ever so distinct among the many seemingly delightful marks that surrounded me. I told them a lie; saying that the red hand was the Northern Medical Symbol saving a pony from death. Satisfied with my answer, (the small orange Pegasus going so far as to label it as ‘cool’) they left me with false pleasantries to search for their purposes in life. Rarity emerged from the crowd later on, handing me a gift. She’d designed a beautiful white scarf that clashed in contrast to my black pelt. She’d even inlaid the design of my Cutie Mark on each end, the pony skull now black instead of its usual white. She’d explained that she had spent her session with me taking my measurements so she could create the perfect welcoming gift for the party tonight. I was genuinely taken aback; accepting the scarf as she gently placed it around me. One end hung down my chest, while the other rested on my back. I complimented her work and thanked her for the gift, mimicking the pleasant mannerisms she showed. To my luck, she didn’t see it as an insult to mimic her; though the fact that it was poor mimicry may have left her ignorant of it.
That night after the welcoming party, Twilight showed me where I’d be sleeping officially. Before then, I’d been healing before the fireplace, but that was a place more restricted to a pet rather than a housemate. To my surprise, my bed was across from hers, in the same room. I’d expected a guest bedroom of some sorts. Though I didn’t know much about live-in Libraries, but I figured there would be at least two rooms for sleeping in. I knew for a fact that Spike slept in his own little basket beside Twilight’s bed, as was evident by its presence at my hooves. I didn’t know why I felt as though our sleeping in the same room was a breach of privacy. I had no plans to do anything indecent. Though decency was clearly different here in the South.
The tension between us as we stood in the room in silence was almost agonizing. I spoke the first thing that came to mind.
“I have no idea where my goggles went since you found me.” There was another moment’s silence between us.
“And what brought that up?” I looked to her and shrugged.
“I don’t know. I just decided to speak again to relieve the monotony.” she giggled at that and sighed.
“Yeah, this is a rather quiet room. But I suppose that’s it purpose to simply be here to allow us to do nothing. Sleep, a chance to dream.” she began spouting what sounded like poetic quotes. I simply walked over to my bed and hopped up on it.
“You aren’t going under the covers?” I examined the bed again, unused to such a thing before. I pulled the cover off and stood over where it had been, resting my head against the pillow. Using my magic, I pulled the covers back over me and I was done.
“Nomadic even in bed, are we?” her question was rather invasive when heard from a certain perspective.
“If you mean do we not have beds such as these in the north, then yes, you are right.” I replied. Spike entered the room a moment later, acting as a relief from the tension that built up from the silence that occurred after my statement. Feeling tired, I said my goodnights and went to sleep. I heard Twilight and Spike both follow suit. And the last thing I thought before I drifted off was: Where DID my goggles go?
The following morning was warmer than before. Regardless, I donned my scarf and my goggles, which Twilight retrieved from the laundry. I emerged from the tree first, followed by Spike who carried a picnic basket in his arms, blocking his vision, then Twilight who closed and locked the door behind us. We three had spent the better half of the morning preparing food for the picnic, all the while, Twilight taught me to read recipe instructions. I was now novice at discerning the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon in lettering. The numbers were easier to understand than anything else.
Twilight took the lead and directed Spike and I to a lovely plateau at the top of a hill, where we could see the surrounding towns and cities, such as Canterlot and Cloudsdale. In the distance, we could make out toward the south Appleloosa, and beyond it, the McIntosh Hills. To the East was Fillydelphia and Baltimare. I tried to avoid looking North beyond Canterlot to the Crystal Mountains.
“Hey look, we can see the Everfree Forest from here, just South of Ponyville.” Pinkie Pie said. This caught my attention.
“Wait… South of Ponyville? But I travelled through the forest from the North, how did I end up between it and Ponyville at the end of my journey?” Pinkie bounced around over to me and grinned.
“Easy-peasy! You said you went past Rambling Rock ridge, which you can see from here, blocks the view of Ponyville. You probably went into the Everfree from the East and emerged North of it where Twilight found you.” she said. My eye twitched as I tried to wrap my head around it.
“I… guess that makes sense. I mean I am from the North-Eastern part of the mountains. And I did travel past Neighagra Falls.”
“It’s best if you don’t think about the path you took to get here, darling. Just enjoy the picnic. Struggle with your journey when you’ve naught to do. Come and have some sandwitches, I made them myself. Sweetie Belle wanted to help, but she’s the only pony I know who can burn cucumbers without a heat source.” Rarity offered me a sandwitch, which I took graciously. Food was passed around leisurely, something I wasn’t used to. Had I not learned from Spike the previous night that fighting to get to the food first was not the way here, I’d have made a complete mess of the whole outing. Instead, I followed everypony else’s examples and asked for things I wanted, taking similar amounts to Big McIntosh who had helped cart Applejack’s part of the picnic.
I figured out which personalities to mimic where appropriate. Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight ate with a model of decorum, which I mimicked to the best of my abilities, but the food was so tasteful, I had to blend Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s eating habits with the prior, winding up with a similar method to Spike’s. When asking for certain things, such as spices, buns or bottles, I copied Twilight’s mannerisms which were similar to Rarity’s, though Twilight and I refrained from adding the word ‘Darling’ at the end or beginning of the request.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack often told jokes to each other ending with bursts of laughter every few seconds. Twilight and Rarity conversed with Fluttershy on certain topics relating to their talents, which Twilight would compare or add information to, reciting one or more of her books. Pinkie gabbed on with Spike, leaving me with Big McIntosh. We spoke of random things, like Spike and I had the previous night. He explained how his name was derived from the hills to the South beyond Appleoosa, because his coat was the same shade of red as the sand that made the hills. He told me of how Applejack took on his duties the week his back went out, but couldn’t take it all on despite her willpower and strength. She’d worn herself out to the point of exhaustion because of her pride. I could tell that Big McIntosh, or as he asked me to refer to him, Big Mac, was the kind of Stallion to keep secrets and take them to the grave with him. I told him with as low a voice as I could, a little about myself. I told him the name of my village and that I once had a twin sister. Though he pressed for information regarding the once part of the conversation, I avoided it and replied with a statement he seemed content with. I told him that I loved her unconditionally and irrevocably.
“Our conversation was interrupted by an excited Rainbow Dash who urged towards flight training. With a light chuckle, I rose to my hooves and spread my wings. She mimicked my stance and mirrored me as I crouched down on all fours and jumped as I flapped my wings. We both shot directly upward, creating independent trails; hers a rainbow of colours, mine a torrent of black and dark grey. I yelled at her over the sound of the wind rushing past us.
“Make sure that when you go for a Sonic Rainboom, you throw your hooves back instead of forcing them forward. The flatness of the hooves causes wind resistence, so keep them behind you. Your facial structure will cut through the wind on its own!” I called. Rainbow Dash nodded her understanding and flew ahead. We straightened out along a horizontal path. My hooves were stretched out in the standard flight stance, but as we charged ourselves up for the booms; upon the apex of the charge, I threw my hooves back as hard as I could, like trying to thrust as far forward as I could underwater with one stroke. I broke the barrier, hearing no sound behind me, but ahead. I knew Rainbow Dash had done her Sonic Rainboom the same way as I had when I felt her presence beside me once more. Next came the sudden stop. With my goggles over my eyes, it was easier for me to focus on the flying and ignore the wind in my eyes were there any. With a deep breath, I exhaled, throwing my wings out as far as they’d go, angling them vertically. They caught on the wind and I was thrust to a stop. I felt the wave of sound rearing up behind me and as I angled my wings, I used the force of the wave to propel me downward, creating another boom. I kept my wings stretched out, angling them vertically so they cut through the air, leaving small black trails along the wingtips. I spiralled around, creating the Sonic Tornado. The wind pressing against my body made me feel as though I were harnessed. A false sense of security, yet a nice feeling all the same. Nearing the ground, I threw my wings at a horizontal angle, catching the wind once again. I stopped just short of the ground, creating a large gust of wind over the picnic area. The ponies covered their eyes as a wave of dust expanded from around them, trailing down the hill. I touched the ground lightly, folding my wings back into place. Rarity worried frantically with her hair, trying to clean it as best as she could. Spike laughed at Twilight’s hairdo which was sticking up all over the place.
“Sorry girls. I didn’t think.” Spike and Pinkie gave each other a high hoof at the display. Pinkie’s mane, usually looking like cotton candy, now looked like frozen cotton candy as the spirally curl that usually hung over her face stuck up like a unicorn’s horn.
“Oh, my beautiful mane!” Rarity cried.
“Oh now, Rarity. You don’t want to stress so much over your appearance. It’ll lead to early greys.” I said. Rarity froze in place and gasped in horror.
“Please tell me you’re pulling some horrible prank, House?” her begging was somewhat pleasing to me and I smirked at her.
“Oh no. I knew a mare back in the North who worried about her appearance in a similar fashion. A Rarity in and of herself. She was a beautiful Sapphire blue mare with an even darker shade of Purple than your own. Very striking now that I think about it. Got greys before she left her teen years.” Rarity fainted, falling on her sandwitches which caused cucumbers to fly everywhere, one of which neatly placed itself on her exposed eyelid.
“House, that was mean. Although I have to admit the whole performance up in the sky was very impressive.” Twilight said, taking a cucumber from the untouched pile of sandwitches and eating it.
“Well I’m beginning to see why Ponyville’s inhabitants are so jolly. I can see myself making a new life here. Perhaps I’ll start a town patrol. I’m sure my Northern talents can be better suited defending this place. Perhaps I’ll be asked to supervise the Royal Guard.” I mused. Twilight sighed and smiled sweetly at me.
“Well I suppose if that’s what you want, I could see about getting that arranged with Princess Celestia. I am her Faithful Student, after all.” she replied. Our friendly conversation was interrupted by a large boom and a loud cry from above. Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom was a bit wonky and I could just make out her flight pattern. She was spiralling out of control. The force of the technique was too much for her.
“Oh dear Celestia!” Twilight cried. There wasn’t enough time for me to fly to her before she hit the ground, so using my magic, I teleported to the spot she was falling toward and Leaped up to her with a Sonic Shadowboom, catching her in my hooves. I quickly brought her back to the group of ponies who gathered around my landing zone beside the picnic. Rainbow Dash was crying out. I let her down and she lay on the ground, one of her wings snapped in the worst angle anypony, including myself had ever seen.
“Ah think ah’m gunna be sick!” Applejack uttered, covering her mouth with her hoof and looking away.
“OH CELESTIA MAKE IT STOP IT HURTS TOO MUCH!!!” Rainbow Dash cried out. Rarity woke up to this and took one look at the pleading Pegasus. At the sight of the broken wing, she fainted again. My horn glowed, followed a second later by my eyes.
“House, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, noticing this. I looked closely at Rainbow’s broken wing, studying where the break was. My enhanced vision allowed me to bypass the exterior and see the wing bones.
“Alright, I can fix this. It’s not as bad as it looks, surprisingly.” Rainbow Dash begged to differ.
“WELL IT PROBABLY FEELS WORSE THAN IT LOOKS!!! she cried.
“The bone’s snapped and a piece of it is sticking into a nerve. That’s what’s magnifying pain.” I replied. Though this knowledge did nothing to help Rainbow directly, it did help me.
“Alright. Big Mac, I need you to hold Rainbow Dash down. I can fix her wing, but she’s not going to like the process. If I were to attempt it while numbing the wing, there’s a chance the nerves will become confused and she won’t be able to use the wing again. So she has to bear with the pain.” I said. Rainbow Dash cried in fear as Big Mac pressed down on her back, putting all his weight on her.
“AJ!!” she called out. Applejack lay down adjacent to Rainbow Dash and took her outstretched hoof.
“Ah’m here Sugarcube. Don’t you worry none. House seems confident in his ability to heal your wing. Ah’m willin’ to trust him on this.” Rainbow Dash pulled Applejack closer and wrapped her hooves around her neck.
“Hold me!” the Pegasus cried. Applejack did just that, gently touching Rainbow Dash’s cheek. All the while, I observed this display of intimacy.
“Are they an item or is this just more Southern friendship that I don’t understand?” I asked.
“Oh no, they’re definitely together. We all knew it was a long time coming. They’re too much like each other, it had to happen.” Pinkie interjected. With that curiosity cleared up, I focused on the task at hoof. As I was about to begin, Fluttershy interrupted me, causing me to jump.
“For the love of¬– Fluttershy! I nearly stabbed the nerve with Rainbow’s bone!” Fluttershy cringed away at my outburst. I sighed and placed my hoof along my brow.
“I–I’m sorry, Fluttershy… It’s just a very delicate procedure here, and even the slightest interruption could be fatal for Rainbow Dash’s flight, not to mention her dream.” Fluttershy nodded without even a whimper. Now everything was silent, I began again. My horn glowed bright with a dark green aura, followed by Rainbow’s wing. I heard Rarity stir and ask what had happened.
“Somepony shut her up before I lose concentration!” I called out. Fluttershy hurried over to Rarity’s side and whispered the details into Rarity’s ear. Through the corner of my eyes, I saw her nod in understanding.
I began to remove the bone from the nerve. The slightest touch caused Rainbow to start thrashing beneath Big Mac who was having trouble against the energetic athlete.
“Twilight, reinforce Dash’s position with magic, weigh her down if need be.” Twilight complied, her own aura surrounding all but the wing I was working on. Dash cried and tried her best to squirm. Applejack held the pegasus’ face next to hers, kissing her cheek.
“It’s alright Dashie, it’s alright!” she cooed. I managed to line the bones up again without nicking any more nerves. Chips of bone were still missing and I knew they’d gone into her blood stream. I focused on trying to re-join the bones, erasing the break like rubbing out a crazy zigzag on parchment. Creaking sounds could be heard from within her wing and Rainbow Dash cried even more as the forcing of mending bones was a painful process.
“Okay, that’s the exterior of the bone done, but I still need to join the marrow.” I said.
It took me an hour to finish fixing Rainbow Dash’s wing. While I could have done it much sooner, I didn’t want to risk damaging it irreparably. With no bandages available, I offered Dash my scarf. It was a shoddy job at best, but her wing was now supported closed to let it heal.
“Okay. You still need to go to a hospital as soon as possible. Bone fragments made their way into your system. I’ve replaced them, but they could still do harm. Probably tear at your veins or something.” I said. Rainbow Dash smiled at me and gave me a hug with her good wing.
“Thank you, House. You saved my dream as well as my life. I don’t have much in the way of compensating you…”
“Think nothing of it, Rainbow Dash.” I raised my hooves in protest to her suggestion.
“Call me Dash, like you did during the operation.” she said. I blinked at her.
“Did I call you Dash during the operation?” I asked.
“Yes, when you told Twilight to help Big Mac restrict mah Dashie’s movement.” Applejack replied. The memory struck me and I sighed in recognition.
“Ah.” I realised then that I’d gained a new level of respect from both Dash and Applejack. The former saw me as more than a teacher and the latter knew I was a reliable friend who could be calm in any desperate situation. After learning about their exploits from Spike the previous night, A calm mind was needed for the next time they faced a disaster.
My second night across from Twilight. I was still unused to the bed. She’d left the door open to allow some heat from the fireplace in. I had difficulty sleeping, tossing and turning every minute. I gave in and crept out of the bed. Stepping over Spike as gently as my Northern hooves could allow. He stirred beneath me as I froze. It took a good ten seconds before he calmed down again. I stepped the rest of the way over him and slowly made my way to the fireplace, settling down before it. The familiarity of solid ground beneath me sent me into slumber almost instantly. With a sigh, my dreams caught up to me and I found myself in the distant past, talking to the two young Princesses.
I was taller than they were, more graceful. My Regal attire more attuned to battle than domestic diplomacy. They spoke to me, smiles on their faces. Luna was particularly excited to see me.
“Yay! Dark is here!” she said, using her little wings to flutter up onto my head. She wrapped her hooves around the spike on my Royal helmet. It was my first time meeting my newest cousin.
“So thou art Little Luna? And already so causal around me. T'is strange, we usually frighten children.” Celestia cantered up to me and wrapped her neck around mine.
“Welcome back, Cousin Dark House.” she replied. Before I could express my happiness to see Celestia once again after three years, another Pony entered the scene, exiting from a Royal carriage pulled by angry looking animals. The same Carriage I remembered exiting from.
‘Thou must refer to our brother as Your Majesty, Princess Celestia, and Luna.” Celestia backed up a few steps, obviously displeased with the mare’s attitude.
“Hush, Mass! Formalities are for public display, not family. We won’t have you ruining our reunion with thine cousins.” I turned to her, seeing my sister wearing more rounded armour similar to my own.
“My appologies, brother. We did not intent to–.”
“Do not apologise, dear sister. T'was a warning, nothing more. Now remove the Northern temperament and feel the magical splendour of our Southern cousins’ homeland. We know we intend to.” Mass sighed and nodded, removing her regal attire. I did likewise and floated the armour back into the carriage. Luna remained glued to my head, giggling as I looked around quickly, causing her to lose balance slightly. Using our magic, we three altered our appearances, taking on the forms of domestic and civilian ponies. I looked like my current self, Celestia like a white Fluttershy and Mass a light grey Twilight. Luna, being young could not use her magic properly. She remained as she was, now heavier on my neck than before.
“We shall enjoy our vacation for certain.” We began to walk from out of the Everfree forest and the next thing I saw in my dream, was a pair of glowing Emerald eyes.
I awoke with a start. It surprised me to feel another body beside me. Twilight lay limp beside me, her head resting on my hoof. I thought she was asleep at first. I gently slid my hoof from under her careful not to wake her, but I felt something wet and slimy dragging along the side. I looked down to see blood smeared along my hoof, a pool of it trailing out from beneath Twilight’s head. I began to hyperventilate in fear.
“Twilight?” I called out to her, shaking her gently. She didn’t stir.
“Twilight?!” I called out more forcefully. I shook her harder, her head rolled around to face me. Her eyes resembled that of Mass’ and I jumped up.
I awoke once more with a loud yell. I likely woke the neighbourhood, but that didn’t matter to me. I was paralysed with fear, screaming and yelling as Twilight approached me with concern plastered on her face. Hearing her voice made me calm down slowly.
“House, what’s wrong?” she called out to me. My yelling subsided to mild starts, and then faded to heavy breathing. I relaxed my tense body and let her touch me, examining me the way she saw in her books. My heart was pounding hard and fast, on the verge of exploding. I tried to focus on anything, but I was still too startled to see. I heard other ponies enter the Library to complain, but when they saw me, they stopped. I must have looked terrible; how terrible, I didn’t know. I focused on Twilight’s touch, her hooves gently pressing down on pressure points that gave pulses. She rested her head over my heart and I stopped moving altogether. I closed my eyes again and went completely limp. She lifted her head once again.
“Ah! House, wake up, don’t collapse on me like this!” she called. Clearly, going limp startled her.
“Sorry… bad dream.” I choked out. The other ponies shuffled out, mumbling amongst each other.
“More like a nightmare by the sound of it.” I heard one of them say. The last one closed the door behind them and I was alone with Twilight and Spike, who was slow to respond to the point where he’d just left the bedroom, rubbing his eyes.
“What happened? What’d I miss?” he asked. Twilight groaned and yelled at him.
“You lazy Reptile! Trust you to sleep through a potential catastrophe!” I coughed with mild amusement.
“A nightmare is far from a catastrophe, Twilight… We-…I’m fine.” I said, rolling over onto my side. I searched my hoof for the blood in the dream. I almost felt the liquid beneath my fur.
“I’m sorry to have scared you.” I didn’t look at her afterward, but I was certain that she was giving me a worried look, as if to say that she suspected there was more to this than I let on. I stared at the dimming fire, waiting for her to go back to sleep. With the sound of dimming hooves, I sighed with relief. Through the small flames, I saw the eyes that threatened my sanity.
“I’m not sorry for what I did. Nothing you do will change that… Mass Effect.”
