To Live Again

Chapters

Vivi Day One: Starting Over
Kuja Day One: Desert Reunion
Vivi Day Two: New Faces
Kuja Day Seven: The Discussion
Vivi Day Two: Pinkie's Party
Kuja Day Twelve: Restored
Vivi Day Three: Everfree Forest
Kuja Day Thirteen: Caravan's Departure
Vivi Day Three: Midday Nap
Kuja Day Fourteen: A Crushed Conflict
Vivi Day Three: Taking a Stroll
Kuja Day Fifteen: Arrival at Last
Vivi Day Three: Apple Family Dinner
Kuja Day Fifteen: Premonition?
Vivi Day Four: M-Monsters?! But This Isn't Gaia!
Kuja Day Sixteen: Monsters of Mist
Vivi Day Five: Zebra Magic
Kuja Day Thirty: Another Recovery
Vivi Day Six: Train Station Anticipation
Kuja Day Thirty-Five: My Appleloosa Heart
Vivi Day Six: Party of Three
Kuja Day Thirty-Five: A Fate Predicted
Vivi Day Seven: Moonlit Reunion
Kuja Day Thirty-Six: Pretty vs. Practical
Intermission: From Another Set of Eyes
The First Day: Questions without Answer
The Second Day: A Thorn in Their Sides
The Third Day: A Bountiful Train Ride
The Fourth Day: Vivi's Dance
The Fourth Day: And So the Cookie Crumbles
The Fifth Day: The Boiling Point
The Fifth Night: Memento Mori
Finale: In Memoria
Epilogue: Forgotten but Not Lost

Vivi Day One: Starting Over

I always talked about you, Zidane. How you were a very special person to us, because you taught us all how important life is.

“Kweh!”

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

You taught me that life doesn't last forever. That's why we have to help each other and live life to the fullest. Even if you say goodbye, you'll always be in our hearts. So, I know we're not alone anymore.

“…Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, it came from over there.”

“What was it?”

“…Dunno. Go check it out.”

“M-me?! Are you crazy?”

“Fine, we’ll go together.”

Why I was born... How I wanted to live... Thanks for giving me time to think.

“K-kweh!”

“…”

“What the heck is this thing?”

“It looks like a chicken… Kinda cute.”

“Kweh kweh!”

“I think it’s trying to tell us something…”

To keep doing what you set your heart on... It's a very hard thing to do. We were all so courageous...

“H-hey, wake up!”

“Wh-what is it?”

“I dunno, but it looks hurt! Quick, go get Nurse Redheart!”

“Right!”

“KWEH! Kweh!”

What to do when I felt lonely... That was the only thing you couldn't teach me. But we need to figure out the answer for ourselves...

“Hang in there, pal. Someone’s going to get help. Just…just don’t die on me!”

“Kwehh…?”

“You’re lucky this thing was here to call us…”

“Kweh.”

I'm so happy I met everyone... I wish we could've gone on more adventures. But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday.

“…”

“Hey, I think he’s waking up!”

“Kweh?!”

“Good job, little fella!”

“Kweh!”

Everyone... Thank you. Farewell. My memories will be part of the sky...

“Oh…my head…”

“Kid, are you okay?!”

“Kweh kweh!”

“Huh…?”

…

I don’t know where I am or how I got here. I remember saying goodbye to my kids. I handed them tickets to a show in Alexandria, and we gathered together for one last family meal. We went to bed that night…and now I’m here. Didn’t I die? Or maybe that was all a dream. But…if it was a dream, why is Bobby Corwen here with me? I’m not really sure, but everything’s just so vivid in this place. All these colors.

Not to mention the Mist is pretty strong here. But it’s a different kind of Mist. It’s not the morbid, stale Mist like the Iifa Tree produced. It feels more energetic and welcoming. I’m not really sure that it is Mist, but from the magic I’ve seen the residents of the world use, I don’t know what else it could be. The people here are really nice to me. One of them even offered to let me live in her home while I’m recovering. Although, I’m not quite sure what I’m recovering from. I feel fine, to tell the truth, but the local doctor insists that I rest for a while.

I’m okay with that, actually. I have a chance to learn more about this place and all the people. I can say that the residents here are a little weird, though. They’re all happy and carefree, not to mention they kind of look like Amdusias, except a lot less scary. I’m still not sure how Bobby Corwen ended up here with me, but it’s nice to have a memento from home…

Tonight’s been fairly calm, all things considered. I woke up in a weird forest surrounded by a few residents of the village. Bobby was standing right on top of me, chirping away. I sure hope the kids don’t miss him too bad… Anyway, it’s been weird since I woke up. I’ve been dragged to the local hospital and had tests run on me. Of course, the residents around here don’t have a clue what a Black Mage is, or where Gaia is. It kind of makes me sad, knowing that I’m the only one of my kind on this continent.

At this rate, it could be the whole world, anyway. I know I’m not in Gaia anymore, because I travelled all over the world and never found a place like this one. I just don’t understand how I got here… Everything between going to sleep in my bed and waking up in the forest is blank. I’m not sure there’s anything there.

…

My vision was really blurry when I first woke up. My muscles were also stiff. I tried to get up, but Bobby Corwen’s weight managed to hold me down. The creature beside me started to laugh at the baby chocobo as it pecked me gently in excitement. I was honestly surprised that it remembered who I was.

I groaned, “Where am I?” My head started to throb as I regained my senses. I had a slight chill run up my spine.

Bobby chirped, “Kweh-kweh! Kwehh…” Then he started rubbing his beak against my face. It tickled a little, a sensation I hadn’t felt before then.

The unusual stranger chuckled, “I thought you were a goner for a sec, kid. You really oughta be more careful out here.” She grinned smugly at me, a comforting magenta glow breaking through the darkness of the tree-canopy above us.

I shook my head and stretched my arms. I sighed, “Where exactly is ‘here’, Miss?”

She winced, “Just call me Rainbow Dash, kid. This is the Everfree Forest. It’s a dangerous place at night.” She opened her wings as if to fly away, and I got a good look at her skin color. It was a comforting cyan, calling back memories of the skies of Gaia.

“The Everfree Forest?” I asked. “Where’s that at?”

Her jaw dropped as she scoffed, “You must be new here, kid. It’s only the most dangerous forest in all of Equestria! It’s got all sorts of mean beasts, like cockatrices and manticores. It’s definitely not for wimps.”

Bobby Corwen leapt off of my chest and let out a frightened, “Kwehhh…”

I sat upright and adjusted the rim of my hat. I stretched some more and yawned, “Where’s Equestria, exactly?”

Rainbow Dash slapped a foot to her face and groaned, “Man, whatever happened to you must’ve hit you hard…”

“I guess so. I don’t even know how I got here.” I stood to my feet and dusted myself off. I heard a bunch of footsteps running towards me, and Bobby started to panic. He leaped up on top of my shoulder and tried to bury his head in my hat. Silly little chocobo.

The foreign creature continued, “Next you’re gonna ask what I am, aren’t you?”

I thought about it for a few seconds. I realized that I’d never seen something quite like her, and nodded in confirmation. She let out an annoyed groan as she approached me.

“I’m a pony, kid. A Pegasus. And what are you?”

I shook my head disappointedly and chuckled, “My name’s Vivi, and I’m a Black Mage from Gaia.” Rainbow’s blank stare gave me all the response I needed to know she had no idea what I was saying.

She rolled her eyes in impatience, obviously waiting for the footsteps to reach us. She sighed, “Gaia, eh? So where’s that at?”

“Um…Gaia’s the name of the world I’m from.” I muttered hesitantly. She didn’t know what Gaia was, which could only mean I wasn’t there anymore.

Her eyes opened wide before she burst into laughter. She clapped her front feet together and choked out, “That’s a good one, kid! You’re telling me you’re from another world?” I could tell she wasn’t buying my story, so I just nodded quietly.

“Kwehhh…” Bobby Corwen chirped solemnly at the pony. He didn’t look too happy about her mocking me.

Rainbow was about to say something else, but another pony’s voice cut her off. This one sounded much more concerned, and the source nearly tackled me trying to find the cause of her summoning.

“Where’s the victim, Rainbow Dash?” This pony was a solid white color, with soothing sapphire eyes. She looked serious and angry, as if she hated being called into the forest.

The blue pony raised an eyebrow and asked, “Victim?”

I could tell that the nurse was already on the verge of exploding. She snapped, “The kid Fluttershy told me about!” Rainbow tapped her chin several times, seemingly ignorant of what the nurse meant.

I mumbled, “You must mean me, right?” The nurse’s eyes snapped toward me, causing me to flinch.

Rainbow Dash cheered, “Oh yeah, this kid! Yeah, we just kinda found him passed out a little bit ago.” She grinned sheepishly as the nurse approached me. “Calm down Nurse Redheart; the kid’s fine.”

Redheart scoffed, “Yeah, I’ll be the judge of that.” She stomped a foot down in front of me and focused on my face. She looked really confused when all she saw were my golden eyes.

I managed to choke out, “Uh…I’m fine, really, Miss Redheart.” Despite my confirmations, she kept on checking me out. What she was hoping to find, I honestly can’t say.

She scoffed, “What exactly are you, kid? You’re not a pony. And you certainly aren’t a griffon or Minotaur.” She backed up a little to get a better look at my figure.

“I’m a Black Mage. I’m from a place called Gaia.” I plucked Bobby Corwen from my shoulder and put him on the ground so she could get a better look at me.

“Kweh kweh!” Bobby chirped at the confused nurse. I heard a single pony behind the nurse let out an approving awe toward the baby chocobo.

Nurse Redheart thought for a few seconds in silence before sighing, “Gaia, huh? I’ve never heard of it. What exactly is a ‘Black Mage’?”

Another pony, this one yellow with wings, approached Bobby Corwen with interest in her eyes. She looked up at me and giggled, “What’s this little fella supposed to be? Is it native to Gaia?” I was surprised that she didn’t question my origins or comment on how weird Bobby was.

I nodded and chuckled, “He’s a baby chocobo. They’re birds used for transport and fun, mostly.” I couldn’t exactly say why, but I liked the yellow pony. She looked innocent and timid, just like I used to be.

“It’s really cute. Is it hostile?” She reached a foot out toward it cautiously.

Bobby Corwen pecked at her foot playfully as it chirped, “Kwehh!” She flinched away, thinking it was an attack. The little chocobo clucked, “Kwehhh…” in disappointment.

I chuckled, “Don’t worry, he’s harmless. Chocobos would never harm a person on purpose. They’re really docile, unless they’re hungry.” Bobby gave a confirming chirp as it fluttered over to the yellow pony.

Nurse Redheart stomped a foot and groaned, “No matter how healthy you feel, I’m gonna have to take you back to the office and have you examined with professional equipment.” I looked at her, sort of confused by the sudden outburst.

Rainbow Dash scoffed, “If the kid’s feeling fine, what’s the point? Right Fluttershy?” She directed the last bit to the yellow pony that was now playing with Bobby Corwen.

Nurse Redheart sighed, “Sure, he’s healthy, but I’d like to know a bit more about him. Y’know, like what he is.” She turned her head slightly in my direction, checking to make sure I was listening. “Just a few tests and I’ll be done. I promise.”

I thought about it for a few seconds. I decided that I might as well let her run the tests, instead of risking gaining an enemy so quickly after waking up. I scratched the side of my face and chuckled, “O-okay, I guess. Will Bobby Corwen be okay?”

The three ponies looked at me, almost as confused as I was. Fluttershy asked, “Is that the little fella’s name?” She lifted the baby chocobo up in her front feet.

I nodded in affirmation, and added, “My name’s Vivi, by the way.”

Nurse Redheart put an arm around my neck and giggled, “Welcome to Ponyville, Vivi. I’m sure it’ll take some getting used to, but the ponies are friendly and the fun never ends.” She started to guide me down a dirt path through the forest, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy following close behind.

…

Not much else happened really. Redheart took me to the local hospital and ran a few tests on me. She poked me with needles, attached me to machines, and even tried to teach me a few things about the residents of the village. The tests only raised more questions, because they all came back with little-to-no results. The nurse even told me that I shouldn’t actually be alive, because I don’t have any blood or internal organs. Not surprising, considering I’m a puppet powered by Mist, but that’s behind me now.

She tried to teach me the proper terminology for the ponies. Like their feet are called hooves and their hair is referred to as a mane. She even tried to give me a rundown of all the local hotspots and eateries, as well as all the important ponies in town. Eventually she decided that I was healthy enough to be discharged, and Fluttershy offered to let Bobby Corwen and I stay at her place. I guess it’s a nice set up. The bed’s comfortable, and she’s a really nice pony. She can also cook some delicious soup. Not only that, but Bobby Corwen gets to play around with all of Fluttershy’s pet animals. I think that’s good for him, and I guess I could be worse off.

I’m just going to have to tackle this new world one day at a time. I don’t know how long it’ll be before I stop moving this time, and I don’t know what will happen once I finally do. I thought I would stop back home, but now I’m here. I don’t know what’s going on, but this place is really comfortable.

I guess tomorrow will bring new questions and answers for me. I’ll just have to tough it out until I find out how things work around here...

Kuja Day One: Desert Reunion

I find this rain quite pleasant. It is as if the raindrops are blessing our victory.

“H-hey Mr. 111, do you see this?!”

“I-it can’t be!”

“Is it…really him?”

Peace is but a shadow of death, desperate to forget its painful past; though we hope for promising years. After shedding a thousand tears, yesterday's sorrow constantly nears. And while the moon still shines blue, by dawn it will turn to scarlet hue.

“He’s injured, that’s a fact…”

“Should we help him, Mr. 33?”

“No way! He played with our lives like toys!”

“But what would Vivi think?”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just leave him to rot.”

Just you wait, Garland! And you too, Zidane! I’ll exact sweet revenge upon you both for insulting me! I’ll make the people of both Gaia and Terra know who rules over all of them!

“Didn’t Mr. Braeburn say we should help anyone in need?”

“I don’t think he included ‘dangerous psychopaths’ in there anywhere.”

“But, doesn’t he feel different to you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

What comedy! Zidane, isn't it hilarious!? I'll die just like the black mages I so despise! I single-handedly brought chaos unto Gaia, but in the end, I'm nothing but a worthless doll! ...I won't let it happen. I won't...I won't let this world exist without me!

“When he came to the village offering us longer lives, he had a dark aura all around him.”

“Yeah, what’s your point?”

“He doesn’t have that aura anymore. If anything, he feels sad and remorseful.”

“…”

“Can’t you feel it?”

“I guess you’re right…”

After you guys beat me, I had nothing left...nothing more to lose. Then, I finally realized what it means to live... I guess I was too late.

“Fine, we’ll take him to town and see what Mr. Braeburn says.”

“I’m sure he’s changed since we last saw him.”

“For everyone in Equestria’s sake, I hope you’re right…”

“We gotta give him a chance, anyway.”

“…*cough*…”

“He’s waking up!”

“…*wheeze*…”

“I guess we’ll find out if he’s evil really soon…”

“…Where…am I?”

…

I remember so clearly. My army of soulless puppets ripped Burmecia to shreds. I loved it all. I loved the bloodshed and violence. I needed to hear the cries of the people’s sufferings. They were like sweet dessert to me. But I was a fool. I worked for years to gain the power I lusted after, just so I could overthrow the master that had created me.

I had no clue that I had an expiration date. Garland was smarter than I anticipated. He designed me so that I would die once his second puppet came of age. My mind shattered after learning that I remained mortal, even with my power. In the end, I was defeated by Zidane and his friends. I regained my senses, and finally felt what it truly meant to live…and fear death. Even though I brought chaos to his home, that monkey risked life and limb to save me from the dying Iifa Tree.

He sat by me underneath that damnable tree. He comforted me during my dying breaths. I can’t understand why he would come so close to killing himself just to protect me. I nearly destroyed Gaia and everyone on it, yet he still showed me mercy…

But now I’m here, in this colorful little world. I awoke in a desert just outside of a small town. I even crossed paths with two of the Black Mages I had created and manipulated. The fact that they didn’t snuff out my life while I was weak speaks loud for their characters as soulless beings. I suppose if Vivi could contain enough emotion to Trance, then why can’t these weaker models?

No, I mustn’t speak of them as toys. They are people here, just like me. What’s more, they actually carried me to the local medical facility to be restored to health. Despite my power in the other world, I seem to have lost most of it here. Perhaps it’s because of the complete absence of Mist. Yet there is a presence in this world similar to Mist, yet more welcoming and comfortable to the touch. I doubt I could’ve reached this town on my own in my current state.

The town’s head source of law and order, Sheriff Braeburn, has set me up a nice room on the top floor of the local tavern. He seems to be a kind creature, although I can’t understand why he’s named after a type of apple-based dessert. The town is quiet and calm, several steps above the bustling business of Treno and Alexandria. The citizens are friendly, including the two Black Mages.

I’ve noticed a distinct lack of humanoids in this town. Aside from Mr. 33, Mr. 111, and myself, the rest of the residents are small horses. They refer to themselves as ponies, with manes and hooves instead of hair and hands. I suppose that makes sense, considering the country I’m in is known as Equestria, derived from the word ‘equine’…

I’ve done nothing all day but rest in this bed. I’ve had the Black Mages watching my every move, while citizens of the town are systematically arriving to greet me. I can’t stand being useless and defenseless, but I can’t help it in my current state. I must be careful what I write, as Mr. 33 is constantly glaring at my notebook over my shoulder. It’s quite uncomfortable, sir.

I guess I should document my arrival in this world to the best of my ability, just in case I snap again and need an anchor to weigh me back to reality. Nothing in this world or the next can beat the power of foresight, I suppose.

…

I awoke half-buried in sand with a mouth as rough as sandpaper, the taste of iron immediately evoking a gagging fit. I felt as if I were on fire, while my head seemed to be freezing. I was short of breath, while my eyes were blurry with solid white light. My only comfort was the light breeze that graced my features every so often. Despite my horrid position, I had no ability to alter it, as my muscles were essentially paralyzed.

The wretched taste eventually subsided, and I regained a semi-normal state of consciousness. I began to hear faint voices in the distance, slowly approaching my location. Unable to actually communicate, I simply waited in the hopes that whoever owned those voices would trip on my body or notice the awkward object in the sand. It didn’t take long before a conversation erupted in my ears.

The two black mages stopped right by me and began their debate as to whether or not they should help me. I finally worked up enough energy to cough again; they made a decisive answer. Mr. 111 conjured out of nowhere a solid block of ice and lowered it close to me, hoping to cool me off. It worked enough that I was able to regain all my senses. Mr. 33 leaned down and draped my arm over his shoulder, attempting to pull me out of the sand. With some good effort, he finally dislodged my abdomen from the sediment that grasped me.

Mr. 111 had the bright idea to use a wind spell to remove the rest, which worked moderately well. I received a few minor scratches from the razor wind, but the sand took the blunt force. They took an arm and draped me over them, then began to head back in the direction they had approached from. The sudden movement restarted my blood circulation, making my muscles begin to loosen. It only took a few minutes for me to begin limping between the two, albeit leaving them with majority of the work.

Mr. 111 scoffed, “See Mr. 33, if he was evil, he’d kill us right here!”

His companion scoffed, “The bastard can barely move. He’ll wait until he’s fully prepared to destroy the world before he thinks of killing us.”

I groaned, “You’re correct…but…no more…” I was only semi-conscious, and I highly doubt either mage caught my voice in the sandy expanse of desert.

“Well, we’ve already done half the work. Let’s just get him to Mr. Braeburn and see if we can’t get him back to health!” Mr. 111 seemed too excited to be taking care of me, despite his thoughts on my changing nature.

Mr. 33 was slightly more realistic in his beliefs. He chuckled, “We’re talking about the guy that manufactured us just to start a mass war on the Mist Continent. Do we really want him back to health?”

The happy mage sighed, “You sure know how to be a buzz kill, 33. You know, if dying brought us to this world, doesn’t that mean he died too?”

“Yeah, it does. And if he died, maybe he won’t be so power-hungry!” If he had had a face, I imagine 33 would have smiled just then. I noticed his golden eyes open slightly wider, though.

I moaned, “No more…power…” Again, my cry went unheard in my weary state.

We continued like this for almost an hour. The two would exchange philosophical musings, and I would utter an inaudible opinion every now and again. Once we finally reached the town of Appleloosa, I was essentially dragged to the local medical facility and examined. I managed to stay conscious long enough for Sheriff Braeburn and the mages to exchange kind words of acceptance towards me.

…

So here I am, in the top floor of the local tavern, resting in an oddly comfortable bed, being watched by two eager Black Mages that should hold a dangerous vendetta against me. All in all, I feel fairly good. I figure once my energy returns to me, I’ll begin studying this strange world and all of its different kinds of residents. So far, just in the short time I was conscious in the streets I’ve seen Pegasi and unicorns. I wonder what other types of magical creatures live here, and if I might be able to one day fit in.

Coming off of a rage-induced God-complex can be hard for any being. I’ll simply have to see how my days in this world play out. I will try my best to refrain from snapping, but I cannot promise anything. We’ll just have to find out eventually. At any rate, I’m tired and wish to sleep. This journal will have to continue in the morrow, or whenever I find myself bored enough to write in it.

Vivi Day Two: New Faces

Today was pretty good. I can’t say anything really spectacular happened, but one of the ponies in town threw me a nice welcoming party. Just about everyone in the village showed up to meet me, and they were all so friendly. It made me really happy, honestly, to know that some people are willing to accept me. After all, I’m not a pony like the rest of them. I’m not even a dragon like Spike. I guess in a real sense, I’m not even a human.

Anyway, I really like the ponies around here. Maybe they were just acting nice for my sake, but they were all friendly. A few even brought me gifts for some odd reason. The pony that threw the party for me—Pinkie Pie I think—was really energetic and super excited to see a new face in town. Bobby Corwen also had an amazing time. He stuffed himself full of sweets, so I bet he’ll have a stomachache tomorrow. Oh well, at least he had fun.

…

I didn’t really get much sleep last night. I tossed and turned in my bed all night, until the sun finally started to rise. As soon as the first rays of sunlight fell through the window, I was out of bed and outside in the pen behind Fluttershy’s house. It felt good to be out of bed and up walking, not to mention all the fresh air. I decided to search for Bobby Corwen, because he wasn’t anywhere in sight around the farm.

I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find him. For a few seconds I started to worry if he’d ran away, but a comforting ‘kweh’ eventually echoed from the edge of the forest. I went to trace the chirp, but a concerned voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

Just like I’d gotten up super early, so did my nurse. Yep, Nurse Redheart was coming to the house to talk to me, and she caught me out of bed wandering toward the same forest I had awoken in the day before. Needless to say, she looked ticked.

“Where do you think you’re going, kid?” She stomped toward me, a glint of annoyance in her eyes.

I nervously adjusted my hat and chuckled, “I was just looking for-“

“No.” she butted in bluntly. “You need to get some rest, Vivi. I still don’t know why you passed out in the forest, and until I do, you aren’t to leave your bed without a chaperone.” She stared at me intently, sending a shiver down my back. I nodded silently.

Bobby Corwen screeched from behind the tree line, “KWEHHHH!” I recognized that kind of chirp. It was just like the chocobo that was being held in a factory underneath Dali. It was full of fear…

Out of nowhere, the baby chocobo darted into view and flawlessly leaped over the fence into the safety of the farm, smoke gushing out of his mouth. He just about tackled me to the ground, if I hadn’t prepared myself for impact. The chocobo gasped heavily, a gush of heat and smoke leaving his beak with every breath. He chirped desperately before darting into the small chicken coop on the other side of the pen.

I didn’t know what to think. I shook my head and sighed, “What’s gotten into him?”

“Poor thing must’ve eaten an Everfree Pepper.” Nurse Redheart giggled at the baby bird’s reaction to the plant.

Another fearful chirp rang out from the coop, followed by a series of disturbed clucks from the residents within. I asked, “Is he going to be okay?”

The nurse plopped a hoof on my shoulder and sighed, “Yeah, the pepper usually wears off pretty fast, but boy does it burn!” She watched as smoke poured from the coop with every one of Bobby Corwen’s breaths.

My mind snapped back to the original reason Nurse Redheart had shown up so early. “Any reason you decided to visit so early?”

She nodded smugly, “Yes, I wanted to check on your health. I can see you’re up and moving, anyway.”

A relieved chirp rang out from the chicken coop as the baby chocobo slowly stomped out of it. He had a large mouthful of hay, which I assumed he used to relieve the heat. I chuckled, “He’s a smart fella, isn’t he?”

Nurse Redheart nodded, “I suppose, as far as birds go.”

“Kweh!” Catching the nurse off guard, Bobby pecked at her hoof, startling her to the point of tripping over her own hooves. I couldn’t hold back a giggle, which was met with a scornful glare.

“F-fine. If you can walk and talk, I guess you’re healthy enough to be out. Won’t Pinkie Pie be happy to hear it?” She looked at me, expecting me to actually answer the question.

After a few seconds of trying to figure it out, I asked, “Who is Pinkie Pie?”

She looked at me with an expression that showed her utter disbelief. She sighed, “I take it she hasn’t been to see you yet? That’s weird. She usually jumps on the chance to meet newcomers...”

“Why will she be happy that I’m healthy?” I didn’t know who the pony in question was, and as far as I knew, she didn’t know me. Why would she care?

Nurse Redheart regained her footing and chuckled, “Because she’s setting up a party for you, silly!” She smiled, the first time I’d seen a genuinely kind smile on her face. Usually she held a serious demeanor.

I was taken aback by her statement. “A-A party? For me?” I stammered.

“Of course, Vivi! She always puts parties together for new creatures in town. It’s like a Ponyville tradition, really.” She placed a hoof on my shoulder and pointed down the road a little ways into the village. “It’s being held at Sugarcube Corner this afternoon, but I imagine your invitation will arrive any minute now.”

I didn’t know what to think. I couldn’t remember ever having a party in my honor, though I had attended several parties with my friends during our journey. Of course, all of those parties were cut short by one thing or another. I didn’t really think anything bad would happen at this party, though.

I chuckled, “Well, I guess I ought to get ready for the invitation.”

She scratched her mane and sighed, “I need to get back to the hospital before too much longer. Try and take it easy, kid. Don’t overwork yourself until you’re sure you’re better.” She turned toward the pen’s gate and started a brisk trot back into the bulk of the village.

I waved goodbye before turning back to Bobby Corwen. He let out a soft chirp, “Kwehhh.” He leaped up on my shoulder and pressed his face against mine. I couldn’t help but pet the little fella.

“What do you think about a party, little guy?” I turned to face the retreating nurse. Just as I stopped my rotation, I was face to face—literally—with a solid pink pony with a huge toothy grin. I froze in place, not sure how to react.

The pony took a deep breath and cheered, “Howdy there, kid! There’s been a LOT of talk around town about you! Vivi, right? I’m Pinkie Pie, pleasure to meet ya! I just talked to Nurse Redheart and she said you’re feeling a lot better and you know what that means!” She fell silent for a few seconds, long enough for me to register what she just exploded with.

I wasn’t sure how to react. She showed up out of nowhere and flooded me with words. Not certain what all she had said, I locked my brain on the last of her words. I asked, “What does it mean Miss Pinkie?” I was half-tempted to flinch away, but I didn’t know if it would be rude or not.

“Oh c’mon, Vivi, you don’t have to call me ‘Miss’ you silly goose! Aren’t ya at least gonna guess what you get to do now that you’re better?” She continued to stare at me, not even an inch away, with her ecstatic grin.

I found myself hard pressed to focus on a response, the presence of the pony starting to bother me a little. I chuckled, “I-I dunno, is there a party or something?”

“BINGO, kid! Hit the nail on the head! I’m having a party this afternoon and you’re the guest of honor! You’ll get to meet, like, everypony in town and taste some of my delicious pastries!” She finally moved away from me and waved her hooves around, adding emphasis to her description of the party.

I took a deep breath of relief and chuckled, “That sounds awesome, Pinkie. I’ll be sure to be there!”

The chocobo on my shoulder chirped, “Kweh?!” He leaped from my shoulder and darted over to her hoof. He started to peck at it playfully, feeling the energy in the pink pony.

She fell silent and stopped moving, locking her eyes to the baby animal. She gasped, “This thing is so cute! Is it a chicken? What its name? Is it yours?”

“He’s a baby chocobo, and his name is Bobby Corwen. I got him from a friend back home…” I thought about that last statement for a few seconds. After Mr. 33 and Mr. 111 passed away, the Genomes in the Black Mage Village had the baby chocobo delivered to me. My kids were really excited to have a pet of their own…

“Bobby Corwen, huh? That’s a mouthful, ain’t it? Let’s shorten that a bit…” She placed a hoof to her chin and stopped talking for a few moments.

Bobby Corwen chirped, “Kwehhh?”

I stammered, “I-I don’t think that’s a good idea! Mr. 33 wouldn’t be happy if he found out…” I think my objections went unheard, because Pinkie didn’t stop her thinking.

“I’ve got it, Vivi! We’ll call him Boco! Get it? First sounds of his names! Sounds cool, right?” She dropped to her stomach and looked the chocobo in the eyes. She giggled, “I know fella, you don’t gotta thank me!”

Bobby Corwen looked at me with a look of confusion and chirped, “Kweh kweh!” He smiled and leaped up on the pony’s back, showing his approval of the new name.

I sighed, “Well, if that’s okay with you, then I guess Boco sounds nice.”

Pinkie Pie giggled, “I thought so too! Anyway, I’ll see you at the party, kid! If you need help finding Sugarcube Corner, just follow Fluttershy when she goes! Bye-bye!” Without hesitation, the hyper pony was gone, Boco practically falling to the ground where she’d once been. She was out of view in the blink of an eye.

I was honestly amazed by her speed. I looked at the baby bird and sighed, “Well Boco, let’s go relax until the party starts.”

We started making our way back to Fluttershy’s house, but were immediately interrupted by a flying blue blur shouting at us from the distance. I sort of recognized the voice, which belonged to Rainbow Dash. In mere seconds, the Pegasus was directly between us and the door, acting as a stubborn blockade.

She scoffed, “Now where do you think you’re going, kid?”

I groaned, “Well, me and Boco were gonna go relax.”

“Nope.” Rainbow Dash landed right in front of us and crossed her hooves. She puffed out her chest as if to intimidate me.

Boco chirped, “Kweh? Kweh.”

The blue pony chuckled, “You’ve got ponies to meet, kid. There’s no way I’m gonna let you just waste away a day like this just sitting inside. You gotta get out and meet everypony, especially if you’re gonna be living here for a while.” She smiled and plopped a hoof on my shoulder, attempting to drag me through the pen’s fence.

For the first time since I’d woken up in the forest, I actually considered what she had just said. I had no way of knowing how long I would be living in Ponyville, or how long I would live in general. I couldn’t safely say I would ever die, considering everything that had happened. I tried to consider what all this meant, but I found it hard to grasp that this village could be the entirety of my new life.

…

We spent the next few hours going around town, Rainbow Dash introducing me to several of her friends. I met the local librarian and magic expert, Twilight Sparkle. She was just as nice as any other resident, and she was extremely smart, almost on par with Doctor Tot. She had a baby dragon with her named Spike, who seemed to be a really efficient worker. He had a good work ethic, anyway.

After meeting the purple unicorn, Rainbow Dash took me over to a nice clothing boutique to meet the local tailor. The unicorn, Rarity, definitely had a sense of fashion and looked happy to meet me. She offered to craft me a new outfit if this one ever got old, but that was a little awkward for me.

After leaving the boutique, we went over to a large orchard on the other side of town. I met a really nice pony named Applejack, whose accent reminded me almost perfectly of Ruby. I actually kind of started to reminisce about Gaia as I met all these new ponies. It was almost like the day I went to see “I Want to be Your Canary”, and ended up meeting Zidane and Steiner. I…yeah…

At about the time Rainbow Dash finished introducing me to all of her friends, the party was getting close to starting, so she escorted me to Sugarcube Corner… But I’m getting tired of writing right now, so I’ll tell you about the party some other time. My hand’s starting to cramp, and Boco wants to go outside and play. I’m actually starting to warm up to his new name. I think Mr. 33 would like it, too…

Kuja Day Seven: The Discussion

This is beginning to irritate me, honestly. I was hoping by now my energy would’ve returned to me. Alas, that isn’t the case. I’ve been locked in this room for a full week, and I’m still not able to stand on my own two feet. I’ve learned a small bit of information about the history of these creatures, as well as received some interesting books on the mysterious force I considered to be a variation of Mist.

Sheriff Braeburn has been in multiple times over the week, teaching me new things about the town and its residents. He’s explained enough of the pony anatomy and the way Equestria works that I feel I should have no trouble adjusting. That is, of course if I can regain my ability to function properly. I imagine Garland is laughing his ass off in the other world, seeing me disabled like this…

Alas, I cannot get out of this bed. Despite my attempts, and the Black Mages’ assistance, I have been unable to gather the strength necessary to stand, let alone walk. I can only hope this doesn’t last much longer. I’m beginning to get restless, and if I don’t manage some sort of variation in my routine, I may snap earlier than I would like. That’s correct—Mr. 33—I’m on the verge of snapping already.

At any rate, Braeburn and I had a very delightful discussion earlier today, the first notable encounter since my arrival in Equestria. Although his accent makes him seem uneducated and savage, he’s actually a very intelligent equine. I’m glad to see that at least someone in this world can carry on sophisticated conversation with me. It made the situation much more bearable when he dismissed the Black Mages from my room. We had a discussion unhindered by the presence of other creatures.

…

He arrived early in the morning, at just around sunrise. I couldn’t help but find it strange how he was out and about so early. He entered the room, and before either mage could greet him, he nodded toward the door. Without hesitation or reply, Mr. 33 and Mr. 111 both exited in haste. I began to get nervous, not knowing where this turn of events could be going.

Braeburn approached the side of my bed and nodded at me. He sighed, “Howdy Mr. Kuja. I see ya still ain’t up to snuff.” He pulled the curtains open over the window, letting the surprisingly bright sunlight into the room.

“How very observant of you Mr. Braeburn. I suppose you’re going to tell me that I’m not a pony like yourself next.” I scoffed at the westernized pony, slightly disgusted by his thick accent and lack of grammar.

The golden-colored pony chuckled, “Now there ain’t a need to get smart, Kuja. I don’t mean to offend ya or anything.”

I sighed, “Forgive my rudeness. I’m simply under the weather, as it would be. I have been bedridden for a week and have barely recovered at all.” I had no personal quarrel with the friendly stallion, and as such had no reason to be rude. That being said, my condition limited my patience to a dangerous level.

“S’alright sir. Ya got just about every reason to be upset, as far as I can see.” He carried Mr. 111’s chair from the other side of the room to the side of my bed and took a seat. I decided to prepare myself for an extensive interrogation.

I raised an eyebrow at his comment and asked, “What do you mean by that, Mr. Braeburn?” He didn’t know me to any extent, aside from what the Black Mages may have told him. How could he decide how reasonable my mood was?

He tilted his hat to the side of his head and said, “Well, if I’m to believe what them Black Mages say, then I suppose you’ve had a mild case of death in the last week or so. I also hear you were a nasty fella back in your old place.” He smiled slyly at me, almost as if he had won some kind of game.

I shook my head and groaned, “One shouldn’t be too quick to believe what he hears about another. Though in this case, you would be correct. I have indeed stared death in the face, and it was I who blinked.” His sly grin grew slightly at my confession.

“I figure that’d make anypony useless for a bit.” He leaned back in his chair, shifting to a more comfortable position. “And a useless pony’s a mad pony, ain’t he?”

I pondered that for a few seconds. It was such a simple philosophy, but, looking back on my life in Gaia, it was a true one. I chuckled, “I suppose you are correct, Braeburn. So what is it you wished to speak to me about?”

He dropped his smile and adopted a more serious expression. “Them Black Mages, sparing no detail, have told me all about your little escapades back in your world. You got one heckuva death toll on your shoulders…” I could tell from his eyes that he wasn’t telling me this to be informative. I could see a fire in his eyes, faint and lukewarm, but still existent.

I shifted slightly in my bed, just enough to actually talk to him face to face. I sighed, “That is correct. I have killed, directly or not, thousands of innocent individuals in my previous life. I won’t try to hide that fact. I went so far as to destroy an entire world in a berserk rage.” I paused here to see his reaction; he barely even blinked. I continued, “However, in the very last moments of my life, I was taught what it truly meant to live, and how precious a life can be. My wrongdoings can never be forgiven, but I can try to make amends.”

After a few seconds of intense staring, the pony cracked a smile. He relaxed his muscles and chuckled, “Well, ya gotta chance to do that, I s’pose. You’re alive now; all you gotta do is get better.”

His reaction took me by surprise. I expected him to call me a psycho and cast me out of his town, even with my disability. Instead, he openly offered me a second chance. I asked, “You aren’t afraid of me attempting to do the same thing here as in the other world?” I simply couldn’t believe how easily he’d cast out all of my evil deeds.

“O’ course I’m scared of ya, because I know what ya can do. But…uh…ain’t that what trust is for?” He scratched his head under the front of his hat, a sheepish smile gracing his features.

My jaw physically dropped. I genuinely couldn’t understand his way of thinking at this point. I groaned, “You’re going to give your trust to a complete stranger with a proven past of homicidal tendencies?”

“Shucks no, partner! I’m givin’ my trust to a guy that wants to make up for what he’s done. And ya gotta start somewhere, right? Them Black Mages don’t trust ya yet, but I’m all for lettin’ ya stay around.” He smiled and placed a hoof on my shoulder, his eyes shining with an essence similar to hope. He was too trusting of me. It disturbed me slightly.

I chuckled, “I will do everything in my power to ensure your trust is not misplaced, Braeburn. However, in my current state, ‘everything in my power’ is not a lot…” I raised one hand high in front of me, attempting to stretch it. Sadly, it fell limp on the bed after a few seconds. My lack of energy was frightening me.

“Have ya been eating anything?” my companion asked, turning back toward the stairs.

I shook my head and sighed, “Not quite. I’ve eaten a slice of bread or two, but nothing substantial. I’ve been unable to keep my stomach’s contents down…as Mr. 111 will duly note if you ask him about my health.” It was true. I hadn’t eaten anything since my arrival in town. Everything I did eat ended up gracing my bed mere minutes later.

Braeburn placed a hoof to his muzzle for a few moments, consumed in his thoughts. Just when I was going to snap him out of his delirium, he tossed his hat in the air with a cheer. He whooped, “I gotcha covered Mr. Kuja!”

In shock I snapped back, “How?!” The annoyance was blatantly obvious in my voice, and for that I was disappointed. His outburst was just…slightly unnerving.

He settled down, recovered his hat, and laughed, “My Granny makes a mean energy cider! If you ain’t better before I get it delivered, this thing’ll perk ya right up!” I tried to wrap my head around his excited chatter.

“An energy cider? Like a potion?” Potions, the most common items in Gaia, were the only things I could think of that would help me recover. As far as I knew, they didn’t exist here. I could’ve been wrong.

Braeburn chuckled, “I dunno about a potion, but it’ll get ya back on your feet in no time.”

The thought of finally being rid of this bed was amusing. I asked, “Would you mind delivering it? Furthermore, would she mind brewing it?”

“O’ course not! My Granny makes the best cider in all of Equestria. It’s what she does. Heck, she owns the biggest apple orchard with the freshest apples. Ships all over the kingdom!” His eyes were glowing with joy at the thought of being able to help me. Either it was being able to help me, or he simply adored his grandmother…

To be polite, I asked, “The best in the kingdom, you say? Care to tell me about it?”

The golden stallion plopped back in his chair and cheered, “O’ course I would, partner!” He settled in and began the tale of the apple orchard north of Appleloosa, beyond the Everfree Forest.

I listened intently as he told me extensive history of the Apple Family. Their ancestors settled north of the Everfree Forest, planting seeds they’d found within the forest. In the uncultivated land, they grew a massive orchard, which was eventually named Sweet Apple Acres. A small town grew around the orchard, attracted by the business of the Acres. That line of the Apple Family has lived in the town since its settlement, with Braeburn’s Granny Smith being the current owner of the farmstead.

“The next in line to own the place are my cousins Big Macintosh and Applejack. And boy howdy can they make some delicious ciders! Granny Smith’s will have ya leaping from roof to roof in no time!”

As he finished telling his tale, the sun began to set. We said our farewells, and he was gone. A few minutes later, the Black Mages returned, curious as to what transpired to keep Braeburn holed up for the entire day. I told them a few minute details of our discussion, but kept most of the important bits to myself. They had no business knowing our business.

…

Of course, now that I’ve written it out, Mr. 33 knows the whole story. I figure he’ll wait until I go to sleep before he transfers the information to his companion, which is fine by me.

So there it is. I’ve stayed here for a whole week, wishing nothing more than to regain my health. Now, Braeburn has given me hope for a beverage that will do just that. I can only hope his grandma’s cider is as potent as he leads me to believe. For now, I’ll just have to wait for it to arrive. This should be a fun endeavor, waiting for the clock to tick away until I may be able to leave this dull room.

Funny…my fate rests with the clock, just as Zidane’s friends’ did in my Desert Palace… The powers-that-be must have a sense of humor…

Vivi Day Two: Pinkie's Party

Let’s see now…where exactly was I? Oh yeah, the welcoming party! So Rainbow Dash had just introduced me to all of her closest friends and taken me to Sugarcube Corner. From what I gathered just by looking at the outside and the stuff I’d been told about Pinkie Pie, the building was a shop for hundreds of different kinds of delicious pastries and desserts. Anytime there was a party in town, Pinkie would whip up her best stuff and get the place decorated for the occasion.

I was told that every pony in town, with a few exceptions, showed up at one point or another to a Pinkie party, if for no other reason than to keep her off their backs. I can’t blame them, really. She really scared me this morning, so I could see why it would be best to attend the party anyway.

I won’t go into too much detail about the party itself. I don’t really see the point; it was just me chatting with a bunch of different residents of the village. A few of the ponies I met were really nice and interesting, but others were just kind of bland… Then again, who am I to talk about bland, right?

It wasn’t until towards the end of the party where things started to get interesting. I’m not sure what this stuff is, but it’s definitely related to Gaia’s Mist in some way, because I learned that I can still use my magic!

…

I stood toward the back of the building, a cup of punch in my hand, with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy chatting away. I honestly liked their company, all things considered. Boco sat on my shoulder and chirped his thoughts in every once in a while, but for the most part it was just an ordinary party.

Almost out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie appeared face to face with me, causing me to flinch again. My punch would’ve gone flying if I hadn’t recovered my nerves when I did. The pink party pony cheered, “Ya enjoying the party Vivi? I put it together just for you! Why don’t you go talk to some more ponies?”

The question overload caught up with me again. I focused on her last question and sighed, “I’ve already met just about every pony here…” I blinked once or twice, but the pony never budged an inch.

She giggled, “Well, have you done any dancing?”

I’m pretty sure I started to panic when she asked that. I shook my head vigorously and nervously chuckled, “I-I-I can’t dance, Pinkie! But thanks for the offer…” Suddenly, all three ponies’ eyes were locked on me.

Fluttershy giggled, “Aw, I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”

“Just look at Twilight, kid.” Rainbow Dash pointed to the purple unicorn in the center of the dance floor.

At least, I thought it was Twilight. There’s no one else it could’ve been. For a few seconds, I was overwhelmed with panic at the sight in front of me. I mean, Twilight looked like she was having a seizure the way she twisted and jerked around on the dance floor. Once I realized that that was just her way of dancing, I cracked a smile and let out a soft chuckle.

Returning to the matter at hand, I insisted, “I really can’t dance! I’m more of an audience than an actor.” I adjusted the rim of my hat again, as I always do in awkward situations.

Pinkie Pie finally backed off a little. She tapped a hoof on her chin a couple of times before smiling widely. She pointed across the room and cheered, “Then we should cut the cake early! If you won’t dance, you might as well have some delicious snacks!”

She was persistent, to say the least. Rainbow Dash added, “Y’know, I could go for some cake myself. C’mon.” She started a slow trot to the table where dozens of different pastries were laid out. Pinkie Pie wrapped a hoof around my neck and pretty much dragged me with her.

The pink pony picked up a large bell from beside the cake and waved it in the air violently. The noise immediately flooded the room and drowned all of the random chatter, attracting every pony’s attention in an instant. The pony playing the music immediately silenced it and lifted up her sunglasses to focus on the bell.

All eyes locked on to Pinkie as she picked up a large knife and placed it over the giant pastry. It was now that I took the time to examine the delicacy in full. It was an odd color, a little blue, brown, and black. Near the top were two golden circles of icing. Just as Pinkie’s knife severed the first piece of the cake, I realized what it was supposed to be. It was an effigy of me…in my image and current state.

While I admired the pony’s dexterity and aesthetic sense, it did disturb me a little. It looked like she was cutting my hand off, and considering there was more of me back home, that was a very good possibility…

As soon as the first piece was lopped off onto a paper plate, the entire group of gathered ponies cheered. Before I realized what was going on, I had a paper plate in one hand and my cup of punch in the other. Pinkie poked a fork into the cake on my plate and directed me toward a table where I could put my things down and taste it. Every pony watched in anticipation as the guest of honor was getting prepared to essentially give the okay for them to try the dessert themselves…

I didn’t want to disappoint the crowd, so I took a large bite, getting as many different parts of the cake as I could at once. I was surprised by the sudden burst of flavor… I mean, so many different kinds of icing were packed into the small cake, almost as if it didn’t have any real cake, and was just icing. It was delicious, to say the least, but the overload of sugar made me dizzy for a few seconds as I tried to swallow the bite.

Vanilla, chocolate, cream cheese, strawberry, there were so many different icings… I won't lie, Pinkie's culinary skill was starting to remind me a lot of Quina...

I finally managed to choke the concentrated sugar down, and raised a thumb at the crowd, which then flooded toward the pastries on the table. I guess that my signal was the universal sign for ‘dig in’. Pinkie Pie teleported beside me; her large grin was just as disturbing as ever.

“So do you like it, Vivi?” If she had any fingers, I would say she was crossing them. She held her hooves awkwardly waiting for my answer.

I washed the sugar down with punch and chuckled, “It is delicious Pinkie! You really went all out, didn’t you?” I dug my fork into the slice again, about to attempt another bite.

Pinkie squealed, “Yay! I’m so glad you like it! I made it just for ya, y’know!” She clapped her hooves excitedly and darted back toward the crowd of ponies taking turns cutting the cake.

I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see the details myself. If I had to guess, I’d say Pinkie didn’t stop fast enough, but I can’t be sure. All I remember is the cake went flying across the room, past me, right toward the opposite wall. As soon as my mind registered what the flying object was, I leaped from my chair and dashed toward it.

Of course, there was no way I could get to it before it got the wall. My mind raced through a bunch of options for how to let it play out. I finally decided to do something that could be just as bad as it could be good. I raised my hands toward the flying dessert, my palms flat and fingers stretched out. I waited for the right opportunity, and then…

“Stop!” I screamed as loud as I could, not caring for being subtle.

A small gray orb surrounded the cake, stopping it dead in the air. The icing, the toppings, and the momentum all vanished within the spell’s area-of-effect. The effect wasn’t permanent, but it should’ve lasted long enough to get the cake on a solid display. I admired my quick reaction, noting how close the dessert actually was to the wall.

The music and chatter stopped completely when I shouted out my spell. All of the guests’ eyes were on me and the orb. I felt almost like an alien, intruding on the locals’ way of life. It must’ve been weird for them too. I mean, at the time I hadn’t seen any powerful magic besides telekinesis, so I didn’t know how the ponies would react to an actual power. On top of that, any spell I’ve seen cast had to be actively used to maintain effect. When I put my hands to my sides and the cake stayed stationary, another round of gasps filled the room.

Twilight Sparkle was the first to break the silence with a simple, “Ooh…” I couldn’t tell at the time whether it was in awe or disgust, but she sounded dumbfounded.

Then came Rainbow Dash with a fractured, “That’s…something…” She was obviously confused by my spell.

Suddenly leaving his perch over by Pinkie, Boco rushed to my side and chirped, “Kweh! Kwehh!” He tried to reach his beak up at the floating delicacy, but fell short by a few feet.

I looked around the room once to note every pony’s expressions. I adjusted the rim of my hat and chuckled, “Uh…the cake’s fine, everyone!” I walked over to the dessert and lifted it from the bottom of the metal pan.

Pinkie Pie met me halfway back to the table. She cheered, “That was amazing Vivi! You came out of nowhere and just saved the thing! Where’d you learn to do that kinda stuff?” She almost jerked the pan from my hands as she darted back to the table to put it down before my spell wore off.

“I just kinda picked it up back home. It’s not that big of a deal…” I adjusted my hat slightly as Boco fluttered up to my shoulder.

Twilight scoffed, “Not that big of a deal?! There are only a few creatures that aren’t ponies that can use magic! This is a huge deal!” She looked utterly amazed, as if she’d just seen a miracle in front of her eyes. She remarked, almost under her breath, “I have to tell Princess Celestia about this…”

I only barely caught the last statement, but it sent my thoughts in motion and set my nerves to work. I choked, “Wh-what did you say?” She didn’t answer my question, instead getting lost in her own thoughts.

It didn’t take long for the commotion around my spell to die down, as every pony returned to the snacks and dancing. Honestly, I was relieved when Vinyl Scratch (the local DJ—whatever that is) started the music back. Of course, another pony from the crowd came over to talk to me not long after the party restarted.

He was a red stallion with an orange mane. I’d heard his name earlier that night, but couldn’t quite recall it under the current situation. I had noticed he hadn’t said much to anyone at the party, except for the usual greeting.

Applejack, the farm pony from earlier, had introduced me to him. I think he was her brother. Anyway, he walked right up to me and mumbled, “That was some fancy magic ya went and used, partner.”

I didn’t know how to reply to that. I chuckled, “You really think so? I don’t think it’s too cool…”

“That’s cause you’ve known it your whole life, ain’t it?” he remarked with a tone of almost-irritation.

“Not really my whole life. It’s been a long time, though.” I started to feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but think he was judging me under his indifferent expression.

He chuckled, “Ya oughta relax, kid. I ain’t gonna hurt ya or nothing…” He smiled innocently, trying to seem less intimidating. When you’re as bulky as him, you have to know you’re scary to newcomers… He continued, “What did ya say you were again?”

I didn’t understand the question at first, but then I noticed his eyes scanning my figure intently. I sighed, “I’m a Black Mage. I come from a world called--…”

“…Gaia. Eeyup.” He sent me a frightening look. I didn’t know what to think about his interruption.

The only ponies I had told about my world were the first three I met. How could he know about my home? I shook my head and groaned, “How did you know that Mister?”

“You ain’t the first Black Mage to come to town. There was two others. They came to Sweet Apple Acres with a white-haired fella. They wanted to thank my Granny for some cider she sent em.” He explained about the other three foreigners in Ponyville.

“But if they went to the Acres…wouldn’t Applejack have met them?” If she knew I wasn’t the only Black Mage, wouldn’t she have made some kind of comment?

He chuckled, “She did. She told me earlier she thought ya were just runnin’ another errand for the white-haired guy.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I wasn’t alone in the world…

I started to get excited. I asked, “How long ago did they visit?!”

He cleared his throat and looked away. “Uh…I think it was a bit over a month ago. They got in late one evening, stayed at the Acres, then left before sunrise. Not many ponies met em except my family.” He trailed away for a few moments.

I muttered, “This is amazing… I’m not alone…” I looked up at him and cheered, “Did you catch their names?!”

He took a seat beside me, obviously getting tired of standing. I couldn’t blame him, because he was carrying a large wooden yoke around his neck. He laughed, “They had some weird names. They went by numbers, aside from the weird fella. There was a Mr. 33 and Mr. 111. And the white-haired fella never said his name.”

I’m certain my heart skipped a few beats. My jaw dropped, though you couldn’t tell by looking. I cheered in undecipherable chatter, “Oh wow…33…I can’t…”

Boco caught on to the numbers and chirped, “KWEHH!!” I think he was excited to know that his guardians were still alive and well.

The stallion laughed, “I take it y’all are friends?”

“You could say that, yeah! This is amazing news!” I thought about being able to see them again for a few minutes.

The stallion looked over at the clock on the far wall. He sighed, “Well, I gotta get back to the farm. AJ’s gonna be ticked I ditched her to come talk to ya.” He turned toward the door and started to trot out. “Oh, and the name’s Big Macintosh.” he turned back briefly to tell me as he approached the exit.

…

After Big Macintosh left, the party started to die down. None of the ponies seemed bothered by my actions, and most of them just left secretly. I can’t blame them, because I would hate to get Pinkie Pie on my case for ditching a party.

Fluttershy was one of the first to leave, so I took the opportunity to walk her home and escape from the inevitable barrage of Twilight’s questions. Based on what Rainbow Dash told me, Twilight became obsessive once she found something interesting. I was almost worried about what would happen now that I’d piqued her curiosity with my spells, but I decided to cross that bridge when it came.

Now I’m here, thinking about everything Big Macintosh told me. If he was telling the truth, and Boco’s owners are in this world with me, then I’m not alone. I’m not the only Black Mage. I’m sure the little chocobo would love to see them too. I should look in to going to Appleloosa to see them sometime…

But I wonder who the white-haired guy is… I can’t think of many people with white hair from Gaia. Well, that’s assuming he was from Gaia. There’s only one guy I can think of, but it can’t possibly be him.

It can’t be him, can it? I mean, he was evil… Why would he get a second chance?

He destroyed a world… He nearly killed us all… Kuja…

Kuja Day Twelve: Restored

It is a truly beautiful thing, to be back to health after so long in bed. I must find a way to repay Granny Smith for her amazing cider. I cannot lie; I didn’t believe it would truly restore me as Braeburn had claimed it would. Although I don’t quite feel like leaping from building to building, I am feeling exponentially better. I can walk, at any rate.

The cider arrived early this morning, shortly after sunrise. The moment I opened the bottle, my senses flooded with life. I’d never felt such a sensation before, not even from a Gaian potion. I wasn’t sure what the feeling was at the time, but even the Black Mages reacted to it. Though I fear they’ve had an adverse effect from contact with the beverage. Just as well as I’ve been up all day, they’ve been visibly disgusted and locked in this room.

Then again, they may just regret my good health, but I shan’t assume the negative. I’m simply thankful to be able to move around. In fact, the first thing I did upon consuming the cider was aid in the repair of the local train. It was fun, to say the least. I was able to put my mind to use and minimize the resources required to repair the machine. We finished the repairs several days ahead of schedule, and I was awarded a large stipend of ‘bits’ for my efforts.

Yes, bits. They seem to be the local currency. Although not as appealing in appearance as Gil, they seem to be just as valuable to the residents of Equestria. They are significantly heavier than Gil as well, making carrying large sums quite burdening.

Repairing the train wasn’t the high point of my day, however. I returned to the tavern after the train was up and running again. Several stallions were sitting in a small group, carrying on a heated discussion. I arrived in the midst of Braeburn’s exclamation.

…

The moment I arrived at the tavern, I felt a strange tension fill the air. I began to feel nervous about joining in the discussion, but my curiosity propelled me forward. If I were still on Gaia, I wouldn’t have given a second thought about my action. Something about this world was influencing my mind—my confidence…

At any rate, I was accepted with open arms…er…hooves. I arrived just in time to catch the tail end of a statement Braeburn directed toward a pony who I assumed to be the local banker. I’m not certain what the discussion was about, but it sounded important.

“…the shipment be late!” the sheriff seemed to be angry, the first time I had seen him so.

His arguing companion responded, “It can’t be helped, sheriff! We ain’t got a way to get it there safe!” He took a gulp from his bottle of cider before leaning back in his chair.

Braeburn scoffed, “We got at least a dozen railroad guards! You can’t tell me we ain’t got enough to ship some apples, Cobalt!” He crossed his arms angrily as he plopped into the opposite chair.

“It ain’t the amount of guards we got that matters. We can’t risk the train being ambushed again. We’re already behind our shipping schedule.” The stallion shook his head in disappointment.

“Can’t ya just send ‘em on foot?” the sheriff was persistent in his endeavors, whatever they may be.

The pony he had called Cobalt groaned, “Don’t none of ‘em wanna take that risk. Face it; we ain’t getting any shipments up north, not even to Ponyville.”

Ponyville. Several thoughts ran through my mind at the mention of the town. I needed to give my thanks to Granny Smith and the rest of the Apple Family, and this shipment seemed a good enough reason to go there.

The two ponies fell silent, so I chuckled, “What seems to be the problem?”

Another stallion standing against the far wall sighed, “Sweet Apple Acres needs a shipment of Appleloosan Golden Apples to brew some cider to send to Canterlot next week. Thing is, we can’t ship the apples on our train.” He adjusted the rim of his Stetson without so much as glancing up.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“We got some bandits set up camp in the woods on the other side of Ghastly Gorge. They’ve robbed the last couple of valuable shipments. Train’s always returned with a messed up engine. We can’t afford any more repairs, so we’re closing the tracks between here and Ponyville.” He explained everything plainly, and I immediately decided to take the initiative.

I sighed with an air of smug confidence, “You can’t send your train, but require the apples to reach Ponyville before too much time has passed. I may have a solution for you.”

Braeburn snapped his attention to me and gasped, “What d’ya got in mind, Kuja?”

“If you can put together a caravan, I can escort the shipment on foot.”

Cobalt scoffed, “What kinda idiot would do something like that?”

“I need to go to Sweet Apple Acres anyway. I see no reason why I shouldn’t help out my new home while I’m at it.” At the time, I hadn’t considered the possibility of my inability to use magic. My boasts were relying on my magic to protect the caravan.

The unnamed stallion chuckled, “You actually think you can do it alone? You got guts, fella. We ain’t got a problem fixing up a caravan if ya actually wanna try it.”

“Maybe we can convince some of the guards to go with you…” Cobalt placed a hoof to his chin in thought.

I waved a dismissive hand and scoffed, “There’s no need. I assure you I am more than capable of dispatching a few bandits and ensuring the safe arrival of the golden apples. Perhaps I can persuade the Black Mages to join me. Who knows, they might enjoy some time out of the desert.” I smiled slyly at the three disbelieving stallions, each one with apparent concern.

Cobalt laughed, “If that’s what ya want, I ain’t got a problem with it!” He hopped up from his chair and placed a hoof firmly on my shoulder. He extended his other hoof toward me, a gesture I could only compare to a handshake by pony standards.

I took his hoof in my hand, we shook, and before I knew it he was gone. The unnamed stallion simply nodded in my direction as he walked out of the tavern. Something felt off about the mysterious pony, but I decided to disregard my feelings on the basis of paranoia. Once they were both gone, Braeburn offered the seat beside him to me. I obliged.

The stallion shook his head and sighed, “You sure ya can handle it, partner? I mean, these are some big brutes, bruisin’ up our train at every chance.” He removed his hat and placed it on the arm of his chair, letting out an exasperated sigh.

I groaned, “You needn’t worry, Braeburn. The apples will arrive in Ponyville on time and intact. Believe me when I say I can handle a few bandits without trouble.” I had faith that I could handle the trip on my own, but others seemed not-so-certain.

He smiled and chuckled, “I believe ya, partner. But we can’t afford to lose these apples—or a life. Maybe you oughta get them Black Mages to go with ya, just in case.” He placed the hat firmly on his head and stood up slowly. “Whenever you think you’re ready to set out, head on over to the station...” I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was worried.

I wasn’t used to that. I’m not certain whether he was worried about the shipment or my health, but it was a very strange occurrence that one would worry for me. The last person to ever do so was Zidane, below that cursed tree…

“You needn’t worry, sheriff. ‘Don’t mistake power for confidence/You’ll never like how it ends/Take your stance and understand/Confidence is the greatest tool/Confidence is power /That’s my first rule.’” His expression immediately shifted to one of utter confusion.

He coughed, “Huh-what?”

I dropped my smug smile in exchange for one of disappointment. Perhaps he was smart, but he had no poetic flare. I groaned, “My confidence will ensure my success in this delivery. Just have faith in my ability to follow through.” I waved a hand goodbye and stood up from my seat, heading for the stairs up to my room.

As I had expected, I found the Black Mages still bedridden upon my return. They both looked weary, from some unknown illness or event. I didn’t think the cider’s scent could’ve harmed them quite as bad as they were. I allowed them the comfort of sleeping in the bed after their patience with my recovery. I moved a large armchair in front of the large window on the far side of the room and sat, watching the sun set on the horizon.

It wasn’t long before one of the mages began stirring. Mr. 33 woke up with worried haste, attempting to regain his senses fully. He noticed my silent roosting and asked, “Is something wrong, Kuja?”

I wasn’t certain what he meant. As far as I knew, they were the ones with the illness at this time. I chuckled, “Not at all, Mr. 33. Why do you ask?”

“You look upset…or tired.” He motioned toward his companion, who was still fast asleep.

I shook my head and said, “No, not quite. I’m more or less pontificating on the promise I made Braeburn.” The Black Mage approached me inquisitively.

He asked, “What’d you promise him?” He sat on the floor beside my chair, as if he had no concern with comfort.

“I have to make a delivery to Ponyville a few miles north. I’ll be passing through bandit-infested territory.” I looked down at the mage, who seemed to be lost in thought.

He stared out the window at the sunset. He sighed, “Are you sure you can handle it? I mean, you just got out of bed today…” I heard a strange tone in his voice. He was worried…about me.

I chuckled, “I’m certain I’m up for the task. It’s you two I’m concerned about.”

“What do you mean?”

“You two are joining me, aren’t you? After all, I believe it will be nice to get out of the desert for a while.”

“Really? You actually want us to come along?” He looked at me disbelievingly.

I sat upright in the chair and scoffed, “Of course. A little company on this trip would be most welcome.”

Mr. 111 began to stir in the bed. He groaned, “When do we leave?”

Mr. 33 gasped, “W-wait, how long will we be gone?”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “No longer than a week, I’m sure.”

The other Black Mage threw the covers off and leaped from the bed. “Does it matter? Not like there’s much to do around here…” he yawned.

“Correct. A change of scenery will be nice, won’t it?” I smiled, turning my attention back out the window. The sun was half-swallowed by the earth at this point. The sky was a mix of beautiful colors. My inner poet began to stir under the vision.

The relaxing Black Mage chuckled, “I guess it can’t hurt. But will we be okay if we fight the bandits?”

His companion scoffed, “What do you think? We have magic. I’m sure we can take care of ourselves. Isn’t that right Kuja?” He turned to me, still lost in thought.

I sighed, “We should be fine. Between the three of us, what could possibly go wrong?”

With that, we all fell silent. We watched as the sun fell below the horizon, the colors of the sky shifting from prismatic to dark. It was a relaxing sight, honestly. The last sunset I ever truly watched was the one at Oeilvert back when I was younger, back on Terra…

…

I’m lying here in bed, trying to finish this entry so I can go to sleep. The Black Mages passed out over by the window, watching the sky change. We’re leaving tomorrow to start our trip, and we should be back before the week’s end. I hope that’s the case, anyway. I could be severely underestimating these bandits, but I’m not afraid.

I’m feeling a bit weary now, so I’ll put the journal away. I should try and write my entries more consistently, but nothing interesting ever happens here in Appleloosa…

Vivi Day Three: Everfree Forest

I haven’t slept a wink since the night before last. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so focused on Mr. 33 and Mr. 111. If they really are here in Equestria, then imagine how many of the others are here too! Not knowing for sure if they really are here, or if they even remember Gaia, is driving me crazy! I have to find out before too much longer or I may just die of suspense…

But anyway, because I couldn’t sleep, I got up sometime before sunrise and decided to take a walk. I see now that that was a horrible idea, but hindsight’s always 20/20, right? It was fun while it lasted, but things quickly went from good-to-bad as Boco and I was looking at all the flora in the forest.

I’m perfectly fine now, but I could’ve been in worse shape if that nice zebra hadn’t been gathering her own supplies.

…

I’d been tossing and turning all night, my back starting to ache from lying on the small couch. I finally got fed up with being bored, so I rolled off the couch and headed right out the door. This time, Boco came darting up to me as soon as I left the house. I remembered the pepper he had eaten the day before, and decided I wanted to go into the forest and look at the plants.

Boco leaped up on top of my shoulder and chirped happily away as we walked through the tree line and into the suddenly-creepy expanse of darkness. A shiver went down my spine, as if an omen of something bad happening. I ignored it though, because I was probably just being paranoid. With a reassuring chirp from the baby chocobo, we ventured onward.

It didn’t take long for me to regret my idea. After walking for not even ten minutes, I’d already gotten tangled in a large mess of vines. It took Boco a few minutes to peck me out of the trap, which left him exhausted and me terrified. I decided it was time to go back home, because I didn’t want to get stuck again. The only problem was…

“…Which way is home?” I adjusted my hat nervously as Boco spun in each direction. He tried to sniff out the chickens back at Fluttershy’s house, but couldn’t catch a scent.

“K-kweh…” he chirped in fright.

I looked all around for signs of any path we might have made, but everything looked the exact same. I began to panic, my heart racing in total fear. I mumbled, “This was a bad idea, Boco…” He chirped affirmatively.

I stomped a foot and pointed forward. I told him with a tone of feign-confidence, “Onward, chocobo!” With an excited chirp, he led the way deeper into the woods.

We went on like this for a few minutes before finally realizing that we had gone the completely wrong way. Now we were in even less familiar territory, with bigger plants and a creepier atmosphere. I stopped to sit at the base of a large tree, away from all of the other colorful plants. I had no idea what to expect from this weird forest. The best I could hope for was that it wouldn’t completely petrify like the Evil Forest in Alexandria did…

Of course, our comfort didn’t last long. While we were kicked back against the large tree, I failed to notice something slithering on the ground. By the time my eyes caught it, it was already too late. I’m not sure what the creature was, but it looked like a snake. Except it had a head like a chicken.

Anyway, the thing pecked Boco on the side, sending the baby bird into an adrenaline-fueled panic. In the instant, he went darting away from the tree with a loud screech. I saw the thing following after him, and immediately hopped to my feet. I broke into a dead run in the same direction as Boco, hoping to catch him before the thing did.

Luckily, I managed to outrun the thing and stumble upon Boco in a large hole in the ground. The bad news is that I actually stumbled upon him…and fell into the hole. A few seconds after my landing, the thing that chased us showed up at the top of the hole, as if mocking us. The baby chocobo fluttered his wings and chirped at the creature, trying to scare it off.

I regained my senses just in time to watch the baby chocobo turn to stone. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but he just petrified out of nowhere. I started to panic again, fresh from the last time. I looked up at the creature and reached out a hand.

“Fire!” I screamed as loud as I could. From my hand burst a ball of flames which shot directly toward the creature. Just before it made contact, the ball of fire began to petrify. So did my hands. In fact, the stone slowly moved along my body, until all that was left was my head.

I didn’t understand how the fireball turned to stone, but I didn’t have much time to think about it. I was quickly running out of time to do anything. All of a sudden, I saw the creature go flying away from the hole. A gray-and-white striped pony poked its head into the hole and called out to us, but I couldn’t tell what it said.

After a few seconds, I noticed the stone on Boco begin to crack and peel off. The same happened to me. In no time at all, we were both back to normal. While my heart kept pounding pretty hard, I was relieved to be saved. I looked up to find the pony dropping a rope ladder into the hole for us to climb out with. Boco didn’t waste any time at all, using his claws to grip the rope and escape the pit. I took my time, trying to figure out who the mysterious pony was.

The pony chuckled, “If not for your shout, you would be stuck. Perhaps you just have very bad luck.” She had a strange voice, different from the rest of the ponies I had met. It was more exotic, with a deeper tone. Her mane was done up in a Mohawk, with golden bangles around her neck and on one of her arms.

I finished climbing the ladder and sighed, “Thanks for the help Miss. We were almost goners. What was that thing?” I dusted myself off as the pony started to roll her ladder back up.

Boco chirped, “Kweh!” in thanks.

The mysterious pony chuckled, “That was a very dangerous cockatrice. They are creatures who prey on far more than just mice…” She waved a hoof around enthusiastically, placing the ladder into a large pack on her back.

“What’s your name Miss?” I asked her, picking Boco up from the ground.

“Zecora is the name I go by.” She looked at the sun coming up over the horizon through the tree line, and suddenly adopted a panicked expression. “I’m afraid I’m running late, so I must fly!”

I watched as she checked to make sure her items were all in the pack before she took off deeper into the woods. Boco chirped impatiently, staring toward the horizon. If we could see the sun, then we should be close to the edge of the forest, right? Anyway, that’s the logic we used to decide where to go next. I’d had enough of that scary place in the hour I experienced it.

…

I just wish I could’ve talked more to the zebra in the forest, but she seemed busy, so we just left before we got caught in another trap. You should have seen Boco once we finally got back to Fluttershy’s pen. He was so happy he went on a mad dash into the chicken coop, chirping wildly. I’m glad he’s here with me, now that I think about it.

I bet if Mr. 33 and Mr. 111 are actually here, they’ll be excited to see him, too. After all, they are the ones who cared for him and hatched him. Not to mention he’s saved my life at least twice now.

I guess I’m feeling nostalgic now. I think I’m done writing for a while. I feel like I’m starting to miss Gaia…

Kuja Day Thirteen: Caravan's Departure

It has been a quite exciting few days, I must say. So much has happened since the day I recovered. Perhaps I should break my entries into pieces to make them less burdening to read in the future. I’ll begin with the morning I departed from Appleloosa.

…

I awoke well before sunrise to find Mr. 33 and Mr. 111 packing up some items into satchels, assumedly to bring on our trip. Clothes, blankets, and snacks were among some of the items the pre-emptive Black Mages were packing. I was thoroughly surprised by their initiative and excitement for this potentially dangerous expedition to the north.

Mr. 33 noticed me stirring in my bed. He packed in one last blanket to his bag and cheered, “There’s some breakfast being prepared downstairs to see us off! The caravan’s ready to leave whenever you are!” Like a machine, he immediately resumed packing.

I groaned, “These Equestrians are on top of their schedules, aren’t they? They’re much more efficient than the laziness of Gaians.” I stretched and yawned, feeling completely rejuvenated from my extensive nap.

Mr. 111 sighed, “Do you think we need any of Granny Smith’s cider?” He placed one hand over his would-be face and held the bottle toward me with the other.

I thought for a few moments how to answer the question. I nodded and scoffed, “Its restorative effects will be imperative if we’ll be facing hostile opposition.”

“Okay…” He sounded slightly disappointed, perhaps because of the cider’s disgusting scent. While it was tasty and had healing properties, it still smelled like decaying rotten apples.

Mr. 33 chuckled, “This is gonna be fun, Kuja! We’re gonna meet new ponies!”

“Yes, and we’ll also be walking for three days straight. We may stop to rest if absolutely necessary.” I ran a hand through my hair, trying to get my blood pumping. I needed to be wide awake if I hoped to plan our route carefully. I had no intention of following the tracks the entire way, only when required.

After a few moments of silence, a rapid knocking rang out on the door. Without waiting for a response, the source of the noise threw the door open and rushed in. He slammed it shut behind him, as if he were being chased by something vicious. It was the mysterious stallion from the prior evening. His mane was in a mess, with his hat off-center on his head. He looked really shaken by something.

“Can I help you?” I asked bluntly, annoyance flooding my tone.

He took a few deep breaths and explained, “Look fella, them brutes are some tough punks. You sure ya wanna do this?” He looked as if he were about to have a heart attack.

“Of course I am. What seems to be the problem?” Something about the stallion screamed ‘suspicious’ to me, but I tried to swallow that superficial paranoia.

He shook his head and sighed, “I just think they’re a little bit tougher than ya can handle, that’s all.” He ran a hoof through his mane, attempting to style it.

I’m no fool. I can see when something obvious is in my face. His demeanor irked me to the point of snapping, “What are you planning on doing?”

He looked at me with a confused expression at first, then scoffed, “I’m goin with ya, fella. If some newcomer’s gonna risk his hide to solve our problems, he ain’t taking all the credit!”

I couldn’t even reply to his statement. Despite having just informed me of the dangers, he wanted to travel with us. That alone is idiotic enough. However, he was willing to risk the danger for some ignorant hometown pride. I had no words at the time to explain to him how foolish he was truly being. So instead I simply laughed.

Not picking up on his ignorance, Mr. 33 cheered, “It’ll be nice to have you with us Mr. Brawny!” Ah, a name was finally matched with the face. Suddenly, this stranger seemed even more suspicious.

I chuckled, “Yes, it will be a pleasure to have a local journey with us. I suppose you should begin your packing. We’ll be leaving just as soon as I’ve finished preparing my belongings.” I could tell he was an idiot, and knew then that his chances of survival were close to nonexistent. The likelihood of his death made me disgustingly happy at the time.

This stallion, Brawny, scoffed, “Y’all best not leave without me, y’hear?” He left the room just as quickly as he’d entered, slamming the door behind him.

Mr. 111 groaned, “I don’t trust him, Kuja.”

My jaw dropped at the Black Mage’s careful judgment. I nodded and sighed, “Nor do I, but I find it rude to refuse company on such a long trip. Besides, if he tries anything funny, we can simply ‘magic’ him out of our hair.” I raised a single hand into the air, imitating the motions used to cast my Flare spell.

I heard a light chuckle escape the consenting mage. His companion, however, let out a frightened gasp. He said, “You can’t be serious, Kuja! Mr. Brawny would never do anything to deserve that!”

“You are foolish to trust him, 33. Can’t you sense that curious aura around him? The Mist is different when he’s around.” I clenched my fist and dropped my arm swiftly, causing him to flinch. Mr. 111 nodded approvingly toward me.

I stretched my arm casually and headed toward the door. The mages returned to their packing while I proceeded downstairs to enjoy the breakfast Mr. 33 had spoken of earlier. The tavern was surprisingly empty, aside from the bartender and the chef. As I consumed the meal, the mages joined me and downed their own dishes. Without saying a word, we finished eating and left the tavern.

A large crowd of ponies had gathered by the train station, where a caravan of two bulls and a wagon was waiting for us. As we approached, the crowd went wild. At the time, I couldn’t understand exactly why we were honored so much before even attempting the journey. However, now that everything is said and done, their reactions were fairly appropriate.

Waiting by the wagon were Brawny and Braeburn, the latter of whom baring a wide grin of confidence. The former, unsurprisingly, had a look of worry and anger on his features. The closer we got, the deeper his frown fell. It was actually quite amusing.

The sheriff cheered, “Buncha luck to ya, partners! Try not to rough em up too bad!”

Brawny groaned, “Let’s get this dog-and-pony show on the road already.”

I had to use all of my willpower to keep from bursting into arrogant laughter at the stallion’s idiotic remark. I could already see how this trip would play out on his part, and I was enjoying the sight. Until he was disposed of due to his pride, I would need to watch my back in case of shameful ambush. However, that would only be a mild discomfort, like a fly buzzing by your ear.

I extended a hand toward the idiot and chuckled, “Impatience may cause even the wisest of creatures to face their ultimate downfall. Keep this in mind while we’re on the road, Brawny.” He accepted my handshake with flooding remorse. Every ounce of irritation he experienced only seemed to make me feel better.

“I’ll try to remember it. Now, we ready to set out?” He released my hand and turned toward the train tracks. He looked off in the distance, where we would be travelling, and let out a nervous sigh.

Mr. 111 groaned, “We need to depart soon, Kuja. We need to get to Ponyville as quick as possible, right?”

“Correct.” I said bluntly. “Very well then, let us leave.”

Braeburn took off his hat and placed it firmly on his chest. He adopted a serious expression and hailed, “Y’all take care, Mr. Kuja. Try to come back in one piece, would ya?” The rest of the crowd imitated the gesture—a sign of respect for the risk we were taking.

I still couldn’t understand why such a touching ‘ceremony’ was being performed for the departure of a simple caravan. Even Brawny seemed to be taken by surprise. I simply shrugged my shoulders and scoffed, “I assure you you’ve nothing to worry about. I…We shall return in as perfect health as we are leaving.”

The Black Mages nodded in agreement. With that, the crowd started to disperse from the station. We said our farewells, I took the reins of the cattle in hand, and we were off into the desert bound northward. As we distanced ourselves from Appleloosa, a strange sense of foreboding started to form in the back of my mind. I cast it off as my usual paranoia, but I see now that that was a bad idea.

We travelled along the track for hours, until the sun began to set. Nothing of interest happened while we were on the trail, unless you count a sandstorm that knocked Mr. 33 to the ground and left Brawny cursing his luck. Once the sun had finally gone down, I decided it best to set up camp and sleep.

I stayed awake all night, watching for hostile creatures…and monitoring our stallion companion. Something about seeing him unconscious started an angry flame in my heart.

I should have killed him then and there, but I didn’t...

Vivi Day Three: Midday Nap

Let me see…I left off when we made it back to town. Oh boy, I can’t stress how happy Boco was to be out of the forest! But I went back to Fluttershy’s house and sat down on my couch/bed. I was really exhausted, considering I never went to sleep the previous night. After running through the woods trying to catch my little bird, I could barely keep my eyes open.

As soon as my rear end hit the couch, I was out like a light.

I remember the dream so vividly that I can tell you exactly what happened. I can even tell you who all was in it. I mean, there weren’t any ponies. They were all my friends from back in Gaia. Every one of them was there. But…so was Kuja…and Queen Brahne. I don’t know what my dream meant, but it was comforting to be able to see and hear them again, even if it wasn’t real.

…

We were in the theater ship Prima Vista, on the stage deck, performing some sort of play for the queen of Alexandria. In this case, the queen was still Brahne. Kuja stood by her side watching the play, with a weird grin on his face. Brahne looked like she was really having fun watching us perform.

I stood in the center of a large group of rebels, while on the far side of the stage stood a group of soldiers loyal to the throne. In the center of their group stood Dagger, who was tied up with chains, spears held at eye-level to her. The loyal soldiers were angry, to the point where they were prepared to end her life.

Whatever play we were performing, the actors were amazing. Zidane was playing the leader of the rebels, dressed in a light jacket and torn leather boots. He was armed with nothing but a dagger. Amarant was wearing a pair of large spiked gloves, dressed in an iron breastplate, attempting to hold the rebels back from attacking. I was dressed like a child, bloodied and tied up. The rest of the Tantalus crew played the part of the rebels.

We were outnumbered by the guards without a doubt. While Dagger was tied up as a captive, the soldiers around her were decked out in the traditional warrior apparel. Beatrix played the leader of the guards, and held Dagger in place with her broadsword pinned against the captive’s throat. Freya played the part of the commander’s right-hand-woman, ensuring Dagger wouldn’t escape.

Eiko was dressed like a bishop to play the part of the priest that would bless…something. The Knights of Pluto played the rest of the soldiers, quite convincingly really. Quina managed to play the role of—what else?—a chef, who delivered a large pot of soup to the battlefield for the soldiers to eat in comfort. The rebels were meant to starve if not surrender. I watched as all the soldiers besides Freya walked to the side of the stage to enjoy their dinner.

The rebels were sitting around me, while I was forced to stand by a wench pulling on my bonds. I could see Freya staring at the other soldiers with a frown of jealousy on her face. Zidane noticed it too, and stabbed his dagger into the dirt. He leaped to his feet and started approaching the soldiers’ hostage.

Amarant called, “Don’t be an idiot! Those punks won’t hesitate to kill you on a moment’s notice.” He started to stand up, but was dismissed by his captain.

“Hey you, soldier!” Zidane called to the single soldier on duty.

Freya scoffed, “Silence yourself, traitor! Have you forgotten your position?” She drew her spear closer to Dagger’s throat.

The rebel captain raised his hands high, stopping in place abruptly. “I don’t wanna hurt you. I just wanna talk. It’s not like they would care, right?” He nodded toward the guards that were systematically falling asleep after finishing their food.

Freya swung her spear toward the blond-haired traitor, “What have you ungrateful brats done to my comrades?!” She threatened to leap toward her enemy, but controlled her confused anger.

Amarant sighed, “Sleeping weed, soldier. Maybe you’ve heard of it?” He began to approach the tied-up Dagger as Zidane confronted Freya.

The rebel leader laughed, “Confidence was your downfall, soldier. Your comrades were so certain they’d win, they let their guards down.”

Blank dashed over toward Quina and tossed a bag of frogs at him/her. With a cheer, s/he laughed, “I good spy? I feed good?”

“Good job, chef!” Zidane praised the traitorous chef before turning back to the soldier with a smug grin. “You guys didn’t even notice your chef get switched out. Talk about dumb.”

Amarant shattered Dagger’s bonds with his bladed gloves and chuckled, “We’ll just be taking her back now. Go tell your king to hire better help.” In one swift motion, the large brute flung the prisoner over his shoulder and leaped into the air, landing right beside me.

Freya cried, “Do you not understand the consequences of your actions? If this kingdom falls, the world shall fall with it!” She darted toward the group of rebels, but her dash was cut short by a large blade being thrust into the ground. The boards of the stage splintered under the impact.

The soldier was sent flying back to where Dagger had been held captive. From the sky dropped Steiner, wearing solid gold armor and carrying a golden blade in one hand. He jerked the fallen sword into his other and swung them both toward us.

He laughed, “You are all foolish to believe you’ve won! It’s very rare that I must get my hands dirty in a conflict. I expect this to be a good fight!” He started a mad run at us, Zidane and the rest of the Tantalus crew meeting him half way. Amarant ripped me from my bonds and carried me almost off-stage with Dagger.

The soldiers started to wake up as the battle raged on. Freya used her spear to keep them from interfering in the fight. After several heated minutes of stunts and tricks, Steiner let out an ear-shredding wail. Red fluid burst from his breastplate, and he held Zidane’s dagger firmly between his arm and torso. He fell on his back and writhed.

“You uncivilized crooks! You shall soon regret these atrocities you’ve cast upon our world! Behold, in the sky! The beast of the end of days is being born, even now!” He pointed a bloody hand at the red moon, where a large shadow was beginning to form. He let out one final scream before falling silent.

The shadow fell to the stage in a large heavy ball. It was an authentic chunk of Dark Matter. Zidane picked it up from the ground and chuckled, “The ‘beast of the end of days’, you say? Looks like a dirty rock to me. But hey, what do us ‘traitors’ know, anyway?” He started to chuckle lightheartedly.

Then the airship shook violently. I saw Kuja drag Brahne from her throne and shove her back into the castle. He then leaped from the throne onto the stage. He cried, “He’s returned, Zidane!” He pointed a flaming hand into the sky, sending everyone’s eyes upward.

In the foreground of Gaia’s blue moon, another large entity started to grow. It took the shape of a large fountain, spawning claw-like wings and a grotesque humanoid body. I immediately recognized it, just as we all did. At least, those of us who had been unfortunate enough to fight it before…

Necron. The demon that had threatened to end all life in existence. We defeated it in Memoria, but it was here with us now.

…

My dream ended with Kuja shooting a fireball from his hands at Necron. The demon absorbed the blast without a problem. The airship shook one last time, and I suddenly woke up on Fluttershy’s couch. There was a small white rabbit tapping its foot impatiently in front of my face. It gave me a gentle push, trying to get me awake.

You know, talking about that dream makes me feel weird. I don’t know why, but I just…feel depressed. I have a bad feeling that it could be a vision. Gaia might be in danger of being attacked again. Or maybe Necron will attack this world…

I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t want to know…

Kuja Day Fourteen: A Crushed Conflict

I sat by the campfire all night long, watching the stallion for any sign of suspicious activity. My companions, on the other hand, rested quite comfortably in their bags. I’m not sure what compelled me to watch Brawny, but I slowly developed a sense of dread as the night passed. At one point I even believed there to be figures moving in the distance—hostile figures. Eventually the sun rose over the horizon, and we packed up camp and continued on our way down the tracks.

The day passed in moderate silence. The further we continued down the path, the tenser Brawny seemed to get. Mr. 33 continued on in blissful ignorance of the stallion’s suspicious nature. Mr. 111 frequently sent me silent messages, ensuring I was still keeping my guard up. He was well aware of what I felt now that we’d been in Brawny’s presence for over a day. I was glad to have at least one other companion on my side in this scenario.

It was funny, to tell the truth. He attempted to not act suspicious, and yet that very attempt is what gave him away to me. He tried so hard to look innocent that, when it became revealed that he was a traitor, 33 was the only member of our group to actually be surprised. I can still hear his quavering voice as I approached those bandits.

Just as the sun was beginning its slow decline into the horizon of the west, we approached the stretch of train tracks connecting the Appleloosa and Ponyville sides of Ghastly Gorge. Ah, it was a beautiful sight. To look over the emptiness of the gorge and see the orange sunlight beaming blissfully into its reaches was comforting.

I stopped to take in the sight for a few moments while the others continued on. It was truly unusual. I couldn’t remember ever once stopping to enjoy the Gaian scenery. This world felt different in so many ways, it almost brought out my inner poet. In this situation, however, I hadn’t enough time to so much as write a haiku. A plea for help rang out from the far end of the tracks.

This is where the fun truly begins. Mr. 33 and 111 were being tied up in thick cords by a group of animals that looked similar to dogs. Brawny stood in front of the chaotic group, facing me, a small metal object held firmly in the cleft of one hoof. He had an excited glint in his eyes. Mr. 33 was squirming violently against his bonds, while 111 just stood like a log and waited. He knew this would be a simple endeavor, even if I did not agree.

I started to approach the group of bandits, my hands placed resolutely by my side. I chuckled, continuously getting louder as I progressed, “Are you attempting to steal the shipment of apples, dear Brawny? I must say I’m disappointed in your work ethic, especially for a small town pony of your caliber. After all, this is an amateur’s game.” I slowly stepped toward their end of the bridge, monitoring Mr. 111 for signs of hostility. He remained calm and collected, as if he were barely bothered by the bonds.

Brawny scoffed, “What are you going on about, freak? Looks to me like it worked, didn’t it?” He thrust the hoof holding the metal object away from his body. He held it with a tight grip, pointing a long tube toward me. He had a grin as if he were victorious already.

I tittered tauntingly, “A truly brutal bandit would’ve slaughtered every last citizen of the town and taken all of their resources without a second thought! You’re just a petty thief that can’t even handle a small caravan without a group of foolish lackeys. What even are those creatures you’ve manipulated?” I maintained a steady pace, ever advancing toward the hostages and traitor.

The stallion groaned, “I ain’t a bandit, fella! I ain’t stealing nothing! These here Diamond Dogs trade my safe passage over the gorge for information on valuable shipments passing through.” He waved the metal object toward the beasts before pointing in my direction once more.

One of the monsters grumbled, “Can we just kill ‘em now?” He yanked on 111’s bonds, drawing him closer to the cliff of the gorge. 111 didn’t make any type of resisting movement.

“If you truly believe that you’ve won—that you can return to Appleloosa without us—you are a fool. You see, perhaps you aren’t aware of what we’re capable of.” I bowed my head and raised my hands, beginning a madman’s laugh. “Mr. 111, would you do the honors?!”

“Gladly!” 111 shouted back at me.

He snapped his fingers, and in the instant the ropes were consumed in fire. The bonds immediately incinerated, the Diamond Dog captor lighting up with them. 111 darted toward Brawny with lightning-fast speed, but he was intercepted by another one of the canine beasts. He swiftly punched the ground, and the guardian dog was tossed into the air by a spike of rock shooting from the ground.

In his confusion, Brawny dropped the metal object he’d been holding and started a mad dash away from the bridge. Too bad for him, really. 111 waved a circle in the air with an angry fist, and the remainder of the bandits was swallowed by heavy gusts of wind. The vortexes slowly inched toward the gorge, threatening to drop each beast over the edge, preferably to their deaths.

Brawny squealed, “Don’t do this, fella! What’ll the townsfolk think if I don’t come back?!” He struggled against the razor wind, but found he was powerless.

I simply chuckled, “I can explain it quite simply. You were a traitor, and your bandits are dead. You shan’t bother Appleloosa again.” I nodded at 111, and he nodded back.

“You messed with the wrong Black Mage, idiot.” The mage closed his hand quickly, and the gusts of wind darted over the gorge. The wind disappeared, sending the creatures into its deep reaches, just as the sun fell below the horizon. All of them aside from Brawny.

The moon’s bright light shined into it, showing me their fates. Considering the mysterious force in this world, I didn’t believe they were dead. They fell directly into the water at the bottom of the gorge, a would-be fatal fall if we’d been on Gaia. This world was different. I didn’t believe I had killed them. I simply removed their threat for an indeterminable amount of time.

I continued my victorious stride over toward the only remaining captive of the wind, who was released once my hand clasped his throat. He tried to pry my hands apart with his hooves, but my grip was much more powerful than his pitiful muscles could bear. His eyes shined with sheen of fear, and my heart fluttered at the sight.

For a few moments, I considered crushing his neck and ending his life personally. It only took one glance toward Mr. 33 to see that that wasn’t as option. As much as I hated it at the time, his presence kept me from making a terrible mistake. I wasn’t—I’m not—a murderer anymore. Not in this world.

At any rate, the stallion choked out, “Please…don’t…kill…me! I’m...sorry!” He kicked his legs forward, desperately struggling to breath.

I hesitated for a moment before finally releasing my grip. He fell to the ground with a thud, taking a painfully deep breath. I sighed, “As much as I truly wish to end your life, I’m afraid I cannot bring myself to do so. You are a lucky man, Brawny.” I ran a hand through my hair and looked up to the bright white of the Equestrian moon. I continued, “If this were another time, in another life, I would have murdered you before we even left the tavern.”

The terrified stallion fell to the ground at my feet and groaned, “Th-thank you, fella! I’m terribly sorry for all this ruckus! I…” He fell silent, uncertain of how to proceed in his apology.

I scoffed, kicking dirt his direction, “Get the hell out of my sight before I change my mind, you imbecile! If we ever cross paths again, I will not hesitate to end your meaningless life!” In the instant, all of my repressed anger over the last few weeks in this world suddenly exploded in the back of my mind. It took all I had not to Trance at that moment. I felt the rage swelling inside my body.

I was…frightened. I was scaring myself. I…didn’t want to Trance. I didn’t want to get angry. I didn’t want to hurt this world like I did to my home…

Needless to say, Brawny rushed out of my sight before I could end the internal struggle between anger and peace. When I finally calmed down, Mr. 33 and 111 were standing in front of me, guiding our cattle across the bridge.

The former of the mages stopped beside me and cheered, “You made the right choice Kuja! I’m proud of ya!” He continued leading the caravan down the tracks as I tried to hurry my recovery.

Mr. 111 waited by my side. He groaned, “This isn’t good, Kuja. Can you feel that?”

I sighed, “The Mist gathering?”

“Yes. Before, I wasn’t sure if it was Mist. It felt similar, but it wasn’t as stale.”

“And now, there’s no doubt. Only Mist can allow for Trance. Only Mist can allow for puppets like us to live.”

“If Mist is gathering in this world, could we be the reason?”

“I’d rather die again.”

“Same here. This world doesn’t deserve the evils that come with Mist.”

“Let’s not concern ourselves with speculation, 111. If it is Mist, then we’ll know soon enough.”

I rose to my feet and started staggering after 33. We continued down the tracks until we reached the edge of a dark forest. Based on the map I had seen before departing from Appleloosa, we were at the Everfree Forest. Ponyville proper waited just beyond the trees, and so we set up camp for the evening. We would conclude the first half of our journey the next day, and be back in Appleloosa before another three-day cycle.

We’d made good time, honestly. Only two days in and we were less than a mile from our destination.

Certainly, the forest had several things to say about that...

Vivi Day Three: Taking a Stroll

Okay, I’m feeling a lot better now. Fluttershy just made us some midnight snacks, so I’m not as sad anymore… I gotta admit, she reminds me a lot of Zidane, how she likes to sit up and talk to people about their problems. But anyway, I left off just after my nap, right? Really, nothing too extraordinary happened before I ended up at Sweet Apple Acres, but I did take a pleasant walk around town. Not that I meant to take the walk, I just kept getting lost. It’s a little sad, considering this is such a small place.

…

The little white bunny stood right in front of my face, tapping its foot and glaring angrily at me. I’d never seen a rabbit so angry; I was honestly a little scared. Anyway, once I finally regained my senses, the realization that the animal was mad jolted me fully awake, and I let out a loud gasp of shock. I was pretty slow to the draw, but I hadn’t slept at all the previous night.

When I let out my gasp, a frightened squeak called, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you…” Fluttershy was over in the far corner of room, which happened to serve as a kitchen for her small home.

She was preparing a large bowl of fruits and vegetables, assumedly to eat for lunch or dinner. It dawned on me that I had no idea how long I’d been asleep. “Oh, it’s okay! Say…what time is it?” I adjusted my hat, smoothing out the wrinkles.

The rabbit rolled its eyes impatiently while Fluttershy poked her head out of the window. The Pegasus mumbled, “It’s a little past noon. You sure can sleep a lot Vivi.” She finished shredding a carrot onto the pile of juicy health foods and placed the bowl on the table beside the couch I was sitting on.

The little rabbit bounced up on the arm of the chair where my head was resting and started kicking me rapidly. It had an angry frown plastered on its tiny face. It moved its mouth as if to scold me for some reason, and continued to bounce on the arm of the chair beside me.

“Angel dear, be nice to our guest.” The bunny’s owner waved a disappointed hoof at it. The animal suddenly stopped its kicking and slumped down on the chair’s arm. It slowly started to nibble on the veggies in the bowl.

I sat upright a stretched a cautious hand toward Angel, wanting to pet it. It turned around violently and shook a tiny fist at me before spinning back to its lunch. I dropped my hand to my side and chuckled, “It’s a feisty little thing, isn’t it?”

“Yes, he’s always been a handful. But I absolutely adore him!” My host placed a hoof gently on the rabbit’s head and started to scratch just behind his ear. To be honest, it made me feel bad because he acted like he hated me.

I chuckled, “It’s always nice to have a pet that loves you by your side. That’s why I’m glad Boco is still with me.” I got up from my seat and stretched, the contour of the furniture starting to bother me.

Fluttershy took a seat in a large armchair across from me. She asked, “Who’s Boco? Is he a new pet?”

It dawned on me that the only name she’d heard him referred to was Bobby Corwen, since Pinkie Pie gave him his nickname the morning before. I scratched my head and sighed, “Oh, that’s my chocobo’s new name. It’s a lot easier to say.”

She giggled, “It’s a nice name, and a cute animal. How did he end up being your pet?” She looked out the window toward the chicken coop, where Boco had been sleeping the last few nights.

I told her the story of the Black Mage Village back home, and how two of the residents had found a chocobo egg in the forest and decided to take care of it. They stayed behind to care for it even after everyone else had left to live longer lives. Those two were so happy when it finally hatched, and after our battle was over, the mages passed away. The Genomes sent me the baby chocobo as a gift for my kids.

“That’s a sad story…” she remarked after I had finished telling the tale. I guess in a way it was sad, because all of the mages stopped moving.

I sighed, “Not really sad. They passed away happy, knowing that Bobby Corwen would be safe.” I wanted to believe that, honestly.

“What were their names—the mages?”

I smiled as I cheered, “Mr. 33 and Mr. 111! They were my best friends as far as people like me went.” To say their names made me feel better. I can’t say why.

Her eyes widened and she gasped, “Those names remind me: Applejack and Big Macintosh want to talk to you! They asked me to tell you to go over to their farm so you could talk in private.” She tapped a hoof on her forehead, seemingly disappointed that she’d forgotten the message so quickly.

I chuckled, “That makes sense. Big Macintosh told me last night that they’d met some black mages just like me. I’d like to ask a few questions.” I started a slow walk for the door. “They must be busy running a farm. I don’t wanna keep them waiting too long.”

“I hope you get to see your friends again Vivi. If Applejack says she’s met them then they have to be here.” Her expression and tone were of genuine excitement. It may not have been excitement for her situation, but excitement for me. I haven’t met many people like her in my life.

I nodded to her and left the house, Boco darting up to me and pecking wildly at my legs. I sighed, “You wanna come with me pal?” He kept nodding his head from me to the white bunny on the couch in the house.

He fluttered his wings and chirped, “Kweh-kweh!” He darted into the house and leaped at the bunny before Fluttershy nodded her farewell. I closed the door behind me and hurried off.

My mind was occupied by a single thought as I started my trek into town. I couldn’t understand why someone would feel such emotion over someone else’s situation, especially when it didn’t actually benefit them… Maybe she was just such a nice person that she liked seeing others happy. That was definitely a moderately rare sight in Gaia.

Another problem took over my thoughts as I reached the Ponyville town proper: I had no clue which way Sweet Apple Acres was. While it shouldn’t have been too hard to find it in such a small place, I began to grow extremely nervous. The time I wandered into an Alexandrian alleyway came to mind. I got yelled at by a sign maker, tackled by a rat-boy, and learned how to play cards with a four-armed thief…

I stopped in the dead center of the town square and looked around, hoping to find some sign to lead me to the farm. There were plenty of signs, but they were all for the different stalls and businesses in the small area. I noticed the familiar Sugarcube Corner to the side of the plaza, but beyond that all the buildings were foreign to me. I couldn’t help but wonder just how long it would take me to get to the farm, hoping my hosts weren’t getting too impatient with me.

After a few minutes of thinking and looking, I decided to ask for directions to the farm. I felt like an idiot, but I didn’t want to risk getting lost at all. I adjusted my hat and stomped into the pink building that flooded with the smell of pastries.

I was greeted by a voice, “Howdy there Vivi! Can I help you with something?” A tall yellow stallion stood behind a counter of tiny pastries on the far end of the room. He wore a small red and white top hat and a matching vest. One of the pastries in front of him had the exact same design as his clothes.

I started a slow walk up to the counter and chuckled, “Hey Mr. Cake. You couldn’t tell me how to get to Sweet Apple Acres, could you? This town’s still a little confusing…” I lowered my gaze, expecting him to laugh at me. After all, in such a small town, how could anyone get lost?

He looked up for a few seconds and said, “Well, the Acres are on the far edge of town, just about the opposite side of the Everfree Forest. If you keep following the road away from Everfree, you’re bound to get there eventually.” He then waved a hoof in a ‘you’re welcome’ sort of way.

“Thanks! I still haven’t gotten used to this place, but I’m working on it…” I turned around, nodded farewell, and set out again. All I needed to do was follow the road.

So I did. I got back on the road and hurried off. I didn’t get too far before I reached a part of town I was entirely unfamiliar with. I vaguely recognized the white-wash of the hospital I visited after first coming to town, but everything else was foreign. I figured it couldn’t be too hard to just find a farm somewhere in a small town, so I pressed onward.

After a few more yards, something struck me as I walked down the road. I caught a glimpse of a small orange blur moving rapidly past me, and the next thing I know I was spinning wildly in place. I spun for a few seconds and fell flat on my face, dizzy and slightly in pain. I turned around just in time to see the blur stop in place to talk to another pony. They were both children by the looks of it, ‘fillies’ if I remember the terminology right. The one that hit me was a Pegasus on a plank of wood with wheels.

Strange.

Anyway, after my head stopped spinning, I stood back up and dusted myself off. Of course, after being spun around in an already unfamiliar place, I had no clue where I was. I couldn’t tell which way I’d come from, or which way I was originally going. I shrugged my shoulders, let out a defeated sigh, and picked a direction to walk.

I guess I chose right, because the buildings started to thin out and give way to nature. And finally, after walking another few minutes, I reached the small white fence of what I assumed was the farm I’d been looking for. My suspicions were happily confirmed when the sign on the archway above the fence gate told me the name of the farm.

In retrospect, I didn’t get as lost as I thought I did, but it still felt like it took forever to get to the orchard. Sitting just outside of a large farmhouse was an old green mare, her gray mane tied up in a bun. She rocked lazily back and forth in her chair, looking out over the orchard. I kind of envied her relaxed state, seeing her just sitting back without a care in the world. Or at least, that’s how she looked.

A familiar voice broke me from my thoughts suddenly, causing me to flinch. Big Macintosh stood in front of me, opening the fence gate and welcoming me in.

“Welcome to the Acres, Vivi. Glad ya could make it.” He placed a hoof on my shoulder and guided me in.

…

I’m starting to get a little sleepy, but I need to finish this entry. I guess I’ll go get some fresh air and wake up before I get some important details mixed up.

Kuja Day Fifteen: Arrival at Last

The night passed in peace. We slept comfortably in our bags, just outside the borders of the Everfree Forest, with cool wind blowing on us. The late night moonlight showed me the trees with a special viewpoint, in a way I’d never imagined nature before. It became obvious that I was changing. My appreciation for the beauty of the world was something I’d never truly had before my time here.

When the sun finally rose above the horizon and woke us with its warm rays, we packed up camp and headed into the forest. It’s true, we could’ve continued along the tracks and travelled around the forest, but that would’ve directly taken longer, and I felt like finishing our quest as soon as mortally possible. Of course, looking back, things would’ve been a hell of a lot simpler had we just stayed on the steel…

It took us literal seconds before the sour fortune hit. Before we were even out of sight of the tree line, Mr. 33 triggered a pitfall trap that ensnared both of my companions. When I say ‘ensnared’, I truly mean it swallowed them into a deep pit of indefinite depth. After mere moments, even their cries for help were drowned out. It truly saddened me to even consider the possibility of their deaths, so I had no choice but to stop the caravan and pursue them.

Of course, it would have been quite foolish to simply jump into the pit after them. I scoured the immediate area for any type of cavern or trail that lead downward, but I found nothing. I had almost gotten to the point of giving up hope and carrying on, until a burst of flames poured out from behind a large boulder in the distance. I couldn’t fathom any other cause of such an intense pyre aside from the mages, and so I hurried to the blockade.

My assistance was very obviously not required, as the boulder combusted into dust before I could even come anywhere near. Just as I had expected, both of my companions stumbled from the concealed cavern, rips and tears scattered about their garments. It took everything in my power to not let out a relieved sigh. The last thing I needed was to come off as a sensitive soul in this dark forest.

It was strange. My eyes focused on our surroundings as the mages approached me. Though the world outside had been peaceful and full of beauty, this forest seemed as if it had been made of pure evil. Everything within was of a dark nature, with colors significantly more morbid than those of Appleloosa and Ghastly Gorge. I could feel an unnerving aura about the area, sending shivers down my spine.

Mr. 111 chuckled, “I think we got more than we bargained for, Kuja. First we get partnered with a bandit, and then there’re traps everywhere.” He ran an arm across his face, clearing it of dust.

Mr. 33 groaned, “We set off dozens of tripwires down there!” He slumped over with his arms dangling toward his feet. “I think the traps are out for a reason…”

“Same here. Whoever set them up is obviously trying to hide something.” The more mature mage cracked his knuckles in a challenging manner. “Maybe we oughta find out what it is?”

“No.” I snapped instinctively. “They aren’t hiding anything. These traps are new. I believe they are for protection. I imagine this forest contains many gruesome beasts.” I raised a hand dominantly and whispered, “Stay silent, and watch your step.”

We quickly returned to the caravan’s post and took up the reigns, Mr. 33 doing most of the work. We continued on down the trail away from the tree line, wanting nothing more than to get out of the forsaken environment. We carried on for a few minutes in relative peace. I began to hear strange noises in the distance, which in turn sent my heart racing. Something about this place set me on edge and multiplied any rational fear to be infinitely worse.

I darted my eyes all about, watching for traps and triggers. I shifted my focus on the distant noises temporarily, wondering just what the cause was.

And then it hit me.

More accurately, the source tackled me with a head-butt and sent me flying almost ten yards into a solid oak tree. My muscles locked up, removing my ability to move. On top of that, my voice failed to work. I could tell from my viewpoint that I was collapsed in an unnatural heap at the base of the tree. I was able to watch the beast toss Mr. 33 aside like a ragdoll, while Mr. 111 took up my fallen sword and clashed with the creature.

The beast had the body of a lion, while a set of intimidating bat wings stretched wide from its back. A scorpion’s tail swung wildly from side to side as its owner continued to press forward against its opponent. The beast was a prime example of a manticore, fiercer than any I’d seen on Gaia. I could sense that it wasn’t acting of its own rational thought, and rather fueled by a muddled mind. The beast wasn’t itself.

They battled for several moments in an intense display of strength and tact.

The manticore’s paw and my blade held one another in place temporarily, until the monster swung its free paw at Mr. 111. In a quick reaction, the mage did a somersault to the side and met the offending paw with the blade of my sword. Before the metal could slice through, the beast swatted it aside with its tail, then proceeding to bare its claws. Mr. 111 gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, placing his free hand on its blade.

As the manticore pounced at the resisting mage, my sword shot out a beam of solid darkness, piercing into the offender’s arm. Upon landing, the beast let out a loud wail and charged toward Mr. 111. The mage raised his weapon forward and charged the opposite direction. The two forces collided head on.

The blade let out an intense golden light for several seconds, blinding me and cutting me off from the full action. I heard the manticore roar, and my companion let out a loud groan. Once the light faded and my sight returned, I noticed Mr. 111 on the ground, my sword resting barely an inch out of my reach. At some point in the blind fight, the beast must have disarmed him. In doing so, it almost disarmed me…

It reared back and readied its fangs to dig into the mage’s flesh. It let out another loud, victorious roar, and then began a downward arc at its victim. I closed my eyes instantly, unable to tolerate watching the poor puppet suffer a second death.

I waited for a few moments, until the beast let out a loud, frightened whimper. The patter of paws sped past me, as the trotting of hooves approached.

“Be gone you wretched beast! I do not fear you, not in the least!” An exotic voice called out into the trees, following the direction of the manticore’s whimpers.

I opened my eyes once a gentle hoof touched my shoulder. Above me stood a black-and-white pony with golden bangles around its neck and hooves. It wore a brown cloak and held an assortment of flowers in one hoof. I tried to speak, but found myself still mute from the impact on the tree. I managed to catch a glimpse of Mr. 111 regaining his footing, as well as Mr. 33 taking up the reigns once more.

The pony tittered, “You should take more caution in these trees, stranger. The recent days have brought to us more danger.” I recognized the voice as feminine. The pony took her free hoof and jabbed me in the chest seemingly as hard as she could. The pain sent a jolt of electricity through my body, and I was mobile almost instantly.

I groaned, “You could have warned me!” I gripped my chest tightly as the pain slowly subsided. I then realized my voice returned, which made my anger give way to happiness.

Before the pony could respond, Mr. 111 scoffed, “Thanks for saving us, but what the hell was that thing?” He stretched the arm he’d used to swing the sword, its sleeve almost ripped completely off.

She took a few steps away from our caravan before sighing, “That was a manticore of the highest breed—its behavior has been suspicious recently, indeed. Things are changing in this forest of Everfree; greater beasts are being born, as you can see.” She shook her head in disappointment before turning away from us.

“Thank you for saving us. We need to be on our way before that beast returns. I suggest you do the same, miss.” I scanned the immediate area for even more danger, but nothing immediate appeared to me.

“My name is Zecora, and I agree. You must leave this forest of Everfree…” With that, she darted off into the darkness of the forest.

I started on my way and snapped, “Let’s go. I grow sick of this forest and the aura it comes with. Let’s be on our way, and never again approach these cursed trees.” I stomped off, the mages close behind.

Mr. 33 rolled his neck and moaned, “Sounds good to me.”

“I won’t argue with that choice, Kuja.” Mr. 111 tried to keep pace with me as we continued on. He carried my blade ready in his hand for another attack.

As we continued on, he continued to send me silent messages with his expressions. I could tell he was disturbed, and I understood his perturbation without a word. I knew what he wanted to say, but didn’t know how to say. I wanted to do the same. Neither of us wanted to say it, because it would then suddenly become real to us.

That monster may have belonged to Equestria before, but it was almost definitely enhanced by an unnatural force. It had to have been Mist.

Less than ten minutes after our meeting with Zecora, we reached the edge of the forest and caught a glimpse of the setting sun. Not one-hundred yards in front of us stood a large red farmhouse, and on the opposite side of it sat hundreds of apple trees. Upon seeing the apples shine in the sunset, I let out a relieved sigh.

Mr. 33 cheered, “Yay, we’re finally here! I can’t wait to meet the Apple family!” He picked up his pace without hesitation, wanting to reach the farm as soon as possible.

Mr. 111 chuckled, “The tracks would have taken us right through the orchard, Kuja.” He waved a hand toward the barely visible train tracks in the distance. “I guess what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

“How very right you are, 111. I never knew you had skill with a blade. I pegged Black Mages as physically useless puppets.” I smiled slyly at the weary wizard.

He scoffed, “Don’t assume things. It makes an ass out of you and me, as the saying goes. Now, what do you say we catch up to that naïve bastard and finish our job?” He nodded toward Mr. 33, blissfully advancing toward the building.

“I’ve never heard such a beautiful idea in all of my second life…” My fatigue from the last few days struck me instantly. It took every ounce of willpower not to collapse in an unconscious ball in that very spot.

Supporting one another as we stumbled on in exhaustion, Mr. 111 and I caught up to our companion as he knocked on the farmhouse door for a third time. When the door finally opened, an orange mare greeted us with shocked eyes. She removed her Stetson hat and offered a greeting.

Before she could begin her hello, I collapsed right in front of her hooves, barely conscious. The last thing I remember before waking up was feeling 111’s weight on top of me.

Vivi Day Three: Apple Family Dinner

Ugh…I can barely keep my eyes open. I think I’ll keep this entry short and to the point. No garbage, just the important facts. Not much happened, honestly. We ate dinner and Applejack started asking me about the mages Big Macintosh mentioned last night.

…

The red stallion escorted me into the large farmhouse, where I was greeted by the smell of pancakes and two mares, both busy working in the small kitchen area to prepare the family’s dinner. The taller orange one with a yellow mane I immediately recognized as Applejack and the smaller peach-colored one with a red mane that I recognized from my little encounter in the city plaza.

How did she get there before me if I…? I guess it’s too late to worry about that now…

Anyway, the two greeted me with wide open grins, while my escort guided me toward a large oak table in the center of the room. It had a nice red-and-white checkered tablecloth lain over it, which only added to the southern-living effect. About the time I got sat down, my stomach started to grumble…embarrassingly loud, I might add.

Big Macintosh chuckled, “You hungry, fella? My sister sure can cook up some tasty pancakes.” He sent a confirming nod toward Applejack, who scanned the comment for any sign of insincerity.

She scoffed, “Darn tootin’! I’m the best cook this side o’ Ponyville!” She pulled several plates from a shelf above the stove and began to distribute the large stack of pancakes beside her evenly.

I felt a little weird. I mean, there I was just intruding on what I’m sure was a special Apple Family tradition. Then again, I also felt comfortable. I dunno, this world’s been doing strange things to me, and that moment was no different. I felt out of place, and yet I felt as if I belonged.

Whether I should’ve been or not, I was blessed with a small stack of pancakes as Applejack went around the table. Once she’d been settled in to the table, the ponies went to town on the pancakes. I was left to wonder about the green mare that had been sitting outside, but my hunger immediately drew me to follow their examples.

It’s understandable that they would dig in like that. After all, two of them worked in the fields all day while the other was a growing child. And there I was, a puppet who didn’t even have a real stomach, joining in their dinner. But it was delicious!

The blend of apple and cinnamon was to die for! Then again, I’m sure that the Apple Family was great at cooking just about anything with southern flare. Looking back, it’s kind of weird that we had pancakes for dinner…

I was almost finished with my second pancake when the others shoved their plates away with content sighs. After a second of letting of their stomachs rest, Applejack cheered, “Applebloom, be a darlin’ and get the pies off the counter, would ya?”

“Sure thang sis!” came the enthusiastic reply. At almost break-neck speed, the filly was out of sight.

While the youngest of the family was out of the room, Big Macintosh sighed, “Ya sure outdid yerself this time, AJ.” He patted his stomach in assurance of the meal’s quality. “Whatcha think, Vivi?”

Finishing the last bit of my second pancake, I chuckled, “They’re really delicious! But uh…how’d you eat them so fast? They’re so rich…”

Applejack whistled in reply, “When ya’ve been eatin’ em as long as we have, ya get used to em.” She grinned at the reassurance that her cooking was fantastic.

Applebloom zipped back into the room, four pies balancing dangerously on one hoof. She cheered, “Here ya go sis! I hope y’all like em!”

Big Macintosh sent a curious look toward the sitting sister. She clarified, “Applebloom made these all by herself. First time, ain’t that right?”

“Sure is! I hope they ain’t too bad…” The suspenseful doubt beamed from the cute filly’s eyes.

I continued nibbling away at my pancakes while the ponies eagerly downed their pies. The scent of apples and cherries flooded the room. I couldn’t help but admire the working ponies’ appetites. I’ve never been one to eat much. I’ve never really needed to eat. But they ate like they deserved every last bite, and considering they grew the apples used to make them, they really did.

I don’t know why I keep getting off on these tangents. I just…I’m in a really hazy mood. Anyway, by the time they’d finished their desserts, I was taking my last bite of pancake. Just like before, they shoved the dishes aside and kicked back in their chairs, letting their stomachs settle.

The older ponies offered words of praise to the youngest one, congratulating her on preparing such a fine dish. And once the flattery was out of the way, the two adults turned on me.

“So you’re one of them fellas that came over a few weeks back, ain’t ya?” Applejack snapped.

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I stammered, “Y-yeah, I suppose so. I’m a Black Mage, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Big Macintosh chuckled, “You look pretty similar to em. ‘Cept you’re a little short.” He raised a hoof to symbolize the height of the previous guests.

His sister continued, “And you sure do act a lot shyer. O’ course, they had that white-haired fella keeping an eye on em.” She mimicked the ‘white-haired guy’s’ posture, sitting up straight with a blank expression.

I sighed, “You don’t remember their names, do you?”

Applebloom giggled, “The weird fella’s name was Kuja! He used a lot of fancy words and liked to act dramatic!” My would-be heart skipped a beat. Confirmation. Kuja isn’t exactly a name someone just comes up with out of nowhere. I knew at that moment that it had to be the real him.

Her older sister sighed, “And them others—the ones like you—didn’t go by names. They called each other numbers. I think it was 33 and 111…”

And there it was. If I was about to do anything, I lost it right there. I remember zoning out, everything around me fading away. I wasn’t alone. There were other Black Mages. There were other people I could relate to. Even Kuja had something in common with me. All I needed to do was find out where they were.

The instant I snapped back to reality, I asked, “Do you know where they are?”

Big Macintosh groaned, “They’re off in Appleloosa helpin’ cousin Braeburn take care of a little bandit problem.” He shook his head at the thought of crime running rampant in such a peaceful area.

Applejack continued, “Got a letter a few days back saying they was gonna make another delivery before too long. I figure anywhere in the next week they’ll be showin’ up.” She thought for a few moments before adding, “Hopefully in better shape than before.”

Patience. I would need patience. If I just waited, they’d show up in Ponyville before long. And then any sliver of doubt would be completely erased. I cheered, “Thanks a lot for telling me that! I can’t wait to see them again!” Believe it or not, I was even excited at the thought of seeing Kuja.

Applebloom giggled, “Ya sure do get excited, dontcha Mister?”

“I haven’t seen them in months. It’ll be nice to catch up…” I scratched the back of my head, a little embarrassed by my outburst.

Applejack whistled, “It’s getting’ late fella. You might wanna head back to Fluttershy’s before it gets dark.” She waved a hoof toward the window, which had orange light beaming through. I couldn’t believe how late it’d gotten since I’d arrived.

Without saying anything, I nodded and headed toward the door. Before I could get there, I was intercepted by the dessert-baking filly, who essentially shoved the pie she’d made into my hands. Without saying a word, she zipped back to the table to join her siblings. With a nod, I headed on my way.

…

And now I’m here, lying on the couch, listening to Fluttershy sing a song to her pets. It’s a nice lullaby, actually. We shared my pie between the two of us and some of the more-special pets. Then she made sat up and listened to me ramble on about the Black Mages back home. Now I just wanna sleep.

I’m so tired… I think I could sleep for days…

Days…that’d be funny…

Kuja Day Fifteen: Premonition?

I’m not certain whether it would count as the fifteenth or sixteenth day of my time here in Equestria. However, it was perhaps the single most memorable part of our journey to Ponyville. The dream was so vivid that I awoke soaked in sweat, the Black Mages gathered around attempting to silence my screams. I’m referring to the nightmare—no, it was more of a prediction—I had on the night we arrived at Sweet Apple Acres.

I stood upon a balcony on the northern side of Alexandria Castle. Beside me sat Queen Brahne, amused by whatever was playing out in front of her. I looked on, watching as so many familiar faces scrambled about the stage. They were performing a play for the entire kingdom. It was one of Lord Avon’s lesser-known works, if memory serves correctly.

There before us, the members of the Tantalus crew, as well as several of Zidane’s companions, carried themselves as if truly the characters they were portraying. I was impressed by their poetic reciting of the work.

They were on the theater ship Prima Vista, on the stage deck. There was a large group of rebels on one side, while the far side of the stage housed a group of soldiers loyal to the throne. In the center of the soldiers’ group stood Princess Garnet, who was tied up with chains, spears held at her eye-level. The loyal soldiers were angry, to the point where they were prepared to end her life.

Zidane was playing the leader of the rebels, dressed in a light jacket and torn leather boots. He was armed with nothing but a dagger. A companion of his, Amarant, was wearing a pair of large spiked gloves, dressed in an iron breastplate, attempting to hold the rebels back from attacking. There was another actor, dressed like a child, bloodied and tied up. The rest of the Tantalus crew played the part of the rebels.

The rebels were clearly outnumbered by the guards. While Garnet was tied up as a captive, the soldiers around her were decked out in the traditional warrior apparel. General Beatrix played the leader of the guards, and held Garnet in place with her broadsword pinned against the captive’s throat. Another of the monkey’s companions, Freya, played the part of the commander’s right-hand-woman, ensuring Garnet wouldn’t escape.

The summoner child, Eiko, was dressed like a bishop to play the part of the priest that would bless something on the battlefield. The Knights of Pluto played the parts of the rest of the soldiers, quite convincingly if I’m to be honest. Zidane’s gluttonous Qu companion, Quina, managed to play the role of a chef, who delivered a large pot of soup to the battlefield for the soldiers to eat in comfort. The rebels were meant to starve if not surrender. I watched as majority of the soldiers, excluding Freya, stepped to the side of the stage to enjoy their dinner.

The rebels were sitting around the child, while he was forced to stand by a wench pulling on his bonds. I could see Freya staring at the other soldiers with a scowl of jealousy on her face. Zidane noticed it too, and stabbed his dagger into the dirt. He leaped to his feet and started approaching the soldiers’ hostage.

Amarant called, “Don’t be an idiot! Those punks won’t hesitate to kill you on a moment’s notice.” He started to stand up, but was dismissed by his captain.

“Hey you, soldier!” Zidane called to the single soldier on duty.

Freya scoffed, “Silence yourself, traitor! Have you forgotten your position?” She drew her spear closer to Dagger’s throat.

Freya swung her spear toward the blond-haired traitor, “What have you ungrateful brats done to my comrades?!” She threatened to leap toward her enemy, but controlled her confused anger.

Amarant sighed, “Sleeping weed, soldier. Maybe you’ve heard of it?” He began to approach the tied-up Garnet as Zidane confronted Freya.

The rebel leader laughed, “Confidence was your downfall, soldier. Your comrades were so certain they’d win, they let their guards down.”

Blank, a member of Tantalus, dashed over toward Quina and tossed a bag of frogs at him/her. With a cheer, s/he laughed, “I good spy? I feed good?”

“Good job, chef!” Zidane praised the traitorous chef before turning back to the soldier with a smug grin. “You guys didn’t even notice your chef get switched out. Talk about dumb.”

Amarant shattered Garnet’s bonds with his bladed gloves and chuckled, “We’ll just be taking her back now. Go tell your king to hire better help.” In one swift motion, the large brute flung the prisoner over his shoulder and leaped into the air, landing right beside the child.

The soldier was sent flying back to where Garnet had been held captive. From the sky dropped Steiner, another Alexandrian general and friend of Zidane’s, wearing solid gold armor and carrying a golden blade in one hand. He jerked the fallen sword into his other and swung them both toward the rebels.

He laughed, “You are all foolish to believe you’ve won! It’s very rare that I must get my hands dirty in a conflict. I expect this to be a good fight!” He started a mad run at them, Zidane and the rest of the Tantalus crew meeting him half way. Amarant ripped the child from his bonds and carried him almost off-stage with Dagger.

I suddenly recognized the actor playing the child. It was none other than the single Black Mage that had escaped his own fate. Vivi, a prototype of a Mark II Black Mage. He had been designed for slightly longer life. His eyes met mine, and in an instant I was aware of something greater. He seemed more real than the others. It was almost as if he had really been there in the dream, not just something created by my mind…

Then the airship shook violently. Almost instinctively, I pulled Brahne from her throne and shoved her back into the castle. I subconsciously leaped from the throne onto the stage and cried, “He’s returned, Zidane!” I was consumed by a burst of Trance, generating my red aura, and pointed a flaming hand into the sky, sending everyone’s eyes upward.

Necron. The demon that had threatened to end all life in existence. Zidane defeated it in Memoria, but it was here with us now…

That was the end of the dream. I awoke with my own screams pounding my ears. The Black Mages were on either side of me, casting their Silence magic, attempting to stop me before I drew anyone outside of the house’s attention. They both looked as if they had seen ghosts, and judging from my screams, I probably had as well. Something sweet found its way into my mouth. The instant the taste registered in my brain, my screams silenced. I was suddenly thrust back into the world of reality, the visions of Necron fading away fast.

The orange mare who had greeted us at the door stood in front of me, a bottle of liquid in her hoof. Behind her stood a large red stallion and a small yellow filly. They each looked as if they’d been wrenched from sleep by Death himself.

There would be questions asked, but they wouldn’t be answered that night…

Vivi Day Four: M-Monsters?! But This Isn't Gaia!

This is bad, this is really bad! I…

There are monsters here in Equestria. Big ones, scary ones, ones that remind me of the ones back home. But…how can there be monsters without Mist? Then again, how can there be magic without Mist? I just don’t understand! This world is supposed to be nice and peaceful…

But waking up by nearly being decapitated doesn’t count much for peace! Fluttershy tells me that the beasts that are dangerous come from the forest I was found in. You know the forest where that zebra saved Boco and me.

So that means…that I’ve had two chances to get maimed horribly since I got here, one of them before I even knew where I was! I guess I’m all the luckier that the ponies found me first then… But how could a world so nice and beautiful hold monsters so evil and cruel? I just don’t understand. It doesn’t help any that Applejack said they’ve been getting worse over the month.

I guess I can rest easy knowing that it isn’t my fault, because I’ve only been here for a few days. But wait, hasn’t Kuja been here for a month? Could that mean that he…? No. There’s no way. Kuja isn’t evil. If he were, everyone would be dead. It wouldn’t take him a month to ruin everything. But maybe there’s a reason the monsters in the forest have gotten wilder since he arrived.

But why is that?

…

I guess I was awake before I was conscious, because I can remember hearing a light squeak from Fluttershy just before I heard the roar that followed the manticore’s leap. In a loud orchestra of destruction, the monster collapsed an entire wall of the Pegasus’s cottage, glass from a window going everywhere and tiny animals crying out in fear and pain.

The noise was enough to stir me from my would-be-days-longer rest, and the first thing I saw was the red claw resting not an inch from my throat. I’m not a genius, but after travelling with Zidane, I was able to tell when danger was close. It was in the split second of consciousness that I kicked my mind and body into battle mode.

There was no hesitation as I rolled from the tattered remains of the couch, wedged myself underneath the small table, and kicked it as hard as I could at the raging beast of an animal. The wood furniture shattered as it made contact, but it served as the plenty of distraction I needed. Now I had time to think about my actions.

One thought pressed harder on me than any other: should I kill the manticore?

Fluttershy watched on in fear from the corner of the room, Angel perched cautiously on her head. I could still hear the cries of little innocent animals and the faint smell of blood starting to fill the air. Something in me snapped at the scent.

The beast lunged forward, putting its whole weight into the claw it charged with. It was fast, but I was faster. Finally deciding which spell in my arsenal to use, I unleashed every ounce of energy I had into it. A concentrated ball of orange and red light engulfed the enraged beast, its roars going from ones of anger to agony. The ball of light compacted into the monster, taking its shape. The heat was getting unbearable even for me, but I wanted the beast to feel the pain it must have caused the poor critters of Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Flare…” I sighed, allowing the energy and manticore to vanish in a blast of concentrated magic that incinerated the entirety of the beast, leaving nothing but magical scorch marks on the floor as a reminder of its existence.

Fluttershy squeaked in a mix of confusion and fear, not sure what she’d just witnessed and certainly not wanting to assess the damage done by the manticore. I couldn’t blame her, personally. The squeaks of obviously-dying animals kept the fire in my chest burning long after the monster had died. So many innocent lives, human or not, snuffed out by a damned Mist monster!

It took every ounce of my being to stay calm and controlled. I could remember the first time I Tranced, all of my brothers falling into the ocean, helpless under the assault of one of our own kind… I was scared, but I had my friends to care for me in my time of uncertainty. But here…none of these ponies would understand a Trance. To them I’d be a monster. To them, I’d be comparable to the manticore I’d just killed.

And I knew that. So instead of giving in to my anger, I turned my attention toward the yellow mare cowering in the corner of the room with a little bunny. Making sure my hands were free of magical energy, I reached out toward her and asked, “The manticore didn’t hurt you, did it?”

The response I received was almost expected. The Pegasus shook her head hesitantly, as if she were considering whether or not to acknowledge my presence. The bunny tried to lash a paw out at me, assumedly in anger and fear. It became apparent that I wasn’t wanted at the time, so I turned to leave. Of course I wouldn’t be wanted. I’d not only killed a living creature, but I’d used one of the most painful spells I knew. I’d made the beast suffer before killing it.

But it made others suffer, so my actions were justifiable, right?

And the damage it had done to Fluttershy’s cottage would take days to repair, if it could be repaired at all. An entire half of the tree was ripped off, the animals housed along that half dead or dying. The thought of the animals sent my heart burning again. I needed something to rage at. I needed something to release the…Mist…growing in my chest.

Mist.

It’s always the Mist!

The Mist takes everything beautiful and twists it up into a malformed ball of grotesque humor! The Mist takes something as simple as anger and manifests it into a ball of uncontrollable fury! I needed something to attack, something to release the magic in my gut. I needed a way to release my anger before I snapped at an innocent pony.

Fate has a strange way of torturing people, you know. I wouldn’t have considered it karma, but the stars had aligned in my favor at that moment.

A tiny little snake-like creature drilled its beak into my calf, sending a new burst of burning fury into my mind. Without hesitation, I unleashed another magical blast into it, kicking it away from me in the process. I don’t even remember calling the spell, but the cockatrice was ash before I could blink. In that one attack, that one shock of pain, I felt infinitely better. The fire in my heart cooled, and I was finally able to look at Fluttershy’s cottage without getting unbearably angry.

I could see the Pegasus finally walking around, assumedly assessing the damage. Tears rained from her eyes as she caught the scent of blood and the cries of her innocent critters. I couldn’t bear to see her face, and turned to stare at the edge of the forest. I dared something else to come out. I wanted something else to kill. I needed something to justify my actions.

A crowd of townsfolk started to gather, each one frightened to see what had happened to the animal-lover’s home. The five ponies that constituted Fluttershy’s best friends were the only ones that dared enter the home and comfort her. I simply stood staring away from all of them, ignoring the questions directed at me. I wanted something else to kill. I wanted to use as much Mist as I could.

I didn’t want to Trance.

I… I was scared. If Zidane had been there, he could’ve guided me. Or Dagger. Even Steiner would’ve helped me. They always knew how to talk to me. They understood me better than others.

But…they weren’t there. They never would be.

I was alone. Even if Kuja was in this world, he was miles away. Mr. 33 and 111 were with him, not me.

So I…

Fate. It’s cruel. The second I took my eyes off of the forest to wipe the tears away, a roar erupted from it. I barely had time to look up before the manticore’s claws caught me. I didn’t have blood. For the first time in my life, I actually had a reason to check. Even after everything I’d been through. Even after all the pain and emotions I’d come to know…

I was still just a puppet created by Kuja to kill things.

I didn’t have blood. I didn’t have a soul. I didn’t have organs. I had Mist.

As long as I had Mist, I could live forever. The laws of Equestria aren’t Gaia's.

I didn’t try to stop it. I knew that if I let the beast go, the crowd of ponies outside the cottage would meet the same fate as the creatures within. So I let the pink glow engulf me. I let the Mist swallow me in its comforting embrace. I let it carry me to my feet. I let it straighten my hat’s fold out, and let it create an oak staff in my hands.

I let it guide my magic.

The manticore was dead before it could remove its paw from my chest.

The wolf that followed met the same fate.

Monsters and rabid animals flooded from the woods, called by my concentrated Mist. They continued to gather, one after another, wanting to steal it and use it for themselves. Even in Equestria, Mist still controlled animals. Animals like me…

But they all died. The townspeople watched as I killed each beast in turn. My Mist seemed limitless. I felt alive. At the same time, I knew I was dead. This wouldn’t be real in Gaia. I wasn’t alive, but I felt it.

And then, as suddenly as the whole ordeal began, it ended. A pack of manticores charged from the edge of the woods, the leader of the pack turned to dust by a combination of Break and Comet. The impact of the rock against the ground sent the rest of the wild animals scurrying back into the Everfree, not wanting to follow the example. The air around the town returned to a relaxed state, though the ponies outside Fluttershy’s cottage remained on edge. My Mist had finally been released, and the Trance ended abruptly. I fell to the ground in a heap, remaining conscious just long enough to see Applejack enter my line of sight.

I woke up a few hours later in a comfortable bed, Applebloom sitting right beside me. I recognized the building almost immediately: Sweet Apple Acres. Honestly, it wasn’t where I expected to wake up. I thought for sure I’d end up in the hospital with that one nurse caring for me, but no. Instead I woke up in a comfy bed in a house that still smelled like apple pie. Except…that part of the house looked a lot newer than the place where we ate dinner last night.

“Is…everybody okay?” That question was my first conscious thought. It wasn’t until it was answered that I actually examined my surroundings.

With her country accent, Applebloom cheered, “They sure are, thanks to what ya did!”

“Good. It was nothing, really.” If I had blood, I would’ve blushed. I never liked the spotlight. It didn’t help any that what I had done was out of rage and not concern…

The filly scoffed, “It was heckuva lot more than nothin’, Vivi! Them forest critters woulda really did some damage if you hadn’t stepped up!” She had a smile of genuine appreciation on her face, which for some reason was really comforting.

The smell of blood filled my nostrils again, a memory from my waking moments earlier that day. “What about all of Fluttershy’s pets?” A sudden jolt of sadness filled my voice.

Applebloom shifted uncomfortably where she sat. I could see her smile fade at my question. “Most o’ the critters where the Manticore hit passed away,” she sighed. “Some of ‘em got out with just a couple of scratches.”

I didn’t respond. With a simple nod of my head, I turned away to look out of the window into the evening sun. I felt completely drained, even more so than before I fell asleep the previous night. I felt like I could just sleep and never wake up. The Mist had left me entirely, and I was stuck in a drowsy limbo of consciousness. If only I were a White Mage, I could’ve healed myself and revived the innocent animals…

But Black Mages were designed to kill. Not save…

Applebloom let out a sudden giggle; her eyes not focused anywhere in particular. She explained, “It’s kinda funny when ya think about it. Just a couple weeks ago there was another fella just like you laying in that bed…” She looked up to a spot on the ceiling where it became obvious that repairs had been made in recent weeks. The wood on my side of the patchwork was a darker red, while the other side seemed faded.

“One of my friends? Another Black Mage?” I could only assume it had been 33 or 111.

“Well, not exactly one o’ you. It was that Kuja fella you was talkin’ about,” she replied simply.

“Huh? But Kuja’s nothing like me…” I began to grow confused. The only thing that made me similar to Kuja was that I was a humanoid. And a puppet, but I didn’t think that at the time.

The little filly continued, “Well, he went all pink like you and started gettin’ rid of all the Everfree monsters the night he stayed here. That’s why we had to fix up the place!” She pointed upward, her old smile coming back to her features.

Kuja…Tranced? He Tranced in the same town as I. He Tranced to protect the citizens of Ponyville from the Everfree Forest animals. He…had Mist built up like I did. But something so bizarre wouldn’t be easily kept a secret, would it? Why didn’t anyone tell me about it when I mentioned him before?

Before I could continue my thoughts, the door to my room swung open, Applejack and the rest of her friends trotting right in. The six mares sat down around the room, obviously getting comfortable for something.

And, in an instant, it became obvious what. “What are you, Mister Vivi?”

The bluntness of Applejack’s question caught me off guard. I could hear a slight filter of fear in her voice. If Kuja had Tranced before me, and we’d both been the targets of the animals’ attacks, I could understand her fear. The way it looked to an outside eye, it was us foreigners driving the monsters crazy and causing them to attack the town. In fact, that’s how it looked to me. I couldn’t blame the sour expressions on their faces as they waited for an answer.

And it was time I gave them one. If they’d met Kuja before…there was no chance he gave them the answers they wanted. The least I could do for the potential harm we’d caused was explain what we were.

Puppets designed to kill. One created by a god-like descendant of the Terran people, the other created by the original puppet.

So I told them my story. I told them about my creation, my adventures with Zidane, my death, and everything I could about Kuja. And they listened, never once passing audible judgment. And when I finally finished sharing my story with them, the moon was high in the sky. They said goodnight and left me to rest. Applebloom waited in the room, eager to help me if I needed it.

…

If Kuja and I are the reason the monsters are so fierce…then we have to leave. If I ever get to meet him face to face, I have to tell him how I feel. We can’t stay here if we’re bringing Mist with us! No world deserves to suffer like Gaia did before the Iifa Tree died! I just…

We have to find out what’s going on! We can’t let innocent people die because we want to live here! We get to live again, but at what cost?!

I…I have to speak with him soon!

Kuja Day Sixteen: Monsters of Mist

I was awake for the remainder of the night, Mr. 33 and 111 by my side in my fevered stupor. The orange mare’s sister, the yellow filly, kept us company through the early morning hours, until the sun finally began to rise above the horizon. Off and on she nodded out, too young to handle the strain of caring for another into the late hours. The mages didn’t seem to sleep, instead focused on my health. Somewhere between Ghastly Gorge and Sweet Apple Acres I had contracted something.

The cold sweat drenching my forehead and the burning in my chest was evidence of an illness that threatened to steal my sanity. I prayed that ponies could not contract the illness, as I would never wish such a pain on any other living creature, friend or foe. The effects of Flare were tame in comparison to the pain rending my heart that night. It seemed unlikely that Black Mages could contract the illness, given their lack of biology and their immunity to the elements that we passed through.

I tossed and turned, my insides shifting from on fire to tight knots periodically over the moonlit nightmare. I was living a proverbial hell, wanting nothing more than to die at the time. Looking back, I’m glad I did not.

As the sun lifted above the horizon, the orange mare entered to check on me. There being nothing for her to do, she carried her sister to her room, laying her down for actual rest. The Black Mages answered a few vague questions that I was too preoccupied to listen to, and then she left. As the warm rays of the celestial body cascaded through the window and comforted my aching body, a loud roar rang out from the edge of the Everfree Forest.

Even in my fevered haze I could hear the roar. I could hear the pounding. I could feel the energy. A manticore, larger than the one we encountered in the forest, was heading for the farmhouse. At least I thought I could sense it coming. When I attempted to warn the mages, they acted as if they couldn’t understand me. It’s very possible that they couldn’t. It was equally possible for me to be having a hallucination.

Just as I began to accept my thoughts as paranoia, reality came crashing down on all of us. Literally. I felt the weight of a lion stomp on me, followed by planks of wood tearing into my flesh. The box spring and floor below me gave easily under the monster’s force, sending me plummeting to the first story of the house in pain and confusion. The mages fell with me, unable to escape the collapsing woodwork.

I heard the Apple family let out a conglomerate shriek of fear, the door to the house slamming open in a stampede of hooves. I could hear the confused mumblings of an old mare from through the doorway while her grandchildren attempted to explain the commotion. The Black Mages wasted no time in casting their spells, the manticore on top of me catching fire and setting the already-destroyed paneling ablaze.

A sudden fury filled my every muscle. In an instant, the sickness that swallowed me evaporated in a steam of anger and fear. The beast crushing down on me was not natural, not even for Gaia. It had taken a very concentrated source of Mist to create such a raging beast. The type of Mist that could be generated by a Trance. Specifically 111’s Trance in Ghastly Gorge.

No, that’s not how it works. Trances are fueled by Mist, not the other way around. Then where did the Mist come from? I began to think back to my dream, wondering if it held any merit.

But my anger quickly turned my thoughts to ash. Before I was aware of it, I wrapped the manticore in a ball of magical energy that sent it rocketing back through the walls it had destroyed. I had just enough time to stand up and test my muscles before I heard it crash outside the house. Almost without thinking about it, I walked toward the thud, the Black Mages following me cautiously.

The second my body crossed the destroyed threshold of the farm’s broken wall, a claw pierced through my chest from the side. The manticore had anticipated my actions. It was clever, but it was not powerful enough to handle me. Without so much as a wavered breath, I engulfed it in a ball of fiery energy, sending its flesh melting and its brain boiling. It took barely a second for the entire creature to enter a liquid state. Once its claws shriveled and left my side, I healed myself with a nice Cura and continued my rhythmic march toward the edge of the forest.

As I reached the half-way point, citizens of Ponyville began to gather around the farmhouse to assess the damage. Five particular ponies crowded around the orange mare, their voices flooding with concern. My senses intensified; I was able to hear every syllable muttered within the crowd. I could see through the blinding darkness of the Everfree Forest and I could smell the blood that had drained from my wounds during the healing process.

I could feel the vibrations of the ground as a pack of manticores charged at me.

I blinked. I shouldn’t have.

I can never forgive myself for what happened at the edge of the forest on that day.

I can never give him his life back.

He was innocent.

He wanted to live in peace.

He wanted to make friends with everyone.

Even when he knew he would die, all he wanted to do was care for a baby Chocobo.

And because of me, he died.

I…

Forgive me. Please. I beg of you, Mr. 33…

Three manticores sank their claws into my body, poison shooting through my veins at a normally-fatal rate. Two manticores ignored me completely, each targeting a different mage. Mr. 111 was prepared, wrapping one in a cyclone of wind and rock. Mr. 33 was not prepared. His naivety was his death. He was too horrified by the sight of my blood to react to the beast ramming him. I watched the halves of his body split apart. I watched his lack of blood spill on the ground. I watched as his golden eyes faded into the blackness of his lack of body.

I listened as the remnants of his voice called out to me. His dying words were genuine…and I quote… “Thank you, Kuja.” Thanks…for what? For letting him die twice?! For letting him face his mortality in an endless wait for the end?! For letting him be ripped apart and wiped from the afterlife?!

No living creature should ever have to die more than once! None! But he…he never faltered in the face of his mortality! Even when his brothers waited for death to swallow them, he took solace in providing life for another creature! Out of all of the puppets I created, he deserved to live! The only mage comparable to him was Vivi! And now…

My heart-rate skyrocketed. My illness and anger and fear were all drowned in sorrow. I couldn’t control anything anymore. I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t see or hear. All I could do was feel. I could feel the pink glow of Trance engulf me. I could feel its warmth swallow all conscious thought. I could feel myself casting spells and muttering words. And, in my sorrow-induced state of higher being, I could feel myself telling me not to cast it.

But I did.

I cast Ultima.

And…controlled it.

When I had cast Ultima in the past, it destroyed an entire planet with little resistance. I nearly wiped out all of existence with the spell. But now, because I was fighting for others and not myself, I was able to control the power. I was Tranced for the memory of a friend. I was able to gain control of myself as I cast the spell.

And the manticores ceased to exist. The inter-dimensional energy of Ultima devoured the manticores whole, leaving nothing as a reminder of their existences. No reminder at all…except for Mr. 33…

Tears poured from my eyes. I’d never felt such emotions before my dying moments under the Iifa Tree. And now…I was openly crying for a puppet that I had cursed to face a second death. Mr. 111 stood over his brother’s tattered clothes, the blackness of the magical body beginning to fade away into the ether. If he’d had tear ducts, they would have been dry by the time the morning ended. I…had nothing to say in my Tranced state.

Instead I focused my attention to the monsters pouring forth from the forest. Each one met a death similar to the first manticore, except none of them gained mercy. They each suffered before they died, like Mr. 33’s murderer should have. Instead it had been given a painless death, much to my dismay. And after an hour of killing the forest monsters, they all just seemed to stop coming.

Ponies had gathered around my glowing aura, watching me wipe the beasts from Equestrian history. Mr. 111 knelt beside his brother, sobbing uncontrollably for the puppet. If I had been in control of my emotions, I would have sobbed with him.

I…truly am sorry.

But it all ended in a sudden moment of clarity.

The end was beginning. Lord Avon’s play! My dream! It all started to become clear to me. I started to piece the puzzle together, but the clarity ended all too soon. My Trance faded, and I fell to the ground in a clump of flesh and tears and blood.

A quote from my very own mouth echoed in my ears.

“The weak lose their freedom to the strong. Such is the way of the strong. And it is the providence of nature that only the strong survive. That is why I needed strength.”

Mr. 33 was weak. He lost to the manticore. I survived. But I didn’t survive because of my strength. I survived because of my purpose. This second life was not meant to be a happy one. I was not brought to Equestria by some unnamed power because it wanted me to have fun. I was brought here to protect it. To save it from an unnamed monster.

And Vivi would be joining me. He felt real to me in my dream because he was really there. At some point in time, he will have that same vision.

That was my final thought before losing consciousness…

Vivi Day Five: Zebra Magic

So, remember the zebra that saved Boco and me in the Everfree Forest the other day? Well, it turns out that her people have their own special brand of magic. While Black Mages use Mist to perform their spells, and unicorns manifest the energy through their horns, zebras can brew magical potions with different plants and materials to perform all sorts of amazing magic! I got to see Zecora’s brewing skills work firsthand today!

Even after having Tranced and fought a bunch of monsters, I was completely unprepared for what her potion was able to do!

...

The day started off really sad though. We were near the edge of the forest, assessing the damage to Fluttershy’s cottage. The Pegasus in question was off at the local spa with Rarity, and probably for a good reason. I don’t think she’d be able to handle what we were doing. Her friends insisted that I stay at Sweet Apple Acres and rest, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.

The manticore that destroyed her home was after me. It hadn’t targeted her or any of her animals. It wanted to kill me. So it was my fault that all of her little pets were injured or dead, and it was my fault her home was ruined. I wasn’t about to sit and let someone else clean up my mess.

So the few of her friends that had the stomach to do so and I went to work trying to clean up the ruins of her tree home. The tree itself looked to be dying, which after being ripped in half anything would, so I didn’t think it would matter after a while how much work we did. But I held my tongue and kept working on picking up planks of bark and carrying them to a pile of burnable objects outside the house.

Twilight Sparkle handled all of the extremely heavy objects, her telekinesis working wonders for the job. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I swear she kept staring at me while my back was turned. I figured she had a lot of things to ask me, especially about my magic and the thing I’d called a Trance. But she kept quiet the whole time, probably not wanting to bother me while we were working.

Applejack handled gathering up all of the living critters and moving them a safe distance away from the decaying home. If the tree collapsed on itself, anything inside would at least be horribly injured…at least the size of most of the pets, anyway. She also took care of…cleaning away…the not-so-alive critters. I could see that it really hurt the ponies to think about all of Fluttershy’s fallen pets.

I’d already mourned them as much as I could. My Trance was my mourning. And besides…they were just animals after everything was said and done. I’d seen entire towns razed to the ground by Bahamut and never shed a tear. Maybe that was an unfair comparison, but it was true. So while the ponies struggled with their emotions while cleaning, I did my job without hesitation.

Ever since the attack, with the exception of listening to my story, Rainbow Dash had been scouting over the Everfree, checking to make sure no other wild animals were thinking of attacking the town. She kept watch for us while we worked, not wanting us to get ambushed in the midst of our work.

Pinkie Pie took the liberty of…well…being Pinkie Pie. Her being there with her air of happiness helped lighten the mood a lot. I could see why her friends loved her, because she always had a smile on her face. Even considering what we were doing at the time, she never lost her morale. Her friends took more comfort in her presence than I did, but it did help me ignore the fact that I’d almost died in that tree.

We worked well into the evening, cleaning up just about all of the debris we could see. And then it dawned on me that I had no idea why we were doing it. It seemed kind of pointless at the time.

“So why did we do all this work?” I was the designated burn-pile-igniter, so I did my job without question. Once the pile was blazing, I decided to find out what our efforts were getting us.

Twilight Sparkle cheered, “Zecora said she had a potion that would fix Fluttershy’s cottage right up! She told us we’d need to get rid the trash for it to work.” She nodded at the pile of burning wood and glass.

Applejack chimed in, “I figured we’d go ahead and lay the poor critters to rest while we was at it.” She pointed a hoof toward the forest, where tiny mounds of dirt had been dug up and replanted. She’d dug every last pet a separate grave…

Rainbow Dash swooped in out of nowhere and cheered, “She’s on her way! It looks like she’s carrying a lot of junk with her…” I was reminded of how the zebra has helped me out of the hole in the forest floor. She had huge packs of random objects strapped to her back like a pack mule.

A sudden thought crossed my mind. I felt like I was being burned alive as I considered a horrifying fact that I’d been too ignorant to think about.

I hadn’t seen Boco since I left Fluttershy’s house for dinner at Sweet Apple Acres! I hadn’t seen his feathers or heard his ‘kweh’ in almost two days! My mind started to race with thoughts that in one of those mounds of dirt could be Mr. 33 and 111’s beloved pet! I could feel the sadness start to swell in my gut as I considered that I had failed Boco’s original owners when I promised to care for him!

And I felt like an idiot when I heard the comforting chirp of the baby chocobo as it darted from the edge of the forest with a giant vine of berries trailing behind it. It took everything I had not to leap up and dive at the little yellow bird. I was so relieved to see him that I probably would’ve cried if I had tears. But…when did he go to the forest?

Not long after he bounced cheerfully onto my shoulder, Zecora came trotting from the darkness of the woods with her extremely heavy-looking pack strapped firmly around her. At the top of the pile of junk sat a large black pot suspended on two iron stands. With a seemingly strained grunt, the zebra undid her harness and let all of her luggage crash to the ground in a heap.

She smiled at each of us in turn and sighed, “It is good to see you are all okay. Perhaps the forest shall stay behaved today…” She glanced back at the edge of the woods as if expecting something to happen.

“With the forest the way it is, I don’t see why you’re still living there...” Twilight lowered her gaze to the pile of random objects, scanning its contents carefully.

The striped mare scoffed, “It does not matter how bad the beasts get; to my hut they will never pose a threat.” Her constant use of rhymes started to throw me off. It was like something straight out of a child’s bedtime storybook. “If you would be so kind as to assist me Twilight, I need this pot placed over the pyre’s light.” She nodded at the giant pot still standing on its iron legs.

With a nod, Twilight wrapped the container in her purple glow and lifted it over the fire, placing it firmly on its legs over the burning debris. I could see the pot start to scorch and develop a red glow. Without wasting time, the zebra began to toss assorted plants into the pot. In one swift motion, she pulled a large jug of water from the bottom of the heap and dumped the entirety of the liquid into the pot.

With a loud hiss, the concoction immediately began to boil. The scent of carrots filled the air, and I could see a smile growing on the zebra’s face. Once steam started to flow from the mixture in thick clouds, she began to snatch random objects off of the pile and toss them in. Her movements were fast enough that I had a hard time keeping up.

I saw large gemstones go flying into the boiling mess. There were giant cloves of a glowing blue plant that Zecora used a plastic buffer to pick up. I caught Boco’s vine of berries out of the corner of my eye go flying in. The little chocobo chirped in protest of its lost bounty. A bunch of other stuff went into the mess until the whole pile was gone save for a large wooden stick. The zebra picked it up firmly in her muzzle and approached the white-hot iron pot.

“If you would be so kind Rainbow Dash, I could use some altitude and be done in a flash!” Zecora mumbled around the stick, looking at the cyan Pegasus with stern eyes.

Taking the hint, Rainbow Dash happily obliged. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes again the two of them were floating in the air, the Pegasus holding the zebra in place as she stirred the now-sweet-smelling concoction. After just a few moments of stirring, the two landed softly just in front of me.

Looking right into my eyes, she chuckled, “Now my little magic master, a little extra heat would make this go oh-so faster.” It took me a few seconds to interpret what she meant, which made me feel all the dumber when I finally figured it out.

“O-okay...” I hopped from my seat and stepped right up beside the burning pot. The flames licked my body, but it didn’t hurt. My clothes protected me from the fires. Being a Black Mage, the elements didn’t really affect me like most others. Placing my hands to the base of the pot despite the ponies’ protests, I shouted, “Firaga!”

The entire pot burst into large orange flames, the iron quickly becoming white-hot all over. After just a few seconds, the concoction began to boil over. Zecora quickly tapped me on the shoulder, which I interpreted as a sign to stop the flames altogether.

With another small breath I shouted, “Blizzaga!” The flames under the pot immediately vanished, replaced by a thin coat of frost on the remaining wood.

The zebra applauded my work before scooping up some of the mixture into the jar she had carried the water in before. She sighed, “Very good mistah Black Mage, you are quite powerful for one your age. If you all would care to follow me, you will be amazed to see Fluttershy’s tree.”

The four ponies immediately fell in line behind the zebra. I hesitated for a moment, wondering just how she knew anything about me. From what I could tell, she hadn’t been to town since my arrival, so she wouldn’t have had a chance to learn anything about me.

Anyway, I followed them to the remains of Fluttershy’s house, where the zebra stood with her hooves planted firmly on the ground. She turned toward Applejack and asked, “Being a farmer I assume you are fine with some physical work. I could use a hole in the ground deep into the dirt.” She placed the jug of potion down in front of her, waiting for the pony’s response.

“Uh…sure thing, Zecora! How deep do ya need it to be?”

“Down to the roots of this pretty little tree. That is how deep it needs to be.” The zebra flashed her friend an apologetic smile, knowing that the task was not too easy to accomplish.

Without uttering a single negative comment, the farmer went to work on the hole. Twilight offered to help several times but was refused by the stubborn pony’s sense of working pride. The work went faster than I expected, because I barely had time to watch Boco’s little chocobo dance before it was time for Zecora to do her thing.

She tipped the jug over into the freshly dug hole and explained, “This brew is one of a restorative might. I suggest you hold your hooves firm for the following sight.” Almost as soon as she finished her rhyme, the earth began to vibrate wildly underneath us.

I never would have imagined something like what happened next in a million years. The entirety of what remained of Fluttershy’s cottage vaporized into the air, the smoke visibly sinking into the ground. All of her furniture and pictures hung in place, undisturbed by the removal of their anchor. The vibrations increased in intensity, sending those of us unprepared to our rear ends. The dirt around where the tree had been began to crack and split. And then, with an extremely loud popping noise, another tree identical to the old one rocketed from the earth.

The tree was identical to the one that had stood before the manticore’s attack. It was utterly unbelievable. I felt like my mind was about to melt at the sight of the completely restored home. Judging from the windows and doors carved into the tree, everything was in its rightful place. Everything except for the items destroyed in the attack, at any rate.

Zebra magic had the ability to fully restore any type of naturally standing organic landmark. I…was appalled. I didn’t have sounds to make at the sight of the tree. The dirt around it even took its shape and closed the cracks. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Without saying a word, the zebra trotted into the house to await its owner. Boco followed her inside, equally impressed by her potion’s effects. The ponies’ jaws were on the ground, even Pinkie Pie’s. I guessed they probably weren’t aware of such powerful zebra magic either.

Eventually Applejack managed to choke out through her stupor, “I…guess I’ll…go get Fluttershy then…” With a disbelieving shake of her head, she trotted off toward the spa to retrieve her would-be-ecstatic friend.

The rest of us just stood basking in the glow of the newborn tree. I couldn’t get over its almost-perfect sheen.

…

So we spent the rest of the evening helping Fluttershy move her pets back into the house and get everything set up the way it was supposed to be. Then she baked us a bunch of daffodil-stuffed potatoes for dinner and we sat talking through the late evening. Most of us spent the time praising Zecora’s handiwork with brewing potions, while those that weren’t witnesses spent the time being informed of the whole process.

And now I’m lying on the couch again, filling in this entry, while the seven of the equines are silently sleeping in a heap on the floor.

That’s something you’d never see in Gaia. Humans—humanoids—can’t be together like that. They can’t be so close to one another without some sort of ulterior motive. At least, that’s what Zidane told me about the fake people we met on our journey. But here, it’s possible. Friends just gather in piles and sleep on top of each other like it isn’t anything special, for no other reasons than simply being friends.

I...kinda wish I was a pony. I mean, if I’m going to live here with them…then not being one will only make me an outcast. But then again, I might not live here. If it turns out that Kuja and I are causing the animals to go crazy with our Mist, then I’ll do everything in my power to get rid of both of us.

Even if it means dying. If we can’t go away while alive…then we’ll both just have to die.

And that’s all I have to say about that…

Kuja Day Thirty: Another Recovery

“Well, that’s a mite bit of a bushel o’ bad apples…”

That voice! Braeburn?

How long had I been out? I felt weak, almost completely drained. I didn’t even know where I was. I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t form syllables. I could only lay there in a confused paralysis. I could hear the comforting voices of the country stallion and the orange mare from the farm. There was another voice…gentle and caring, yet with a stern undertone.

“He hasn’t left his friend’s…resting place…since the attack. I’m concerned for his health, but he refuses to let anypony near the…remains.” The gentle voice was filled with concern, assumedly a medical pony. Who else would care about the health of random monsters intruding in their town?

Braeburn’s voice served as a beacon that led me to consciousness. I’d grown familiar with it over the course of my stay in Appleloosa, and it helped me break free from my mental prison. “I’ll go talk to him, but I can’t promise nothin’. Them Black Mages are some stubborn mules, I’ll tell ya.” I heard the trotting of hooves approach me. A knocking on the door helped seal my awakening.

I felt as if I’d been crushed under the weight of a mountain for the last month. My muscles felt like rubber, my bones brittle and sore. The second my eyes opened, a splitting headache enveloped my mind. It felt as if a manticore were ripping my skull apart.

Manticore! The Everfree Forest!

Mr. 33…

“How ya holdin’ up, partner?” Braeburn’s voice drew me back from the brink of tears. The thought of 33’s fate still ate at me, but at least I wasn’t in a semi-controllable Trance.

I opened my mouth to speak, but found no sound would come out. A white mare with a flowing pink mane stepped up to the bedside and explained, “He’s been under a significant amount of trauma recently. I wouldn’t expect his body to work properly for another few weeks.”

A few weeks? Damn my muteness! If I could only cast one little spell, I could—

“Nonsense, Redheart! If ya can just get his voice workin’ he’ll be good in no time!” The stallion grinned cockily at the nurse as if he knew something she didn’t.

Which he obviously did. He knew I could use restorative magic…but how? I’d never used it before the manticore attack. Unless one of the witnesses told him about the healed wounds, there would be no way for him to know I had that kind of power. Something felt off about the whole thing.

The nurse scoffed angrily, “How do you figure that? This man has needed intense medical care for the past two weeks. I doubt his voice will be able to help him.” She fluffed my pillow and pushed a button on a small medical machine before turning back toward the door.

Braeburn scratched his forehead just under the brim of his hat, considering his words carefully. He chuckled sheepishly, “This ain’t a normal fella, Redheart. He ain’t as weak as some o’ us. I saw him use some magic back when he first showed up in Appleloosa that’d put Celestia to shame.” He blushed, realizing that what he said was big talk compared to the situation at hand.

But this Celestia person…sounds important. His hesitancy to say her name in that context piqued my curiosity. Sadly, I had no way to quell that thirst for knowledge.

The nurse turned on her hooves and sent the stallion a death-glare that sent a shiver up my spine. She snapped, “Do you have any clue what you’re saying?”

“O’ course I do! I got to see what this fella could do with my own eyes!”

When I first showed up in Appleloosa…I used magic? Why didn’t I remember anything like that? I was bedridden my entire first two weeks of Equestrian life, with barely the energy to lift my arms. How could I have used magic…and on whom? That would be a conversation piece for the next time the sheriff and I were alone.

Nurse Redheart considered the stallion’s stubborn claims. She conceded, “We’ll give it a shot. Help his voice recover and he’ll handle the rest, huh?”

“Eyup, and that’s what Granny’s cider is for!” Out of seemingly nowhere he obtained a bottle of the disgusting-smelling cider that helped me recover from my original disability. Before I could react—had I been able to—the cider was flowing down my throat into my empty stomach. In the instant, I felt the effects blanket my illness.

The moment the bottle was removed from my face I let out an audible gagging noise, expressing my distaste for the concoction. The mare stared at me in disbelief. I simply chuckled, “Thank you, Braeburn. I appreciate your proactivity in acquiring more cider…”

“T’aint a problem, fella! Now, if ya wanna fix yourself up right quick we can get that friend o’ yours on the road to recovery.” He placed a comforting hoof on my shoulder, aware of the events that transpired at the edge of the forest. I could see the sympathy in his eyes and feel the sadness in his touch. He hadn’t been responsible for the mage’s death, but he’d grown fond of the naïve fool.

I shook the dazed thoughts from my head, wanting to go back to that day and protect the mages. I sighed, “Cura.” It took several seconds longer than before, but my wounds were deeper and more severe. A white light danced around my body, and before Redheart could find the words to question me, I was out of the bed and testing my limits.

She stammered, “But…I…how… What?”

The stallion plopped a hoof onto her back and whistled, “Told ya, Redheart. He ain’t like us ponies. His magic puts Celestia to shame.”

Once the light finished its dance, I turned toward the door with determination. For the first time in two weeks, I felt like a new Genome. I advanced to the exit, stopped only briefly by Braeburn shoving his way past me through the threshold. The nurse was left speechless in place, simply amazed by my magical prowess that apparently surpassed even this Celestia person.

I took the opportunity to bring up my prior question. “You said I used magic when I first got to Appleloosa.”

“Eyup.”

“What kind of magic? Who’d I use it on? I could barely talk, if you remember.”

“Mr. 33 got cut up something fierce by a sandstorm while they was draggin’ ya back to town. Ya used that magic on him before ya passed out on the hospital bed.”

I…healed 33 with my little remaining energy? It was because I healed his wounds that I ran out of power and was bedridden for two weeks. I… Even before I was aware of it, I was protecting people. But the man I protected was dead. The entirety of my stay in Equestria had been nothing but a cruel irony of fate.

I wasn’t even certain where I was walking. After a certain point, I simply fell in line behind Braeburn and let him guide me wherever we were going. He didn’t try to make conversation; he let me wallow in my thoughts. It wasn’t until we reached the tattered remains of Sweet Apple Acres that he even opened his mouth.

“The fella’s still out back, cuz. He ain’t lookin’ so hot.” The orange mare—thinking back to a previous exchange between myself and Braeburn, I found her name to be Applejack—trotted around the farmhouse and greeted her cousin with a tip of her hat.

He tipped his hat back and sighed, “I didn’t figure he would. He just lost a close friend that was—”

“Brother,” I snapped. “33 was 111’s brother. Hell, if you want to be technical, he was my son.” The metaphor sent my emotions twisting in my mind. I fought to hold them back.

“Whatcha mean there, partner?” The stallion looked surprised by the sudden comparison.

I started walking blankly toward where Mr. 33 had perished. Sure enough, Mr. 111 was still there, knelt down by his remains in mourning. Two weeks later and he hadn’t moved an inch. Devotion to a fallen brother…is commendable but foolish. If another beast had attacked, the strong mage would’ve been a guaranteed bulls-eye. I started to talk to no one in particular as I approached the remaining mage. The two members of the Apple family followed me, curious to hear what I had to say.

“In my previous life, I was evil. I was created by a desperate man in the hopes of restoring to him what he had once lost. I was created to hurt and kill others. That was my sole purpose. And, to make my job easier, I began to manufacture soldiers that would do the killing in my stead. Those soldiers were the Black Mages you’ve come to know. Mr. 33 and 111 are examples of Mark I mages. They were of the original quality.

“But there were other variations of mages, mind you. Mark IIs were meant to live longer than the Mark Is, but they required many more resources to create, and therefore were not produced en masse. In fact, only one was successfully finished due to the rushed nature of the manufacturing process. This finished Mark II eventually became a sentient creature, who decided to work for the good guys and fight my cause. Everyone called him Vivi.

“There were three Mark IIIs produced. They were defective killing machines, and were easily conquered by Vivi’s companions. In short, I created every single Black Mage you might ever meet. They are my children, and they are all brothers and sisters. I can’t tell you which is worse, honestly: knowing that I let my child die, or knowing that I’m letting Mr. 111 suffer alone through the loss of his closest brother.”

I was at the living mage’s side by the time my rant ended. He never once looked away from the tattered jacket that was his brother’s garment. He didn’t even respond to my use of his name. The ponies behind me decided it best to remain silent, as there was no chance of them understanding how I felt. They couldn’t understand his pain, either. I could tell through the silence that their inability to comfort us hurt them, but I was too preoccupied with the mage on the ground.

Minutes passed in silence as a faint breeze blew in from the Everfree Forest. It was eerily comforting, considering what the forest had done to us. It destroyed Applejack’s home, stole 111’s brother, and revealed me to be a monster to the citizens of Ponyville. But perhaps that was all just fate playing its course…

“Let’s get him back to ol’ Appleloosa, then we can give him a proper good-bye.” At some point during my thoughts, Braeburn had approached the mourning Black Mage.

“…Okay…”

We all found ourselves in shock as the mage finally responded to something. Applejack was the most surprised, having tried to coax him out of his stupor for the previous two weeks. She mumbled, “Ain’t that one stubborn mule…”

He stood up from the ground, dirt caked onto his knees. I couldn’t help but chuckle, “If you’d stayed there much longer, perhaps you could have served as the tombstone…”

“We are not your children.”

I can’t explain why, but I felt as if I’d been stabbed through the heart with a flaming blade. Mr. 111’s blunt retort sent my mind spiraling. The metaphor I had made hadn’t been literal, and yet it still felt as if I were being denounced by my own kin. I stared blankly at him, willing him to continue speaking. I wasn’t aware of how to respond to his tone.

“We are not your children,” he repeated painfully. “You manufactured us to kill, and when we refused to do so you bribed us with empty promises of extended lives. Even in the face of death, Mr. 33 and I followed our hearts and hatched Bobby Corwen. While our brothers went to war with you and died in the battle at the Iifa Tree, we stayed behind to give a life back to the world we had stolen life from.

“Does the phrase ‘equivalent exchange’ mean anything to you, Kuja?” He turned to look me dead in the eyes. I could see his golden glow had faded over the weeks. Something was wrong with him.

I bowed my head and groaned, “Of course it does. To gain something, you must give something of equal value. That is how we puppets were created.”

The two ponies simply watched as 111’s clenched fist crashed hard into my jaw. I tumbled backwards to the ground, unwilling to retaliate. I could feel the anger in his attack. I could hear the sorrow in his grunt. I was fully prepared for him to continue the assault.

Instead he simply fell back to his knees and sighed, “To gain a life, a life must be given. Sometimes, you pay the price long before you reap the benefits. You’ve had the vision, I assume.” He looked into my eyes and I immediately knew what he meant.

“The one about the Prima Vista and Lord Avon’s play?”

“Correct,” he spat. “When the King dies, the Dark Matter is given birth. In some cases, the benefits are given before the price is paid.”

I shook my head in confusion. This wasn’t making sense. Where had it all come from out of nowhere? “What are you getting at, Mr. 111?”

“Vivi was on the stage. Both physically and spiritually, he was there. He was real amongst the illusions. So were you. In my vision, Mr. 33 was not present at all.” He took a moment to collect his thoughts. “I had my vision the day we found you in the desert. When we found you, I knew it had been more than a dream.”

The realization of what he was saying came crashing down on me. “You…don’t mean that…he…” I could feel the rage beginning to boil in my gut. If what he was saying was true, then how could I ever forgive myself?

“He was the price paid for Vivi’s life.”

In an instant, my rage evaporated. My jaw dropped. I let out an unwilling, “Say that again?”

The mage raised his head, and instead of the faded yellow of his eyes I saw a hopeful golden glow. He chuckled, “The only way for Vivi to be in our dream was to be here with us! Mr. 33 was the price we had to pay to bring him here! And…you know that we need him.” Had this been his mindset over the last two weeks? Had he spent his solitude mapping this entire scenario out and putting the puzzle that I had been blind to see together? If he was correct, then perhaps I would be able to speak with the mage to whom I owed a great apology.

“How can you be so sure about all of this?”

“Because I’ve seen Bobby Corwen! Or at least what I think was Bobby Corwen!” The mage leaped to his feet and bounced with joy, somewhat disturbing considering his proximity to his brother’s remains.

I couldn’t help but let out an uncharacteristic, “Huh?”

“The little chocobo ran off into the forest a few hours ago! I heard his cute little ‘kweh’! And then Applejack’s two Pegasus friends went in to look for the source of the sound!” He bounced from one foot to the other in excitement, and I could’ve sworn I saw a smile on his non-existent face.

“Wha-huh?” Applejack perked up at the mention of her name. “You’re tellin’ me Rainbow Dash went lookin’ for some random bird?”

“Well, she ‘wasn’t gonna let Fluttershy go in that death trap alone’.” The mage took the liberty of adding some air quotations to his explanation. In the span of less than ten minutes, the air around Mr. 33’s remains went from sad to hopeful. I can’t say I disliked the shift.

Braeburn chuckled, “Well shucks, I guess t’ain’t all bad, then! But if you’re gonna meet your friend, ya sure ya wanna look like death rolled over?” The stallion examined both of us intently, taking in the dirt and blood and sweat that stained our garments.

Mr. 111’s jacket was tattered and falling to pieces, which wasn’t good considering exactly what it was hiding from the public eye. I don’t think a giant human-shaped glob of pure shadow would receive much acceptance, even here in Equestria…

“We’ll take Mr. 33’s remains back to Appleloosa. After we get everything settled and our persons in order, we’ll return to see if our friend is truly here.” I walked toward the tattered clothes scattered on the ground and began to gather them up in my arms.

Mr. 111 asked, “If you wouldn’t mind, you would please not tell Vivi about any of this?”

I stopped in place. Something about his request seemed rational, yet at the same time I couldn’t see why he would want to hide the past weeks’ events from one of his brothers.

Applejack nodded and sighed, “Ya mean about your brother and the whole glowing pink mess? I s’pose I can cover for ya if I need to.” She quickly added, “But I ain’t about to lie to the fella if it comes down to it.”

I finished gathering the last remaining fabric of clothing and rejoined the discussion. “If he asks about us, you have the right to tell him what you know. He’ll take what he hears with a grain of salt. But if it comes down to specifics, simply tell him we all returned to Appleloosa.” I raised my hands, drawing attention to the garments in them. “You won’t be lying, even in the case of Mr. 33. The child doesn’t need to know that the mage is no longer with us…or why that is so.”

The orange mare nodded in understanding. Lowering her gaze to the ground, she sighed, “I s’pose I get that. Seeing how y’all handled it, it’d probably be worse for a kid.”

“Let’s get goin’, fellas. I got some chores for y’all to handle before ya head back this way!” Braeburn flashed us a smile that seemed to outshine the midday sun.

We said our farewells and apologies to the ponies we passed, leaving it to Applejack to spread the word of our request around town. The pink pony I had seen with the Apple family mare the day of the incident seemed particularly ticked off that we hadn’t even been able to ‘have a welcome to town party’, on account of our near-death and comatose states. And, with the railroad cleared of bandits by not only us but a following sweep of Appleloosan militia members, we decided to ride the train back to the westernized town.

…

I can’t tell you how hard it is to remember all of the things that have happened since my last chance to write. The march to Ghastly Gorge, the fight with Brawny and the Diamond Dogs, the zebra in the Everfree Forest, my dream, and the day of the incident all seem so long ago. They are only two weeks old, but it is hard to recall all of the thoughts and feelings associated with most of the events.

It doesn’t help that every time I write Mr. 33’s name I feel a prick of sadness in the back of my head…

But now we’re heading back to the town that I have come to call my Equestrian home. I find it funny to think that in either of the two settlements I’ve been to, I’ve spent at least a week bedridden. Over half of my time in this world has been spent in pain or weariness.

Braeburn told us we have some chores to handle in town, and then he’ll have a ‘delivery’ to make back in Ponyville. I don’t quite understand why we need a special excuse to visit the town, but at least it will give us a chance to see if Mr. 111’s puzzle-solving skills are accurate.

I’m actually eager to meet not only Vivi, but this Bobby Corwen chocobo he keeps rambling on about.

Applejack is supposed to send us word if it truly is Vivi.

Equivalent exchange is what my companion called it, and maybe it is.

I always wanted to take the reins of my own destiny. When I was created by Garland to destroy Gaia, I wanted to usurp control and do it of my own volition. But it seems obvious that fate has a stronger grip than I do on those reins. Only time will tell how things will play out, I suppose…

Vivi Day Six: Train Station Anticipation

I…don’t have much to open this entry with. I’d rather write everything down as they happened so I can keep my thoughts in order. So much is flying through my head right now that I’m afraid I might pass out! A lot of things happened today, but I don’t even know where to begin!

…

I woke up to the sound of Pinkie Pie playing with Boco. The little chick had really taken a liking to the pink party pony, and I couldn’t blame him. Her energetic nature was almost enough to keep up with the baby bird. The rest of the ponies were up and chatting about something that was supposed to happen that evening, but it didn’t sound important to me. As far as I could imagine, it was probably about some party being held or some delivery they were supposed to get.

Instead, I found myself in a very nostalgic mood.

While the ponies talked over a batch of pancakes cooked by Fluttershy, I decided to sit back and look through this journal. It’s only been six days…

Six days, and so much had happened. The first few pages were kind of jumpy, but after that I seemed to get a bearing on what to write about. It made me feel good to read about how I felt those first two days. I read how naïve I had been about this world. I thought this was some kind of heaven that I could be at peace in.

Oh man was I wrong…

I read every last page of the journal, even the things I wrote last night. I guess I was in a somber mood, because I sounded really determined with those last few lines… But I was being honest with myself. If it turns out that it was my fault the manticore attacked, then I’m not staying here. And neither is Kuja, if it so stands.

I finished reading the journal and put in back in my pocket just as the seven equines started to clean up the dishes they’d made. Zecora said her very brief farewells and was out the door, assumedly heading back into the dangers of the Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash was the next one out of the house, probably going to scout the forest from overhead to ensure no animals were planning anything. Rarity followed after, claiming she had actual work to do for some clients at her boutique.

Applejack was the next one to leave, saying something about having to make preparations for the delivery that was coming in. I guess I was good at taking guesses, because that’s pretty much what I had assumed from their earlier conversation. Pinkie Pie was enjoying a cup of tea when she took in a huge gust of air and darted from the house without any sort of explanation.

Twilight noticed my lost expression and clarified, “She has to set up Sugarcube Corner for a small party we’re having tonight. She does that sometimes…” She shook her head in mock-embarrassment and turned to leave the house.

“A…party?” Two for two. I was on a roll!

“That’s right. We have some guests bringing Applejack’s shipment from down south, so she’s putting together a welcome-to-town party. She didn’t actually get to the last time they were here due to…unfortunate circumstances.” She telekinetically pulled her saddlebags close and tied them securely around her before starting toward the exit.

I chuckled sheepishly, “That’ll be nice, won’t it?”

“Maybe, assuming everything goes smoothly.” I couldn’t help but feel like there was a sting of scorn in her voice as she said that. If there had been an underlying meaning, her demeanor covered it up easily.

I couldn’t blame her, considering the town’s recent track record with guests. First Kuja then I arrived, both of us bringing savage animals into town after us. Honestly, she would have every right to be skeptical about new guests showing up. Trying to change the subject off of the guests themselves, I asked, “What kind of shipment is it?”

She smiled and cheered, “Bloomberg Jr.!”

I shook my head and added, “Huh?”

“Oh, of course!” she planted a hoof to her face in embarrassment. “A while back when Appleloosa was still a new settlement, we delivered a tree to the town to be planted to start growing special apples in their orchard. The tree we delivered was named Bloomberg, and the tree Applejack is expecting is Bloomberg’s sprout. So, naturally, she named it Bloomberg Jr.” Twilight had a smile on her face that could warm the heart of some sort of ice-based monster.

“So…it’s a whole shipment for just one little tree sprout?”

The unicorn’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening in horror. Before she had a chance to collect herself, Applejack came trotting back into the house. The country mare plopped a hoof on my shoulder and scoffed, “T’aint no ordinary tree, fella. Bloomberg’s papa gave us some o’ the sweetest apples that Sweet Apple Acres has ever harvested. I’m guessin’ with as popular as Appleloosan Cider’s been getting nowadays, Bloomberg ain’t too bad himself.” She tipped her hat at the thought of the apparently-legendary line of apple trees.

I tried to put everything together that I’d just heard. Even if the apples were sweet, I still didn’t understand how a tree could be so important as to have its own delivery. Not wanting to offend the farm-focused pony, I decided to ask, “Is it anyone special escorting the tree, or just some citizens of Appleloosa?”

Fluttershy poked her head down the stairs to join in our conversation. I noticed that as I asked my question, she slowly closed her muzzle and let out the breath she’d been saving for a comment on our previous topic. Her eyes sort of jerked away from me. The other two ponies did the same. I found myself in the middle of a ball of confusion and fear. Were they about to spill a secret they weren’t supposed to or were they hiding something much worse from me? Who could possibly be delivering a tree that would require a sec—!

Kuja!

It would make sense for them to not tell me Kuja was coming because of how much I had talked about him since I arrived here! It would be a pleasant surprise to see a familiar face show up out of nowhere. And if Kuja were on his way, then Mr. 33 and 111 would be with him! So…Pinkie Pie was throwing a party for them because the last time they were here Kuja had Tranced and they hadn’t had time to enjoy it!

That was the mindset I went with when I chuckled, “It’ll be nice to see some old faces again!” The three ponies frowned, Twilight lowering her head to the floor. Suddenly I was filled with a sense of dread. I waited with strained breaths for one of them to explain why they looked so sad.

Finally Applejack groaned, “You gotta promise not to tell Pinkie Pie!”

“Huh? Why?”

“She really wanted to see the look on your face when your friends showed up…” Twilight sighed in disappointment, feeling guilty for dragging the discussion topic to Appleloosa.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I’ve never been much for surprises, really. I’ll still be just as excited to see them as if I didn’t know they were coming.”

And with that, the three ponies went on with their own preparations. Applejack trotted back and forth from the farm to Fluttershy’s house every hour or so, making sure that the plot of land where Bloomberg Jr. would be planted was still in good condition. Twilight went back to her home to prepare something. According to Fluttershy, the unicorn planned on gathering some reading materials for us foreigners to read over regarding Equestrian laws and magic.

And Fluttershy was busy finishing renovations of her new tree. With so much stuff missing, the place did feel wrong. So many animal cages and pictures were completely destroyed that many of the remaining were moved to accommodate all of the free space. Something about the house felt empty, but at the same time slightly more welcoming.

Rainbow Dash zipped by every now and again to tell us about the delivery’s progress. It was just after noon when she stopped her rounds to inform us that the train would be arriving in less than an hour.

Having finally found a passable place for everything in her home, the timid mare decided it was time to go the station to await the train. She told me that Applejack and the others would be waiting on the platform for the shipment to arrive, so it would be wise to get there early and wait with them.

I didn’t argue, and the walk into town from the somewhat out of the way cottage was relaxing. It didn’t take us too long to reach the station, and we met up with Rarity just as we arrived. She looked to be dressed in an over-the-top outfit considering who and what we were waiting on, but I decided to hold my tongue. The last time I commented on how a girl looked, Zidane twisted it all around and embarrassed me in front of Eiko…

A-Anyway, we entered the station—which as it turned out was pretty much just the boarding platforms and a small ticket window—and were essentially yanked into the group of already-waiting ponies. I could feel the rumble of the train as it approached, and within minutes of getting comfortable in the group it slowed to a stop and blew its whistle with a nostalgic tune.

The door of the car we were in front of slid open, and I caught a glimpse of white beyond the flood of Technicolor that poured into the train. I lowered my gaze, not wanting to seem too eager to see him. Out of nowhere, Boco leaped onto my shoulder and let out his innocent chirp.

Then, after our friends had boarded the train to unload Bloomberg Jr., he darted from my shoulder across the platform. “KWEH-KWEH-KWEHHH!” His adorable chirp rang out as he flapped fruitlessly into the large white glove that waited to greet him. I traced my eyes from the white glove up the dark blue sleeve and to the straw hat adorning the man’s non-existent head.

Mr. 111. I’m not sure why I immediately thought of 111 and not 33, but it just felt right.

And then I turned my attention back to the hint of white I had seen earlier. Standing just in front of the train’s exit, looking at me with eyes full of sorrow, stood Kuja. I locked my gaze with him, and I could feel the emotions within it.

He knew what I had been thinking. He thought it too.

He was already willing to do what needed to be done, and so was I. But his sorrow extended much deeper than just our Mist…

He had a story to tell, and I felt like I didn’t want to hear it…

Kuja Day Thirty-Five: My Appleloosa Heart

We spent the few days we were in Appleloosa doing chores that I’m convinced Braeburn left us on purpose. Some were trivial and others a bit more involved. We received a letter from Applejack confirming Mr. 111’s theories, and Braeburn set to work trying to find us something to deliver.

Finally, five days later, we were heading out to Ponyville on a train carrying, and I quote, “extremely important cargo.” Standing on the station’s arrival platform, as if eager to receive our cargo, was the orange mare and her five Technicolor friends. But…

…

Our first act was to lay Mr. 33 to rest. Braeburn sold us a plot of land at the top of a small hill overlooking the town proper right next to a massive and spellbindingly beautiful apple tree, and we buried him with a view of the surrounding areas. Mr. 111’s thinking was that if his spirit came back to visit, he wouldn’t need to worry about being caught unaware by a rabid animal. Such a childish way of thinking, and yet I sort of agreed with him. And then…

Chores. So many chores to do, it was almost as if the stallion had purposefully left things undone just so we would have to work. Most of them were trivial tasks at best, but I suppose I didn’t expect much in the way of difficulty. Mr. 111 was assigned to helping load and unload train cars for deliveries across Equestria.

According to Braeburn, it was ‘time we stopped being moochers and earned some dough.’

I couldn’t agree more. I may never have been one to work hard physically, but even when I was a tyrant I never enjoyed charity. I never liked it when my prey simply walked right into my trap. The Desert Palace was a bittersweet occasion. While I was able to send Zidane for what I wanted, I didn’t enjoy how easily he fell into my web of lies.

So we did our parts as any citizen would, albeit with a significant height advantage. Mr. 111 tended the trains…while I was reduced to a mailman…

A mailman. Seriously! I was reduced to delivering mail to the residents of the town. I suppose that mail is an important part of any society. To say otherwise would evoke the rage of hundreds of Moogles, yet I still felt as if my time was being wasted. Then again, it was a trivial task for a man who had just awakened from a comatose state, so I guess it was acceptable.

That was the first day back.

The following day was filled with ‘bucking’ the apples from the local apple orchard. If not for my magic, I quite possibly would’ve died plucking apples. The time it took me to drop a single apple equated to an entire tree for the majority of the Earth Ponies. Apparently when Braeburn told us we would be ‘bucking’ apples, he literally meant ‘bucking’. Earth Ponies must have legs of steel, because physics would dictate that the force exerted on a non-moving object would come back in equal blasts…

In simple, the force of their kicks should have shattered their bones. Physics doesn’t work the way the apple trees made it seem, at least not on Gaia or Terra.

So while the Earth Ponies abused their iron bones, Mr. 111 and I were reduced to plucking apples one by one from our trees. That is, until my companion put his clever thinking to use for the third time. He suggested we simply magic the apples into the barrels. Before I could question his meaning, he demonstrated by wrapping the contents of the tree into an Aeroga spell, harmlessly ripping the apples from their branches and dropping them through the cyclone into the barrel.

I wanted to hug the genius mage. I’d never once considered magic to be worth trivial tasks like the unicorns of Equestria seemed to think. I would never waste a telekinetic power on carrying books or inkpots. But in this world, it seemed magic was meant for menial tasks and chores, rather than grand defense or destruction as in Gaia. I vowed to simplify my thinking process and not overexert myself in the face of favors.

Once we established the wind-based plucking system, we managed to catch up with the rest of the ponies in the orchard and even surpassed their progress. Two mages with the power to conjure multiple storms of wind only screamed effective apple-buckers. We even took the time to help some of the less-energetic ponies with their trees, seeing as how we had plenty of magic to go around.

We were scolded for the use of our magic in an Earth Pony tradition until I pointed out our lacking physical strength and the ignorance it took to assign us such a laborer’s task. We were then informed we had broken a few town records and fed fresh-baked apple pie for dinner that evening.

Late that evening we received Applejack’s letter informing us that it had been Bobby Corwen the chocobo that Mr. 111 had seen. With him was Vivi. It was decided then and there that once all of the chores were covered, Braeburn would send us on a delivery back to Sweet Apple Acres to meet the mage. We slept easy that night, knowing it would only be a matter of time…

Day three of our return didn’t go as smooth.

I still haven’t decided if that was because of the flash-flood rains or the horrible realization that the prior night’s apple pies had been baked with bad apples. I actually think it was a bit of both. If it hadn’t been for my crippling nausea, the pounding of the rain would have driven me crazy. I almost had the urge to threaten a few of the local Pegasi to clear away the clouds as I had seen them previously do.

Deciding that was a bad idea, I simply vomited instead.

A lot.

I…don’t want to discuss the rest of the day.

Day four was really pleasant, though! Braeburn let us take the day off and recover from the bad apple pies…considering most of the ponies that ate them ended up glued to their wastebaskets. The mares that baked the pies were determined to blame the bad bunch on our magic, saying we cursed the Earth Pony orchard.

All I could reply to that with was a shrug of the shoulders and a grunt. So we kicked back in the Salt Block Saloon—the tavern that became my home—all day, playing cards and talking news around the kingdom. I had no immediate knowledge of any of the towns that were mentioned, but I at least acted interested in what the ponies were saying. It sounded important enough, anyway.

It was about halfway through our fifth game of poker—I had a royal flush—when Braeburn charged into the saloon with a large stack of papers. As if we weren’t busy or anything, he dropped the stack in front of me and told me to sign on the dotted lines…

...So…many…lines…

Fifty pages of signatures. I spent at least an hour simply signing my name! And it was all for the delivery that the stallion wanted us to make! We were delivering a single, albeit beautiful, apple tree! He said it was the sprout of the original tree they had planted in Appleloosa courtesy of Sweet Apple Acres.

I didn’t get too mad at him, though. Turns out I had misread my hand and was one face card short of a royal flush. I only had a normal flush, which would’ve ended in me losing a significant chunk of my bits.

So early on the fifth day we loaded up the tree sapling and fastened it securely into the most comfortable bed on the train. Why the potted tree needed a bed I will never understand, but the sheriff insisted that it be comfortable the whole trip. I won’t lie; it was surprisingly heavy considering its size and shape.

Once everything was loaded up, we were on our way.

The trip was quick and bumpy.

And when we arrived, we were greeted with open hooves. Applejack and her friends darted into the train to retrieve the apparently precious tree. And standing in the shadows of the station’s entrance, head lowered toward the ground with a tiny yellow bird on his shoulder, stood Vivi.

He looked up as the bird leaped from his shoulder and darted across the platform to the larger of the Black Mages.

My eyes met his.

And in an instant, I knew what he was thinking. I had thought it many times over the month of my stay in Equestria. He’d seen what I’d seen. We both had stories to tell, and I had a feeling that neither of us wanted to hear them. I thought perhaps the pink pony’s delicatessen would be able to add a lighter tone to the dark evening that was soon to follow…

Vivi Day Six: Party of Three

“So why are we out here and not enjoying the party?”

“Because the incessant optimism of the ponies in this world would do nothing but put light the impact of what I have to tell you.”

“That, and Kuja doesn’t like cake.”

Mr. 111 held a large slice of one of Pinkie Pie’s crazy cake concoctions in his hand, nibbling away at it as we stood in silence on the balcony of the small tower that jutted up from the top of Sugar Cube Corner. Kuja stood beside me, leaning lazily over the edge of the railing and staring up at the moon. It was full tonight. For the first time since I woke up in the Everfree Forest, I realized how mysterious and ominous this world’s moon looked. The glow it emanated almost felt alive.

Kuja sighed, “Your friends are quite the characters, aren’t they? And I thought Braeburn was bad…”

“You’ve met them before, haven’t you?” I replied, knowing he'd visited before.

“The only pony I truly met was Applejack, and even then I was in a sick stupor during most of our interactions.” He turned away from the moon, staring into the small window on the tower. Multiple colored lights shined through in succession, the result of the DJ’s booth inside.

Mr. 111 scoffed, “You didn’t miss much, honestly. All we talked about were what we were and why we were in Ponyville.” With another chunk of the cake in his mouth he fell silent.

My mind was swimming. I knew Kuja had something to tell me, but he kept beating around the bush! I stomped a foot and groaned, “If you have something to tell me, tell me!”

The white-haired mage glanced dismissively at me and turned away, clenching his fists. Slamming one on the railing of the balcony, he roared, “33 is dead, Vivi!”

“What?”

My response was reflex. I hadn’t expected that. I thought that he might’ve just waited in Appleloosa or something, but I never imagined he was dead! And yet…despite my surprise, I really wasn’t bothered by the news. I mean, I felt a little sad, but at least Kuja and 111 were with me to deal with it together.

Unless I was missing something.

“A manticore caught him off guard and killed him. It was swift, and hopefully painless.”

“A…manticore?” My mind flashed back to the attack on Fluttershy’s cottage.

Mr. 111 swallowed his dessert and coughed, “You’ve seen Sweet Apple Acres’ repairs, right? That was us.” Images of the off-color wood in my room the other night came to life.

“The manticore did that?”

Kuja sat on the ground and reclined against the rail. He chuckled, “It sure did. That one didn’t stand a chance, though. The mages reacted before I could come to my senses. It wasn’t until a flood of monsters came pouring from the forest’s edge that things became worrying.” I could see him gritting his teeth. Even if it was in the past and he wanted to get over it, I could see it still bothered him.

He didn’t…blame himself, did he?

I sat down beside him and tried to chuckle, “But the monsters died, didn’t they? So it’s all okay, right?” It started to hit me that Mr. 33 was dead. Bobby Corwen would never see his original owner again. I guess that was no different than when we were on Gaia, but it just stung a bit worse in the afterlife.

“Yeah, they died. Perhaps a bit too painlessly, but they died. I don’t remember much because I was Tranced by that point, but I remember the anger in my blood.” His fists clenched tighter.

I thought back to our encounter on Terra, and how for the first time he had Tranced using energy extracted from the living beings of Gaia. He forced himself to Trance and was therefore unstable. “So…you Tranced naturally? With your emotions?” Kuja had come a long way since the fall of the Iifa Tree. Possibly farther than me…

“That’s right. No evil soul-stealing machines involved! Just…the memory of a fallen brother.” A tear. A single tear streamed down his cheek. I didn’t even know he could cry.

Our companion sat on his other side and scoffed, “So Kuja’s a badass, Mr. 33’s in the after-afterlife, and we’re missing some amazing snacks down there. Where’s this headed?” I looked at him in confusion. Unlike Kuja, he didn’t look too shaken about Mr. 33’s death. He looked to be taking it lightly.

“You aren’t sad that your best friend died?”

“Of course not!” he replied without hesitation. Upon seeing my more-blank-than-usual expression, he clarified, “It is destiny. I know nothing is set in stone, but I know for a fact that fate took 33 from us because it needed him. It needed him…so it could help us…”

Kuja scoffed, “What do you know about fate, Mr. 111? That little chocobo on your shoulder defies everything we know about fate.” He wiped the tear from his cheek and leaped to his feet.

“How do you figure?” 111 tore a piece of the cake away and held it out for his pet to enjoy.

The bird popped to life at the scent of the cake with an excited “Kweh!”

“The bird is too young. I’m certain its owners took amazing care of it, and yet here it is in the afterlife with us. Why is that?”

The Black Mage just stared at us, not sure how to answer.

“Maybe he’s my Mog,” I sighed, letting my mind wander back to the things I’d seen on my journey.

“Come again?” the standing companion scoffed.

I considered my words carefully as I thought back to our detour in Mount Gulug. “When Eiko was being attacked by your goons, her moogle transformed into an Eidolon to protect her. I imagine that if Eiko had died, Mog would have went with her because they were tied together.” I hesitated before coming to my conclusion, “What if Boco is a guardian like Mog?”

The two mages shared impressed expressions. Boco chirped comfortingly.

Then Kuja snapped, “That’s not possible!”

“Huh?”

“The Eidolon Madeen took the form of Mog to protect the Summoner girl, not the other way around. An animal does not become a guardian; the guardian becomes an animal.” He seemed determined to be correct. Even if he was a changed man, he still denied the existence of pre-destiny in our lives…

Mr. 111 struggled to his feet and downed the last bit of his cake. He groaned, “Fine, Bobby Corwen is the exception to the rule! So what? The fact remains that whatever’s supposed to happen has already been set in motion.” He wiped his hands on his coat and turned back toward the moon.

“What do you mean by that?” Kuja joined him against the rail, his gaze shifting to the moon as well.

The Black Mage cleared his throat and adopted a somber tone. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Strangers from another world arrive to find things are progressively getting worse. Soon there will be a civil war, followed by the fall of a leader. And then, with the leader’s death will come the rebirth of a powerful evil.” He took a deep breath before finishing, “Just like Lord Avon’s Lords from Nowhere.”

“What do you know of Lord Avon?” our serious companion scoffed, annoyance flooding his tone.

“Well, after Eiko moved out of Madain Sari, she let some of us move in to take care of the place! She had a pretty large book collection, most of which being Lord Avon’s plays.”

Kuja smiled a little as he sighed, “So you spent your time reading while the other mages did meaningless chores?”

“That’s right. So I know all about Lord Avon’s works! Or…at least the works I had time to read before passing on.” The optimistic humanoid hopped up on top of the railing and took a seat, his feet hanging in the air as he stared up at the moon.

Our more serious companion followed his example. “So you’re saying there will be a civil war here in this peaceful land?” he scoffed once settled.

I stood up and joined them at the railing. Looking back up at the moon, I chuckled, “I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I mean, this place is so peaceful; why would anyone rebel against the leader?” I tried to sit up on the railing, but it was a struggle just to lean. Sometimes I hated being crafted so short…

I think Kuja could read my mind, because he latched on to my coat and lifted me over the railing, setting me down just like they were. I…was a little shaken by the sudden movement, actually. Mr. 111 just laughed, staring off at the moon.

“Well, it all makes sense if you read the play,” he cut in out of nowhere.

Kuja glanced dismissively at him and whispered, “I don’t believe I’ve ever read Lords from Nowhere. I spent most of my Gaian life familiarizing myself with I Want to be Your Canary…” He unruffled the collar of my jacket and groaned, “Care to explain the tale to us?”

“Sure!” the mage cheered. “One day while out adventuring, a group of friends stumbles upon some old ruins and decides to go exploring. The ruins turn out to be a gateway to another world, and when the friends are sucked through to the other side, they find themselves in a kingdom controlled by an evil tyrant.

“They are approached by a young man who claims to be forming a rebellion against the king. Seeing the suffering of the people, the friends agree to help. Most of the play is spent preparing for the assault on the castle. Once they attack, the rebels capture the princess and the king attacks them, falling in combat to the young man who leads the rebellion. With the king’s final breaths, dark matter falls onto the battlefield. That’s the scene we watched in our vision.

“After the king’s death, the soldiers lose morale and the citizens rejoice their freedom. The young man—played by Zidane in our dream—reveals himself to be an ancient mage that vowed revenge on the royal family. He tells the friends that the only thing stopping him from destroying the world was the royal bloodline. In one swift motion, he kills the princess and takes the dark matter. He uses it to summon a long-since-forgotten demon from the realm of the dead. The final act of the play is all about the friends realizing they were tricked into helping him and the actions they take to stop the evil demon from destroying the world.”

He clapped his hands together as he finished his summary of the play. I could tell he was really excited about someone else interested in the tale.

Kuja lowered his gaze and sighed, “So who are we in this formula? The friends from the other world? And who’s the ancient mage bent on revenge?”

“Well, I’ve been doing research on that, too!” Mr. 111 bounced with joy on the railing.

I scratched my head, taking in everything I’d heard. I punctuated my confusion with a simple, “You have?” I hunched over and stared at the ground below, noticing several ponies trotting away from the building.

“I sure have! Ever since I had my dream the day we found Kuja, I’ve been doing all sorts of research!” His excited energy faded suddenly, as if something had just sucked his optimism dry. He groaned, “Mr. 33 was helping me, but he never understood what it was all about. I tried to explain, but he just didn’t care. At the time, I thought it was only a dream. Then we found Kuja, and I knew it was fate!”

“So? Who’s the evil mage in this tale?” Kuja butted into Mr. 111’s memories.

The mage cleared his throat and pulled a small notepad from his pocket, prompting us to share surprised glances. “A long time ago there was a powerful monster that ruled over Equestria with chaotic magic. A pair siblings, both alicorns, took up magical gemstones known as the Elements of Harmony to combat the beast’s chaos. They prevailed, sealing him in stone indefinitely and guiding the kingdom to prosperity over the millenia. The beast has since broken free once, again defeated by the Elements of Harmony in the possession of six new ponies.” He tucked his notepad back in his pocket and spun around on the rail, facing the bright lights of the window.

Kuja chuckled, “That’s certainly a story. A demon encased in stone defeated by gemstones is our usurper? I suppose we should just gather the gems then, shouldn’t we?” He turned to face the window, noticing our companion’s lack of movement.

“The Elements of Harmony are currently in the possession of Vivi’s friends. The six that gathered at Sweet Apple Acres after we were attacked and the six that greeted us at the station are the holders of Harmony.”

“That’s a…little dramatic, don’t ya think?” I shifted my hat, carefully spinning to face the window with them.

He scoffed, “Nope.”

Kuja rested his arm on his leg and placed his head comfortably on his palm. “Is there more to the tale?”

“The king had many guardians, but six of them were unique. Their armors differed from the normal guards in that they were colored to match the type of magic they could use. These guards were the final line of defense between the princess and the rebels. The evil mage under the guise of the young man killed these six with almost no effort. After capturing the princess and camping outside the castle, a team of mercenaries hired by the royal guard ended up reclaiming the princess. That’s where the scene we watched begins.”

We simply stared at him, knowing he had more to say.

“The colors of the armor were stressed for pages of text before the young man killed them. He made fun of each of them in turn as they showed him their powers. Orange, for physical strength and buffing; purple, for mental manipulation of surroundings; pink, for supernatural stamina; blue, for self-levitation to emulate flight; white, for altering appearances to confuse foes; and yellow, for health restoration and general support magics.”

“But…” Kuja sat up straight, the pieces not fitting together in his head, “…healing magics are the specialties of White Mages. Shouldn’t the healer have had white armor?”

Mr. 111 cheered, “That’s what I thought when I read it! But then I met Vivi’s friends, and it all kind of made sense.” He pulled the notepad back out and turned a few pages. He held the page out for us to see his crude scribbling.

“Six humans and six ponies. What’s the point of this?” Kuja leaned close to the note, trying to decipher its gibberish.

I felt like I knew where Mr. 111 was going with his notes, but I didn’t want to say anything. I guess I didn’t want it to be true. How could Lord Avon have written something that wouldn’t happen for centuries…in another world?

The Black Mage snickered, “Can’t you see it? Each color of armor reflects a different Element bearer. Orange for Applejack, purple for Twilight, pink for Pinkie Pie, blue for Rainbow Dash, white for Rarity, and yellow for Fluttershy!” He shoved the pad into his pocket and scratched the back of his head. He laughed, but I could tell it was an empty laugh. Maybe he was thinking what I was.

“You hear that, Vivi? Sounds to me like they’re going to die when the time comes.”

I think my heart skipped a beat. For an instant, I felt a horrible knot of dread in my stomach. “I…Not if I can help it!” I clenched my fist and raised it up, making a vow right then and there that I wouldn’t let anything happen to my innocent friends!

“Good. That’s the kind of attitude you’ll need if you want to defy fate.” Kuja glanced back at the now-standing Black Mage. He sighed, “So where is this chaotic demon imprisoned?”

“In the castle courtyard,” 111 stated bluntly, a veil of dread swallowing the balcony.

“So the thing that’s going to kill the leader is being held in the closest place possible? Lovely.” My serious companion slid off the rail and approached the door leading inside. He turned back to us and scoffed, “I suppose we should get this insufferable social gathering out of the way if we hope to speak with the Elements in private.”

I fell off the rail, caught off guard by how he phrased that statement. I scoffed, “What do you mean?! Are we just gonna tell them that some playwright from centuries ago predicted the destruction of their home?!” I struggled to my feet, my hat shifting slightly.

Kuja chuckled, “No, of course not. We’re going to ask them to see their leader. I’m quite curious to meet the subject of a millennium of pent up vengeance.” With that, he stepped through the threshold into the noise of Sugar Cube Corner.

Mr. 111 headed toward the door and chuckled, “Oh, so now we get to have fun! C’mon Vivi, don’t get hung up on prophecy. The play said it was one month after the friends showed up that the rebellion came to full force. So we have some time.” With that, he and the little yellow bird on his shoulder were gone.

I stared at the window of colored lights. Could it really be possible that Lord Avon’s play was a premonition and not simple entertainment? If everything came to pass, Fluttershy and her friends would die. Even more so, the ruler of Equestria would fall as well. For the first time since waking up in this world, I realized that I didn’t even know who the ruler of Equestria was! No one had really mentioned him to me. You would think he’d be interested in four beings from another world showing up and causing animals to go wild…

Right?

Kuja Day Thirty-Five: A Fate Predicted

“Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice, Ms. Sparkle.”

Formalities… I’ve never cared for formalities, yet in recent weeks it seems I’ve grown accustomed to following them. Introductions and etiquette are things I never had much use for on Gaia. And while I would have preferred to get straight to my point, I felt it necessary to be polite to the only pony in town that had any chance of being able to understand me.

So we sat—the mages and me—on small wooden chairs at a round table in the center of the first floor of the local library. The pony in question happened to have taken up residence in the one building that contained any information we could hope to gather. So we waited as she insistently prepared us tea and gathered up writing utensils.

Once she was finally settled into her seat with teacups in our hands and a floating quill by her side, I offered my inquiry.

“From what I’ve heard, you are the pony to see for certain kinds of information.”

The purple unicorn giggled, “Well, I do live in a library, after all. What did you need to know?” She sipped from her cup before scribbling something on her parchment.

Mr. 111 cut right to the point. It seemed he had no time for pleasantries. “Do you believe in other worlds, Twilight?” The question caught me off guard, wondering why he’d jump straight to the even-less-likely pieces of the puzzle.

With a puzzled look on her face, she sighed, “Well, I’ve never been to one, but I know for a fact that you three aren’t from Equestria. I suppose it’s just as likely that you’re from another world as it is another continent.” With that, she continued her scribbling.

“Good.” The large mage relaxed slightly, sipping from his cup. He groaned, “Do you believe someone, under certain circumstances, would be able to see the future?” I noticed Vivi shift uncomfortably in his seat, obviously worried that our meeting could go sour at any moment.

“There are spells that let ponies travel back in time, so I guess the future isn’t too impossible.” She finished her scribbling and asked, “Is something wrong?”

I’d spent the evening talking to ponies. After the party let out, I spoke with the Elements and other random citizens of Ponyville. From what I gathered, if I was looking for information or someone to process confusing facts for me, Twilight Sparkle was the pony to speak with.

I’d heard she was a nerd. I was informed she had no sense for most social conventions, and that she was ‘adorkable’ at times. I was not, however, aware that she wouldn’t pass judgment on our inquiries. Any sane creature would think we were crazy.

I sighed, “We have reason to believe that this kingdom—Equestria, as you call it—may be in danger.” I took a sip from my cup of tea, wondering how the mare might respond.

She placed a hoof to her muzzle in consideration. She sighed, “Actually, I’ve been thinking the same thing…”

“What?!” the collective shout came from the three of us. I didn’t know what to make of her response.

“Ever since the first incident with monsters a few weeks ago, Princess Celestia and I have been looking into everything we could, trying to understand what’s going on.” She pulled a large book from one shelf with her magic, laying it flat on the table for us to look at. “We stumbled upon an ancient myth, even older than Princess Celestia herself, about an evil tree capable of corrupting animals and driving people insane.”

We each shared grim expressions, one horrible thought coming to our minds.

Vivi mumbled, “The Iifa tree…”

Twilight cocked her head to the side in confusion. “You know about the Iifa Tree?” She sent the book our way, using her quill to point out a specific paragraph.

There was no mistaking it. The illustration in the book was that of the Iifa Tree. The fog that surrounded its base was obviously Mist. But…how could a world so peaceful and comparatively void of Mist have known anything about a demonic tree from another world? Could Lord Avon have had something to do with that as well?

“Maybe our worlds have similar myths. After all, there’s only so much the imagination can come up with!” With a hopeful smile, the unicorn drew a bulging sack of something from upstairs using her magic and held it over the table. She poured the contents out, all of them being tied up scrolls with some official-looking insignias branded as the seal. She lifted one particular scroll and unrolled it before handing it off to me.

To my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,

It has come to my attention that there are odd occurrences taking place within the Everfree Forest. It has also come to my attention that there are new creatures taking refuge within Ponyville at the moment. Though I have received little information on the nature of these creatures, I fear their arrival may be connected to the happenings within the Everfree. Though it is too soon to begin making assumptions, I believe we need to be prepared for further mishaps.

Is it true that a group of Everfree animals destroyed Sweet Apple Acres? The animals of the forest tend to keep to themselves. I cannot remember a time when they attacked unprovoked. I wish to hear anything you know about the attack on Ponyville, as well as the newcomers that were sent from Appleloosa.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

“I received this from the Princess two days after you were attacked. She’d noticed weird things going on within the forest, and she’d heard rumors about some ‘strange bipedal creatures’ hanging around Appleloosa.” Twilight sat in her seat, looking apologetic and sad.

“This is good news,” I chuckled. “We’ve wanted to meet your leader for some time. It seems she wishes to meet us as well.”

“You do? That’s great!” The unicorn clapped her hooves together excitedly, her sad expression changing to one of relief.

I continued to stare at the image of the Iifa Tree. There was almost no mistaking it. Just the picture of it emanated a foreboding aura. I couldn’t keep my curiosity in check. I had to be certain these things weren’t coincidences. One similarity was bad enough…but…

“While it’s interesting to see the Iifa Tree in the myths of your world, we actually came here to talk to you about a different threat,” I chuckled, wondering just how the next few moments would play out. I hoped they would give me something to work with…

The mare looked at me with intrigue, obviously wanting to know anything that could help her understand the recent events. Her quill and paper were ready in an instant. She cheered, “I’m listening!”

I nodded at Mr. 111, and he took it away. “Back in our world there was a playwright by the name of Lord Avon. One of the plays he wrote reminded me of this world. It reminded me of quite a few of the ponies here in Equestria. I was thinking…”

“…You think your playwright might have been predicting our future?” The pony caught on immediately. I was impressed. Then again, we had brought up both topics earlier, so perhaps it wasn’t that difficult to put together.

The mage looked dumbfounded. He stuttered, “Y-yeah!”

Vivi butted in, “The play was titled Lords from Nowhere. You don’t have a play here named that, do you?” The little mage’s initiative was impressive, especially after his prolonged silence.

Twilight removed the book about the Iifa Tree from the table and replaced it with another, larger book. “If we do, it would’ve been written by Starswirl the Bearded.”

The Complete Compendium of the Life and Works of Starswirl the Bearded is what the cover read. I was waiting for everything to come together as I expected it would.

The book flew open as pages turned with haste in the purple aura of Twilight’s magic. After several seconds of searching, the aura lifted, landing on one particularly-faded page. In bold print at the top, in an odd font, was written Lords from Nowhere. The two mages immediately shot their attentions toward me, as I simply hunched over the book with an accepting grin on my face.

“Starswirl the Bearded was known mostly as a powerful magician, but he also liked to write plays in his spare time. This book contains all of his known stories and spells.” She stepped closer to the table and leaned over the book with us. “And it looks to me like we’ve found the play in question.”

I continued to stare down at the title of the play. I couldn’t hold my confusion in any longer. “This cannot be coincidence.”

Mr. 111 turned a few pages into the play and slammed a hand on one particular paragraph. “This proves it!” he cheered. We all gathered close to read it.

The paragraph spoke of the rebels’ plan to storm the castle and fight to reach the princess’s room. It outlined the plan of action should things go wrong. While not familiar with the play myself, the expression Mr. 111 held as he read it to us showed his familiarity with it.

“Proves what?” Twilight scoffed.

I couldn’t hold my laughter in any longer. I exploded, “It means your Starswirl and our Avon are the same being! There’s no way two different creatures from different worlds could write identical plays!” It took everything in my power not to collapse into a ball.

She blinked at me a few times before deciphering my fit. She scratched her mane and sighed, “How would that even work?”

I shrugged my shoulders, on the verge of tears from the hilarious fate lain out before us. Even if it were true, how would it be possible? Why would they be the same person, and why would he write the same plays twice, albeit with a few added horse puns?

Vivi sighed, “They have to be the same. If they are, then all the pieces of the puzzle will fit!” He had a point.

The same play predicting the same fate for the same world, written by the same person in a different form. Fate truly was cruel to those of us that never wished to follow it.

What was to come next was still unforeseen…

But we had a chance of fighting fate. Defying destiny…

But the last time I tried to rein my own life I nearly destroyed both of my homes…

Vivi Day Seven: Moonlit Reunion

“Are you sure you guys don’t want to sleep here tonight? I’ve got plenty of blankets…”

“No, that’s quite alright. We’ve discussed sleeping under the stars this evening.”

And with those final words, we left Twilight’s house and went walking seemingly-aimlessly through the sleeping town. It wasn’t until we were at the edge of the Everfree Forest near Sweet Apple Acres that Kuja finally stopped walking and actually decided to talk to us. He looked somewhat concerned with actually sleeping, and he carried himself carefully as we approached the first few rows of apple trees that the Apple family had planted in their orchard.

Kuja sent Mr. 111 a disgusted look before stopping in front of a particularly large tree. He scoffed, “I hope you don’t mind us sleeping outside, Vivi.”

Although a blanket would’ve been nice, I wasn’t bothered by a sky-view bed. “Not at all, I guess.”

“It’s just that,” he started with a sigh, “the last time I slept in this town, Mr. 33 died. A few of the Apples almost went with him, had they not fled when they did.” He kicked the tree as hard as he could and sent the larger mage another dirty look. “I don’t want to drag any more innocents into our affairs if I can help it.”

111 chuckled, “Last time I touched an apple tree I made a whole damn town sick!” He scanned it up and down before shrugging his shoulders and taking a leap off of the ground.

He landed on the lowest branch on the left side of the tree, facing away from the town and into the forest. Kuja chuckled knowingly at his reference and followed suit, landing on the lowest of the right-hand branches. I simply stood in place, never one for dexterity or acrobatics.

With a tone that almost sounded serious, Kuja laughed, “C’mon up Vivi! You haven’t lived until you’ve slept in an apple tree!” Before I could respond, he was on the ground behind me.

It only took him a few seconds to grab me by my collar, leap to the second-lowest branch, set me down, and hop back to his own resting place. Before I even knew what was happening, he was kicked back against the tree trunk, staring at the apples above us. Once I finally gained my bearing, I lay down on the branch like he and Mr. 111 did, not wanting to be ‘that guy’. Though truthfully, the thought of rolling off the branch scared me to death!

Aside from the rustling of the leaves and the sounds of insects in the distance, everything fell completely silent. I stared off at the barn owned by the Apple family, wondering what they would think about us sleeping in their orchard.

After a few minutes I started to doze off. The scent of apples lulled me into a blissful stupor. That is, until Kuja decided he wanted to speak up about something.

Out of nowhere, he sighed, “Are you scared, Vivi?”

Snapping out of my daze, I took a second to consider the question. Was I scared? Did I want to go home with Zidane and the others? Did I wish I could just live my second life in blissful ignorance of the impending disaster? Did I constantly pray that both Kuja and I would make it out of the ordeal alive? …Was I scared?

“Of course I am… Are you?”

“Terrified, actually.”

He spoke so calmly and yet I’d never imagined he could be afraid. I witnessed firsthand that he could be sad, but I never thought he would be afraid… There was so much more to the man than the monster we fought so many times on Gaia. I started to wonder just how much different I was from then…

I looked down at him. He was staring up at the moon again. I cheered, “But that’s okay, because as long as you’re afraid, you’re willing to do that much more to survive!” I wasn’t sure where I’d heard that, but it sounded like something Zidane would say.

He chuckled, “Thank you.” After a short silence, he sighed, “Does the air feel heavy to you tonight, Vivi?”

Heavy air? I’m not sure why, but I looked up at the moon without hesitation. Before I knew what to think about the sight, my voice came flowing out. “This world’s moon is mysterious, isn’t it? It almost feels like it’s watching us…”

The man looked at me with surprise coating his features. He groaned, “That’s just creepy! I was thinking the same thing…” He shot upright with wide eyes, excitement on his face. “Come to think of it, Twilight called their leader ‘Celestia’, right?!”

“Y-yeah…” Such sudden energy so late at night was a bit disturbing.

He chuckled, “’Celestia’ means ‘heavenly’, so maybe she has some connection to the sky and the stars. Maybe she is watching us right now!” He grinned at me as if he’d just solved all the riddles of life and death.

I sighed, “That’s even crazier than us being here, Kuja.”

He frowned and scoffed, “Okay, smart mage, what’s your idea?”

“I dunno…”

“Exactly. At least I have something!”

He started to laugh gently and I couldn’t help but follow suit. It wasn’t a ‘that was hilarious’ laugh, but more of a ‘this is fun’ laugh. Were we…having fun? In light of all the bad things we were sure would come, we were having fun. At that moment, with us laughing, I thought that Zidane would’ve been proud of us. Even as bleak as our future looked, we still put our worries on the back burner and laughed.

And then something weird happened. And I mean really weird!

We both looked up at the moon at the same time, and for a brief instant I could swear I saw an image in its glow. We shared confused expressions just as the world around us faded away. Everything fell silent, and we suddenly found ourselves alone. We were sitting where we had been, but the tree had vanished! Everything around us was just one white void. And yet, despite the sudden isolation, I felt calm. This place didn’t feel evil. Kuja simply stayed in place, staring at me, waiting for anything to happen.

“Where do you think we are?” I asked, somewhat hesitant to find the answer.

“You’re asking me as if I have a clue…” he sighed.

I began to hear a faint voice in the distance. It was serene and beautiful. I called out to it, “Hello? Is anyone there?”

“I hear it too,” Kuja whispered, trying to listen.

I recognized it from somewhere, and it grew louder as time went on.

“A voice from the past, joining yours and mine.

Adding up the layers of harmony.

And so it goes, on and on.

Melodies of Life,

To the sky beyond the flying birds - forever and beyond.”

The voice was so familiar to me…but I just couldn’t place the name or face…

And then, in the distance, a figure began to appear. It was a human figure in a beautiful dress. Long black hair came to view. Piece by piece, the person became clearer as the song grew louder.

Finally, memories came flooding back to me. Countless minutes spent with this person revealed who she was to me. I felt stupid for forgetting her name!

I called out, “D-Dagger?! I…mean…Queen Garnet?!”

Kuja looked at me like I was insane. He scoffed, “Is that her? Truly? I suppose it has been a few months since our final encounter…” He stared off at the figure slowly coming into focus. It was unmistakably her.

I knew she probably wasn’t real, and that she probably couldn’t hear me, but I called out again anyway… “Garnet, it’s Vivi!” Just seeing her made me happier. It was another familiar face in a world of strangers.

Suddenly the singing stopped, and she turned directly toward us. Her hands fell to her sides as she shouted, “V-Vivi?! Is that…really you?”

She could see me! She could really see me! Kuja’s jaw dropped as this realization set in. I cheered, “Yes! It’s so good to see you!”

“But…you’re… I don’t understand how—!” Her voice was cut off by another familiar sound.

“Your majesty, is that you?!” The voice was gruff and accompanied by the sound of clanking metal. It could only have been one person. Right on cue, the Knight of Pluto himself entered the frame, appearing just as suddenly as Garnet had. He looked just as confused as well.

I had to cheer, “Steiner!”

He looked around frantically, realizing he was in a void. His eyes locked on the queen before finding me. His jaw dropped comically and his hands clenched into fists in the usual fashion. He groaned, “M-Master Vivi, is it truly you? But that’s impossible!” He scratched his face before sighing, “I just thought I was hearing things, but it’s really you…”

I didn’t know what to think. ‘Hearing things’? What could that have meant?

The soldier didn’t miss a beat. He immediately turned toward the queen and demanded, “Your majesty, how did you end up here?”

“I…was singing my lullaby… And then I heard Vivi’s voice and followed it to the entrance hall…” She turned toward me, wondering what had drawn her to me.

Kuja simply shook his head in disbelief. He remained silent, as no one had seemed to notice him yet. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if it were all an illusion. I felt tears run down my gloves. I cheered, “I can’t believe you’re real! This is…amazing!”

Another faint voice called out into the void. It was higher-pitched, and seemed more excited than it should have been. Memories of its owner came flooding back almost immediately. “V-Vivi! Are you really there?!” Within seconds, the figure of the child appeared, dashing toward me.

Steiner attempted to grab the child as she passed, shouting, “Miss Eiko, you mustn’t! It could be a trap!”

Garnet giggled comfortingly as the Summoner simply ignored the middle-aged knight, powering right through his hand and toward me. Eiko scoffed, “No way, old man! It’s gotta be the real deal!”

I thought she would stop once she reached where the tree trunk should have been, but I was dead wrong. Before I could actually process the idea, the little girl leapt from the ground in front of me and tackled me off of my seat, landing directly underneath Kuja’s branch. The invisible seat obviously didn’t exist here. Eiko wrapped her arms around my neck and cheered excitedly as she felt I was real.

Steiner rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. He was always skeptical…

“Good to know I’m not crazy…” Yet another familiar voice called out as a tall figure with flaming red hair appeared. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn’t have forgotten that hair…

“A-Amarant? You look…different…” I greeted him as Eiko pulled me to my feet, essentially dragging me over to the rest of the group. For a little girl, she had a lot of strength. Heh, she was almost as tall as me after all the time I’d seemingly been gone from the world.

But Amarant was totally different. He looked more muscular, and his demeanor was more polite. The only thing that was the same was the hair.

He scoffed, “Of course I’m different. It’s almost been a year, and I ain’t an outlaw anymore.” With a slight hesitation, he continued, “And those kids of yours keep me busy… The damn tykes just haven’t left me alone since the play…”

My ‘kids’…took a liking to Amarant? I expected Garnet or Eiko…but Amarant?

“That’s interesting…” I chuckled, wondering just what all had happened since my death.

“You’re tellin’ me.” He knelt down beside me and whispered, “You’d be proud of ‘em, man. Even without Mist, their magic’s coming along great.”

I heard Kuja chuckle from the would-be tree. I followed quietly, “Thanks for looking after them, Red.”

A somber voice joined the fray. I recognized it just as surely as the rest. As the figure of the Burmecian soldier came into view, she sighed, “Isn’t this one big family reunion? I’ll admit, I never imagined I’d meet you again, Vivi.”

“Freya!” The soldier came into view, the only one of my old companions that was actually carrying her weapon. You could always find her in a crowd by looking for the spear…

“It looks as if the afterlife is treating you well. Or perhaps this is the afterlife…” She placed a hand to her chin in mock-contemplation.

I was suddenly reminded of exactly what would soon go down in Equestria. I groaned, “If only you knew the full story…”

“Why don’t ya tell us all about it?” Eiko chimed in, still just as excited.

Yet another voice tore through the silent void. This one didn’t seem to be talking to anyone in particular. Instead, it referred to the whole group with confusion. It sounded enthusiastic, even with the obvious dread in it.

“Hey fellas, what’s going on? Why are you all just,” in the middle of his speech he appeared before us, “standing around like statues?” It took him a few moments to realize he wasn’t where he was a moment before. He leaped back a step or two, shock overcoming his senses. “Whoa, where the heck are we now?!”

I couldn’t believe it. I simply couldn’t believe it. Six months… I lived six months after the fall of the Iifa Tree. In all that time, I’d never once heard anything about him. He turned around to save Kuja…and then he vanished. As we flew away in the Invincible, I watched him dodge monsters and roots from the living tree…but I never heard about him surviving the fall…

And yet here he was, almost a year after my death, alive and well.

I didn’t know whether to cry or cheer… All this time I’d thought he was dead and that my memories of him were just honoring him… But he was alive all along, presumably living happily with Garnet and the others.

The tears came pouring. I couldn’t even hope to stop them.

“Z-Zidane…?” For just a moment, I forgot that I was a tough mage. I forgot everything I’d survived and how much I had grown. For just a moment, I was like a little baby, separated from its mother for the first time. I let the tears pour until the hero finally gained his bearings on everything.

“Vivi! But I thought you were…” He cut himself off and burst into laughter, “Of course you ain’t gone! Not as long as we remember ya!”

The tears stopped almost instantly as he wrapped his arms around me. I suddenly realized what a scene I was making, and stopped as quickly as I started. Drying the tears with my hands, I sighed, “It’s been…over a year, Zidane…”

“Yep. It took forever to make it back to Alexandria. I was hoping to meet everyone there, but you were the absentee. Of course, your kids were more than happy to hang out!” He smiled his usual smile and shrugged his usual shrug. For the first time in days, I felt truly at home.

I looked back at Kuja in his seat. He was simply watching our reunion with mixed emotions. I could tell he wanted to do something—say something—but he was afraid to interrupt. Either that or he was afraid no one would be able to see him.

Zidane followed my gaze to where the tree once stood. His eyes opened wide and he lurched back another step at the sight that awaited him. He smiled real big and cheered, “K-Kuja?! You’re here too!” Without hesitation, he darted toward the old foe.

The rest of the group shot to attention, taking battle stances. Steiner roared, “Kuja is here, in this place? Of course the monster would feel no remorse for ruining such a touching moment!” He took a few steps closer to Garnet.

Amarant scoffed, “You think he’d show up here? How would that even work?”

Zidane stopped in mid-step, mere inches from the tree. He turned with a look of sorrow on his face. He sighed, “You guys can’t see him? But he’s right here…” The hero waved toward Kuja, who simply sat in place with a confused expression.

Eiko shrieked, “Eek, I can kinda see him!” She pointed right at his face, proving her point.

“You can, Miss Eiko?!” Steiner tensed up even more.

I groaned, “Calm down! He isn’t the same guy we fought!”

Zidane chuckled, “Not by a long shot.”

The group settled down at his comment and simply listened.

“Below the Iifa tree, in those last few moments when I thought we were goners, Kuja was a completely different person. He saved us from Necron’s void, after all. The light that brought us back to Gaia was his. If anything, we owe him our lives…”

With that, he jumped into the air and yanked Kuja from the tree by the hand. The entire group let out a collective gasp as—I assume—Kuja appeared before them. He looked at them each in turn before pulling his hand from our friend’s.

Taking a few steps backward, he scoffed, “I have no place in Vivi’s reunion, Zidane. It is his and yours alone.”

“As if!” Zidane threw a single punch, connecting with the former villain’s arm. He scoffed, “We’re brothers, ain’t we? And you’re taking care of Vivi, right?”

I cheered, “You could say that!” I received a few weird looks from our friends, but they kept quiet.

“See? I think that means you belong here. I mean, if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here, right?”

Kuja turned to object, but he was cut off by Zidane’s embrace. I could see his eyes open wide, and for a few seconds he struggled to get free. After realizing his brother wasn’t letting go, he simply relaxed and accepted his fate. The embrace carried on for a good few moments before our companions finally began to judge it.

“Can we really trust him?” Steiner groaned.

Garnet giggled, “Zidane does. And if Zidane trusts him, I trust him…”

“Right!” Eiko cheered. “Zidane always knows what’s right!”

Freya scoffed, “I suppose he does, doesn’t he?”

Amarant simply stood in silence, back to his usual self.

I turned back to see the older brother finally returning the hug. Tears were running down his face. I tried to imagine how conflicted Kuja must have been, but it was just impossible to do. I mean…everything he’d done and tried to do… And yet this one person single-handedly convinced everyone he wronged to forgive him. I…couldn’t begin to comprehend it.

The hug finally ended, and Zidane was once again back to his usual self. He chuckled, “Feeling a little sentimental there, bro?” His grin could make anyone smile.

Kuja wiped the tears and groaned, “O-of course not! I simply couldn’t breathe through your horrible stench, monkey!” A smile brushed across his face, and the atmosphere of the entire void finally shifted to peaceful once more.

After wrapping his arm around his brother’s neck Zidane half-dragged Kuja to the group.

We all shared warm smiles, albeit a few of them were reluctant.

As we carried on with our conversations, a warm white light began to cloud the void. And just as suddenly as we entered, we left. I opened my eyes to find myself in the warmth of the Equestrian sun, kicked back against the tree as I had been originally. Kuja sat in his spot, tears running down his face. When he opened his eyes, I saw warmth in them I hadn’t seen before. He looked at me as if asking whether it were all a dream or not.

And, honestly, I couldn’t even begin to answer.

But…it felt too real. Can…mere memories of people…create something like that?

Kuja Day Thirty-Six: Pretty vs. Practical

I’ve spent most of the day lost in a daze. Between attempting to convince myself that the events that transpired last night were just a dream and considering what we would say in the upcoming audience with the ruler of Equestria, I haven’t had much time to pay attention to reality. Yet there came a point where I simply had to focus on the current rather than the theoretical. While I agreed to let Vivi record the transcript of our ‘reunion’—the thought of being so easily forgiven by Zidane and his comrades still bringing a tear to my eye—I had my own reasons to leave it from my journal.

In fact, I was so lost in my own world that it wasn’t until the measuring tape was wrapped tightly around my waist did I realize that I was standing in a boutique surrounded by Twilight and her friends. Vivi and Mr. 111 stood off to the side, staring at the white mare hard at work simultaneously scribbling measurements onto a notepad and wrapping my limbs with her measuring tape.

The white unicorn with a shining purple mane was semi-familiar. I had met her at Pinkie Pie’s party the prior night. Though our introductions were brief, her name stuck out to me. ‘Rarity’, like a gem. Considering the mark on her flanks and the interior design of the boutique, I found the name fitting. At any rate, the ponies had apparently been carrying on a conversation while I was zoned out.

I came to my senses about midway through one of Applejack’s inquiries, “…ain’t gonna mind you smotherin’ him?” I could only assume she was referring to me.

“Of course not, darling. He hasn’t complained yet, at least.” The mare transitioned seamlessly from responding to her friend to whipping the tape to another limb. Honestly, her work ethic was to be admired.

I decided it would be best to allow her to work undisturbed on my part, so I stood in place as I had been during my unconsciousness. At about the time she decided to measure my forehead, I felt a disturbingly irresistible urge to sneeze. So I did.

And she freaked out. Turning away to let out the reflex, the measuring tape snapped in two and her concentration broke, sending anything in her magical aura to the ground…

Magical aura?

Magic?

How is it that after a full month in this world, I hadn’t actually taken time to note some ponies’ abilities to use magic? Not Gaian magic, mind you, but their own kind. Telekinesis was the only spell I’d seen, as with Twilight the prior night, and yet it had never truly dawned on me that it was magic.

…Whatever. Her notepad and quill fell to the ground, as did the two halves of the tape. I had expected her to be upset at the sudden disruption of her work, but she didn’t seem to mind it too terribly. Instead, she simply picked up her utensils and drew another tape from a nearby dresser. Her friends, on the other hand…

The pink pony exploded with sound, “Boy Kuja it sure is nice to know you’re still kicking! We thought you might’ve become a mannequin or something!” It’s worth noting that at that moment I learned that high-pitched tones plus excessive decibels do not equal a happy Kuja…

I…

Did I just write that?

I never would’ve…

I find myself questioning my mindset a lot lately. First my simple acceptance that this world exists, then my sorrow over Mr. 33’s death, followed by my ignoring of this world’s residents’ use of magic, and now using phrases and jokes I’d never once considered acceptable behavior. Something was changing within me…

I also seem to be excessively good at getting off topic.

I chuckled, “I guess I’ve just been…tired…” Maybe I had been tired. I don’t exactly remember sleeping last night. Not after our dream, at least.

Almost on cue, I heard Vivi let out a comfortable-sounding yawn. It almost made my body jealous. I had to resist the urge to top the rude disruption off with a bored-looking yawn. The little mage groaned, “We didn’t get much sleep last night. You know, keeping an eye on the forest and all.” I admired his swift thinking in making an excuse.

Or was it an excuse? Maybe he had actually been watching the forest.

Twilight tittered, “You three could’ve stayed at the library, you know.”

“And endanger the entire town? I think not!” Mr. 111 came to life with a sudden outburst of what all three of us had been thinking the prior evening.

For a second time, I felt the cold plastic of the measuring tape wrap around my forehead, this time from behind. Rarity decided to explain, “In case you’re wondering why you’re here, there’s absolutely no way I can allow you to meet with the Princesses wearing such...odd clothing.”

I remember thinking, in this exact train of thought: Princesses? There’s more than one? Wait…

“You mean you’re going to sew us new clothes?!” My eyes darted toward the two Black Mages, wondering if they’d already said what I was thinking. By the way Vivi turned away and Mr. 111 coughed, I could tell they hadn’t figured out exactly how to say it.

The unicorn giggled, “Of course, dear! You simply must be up to snuff if you’re going to meet royalty! And besides, it’s my passion!” She scribbled down the final measurement before waving a hoof at the row of mannequins lining the far wall. They were all ponies, covered in dresses and suits that I assumed she had crafted.

I took a moment to consider all of the ponies’ possible reactions to what I was about to say. Deciding it could only end in awkward disbelief, I simply explained, “You know the mages can’t remove their clothes, right?” As I had expected, the fashionista sent me a quizzical look while the others simply waited in silence.

Mr. 111 decided to elaborate, “We aren’t real people, Vivi and I. We’re actually puppets, kind of like dolls, put together by machines.” He fell silent here, almost as if he was trying to understand what he was saying. I could tell he didn’t like the truth, even if he’d been blunt about it before. “Underneath these clothes, there’s almost nothing. That’s why we don’t have faces or blood. Take away the shell, and we pretty much turn to air.” He clenched his fists before finishing, “That’s part of the reason why Mr. 33 couldn’t have been saved. His shell was removed.”

I could tell the ponies were skeptical about his explanation—assuming they even understood him—but they weren’t about to question him further. Like I expected, an awkward silence filled the air.

But Rarity accepted the challenge. “Very well then; if I cannot craft new clothes for you, I shall make additions to the existing fabric for a more regal ensemble!” She removed the sheet of paper with my measurements and tacked it to a small board above the nearby dresser. Not missing a beat, she pulled Vivi closer to the center of the room and began measuring him.

One of the ponies scoffed, “Typical Rarity… She won’t stop until everpony looks royal!” A Pegasus pony, cyan in color, with an oddly majestic prismatic mane and tail hovered barely off of the ground, her front hooves resting atop her fellow Pegasus companion.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were the two Pegasi of the Elements of Harmony. The local airhead and animal caretaker, both two of the supposedly most powerful ponies in Equestria, complimented one another almost perfectly like a puzzle. One carried herself with ego and confidence, while the other curled away in shyness and fear.

It truly is rare to find two puzzle pieces that fit so perfectly together in the picture of life.

Now that I think about it, Mr. 33 and Mr. 111 had a similar situation. They oftentimes switched positions on topics, one being aggressive and then calm, but the same principle applied. Perhaps that’s one reason Mr. 111 took his brother’s death so hard…

At any rate, we all exchanged idle banter over the course of the early evening. While Rarity finished her measurements and proceeded to work on the outfits, we simply sat around and carried on conversations about meaningless topics. Not once did any of us bring up Lord Avon, Starswirl the Bearded, or the monsters within the Everfree Forest.

I can’t say I was opposed to our avoidance of the topics.

And, just as the sun was starting to set, Rarity burst from her workroom with three layers of fabric floating gently beside her. Systematically, she passed out one layer to each of us foreigners. She sighed, “I’ve never make outfits for two-legged creatures before, so I can’t guarantee they’ll fit properly. However, I’m more than happy to make adjustments should you—!”

“This thing is perfect!” Mr. 111 cheered as he stared into a mirror behind the mannequins. Rather than seeing his usual ragged coat, I instead saw a suit of shimmering magenta with a shade of blue glowing through from underneath. Rather than his ripped and stained pants, a silver skirt-like garment similar to mine was hanging from his beltline. From the front and sides, he was a regal, groomed individual. From the back, however, our arduous weeks in this world became apparent.

It was the same for Vivi. While he didn’t exactly cheer, I could see in his reflection that he enjoyed his clothes. They were identical to the larger mage, albeit different colors. His suit was an awe-inspiring sapphire color, with a slight shade of ruby complimenting it. His skirt was an emerald, supplementary to the sapphire, which made the outfit shine brighter. Although not as worn as us, you could still tell he’d been through a lot from parts left uncovered. After seeing the fabric engulf him, he chuckled, “I like it a lot, Rarity!”

“Of course you do; I am an artiste, after all. And you, Kuja?” The mare looked at me expectantly.

I quickly draped the garments around my body, dressing as easily as I could over my usual fabric. Once the getup was put together, I stepped aside to stare into the mirror. Truthfully, I was impressed. The unicorn managed to take my taste in white fabric and fashion it into an entire outfit. I couldn’t quite explain what it was—a suit of sorts, I suppose—but it almost felt natural. I imagined myself wearing it on Gaia, and it made sense. Bright white fabric with silver shining through, wrapped around my body like a coat, warm and comfy.

Except I found it difficult to move in.

I began to remove the outfit without comment until the unicorn’s magic stopped me. She scoffed, “Is something the matter with it? Is it too tight? Maybe a bit scratchy?” A pony whose passion was fashion would freak out without feedback, wouldn’t she? It only made sense.

“The outfit is absolutely wonderful, Miss Rarity. In fact, I find it worthy of even royalty. And yet…” I paused to add an enjoyable tension to the mare’s expression, “I prefer practical over appealing.”

With a raised eyebrow she groaned, “Whatever do you mean?”

I noticed Applejack cringe, as if something were about to explode. I decided to choose my next words carefully. “The outfit is a beautiful composition of comfortable fabric and stylish colors, however it limits my movement. What should happen if we are attacked on the day of the meeting? If I cannot move, I cannot fight.” The unicorn relaxed as I finished explaining myself.

She sighed, “Is that all? Limited movement range? Thank goodness!”

Twilight chimed in, “You don’t need to worry about that, Kuja! The Canterlot Royal Guard is made up of some of Equestria’s best soldiers. There’s no way any monsters will be entering the city on their watch!” Her optimism stung my heart.

Never say never. Ever.

The fact that she had just said that made me even more worried.

Rainbow Dash scoffed, “Besides, Princess Celestia can handle anything nature can throw at her! Manticores, monsters, it doesn’t matter!” That was strike two.

Two ‘impossible’ statements usually equal a ‘probable’.

“And even if she can’t, you guys are super soldiers from a whole other world with infinitely more powerful magic than anything in Equestria!” Pinkie Pie let out a single breath, the words flowing from her mouth. I felt my head begin to throb. She added, “Right?”

If he’d had one, Mr. 111’s jaw would’ve physically dropped to the floor. He hunched over, arms hanging low as he groaned, “That…pretty much…sums it up…”

“Thought so!” Her voice caused the pain in my head to spike.

At least, I thought it was her voice giving me a headache.

Suddenly everything fell silent, as if I’d gone deaf.

I fell to the ground with a thud before losing consciousness.

I eventually woke up in the Ponyville hospital—again—a few hours later...

Intermission: From Another Set of Eyes

Am…

Am I doing this right?

I’ve never kept a journal before.

In fact, this isn’t even my journal.

I hope Kuja doesn’t get mad at me.

But since he and Vivi have been keeping everything up to date, I thought they might like a rundown of what’s happening while they’re out.

It’s the weirdest thing, you know. One minute they’re in Carousel Boutique, trying on new clothes, and the next they’re restrained in hospital beds, writhing and groaning in pain. I wish I could help them, but the nurse says no one needs to go near them until they settle down. I wish I could see what’s happening. I can hear them, as can most of the hospital, but I don’t know what’s wrong.

To be honest, this is the first time I’ve truly been scared since entering Equestria.

I…

Are they gonna die?

‘Gonna’, huh?

Guess I really haven’t changed much, have I?

I can act tough, and I’m smarter than Mr. 33 was, but I’m still just a kid, really.

I don’t think I’m doing this right. I keep talking about myself and how scared I am instead of what’s going on. But…I don’t know what’s going on, so what should I write about? I tried reading some of his past entries, but they didn’t really help much. In fact, the last few have been sporadic and scary. Random jerks between time periods and different trains of thought. It’s almost like he’s going crazy…

We’re all here, waiting for you both to recover. When you collapsed, your hair started to glow red. I knew what was happening, so I dragged you out of the boutique and into the open air. Last thing we need is to ruin Rarity’s home, right? By the time I went back in, Vivi was on the ground just like you. It all happened so fast.

But…why?

Dammit Kuja, you’re supposed to be the strong one! You aren’t supposed to get sick like this! I swear you’d better get well, or I’ll never forgive you!

Or Vivi…

I…

What should I do? If you both leave me alone…what will happen to me? I can’t protect this world… At least, not by myself. Please get well soon…

The ponies—Twi and her friends—went out for some dinner and said they’d be back before midnight. The nurses and doctors keep flowing in and out of your room. I’m…scared. But I won’t give up hope! Until you’re both dead and buried, I won’t stop hoping for you both to wake up! But the screaming coming from your room…hurts me.

The way you both started to Trance…worries me.

Why is this happening to you? You’re supposed to help the ponies. You both have been through too much to deserve this! It should be me! Me or 33, but not you guys! Dammit don’t do this to me!

…

Now that I’ve taken a while to walk and clear my head, this won’t last long. I’m sure it won’t. I mean heck, you’ve spent most of the month you’ve been here in a bed sick someplace or another. The first week in Appleloosa, then a whole other two weeks in this very hospital, maybe your job here is to be bedridden.

Ha ha…

But what about Vivi? He hasn’t been here near as long, and he’s already been through about as much as us as far as emotions and stress are concerned. Maybe…this is a sign from Starswirl—Lord Avon, whatever—that maybe we shouldn’t be here at all. What if we aren’t the ones meant to save this world? What if the world is rejecting us? Maybe that’s why you’ve been so sick the entire time.

I mean, Mr. 33 and I found you practically dead in the desert. When we arrived, we were perfectly healthy. According to Fluttershy, so was Vivi. Is there a difference between us and you? Is it because we're empty inside? But if that’s the case, why is Vivi in the bed beside yours? I don’t understand! There’s just so much I can’t know! It…It scares me!

Like when we woke up the first time. As Black Mages, we didn’t have memories or thought. We just worked like we were designed to. But waking up for the first time and becoming sentient was scary. I didn’t know anything. I couldn’t know anything. It was almost like I’d never existed. I didn’t know words. I couldn’t tell myself how to walk. Until I saw another one of my brothers do it first, I couldn’t do anything. I needed a railing to guide me. We all did, more or less. It’s scary, not knowing anything at all. Not even knowing why you exist or how you got where you were can be horrifying. But at least I wasn’t alone.

But now I am. I don’t know what to do or how do it, but neither of you are here to help me figure it out! Please, I don’t want to stay like this! This helpless, empty feeling is making me sick! I haven’t felt like this since the first day of my life. I…

No.

I refuse to let my fear win!

Dammit, Kuja! And you too, Vivi! You’d better wake up!

I’m not gonna sit here and wait forever! I don’t like waiting! I remember waiting day in and day out for Bobby Corwen to hatch, and it tore me apart inside. I had no…

Wait…

Bobby Corwen?

Boco?

I haven’t seen Boco all day!

Not since last night in the tree…

Did something happen to him?!

I wonder if…maybe he’s…

Where could he have gone?

Does it have anything to do with you two?

No, it couldn’t. I’m just grasping at straws here.

But…

Whatever. I guess I’ll tackle one wall at a time, huh. First you two have to get better, and then we can find Boco together! After all, he pretty much saved Vivi on their first day here, didn’t he? So there’s no way he’s gone yet. He’s a trooper, I’m sure. Anyway, I think I’ll take another walk. Maybe you’ll be up when I get back.

…

So the nurse tells me you guys finally settled down. The ‘pink glowing stuff’ finally went away. I think she meant your Trances, but either way it’s good news, right? I haven’t heard the screaming in while, either. She said I might be able to go in the room if you guys stay calm long enough. I’m looking forward to it.

Twilight and the others finally got back, too. She said she had to write a letter to the Princess about what was going on. I don’t think she learned anything new, though, because she looked disappointed. Was it disappointed? Or was it scared? I don’t think I can tell the difference...

I know I’m scared.

I dunno what I’d do if you guys left me, honestly.

I mean, I’d have to meet the Princesses on my own and tell them everything about Lords from Nowhere. I’d have to be really convincing without anyone else to back me up, though. I don’t think I could do it justice like your ‘this is fact’ approach. But…

You know what? This journal is boring! What’s the point?! It’s not even helping me clear my head! The more I write, the more I want to know about what’s going on! My head is swimming in endless circles of what-ifs! I just want to go to sleep, but I’m not gonna until I see you both alive and well!

So hurry up, because I’m tired.

Oh, I think I hear the nurse now!

…

“How're you feeling?”

“Fine... Nurse Redheart tells me…you’ve been waiting around…all evening… Thank you.”

“Not a problem! I kinda need you, Kuja…”

“And Vivi?”

“He’s still asle--?”

“Wh-where am I?”

“Vivi! You’re awake!”

“…”

“…Vivi?”

“Who are you guys?”

“Wha…?”

"..."

"Y-You're kidding, right?"

“...No…”

The First Day: Questions without Answer

From the Eyes of a Number

This…can’t be possible! It just can’t be! I… I expected you to remember everything once you got some rest but… Nothing! You say you can’t remember anything, and I just can’t believe it! You… You’ve truly forgotten everything. Gaia, your friends, us, and even the few days you’ve spent here in Equestria. Vivi, what happened to you while you were sick?

I… I think Kuja is taking this harder than even you are. He stormed out of the room this morning without a word. Nurse Redheart went looking for him and came back with regret plastered on her face. I don’t know what happened, but it couldn’t have been pretty. But I can understand why he’d be upset. I mean…

Losing one’s memories is a fate worse than death, in my opinion. To wake up one morning and know absolutely nothing is a curse. When we Black Mages first wake up, we know literally nothing about the world around us. That’s bad enough, honestly. But to wake up a second time with no memories of the people around you, yet basic knowledge of social conventions would be even worse… To be ignorant of your ignorance is one thing, but to have yourself questioned by your own ignorance is unbearable.

That’s one of the main reasons Mr. 33 and I focused on hatching Bobby Corwen: he gave us respite from our blatant ignorance of the world around us. As long as we wanted to keep the egg safe, we didn’t need to know anything else about the world. Our world was the hut we kept him in. We protected it, and it protected us from ourselves. And then he hatched, just as oblivious to the world as we were. Together, we got to experience some new things before we finally passed on.

But you’re alone on this front, aren’t you Vivi? There’s nothing here we can experience with you, because we’ve already experienced it. It was hard enough on me having to learn with my brothers. But you have to re-learn everything without anyone else to learn with.

To lose one’s memories is a fate worse than death.

If you can’t remember anything you’ve ever done, how can you be sure you’ve done anything? How can you know that you haven’t lain in bed the entire time you’ve been alive? How can you be certain that you never once hurt an innocent person on purpose? What do you do when you can’t remember anything? What decides how you act and respond to others when you have no memory of any of the trial and error you’ve went through in the past?

I can’t begin to imagine what you must be feeling. You’re probably lost in a sea of blank time, the waves of empty memories crashing against your boat of knowledge, sending you this way and that. But what if you remember something from your past? What if a memory from Gaia becomes the shore you’ve set sail from? How will you know how long you’ve been at sea? More importantly, how can you even be certain there’s another shore to land at? Where does the ocean of emptiness begin and end?

…

Look at me! I’m acting like this is some sort of poetry contest! You’re not lost at sea; you’re in your bed! And you’re probably scared out of your mind about all the emptiness inside you!

Yeah, the emptiness is something, isn’t it? If someone woke up one day to find themselves almost nothing but a shell of clothing with nothing inside, how would they feel? Knowing what you are is almost as important as knowing who you are! Right? Yeah, it has to be! If I woke up tomorrow as a pony, I wouldn’t know what to feel! I wouldn’t be an empty humanoid shell anymore. I’d have guts and blood and flesh. I could wear whatever I wanted without worrying about my body disappearing on me.

So if I woke up tomorrow without knowing what I was, would I still be worried about losing my body by removing my clothes? Probably not, because I wouldn’t know that my clothes keep me safe. So…how do you feel right now? I can’t begin to imagine all the questions you’re swimming through.

And you haven’t said a word to anyone since last night. The last word you spoke was “No” before becoming a mute.

…And that “No” hurt me and Kuja more than anything else could have. To know we’ve been forgotten about…I believe that’s a heavy burden to bear. It must be heavier for him though, because I mostly just feel sorry for you right now. But to be remembered is pretty important, isn’t it? I mean, I think if I died, I’d want everyone I ever met to remember me. That way I could live on in their memories, right?

That’s how it works, isn’t it?

Being remembered gives you a spiritual immortality, right? Just like being forgotten is the final way to die. If no one remembers you, then you truly don’t exist anymore. But we remember you, Vivi. We remember the way you were before last night. That’s how I know you’ll come back to us eventually. As long as you exist, you can’t not exist.

So take your time.

But hurry.

…

From the Eyes of a Brother

Dammit!

Dammit all to hell!

Why is this happening now?! Why now, when I’m actually beginning to develop a damned humanity?! Why couldn’t this have happened when I didn’t give two shits about anything around me?! Why does this piss me off so much…? It’s just his damned memories for crying out loud! What’s so special to me about them?

Heh…

That’s obvious, isn’t it, Kuja? The dream from the night before last holds all my answers. His memories created that place. It was his memories that drew his friends to that place. That’s the only reason I was able to see them all. I was only there because…I’m his friend now. His memories of me and our friendship let me be there to see all of them. To see those I tried to destroy…and be forgiven by them.

So, when I didn’t care about anyone else, I never could’ve experienced that reunion. His memories have given me a new purpose. I was forgiven for my atrocities on Gaia…because I was there to meet his friends. I was there to see Zidane. But…just because they forgave me doesn’t mean I can simply stop lamenting the past.

No. Because they forgave me, I’m obligated to forgive myself! But…I can’t do that unless I try to save Equestria. Redemption for destroying a world is saving another one. And I need his help. I need Vivi to succeed! Without him…I might as well give up. His power is extraordinary, whether he knows it or not. And if I’m going to be fighting something like it, I’ll need his power.

But if he doesn’t remember me or our quest, then why should he be inclined to help? If he doesn’t remember me, Equestria, Gaia, or Zidane, why would he want to believe anything I tell him about anything he’s ever done? I mean, the stories I can tell him are utterly unbelievable if you don’t remember the world you lived in! On Gaia, there were things you believed because you knew they were possible.

But he doesn’t know they’re possible anymore. Why would he believe me?

And he doesn’t have a clue what ‘Necron’ or ‘Garland’ is. So even if he remembered the world, would he be inclined to help if I described them to him? Without his memories, any emotional development he underwent in Zidane’s presence is wiped away. So right now, in his bed, being watched by the annoying nurse and the bigger mage, he’s probably the equivalent of a scared newborn baby.

He knows nothing.

He knows nothing, so he can understand nothing.

So what do I do? How can I help him? I can’t ask him to remember. I can’t put that selfish burden on his shoulders. If I tell him about our mission, he might get scared and use his amnesia to run away. If that happens, I’ll be inclined to leave him be. But…he might also feel obligated to remember everything for this world’s sake. And to put that much stress on the kid…would be cruel.

So I’ve made my decision. I’m not going to burden him with this world’s fate. If he remembers what we have to do, he can decide to help or not.

But it will be his responsibility to remember. I won’t force him. None of us will.

For all intents and purposes, he is no longer Vivi.

He is not the mage we know.

So we’ll fight. We’ll fight harder than ever before. I’ll fight to protect this world in his stead. I’ll fight to protect him in the hopes that his memories will come back. I know they will eventually…but will it be in time to help me protect this world? That’s not important. If they don’t come back, we’ll be doomed. If they come back too late, we’ll still be doomed. I would rather him be blissfully ignorant of what is to come than to remember and be unable to help.

But there is one thing that bugs me more than any other.

We both fell unconscious at around the same time. According to Mr. 111, we both underwent the same illness. We were Trancing in and out, screaming and lurching around in our beds. We both had the same problems. So then why is it that only his memories are gone? Why is it that I am forced to remember this cursed ‘fate’ Lord Avon predicted? Why is it that he is forced to forget everything he’s ever loved?

Why is Mr. 111 forced to sit with him and wait, while I’m out here pitying myself? How can I be so selfish? Surely he’s having trouble coping with this as well!

…

So I’ll go back now. I’ll sit with him and pray for Vivi’s recovery.

Why are we here in this world? Each minute that passes makes me question it even more. If we’re here to save this world, then why are we being tormented so cruelly by it? Or does this world have anything to do with what’s happening to us? Could it be some other outside force hurting us, trying to rip us apart using our emotions?

For all I know, it could be Lord Avon himself looking from beyond the stars, playing with us like dolls. He predicted the end of a world. Surely he has some omnipotent powers?

Now I’m just grasping at straws. This is ridiculous!

Has my humanity made me a fool? No matter what happens, I won’t give up hope. I’m useless without my companions, so I can only wish for Vivi to return to us. I’m certain he will, whether in an hour or in a century. I will protect him until he does remember. And then we can save this world together.

We can fight as one to save our new home. That’s what this new life is about, isn’t it? I shall remain ever hopeful.

So take your time, Vivi.

But hurry; the sands are ever falling.

…

From the Eyes of a Scared Doll

Who am I? What am I? Where am I?

All of these questions running through me…hurt. I don’t know any of the answers. Hundreds upon thousands of questions that I could never hope to answer scare me more than any nightmare ever could. Everything is completely blank. I can’t find anything in my mind. There’s nothing there.

I remember a creature that was short and round, with a long red tongue and pasty white skin. I remember a dark, misty cave. I remember a forest. But there are no words or sounds in the memories. They’re just images in the back of my mind. But I know I’m here, wherever here is. But how did I get from that place to this one? There’s nothing between then and now. The more I try to find something, the larger the expanse of nothingness grows.

How much time passed between then and now? How long have I been here?

What’s my name? Why are these two creatures sitting in this room, watching me? Why does one look like me? Why does the other look so sad? Have I done something wrong?

Did I do something to make them watch me? Did I hurt someone, or break something important? Is there a reason the pink-haired lady talks to me like a baby? Am I supposed to be stupid? Am I supposed to be helpless?

I wish I could ask someone. I’m too scared, though. If I were supposed to know what went in the blanks of my mind, I already would. If I were supposed to be someone, I’d know who it was. No one has tried to tell me anything. They ask me questions I can’t answer. They tell me things I have no way of understanding. I’m so confused by my stupidity that I’m afraid to talk. What if I say something that I’m not supposed to? I don’t want to be rejected by these creatures.

I don’t know who or what I am. I don’t know my role in this place. If I fail a job I don’t remember, can I still be punished? Or do I have a job to begin with? The longer I sit and think, the less I realize I know. The longer those two sit and stare, the more I’m afraid I should understand them. But I don’t understand them. I don’t even understand myself. How can I hope to understand them?

Pointy-hat and White-hair just sit and watch me. They look sad and scared. Sometimes they ask me questions and other times they whisper to each other. White-hair had water running down his face earlier. I don’t understand that. He started looking really sad and then the water came. Does that mean he was sad? T…

Te…

Tears!

Those were called tears! I remember that! When you get really sad, you cry! The tears come because you cry!

I remembered something! It…probably doesn’t make a difference, but I remembered it. That’s progress, isn’t it? It’s better than being completely stupid. When the tears were falling, I wanted to cry too. I don’t know why. Seeing White-hair sad made me sad. At least, I think I was sad. I don’t really know the difference between what I’m feeling now and sadness. I realize that emotions are complicated, and I can’t hope to understand them.

I tried to take my pointy hat off earlier, because it keeps drooping in front of my eyes and distracts me from my thinking, but Pointy-hat stopped me. He told me that if I took it off, it would hurt me. I don’t want to be hurt. I don’t think I want to be hurt. What does pain feel like? I can’t even remember that. But…everyone gets hurt, don’t they? So why can’t I remember what it’s like? I know it’s a bad thing, but I want to remember it as well.

Because…

Everything is a part of you. The good times, the bad times, and the times you can’t remember make up who you are. Without all three, you can’t really be a person, can you? No, you can’t. So without my memories, I’m not real. I don’t have memories, so I don’t have emotions. I don’t know what to feel about these questions. Without them, I’m not smart enough to learn from this. I feel so empty when I think about how dumb I am.

But Pointy-hat has been sitting in this room with me all day. He just sat there, staring at me. Sometimes the pink-haired lady would make him leave and she’d give me some food, but then he’d be back a few minutes later. White-hair showed up a few hours ago. I don’t know what they want or why they keep watching me, but I feel…okay.

Com…

Comfort?

Comfortable! Their being here makes me feel comfortable! I feel almost at peace with them here! I feel safe with them by my side! I want to think that…no matter why they’re here…they’ll protect me. In fact, I know they will! Why else would they still be here? They have to want to help me!

Maybe they know something about the stuff I can’t remember. What if they were with me when I lost my memory? We could’ve been together for years! That must be why White-hair looks sad: because I forgot him! But if we’ve been together for a long time, surely I’ll remember him sooner or later. It only makes sense. Maybe we’re all…

F…

Fren?

Friends! Friends! Friendship! We’re friends! I remember that much! I don’t know their names or what we used to do together, but I know we’re friends! When the pink-haired lady is in the room, I don’t feel as at peace as I do with those two! That has to mean we’re friends! So…

Yeah, I’m sure of it! They’ll protect me! They’ll help me remember who I am! And once I remember, things can go back to normal. I’m sure they’ll be happy when that happens. I know I will. I don’t know much right now, but if it keeps coming back to me, I’m sure it won’t take long for it all to come back…

But I want to stop confusing myself with questions. I want things to be normal again. I don’t want them to be sad. I need my memories back! But…if they all come back too fast, I might hurt myself with all the answers.

I need to take my time and let it come on its own.

But I have to hurry, for their sake.

…

From the Ears of a Working Nurse

“How long does amnesia like this usually last?”

“How should I know? It’s not like it happens every day.”

“But you’re a nurse! Surely you have some idea! There have to have been some other cases.”

“Nothing like this. Most are the result of head trauma. But Vivi’s a special case.”

“We have to keep in mind he isn’t a pony, either. Normal cases probably wouldn’t matter anyway.”

“…You’re right. But we aren’t leaving until he’s better!”

“Fine. Stay all you want. He could use his friends, I’m sure.”

“…Fr…”

“Vivi?!”

“Is he…?”

“…Friends…”

“…!”

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

The Second Day: A Thorn in Their Sides

From the Eyes of Magic

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today…was interesting, to say the least. I learned a lot about our visitors from another world. For example, they have quite a few creatures with scores to settle. There were two particular monsters that decided today would be a fine time to collect their debts. Kuja made quick work of them, although I disapprove of his methods. Still, what he did is better than letting them hurt any innocent ponies.

I wonder if they were out for revenge…or just out for blood. They weren’t playing games, whatever they wanted. If Kuja hadn’t stepped in, I actually think they would’ve killed us all…

…

We’d been told that Vivi had finally decided to talk to somepony, so we all hurried to the hospital to see him. By the time we got there, he was fast asleep. Nurse Redheart was busy examining him for any sort of lasting physical injury, while Kuja and Mr. 111 were too…happy, I think…to sleep. Instead, they decided they wanted to take a walk. Not sure what to make of it, I suggested we walk with them.

It was uneventful. We walked from the hospital to the edge of the Everfree Forest and back again. However, I managed to overhear the two foreigners talking about what they planned to do for Vivi. Nothing worth noting was said. As we were going back to the hospital, I noticed them tense up. They stopped walking normally and instead looked to be on guard. I didn’t think much of it, simply because we were near the forest: bad memories for them, and all.

We decided to wait with them through the night, hoping Vivi would be better when he woke up. It was…a long night of boring silence. It was punctuated by Nurse Redheart letting her patient out of his room to do some walking. Two days in a bed can be bad for your health, after all. Kuja and Mr. 111 insisted on taking him to the Sweet Apple Acres orchards, and after some slight persuasion, Redheart said it would be okay.

We followed them.

Looking at it in retrospect, we probably shouldn’t have. I think my friends learned more than they bargained for. I might have, as well.

It was a quiet walk, peaceful with a cool breeze. I couldn’t help but wonder what good the orchards would do the little guy, but it felt like a relaxing place to be. Applejack was skeptical too, but I think that had more to do with ‘protecting her apple trees’ than anything else. When I asked about their motives, they simply replied with, “Trust us.”

So I did.

Things got interesting once we reached a particularly large tree.

Kuja began suddenly, breaking the calm silence of the morning air, “Have you remembered anything else, Vivi? You said we were friends. Can you remember our names?” I wondered why they hadn’t told him their names yet. I imagined there was method to their madness, so I kept quiet.

Applejack offered to make everypony pancakes for breakfast, so the others headed off to her house. I stayed behind with the mages, hoping to learn whatever I could from them. I also hoped my presence might be comforting to the amnesiac. Moral support, you know.

“I,” the little mage began quietly, “…don’t. Sorry.” He clenched his fists and looked down at the ground.

Mr. 111 sighed, “Don’t be, Vivi. It’s not your fault.”

“It’ll come back eventually, I’m sure.” Kuja placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, his expression relaxing to pseudo-happiness. He wasn’t fooling anypony.

A long silence followed his reassuring message. The wind continued to blow gently, sending the scent of apples across the orchard. After a while, Kuja simply sat down against the base of the tree. Mr. 111 guided Vivi beside him, and they all sat together. They looked like a group of brothers, except Kuja would’ve been the rebel of the family…

Once the breeze finally died down, conversation was struck again. With a hopeful tone, Mr. 111 asked, “Have you tried reading your journal, Vivi? Maybe it can help you remember!”

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!” Kuja sounded genuinely excited for the first time. He leaned closer to his companion and whispered, “Do you have your journal, Vivi?”

“Yeah, I do, but…” he reached into his coat and pulled out a semi-tattered book, “there’s nothing in it…”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” The larger mage sat back against the tree, his hope fading fast. It took only a second for him to leap to his feet and shout, “What do you mean there’s nothing in it?!”

Vivi flinched, tossing the book at him. He covered his head with his arms and pulled the brim of his hat lower, evoking an angry glare from Kuja directed at the insensitive brother. Then it dawned on me where Mr. 111 was coming from. Vivi had said the book was ‘empty’, but I’d personally seen him writing in it!

“Don’t look at me like that, Kuja! There’s no way the book is empty!” He lowered his voice before addressing the child-like mage, “I’m sorry I yelled. Maybe you opened the book wrong.”

He unclipped the seal of the book, dust falling from the cover. It almost looked like it hadn’t been used in years… He flipped through the first few pages before dropping it to the ground, eyes flooding with disbelief. It landed on its cover, revealing the contents of the current page.

That was assuming it had had contents. It was blank. The third page was blank. There were no scratch marks from where his quill would’ve eaten through the other pages, either. I couldn’t believe it! I brought the book to me with magic and scanned each of the first dozen pages closely. Mr. 111 stared at me expectantly, while Kuja simply sat in silence.

Shaking my head, I sent the book toward him. He took once glance at it and I saw the rage flood his eyes. He struck the tome hard enough to knock it from my grip before leaping to his feet and kicking the tree. He let out a primal roar, sending Vivi crawling away in a frightened hurry.

“What the (pardon my language, I’m simply transcribing) hell! What the hell is going on here?” Before I could intervene, he landed a punch against the tree hard enough to send some apples plummeting to the ground. After a few more kicks, Mr. 111 took it upon himself to restrain the frenzied man.

It only took a single slap to knock sense into Kuja. Admittedly, I heard the slap almost like an avalanche, but it was still only one. After that, he settled down and plopped to the ground without concern for injury. The big mage attempted to calm Vivi down with some reassuring phrases, but I was more focused on the impossible notebook.

How—or maybe it’s better to ask why—did everything he wrote disappear? I know I watched him write about our work cleaning up Fluttershy’s home after the manticore attack, so why isn’t that stuff in the book? Is it possible that his amnesia directly affected the contents of the book? Or maybe the pages of ink affected his memories? Is that even possible? Is it possible that a person’s mind and a book could be so deeply connected?

Whatever the reason, I have a feeling it has to do with what followed the brief frenzy.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget what I saw. It was so…impossible, even by magical standards!

Applejack and the others had just rejoined us, unaware of what had transpired to freak Vivi out and make Kuja so angry. Pinkie Pie tried to cheer the mages up, but it just wasn’t going to work. When they asked what was wrong, all they got was a scoff from Kuja and a sigh from Mr. 111. I refused to say anything, thinking it wasn’t my place to reveal what I’d seen.

And then a cold wind blew from the forest. A cold wind in the middle of summer, colder than any of the breezes earlier in the morning, engulfed us. It sent a shiver down my spine. The sun was just reaching its pinnacle when Kuja actually acknowledged the sudden shift in temperature.

I noticed his muscles tense up as he stood swiftly, looking around. The others shared confused looks, but I knew something was wrong. In fact, they didn’t seem to notice the chill, either. It was just the mages and I, chill bumps beginning to form under my coat. Mr. 111 waited only slightly longer to follow Kuja’s lead, realizing it wasn’t natural. Even Vivi decided to stand up, only his was more in preparation of running than fighting.

And then the voices called out. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were in the middle of some sort of story when they suddenly fell silent. Though they didn’t seem to notice the air, they definitely heard the voices. The two voices were similar in sound, high-pitched and squeaky. I couldn’t begin to picture the owners. When I tried, weird images of beasts came to mind.

First it was a simple taunt, “The children have come to play!”

Then the other voice repeated, “Come to play, have they?”

Again with the first voice, “They have!”

“They have!” the second voice concluded.

I saw Kuja’s jaw drop, while Vivi struggled to maintain his balance. A burst of icy-cold wind sent us flying off of the ground. Disoriented, I noticed my friends begin to frost over. They were freaking out, oblivious to the temperature, until they were finally coated. I felt my limbs lock up, unable to move or speak. Kuja and Mr. 111 held their ground. Vivi ended up crashing against Rainbow Dash’s frozen body, unaffected by the frost. I couldn’t tell if I was frozen, but I was definitely cold.

The wind died down, and two shadows appeared floating just above the tree line. As they moved closer, light began to illuminate their features. Their faces were coated with white paint, eyes circled by black. Their outfits were identical, resembling those of clowns or jesters.

The first voice called, “The kids need to chill, Thorn!” It was wearing blue.

The second voice confirmed, “Make them chill, we will, Zorn!” It was wearing red.

Kuja retorted angrily, “Like hell you will, you clowns!” I…don’t exactly believe what I saw happen after that, because I was dazed from being thrown by the wind…

But a giant burst of fire launched from Kuja’s hand, exploding just in front of the clowns. He squatted down and pounced from the ground, a large white spear manifesting in his hand as he darted through the air. Mr. 111 raised his hands up, wind beginning to swirl around them. As he stood in place, dust and dirt started to be drawn toward his cyclones, culminating in mini-tornadoes which he launched upward at the clowns. The smoke from Kuja’s initial attack faded to show the clowns, hands locked together, simply floating in place, taking the blows.

Kuja landed several strikes and stabs, drawing blood and groans from its targets, but he had to retreat when his friend’s cyclones engulfed the pair. The big mage was quick to continue his assault, sending large chunks of the field beside him hurtling toward the creepy couple. As they made contact, the wind dissipated, and Kuja darted in to continue his assault. This carried on for a few moments until the two eventually plummeted to the ground.

Kuja hesitated to stop, but decided he would wait and see what was next. He scoffed heavily, “You aren’t fooling anyone, idiots! You didn’t even throw a punch!”

Mr. 111 groaned, “Why aren’t you attacking?!” He sent more chunks of rock at the hole where they landed, not giving them a chance to get up.

With a wave of his hand, Kuja stopped the attack. He sighed, “Fighting them like this won’t do any good. They’re two parts of a whole. You have to strike the core, not the shell.” I didn’t understand what he meant at first, but it only took a few minutes to figure it out.

A bright light burst forth from the hole, sending a shockwave of energy to knock the assaulting mages back further. When the light dimmed out, I realized what he meant before. Above the hole, in place of the clowns, stood a monstrosity that I couldn’t have ever imagined in my darkest dreams. It was a grotesque abomination of nature.

It looked like a clump of bloody flesh molded into shape like an urn, a sapphire gemstone in the center of its chest and two demonic heads sprouting from the torso. In place of arms it had three small tendrils on either side that twitched in a dysfunctional manner. Sprouting from its back it had two wing-like appendages that lashed out angrily. Its lower half looked to be the bottom of a nightgown or robe, while the center strip of its body pulsated like veins.

I wanted to vomit, but not even my stomach could react under whatever was plaguing me. Kuja seemed entirely unfazed by the beast. He spat, “Meltigemini, the beast given birth by the Mist to devour eidolons and hunt those capable of using magic. To fulfill its desires, it split in to two separate but identical wizards, using the shape of humanoids to blend in.” Turning to wink at me, he added, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t eat animals.”

A smile stretched across his face. He was…happy to be fighting the monster. His eyes shined with a joy I hadn’t seen in them at all. Even the moment he learned his Lord Avon was our Starswirl paled in comparison to the joy he showed at that moment. He chuckled as he turned back toward it, raising his spear high in the air.

Mr. 111 stepped away from it, seeing Kuja’s ecstatic expression. With a wave of his arm, he cheered, “The honor’s all yours.”

“Thank you.” He launched off of the ground once more, looking ready to obliterate the monster. He released a blast of silver light ahead of him, using the spear to swat it like a ball at the beast with even more speed.

The light exploded, sending the demon recoiling in pain. It took a swipe with one of its wings, to which Kuja reacted by slicing right through it. Gore burst from the severed limb while the excited fighter continued to strike its many other appendages. It only took a few minutes for the monster to be reduced to nothing but a shriveling pair of heads. The last piece Kuja struck was the glowing gem, and once he did, the beast began to melt.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Nothing like that should be possible! Why did that thing exist?! What kind of magics had to mix to form such a gruesome abomination of nature? It…simply melted into the ground, almost as if it never existed to begin with. And once it was done melting, the two conjoined heads burst into flames, the figures of the clowns reappearing in whole. They had smiles on their faces.

“The end is coming, fools!”

“Coming for you all, the end is!”

“You can’t stop it!”

“It can’t be stopped!”

“Only pain, no hope!”

“No hope, only pain!”

“He will be here soon…” The blue one burst into ash.

“Soon will He be here…” The red one followed suit.

And with that, the frost coating my friends shattered, returning their mobility. I found myself suddenly able to move, but without the energy to do so. I couldn’t begin to understand what had just happened. Even once the beast was gone, Vivi simply sat curled up against Rainbow Dash, arms over his head. The poor kid…

Kuja fell back on his butt and sighed, “A blast from the past, eh Vivi?”

“…” The little mage continued to cower.

Rainbow Dash placed a shaky hoof on his shoulder and sighed, "What was that...thing?"

"It looked like the most evil thing my eyes have ever seen! It ain't from around here, that's for sure!" Applejack placed a hoof on the mage's other shoulder, attempting to comfort the still-frightened child.

Fluttershy's voice whispered to us, muffled by the grass her face was buried in, "That thing wasn't...real...was it?"

Kuja simply nodded in confirmation of how real it had been. Then Pinkie Pie's voice exploded in our ears, "Kuja that was so awesome! You were all like kaboom and it was all like grahh, then you were all like schwing schwing and it was all like--!"

The voice was suddenly silenced by Rarity clenching our energetic friend's muzzle with her hooves. She scoffed, "I think he gets the picture, dear." She carefully let go and turned toward the exhausted man on the ground. With a bit of anger in her voice, she whined, "Well? Are you going to tell us what that thing was or not?"

“I suppose I do have some explaining to do. But I think that can wait until after lunch, right?” The victorious combatant turned toward me and smiled sheepishly. His spear vanished into thin air, and he fell on his back and looked to be embracing the grass.

Mr. 111 groaned, “That was a Gaian monster.”

“And…?” Kuja mumbled.

“That doesn’t bode well.”

After we finally calmed down, we went to Applejack’s house and ate some of her homemade cooking. After we ate, Kuja decided to explain what the monster was, where it came from, and why it wanted to kill us. He then explained to my friends what the clowns meant by ‘the end is coming’. I confirmed his explanation as best as I could from what I knew about Starswirl the Bearded’s play, and tried to help them understand exactly what I knew.

Vivi remained quiet during the whole discussion. He simply shivered in fear of what he’d seen, unable to grasp the concept of the monster being real. He really was just like a kid.

That is, until the end of the discussion, when everypony fell silent and all we had to listen to was the breeze outside. He had finally stopped shivering, and we all began to settle in. We had planned on spending the evening together in silence, letting everything soak in. Finally, the sun began to set, and we all decided to get some early sleep. Just as the atmosphere shifted from confused to sleepy, Vivi managed to choke out one word…

“…Ei…ko…”

…

You can probably imagine that Kuja freaked out when he heard the word. According to him, Eiko was one of Vivi’s friends from their other world, and he had developed a sort-of crush on her. The older mages attempted to probe Vivi’s mind to see what all he remembered about the word. Sad to say, it wasn’t much. He could remember the name and her appearance, but he had no recollection of any specific events involving her.

As the moon rose in the sky, we settled down again, the hype for his memory vanishing slowly. This time, it remained peaceful.

So I decided to write this to you before falling asleep. I imagine you’d like to know exactly what these visitors are involved with before inviting them to Canterlot. I want to trust them. I want to help them. But it’s hard to trust someone you know nothing about. And now that I’ve seen exactly what kind of world they lived in, it’s even harder to accept them. I don’t hate them, and I won’t ignore them. I know they want to help us.

But isn’t the road to disaster paved with good intentions?

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

The Third Day: A Bountiful Train Ride

From the Eyes of the Overlooked Assistant

Dear Diary,

Today was one heck of a busy one! I’ve been hard at work since before the sun came up! Twilight and her friends were doing their own work, I guess. I mean, if you can call that work, anyway. All they really did was try to convince that Vivi kid to come with us to Canterlot. Well, that and all the packing they had to do. Actually, now that I think about it, they really were busy all morning…

But once we got on the train, they pretty much had the whole trip to relax. I mean, it’s not like they had to put up with her. I’m still having flashbacks!

I guess it didn’t take much for them to convince the kid to come with us. It probably had a lot to do with his two weird friends. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they’re cool and all, but the white-haired guy is nothing but trouble! After what Twilight told me this morning, I’ve had my eyes glued to him. I’m not about to let whatever skeletons are in his closet hurt my friends!

Like she almost did on the train ride.

What was her name again? I mean, I remember the giant axe, but I think she was too busy threatening me for me to catch her name… No, wait, I remember it! It was…um…darn… Well, if I start from the beginning, I might remember!

…

Let’s see… I burped up the letter from Princess Celestia and hurried over to Sweet Apple Acres to give it to Twi. I ended up waking everypony up, but the letter was stamped with an emergency notice. She gave me one to send back, and once all her friends were awake she read it to us. It was a summons to the castle! Not even a request, it was a summons! So, naturally, she darted off in a hurry to get ready. The rest of the ponies hurried to pack their own things.

You know, ‘the essentials’ as Rarity refers to them. Which basically means dozens of sets of clothes she won’t have time to wear. Oh well. But while the ponies were hurrying off to get ready, the strangers just kind of…walked around outside by the orchards. I hurried back to the library to help Twi.

After about two hours of packing, unpacking, and checking things off of lists, we were finally ready to leave. As we were getting ready, she told me everything about yesterday, and how they were attacked by a monster. I was a little skeptical at first, but after seeing the panic in Canterlot, I’m starting to believe it more and more.

Anyway, we met at the station at around noon to catch the very next train heading toward Canterlot. We loaded on, most of us sitting in one car, while the strangers decided to sit in the next car over. By that point, I was kinda curious about the white-haired guy. I mean, Twilight had told me about his powerful magic. In fact, I was starting to get a bit suspicious of him. After all, Ponyville had never been attacked by forest animals before he showed up a few weeks back.

The train set off from the station, only a few passengers not summoned by Celestia actually riding. Our car was empty except for us, which was cool because we could talk about whatever we wanted. After we were in motion for a few minutes, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to join the strangers in their car.

It was the emptiest I had ever seen a train car! Besides them, there was no one there! I heard a bunch of chatter from the next car, so I figured anypony that had been there moved away at the sight of such weird creatures. Anyway, they invited me to sit with them and enjoy the ride, so I said yes.

Things got kind of weird not long after that, though.

I got caught staring at the white-haired guy, and I think he almost got angry. If the kid hadn’t been there, he probably would’ve been a little scarier. I couldn’t help myself though! After what Twi told me, I wanted to keep my eyes on him to make sure he didn’t do anything bad! After a while, he finally got fed up with my glare.

“Can I help you?” he snapped.

I was kinda caught off guard by the sudden conversation, so it took me a sec to think of what to say. I finally settled on, “I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Spike.” I got up from my seat and approached him, holding out my claw.

He looked a little surprised when he sighed, “My name is KooJah Kuja (he taught me how to spell it a minute ago). It’s a pleasure to meet you, Spike.” He reached out with one hand and we shook. Honestly, that was the first time I’d ever had a ‘handshake’ as a hello.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle’s trusty assistant!” I cheered. Then, I leaned in close and whispered, “I kinda help keep her sane. She’s a sort of obsessive pony, y’know.”

He chuckled in response, “I imagine so. Being smart can be a burden sometimes.” He waved a hand at the two pointy-hats beside him and added, “These two are VeeVee Vivi and Mr. 111, respectively.”

The big one cheered, “Mr. 111; it’s a pleasure to meet you Spike!”

The little one kept quiet for a second before finally looking up from the ground. He looked right at me and mumbled, “Vi…vi…”

“He’s kinda quiet, ain’t he?” I remarked.

Kuja sighed, “Yeah. I can’t blame him though.” He leaned down to me and explained quietly, “He can’t remember anything. I’m sure he’s just scared.”

I suddenly felt really bad. I guess I’d be quiet if I didn’t have any idea what was going on. I kinda wanted to change the subject as fast as I could, so I turned to the bigger guy and chuckled, “So you’re a number, huh?”

“Pretty much,” he said bluntly. Shrugging his shoulders, he stood up and stretched. “I mean, being a number isn’t bad. It’s better than being called Thorn.” I’m pretty sure he winked at Kuja just then.

“More like a thorn in our sides,” he spat. Then, with a knowing glint in his eyes, he started laughing playfully.

I was suddenly unbearably curious about him. He had a happy expression right after talking about somebody that annoyed him. I wanted to know why, but that’s kind of a weird question to ask. So, being the idiot I am, I ended up asking, “So what are you guys? Monsters?”

Mr. 111 groaned, “I haven’t been called a monster since the last time I wandered outside Black Mage Village chasing after Bobby Corwen…” I heard a little bit of sadness in his tone towards the end. Had he really been called a monster back home?

Vivi suddenly lurched from his seat, eyes glowing bright. He cheered, “Bobby Corwen! Boco!” Kuja flinched away, a look of absolute happiness on his face. The bigger fella did a small dance, laughing happily. The kid continued, “I remember him! He was the little yellow bird! He saved my life once…”

Wait… A little yellow bird, huh? Now that I think about it…didn’t I see a weird chicken climb into Fluttershy’s bag before we left? I might’ve imagined it…

Mr. 111 chuckled, “Of all the things to remember, you remember the little baby chocobo! That’s awesome!” He patted Vivi on the back in a ‘proud of you’ manner, looking right at Kuja.

The white-haired stranger sighed, “Not only do you remember the bird; you remember an actual event involving him. That’s better than your memory of Eiko.” He placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, gripping gently. His smile grew even wider.

“Wait…” Vivi mumbled. Suddenly, he darted forward again, breaking from Kuja’s grip. He cheered, “There’s some more! I remember…a number…”

“…Number…?” I repeated curiously.

He turned toward the large fella and groaned, “Two numbers! Thirty…Thirty… Oh, thirty-three! Mr. 33!” He started bouncing from foot to foot, overjoyed to be remembering stuff. I couldn’t help but feel happy for him. His friends looked at each other silently, waiting for the other number. Excitement was pretty obviously on their faces, though. Finally, after a few more seconds of thinking, Vivi whined, “I…can’t think of the other. I know it’s a number…but I don’t know which one.”

Mr. 111 suddenly deflated, his excitement floating away in a sigh. He still looked happy for his friend, but he definitely wasn’t near as happy as before. He sighed, “Well, you’re halfway there, anyway.”

“Can you remember anything about Mr. 33?” Kuja didn’t seem ready to accept such a sudden chain of memories.

“Um…” the kid started, “…he had a friend: the other number I can’t remember. And they took care of Bobby Corwen while he was still an egg. I can’t remember the other number though…”

It was pretty sudden. I almost missed it. But the bigger man fell to his knees and embraced the kid. It was pretty sentimental for the man. Wait…Mr. 111, huh? Was he the number Vivi couldn’t remember? Yeah, that makes sense! Suddenly, the way he reacted to Vivi’s memory makes me sad. I mean, he was still forgotten, but he hugged his friend. I guess friends stick together though. If hanging with Twi’s taught me anything, it’s that.

Suddenly, I heard two loud thuds, and the chatter from the next car grew louder for only a few seconds. A voice pierced through the emotions with a scoff, “How touching! The baby knows a name!” Everyone shot their attention toward the source.

The creature looked a lot like Kuja, except she was darker and had more meat on her bones. She had some kind of animal-pelt skirt around her waist and some sorta leather shirt draped on her shoulders. Most of the middle of her body was bare, except for a tight strip of white cloth wrapped around two large lumps just below her collar. There was a furry hat with a feather stuck through it resting on top of her dark red hair. Her gloves matched her shoulders, and behind her, hanging from a leather strap, was a ginormous iron-and-silver axe!

I’m not really sure why, but I thought she was kinda cute…

Well, I did, until she swung the axe at Mr. 111. I mean, I blinked, and suddenly the axe was wedged in the side of the car! Luckily she missed, but that was one serious swing! If Kuja hadn’t yanked the pair of pointy-hats back by their collars, I’m pretty sure we’d only have half of the numbered one! She recovered pretty fast, ripping the weapon from where it landed.

“Ha! Nice reflexes, Kuja. I guess he He (Kuja told me to capitalize anytime she said ‘he’) wasn’t kidding when He said you handed it to those court fools. But what you don’t know is that He made me stronger than them!”

Without even taking time to breath, she lunged forward, tackling me and crashing against the door to the previous car. Before I could blink, I was pinned to the door, her practically smothering me with her torso, the giant, suddenly scary axe resting just barely off of my throat. I squirmed just a little bit to see if I could get free, but it wasn’t happening. When she pressed the blade to my scales, I kinda froze in fear.

I sorta hoped that, you know, maybe somepony in the other car would open the door and help me get free, but that was just too much to ask for! I mean, how could Twilight and the others have not heard that thud?! Well, whatever was distracting them, they weren’t helping me. Kuja tried to cast a spell at the lady, but when she pressed her body closer to mine and chuckled daringly, he stood down.

I could smell her perfume right next to me. It kinda smelled like…

The Everfree Forest, maybe? Or…maybe it was more like Poison Joke?

She giggled in an admittedly cute tone, “That’s a good boy, Kuja! So much as move that arm again, and the little lizard dies.” She looked at me with a victorious smile on her face.

That one word really ticked me off. That one, simple, degrading word set my stomach on fire. She called me a ‘lizard’! A ‘lizard’ of all things! She coulda said ‘reptile’ or ‘kid’, but she just had to say ‘lizard’! I roared, “I’m not a lizard, lady!” It was kinda cool what happened next. I guess I was so angry that the fire in my gut wasn’t just in my gut. Right when I finished screaming, a bunch of green flames spewed from my mouth and lit her hat on fire.

She lunged away from me, swiping the hat to the ground with the handle of the axe, sending me to the floor without my restraint. The fire from her hat jumped down the handle and bit her glove, lighting it up in the same way. She started to panic. I guess dragon fire isn’t easy to put out, huh? Before I actually got back to my feet, she’d ripped both of her gloves off and tried stomping out the fire. Her fur shoes burst into flame just like the rest of her clothes had. The next thing I knew, she was darting toward me with her axe, a fire in her eyes.

“You’re dead, you little prick!”

I swallowed, pretty sure I was gonna die. Then, for some reason, everything turned pink. I closed my eyes, pretty sure I didn’t wanna see her kill me. The next thing I heard was a loud shriek of pain and a thud, followed by the sound of metal on metal. When I finally realized I was alive, I opened my eyes and looked for the girl.

Vivi was shining a bright pink color. At least, I thought it was Vivi. He didn’t look anything like the kid did. He had large black wings on his back. The hat actually stood all the way up, and the jacket looked more like a feathered nightgown. For a split second, he turned to look at me, and his round golden eyes were actually small red slits. He mimicked a laughing motion before sending a burst of black fire at the now-grounded girl.

She let out an ear-wrenching shriek before she started to melt into the floor of the train car. With a flash of white light, the evil figure that attacked her suddenly faded, and Vivi was back to his old self. Kuja and Mr. 111 were lying on the ground, stiff and breathless. As the kid fell to his knees, they suddenly sprang to life, darting toward the melting girl and catching him respectively.

I heard Kuja scoff, “You’re an idiot if you actually thought you sounded like her. The real Lonnie Lani (hey, at least I finally remembered!) sounded a lot less like a whoar whore (whatever that is…).” He delivered a punch to the melting clump of whatever she was, drawing out a small gem with his fist.

Mr. 111 groaned, “Another gem? Like the one on Meltigemini (I wasn’t even gonna try to spell that, so I left it blank and waited for him to help me)?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. He looked a little sad right then. Maybe I should ask him why? Anyway, he crushed the gem in his hand and let the powder rain onto Lani’s puddle. He started to walk away when the girl’s voice began to call to them.

It was…freaky! “Four days, Kuja! Four days, Vivi. Four days, Black Mage! Four days, Kuja. Four days, Vivi! Four days…and He will come.” I was instantly reminded of what Twi said the clowns’ last words had been. By the time I looked back at her, she was already gone. There was nothing left of her, not even the puddle where she melted. It was almost like she never even existed!

After she was finally gone, Kuja turned back toward me and started a determined walk. He groaned, “We need to inform the ponies of what just happened. I’m certain Twilight will want to hear how Vivi saved your life, Spike.” He walked right past me, not even stopping to look down. He threw the door open to find our friends asleep in their seats.

Mr. 111 walked over to us, carrying Vivi like a child. He chuckled, “Maybe that should wait until we get where we’re going.” He sat in the seat right by the door and set the kid beside him. Kuja nodded silently and took a seat right across from him.

I closed the door and took a seat on the next bench. I wanted to listen to what they had to say. Every bit of information could be important, you know.

“First Meltigemini, and now Lani…”

“Are you thinking what I am?”

“Maybe. But we can’t be sure.”

“He remembered Eiko, 33, and Boco.”

“Yeah. It just took some time.”

“Maybe he’ll remember someone else now.”

“Maybe.”

They looked over at me with their faces scrunched up in confusion. “What’s wrong; you need something?” I wasn’t sure why they were looking at me.

Kuja sighed, “You said you’re Twilight Sparkle’s assistant, right?”

“Uh-huh!”

He shared a careful look with the bigger man before continuing, “So you’ve probably read a lot of books. I wonder…” he stopped for a second, “…if you’ve ever read anything about magic spells that can erase memories.”

I thought about it for a second before answering, “I can’t think of any off the top of my head. Maybe Twi can help.” I shook my head sadly and turned to look out the window.

You know, usually Canterlot looks pretty from the outside. Usually it looks like a paradise hanging on a mountain. Usually, it isn’t covered in smoke with giant beasts flying all around it right outside of a large pink bubble! I must’ve let out a scream or something, because before I knew it, I heard shrieks and shouts coming from the other cars. Twilight and the other ponies darted into our car probably as soon as they woke up. Kuja and Mr. 111 were staring on in disbelief. I think they recognized some of the monsters flying around.

I heard a loud screeching come from outside the train, and I remember being sent flying over Kuja toward the front of the car, and then everything went blank.

…

When I woke up, I was on Twilight’s back right outside Canterlot Castle. We were being told all the security measures the guards were putting in effect because of the monsters. I was kinda dazed, but I think he said something about other cities being attacked. Before I could get fully awake, we were escorted to our rooms in the castle and told to stay inside.

I…wasn’t really tired because of my ‘nap’, so I went walking. I started writing this entry, and then Kuja came along. He looked sad, so I tried to cheer him up. He’s been helping me spell words and remember what all happened. My head’s still foggy, but I at least have it all written now. I can go to sleep now!

Oh, Kuja asked me to write something that doesn’t make sense, but I’ll do it because he’s pretty cool.

“Steiner”

That’s it. That’s all he wanted me to write. I wonder what it means…

The Fourth Day: Vivi's Dance

From the Eyes of the Child

Is…this what it feels like…to be killed?

This burning in my chest…

The nausea in my stomach…

My vision is cloudy…

Am I…dying again?

Everything happened so fast. Why am I in so much pain?

…

The last thing I remembered when I woke up was sitting on the train with White-hair and Pointy-hat. I’d just remembered someone from my past. Mr. 33 was his name, I think. Pointy-hat hugged me, and everything after that is blank. I woke up in a bed in the castle here. White-hair was watching over me. He told me Pointy-hat had gone to get Boco from the yellow pony. I didn’t even know Boco was here…

I tried to relax, not knowing exactly where I was at the time. I tried to sleep, but my mind was a jumbled up mess of questions and pieces of memory. But there was a new image in my head. A man in a suit of rusty armor kept popping up when I tried to search the void. I tried to focus, but I just couldn’t.

I heard a faint, gruff voice call to me from nowhere in particular. “Steiner,” it said. Steiner. The word felt so familiar, but so foreign.

And then it clicked. The face and the name clicked. The man was named Steiner! I felt a surge of energy pass through me, and before I knew it, I was sitting up in the bed, staring at White-hair. He looked really happy, but I can’t remember why. After that, Pointy-hat returned and they swapped positions. Pointy-hat looked confused by something, but I couldn’t tell what.

I must’ve fallen asleep. Everything between that moment and waking up the next morning is blank. When I finally did wake up, all of the ponies were gathered around me. The baby dragon was sitting on the purple pony’s back. Boco—weird, I didn’t notice him at the time, but looking back he had to have been there—was sitting comfortably on the yellow pony’s back. Pointy-hat and White-hair were there too. They all looked really concerned.

Another pony walked in a few minutes later. The ponies all looked extremely shocked and started to bow. The new pony was much taller than them. Her hair was…weird. It was like a rainbow, but it was really light in color. Her body was solid white, except for the sun on her side. Two large wings were folded by her sides and a long horn was sprouting from her head. She must’ve said something to everyone, because they all left after another minute or two. She was the last one to leave, closing the door behind her, leaving me alone.

This is weird, isn’t it? I don’t remember any sounds being made, but the images are there. Surely they were talking while they were there, right? Why would they have been quiet?

But…I was all alone. For the first time since I woke up in that hospital, I was alone. So, of course, I started to think about things. I tried to focus on remembering stuff about Steiner. I guess my brain just wasn’t having any of it, because each time his face came to me, my head would throb in pain. And the more it hurt, the more I wanted to try and remember. I felt that if my body didn’t want to remember it, it had to be important! I was probably just being stubborn.

As I tried to think and remember, I started hearing voices. They weren’t familiar at all, but I was definitely hearing them. Since I don’t remember hearing the tall pony’s voice, I must’ve imagined the new voices. I might’ve been deaf when she was in the room. I can’t remember.

But the voices sounded…evil. They sounded evil enough to make me scared. I realized I couldn’t actually move anymore when the voices got really loud. I tried to get up and find White-hair or Pointy-hat, but I couldn’t budge. I couldn’t speak, either. I was completely disabled for some reason! I don’t know why…and at this rate I probably never will.

As the voices got even louder, I started to see things. I thought maybe I was just having a nightmare, but everything felt real. Three weird figures started to appear in front of me. They all looked exactly the same, except each one was much bigger than the previous. They looked almost like demons, like evil versions of Pointy-hat! They had large black wings on their backs and their bodies looked like black feathered gowns!

And the eyes…

Solid crimson slits where Pointy-hat’s golden would’ve been. I…

I wanted to run. Whether they were real or not didn’t matter; I wanted out of the room! But…I just couldn’t move.

The smallest of the three started to speak. His voice was muffled and wispy as he laughed, “Is this the one He wanted, Number 3?”

The largest had a loud, menacing voice. “Of course it is! I’d never forget this doll in a million years!” His voice boomed and echoed around the room.

“Good. He’ll be pleased to see him.” The middle-sized one cackled with pleasure in his voice.

The small one waved his arm, and I suddenly found myself hanging in the air. I still couldn’t move, but it was more of a limp paralysis than a petrified stiffness. He groaned, “Let’s be off then, before they return.”

“Agreed. He’ll be displeased if we bring unwanted guests,” the second creature scoffed.

The third of the group sent me a dark glare. He sighed, “You truly are an interesting creature, doll. The first to gain consciousness and the last to die! He’s very interested in you.” Before I knew what was happening, a burst of white light swallowed the room. I felt an intense heat wash over me. The three demons were the only things still in view.

They stood stiff, not so much as breathing. I started to wonder just what would happen to me. But…I was more worried about the others in the castle. I wondered if the demons would come back for them. I hoped not.

The middle one finally groaned, “It’d be a shame to leave without having some fun, wouldn’t it?” His companions sent him thoughtful glances.

The small one laughed, “You know, Number 2, I agree. And you, Number 3?”

The large one remained quiet for a minute more before finally answering, “I agree. But let’s be quick; we don’t need the Genome disturbing us.” Genome? I had no clue what the beast meant, and I had no chance of asking.

They all nodded in agreement and the white light faded away. Suddenly, almost like the blink of an eye, we were floating high in the sky, looming over a town of what would have been pretty gold and white. Instead, fires and smoke consumed entire buildings, the work of the monsters that managed to make it in before the purple barrier was created. The three demons cackled joyfully at the sight of the destruction. I followed the largest one’s eyes to a rather large hedge garden just off to the side of the large castle building.

He cheered, “You have ten minutes to have fun, brothers! After that, He’ll need the doll.” Without hesitating for even a second, the two smaller demons opened their wings and dove down to the city below. It only took a moment for the explosions to reach my ears.

Screams cried out from below. Terrified ponies, unable to do anything to stop the monsters by themselves, called out for help to a sky that wouldn’t send it. The only help they would get was what was already there, and considering how much damage had been done, I doubted there was much more to be offered. I felt an intense fire light in my stomach. I…was getting angry. Such evil monsters don’t have the right to live!

The large monster’s voice tore through my thoughts like a sword. “What’s wrong, doll? Are you having flashbacks?” Flashbacks? I had no clue what he meant. In fact, I don’t think I wanted to know what he meant… But he willingly elaborated. He continued quietly, “I know He took it from you, but do you remember how helpless you were to save all of your poor brothers from that airship? Do you remember how I ended dozens of their lives before they even began?! Surely you remember how much anger you had at that moment! I mean, a puppet like you, without even a heart with which to feel, managed to Trance because of me!”

My head began to throb horribly! It felt like I was being stabbed by a red-hot knife over and over again! My body started to twist and wrench on its own, the monster’s magic beginning to give way under the struggle. He looked surprised, almost intrigued.

And then it all came back to me.

A sudden flood of memories and emotions and words and experiences and sensations that I never could’ve imagined in my wildest dreams all poured into me like the tides of Madain Sari! I felt an intense rush of energy as I recalled the destruction of Alexandria through the use of the Invincible! I watched from the top of the Iifa Tree as Kuja obliterated Queen Brahne’s entire fleet of ships. I remembered walking through Terra, trying desperately to find Zidane in his time of need!

Everything! Everything came back to me in one swift flood of life and power! I recalled my powers and what I used them for! I remembered Kuja’s old ambitions and his new outlook on life! I remembered Equestria and the ponies and how beautiful the world was when I first arrived! I remembered talking about Lords from Nowhere on the balcony of Sugarcube Corner!

But…above everything else…

More important than what I am and who my friends are…

I remembered…

I remembered the cargo ship as we left Dali, going to South Gate.

I remembered the asshole that attacked us.

I remembered how he attacked the ship and sent dozens of unconscious Black Mages plummeting into the water off the cliffs of the Mist Continent! I remembered his single-handed murdering of so many of my helpless brothers!

“Black Waltz Number 3!” I cried out, rage flooding my every limb. Everything was shoved from my head, anger taking complete control of me! I found myself ripping from his magical grip, a shockwave of energy sending him flying back in pain.

The sound of my cry caught everyone’s attention. The cries for help stopped as the shockwave shook the entire mountainside town of Canterlot. I heard the other two Black Waltzes shriek in disbelief before launching toward their now-injured brother. I felt my anger manifest itself around me, as I Tranced once more for the sake of my brethren! No…it was for the sake of my friends! Friends I never had a chance to meet because of him!

I let out another fury-filled screech, “How dare you think you have the right to be alive! No one, nothing like you deserves to exist!” Before I knew what I was doing, my body moved on its own. The words came from deep within my heart and mind, and I felt the energy wrap around me.

I knew what it was, even if I didn’t know it.

I let out an awful, frightening roar as I pushed myself toward the three evil mages.

With unbelievable speed, I was right on top of them. I was close enough to see the fear in their eyes. There was a fear buried in the crimson of their blood-stained eyes. Demons with no sense of life or morality, no souls with which to fear…feared me.

I punctuated my roar with a calm, quiet word.

“Ultima…”

I was engulfed in an otherworldly energy, something you wouldn’t see if you were lucky. A giant black sphere burst from my chest, growing ever larger until it engulfed the entire sky where we stood. Out of the blackness of the sphere’s edge, chunks of flame-engulfed magical stones bounced around the inside, exploding and filling it with an immense pain.

By the time I realized what was happening, I was on the ground, still Tranced, staring at the fallen and broken bodies of the Black Waltz Brothers. One and Two began to disappear, their bodies vaporizing into the air. Three was still breathing; his body mangled and eyes flooding with fright. I approached him slowly, instinctively, ready to end his life for all the pain he had caused in this world and the last. But something he cried made me stop in my tracks.

He whined like a scared child, “You can’t be real! You can’t really be the doll! You’ve made Him angry now! His plan has been tainted! You can’t fight Him, stop it!” He kept screaming about ‘Him’. He continued his screaming until he started to fade away. He looked up at me with sorrow in his crimson eyes. Whether it was sorrow for his actions or for his death, I may never know.

But his death was punctuated by a final calm speech. The voice of the monster changed on a note, becoming less of a demon and more of a man. I recognized it, though I don’t know from where. It carried dread in its tone, “A memory can never be real. A memory is the past. No matter what changes, the memory can never exist again. If it does, the memory is lost. When it becomes a memory, the reality is shattered. By forgetting a reality and gaining a memory, a monster is born. One who feeds on the emotions housed in memories that aren’t real.” It almost sounded like it wanted to continue, but the body completely vanished before it could.

A tiny ruby was left behind. I went to pick it up, but it shattered to pieces before I could reach it. I suddenly felt a sharp stinging in my chest, and my Trance faded as I fell to the ground. I couldn’t understand at the time what was happening, even with my recovered memories.

But now I do.

I understand what’s happening. I understand who that strange voice belongs to. I understand what it meant about memories giving birth to monsters.

But I…can’t…tell…anyone…

Because…I don’t think…

I’ll…live…long…

…enough…

…

“Vivi!”

“What was that just now!?”

“Vivi?”

“S-Say something dammit!”

“What were those things?”

“Who cares!? Vivi, wake up!”

“Vivi? What’s wrong?”

“…”

“Vivi?”

“…Ku…ja…”

The Fourth Day: And So the Cookie Crumbles

From the Eyes of a Leader

They were all quite interesting creatures, the mages from the other world. Just by looking into the white-haired visitor’s eyes I could see a lifetime of pain and guilt. The things Twilight Sparkle had told me were all true. Our guests were most definitely not from our world, nor should they have ever hoped to belong. Creatures like them, no matter how kind or well-meaning, could ever hope to belong in a world so contradictory to theirs.

Yet I felt that the white-haired man understood that. I saw in his eyes an understanding of an ultimate fate that meant his actions would be pointless, but he still spoke to me with resolve. At the time, I never would have believed just what he would be willing to sacrifice to protect a world he could never call home. I’m still not certain he was out to protect our world. Given the events of the days following our meeting, I do not believe it was his desire to help that led him here.

Perhaps Kuja was just the Queen in His game of chess—the most powerful piece, yet so easy to manipulate into a trap. Whereas his little friend would be the King—to capture him was the ultimate goal—the larger mage would have been a simple Knight. And as the Knight, his fate was almost sealed from the beginning of the game. To think in such terms makes things seem less complex and dangerous. I still do not fully understand why the things that have come to pass have done so…

…

He truly was a kind friend. Despite being reassured multiple times of the security assigned to guard his friend’s room, he was still very hesitant to follow me. Upon my insistence, he finally caved. Kuja was his name; an exotic name, just like its owner. I can’t say the same for his larger companion, however. While Kuja seemed to have understanding of formalities and etiquette, the one called Mr. 111 was not as in-tune with proper protocols.

I can’t say I was upset. In fact, seeing two creatures so different in demeanor but similar in situation made me think of Twilight Sparkle. The way she had adapted to accept the ponies she calls friends, despite how different they were, was one of the saving graces of Equestria. Now it seems that it was time for a new group of friends to take the reins. Of course, neither was quite certain how to approach the situation at hand.

It was a silent walk from the little mage’s room to the chamber where we would be meeting. Our pony companions were quite disappointed when I insisted that we meet alone. I’m certain they were just as interested in our guests’ parts in current events, but it seemed only right that they meet with the one they had wanted to. So we finally sat together, just the two able-bodied foreigners, two cautious guards, and me. I was excited to finally learn more about the world they came from. I wanted to know why the monsters had so suddenly appeared all across my kingdom.

There was one other matter that I wanted to speak with them about, only I wasn’t certain if they could even help me understand it.

The first few minutes passed in awkward silence, none present really knowing how to begin our discussion. One of the castle servants brought us some tea and cookies, and I jumped on my chance to begin.

“I imagine, between your journeys and the monsters that have taken it upon themselves to attack you, you haven’t had much chance to enjoy classic Equestrian cuisine, have you?” I poured us each a moderate-sized cup of the steaming herbal concoction, trying to lighten the mood of the room.

Kuja accepted his tea gracefully, breaking the ice, “Not quite Your Highness. I seem to have found myself lying in beds, feeling like death for the majority of my stay in your world.” He accepted a cookie, dipping it in his drink as if he were accustomed to such civil conversation.

“Well, we Black Mages don’t really need to eat much, so…” As the much less graceful guest trailed off, he accepted a cookie with a crunch.

I noticed the white-haired guest grimace at the discourteous act. I felt he was going to say something to his companion until I jumped in. “You say you don’t need to eat much. Why exactly is that?” It was a genuine question, but it felt almost too personal to ask.

Kuja finished sipping his tea before replying bluntly, “Black Mages like Vivi and Mr. 111 are empty inside.” He consumed the last half of his cookie and set the cup down, shifting in his seat to a much more formal position. He sighed, “They only eat because they think they have to. Anything they consume gets recycled into Mist, which then feeds them the energy they need…or needed…to live.” Mr. 111 looked at him and then the cookie in his hand. If I could have seen his face, I’m certain it would have shown disappointment.

I felt like there were things about the Black Mages I would never know without having known the laws of their home world. I probed a little deeper, “What does it mean to be ‘empty inside’, Kuja? Or should I be asking your friend?” Looking back, I may have been a bit insensitive or snotty in asking that.

The thick-clothed mage decided it was his time to answer, “Exactly what it sounds like, Princess. We’re empty. All that’s under this coat and hat is Mist. Air. We don’t have anything else. Remove the cover, and we fade away.” I detected a hint of anger in his voice, obviously not quite comfortable speaking about himself.

And yet I carried on with my questions. I was so intrigued by what they were that I didn’t take time to consider how they felt about what they were. So I continued to probe, “Are you saying you don’t have mouths or stomachs? You don’t even have hearts? How can you speak and eat and feel?” Kuja turned his head away from the larger guest, assumedly wondering what kind of answer I would receive.

“I wish I knew, Princess.” His voice sounded scornful, as if cursing the thing that made them the way they were. “I’ll never know, really. I can only believe that it’s just ‘magic’ keeping me functional. In a world without Mist, I don’t know how I’m still ticking, or what makes me tick.” He finished the cookie in his hand, almost in spite of what Kuja had said earlier about not needing food.

I couldn’t begin to grasp the concept of an empty creature. How could anything live without a heart or blood? How could you walk without muscles, or talk without lungs? If what they said was true, then it would just be a few layers of fabric keeping them from becoming air. How could one live a life so close to death all their days? What if a knife stabbed them or sliced off an arm? They would simply die, rather than suffer the wound…

What kind of life can that be?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Kuja scoffed, “about how a life like theirs would be insufferable. But here’s the dirty little secret, Your Highness: they aren’t supposed to be alive.”

“What do you mean? If they’re alive, how can they not be meant to--?”

“We were manufactured in factories, Princess. Stitched together like dolls, we were programmed with only one purpose: to kill whatever our master told us to.” Mr. 111 gulped down his tea all at once before sighing, “We’re killing machines, plain and simple.”

I simply could not believe how he was speaking of himself. “Programmed?! You say that like you aren’t even real! You live and breathe and die, so you must be real!” I was starting to get worked up, my mind racing with so many more questions than when we started.

Kuja leaned forward to rest his head on his hands. “That’s the kicker, Princess. They are real. They weren’t supposed to be. I created them to kill people. But, after enough time passed, they became aware. They woke up.” He stopped for a moment to collect his thoughts. I could see the guilt in his eyes become even deeper. “And when they woke up, they knew nothing. The only thing they knew was what I had told them to do. They knew they were meant to kill others. Most of them couldn’t get past that.”

“You created them...” I sighed, trying to understand just who this mysterious man was meant to be, “…to kill innocent creatures? They were just supposed to be toys, but they found lives inside themselves. Is that it?”

“More than you could ever imagine, Princess Celestia. Imagine if you woke up one day and the only thing you knew was that you had to raise the sun, like the legends. If you didn’t know how or why you were meant to do it, would you still do it?” He presented a very serious hypothetical to me. If I knew nothing about my world or what I was, how could I bring myself to accept the consequences of any actions I took?

“I…would try.”

“Would you?”

“Of course! If I knew it was my job, I’d have to try!”

He started to chuckle, “So if you woke up one day with just the knowledge that you were meant to bring harm to the world around you, would you do that? If you didn’t know why you had to kill others, or what would happen if you did, would you be able to do it?” I began to see his point. I began to see just what kind of struggle his toys had to go through.

“I don’t think I would…”

“So what makes that different than raising the sun? You don’t know anything in either case, so why do one and not the other?” He began to raise his voice. The longer this went on, the more serious it seemed to get to him.

“I...” How could I answer that? “I don’t know.”

Mr. 111 shouted, “Of course you don’t! You never could!” I was caught off guard by his sudden outburst. One of the guards by the door drew his spear in preparation of hostility.

I snapped, “Stand down!” The guard resumed his original stance.

After taking a second to breathe, the mage continued, “If you knew your job was to kill people, but you didn’t want to, and at the same time you didn’t know there was anything else to do, how would you know what you should do?” He leaned forward to stare at the ground. His voice fell ever quieter as he continued, “Us Black Mages had to suffer those kinds of thoughts every day of our lives. We searched desperately for something to distract us from the doubts. And when one came around, we grasped it firmly and never let go.”

Kuja continued for him, “Because that’s the way I programmed them. I gave them a life they could never hope to live.” I heard him let out a sigh before reaching for another cookie. Rather than biting into it, he snapped it in half. “Imagine a Black Mage as this cookie. I had the power to consume it, break it, or put it back. I chose to break it.” He shook his left hand, “This is knowledge.” The right hand followed, “And this is power.”

“Like a cookie, both halves together make the whole. Half of a cookie can never be as good as a whole one. Knowledge without power to manifest it is useless. Power without knowledge is deadly.” He tightened his grip on the left half of the cookie, grinding it into a fine powder in his palm. “Pay attention, Princess. See how much cookie you can see hit the table,” he scoffed. He released the crumbs, and most of them were caught in the breeze from an open window, missing the table and hitting the floor.

“It wasn’t much, was it? That breeze was perfect…” he sighed. He put the intact half of the cookie beside what remained of its counterpart. “I gave them power, but almost no knowledge. They knew enough to question their programming, but not enough to figure out how to let go of it.”

I understood what he meant. He tried to make them nothing but dolls, but instead he ended up with frightened children who could barely think. He cursed all of them to suffer such a fate… That’s why guilt filled his heart.

He groaned, “Even here, I’ve done nothing but hurt them! I let Mr. 33 die outside that godforsaken forest! Even Vivi, the one mage who managed to deny his destiny in its entirety, was cursed when I made contact with him. He was forced to suffer the same fate for a second time. A fate I cursed him with!” He sat back in the chair, his body relaxing as he finished his explanation.

Mr. 111 sighed, “That’s what we are. We’re mostly-failed experiments. Mostly.”

“So you believe that saving Equestria can redeem you of your atrocities against your children?” I put the pieces of the puzzle together. I thought I could finally understand his motives.

“No,” he snapped. Before I could question him, he elaborated, “I can never make up for what I put the Black Mages through. Never in a million lifetimes will I ever be able to give them the lives they should have had to live. Most of them are gone for good. The mages have nothing to do with why I want to protect this world.”

Well, I can honestly say that it surprised me to hear that. If he wasn’t seeking redemption for what he’d done to them, what else could it have been? It is true he stated that he built the Black Mages to be ‘killing machines’, but… He just doesn’t seem like the type of person to have done something so bad to seek this level of forgiveness.

Mr. 111 sighed, “There are so many things you simply can’t understand, Princess. Our world was almost the exact opposite of yours. Very few people got to live in peace, and even they had their baggage.” I watched him get up from his seat and stretch. He so quickly went from scornful to sad to accepting. Could that have been a result of such underdeveloped emotional understanding?

Suddenly, the way Twilight talked about the little mage made sense. She made him sound one day like a mature worker and the next a scared child. I could suddenly see why that’s even possible. The Black Mages were just children. And, in the case of complete memory loss, scared and confused children.

Kuja stood from his seat and sighed, “The reason I want to save your world is to make up for destroying Terra and trying to do the same to Gaia.” He left it at that. He didn’t bother to explain what either place was or how they related to one another. He just stopped talking.

Mr. 111 chuckled sadly, “May I ask you something, Your Highness?” I met his suddenly formal approach with an accepting nod. He hesitated before asking, “Why did you summon us here?”

I imagined one of them would ask me. I giggled emptily, “I summoned Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements of Harmony. You simply tagged along.”

“That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one,” he retorted. “I mean, you knew we’d show up. Twilight even told you we wanted to meet! Not to mention this private audience.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled weakly. “Oh dear, you saw right through me. You’re quite bright, Mr. 111.” He would have scowled at me if he had the ability to do so. I decided to stop dodging the inevitable explanation. “The truth is, I’ve been having strange dreams every night for the last week or so.”

“How does this involve us?” Kuja sprung to life again. It seems that ‘dream’ was the keyword.

“Each night it’s the exact same vision. A tall figure in dark black armor with an ominous red light in the center of its chest appears before me. It speaks to me each night, warning me of an impending disaster.” They sat forward in attention; intrigued by the figure I spoke of. “In a deep, threatening voice he speaks to me. When he gets close enough, I can make out a silver beard and balding head.

“He always says the same things. ‘To find peace in your world, you must destroy the remnants of mine.’ ‘If you wish to restore your world, deny those of foreign make.’ ‘The puppets are being pulled by the strings of fate.’ ‘Fate is not in favor of your world.’ It’s always those same lines each night. Sometimes he speaks each more than once before vanishing.”

As I finished quoting the figure in my visions, the two guests shared uncertain looks. Kuja turned to me as if to suggest something, but he didn’t have time to do so.

The castle began to shake horrendously, sending our teacups tottering over and throwing my guards to the ground. A loud roar followed the earthquake, the familiarity of the voice despite never once hearing it rattling my bones. I felt a chill run down my spine. Almost the instant it was safe to stand, my guests were rushing from the room into the halls of the castle.

Against my guard’s recommendations, I followed swiftly after them. They looked worried, as if they knew what was happening. I was on their heels the entire time, until I was finally led to the entrance of the castle. Just outside the now-busted down doors sat two injured soldiers. And in the sky, suspended like a ball on water, a giant black sphere spun wildly around, emitting an energy I’d never felt before. It wasn’t magic in the standard sense.

It didn’t even feel real. It couldn’t have been real.

But Kuja and Mr. 111 fell to their knees, a sudden wave of dread pouring over us. I can’t even explain why, but I was filled with fear over what the sphere was meant to be. It looked oddly harmless, despite its looming over my home. It itself felt almost calming. So why then did I suddenly find my heart racing in fear?

Twilight Sparkle and her friends met us at the gates a few minutes later. They carried a message that made my stomach start to churn. “Vivi’s gone missing!” Twilight had told me. Why was it that I suddenly felt so sick? I barely knew the mage, and yet I felt as if the world would crumble around my hooves.

With a loud roar, the black sphere suddenly exploded. Four figures were sent plummeting to the ground on the bridge connecting the castle to the town. Three of them looked almost like demons, giant black wings and feathered gowns adorning their bodies. Eyes of crimson met mine through the dust stirred up by the impact. The fourth figure…was Vivi.

Only…he was surrounded by this intriguing pink light. He looked stronger than before, almost as if he’d gained a sudden surge of courage. He wasn’t the scared child I had seen sleeping deafly in his room. But…how could he have changed so much in such little time?

Two of the demon-like monsters vaporized into the air, disappearing as if they never existed. The third cried out in fear as Vivi approached him. I waited for the child to deliver a final attack, but it never came. Instead, the demon ceased its squirming and adopted a calmer demeanor. Vivi stopped in his tracks, and a horrendous voice called out.

It sounded like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It had to have been in my head…and yet the others around me seemed to take notice of it. Kuja seemed especially disturbed by it, trying ever harder to find the source in the immediate area. But…what it had to say was much more chilling than how it sounded.

“A memory can never be real. A memory is the past. No matter what changes, the memory can never exist again. If it does, the memory is lost. When it becomes a memory, the reality is shattered. By forgetting a reality and gaining a memory, a monster is born. One who feeds on the emotions housed in memories that aren’t real.”

I couldn’t even begin to understand its meaning, but it filled me with a dread much worse than the sphere had. As it spoke, I began to recognize it. It was, unmistakably, the voice from my dreams. Whatever had been speaking to me was doing so again at that moment through the demon Vivi had defeated. And once the voice finished its speech, the demon vanished just like its companions. Left in its stead was a tiny red ruby. Even it vanished before our eyes, shattering into dust.

The glow around Vivi died down, and he collapsed instantly. With a cry of utter fear, Kuja darted from where he sat to his friend’s side. The rest of us followed in a hurry, Mr. 111 at the front. None of us dared utter a word.

The white-haired mage dropped to the ground by the kid’s side and cried, “Vivi!”

I couldn’t stop myself from speaking, “What was that just now?!” The fear and curiosity in my gut wouldn’t settle until I did.

Mr. 111 approached the child from the opposite side. “Vivi?” he mumbled.

“S-Say something, dammit!” Kuja cried out, anger flooding his voice.

Twilight Sparkle walked up beside me and asked, “What were those things?”

“Who cares!?” the now-desperate foreigner snapped at her. “Vivi, wake up!” He slid the mage onto his arms and attempted to elevate him.

The larger mage simply sighed, “Vivi, what’s wrong?”

“…” a faint breath left the child’s mouth.

“Vivi?” Kuja asked as tears began to stream down his face.

It was a long few seconds of silence, but we finally heard his reply. “…Ku…ja…”

I watched his body fall limp in his friend’s arms. Limp, as the life left his body. Kuja smiled happily for only a moment, having heard his name, before it dawned on him what had just happened. The golden glow of the child’s eyes faded, color fading from his clothes. What he lacked in a body, the shell made up for, it seemed.

“Vi…vi?” Kuja asked numbly. “Vivi?”

Just as would be expected from somepony who had just lost a friend unexpectedly…he began to sob. Kuja, who had acted so cold and tough during our meeting, was now sobbing openly, cradling the mage’s body in his arms.

“Dammit! Don’t do this, Vivi!” I could hear anger and sorrow in his sobs. He set the body down gently on the ground and pressed his palms against its chest. He cried out, “Dammit! I won’t let this happen! Curaga!” A bright green light danced down his arms, through his hands and into the shell.

“Curaga!” he screamed again, and again the light danced. “Life! Curaga! Life! Dammit, Vivi, wake up!” He flailed an arm to the side and a chunk of stone from the bridge launched into the air. He stood up from the ground, falling silent in place of his sobs.

The silence seemed to fill the air. Not even the monsters’ roars from above the town could penetrate it. He began to walk back toward the castle, towards us. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. His expression was flooded with sorrow. And as he passed by me, he stopped.

And I can never forget what he said. He whispered it in one swift breath and continued on his way. I felt the color drain from my features. And for the rest of the day, none of us spoke to one another. It was a silent evening in the castle. I can never forget how much scorn he shoved into the final thing spoken between us.

“My guards will protect him, right?”

The Fifth Day: The Boiling Point

From the Eyes of Kuja

It was almost sun set when he died. He was taken back to his room for us to be with him. The night passed without a word between us and the ponies. We kept to ourselves, by his side the entire night. The ponies avoided us, probably not certain how to approach the situation. I can’t blame them. A world like this—the Equestria before we arrived—was so peaceful, I doubt most residents suffered such sudden loss.

Princess Celestia, the great and powerful ruler of Equestria, made it a point to avoid us completely. I imagine it had more to do with what I’d said and less to do with being unable to handle the situation. After all, she’s lived two-thousand years; she’s seen her fair share of death. Perhaps I was being harsh, trying to pass my anger on to some other target. My guards will protect him, right? How idiotic of me. To mock her like that was…wrong.

It wasn’t her fault.

I just needed someone to blame, and she seemed to be the most capable punching bag. It was wrong of me. But…

Vivi died, and yet I felt as if I learned what everything meant. I was finally able to put it all together. And now we’re here, in this place, this memory of memories, about to either win or die. When I look back on the past few hours, I wonder just how all of this came to fruition. I’m amazed at just how much manipulation was going on right under my nose.

But He found it easy to play us. He was our puppeteer.

…

The entire day following Vivi’s death and my meeting with Celestia passed in peace. I stayed with him, not so much mourning but thinking. I tried to understand why he died—No, not why, but how. I was certain I had figured it out! I was almost positive I understood why he lost his memories! But with his passing, all of my puzzle pieces burst into flames. I had nothing left to work with.

But once the sun set again, and the ponies decided to join me in his room, things slowly began to fall into place. I didn’t notice at the time, but there were two very important pieces of the puzzle missing. Looking back, I should’ve seen the signs.

It was an awkward evening, honestly. We all sat in the room, thinking about the fallen mage. We never spoke, not until…

“I cannot express how deeply sorry I am for the events that transpired under my watch. Perhaps if I had been more vigilant, your friend could have been saved.” Princess Celestia entered the room out of the blue, surprising the others. I had honestly expected her.

And as she spoke, something finally clicked! With just those two statements, I had another piece of a puzzle I didn’t think existed! I had been so blinded by my sadness that I hadn’t even considered how abruptly our meeting had been adjourned!

I shot up from my seat and gasped, “Celestia, before the chaos, we were talking about your dreams!” Her brow knotted in confusion, and the others shifted in curiosity.

She stammered, “W-Well yes, we were, but…”

“What did you say the figure in your dreams looked like?”

I saw her eyes flitter about, trying to recall a vision from an unconscious stupor. The previous day it had been so vivid for her, which told me that her dreams stopped with Vivi’s passing. And that, in and of itself, was a good sign!

“The figure was bipedal, just like you. It wore black armor and a cloak, with a bright red jewel on its chest. The head was pale, bald on top with long white hair on the sides.” She stopped for only a moment to consider her words. “The voice from yesterday—the one that came from the demon—belonged to it.”

The description became almost real to me, as if its owner were standing right in the room with us. I considered the voice and put the two together. And then, it clicked. The two lined up almost too perfectly! I knew exactly who her dreams involved, and the message he kept telling her suddenly fit! Of course He would want us out of the way! We were the only ones that could’ve stopped Him!

“Garland!” I cheered, the thought of the old monster finally focusing in my mind.

Twilight Sparkle finally spoke up, incredulous confusion in her voice, “Garland? What do decorations have to do with anything?” I could’ve burst into laughter at her ignorance.

The whole world melted away from me in an instant of clarity. Memories of my time in the world spun around me like windows, each showing a fragment of my days both active and incapacitated. I began to fit all the pieces I could find together. Between random attacks from usually-docile creatures and beasts appearing that didn’t belong, I was putting together a puzzle that I’d been too blind to see since that first excursion from Appleloosa.

When I arrived I sensed a cleaner version of the Iifa Tree’s Mist. It didn’t have the power to create monsters, but it was still able to give life to the Black Mages. At the same time, Mr. 33 and 111 just happened to have been wandering the desert when I appeared, specifically so they could help me! When Vivi arrived, I was told Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had so conveniently been passing by where he appeared, just close enough to hear Bobby Corwen’s chirps!

On top of that, the zebra had been just fast enough to save us from manticores inside the forest and the cockatrice that threatened Vivi. When we slept in the tree the night of our vision, any monster could have attacked us in our delirious state! The manticore that destroyed Applejack’s house just barely missed me, and the one that struck Fluttershy’s cottage narrowly avoided Vivi! Any one of the monsters attacking Canterlot could have captured us while we were so haphazardly running the tracks from the stopped train to the town!

But they never did. Each time we’ve been in danger, we’ve narrowly avoided death. Meltigemini didn’t even try to attack us, Lani was unable to land a hit on anything other than metal, and Vivi did a pretty good job of murdering the Black Waltz brothers before they could draw much military attention. The entire time we’ve been here, we’ve used magic and Trance and our own wits to put pieces of non-existent puzzles together.

We were without much purpose until Mr. 111 started spouting nonsense about Lords from Nowhere. I wanted to know what I had to do. Just like a Black Mage programmed to kill, I needed something to guide my hand. So when my companion brought up something even remotely likely, I gravitated toward it. I needed a destiny that I oh-so-much despised. So I latched on and went with the flow.

That was the first puzzle I started to put together…

But what if there was no solution? What if Lord Avon or Starswirl the Bearded or whatever he’s called had nothing to do with the events transpiring before me? What if I had only wanted it to be the answer?

I kept that in mind as I sighed, “I’ve had it all wrong. I don’t think I was ever here to protect this place at all…” I stared Celestia right in her eyes, hoping she would understand my thoughts somehow. I didn’t want to say it.

“What’re you talking about? What about the play and all the connections?” Twilight brought up a point that I finally understood. I didn’t know if I was right, but I couldn’t have been too wrong.

“It was all just a stupid coincidence. Sure, they might be the same person, but that has nothing to do with me.” I was finally starting to understand. I was finally starting to figure things out.

So many things were just wrong about the world. So many things were completely wrong, even for a separate world. Even in my own mind, there had been so many inconsistencies. I finally began to understand why.

And when we all heard it, I was given the comfort of knowing I was right.

But it was a shallow comfort. For when His voice called out, I was swallowed in a cold wave of dread.

“Is the mouse finally reaching the cheese?” It was an ominous, mocking voice. Dark and foreboding, it was all too familiar. “It only took you a month. Honestly, I’ve grown quite bored of this game.”

Game. It was a game to him?

“I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t see it before.” I turned toward the door behind Celestia, expecting the man whom I despised to appear before us.

His voice echoed out, “Our meeting is almost due, Kuja. It’s almost time for me to pay you back for all those months ago.” A rumble of laughter followed, causing the ponies to shiver in fear. I couldn’t blame them.

I fought the urge to turn away from the door. “I’m looking forward to it, father.” I put as much venom in that word as I could. To call him ‘master’ would be too submissive, and to call him ‘Garland’ would be too polite. ‘Father’ simply fit the situation the best, considering our past.

“As am I. But first, I have a riddle for you.” A knot of fear tightened in my gut. His voice continued, “In the place where ancient hostilities lie, I wait in the glow of the pale moonlight. When the forces of kindness gather in protest, the demon will be given unrest. To save a brother for whom you care, or to silence a mage whose power is beyond compare. Which choice do you choose?”

With another round of laughter, his voice faded. The ponies shared looks of confusion before turning toward me, and I stared back at them. Even Celestia showed no sign of comprehension. I tried to consider the pieces of his rambling, wondering why he’d be so unclear. If this is what he had wanted, why would he try to put it off?

In the place where ancient hostilities lie…

In terms of Equestria, I know nothing about ancient battles or enemies. The only one that comes to mind is the legend of the Demon of Chaos from the story Mr. 111 told us. But the demon was sealed away permanently by the Elements of Harmony—Twilight and her friends—right? But he was turned to stone, so he had to go somewhere…

“The Demon of Chaos,” I snapped, turning toward Celestia, “where is he?”

She hesitated for a moment to consider my meaning before sighing, “Discord is on display in the castle gardens. Why do you ask so suddenly?” Her expression immediately shifted to concern, as it should have.

Applejack snorted, “That bad apple ain’t gonna cause trouble so long as us Elements are around!” She smiled smugly as I flinched. That was a fourth strike. Four out of three. Dammit!

I had to block out my annoyance at such fate-challenging statements to focus on the matter at hand. “On…display…you say?” I couldn’t begin to wrap my mind around the idea of putting the single greatest threat to the kingdom in plain view for any random citizen to see! But I quickly shifted my mind to the next gear, not trying to miss a beat.

…I wait in the glow of the pale moonlight.

Pale moonlight? That naturally meant that it basked in the glow of the lunar body, and that the moonlight bathes the statue of Discord. And yet…what was the point in mentioning ‘pale’? Isn’t all moonlight pale? When I thought about it…it dawned on me that it had been a full moon the prior night!

Again I snapped, “The moon’s full tonight, right?”

Celestia giggled, “It should be, yes, if my sister is doing her duty.” Celestia had a sister? And yet I hadn’t seen her in the castle at all…

Twilight pulled a small calendar from her saddlebag and added, “It’s supposed to be bigger tonight than it has been in the last few months.” When I was told she was a nerd, it wasn’t a lie. She even had the cycles of the stars recorded, despite it all being controlled by ‘magic’.

But the fact remained that the moon was meant to be larger on this particular evening. Whatever was meant by ‘pale moonlight’ was irrelevant in that case. Again, I moved ahead to the next piece of His riddle.

When the forces of kindness gather in protest…

There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind what that line meant. The Elements of Harmony were the only ‘forces of kindness’ I could even begin to call to memory, even from my time in Gaia. Those who did the right thing and acted selflessly were never referred to as warriors of kindness, only kind souls. There was no other meaning behind that line.

And yet I simply had to ask… “You are the Elements of Harmony, are you not?”

The six ponies in question gave me cautious glares. “Of course we are, silly! Who else would they be?” the ear-wrenching voice of the pink pony called out in response. At the very least, it was a response.

Rarity scoffed, “Where are all these questions coming from, dear? Is this related to the ominous voice?” I replied with a silent nod as I shifted forward further into the puzzle.

…the demon will be given unrest.

I’d already established that ‘demon’ referred to Discord, the Master of Chaos and ancient enemy of Equestria. But ‘unrest’ caught my attention. Unrest usually means anger and sorrow, or the inability to be at peace with oneself. But the demon was sealed away in a permanent prison. How much less peaceful could it be for the evil being? No, there must have been a hidden meaning in the word…

But what?

“Whaddya think the guy meant about ‘unrest’?” Suddenly, with startling coincidence, the baby dragon darted into the room, sweat pouring from his brow. Following close behind was the familiar golden of a certain baby bird.

Twilight snapped in somewhat-concern, “Spike? Where have you been?”

“I was just showing Mr. 111 and Boco around the castle, when all of a sudden some really creepy voice started calling out around the castle.” The expression on the child’s face showed a genuine fear. I almost felt sorry for the poor dragon for having to go through everything because of our presence in the world.

“So where is the big fella?” Almost inaudible, Fluttershy’s voice flooded with concern. I expected her to be cowering in fear of the evil voice, yet she was instead worried more for my companion. I envied her selflessness.

I decided to dismiss whatever exchange they started having in favor of moving to the next stage of the mystery. Dismissing the meaning of ‘unrest’, I hurried along.

To save a brother for whom you care...

It was at that point I began to panic. Before I arrived in Equestria, the only creatures I even once considered calling brothers were the Genomes, and even then there was only one. But since spending time with them, the Black Mages have grown on me. I would argue to say we were the same kind of being. They were my brothers. My true brothers.

So who would I have to save? Mr. 111? Vivi? Zidane?

Vivi was already gone. I had accepted that. Zidane wasn’t even in this world, and would probably never be. So then it had to be Mr. 111 I would have to rescue. But even knowing who it was I still had to figure out what I was saving him from…

I kept that particular concern to myself, it not being the ponies’ burden to find out.

…or to silence a mage whose power is beyond compare.

I would have to choose to save my brother or silence the mage? How is it that those two didn’t coincide with one another? If I had killed the evil mage, would that not have saved everyone? No. He was too aware of that fact. To save my brother, the forces of kindness would be required to step in, wouldn’t they? By the forces of kindness stepping in, the ancient hostility would be given unrest… ‘Unrest’ had to have meant ‘life’. The pain and suffering and sorrow of being sealed away would break the seal itself.

So that was his game.

If I wanted to save my ‘brother’, I would have to be responsible for awakening an ancient ‘demon’. It’s not like I could simply ask the Elements to sit this one out. Their kind and caring nature would never let them sit by while I risk my neck… Dammit!

Of course it would be humanity that would be my undoing…our undoing.

But…

I couldn’t just leave Mr. 111 out to hang. He knew that. I knew that. Deep down, I think we all knew that. So then it was checkmate, wasn’t it? He’d won, hadn’t he? He’d won before we even started playing the game. I wasn’t going to sit and let my friend die, even if that meant letting loose an ancient evil onto Equestria.

So I clenched my fists and fell back into my seat. Whatever the Equestrians were discussing suddenly stopped as I let out a deep sigh. Celestia in particular seemed dreadful of what such a sudden change of heart had to mean. I stared down at the floor, my mind swimming through all the possible ways the following hours would play out. No matter what, I didn’t see a happy ending in sight. Garland had played his cards perfectly, and he had been dealt an unbeatable hand.

Everything had led us there, to that castle in the center of a land of mystical ponies, so that we could be the pawns of His game. He played a perfect game. And as I considered the riddle and the inevitability of what was to come, I could only laugh at how cruel fate truly is.

I convinced myself I had a purpose in this world, one that had nothing to do with killing innocent beings. But…I was deceived by desperation.

So, without warning, I leaped from my chair and darted from the room, shoving violently past Princess Celestia. The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt a weight come crashing down on top of me. I could feel His evil seeping through the walls of the castle. He’d been here far too long. I could smell the darkness in His heart. It guided me through the winding halls, ever closer to the place where ancient hostilities lie.

I heard hooves clopping behind me, following me without hesitation. I heard concerned voices call out to me. I wanted nothing more than to stop them, but I knew what needed to be done. It wasn’t a riddle. He never intended it to be a riddle. It was a prophecy! He’d done all he could to make this encounter absolutely perfect! So now, as we raced toward a confrontation that could only end in pain, I knew there was no way to stop it.

The garden smelled of flowers.

The evil smelled of death.

The two scents mixed beautifully, as if to symbolize the kindness of Death’s embrace.

I began to think about how horrible a fate I had been cursed with. I’d been doomed to die not once, but twice. Of course, I wasn’t the only one. Vivi, Mr. 33, and—as much as I wished it could be avoided—Mr. 111 were all doomed to die. I didn’t know it when I first stepped into the pale moonlight, but things were never meant to end happy for us. We didn’t belong.

I slowed to a walking pace as I turned the corner of a sweet-smelling gardenia hedge.

There before me, standing on opposite sides of the secluded grotto, stood my ‘brother’ and my ‘father’. The former stood tall, staring at the evil demon before him with bravery and anger. The latter, a man whose ambitions led his own toys to turn against him, hovered just slightly off the ground, his heavy black armor shimmering in the moonlight. Just behind him sat a statue of a malformed beast, one comprised of innumerable different animals.

The statue itself seemed as if it were watching the two foreigners in its presence.

Garland raised a single hand in the air and laughed, “So the mice have finally finished the maze! It’s a shame the only prize that’s ever waited for them is death. Alas, that’s the fate of a toy, isn’t it?” He dropped his arm suddenly and spun in midair to face me. “To be used for entertainment until it simply fails to entertain. Then it is discarded with the garbage, left to rot for an eternity in solitude.”

He turned back toward Mr. 111, who simply stood his ground. He continued with a sigh, “You’ll have to forgive my deceit, my child. A single memory can be the most powerful thing, you know.” He drew a long silver sword from a sheath at his side. I reared back to intervene…but it was impossible.

I could barely even keep up with him. It was as if he had stopped time. With his weapon drawn, the monster took off in a stationary dash toward the un-flinching Black Mage. Like a hot knife through butter, the entirety of Garland’s being pierced the puppet’s shell, emerging perfectly normal on the other side.

A dark purple cloud followed him out, seemingly tied to the end of his weapon. It slowly travelled down the blade and into the hilt, dancing to and fro until poured into the red gem embedded in the demon’s chest plate. The golden lights of Mr. 111’s eyes faded, and the clothes fell in a heap where he stood…

All in a matter of seconds…

The Fifth Night: Memento Mori

From the Eyes of a Puppeteer

…And so it came to pass that, by my blade, a few fragments of memory that gave life to my ambitions returned to me. A memory is such a powerful weapon, in and of itself. To use one as I have requires no concern for the humane and an all-consuming desire for power. The strength I’ve been given through the simple manipulation of memories and the emotions evoked therein is almost overwhelming. As the Mist of the puppet’s puppet returned to me, I felt a surge of energy that revitalized me to an almost-complete state of being.

Even I am but a memory. Those of us that do not belong in this world are memories of the beings that choose to hold on to our hearts. Each of us in this world—be it the Black Mages, Kuja, or myself—share one common ground: we are all dead. We were either killed by another being or by fate. We do not exist any longer. We are but the dreams of those we knew before. It is through memories we are allowed to be.

The Mist from the unfortunate figment of illusion entered my body and gave rise to an almost-complete feeling. With a smile on my face and my blade held high, I turned toward the puppet that had developed ambitions. Kuja looked on, amazed by the swiftness in my striking down of his only remaining ‘brother’. They were both puppets designed to kill, so naturally they found a brotherly bond in their similar circumstances.

“B-but you said…” his voice was faint, almost sorrowful, “that if I brought the Elements, I could save him!” He fell to his knees, his heart beginning to break. I could feel it in my own body, how his heart was shattering. He had lost everything and been powerless to stop it. “’To save a brother for whom you care, or to silence a mage whose power is beyond compare’…” His voice trailed off, repeating the riddle I had taunted him with.

His utterly-defeated expression filled me with a sick sense of joy. I couldn’t help but chuckle, “Did you honestly believe you could save him either way?” I sheathed my blade in a swift motion, planting my feet on the ground and beginning to approach the defeated monster.

Despite the tears rolling down his face, I heard hope in his voice. He sighed, “No, I didn’t. In fact, I don’t honestly believe I’ll make it out of this alive, either.” He stood from the ground, suddenly regaining his composure.

“Yet the tears continue to fall. You’ve grown soft in these last months, Kuja.”

“And you’ve grown foolish, old man.”

“Is that so? It seems you are the one who has walked into all of my nets thus far.”

The Equestrian companions of my hateful creation rounded the corner of the gardenia hedge, the leader of the group being none other than the princess of the doomed kingdom. The fear in her eyes when mine met hers was enough to make my heart flutter. With the Mist extracted from the numbered toy, I was ready to finish my game.

I was reaching to draw my sword again when laughter burst from my failure of a creation. It was almost too happy of a laugh. “Don’t you understand old man? In this world, a paradise nothing like our home, you are no more a threat to them than an insect is to you.” He held an arm over his face, hiding his lips from my view. I could see the smile growing on his face.

It was my turn to be curious. While my riddle left me a few moments of fun, I was now the one without a clue. I scoffed, gripping the hilt of my blade firmly, “How do you mean? My sword is as real as the flowers in this garden. My magic is as mighty as that of a god.”

Still he laughed, “But you see…” He manifested a small dagger in his hands and launched it at the princess of the kingdom. To my amazement, she simply stood in shock and waited for it to hit. But, beyond her lack of reaction rested the realization that she hadn’t needed to react! I watched as the dagger simply passed right through her, leaving no mark and losing no momentum. It simply continued to fly until it was lodged into one of the hedges!

“…it really isn’t!” the Genome finally finished. I heard a gasp of shock escape the crowd of subject-ponies, while the princess simply stood her ground in unwavering confidence.

I couldn’t help but growl, “Of course it is! If it weren’t, then how is it that your companion is dead?!” Something about what I’d just seen angered me, though I wasn’t quite certain what.

“Only a reality can hurt another reality.” With a confident wave of his hand, Kuja began to approach me. His tears had dried, and his eyes were filled with a fiery determination. He tittered, “You were able to kill Mr. 111 because neither of you are real. I think I’ve finally figured it out…”

“Figured what out?!” The purple unicorn cried out, painfully confused by what had just transpired.

The white-haired man continued to approach me, his lips growing into an ever greater smile. He took a deep breath and began to explain, “As hard as it may be to accept, I am not real. Garland is not real. Vivi was not real. The manticores were not real. Nothing from Gaia or Terra has ever been real in this world.” He glanced back for only a moment to read their confused expressions. “We are but memories, drifting through the river of souls that connects all worlds. One such memory was powerful enough to physically manifest itself in this world, a world that contained a substance so closely related to Mist.”

“Our magic?” Celestia sighed.

With a large grin, my toy chuckled, “Correct.” After a moment of considering his words, he continued, “Garland was the first memory to reach this world and take a hold of the magical auras of its residents. He is a memory belonging to Zidane, another puppet created by him. The memory was powerful enough to give him life.”

I had heard enough to know he understood how the world worked. I silenced him with a threatening swing of my blade before I took over the explanation. I began with a groan, “Despite grabbing on to the magical auras, I was still barely a being.” Kuja stepped aside so his companions could see me as I spoke. “I needed more Mist—actual Mist—in order to fully manifest.”

“So what did he do? He used his own memories to give life to creatures of the Mist, ones that he could harvest to gain strength.” With a smug grin, my puppet continued to advance. “Even though he could use the fabricated Mist to gain a body, he didn’t have enough to survive off of. That’s where we came in…”

I scoffed, “Correct. I decided to give life to you, so that you could bring Mist to me. Through your magics and Trances, Mist began to pool in from the other world. I slowly fed off of that Mist, and here we are tonight.” I’d had enough of talking. It was time to win my little game.

I lunged forward, my blade arced back to swing. I was fully prepared to snuff out the light of the puppet that had so callously betrayed me so many months back. As I brought my sword around in perfect alignment with his head, some outside force threw me off course, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

Kuja had taken the sudden hesitation as a chance to move, and all the ponies flinched. To them, it would be a few more moments before they could begin to realize I hadn’t completed my strike.

I heard a loud chirping noise call out from behind me, and as I turned to find its source, a small yellow blur fluttered into the air and delivered a kick with enough force to shove me back a few steps. A tiny yellow bird, no larger than a melon, managed to hold enough force to actually make me move!

Kuja’s jaw dropped at the sight of the animal. For only a moment, he stammered, “B-Boco? But…how?” As soon as he managed to finish his question, his eyes lit up with fear. He screamed, “Boco, get away from him!”

I was just about fed up with annoyances and inconveniences. I wasn’t certain where the pest had come from, but I swatted him away with the side of my blade. At least…I tried to swat him away.

And failed…Somehow…

I swung again, and for a second time my blade simply passed right through. I couldn’t begin to comprehend it! How could such a miniscule creature defy my power?! Each swing only brought me closer to rage, as the bird gleefully chirped at each failure!

Kuja ran a hand through his hair in the same way he used to. With smug understanding in his voice, he sighed, “It seems memories have so much more power than even you could comprehend, Garland…” A cyclone of white light engulfed his hand and took the shape of a long blade. Holding it with confidence, he scoffed, “For all the memories you summoned to give you Mist, it seems someone wasn’t quite ready to let go!”

He smiled brightly at the yellow bird, who seemingly chirped in understanding before darting away from me. The white-haired nuisance launched toward me, sword tearing through the air. I barely had time to react before our blades met with a ‘clank’. There, not two feet from me, he stood with a large grin on his face.

“You are but a memory! How can you defy your owner?!”

“You are but a memory yourself. As such, you could never hope to harm this world. All the plotting and scheming you’ve done, and it was all for naught.”

I tossed him away with a wave of my blade, trying to recover my stance and concentration. How could it be that things were falling apart in the final stages of my plan?! Why was I so suddenly being beaten by a memory I created? I darted toward him, rage in my eyes, ready to end his resistance and draw him back into me. There was no place in a world such as that for a memory’s memory.

But it was no simple task to bring him down. While his companion had stood in shock, he retaliated with overwhelming speed. My blade caught the air by his head, missing its mark, while his blade pierced my gut. I felt the cold magical mythril rip through my body, sending pain and heat through my veins. He simply stood with his blade inside me and waited for me to speak.

“…How is this possible?!” I ripped myself from the sword and darted back toward the statue of the Demon of Chaos. “Why am I losing?!”

Kuja brought the blade covered in my blood to his lips. He ran his tongue over the tip of the blood-drenched metal, smiling deviously as he did so. With a burst of maniacal laughter, he cheered, “How the mighty have fallen, Father! You were once calm and collected, but death has corrupted you!” He swung the blade toward the ground and let my blood stain the grass of the garden. “Is it possible that you really are nothing but a memory? Have you not developed your own being in all this time?” he finished with a pitying sigh.

The ponies simply watched on in shock and awe, unable to put thoughts together coherent enough to reach an understanding of the events transpiring in front of them. The only equine that seemed to remotely understand anything was the princess, and even she looked as if she were a mindless infant. With every second that passed, the cold of the mythril spread through my body. I began to fall numb as my vision blurred. A poisoned blade…is such a dirty trick!

I let out an angry roar and sent my body flying with whatever force I could muster. Again I was parried by my puppet. The blade in my hand shattered, the Mist used to give it life returning to me in the hopes of saving mine. I was on my knees before him, staring up at the creature I’d created, not once but twice.

Kuja tittered, “So this is it, then? If I kill you, all of the evils you plagued this world with will vanish as well. The violent manticores and cockatrii, the Black Mages, and even I will all cease to exist. Your memory will return to you, and the memory of you will return to whomever it belongs.” His gaze lowered to the ground, and his voice fell much quieter. He moaned, “It’s quite cruel, isn’t it? Here I thought I had the chance to redeem my mistakes of the past life… Yet, I’ve only been the pawn in a losing game of chess.”

By that point my breath was heavy. I could feel the warmth of my blood draining and billows of Mist fleeing my body. It was returning back to where it belonged, wherever that may have been. My vision was almost gone, my body completely numb. How things had gone so wrong so quickly I couldn’t begin to imagine.

So I simply asked, “How did you figure out we were memories?”

“We share a bond that can’t be broken. Both in the past life and in this one, we are forever tied together. In both cases, I was a puppet you created to help you achieve your ambitions. It didn’t take much for me to consider how impossible our time in this world has been.” He placed the edge of his blade against my neck, readying for a final slash. “The fact that so many bizarre things have happened has led me to the conclusion that none of it was real.”

The princess stepped forward in objection. She asked in an almost antagonistic tone, “Yet I was informed it was your entourage that settled the matter of the stolen deliveries between Appleloosa and Ponyville. If you are not real—as you say you aren’t—then how is it that you were able to deal with the issue?” I remembered hearing word of some strange creatures dealing with a ‘Diamond Dog’ problem near a place called ‘Ghastly Gorge’.

Kuja sighed, “A memory can only hurt another memory. But…that’s the question, isn’t it?” The blade in his hand simply vanished, the cold steel leaving my flesh. I looked up in confusion. “I’m not sure why we were able to deal with the problem. It’s possible I’ll never know.”

“What about all that damage to Applejack’s barn and Fluttershy’s tree?” The blue Pegasus spoke up. She was obviously unwilling to believe that the ‘hostile manticores and cockatrii’ weren’t real. I had to agree with her.

With a smug scoff, the understanding puppet explained, “I encountered a single manticore in the Everfree Forest on my way to Ponyville with the Black Mages. That one was real, without a doubt. It attacked us because we were in its territory.” He stopped to give his thoughts meaning. “After that first encounter, the manticore became a memory. A hostile memory.”

I was beginning to understand. The power of a memory goes beyond the limits of the logical. I groaned, “Because you were nothing but a memory, your memories were given life in the form of the manticores that attacked while you were ill.” I felt the wave of pain in my gut vanish suddenly, the releasing Mist coming back to me. Standing up cautiously, I continued, “And as with the barn, it became your memory when you looked upon it from the edge of the forest. That’s why your memory was able to damage it and not the ponies within.”

I glanced over to see the ponies sharing lost expressions.

Kuja laughed, “It’s the same with Fluttershy’s home. The only difference is that the manticore was a product of my memory, not Vivi’s. While the house was his memory, the monster was mine.” Again a blade of mythril appeared in his hands, this one longer and thinner than the last. He scanned it proudly and sighed, “Even this blade is a memory, though I can’t tell where in my life it’s from. It carries Mist with it…just as all of our memories do.”

“A memory is quite powerful, is it not?” A large spear manifested in my hand, and without hesitation I darted toward my puppet.

That strike ended just the same as the last, sadly. He parried my blow and sent his weapon thrusting through me. Only this time, I was void of any will to flee. I simply knelt in front of him, blood and Mist running down the shiny silver of the blade.

Running a hand through his hair, he chuckled, “But that tiny bird defies everything I know to be true. Bobby Corwen truly is a special animal, wouldn’t you agree?” He looked behind him, almost as if expecting there to be someone there. The only item worth noting was the corpse of the Black Mage I had killed.

At least, that’s what I thought. Kuja ripped his sword from my body and stepped to the side, waving a hand at a cloud of Mist just opposite of us. It took me a moment, but I soon realized just who he’d been asking the question to…

It was…unbelievable, honestly. Of all the things I’d seen in my centuries of life, protecting and restoring Terra through the destruction of Gaia, and the time I spent manipulating my memories, this single event fazed me more than any other. I’d felt his life leave him. I was almost certain his Mist had returned to me. I was…utterly frightened by the meaning of the cloud’s existence…

It began to take shape. Humanoid, short, with bright yellow eyes.

It became a Black Mage.

The remains of the recently-deceased Mr. 111 exploded into Mist and joined the humanoid mass. Colors began to form. Blue for a coat, green stripes for pants, brown for boots, red for gloves, and a yellow hat that drooped down in front of the figure’s face.

The ponies let out a harmonized, “Vivi?!”

A thin trail of Mist extended from the still-forming figure. My eyes traced its path as it entered the castle proper. I could only imagine that it was the Mist from the remnants of the deceased memory, the very Mist I thought I’d collected. If not his, then whose did I absorb? Could it have been the feeble energy of the Black Waltzes? How could a mistake so huge be made?

A childlike voice called from the face of the figure. It sounded almost like a yawn, yet full of energy and…anger… “A memory or not, my name is Vivi Ornitier! I’m as real as the next person, and I won’t let you tell me I’m not!” The golden of his eyes brightened, and I watched as the Mist that had yet to be absorbed surged around him, creating some sort of barrier.

Kuja cheered, “A memory that refuses its fate can do so much more than simply exist! While you accepted the inevitability of your nonexistence, I searched for a purpose! We searched for a purpose! And that search gave us true life!” The long blade in his hand burst into Mist, reforming around him in a ring.

The child’s voice roared, “We may only be memories, but we’re not your memories anymore! Our friends remember us, and that’s all we need! You have no power over us any more, Garland!” A bright flame surrounded his hands as if preparing to attack me. At that point, I didn’t even care to retaliate.

“Even knowing what I do, there’s still so much that doesn’t make sense. But that’s the fate of a mortal, isn’t it? There are some things that we can never know.” The white-haired man served as the perfect complement to the shadowy child. Like an older brother, he placed a hand on his companion’s shoulder. With a chuckle, he exclaimed, “We were blessed with new lives, even if those lives were never meant to exist. I’ve always tried to defy fate, and I’d say this ordeal counts!”

The younger brother nodded happily, extinguishing the flames of one hand and joining it with his companion’s. “Lives aren’t yours to play with. Even if you create them, you have no right to use them! So…maybe we’ll disappear with you, and maybe we won’t. But it doesn’t matter, because at least we’re real!” The Mist around the both of them exploded, engulfing them in an aura of magic that sent shivers down my numb body. I looked on in fear…

The aura shot toward me at an alarming speed, almost guaranteed to completely swallow me. I heard an ear-wrenchingly loud explosion, and my vision faded. My ears were ringing oh-so-painfully. The numbness that had consumed me faded, and I felt myself floating in midair. I couldn’t see or hear, nor could I consciously move. I felt like I was being dragged through a void, until my sight finally popped back to life.

Things were blurry at first, but quickly came to focus. I was up higher than before, looking out over most of the garden. Just in front of me sat the creatures who defied fate, the memories that gained life, kneeling as if exhausted with a slowly-thinning barrier of Mist surrounding them. Off to the side, barely in my immovable range of view, the ponies sat with fear and confusion on their faces.

I noticed the Mist barrier begin to draw closer toward me, its inhabitants recovering from whatever had transpired while I was out of commission. The feeling slowly returned to my body. My skin was crawling, and I was unbearably cold! I felt as if my limbs were contorted in unnatural ways, my back full of sharp pains and bruises. Everything about my body felt wrong, right down to my organs. I couldn’t hear my pulse or feel the blood rushing through my veins.

What had happened to me was something beyond even my expectations.

My hearing returned as I examined my inward condition. I heard the princess cry out, “You two must do something! Whatever the ‘Mist’ is, it can only react negatively with the statue!” My two opponents looked up in unison, noticing the Mist drawing toward me.

And then it dawned on me what had happened. When a being of Mist is killed, the Mist is released back into the world. On Gaia, my Iifa Tree cycled the Mist to Terra, where it was fed to the ancients I tried to resurrect. In this world with no process to cycle the Mist, it must have hunted for the nearest place to take refuge. With a cloud already engulfing the other beings of Mist, it must have taken refuge in an inanimate object…

And the nearest inanimate object had been the statue of the Demon of Chaos. In essence, my soul—memory or not—had fused with the statue. I had become the statue. Slowly, almost unnoticeably, the cold irritation on my skin began to melt away. I could feel the air slowly reaching my body. A cracking sound preceded each and every new surge of warmth. My heartbeat became obvious. In a painfully slow process, I was coming back to life…

As the Demon of Chaos, that is. I was in its body, with its shape, with knowledge of its powers slowly fusing with my mind. Just the same, memories from its past began to probe my own, sending a sharp stinging through my skull. The being was scanning me, wondering if I was worthy of being in control. It was fighting me for power!

Kuja looked on in terror. Vivi turned toward the ponies with sorrow beaming from his eyes. They’d heard the stories of the demon Discord, and they knew just how unstoppable he was without the power of the Elements of Harmony… That was without the Mist to give him extra power! If the Elements had trouble defeating him without Mist, then I would be invincible with it!

I didn’t have time to bask in the glory of the fear they shared amongst themselves. The stone surrounding my face shattered and the world came to life more vivid than ever before. But before I could even take in a breath of the Equestrian air, a white light swallowed me, and the entire garden vanished before my eyes.

A voice echoed in my head as the pain continued to intensify.

“You realize that this can only end one way, right stranger? Memento Mori, as they say!”

Finale: In Memoria

From the Eyes of a Princess

It all happened so suddenly. I’m not even sure any of it really happened. Neither Twilight nor her friends have any memory of that night… I suppose I could have been imagining everything, but it felt so real. Even their names slip my mind.

The statue of Discord—the long-sealed-away Master of Chaos—began to crack and flake as it had so many months back. Only, this time, I had no means of justifying the seal’s breaking. Unlike last time, where the power of the Elements of Harmony had chosen new hosts and the magics used by their previous owners weakened, the Elements that had sealed him away the second time were still at full power.

Perhaps it had to do with the two strangers that were standing across the garden from him? There was a moderately tall white-haired one, who looked almost paralyzed with fear. His companion, a short shadowy figure in a blue coat, turned to us with sadness and regret pouring from his golden eyes. I can’t begin to remember why they looked like they did, or why I felt such pity for them.

As the monster’s prison slowly fell to pieces, he let out a nauseating screech of pain and anger. I’d never heard Discord in such pain, and I can’t pretend to understand why he would have been so angry. The final pieces of stone burst from his face, and I heard an all-too-familiar laugh ring out in the garden.

The laugh wasn’t followed by one of his usually-condescending remarks. Instead, it was cut off by a bright white light that swirled around him and swallowed the entirety of the draconequus. The two bipedal strangers were left in awe, staring at the white doorway that was left in its place. I felt an odd energy circulating to and from the portal; it almost felt peaceful, yet at the same time hostile.

The white-haired man kicked the ground. He growled, “We were so damn close! This was the only thing that could’ve gone wrong!” He turned toward the short figure at his side, waiting for a response.

The child let out a deep yawn before sighing, “Sorry, I kinda just woke up from a dirt nap… But don’t beat yourself up, . We couldn’t have expected the Mist to resurrect him!” Rather than continue to look sad, the kid faced the portal with a bold stance. I could feel his determination from where I stood.

“You’re right. To resurrect a demon not made of Mist was something that couldn’t have been foreseen. That said, we can’t simply sit by and let the bastard run free!” The anger in his expression vanished, suddenly replaced by hopeful ambition.

They both turned to us and bowed silently. In that short moment, so many things were said without a single spoken word. ‘Goodbye.’ ‘Thank you.’ ‘Sorry.’ Perhaps the deepest meaning behind the bow was something much darker…

‘We may never meet again, and that’s okay.’

All of those thoughts were sent our way without a single word. And then, without a single ounce of hesitation, the two strangers looked each other in the eyes, nodded, and darted into the white portal. Almost as suddenly as it had appeared, the vortex of mysterious energy vanished. It was at that moment I looked around me and wondered why we were all standing in the garden in the middle of the night…

I couldn’t even remember the names of the creatures that had led us there. And, even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t begin to imagine what happened to them on the other side of that door.

Nopony will ever know for sure, and I think that’s for the best.

From the Sea of Memories

The two heroes advanced forward, unwavering in the face of their own mortality. If they were to die, it would be for the sake of the world they were never meant to live in. To end the life of the memory that birthed them would only lead to their removal from the world. It is with this inevitable fate in mind that they charged into a sea of pasts and presents, ready to face whatever obstacles to end the life of a monster that would cause suffering if left to its own devices.

As the heroes of the tale raced toward a hopeful final confrontation, the villain was beginning a fight with itself. For the powerful freedom of the Demon of Chaos wasn’t willing to surrender to the selfish ambition of the Memory of Pain. The two minds melded, each vying for control of a body with limitless potential. If the magics of Mist and Chaos joined together, it would create a power simply more overwhelming than any other in existence.

The stage was set for the end of the story. All that remained was to see who would come out on top.

Chaos vs. Ambition

Discord drifted slowly through the endless abyss of Memoria, his consciousness wrapped in an inward battle against an invading force. Two minds, both seeking freedom from some prison, traded blows in the hopes of becoming the master of a limitless body. The demon Discord and the monster Garland fought for their rights to be alive.

Yet that’s hard to do when one isn’t meant to be alive at all…

“How many times will you make me say it? This is my body! Give up already!” The image of the draconequus Discord thrashed around within the void of his mind, tackling his opponent in anger and annoyance.

The image of Garland returned each blow with his own, though his weapons failed to do much damage at all. He growled, “When all is said and done, I shall have limitless power! I will be a god!” At that particular time he sent a wave of magical energy at the owner of the body.

Discord scoffed at the energy, swatting it away with a single claw. “Is that the best you can muster, old fool? Even that child could do better!” At the mention of a child, Discord pointed directly behind his opponent to an image in the distance.

The image was of a small baby with short blonde hair and blue eyes. A short, fragile tail extended from its waist. Turning to see the image, Garland was filled with a sudden urge to scream. It was a memory from his past, one that he almost regretted. It wasn’t a mournful regret, but one comprised of anger and the scars of failure. He turned back to the beast before him with a newfound rage fueling his attacks.

“You dare show me that ungrateful brat?! You act as if you haven’t any ghosts plaguing you!” The old man rushed toward the mismatched demon and tackled him, using a small burst of magical energy to add force to the impact. A faint image appeared above where the pair landed.

The demon let out a scoff, “What ghosts could I possibly have? I’m a free spirit, unlike you!” He kicked his opponent off and pointed toward the image in the sky. “You have so many regrets, I don’t even have to dig for them!” he laughed mockingly.

As Garland rose to continue the battle, his eyes caught the memory looming over him. A young man in a blue vest with dark golden hair stood with a dagger in hand, a pillar of crimson rising just behind him. Several indistinguishable figures stood behind him, weapons drawn. At the very top of the image could be seen a white-winged figure.

“That was…when I…” the old man mused. A large black spear manifested in his hands and he thrust it toward the floating demon beside him. With an angry roar, he cried out, “You have no business meddling in my past! You’ll pay for your insolence!”

The spear only barely missed its mark, driven off course by a sudden hesitation from its wielder. Discord teleported a few yards away with a snap of his claws, taking the much-welcomed opportunity. Rather than strike back what could be a finishing blow, he decided to bask in the emotions of his opponent.

The draconequus laughed, “You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with an arm like that!” A small pink cloud popped to life above the old man, and from it poured a thick brown liquid. “Would you care for some chocolate? It always makes me feel better!” he mocked.

The chocolate rain continued to fall as Garland lamented the circumstances of his situation. He thought back to all the events that led to that particular moment, ending with the moment he was once again beaten by his own creations. It was at that moment—at the memory of his puppet rebuking his impossible existence—that he decided he would do whatever it took to come out as the victor of the battle he was locked in.

So, with spear gripped firmly in his hand, he sliced the pink cloud right in half, sending its remnants flying away. He began to chuckle, “So all it took was the sheer force of will to give a memory true life. It took a desire for meaning to steal my control away from him. So, if I wish to be victorious, will that get me what I want?” The tip of the spear was aimed directly for the monster’s head, and its wielder prepared to make another dash.

“This place is quite fascinating, isn’t it? It can show you things you never even knew you remembered! It can even show you things another creature wants you to see!” With a snap of his claws, the whiteness of Discord’s inner mind burst to life with colors that painted a picture from the past. “With our minds so close together, I can see all of your memories. The real question is can you see mine?”

The old man scoffed, “More than you care to know, ancient demon! I can see more scars than you care to admit you have!” The scene around them quickly distorted, changing from a bizarre mix of odd objects to a rainbow-smothered castle hall.

Of course the draconequus would recognize such a ghastly image. There, wrapped in a vortex of rainbow-colored magic he stood, powerless against the might of the Elements of Harmony. The two wielders of the gems at the time were relentless in their assault, and it had been the beast’s own cockiness that led to his downfall. The memory was like a carving in the back of the monster’s brain, never to be forgotten.

But Discord, a being of freedom and disharmony, was not one to let a simple image faze him. He lifted up into the air and began to fly circles around his opponent. All the while he whispered in a sing-song voice, “The ghosts of my past have nothing on yours.”

The sheer energy the beast seemed to have—never growing tired and never attempting to end the battle—was more than Garland could comprehend. The old man watched on in awe as his pseudo-enemy flew around carelessly, barely mindful of his situation. As the beast finished another revolution around the ‘room’, the memory struck out.

And, for the first time since the battle began, he actually landed a respectable blow! Discord fell to the ground in sudden shock, tiny drips of blood following his path of descent. It was more the disbelief that he’d been hit that sent him down rather than the strike itself. It was shallow, no deeper than an inch, and the wound was healed in a matter of seconds by the beast’s magic. No, it would take more to fell the Master of Chaos.

But even the draconequus had to admit, “That was quite impressive, for an old man! I guess you finally got some guts to follow through?” In no time at all, he was back in the air, this time much more cautious where he passed.

Garland bellowed cockily, “’A memory can only hurt another memory’, is that right? Then the blood on my spear proves that I am no more a memory than you are!” He waved his weapon through the air and watched the blood stain the floor of the memory they were still entangled in. “You were so certain I couldn’t do you harm. Is it possible that you were listening to us in the garden? Were you conscious all those years of imprisonment?” he finished with a pitying sigh.

The feeling of the unbearable cold of the stone and the incessant crawling of his skin made the old man shutter. The few moments he was in that state were enough to make him curse whatever fate had cast him there; he couldn’t begin to imagine what his opponent had felt in all those years. His thoughts were broken by a bright flash of purple light. Once it faded, the two battling minds were left in the view of a memory from the past.

A memory neither of them readily recognized.

The viewpoint of the memory was from high in the air, just above a red-colored landmark. All around in the distance were tall, flat-headed formations, almost like giant stone mushrooms. Most of them were engulfed in fire, with beams of purple energy wrapping its way toward the ones that were not. Down below stood the blonde-haired man in his blue vest, just as he had before. Again supporting him from behind were a group of diverse creatures, all standing exhausted as if they’d just fought.

It clicked in Garland’s head just what he was seeing. He scoffed, “If you’re trying to show me scars of my past, you’re doing a horrible job at it! This isn’t even my memory!” He turned on a dime and launched his spear at the still-watching monster.

The image continued to play, showing the entirety of the in-sight world burst into fire and death. The figures below fled hurriedly, seeking refuge from the dying place. The figure who owned the memory vanished from the scene, appearing instead in a world much brighter than the other. At unbelievable speeds, it took off through the air toward a nameless goal.

Consumed by the violent memory before him, Discord never saw the spear coming. By the time he did, it was too late to react. The weapon was launched at just the right angle to crash into its mark with the broad side of the blade. Just like that, in an almost-too-unfair way, the Master of Chaos was out like the light of the world he just watched die. With a growing smile of absolute victory, Garland approached the unconscious monster to deliver the truly final blow.

“Sorry it had to end this way. You’re ability to have fun doing bad things could have taken us farther than my own greed. But you had to fight me, and now you have to die.” He picked the spear up from the ground where it had landed after bouncing from the beast’s body and aimed its point at his enemy’s head. He chuckled, “But you said yourself that this could only end one way… In these last few moments of life, Memento Mori, demon.”

And that was that. The battle ended.

With an ear-shredding screech, the physical body of the Master of Chaos fell to the ground and writhed uncontrollably. Part of its mind had just been completely eradicated, and that would be enough to scar any being permanently. In the moments it took for the old man’s consciousness to fully take over, dark memories from Discord’s past flashed to life all around him. The ‘scars’ he claimed he didn’t have filled his final moments with regret and an even greater pain.

And finally, after immeasurable time locked within his mind fighting against the rightful owner of the body, Garland gained full power. His skin crawled and his body felt cold for only a moment. Then, with a confidence that gave him the feeling of immortality, he snapped his newfound claws and conjured forth a simple cloud of cotton candy. Smiling deviously at his host’s meaningless concoction, the old man felt a joy he hadn’t felt in all his life.

And he called out, “Come and get me, you worthless toys!”

And a voice called back, childlike and determined, “Don’t worry Garland, we are!”

“…What!?”

Memories’ Blessings

Slowly, cautiously, the two once-empty vessels explored the vast expanse of white before them. They never strayed far from one another, and they kept their attention ready for any sudden attack. As they advanced ever further, the nothingness seemed to grow, endless and eternal. Step after step, the world around them continued, never changing. With no landmarks to guide their way or a door in the distance to show their progress, all they knew was that they were searching for the Master of Chaos.

After an immeasurable period of time walking ever forward, the childlike Black Mage fell to his knees in exhaustion. With deep, strained breaths he sighed, “Was it a mistake to follow him?” He fell flat on the ground, a great weight pouring down on top of him.

The brotherly Genome stopped beside his worn-out companion and sat, time not being a factor in their confrontation with their foe. “I don’t know. Maybe,” he groaned, falling back and lying flat against the ground. Fatigue swallowed him as suddenly as it had his friend.

Their eyes grew heavy and their focus faded, the lull of sleep taking them from their goal. The emptiness seemed to fade out, becoming naught but a memory. Peace washed over them.

“I will be a god!”

The deep, ominous voice of Garland called out through the void, tearing the veil of unconsciousness to shreds. Kuja leaped back to his feet, a sudden energy filling his every muscle. Vivi joined him, ashamed of his sudden lack of will and determined to finish what had been started by the monster they sought. The mystic aura of the world they stood in seemed to revitalize them as they remembered their ultimate goal—and their ultimate fate.

Far away, maybe yards or maybe miles, a bright blue light penetrated the endless sea of white. Nodding in agreement, the two benevolent forces raced toward it, uncertainty filling their hearts but not their minds. As they continued onward, the emptiness of the void burst to life with colors and sounds. Countless memories played out for them as they rushed ever deeper into the endless world.

Not daring to stop in fear of faltering once more, the pair dashed into the blue light, not knowing what awaited them beyond. Again, as if the world were playing tricks on them, it returned to a white void. The sounds and images of the previous gauntlet faded away, the memories becoming almost nothing but whispers. Again drowsiness clouded their minds.

Only this time, Kuja struck the first blow! “Vivi, get up!” As he felt the weight of sleep cover his shoulders, he delivered an offensive kick to his companion’s gut.

The mage leapt to his feet with fire on his hands, not stopping to process his reaction. The flames shot forth, stinging the Genome back to an alert state of being. Taking only a moment to slap the flames out, he placed a hand atop his brother’s head and smiled.

“Swift thinking, Kuja!” Vivi cheered. The realization of what had just happened gave him a hopeful energy, despite whatever fear had filled him moments before.

Kuja sighed, “This place is trying to feed on our Mist, Vivi. It’s playing with our heads so we won’t resist. We can’t let that happen if we’re to kill Garland.” He looked all around the area they were in, hoping some other door would appear to guide them.

“Do you…know where we are?”

“Of course. Are you telling me you don’t?”

“Not really…”

Kuja let out a light-hearted laugh and waved a hand toward the empty void. An image popped to life of a tall stone tower suspended in an expanse of clouds engulfed in a heavenly light. The image shifted outward, revealing several familiar figures. The blond-haired man in his blue vest was present, as well as a young woman in an orange suit. A heavy suit of metal armor covered what appeared to be an old man. Whoever owned the image was looking up at all the figures.

Vivi gasped in understanding, “Memoria! We’re in Memoria!”

“That’s right! It’s a lot different than it was back then, though. Before, it was a fortress melded together at my will to keep you and your companions from interfering with me…” The Genome looked down at the ground suddenly as if ashamed to recall the nature of the image.

The Black Mage sighed, “But now there’s nothing…because there doesn’t need to be anything…” He fell silent for a moment to consider what he meant. “Garland, or Discord, or whoever, never created anything here because they couldn’t.”

“What do you mean?” Kuja’s expression fell blank.

“Well, think about it. Garland’s Mist entered the statue of Discord, who was supposed to still be inside the statue. So their minds are probably fighting for control, don’tcha think?”

The white-haired brother simply stood in awe, mouth agape, at the logic he’d just had brought to his attention. He considered how possible the idea truly was, and decided that the impossible nature of the world could have been created through the unfocused mindset of the first being to enter. He mulled the thought over for a few moments before a sudden roar of thunder sent his focus crumbling.

With a blinding flash of lightning, the entire void ceased to exist. In its place was a large foyer, a branching staircase forming in front of the pair of heroes. Between the two paths of stairs, one turning left and the other right, a large portrait of a fat member of royalty rested just above a more obscure painting. A light melody filled the air from nowhere in particular. Our heroes found themselves wrapped in a bizarre blanket of comfort, more peaceful than the fatigue they encountered previously.

That peaceful comfort was spoiled when a loud shriek of fear cried out. With a sudden murky distortion, the figure of a young woman exploded to life at the top of the eastern staircase. She stared down at our heroes with a balance of confusion, fear, and excitement. She was covered with a beautiful white dress and veil.

She gasped, “Vivi?! Is that you…again?” The voice was gentle despite the fear in her face, and the little mage more than welcomed its familiarity.

“Qu-Queen Garnet? But…” With confusion flooding his thoughts, the child approached his old friend, taking each step with caution.

The clattering of metal filled the air. A gruff voice cried out, “Your Highness, is something the matter?! What was that scream for?!” With the same distortion as before, the figure of an old knight in somewhat-rusted armor darted into the scene from the western staircase. In his haste, he crashed headfirst into the approaching mage.

Kuja took several steps back, not certain what to make of the events unfolding in front of him.

The soldier jumped to his feet and gripped the hilt of his broadsword firmly. He bellowed, “You ne’er-do-wells have tested the wrong royal knight! Meet thy maker you uncouth--!” As quickly as he’d drawn the blade, he let it fall to the ground with a loud metallic thud. His jaw fell open in utter disbelief as he stammered, “M-M-Master Vivi, could that really be you again?”

There was that word: ‘Again’.

The present Genome continued to slowly inch away, certain that it was nothing but a trick set up by the world around them. He would have no part in its emotional distractions.

“Where do you think you’re going, bro?”

All four of the present beings turned their attention to the ground floor; the path that would normally lead to the castle gate was instead cut off by the strange aura of energy. Right on the edge of the energy field, following another murky cloud of energy, appeared the same tall blond figure from before, wearing the same blue vest. With a wide grin on his face, he approached the hesitant white-haired man.

“We gotta stop meeting like this, you guys. It’s getting old walking into another world just to talk for a few minutes.” He placed a hand on Kuja’s shoulder as a sign of acceptance, all the while shoving the fleeing figure back toward the slowly growing group of people.

Vivi finally picked himself up from the ground and laughed, “It’s been what, a week? It’s nice to see you guys so soon!” He adjusted his hat in his usual fashion and looked around the magical area. It had taken the shape of Alexandria Castle’s entrance hall, a place that held many memories for just about everyone in their old entourage.

Another figure burst to life within the area, this time leaping from the upper floor directly to Kuja’s side. The familiar red cloak and pointed ears only added to the excitement of the growing situation. A dark, feminine voice tittered, “It’s hardly been a day, let alone a week, Vivi.”

“Freya?” the little mage responded, confused by both her sudden appearance and her meaning.

Garnet giggled, “We saw you last night, remember? It was right here in the entrance hall, and Eiko tackled you.” She continued down the steps until she was able to give the child a comforting hug, welcoming him back to them.

Kuja groaned, “So it’s only been a day for you? It has, in fact, been a week in our case…” He gently shoved his brother away from him and began ascending the stairs.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter, does it? We’re together again, anyway!” Zidane cheered, dashing up the stairs to embrace the Black Mage. “I gotta admit Quina was a little sad when we said we’d seen you two! You should’ve stuck around a little longer last time!”

Vivi returned his friend’s hug, thinking back to the last time they met. He gasped, “Quina wasn’t there, was s/he?! Why not?”

“S/he was too busy cooking up a storm for the Queen,” Freya chuckled.

Kuja turned suddenly, staring at the place where the door to the castle kitchens would have been. Focusing for a few long seconds, he laughed, “Speak of the devil and he shall come.”

A deep, gluttonous voice called out into the entrance hall, “I smell…Mist! I smell Black Mage!” As if summoned by his name, the large figure dressed in a red coat and white apron, with a long hanging tongue, burst to life within the magical aura. Almost immediately, s/he turned to face the group of companions, his eyes focused on the child in their midst.

“Quina can smell Mist?” Vivi mumbled under his breath, fairly surprised that Mist even had a distinct smell.

The Qu approached the source of the scent, not even taking time to notice the rest of his friends. His lips turned up in joy and s/he cheered, “Vivi, that you?! I no see you in long time!”

Seeing a glint in the gourmet’s eyes, Zidane quickly released his friend and leapt back. Just in time, he landed outside of the large Qu’s range as s/he tackled Vivi to the ground in a happy embrace. For the second time in a handful of minutes, the Black Mage was on the ground surrounded by friends.

“Okay Quina, don’t smother the poor kid.” Freya gently tugged their large friend’s apron, attempting to pull him from such a happy reunion.

The Qu bounced back to his feet with a loud thud, a happy grin on his face. Vivi, a little shaken by the sudden tackle, took his time crawling back to his feet. Just as he recovered, an ear-wrenching screech rang out through the void of Memoria, distorting the image of the castle around them. Even the figures residing within the castle had to shield their ears in pain.

The screech passed and the area within the magical aura returned to normal. Kuja was the first to recover, taking a defensive stance. The sudden sound was full of pain, and could only have meant bad things were on their way. The entire void began to rumble and rock as the others recovered their senses. With a loud cracking sound, a bright red door swallowed the wall where the former queen of Alexandria’s portrait had hung.

As he snatched his weapon from the ground where it fell, Steiner roared, “What sorcery it this?!”

“Get back, Your Highness!” Freya, as swift as ever, leaped through the air and landed just in front of Garnet, who simply stood in shock at the sudden commotion.

Kuja ascended the steps toward the door, stopping to place a hand on his companion’s head. He chuckled, “I believe that’s our cue, Vivi.”

Taking a second to look at all of his still-present friends, Vivi sighed, “You’re right. We have to go now.”

“Go?” Zidane gasped. “Where are you going? What’s going on where you are?”

Before either hero could explain, a loud roar called out into the void. The familiar, ominous voice was flooded with confidence, “Come and get me, you worthless toys!” Garland’s voice, more antagonistic than ever before, rattled the ‘toys’ to their cores, and those that weren’t part of the battle looked around in frightful confusion.

Vivi stepped forward, reaching the top of the steps and staring directly into the red glow of the door. He clenched his fists, looked back at Kuja, and called out into the nothingness of Memoria, “Don’t worry Garland, we are!” His friends shared surprised looks as they watched their once-childlike companion suddenly become determined and proud.

“G-Garland? Wasn’t that…?” Zidane placed a hand to his chin and considered the name, thinking back to all the battles they’d fought in their travels.

Kuja, as suddenly as anything else had transpired in those last few moments, embraced his brother. The hug lasted only long enough for a simple message to be conveyed, “Remember us, and we’ll never die. Can you do that for me?”

And then, before any of the beings present could respond, the two heroes rushed into the bright light of the ominous door. As their images faded, the magical aura shattered to pieces, and Memoria was once again blank. Whatever had just existed, be it a reality or a dream, was no more. The heroes of our tale never looked back as they advanced.

Finally, after an immeasurable time fighting against the emptiness of the sea of memories, the two mages reached their goal. As they passed into the red wall of light, they were met by a colorful field of senseless images. At the center of the field, basking in the light of his own magical energy, sat the body of the demon Discord. From his eyes radiated an evil that could only have belonged to a monster of Mist.

There they stood opposites within a void of pasts and presents. Two creatures fighting for the sake of a world they were never meant to know stood tall against the evil emanating from a monster born from the plagued memories of some other being. The atmosphere was tense, the air reeking of death and pain.

The battle was about to begin.

“Our memories will be part of the sky…”

Garland wasted no time in striking, lashing out with his newly obtained body as if it were a weapon all its own. His tail swatted the two opponents away with barely any resistance, bringing to life an image of a battle from the Black Mage’s past. Flaming barrels and lifeless corpses fell through a cloudy sky, plummeting into a sea below: the first scar of an adventure that would carry many more.

Kuja recovered quickly, casting a spell of his own against the swift monster before him. Several large bolts of lightning crashed down upon the serpentine figure, temporarily stopping his movement and leaving scorch marks on his hide. Tiny sparks of blue light danced around his body and restored the scorched areas back to health.

“You…cannot best me, insects!” The paralysis wore off as Garland roared, and a large pit of bloodied blades materialized beneath his enemies.

With barely a second to react before gravity took hold of him, Kuja summoned forth a burst of wind to carry Vivi from the danger zone, leaving himself defenseless in the process. Just as the element placed his still-distracted ally safely away from the trap, the grips of reality pulled him down toward what could have been his demise.

The little mage burst to life, breaking free from the memory of his encounter with the third Black Waltz brother. In a matter of a second, he summoned a field of Stop magic to keep his companion alive. Turning toward his enemy he cried out, “You won’t win with cheap tricks, Garland!” Mustering all the energy he could, an explosion of rock and stone burst from the depths of the trap, carrying Kuja with it.

Thrown from the Stopped field, the Genome regained control of his body, leaping from the platform of rock and manifesting a spear in his hands. Down he fell, prepared to put all the force he could into piercing the monster’s hide and dealing as much internal damage as he could. Distracted by the sudden manipulation of elements, the draconequus had little time to react to the sudden paradigm shift. In a matter of moments, he was forced to go from the offensive to the defensive.

With a snap of claws, a thick barrier of pink clouds engulfed the monster. To his astonishment, the seemingly useless magical ability found a means of being more than show. The cotton-candy coating caught Kuja’s spear and locked on to it, returning the momentum back to him and sending him flying. The contradictory demon let out a loud roar of victory, silently thanking the being he’d stolen the body from.

Kuja growled, “Your games have no place in a real battle, Garland! Cheap tricks will only get you so far!” Kuja waved his hand in a wide circle, stirring magical energy into it as he did so. The Mist began to manifest into a large red ball of light, which its creator sent flying at the enemy.

The ball of Mist grew exponentially in size, swallowing the demon whole. As it continued to grow, smaller balls of energy split from it, circling around in a generator-type motion. The intense heat of the spell obliterated the demon’s barrier as if it were not even there. Finally, the ball imploded on itself, a deafening explosion filling the immediate area with sound. A shockwave of air sent the heroes flying as the Mist continued to bombard its target.

Vivi recovered quickly, not willing to give his enemy time to recover. Without hesitation, he conjured his own ball of energy and sent it flying toward the staggered demon. The ball exploded on contact, blanketing its mark with fire and smoke. A vortex of wind followed it, clearing the field and buffeting everyone present. With that, the Black Mage was spent, his Mist drained.

He fell back in exhaustion, unable to move.

Garland let out a guttural roar, “I shall not be beaten!”

All of the memories and images that decorated the void blinked out like stars. The empty whiteness dimmed as thick black clouds filled the space overhead. The damaged and bloodied draconequus launched upward through the gathering of clouds, a bolt of red lightning tracing his path back to the ground. The ground began to rumble and the air began to grow stale.

With a demonic and grotesque growl, the clouds above split apart, a red light beaming down to the area below. The clouds appeared as a god would, the light emanating from a monstrous eye in the sky. Its energy almost felt calming while still evoking a sense of fear and pain.

Kuja ran to the worn out hero’s side, trying to get some response from him. As he stood in anticipation of what the red light could bode, his body began to grow heavy. He was suddenly conscious of the fatigue that had consumed him while he cast his magics. And, just as it had earlier, the world seemed to be draining him of the will to fight on.

Streams of energy began to flee from his body, drawn toward the red eye above. The more that left him, the less will he had to fight. It didn’t take much for him to collapse in a heap on top of his brother, who was losing what little energy he had left.

Garland’s voice bellowed in victory, “You are but insects against my might! When you are out of my way, I shall consume everything you’ve fought for! Worlds will die at my hands! I shall take revenge on the fates that led me where I am!” A large figure burst through the cloud cover and plummeted to the ground, leaving a crater in the center of the beam of red energy.

The beast was serpentine, except it was thicker and more menacing than the previous enemy. While maintaining the basic shape of a draconequus, it was coated in thick black armor with silver blades jutting out in every direction. In a voice that sounded almost like a ghost, it sighed, “A pity this is how you meet your end. It seems that a memory holds more power in this place than even a god…” The voice was without a doubt Garland’s, though it was corrupted by an odd aura.

Kuja’s breath was heavy, almost pained. With the little energy that the red aura hadn’t yet stolen, he chuckled, “The Invincible…wasn’t always evil…you know.” Struggling against his own weariness, he placed a hand flat on Vivi’s chest, channeling any energy he could into his friend’s body.

The mage’s eyes opened, and he stared up at the monster that seemed to be killing them. He mumbled, barely audible, with wonderment and fear, “Invincible…”

The eye in the sky suddenly flashed a bright crimson before the light it produced simply faded. The cloud covering evaporated back into the sea of memories, and the ship itself began to crack and flake. The red of the eye swirled and faded out, popping back to life as a blue crystal. The rumbling on the ground and the staleness of the air seemed to vanish instantly, replaced by a sudden excitement.

The streams of Mist fleeing the heroes’ bodies stopped in their tracks. The pull of the Invincible’s magic reversed in an explosion of Mist that rained down on the victims of its attack. The streams expanded into full-fledged rivers of energy and Mist, bringing sudden life back to the exhausted duo. Springing back to life, the two faced the black-clad serpent before them.

Garland roared, “No! This is all wrong! The Invincible is my memory! Why does it betray me?” The Mist continued to flood his enemies’ bodies, filling them with an unimaginable power.

Vivi, whose body began to glow a deep pink color, simply stared into the demon’s eyes. As the Mist continued to pour and build up, the Black Mage cheered, “It may be a memory, but it’s my memory now! We used it to stop Kuja, so it’s just as much mine as yours!” The pink light began to swirl around his body, filling every muscle with a familiar and dangerous power.

Kuja burst into laughter, “A warship designed to kill and enslave has just been used to heal and free! The Terrans knew the importance of balance between violence and kindness, but you only filled your creations with pain and anger! Now, I hope you can see the error of your ways, Garland!” Pink light swallowed him, empowering him just as it had his friend.

The rivers of energy ceased to flow, and the Trances of both heroes took full effect. A pink aura of Mist and magic swallowed them, pooling together as a limitless source of power. Fear filled the eyes of the demon who opposed them as he fled into the distance of the void.

Together, in perfect harmony, the two mages raised their arms up high. The pool of energy gathered above them, and with a common thought binding their magic, a ball of intense Mist took shape, growing ever larger. As the image of the Invincible faded away, the Mist grew to occupy its place in the void. They looked into one another’s eyes and saw the fiery hope they held in common.

Turning toward the fleeing monster, they released all of the energy they had gathered, letting it do what it needed to end the life of a selfish and cruel beast. In an explosion of light and sound and Mist, the void itself heaved in pain. The light of the blankness faded into pink energy, the Trances of the heroes fading just as surely as the energy had.

All around them stretched darkness. Even Memoria was unprepared for the sheer energy it had contained. There in the distance, in steep contrast to the pure shadow, laid the original form of the demon Discord. The two victorious mages approached it cautiously, not certain the battle was truly over.

As they grew closer, a dark aura seemed to emanate from the fell beast. Light slowly returned to the void, an image of a wide open field taking the place of the arena they had fought in. A black smoke poured from the limp vessel, slowly drifting into the air.

The beast’s eyes opened and it launched into the air. The two mages took offensive stances, ready to strike at a second’s notice. Instead of hostile magic, they were greeted by an unfamiliar laugh. The voice coming from the demon was not that of Garland, but of a much happier spirit.

The Master of Chaos chuckled, “That was quite a show, I must say! Very well played, using your memories to overshadow his.” He added venom to the pronoun, waving a claw at the black cloud dispersing in the air.

Vivi dropped his guard, glad to hear that their enemy had actually been beaten. “So that’s it then? We won? He can’t hurt Equestria anymore?” the child sighed.

“It just feels…too easy,” Kuja groaned, not certain whether he was relieved or confused.

Discord tittered as he glided around the duo, “Well I can’t say he’s not a threat, but he certainly isn’t inside me! But now riddle me this: how do we get out of here?” He stopped in place and looked around the open field.

With a small grin, Kuja waved a hand off to the side. Just behind them, a large white door ripped through the peaceful image. He sighed, “All you have to do is remember your home. Memoria will do the rest.” A sharp pain caught his head, and he fell to his knees in sudden weariness.

“Kuja?!” Vivi knelt beside his companion as a sudden dread filled his heart.

The draconequus drifted slowly past them toward the door. With a cocky tone he groaned, “But my home is so dull. I’d rather see yours! If you and that old man are examples of what to expect, I believe I could have some fun!” A wide grin stretched across his face, as if he were plotting something devious.

The white-haired mage chuckled, “Don’t be stupid. Memoria won’t allow you to go someplace you aren’t meant to be.” The pain in his head developed into a throbbing pressure, and he hunched over closer to the ground.

The Black Mage moaned through clenched teeth, “C’mon Kuja, we can go tell Princess Celestia we won! Get up…” Without warning, his body began to ache. With a pained scream, he fell flat on his stomach, his entire being beginning to writhe and wrench.

“We knew this would happen…” Kuja grumbled. “We were his memories, so now we go away with him.”

Discord stopped his advancing and stomped a paw on the ground. In an almost outraged fashion he growled, “What?! You spent all that time fighting for survival, and now you’re going to die? That hardly seems fair!” Standing tall on his paws, the monster crossed his arms in contemplation.

Vivi’s breath was already shallow, and his body quivered in pain at each one. He managed to choke out, “That’s our fate. We…have to die…” The tip of his hat began to melt away, evaporating into a cloud of red smoke.

Slowly, the two mages were vanishing.

The throbbing in Kuja’s head developed into absolute pounding, and he fell to his stomach in agony. He cried out, holding back his anger, “The sea of memories won’t let us where he don’t belong, so it’s getting rid of us for good!” Starting from his feet, he began to melt away, just like his companion.

“But you had a life before you came to Equestria, didn’t you? What about all of your friends waiting to see you again?” The monster snapped his claws, and the peaceful field gave way to two images of their earlier meeting. The same scene portrayed from the heroes’ different viewpoints showed the beast how cared for his ‘saviors’ were.

The child croaked in pain, “We died…so we don’t belong there anymore…”

Kuja slowly added, “And we never belonged…in your world…”

“Your friends didn’t seem to agree with you, did they?” Discord flew around the image, stopping to examine the figures of their friends. He chuckled, “So you are the one whose memories plagued the old man? I’d say you deserve a medal, Kuja.”

He received no response, the Mist pouring from their bodies leaving them lifeless.

With a snap of his claws, the clouds of red smoke stopped their ascent, instead coming back together to form thicker clouds. The demon sighed, “Celestia says I have no compassion for others. She may be right, but I owe you both for saving me from that disgusting creature’s control! I can’t change what you are, but I can at least get you out of here…” He snapped his claws one final time.

A large red portal burst to life underneath the dying mages. Suspended in air by chaotic magic, they stared blankly into it, seeing shapes and colors slowly come to focus. The red smoke Discord had stopped from fleeing poured back into their bodies, returning their consciousness to them. They glanced back at the strange creature that seemed to be helping them before they were suddenly released by his grip. In an instant, they fell through the bright door and into a world they were more than familiar with.

Discord watched them fall into the world that they truly belonged in. In a matter of moments, they would be found by creatures that truly cared for them, more than any pony in Equestria could. He thought for a moment how bizarre the whole scenario seemed, but he kept his confusion silent. Turning back toward the blue portal, he considered the fact that he would probably return to his stone prison once he crossed through.

He grinned deviously at the red door as it began to shrink in size. Just as it became a tiny speck of light, the draconequus burst into laughter.

“Arrivederci!”

Epilogue: Forgotten but Not Lost

Nopony seems to have any memory of the strangers that visited us. There is no evidence that they ever existed to begin with. I can’t recall their names, or where they disappeared to. I can’t even recall what they looked like anymore. But on the day they disappeared, my nightmares stopped. The clouds of darkness that plagued my dreams gave way to a beautiful open field of flowers and animals. Reports of caravans being attacked within the Everfree Forest also decreased.

I don’t know why they left or where they went, but the strange creatures were linked to it all in one way or another. Perhaps they knew just how dangerous they were, and fled our world so we could be happy. Or perhaps they entered that wall of light in the hopes of stopping whatever was truly causing our woes. Nopony will ever know, it seems.

Anything that might have linked them to our world vanished not long after they left. Even the little bird I left in Fluttershy’s care vanished in the middle of the night. The only difference between it and everything else is that anypony that saw it remembers it was real. Why is it they can recall the yellow bird but not its owners?

It’s never a dull day in Equestria, of that I have no doubt. But…recent events seem to be almost too bizarre.

I’ve received a number of strange letters from an unknown sender. Unlike Twilight Sparkle’s friendship reports which arrive by dragon fire, these letters seemed to have simply appeared on my throne once each day. They started on the day the strangers vanished. Each letter contained a single word and any respective punctuation it might have needed in the grand scheme of the message.

“Memories are powerful creatures. Never forget what you’ve seen them do.”

I have yet to figure out what it means, but I’ve had most of my elite researchers trying to decipher it. Even Twilight offered to look into its meaning. Even greater than my curiosity of its meaning is my desire to know the letters’ origins. Each letter I’ve received came sealed with a red ribbon and a small image of a red bulb on what appears to be a face. Underneath each seal rests the word ‘Kupo’.

There are some things we may never know.

I feel as if I owe the strangers a debt that I can never repay, yet I’m not even certain why I would owe them anything…

The real question is, I imagine, whether or not I truly wish to know…