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Yeah, That Place With The Talking Equine-People
"Are you sure about this?" I asked frustradedly. "This place seems exactly like the last seven seemingly 'peaceful' worlds we went through." Phobos rolled his eyes. "You're overreacting, Aether. This world's different, I can feel it." He reassured me. I sighed. "That's what you started saying after number five. But, if you're absolutely sure, I'm going to go check on Blaise." I tossed over my shoulder as I stretched my wings and flew out of the small cave on the side of Yishral, our home. It was a magnificent floating island, with the most beautiful trees and plants from the various worlds we adventure through lining the simple cobblestone path leading up to our tower. I could hear Blaise swearing from the entrance. I sighed. "You alright up there?" I shouted.
It took him a few seconds to respond. "I'm alright. You know me, just, on fire again, as usual." He casually called back. I facepalmed. I was lucky enough that our parents were adepts, giving us control over magic. But Blaise? He was an unstable fire elemental. He's burnt at least two different planets to the ground. Due to his 'flares' he would create a colossal fire explosion when he broke the sound barrier.
Oh, and he has a terrible habit of setting himself on fire. He'd usually do it to show off, but sometimes, not often, did it for other people's well-being. It dosen't matter though, he still sucked at killing dragons. That's a much better bragging right than lame old flame explosions. And I had armour made of dragon's scales, which is both lighter and has greater defence than that our family's traditional silversteel armour. I was lucky enough to find a white dragon, it allowed me to get not only the right color of armour, but white dragons are just as strong as black ones, meaning that their scales were unbelievably efficient when it came to crafting weapons and armour. There's a chemical in the scales that reacts when it melts, increasing their durability. But why am I talking about my armour? I need to go make sure Phobos isn't overloading our transport crystal with all his weird-ass experiments. I flew back into the cave.
"Well, I'm ba- what the hell are you doing." I stated bluntly, noticing that Phobos was running yet another experiment on the Physichhe crystal. He jumped suddenly when I started talking to him, slowly turning to me with a guilty look on his face. "I.... I don't know what you're talking about." He says shooting me an 'I'm innocent' look. Before he could say anything else I threw my hand forward, then let it fall back down. "Don't give me any bullshit. You know all we need is enough energy to jump to another dimension, so don't waste too much energy. I know you almost have to do those tests. Now, I'm going to head out, and go exploring. I'm going to see if this world has anything to offer." I told him. Turning around and standing at the edge of the small cave. I gripped the longsword on my back, scabbard carefully placed between my wings, just to make sure it was still there. I dove down into the cloud layer, flying through it and pulling up the second I pierced the cover. I felt a strange sense of nostalgia when I saw a colorful town.... Getting absolutely pelted by the rainstorm coming from the cloud cover.
Shame. I thought sarcastically.
I landed.... Well, crashed on the outskirts of the town. The rain being blocked by my armour, but as I stretched my wings, I was frustrated that they were getting drenched. That would make flying a bitch, if it was even possible now. I sighed. Well, I may as well go converse with the townspeople. What could possibly go wrong? I thought sarcastically. I made my way into town, noticing no living creatures staying out in the horrid weather.
Somehow, I'm not surprised.
I made my way to a large tree poking out in the middle of town. It seemed like it was habited, strangely enough. It looked like it was turned into a house.... Must be a weird fetish or something.
I made my way to the entrance and knocked on the door. A few seconds passed before a quiet "Come in!" sounded from the inside. I opened the door and walked in, shivering. A lady came down the stairs, and I noticed that she looked equine in nature, with a light lavender coat and rear hooves, though she had apparent hands and was wearing human fashion; A light yellow T-shirt and skinny jeans. I'm going to assume it would be safe to call her a mare, Even though she seems like an anthromorphic human. A horn protruded from her forehead, and a few objects floated in front of her, enveloped in the same purple aura the said horn was surrounded by. She glanced over at me, and I noticed her surprise. "Why, hello there. That's strange armour. Are you a member of the royal guard?" She asked, marvelling at it. "No." I said simply, shrugging. She looked slightly taken aback. "Oh... alright." She said at last, still looking curious. She wasn't shouting 'alien', so something told me that there were, in fact, creatures of her species that had wings. I was still a good head taller than her, but that probably had something to do with my Oscen blood.
God I love that excuse.
I looked back up at her and crossed my arms. "Look, I'm going to be staying in town for a while and I want to get to know some people around here. Could you maybe help me?" I asked her. She smiled softly. "Of course. My name's Twilight Sparkle. Nice to meet you." She stated, holding out her hand. Well, they've got human customs, I'll give them that. I grabbed her hand and shook it. "Likewise. My name's Aether, by the way." I replied, smiling. But, she couldn't see the smile because of my helmet. It was also effectively masking my identity, as the tinted silver glass we used to cover our eyes was one-way. I could see her smile though. "Aether. That's a nice name." She told me. Suddenly, a small, purple, scaly... Child? Walked down the stairs and made it's way into a different room. "What was that?" I asked Twilight, dumbfounded by It's appearance. She glanced over at the child, which was making it's way back up the stairs holding a stack of scrolls with it's claws. "That's Spike, he's my assistant." She told me, sounding distracted as she made her way along the many bookshelves lining the wall of the building. Wait.... Bookshelves? Where did those come from? I quietly asked myself.
God dammit A.D.D, You have yet to be my downfall.
I sighed one more time before I realised something. She seemed slightly stressed, and I noticed she hadn't been prying as much as I had expected her to. "Something on you mind?" I asked her. She glanced back at me. "There was an... event, that happened earlier. A simple magical anomaly, nothing to be worried about." She added hastily, as if trying to stop me from panicking. I heard the door open again, and since I had long since moved the newcomer was shrouded from me. "Twilight, you better have a good reason for dragging me out in this storm." A voice said, and a shape walked into my view. Another mare wearing a large rain jacket walked in. She proceeded to take the coat off, revealing sleek cyan fur and a rainbow mane, the sheen it had was truly stunning. She was wearing a white muscle shirt and some cargo pants, and as she yawned she flared her majestic wings into the air.
She was beautiful. And by beautiful, I mean she was like an angel. Well, I was like an angel, but I was mortal. But, I couldn't let my hormones get the better of me right now. "Hey." I said to her. She turned to me. "Hey, Twi, who's this? A friend of yours?" She asked Twilight, glancing over at her. She shook her head. "No, He's Aether. I just met him minutes ago. Aether, this is Rainbow Dash. Dash, Aether." She said, introducing us. Rainbow Dash? Well, that was a creative name. "Tell me something about yourself, Dash." I coaxed her. Silver tounges ran in my family, but there was no need for that here. She puffed out her chest proudly. "Why, I'm the fastest flyer in Equestria, as well as-" I cut her off as I raised my hand, signaling for silence. "Don't brag. I'm not even kidding, I get more than enough of that from my brother Blaise." I scolded her, lowering my hand again. She let out and angry puff, but her glare was cut off when... Spike started chuckling. "Wow, someone finally standing up to Rainbow Dash. That's a first." He chuckled. He had taken no more than a step away when he belched up a scroll in a burst of fire. Spike was a dragon? He must be some kind of domesticated... Breed or something. I shrugged it off. He seemed friendly enough.
Wait..... Oh yeah, there was a scroll. I swear, A.D.D... One of these days.
Twilight picked it up and read it aloud. "My faithful student Twilight: Regarding facts of the most recent magical anomaly, I hope that you will make your way out to investigate as soon as possible. I trust that you will reply to this message as soon as you recieve relevant information of the topic. Your mentor, Princess Celestia." I shook my head slowly. They both glanced at me. "What is it?" Rainbow asked brazenly, still sounding frustrated at my open critisization of her self-praise. I thought for a few seconds, putting together how to word it in my head. "I know what the anomaly is." I stated finally. Twilight glanced at me excitedly. "What is it?" She asked curiously. I let out a gentle sigh. I slowly reached up and pulled off my helmet. They both gasped in shock, apparently not expecting such a creature. I smiled.
"You've just been mindfucked." I stated plainly.
"What?" I asked. They were both still gaping in shock. I rolled my eyes. "Come on, don't be racist." I conceded, putting my helmet back on.
Twilight recovered first. "Interesting." She muttered to herself. I glanced out the window again, noticing the rain growing heavier. I sighed quietly. "Look, there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to get back to Yishral at this rate. So, I'm going to have to stay down here until this storm clears up." I told them.
Twilight shot a quick glance over her shoulder. "Up there? Do you mean you have a cloud home? And what's Yishral?" She asked, starting to get exited.
Dear God, I've met an OCD anthromorph with magic, who knows nothing about cloud physics. Well, explaning how clouds are just suspended water and ice particles is going to be a pain, so I'll just explain what Yishral is.
"Yishral is a floating island, me and my two brothers live there. And, if you're wondering what my species is, I'm an Oscen." I told her matter-of-factly. She scratched her chin, apparently thinking for a second. "I would appreciate it if you could show me to your floating island at your earliest convenience, but I suppouse that we'll have to wait for the storm to pass. I guess you could stay here, on the couch. And-" She cut off, pulling a quill and some ink out of a desk nearby. "Could I maybe ask you some questions while you're here?" She finished, flashing me a smile. I snorted. "You sound just like Phobos right now." I chuckled, making my way over to the couch.
"Hey, what about me?" Rainbow asked angrily, lashing her tail. "There's no way I'll be able to make it back to my house in this weather. I left it above the cloud layer, remember?"
Twilight nodded, then frowned. "I don't think I have the room, though..." She said, casting a glance at me.
I shrugged, then stood up. "Rainbow can take the couch, I'll take the floor." I stated, crossing my arms again. It's a habit, alright?
Rainbow shook her head. "No way! I'm sure I can handle it. I'll take the floor." She stated, shooting a glare at me. I rolled my eyes. "Well, excuse me, princess. I'm too tall for the couch so, take it or leave it." I stated, heading for the door.
"Wait, Aether, where are you going?" Twilight asked, quickly intercepting me. I glanced at her.
"Well, you see, it's awfully boring in here, and I do believe it will be much more fun to just go and piss around town. I need to meet some of the locals in the process, so, I'd also appreciate it if one of you joined me, as I'm completely lost here." I stated, shrugging. Rainbow sighed and stepped forward. "I guess I'll go with you." she quietly stated, putting her rain jacket back on. I nodded. "Alright, let's go." I stated, jogging outside.
I had gotten no more than ten feet from the house when I heard a loud crash and collapsed to the ground. I stood up instantly, glancing around. "What the hell was that? " I shouted, frustrated. Twilight was staring in shock from the doorway. Rainbow looked at me wearily. "You just got struck by lightning." She quietly said. I kicked at the ground. "Well, shit. Magic ward time." I stated holding my hand above my head for a second, letting the clear purple barrier form. It blocked the rain and all forms of magic, making it extremely useful.
It was like a sexy umbrella that floated above me.
I gestured to Rainbow to come closer, under the barrier. She gratefully came into step beside me, though she cast more than a few glances up at the translucent barrier above us. I felt strange, walking under the basic cover with an attractive mare beside me. We looked to be about the same age, Around seventeen. My parents had died when I was twelve, so my memory of them was fuzzy, at best. And when interdemensional travel became our only was to escape our world, I knew that we were screwed. We had been adventuring for at least five years, travelling between the many dimensions that life had thrown at us. Of course many worlds, though they contained sentient life, they usually were extremely prejudiced. I could name a few. Chohe, Kneijoffa, Oessama, Aesemnerg, Tiss, Oengona, Aissejo-Seithax, Earth, Ellesesh, and Ohaetet. All these planets were places that the life had either driven us out or tried to experiment on us. Both usually ended in many casualties. But, this place seemed peaceful. No war, no strife, no plagues, no famine... Almost like the perfect utopia our planet Osefie was. Or at least before the disease Shadow Miasma came into effect. Everyone everwhere had died. There was no cure for it, nor was there any way to stop it's advance. Me and my brothers were the only ones immune to it, luckily enough, and we managed to escape. Our immune systems, after that, I imagine, are resistant to everything. But Rainbow shivering beside me brought me out of my trance. I gently wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close to me. She glanced up at me, but she didn't protest.
Is she starting to grow on me? No, I'm assuming it has something to do with the warmth enchantment on my armour.
"So... Dash. You kind of started bragging back at Twilight's, but, I'd still like to know a little more about you." I told her quietly. As we passed the many buildings, I could see a few ponies glancing out of their homes, quietly watching me and Dash as we made our way down the empty streets. The strange armour, extra height, and magical ward must have stood out like a fire in a dark field. Dash took a deep breath.
"There's not much to tell. I lived in Cloudsdale until I was thirteen, then I moved here. I already knew another pony called Fluttershy, and she introduced me to two other ponies called Applejack and Rarity. A girl named Pinkie pie moved here soon after I did, and Twilight came about a year ago. I was an orphan since I was young, my parents had died from a short war with the griffin kingdom. I would move back to Cloudsdale, but there's nothing for me there." She murmured to me. I sighed.
"I know the feeling. Incedentally more than you do. My entire race is dead, It's just me and my two brothers left." I whispered. She glanced up at me in shock. "How?" She asked, shocked. I breathed gently.
"When I was twelve, a disease broke out. It was a deadly pandemic, killing at least a thousand the first day. It just escalated from there. There was no slowing the spread, just... death. You never knew your parents, and that's a luxury you have. Imagine your entire race dying around you, while you hold your dying mother in your arms, watching as her body's own cells go insane and start tearing her inside out. Now imagine you and your only two siblings, you being oldest, at the age of twelve, having to scrounge for years because you're immune. Now imagine fleeing for your entire life, looking for something or someone that will finally accept you for who you are, not for what you should be. For all we know, this may be the last time you ever see me. How will your government react? Will they drive us out? Try to kill us? I've been running for five years, and I'm done. I can't take it anymore." I revealed, tears freely flowing from my eyes as I remembered. I could see tears in her eyes too, as if she could almost experience the torture I had gone through.
I gently hugged her, trying to banish my sorrows from my mind. She hugged me back, and I could feel something blossoming. Oscen could sense feelings, and I knew that something was on Rainbow's mind. Were we developing... Freindship? Yes, that's it. We had both been scarred as children, and when we both had finally found someone who had experienced our pain, we embraced each other's presence. I could hear the rain getting even thicker, and slowly let go of her. "We should probably head back to Twilight's." I told her, smiling. She silently wiped a tear from her eye, and flashed me a breif smile before we turned and started walking back to the tree.
Suddenly my ward faded, and the loud clap of thunder caused us to both break out into a run, rain pouring down around us. It was then that I knew, running beside a mare that finally decided that I wasn't something that should be poked at or made fun of for being different, scorned for not belonging, or discarded for having experienced something they'd rather not imagine, I felt a feeling that I had last felt a very long time ago.
A feeling that I truly belong.
I yawned and sat up, before stretching and rising to my feet. It had taken more insistance, but I finally managed to get Dash to agree to sleep on the couch, whilst I slept on the floor across the room. She had woken me up once in the night because she though I had died or something. I guess that proves that Oscen really are heavy sleepers.
I cracked my neck and shot one more glance at the sleeping figure of Rainbow Dash across the room from me. I quietly snuck across the room and made my way outside. The rain had lightened considerably, now it was no more than a light drizzle. The once menacing black clouds above me were now a puffy grey. I felt my mood rise, and I broke out into a jog as I made my way into the woods outside of town.
And by woods, I mean jungle. It was ridiculously thick. The trees had vines snaking from then, and I was constantly stumbling over roots. Had I not casted a spell of night vision, I probably would be blundering around in absolute shadows, tripping over the many roots I could see lying across the ground. I had gone into the thicker part of the woods, but I decided that I'd rather take a partial challenge than no challenge at all. The adrenaline I experienced when fighting dragons was still left unmatched, but it was nice to experience at least a thrill every now and then. I stretched my wings, relieved that they had finally dried off and could finally suspend me without effort. I continued to jog, and though I could her the occasional rustle in the bushes as I walked, nothing made itself known to me. The short trip did wonders, and I felt my mind not only cleared but also prepared for whatever the day could throw at me.
I decided to do my morning routine after that.
I made my way to a lighter part of the forest, where I leapt through the gap in the canopy, flapping my wings to gain altitude. Oscen's wings are considerably large in comparison to their bodies. Though I was about seven feet tall, my wings were a good five feet long- each. I flapped them harder and harder as I gained more and more altitude, finally stopping at an altitude of... Well, I enjoyed the view, so I could honestly care less for the altitude. I just knew I was at the perfect height to practice. I let my breathing slow, and I could feel the lack of oxygen this high in the atmosphere. It was bone-chillingly cold, but my armour made it bearable. I felt my two arcane magicks flowing through me, and I stretched the magic flow from the epicentre to the tips of my fingertips. The spells started slowly, a few sparks connecting between my fingers on my right hand, and faint frost gathering on my left. I stretched my arms and focused my magical energy, sending wave after wave of my very essence coursing into my fingertips. Suddenly a bolt of lightning envelped my right hand, and the frost of my left soon formed into a swirling fog. I quickly wrapped my wings against myself, feeling the embrace of freefall for a few seconds.
After twirling for a slight duration, I regained my balance and straightened my body out as flat as I could, though I still kept flapping my wings to increase the acceleration. I had made especially sure to handcraft my armour so that it was aerodynamic, as the little burst of extra speed I would gain from flying proved invaluable at times. And, if Phobos were just a little faster at flying, he wouldn't be part vampire right now. It`s a long story, don't ask. Now, if I'm travelling at about sixty miles per hour, with an average acceleration at about and increase of five miles per hour every three seconds... I need to step up my game! I realized, flapping my wings even harder.
My magicks were still increasing in potency, and I was now trailing a pale sliver and a blue-purple tail from my arms, the length of them increasing as I steadily approached a much higher speed. Now I'm travelling at about... three hundred miles per hour. Now, at terminal velocity, wind resistance is going to be an absolute pain in the ass. So, I'll just need to go faster... Now, to break the sound barrier I'll need to calculate the approximate speed of sound, at the moment. I paused for a second, and I sent out a breif mental pulse that scanned the immediate area. The temperature is... 22 degrees Centigrade, but thanks to my frost spell It's been dropped to about 17. I can remember from classes on Osefie that sound travels slower in colder temperatures. I also remember that at average temperature sound travels at about 343.6 metres per second. And, that translated into miles per hour, is roughly about... 750 mph, which means... I quickly checked my speed again. I'm at seven hundred already? Wow, I'll never doubt my wings again! I could feel the energy from my electricity starting to envelop me, and I was preparing for the perfect moment to dispel the... well, spells. I had long since tensed my mucles, cutting off blood flow to unnessacary part of my body for this brief exercise, as to not black out. I could feel the energy forming into a cone around me, and I felt a strange state of bliss as I reached the speed needed.
I could hear a quiet whistling, and as I heard the boom I shot the lightning spell, and at that perfect moment I created a wonderful and exotic burst of plasma, lighting up the rainy morning. I started pulling up, removing all drag as I made myself paralell to the ground. With my wings stretched to my sides, I could show off my increased wingspan whilst keeping to a speedy glide. I could see the ponies below me coming out of their homes as I rocketed over them, and I had recasted my lightning spell, if only for aesthetics. The long tail trailing after me made me feel like comet, and that was quite an interesting feeling. I could almost feel the gazes watching me as I angled myself downwards once more and skimmed the rooftops. I had left just enough room to maneuver my wings so I wouldn't collide with anything. I twirled between chimneys, and I slowly turned myself and flew my way to the outskirts of town. I was still travelling extremely fast, and I slowly angled myself so I was making a full circle around the town. The first thing I passed over was an apple orchard, and I could see another mare standing there, pointing at me with someone who looked like her little sister. She was covered in orange fur, and she was wearing a brown stetson to cover her long, blonde hair. I pulled my arm away from my side, waving at them as I passed. I smiled as they waved back, with the younger one grinning excitedly. I focused in front of me again, and I angled myself at the library. Now came the tricky part.
I flared my wings, and I felt a jolt of pain shoot through me at the sudden resistance my wings felt. I quickly calculated the upcoming trajectory, and I felt my eyes widen as I realized I wouldn't have enough room to come to a complete stop before impacting the library, though my speed had dropped to about one tenth of what the sound barrier had been. I came up with one idea, and I felt stupid for even imagining it could work. I quickly pulled into a veritcal shape, to catch more wind in my wings. I knew I didn't have enough time already, so I quickly locked my wings to my back whilst suddenly dropping to the ground. Good ol' friction. I grunted as I collided with the ground, flailing as I unintentionally bounced. I bounced about three times before I managed to pull out my longsword and drive it into the ground, pulling me to a sudden stop. I lay there for a second, panting at the aftermath of the pysical exertion. I slowly stood up, wiped the dirt from my armor, and pulled my sword out of the ground before sheathing it.
I had attracted a small crowd, and they were all watching me cautiously. I slowly raised my hand and waved, and I relaxed when they all started waving back. A pink one near the front of the crowd suddenly gasped and shot off, how she did it so fast and what she possibly meant to do baffled me. Insanely baffled me. I decided to just shrug it off as I made my way back to Twilight's. The crowd disbanded into quiet whispers. I could tell, even at this distance, that they were all of either admiration or curiosity. No hostility, no suspicion, and no sourness. Maybe this is the world we've been waiting for? I thought quickly, smiling under my helmet. I placed my ear against the door, and I could hear the worried voices of Twilight and Rainbow inside. They were talking about me and the recent explosion outside of town. I opened the door and they both gawked at me for a second, before I could sense ther relief.
"Aether! Why did you run off like that?" Dash scolded me.
"I just-" I was cut off as Dash continued.
"Yesterday night you were saying that that might be the last time we ever saw each other and..." She trailed off.
Twilight looked dumbfounded. "Is there something you two aren't telling me?" She asked rather seriously. I just snorted at the implication.
"Me and Rainbow did a little bonding last night, and not like that. We just found out that we both have... Similar childhood problems." I told Twi, remembering just in time that Rainbow had consoled in me to not tell anyone. I took off my helmet and shot them a smile. "Don't even worry about it. I've killed plenty of dragons in my time, and I'm sure that it'll take a little more than just a few creatures from the forest near town and a sonic boom to kill me." I stated, putting my helmet down on a table in the middle of the room. I heard a knocking on the door. I sighed and put my helmet back on, sitting on the table I had recently mentioned. There was a wooden unicorn carving in the middle, and I rested my head against that. Twilight opened the door. I could hear a voice coming from outside, and I recognized it instantly.
"Hello, do you know anything about the person who made the explosion just out of town? I'm with the royal guard, and I'd like to ask you a few-" The voice was cut off when I interrupted.
"Phobos! Drop the act, these guys know." I shouted out. I saw him walk into the room, and he took off his helmet. He stretched his black wings and smiled.
"Aether, when you didn't come back last night, I had to go through so much torment just to make sure that Blaise didn't chase after you. You owe me." He replied, giving me a good natured scowl.
He glanced up and looked around the room for the first time, noticing a mirror on the far side. He smiled at me, as if he was asking me if he could. I gave him a slight nod. You remember when I mentioned that he was part vampire? Well, he could still go out in the day, but he still had to feed on blood. He preferred dragon blood, which made us an exceptional team. Blaise was part pheonix, and that made him intersting to be around. It also explained his tendencies to set himself on fire. As Phobos stood in front of the mirror, he let a slight smile out as he gazed at where his reflection should be. Not even his armour was visible, nevermind the lance he held between his wings. He didn't have a shadow in the first place, but, oddly enough, no one seemed to notice that. It made him the stealthy nerd of the group. He was still badass, though.
Twilight started talking again. "So, you must be Aether's brother. He told us about you, and...." She trailed off as she noticed Phobos didn't have a reflection. The look of utter confusion on her face made me burst into laughter. Phobos glanced over at us, flashing us a toothy grin. His fangs were clearly visible. The poor ladies screamed before Phobos hid his fangs again.
"Sorry, that just never gets old." He told them, chuckling quietly.
I stood up and added in. "He's part vampire, but he's still got a heart, don't worry.
Phobos shrugged before he glanced over at Twilight. "Again, sorry for startling you. You already know I'm Phobos, what's your name?" He asked softly. Twilight smiled.
"Twilight Sparkle. Please, though, just call me Twilight or Twi. All my friends do." She stated, flashing us a smile. I suddenly remembered something.
"Phobos, Twilight is a scientist and you are our current arcane expert, so why don't you two go and... Compare notes or something?" I suggested, and the two aquaintances gasped before Twilight led Phobos upstairs.
I honestly didn't think that would work. I thought.
