Chapters As the conversation began Luna excused herself to go deliver the mysterious sword to whatever investigators she had in the castle. Celestia, meanwhile, explained to Pete the Princesses plans of bringing humans back to Equestria. She had taken select humans from their world to Equestria, dropping them off in a clearing South of Ponyville. It was her intention that the humans seek out the natives to the North on their own. They had not. Rather, the humans had built their own crude village of sticks and leaves, and had scared off any ponies that approached. Pete groaned and rubbed his face with each added detail.
“So you expected these humans to just mix with the ponies and not question what was going on? How they got here, why there were talking horses?”
Celestia glared at the offensive term.
“That's what they're going to think, Princess. They're going to ask questions exactly like that.”
“Well, that's why I wanted to see you. I want you to go out and talk to them. Explain things. If they won't talk to ponies or griffons they should at least talk to you.”
“How could you not see this coming though? Seriously, thousands of years of experience and you didn't think-”
“I expected them to go and ask the ponies of Ponyville.” Celestia's gaze said more than her tone.
Pete opened his mouth to reply, then stopped as he remembered his first encounter with the ponies. Despite brandishing a weapon, and quickly being disarmed, they still approached him curiously. It was possible Celestia expected the humans to do the same, to act on their confusion and curiosity as the ponies had back in his world. To reach out and communicate rather than hide. He absently rubbed his face as he pondered this difference, the silence not going unnoticed by Celestia.
“Well?” She asked after a full minute of silence, startling Pete.
“I guess I can understand,” he admitted, “But you all spent quite a while with me. Surely you should have anticipated something like this might happen. A contingency plan-”
Celestia nodded. “You. I pulled you through the portal after you collapsed. I had hopes that if something went wrong you could lend us a hand.”
“Really, looking like this?” Pete plucked at his loose shirt, eyebrow raised. “They'll probably think you tortured me or something.”
“A risk we may simply have to take I'm afraid. You have been unconscious for nearly a month, and the humans have been in that clearing for just as long.” Pete opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off. “They're arming themselves, Pete. The ponies in Ponyville are becoming more and more worried that these strange new creatures are from the Everfree and that they're planning to attack. I can only assuage worry for so long before one side does something drastic.”
Pete paused and folded his arms, almost hugging himself. The worries he'd had back on Earth while hiding the ponies had followed him, been brought here deliberately.
“What's the plan?” He looked Celestia in the eyes and the princess saw something flash in the back of his eyes. A determination she had only seen when Rainbow Dash had been injured.
Celestia nodded and explained her plan. Pete would be given his own car on a morning train going to Ponyville. He would travel alone and leave before daybreak to avoid attracting any attention in either Canterlot or Ponyville. The train would stop a half mile from the clearing the humans were camping in and Pete would disembark. With any luck he could resolve the problem before noon. After that it was just a couple miles to Ponyville where a letter from Celestia and confirmation from Twilight would get the humans proper supplies.
“What if they want to leave?” Pete was sitting on a stool, the mention of all the walking having made him tired prematurely.
Celestia contemplated it for a moment and then sighed. “If they wish to leave I shall send them home myself. It was not, and is not, my intention to simply kidnap humans as it were. I want them to stay here of their own will. No matter how finely crafted a searching spell is I suppose it can't stand up to living wills.”
“Just because someone doesn't like where they live or want a fresh start doesn't mean they want to change entire realities, Celestia. That would be your first mistake.”
The princess laughed, “Perhaps I should have chosen more of you 'bronies' then?”
Pete let out a short laugh himself. “Well, you wouldn't have to explain anything to them, but they might be offended if things aren't exactly what they thought they'd be here.”
The letter drafted, sealed, and placed in Pete's pocket, Celestia sent him away with a guard to the kitchen. Solid food was next on Pete's recovery plan, according to the princess, and he would need his strength for the trip the next day. It had occurred briefly to Pete to ask about how he would get home, but he assumed himself counted in the group that would be returned if asked. It was a simple offer after all.
The guard he followed to the kitchen was another matter altogether. The stallion was silent the whole time. Awkwardly silent. Pete's few attempts at small talk were ignored, and the moments where he caught the guard looking at him with the eye of a soldier sent chills down the human's spine. The stallion was definitely sizing him up for a fight if it came to it. As Pete sat down at a large oak table, the kitchen visible from a nearby door, he wondered if all the guards were trained to check guests out in such a way, assess their chances in a fight.
When the chef, a griffon, sat several plates of food down in front of him the thought about the guard was lost in a sudden storm of ravenous hunger. Pete shook lightly as his stomach started to cry out for the food before him. He had never been big on veggies, a little here or there for flavor was okay but salads and the like were out. The vegetarian spread before him though suddenly seemed like a five star meal. A spark in the back of his mind reminded him that because of where he was it likely was a five star meal, vegetables or not.
Luna entered the room and stared as Pete practically shoveled entire plates of lettuce into his mouth. She had seen very few creatures eat so primally in her lifetime, and especially not in the last several thousand years. After he finished, draining a large glass of water as well, Luna sat at the table with him. She gave a concerned smile and placed the sword she had taken from him upon the table and waited. Pete sat for a while, looking at Luna, also waiting.
“Finished?” she finally asked, half jokingly.
“Yeah, definitely finished. What's up with the mysterious sword?”
Luna let out a long sigh. “Nothing that we can tell. The blade is made of steel, the hilt a variety of common components, the sheath itself is ebony. It is, for all intents, just a sword. Why somepony would leave it in your room I cannot fathom.”
Pete bit his lip and then picked the sword up, looking it over again. “Maybe... they knew what you and Celestia want me to do and figured I could use a weapon?”
Luna looked shocked. “Pete, what you are suggesting is some kind of security breach. That somepony knows not only what my sister has done in acquiring those humans but also that you are here. A spy, Pete Powell.”
Pete sat the sword down and held his hands up in surrender. “Calm down! It's not like it's impossible, and if they're giving me a sword they're not exactly bad guys. I mean, it's not cursed or something is it?”
The Princess of the Night shook her head. “It is not cursed. The sword is just that, a sword.”
“So... can I keep it?”
“I suppose,” Luna replied, clearly exasperated. “Though do be careful, and tell me or my sister if anything strange happens. We are still not sure where it came from.”
Pete nodded and once again belted the sword to his waist. It sat surprisingly comfortably, though it did tug awkwardly at his pants with its weight.
“There is one more thing,” Luna said, a small piece of metal floating up from her side in her magic grasp.
“What's that?”
“A badge. Should you encounter any ponies, as a precaution, this badge essentially will tell them you are on official business and to stand aside.”
Pete grabbed the bit of metal and looked it over. It was rather large, almost the size of his palm, and it was emblazoned with a full moon on the front. Whatever metal it was made from was rather dark, but the badge also seemed to shine, perhaps a trick of the light in the room or maybe it was just that well polished.
“Does this mean I'm part of the royal guard now?” Pete chuckled.
Luna laughed, “We will see after your assignment.”
Something about the way Luna said that made Pete pause, but before he could point out it was just a joke the princess was already moving. She opened the door Pete had been lead through earlier and gestured for him to follow her. The Princess of Night led Pete through several floors of the castle, eventually coming to a medical office of some kind. Charts and vials littered a large desk against one wall while an eye exam chart hung next to it across the room from a bed. Whatever pony was supposed to be in the office was conspicuously absent at the moment, and Luna pointed Pete towards the bed with a wing.
Obeying without a second thought, Pete sat on the end of the bed and absently eyed the exam chart on the wall while Luna began floating various instruments with her magic. The usual assortment of medical tools floated over to Pete and began to perform their functions, taking his temperature, blood pressure, and testing reflexes all at the same time while Luna watched from a distance. It was after these minor tests were completed that Pete came to a sudden realization.
“I don't need glasses!” He jumped off the bed and rubbed his eyes, once more going down the eye chart.
Luna looked over, bewildered. “You have gone a whole day without them, and it is only now you realize they were missing?”
“Well yeah. I mean, I'm just so used to them being on I didn't think about it.” Pete scratched the back of his head. “But how?”
“We tried many things to bring you out of your coma,” Luna said carefully, setting down the chart she had been writing on. “One of them was a very rare remedy, one that could cure many ailments. It did not help your heart, but it seems to have repaired other damages.”
Pete gently ran his hand down his chest. The scars from his surgeries. That's why they were gone too.
“That should be all.” Luna tucked the chart away and turned back towards the door. “I will wait until your return to do a full physical, but for now you seem to be as healthy as ever.”
Pete nodded, “More than ever.”
Back in his room, or what he assumed would be his room, Pete began inspecting things he had passed over earlier. Rushed as the day had been he'd neglected minor details that suddenly became interesting. The lighting, for example, appeared to be mechanical despite looking like candles in many places. Medieval was almost an aesthetic rather than a sign of the time. Where or how the lights got their power was a mystery to him, but there was no smoke, and no fire from any of the candle like lights in his room. Ultimately it took nearly fifteen minutes scouring the polished stone walls to find a control for the lights.
Once the lights were out Pete stood at the window and watched the sunset, acutely aware that in this world it was done via magic spell and not a force of nature. It made the view both awe inspiring and terrifying at the same time. A few hours later, when darkness had completely taken over the room, Pete found himself asleep on the same bed he'd already spent a month in. The sense of oddity was not lost that for having slept for so long already a single day had tired him out so much. Everything was new and exciting, yet so similar to before.
His sleep was deep and peaceful. The bed was soft and warm, the blankets thick but light. Pete almost considered spending another month asleep in the bed. A cold, plated hoof came before sunrise to give him another idea. Startled awake, Pete made a sound of surprise and almost launched himself off the back end of the bed. Whoever had woken him up emitting a loud squeak at his movement.
Pete shook his head and squinted into the darkness, making out a very small pony in dark colored armor. The mare, he assumed by the sound, was at least a foot shorter than any of the mane six. Her mane was obscured by her helmet, but her bat wings were very noticeable at her side. Slowly his mind caught up.
“You're a night guard, right?”
The mare made another squeak and then nodded. “Y-yes, sir. Stellar Glow, sir.”
Pete wiped the crust from his eyes and crawled out of bed, sliding his pants and shirt on. “I'm not a sir. I'm not … well, I'm just a guest.”
The guard nodded in agreement, “And we refer to all guests as politely as possible.”
“That sounded more military sir than guest sir,” Pete noted aloud while he attached his sword and pocketed the badge Luna had given him.
“Well, I am part of the night guard. W-we don't usually interact with any guests. Mostly we just patrol the city at night.”
Pete stepped around the bed, unsure if his questioning look could be seen in the dark. “Hence the title 'night guard' perhaps?”
He felt like the tiny mare blushed, but he couldn't see and moments later she was leading him out of his dark room and into the bright corridor. In the light he could see that her armor was a shade of purple, much like her tail and presumably her mane, with a gold trim around the edges. She had no weapon, which struck Pete as odd but then again he didn't know how they would fight with a weapon using hooves.
The small mare led him out of the castle past a pair of golden armored royal guards at the gate, who only gave a moment of pause to stare at the first human to walk Equestria in who knew how long, and out into the city proper. Once there she turned to him and pointed straight forward with a hoof.
“The train is at the station and ready to go. It's right down there. Your trip should take no more than an hour and the sun will be up by the time you arrive.”
Pete nodded. “So far it's all according to plan then. All right, thank you.”
The mare nodded once then extended her wings and took off into the sky in a single motion. The gust she produced left a chill on Pete's skin. Even Rainbow Dash hadn't taken off that fast after being holed up in his apartment for weeks on end.
Taking a deep breath and shaking himself slightly to warm up, Pete started off down the street towards the train station. His eyes wandered as he walked, of course, to every store front and building in the city. There was a definite architectural style to the stone and wood, everything looked polished and clean even after the previous day of business. Now and then he would see shadows pass over head, either the night guard mare or some other night guard watching out for him, or perhaps just on a typical patrol. Pete glanced down a few alleys as he went and saw nothing out of the ordinary, other than the absurd cleanliness standards for a city of this size. He wondered if they really needed to patrol this part of the city. Shortly after he wondered if they needed to patrol at all. The attacks on Canterlot he was aware of suddenly came to the forefront of his mind and he disregarded his previous thoughts. They were watching out for threats beyond the city as well as within. The Princesses weren't stupid after all. Canterlot was on a mountain, easily defensible, hard to assail, and their height meant spotting trouble coming was even easier.
The trip to the train was uneventful and Pete climbed aboard without incident. Once he closed the door the train began moving, making no sound other than the engine starting and pulling the vehicle along the track. He'd half expected a whistle, but considering he was supposed to be moving undetected it made sense there wouldn't be.
With a sigh he settled into an almost comically small seat and tried his best to get comfortable. He had a walk ahead of him when the train stopped and he still wasn't sure he was up for it. His mind remained empty but aware. Sleep did not come to him, but neither did any thoughts. When the train finally stopped he felt a little better but he wasn't sure if that was just a placebo effect.
Pete climbed out of the train and onto a grassy field. Ahead of the train was a winding track further South leading into a mountain range far in the distance. In front of him he could see the forest he was supposed to walk towards. To the North he could just make out Canterlot in the distance up on its mountain perch. He slammed the door to the train car and gave it a couple of bangs for good measure. Whether the conductor needed the extra sound or not the train began moving again, leaving the man standing in a field damp with dew and a whole day ahead of him.
He set out at a steady pace, glad to have woken up to find shoes next to the rest of his clothes that morning. The moisture from the grass did manage to get into the shoes however, and without socks it quickly became his least favorite part of the journey. The hike was mercifully short, however he was still out of breath by the time the human's camp was in view.
Stopping to catch his breath, Pete examined the cluster of huts from afar. There were fewer than there were people, that he could tell right away. He counted eight roofs and Celestia had said there were twenty humans. The huts were made out of sticks, bound with what he assumed were vines, and topped with large leaves. In the middle of them sat a fire pit, obvious only by the large rocks around it. Someone in the community was a camper, or a survivalist.
Rested, Pete resumed his walk, coming up to the huts at a slow and casual pace to avoid alerting anyone. He stopped a distance from the structures and made his way to the left and right to see around them. There was a sudden twang and a crude arrow wedged itself in the ground to his right. Pete drew his sword in both hands and took a ready stance. Turning himself slightly and aligning the blade with his body, doing everything he could to make himself a smaller, harder to hit, target.
After a tense moment a man in a jacket stepped out from behind one of the huts holding the makeshift bow that had fired the arrow. A moment more and he relaxed his grip on the bow. Pete followed suit, returning to a normal stance and lowering his sword. The man before him was trained. That was the only way he could have come that close with a bow made out of roughly hewn wood and what looked like a vine. He was muscular, but not large, and his blue eyes were striking as they poured over Pete.
“Where did you come from?” the man asked with a tone of authority, the bow and arrow still in his hand.
“That way,” Pete pointed behind him, “About half a mile.”
The man stopped and thought for a moment. “The rest of us got dropped off here, without weapons. Why are you different?”
Pete held his hands up and put his sword away, keeping his hands up and palms out. “I'm just here to talk. I know what's going on and I know a lot of you are probably scared out of your minds.”
“And just what do you know?”
“I know how you can get home.” Pete mustered up every ounce of conviction he had for that line and he hoped that would be enough.
A woman came out of the hut the man in charge was standing by and ran half way to Pete before stopping herself, seemingly realizing at that moment how little she knew of the stranger that had approached them. She took a step back, but she didn't stop looking at Pete.
“You can send us home?” She sounded equally disbelieving and relived.
“I can't, but I know who can. The same one that brought you here.”
The man raised his bow and nocked the arrow. “Those monsters?”
Pete sighed, “They aren't monsters. Well, the fuzzy horse looking ones aren't. Listen, can we put the weapons down and talk about this? I'd rather not go back to the hospital after I just got out.”
The woman turned and put her hand on the man's shoulder and whispered something. Blue eyes looked Pete over again and then lowered the bow.
“What happened to you? You look like jerky.”
“Long story, but I was in a coma. I kind of just came out of it yesterday.”
The man sighed and motioned for Pete to follow him to the middle of the camp. As Pete came in and sat down on a log positioned in front of the fire pit he made note of the various people in the camp. He counted twenty, as Celestia had said, all different races, ages, sizes. He was slightly impressed they managed to keep together.
“You said we can go home?” a young man, no older than twenty, asked immediately after exiting his hut. Apparently several of them had been hiding and awake.
“Yes, you can. You might not trust me on it at first, but I promise you, you can. I just need you all to hear me out first.”
“About what?” the man with the bow asked, sitting down across from Pete on another log. It was clear he was the leader by now.
“I have to explain to you whats happened, why you're here. And if you don't like it, if you want to leave after that, you can go home.”
“Why we're here?” the woman from before stood half inside of a hut, her arms wrapped around herself in reassurance.
Pete nodded and began to explain to them where they were and what had happened. He briefly explained Equestria, what he'd come to know of it from Celestia and Luna, as well as who they were and that it was them that brought the humans over. Before questions could be asked he segued into the history of humans. How they had come from Equestria, been banished for their nature unjustly and that the rulers wanted to set it right.
Several humans didn't believe it and it was clearly written on their face. Magical lands where ponies were sentient had banished humans to an alternate dimension? It was outlandish for sure. A few people though seemed sympathetic to the idea. Especially after hearing that the emissaries they had scared away had been sent to give them supplies and shelter. It took over an hour, but Pete finished his explanation and then let out a large sigh.
“Are you done?” The leader was one of the ones that didn't believe it. “When can we go home?”
Pete nodded and stood up. “A couple of miles to the North is a town. We go there, we talk to a pony by the name of Twilight. She'll call Celestia and Celestia will send whoever wants to go back to their home.”
The humans started to mutter to each other with a level of excitement. Several stepped out of huts ready to leave at that moment, but their leader was still skeptical.
“Listen. I'm sure you understand just how insane this story of yours sounds. You met these things, housed them, then they chose you to come here and tell us that we should go to this town whether we want to leave or not? That sounds like a trap to me.”
The young man from before looked at the older man in confusion. “How is that a trap? You want to leave, you have to go talk to whoever brought us here to begin with.”
“And if we don't want to leave we still have to go see them. Either way we have to do the one thing we've been trying to avoid!”
Pete stood up, “Yeah, and you're living in sticks drinking mud water when there's bathes and tap water two miles up the road.” Everyone stopped and looked at Pete once more. “I get the suspicious stuff. I know it's hard to swallow, but if your only logic on this being a bad thing is that they want you to and its leaving you to suffer here...” Pete paused and looked around at a loss for words.
“We aren't suffering, we're surviving in a hostile environment.” The man growled between his teeth.
Pete turned around and did his best to look condescending. “Could have fooled me. The big omnivore scared of some three foot tall herbivores? Very hostile.”
“Not the horses, you moron.”
As if on cue a large tree from the South side of the clearing exploded, firing splinters and branches all the way to the camp. Pete turned, resting his arm on his sword, and saw a large beast slowly stomp out into the clearing.
“That's what's hostile!” The man stood and drew his bow, firing several arrows in succession at the creature.
Pete drew his sword and looked at the shocked humans. “Run! North!” he pointed towards Ponyville, “Get to the town as fast as you can.”
The creature, Pete identified as a chimera, roared and charged towards the humans. Pete placed himself between the monster and the people and took his ready stance again. The beast stopped and watched him, even the snake tail coming up to have a look. The seconds dragged on like minutes as the adrenaline rapidly built up inside him.
After a while he looked back and yelled, “Go!”
Another roar erupted in front of him, it or his yell finally getting the humans to move, Pete turned back to face the chimera. A few more crude arrows sailed over his shoulders and harmlessly bounced off the creature's hide and he heard the leader of the humans growl and snap his bow. It might have been effective for hunting and looking intimidating, but clearly wood wasn't going to harm the chimera. Pete suddenly felt a surge of thankfulness that he was holding cold steel.
He quickly judged the chimera's size. It was taller than he was, heavier, and had a better reach. Nothing about attacking it was a good idea. Pete also noticed that the chimera was slowly losing interest in him and was following the trail of fleeing humans. The stragglers, the easiest to catch. He had to distract it. He was the only one that could.
As slow as he could, Pete closed the distance between himself and monster. Step by step, watching as many heads as he could, ready to stop if he caught its attention again. With just a few feet left Pete gambled. He felt his muscles tighten and he rushed forward, the movement getting the chimera's attention, but just a moment too late. Pete slashed and caught the tiger head across the nose. The beast reeled back and roared louder than before, angry now rather than trying to intimidate. Pete jumped back, hoping to be out of range, and stood again. Glancing back he saw the leader, the last of the humans, out by the road next to the clearing. He wasn't running any more though. For whatever reason he was watching now.
Pete wanted to turn and call him a moron, tell him to run again, but the chimera in front of him began to demand attention. It started to move, to circle around him, and Pete followed moving so that it was always facing him. He couldn't afford to be distracted now. His only hope was that the chimera would give up when it realized an easy meal was out of the question. It was a dim hope.
The chimera began attacking back, Pete adjusted his sword to block but continued to move backwards as well. With any luck, he figured, the chimera would never hit his blade or him. After being on the defensive for only a minute though, Pete began to wish he had a longer sword. Something he could safely retaliate with, to keep the chimera from being in control of the fight. Finally Pete swung after hopping back, thinking perhaps he could trick the creature into backing up and give him some room. What he didn't expect was that his sword suddenly extended. The tip once again managing to slash the tiger head and send the creature jumping back in shock and pain.
Pete blinked and examined his sword. It was longer by almost a foot, but now lacked a guard. It was also a different style of weapon altogether. It was only bladed on one side and it was much heavier. Taking the sword back in both his hands Pete took up what he felt was a more threatening posture. He had reach now, it could buy him time if he could press this new advantage. Lunging forward and stabbing, Pete landed a glancing blow on the chimera's shoulder, his aim thrown off by many factors including the difference in sword weight. He was no expert after all and even if the sword was magic, which it seemed to be after changing forms in his hands, skill was still paramount in a fight. His aggression worked though and the chimera seemed to back off. Pete smiled and readied himself again. That was his mistake.
The chimera lunged, catching Pete off guard and knocking him to the ground. A claw tore at his chest causing him to scream in pain and fear. It hurt like nothing he'd felt before. It dawned on him that he could very well die here, in this clearing. His body becoming food for this beast. And a hate welled up inside him. Between the pain and the fear and the screaming, Pete became angry. Angry at whatever twist had brought him here, whatever speck of decency had made him sacrifice himself for those people, and whatever was making his right hand ache. The sword obeyed.
Twisting and changing, the blade in Pete's right hand warped, turning a jet black and becoming covered in thorns down to the handle. Thorns that dug into Pete's palm and fingers, deeper even. A feeling surged from Pete, a desire to kill the chimera on top of him, its eyes looking down on him. Pete gritted his teeth in defiance of those eyes and thrust his sword into the monster's side. It roared into the air and Pete joined in as a blistering heat came from his arm. The chimera tried to move, but the thorns of the blade caused it more pain, blood poured freely onto Pete's stomach from the hole he'd made in its side.
The sound was so fast that Pete wasn't sure he'd heard it. It was as if he went deaf before the blast, but there was a blast. A wave of heat pushed him into the ground and he closed his eyes. The chimera was blown away, crashing through several huts before landing a dozen yards away, dead. Pete's arm fell to his side and he opened his eyes slowly. Everything was blurry and his whole body was aching and hot. He turned his head towards the forest, unable to move anything else. A shape moved, large, humanoid, with red eyes, or so he thought. Pete wasn't sure any more what the thought, or saw, or heard, or anything. He was tired. A deep tired. A tired he'd never known before in his life as a writer. With one final exhale, Pete relaxed and closed his eyes.
Twilight saw the explosion from a mile away and changed her method of travel. Her horn lit up and she teleported to the clearing. She gasped at the sight as she hoovered above the scene. Landing carefully and dissipating her levitation she ran straight to the crater that Pete Powell laid unconscious in. Magic leaping from her horn she quickly checked his internal organs. Most of the blood wasn't his. Cracked ribs, a broken arm, dangerous, but stable. The burns confused and concerned her however. Nervous, she turned and looked at the remains of the chimera. She had spotted them when she was hoovering, but she tried not to think about it. The front half of the creature was gone, burned or scattered by the explosion. What she couldn't figure out was what had caused it.
A rustling from the treeline caught her attention and she turned, scanning the shadows quickly. There was a dreadful cold that wasn't natural. It was nearing noon but it felt like the dead of winter. Movement behind Twilight broke her concentration and she turned around, ready to fight, only to find a human.
“W-what did he do?” The man was shaking and staring at Pete.
Twilight looked at Pete then back to the man. “What are you talking about?”
The man swallowed and looked at Twilight, whatever he'd seen overpowering the aversion that had kept them from talking to the ponies before.
“He stabbed that thing and then... he started glowing.” Twilight's eyes went wide. “Then the damn thing exploded.”
Twilight turned and looked at Pete again. They had to get to Ponyville.
Pete groaned as he came to. His throat was dry and he couldn't muster a drop of saliva to swallow down it. Every part of his body protested as he pushed himself up on the bed he was laying in. At which point he realized he was laying in a bed. Opening his eyes and looking around Pete saw a sight recognizable at any time and place, a hospital room. The walls were plain, medical tools were laying on a counter next to the door across from his bed, and a pitcher of water sat on a nightstand next to him.
Without a second thought Pete seized the pitcher and drank from it. He was almost surprised he could drink the whole thing. Thirsty didn't describe how he felt, dehydrated was more like it. Parched. Like something had taken all the water from his body, or like he had been...
Pete recalled the explosion and looked at his body. No stitches, no burns, some aches, pains, and scars, but no sign of lasting damage. Climbing out of bed and finding his clothes nearby, Pete determined he needed to find someone. Anyone would do, he just needed to know what happened. How he had gotten there, where there was, why he wasn't dead. Little things. The door to the room opened as he zipped up his pants.
Celestia trotted into the room and stopped, seeing Pete half naked with his hand over his crotch the ruler raised an eyebrow. With limited bashfulness, Pete grabbed his shirt and slid it over his head. Or rather what was left of his shirt. A nice breeze came through the gaping slashes on the chest, and the garment was closer to a crop top from the burns. The human picked at the shirt and looked at Celestia with worry.
“I'm really not comfortable walking around exposed,” he said without a trace of irony or sarcasm, “But I'm not sure I like walking around in this either.”
The princess smirked, “It would seem those are your only two options for the moment, Pete. I'm sure Rarity or one of the Canterlot tailors could accommodate you, but not as quick as you would like it seems. Should you be out of bed?”
Pete pulled the ruined shirt off his body and tossed it into the trash. “I feel fine. Well... okay, I've felt worse. I'm aching but it's nothing like what I felt out there.” A flash of the chimera on top of him came to Pete's mind as he spoke and he shuddered the image away.
“That's something I would like to ask about.” Celestia closed the door and stepped further into the room. “What happened out there, Pete Powell?”
Pete recounted what had happened, or what he could recall. The fight with the chimera, the changing of his sword, the sudden rush of energy in his body, the release and explosion. It was hazy, hard to remember specifics, but he did his best. Celestia sat and listened without interrupting until Pete finally shook his head and made eye contact.
“That's all I remember.”
“Pete,” Celestia sighed, “You performed magic.”
The human blinked in disbelief and looked at his hands. “Magic? How?”
The princess shook her head in response, instead floating the sword Pete had been found next to. A black, jagged blade with thorns meant to maim while attacking. Thorns that ran all the way down the hilt as well and would pierce the flesh of anyone that grabbed it barehanded and would make a terrible grip even if armored. The design itself was simple otherwise, it was short, no more than two feet long and resembled a cutlass aside from the sadistic thorns.
Almost instinctively Pete reached out and grabbed the sword. Celestia moved to pull the blade back, but stopped as it slowly morphed back to its original shape. Pete stared in wonder and hefted the weapon a few times, turning it over to see if anything was different. It looked exactly as it had before his fight with the chimera. He looked at Celestia, more confused than ever.
“Was that … magic?”
“I'm not sure,” Celestia replied as she took the weapon from Pete once more and examined it. “I don't feel any magic but that was certainly not normal.” Celestia sheathed the blade levitated it to her side. “I'll have our mages investigate. Perhaps Luna's were not through enough in their examination.”
Pete nodded, “So what do I do now?”
Celestia smiled, “For today, rest. If you are truly feeling fine then I suppose there's no reason to keep you here. I've already spoken to the humans. Many of them it seems wished to leave and I did as I promised. They are back home.”
“Well, that's good.” Pete hesitated to mention his own desire to leave.
“There are a few left in town however, and I think you should go speak with them. As well as your friends.”
Pete did a double take. “Friends?”
“Twilight and the other ponies?” Celestia looked shocked. “Surely you didn't think of them as strangers.”
“Well no, but...”
He struggled internally with the idea of being friends with the ponies he had watched for so many years. It was unbelievable to him that they could consider him a friend even after everything he had done. Especially with what he'd put them through in the end. Before he could say anything on the matter however, Celestia turned and opened the door. Stepping out into the hallway she looked back at him.
“You should go talk to them, Pete. They were worried.”
With that she closed the door and left Pete to his thoughts. At one time he would have sat in that room all day analyzing his own thoughts and feelings. Questioning himself and others. Something had changed. When exactly he wasn't sure, but he had changed. Within minutes he stood and left the room, following exit signs out of the building and surprising dozens of ponies in the process.
Pete marveled at the automatic doors on the Ponyville hospital. They proved that Equestria was more technologically capable than he thought and made him wonder why there were so many places that still had the medieval look and feel if electricity and technology was available on that scale. His pondering was cut short by remembering how exposed he felt without his shirt and trying to awkwardly walk to the main part of town with his arms crossed over his chest. He felt, and was sure he looked, stupid.
Ponyville, despite its relatively small size, was actually rather large. Pete wandered down a dozen side paths and alleyways before finally finding what he would recognize as the middle of town. An open area with a circular fountain in the middle where business buildings seemed to mingle with residential ones. He could see the Golden Oaks library as well as Sugar Cube Corner from the fountain, and a mental map of the town began to form in his mind based around those few landmarks he knew.
Once more his thoughts were interrupted, but this time by an outside force. Before Pete could register the whooshing sound, a blur of sky blue slammed into his chest and he found hooves and wings tightly wrapped around him as he stumbled backwards. Pete returned the hug with a chuckle after getting his balance and looked down at Rainbow Dash. Even up close the wound around her wing was barely visible, possibly even invisible if you didn't know what to look for, but Pete did.
“Hey, come on now,” he chuckled again and pried the pegasus off his chest. “I know you're excited, but you're also kinda heavy!”
Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out and flapped out of his grip. “Fine, fine! But I'll have you know I'm the lightest mare in town.”
“And how do you know that for sure?” Pete raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious when the rainbow maned mare had started to care about the weight of others. Especially enough to check on them all.
Dash opened her mouth to respond but the sudden appearance of Pinkie Pie halted whatever comment she had. Pete was once again tackled, and this time he was taken to the ground. With a loud grunt he looked up at Rainbow with a new haze of pink mane in the bottom of his vision. Pinkie hugged him tighter than the chimera had pinned him and didn't let go until she heard him gasp for air.
“Ohmygosh, sorry!” The pink mare bounded off Pete and turned to look down the street. “He's over here!”
Pete sat up and rubbed his back. Looking in the direction that Pinkie had shouted he saw the rest of the Mane Six approaching, along with five humans. Four men, one he recognized as the young man from the camp, as well as the woman that asked about leaving. The last one surprised him. She had seemed so intent to leave before. He stood up and dusted himself off as the group formed a half circle around him.
“You've been here a day and already you're going native?” Rarity smirked at Pete's lack of shirt, causing the human to awkwardly cover himself again.
“Hey, it was this or a rag that covered less than my arms anyway.”
“Oh yeah!” the young man, a head of messy brown hair flopping around as he jumped excitedly in place. “I heard about that. Well, not the shirt, but what happened to it. You killed that monster! You fought it with a sword and made it explode some how, right? How'd you do it?”
Pete winced and looked away. “Dunno. Just did it some how. Pure luck I guess. I've been getting lucky for a while now.” Twilight made a face, but said nothing.
“Yeah? Well I gotta say, now that we're here, I think this is going to be awesome!” The man was unfazed by Pete's shift in demeanor.
“We're just glad you're all right,” Applejack spoke up suddenly from the side, managing a small smile in the process.
Pete smiled back then looked at the humans. “So, I'm guessing you're all that's left? The only ones that didn't want to go back?”
Surprisingly it was the woman that spoke, her voice soft, almost hushed. “Well, once we got here and actually talked to everyone... or, um, everypony I guess, things didn't seem so bad.”
“And their clothing needs will be absolutely wonderful for me,” Rarity beamed. Ever since she'd seen human fashion she'd wanted to try her hoof at it in an unbridled way, and now she had six humans to test her ideas on.
The twelve slowly walked, or floated in the case of Rainbow Dash, to Sugar Cube Corner and sat down at a pair of tables inside. The humans began to introduce themselves, silently egged on by Twilight.
Jake was the name of the young and excitable man from the camp. In some ways he matched Pete, thin, brown eyes, shaggy hair, although Jake's hair was a lighter brown and much thicker. He also revealed that he too was a brony. Ever since the first pony had approached the camp he had held suspicions about where they were, but it was too wild to be real, and the reality of everything around them didn't quite live up to his cartoonish expectations. Ponies were larger than he imagined, and he made many remarks about their fur.
Next was Lance, a short blond man with soft blue eyes. The ponies came up to Lance's belly in height where they normally came to Pete's waist, and he was quite reserved in his introduction. He spoke concisely but with an eloquence that spoke more about him than he did.
Maxwell was next, a red head that could have been younger than Jake. Max was quiet and barely said more than his name. Jake explained that Maxwell seemed to be good at math, having helped with the construction of the huts, but was otherwise antisocial. Even more so than the woman Pete had met at the camp, now identified as Lucy.
The girl hid behind her black hair almost as much as Fluttershy hid behind her mane. When she did speak it was just as soft and uncertain as the butter colored pegasus as well. Pete couldn't help but feel there was a certain analog being drawn between the humans left and the Elements of Harmony.
Finally the large Xander introduced himself. Well over six feet tall and with the muscles to boot, Pete found himself in awe of the only person of color in the human group. Although Pete did wonder how long it would be before he found out about zebras and their scarcity in Equestria. He also wondered if it was racist to compare the two.
“You seem uncomfortable,” Xander said, noting Pete's absent stare.
“Oh, uh, sorry. Just not used to someone so large, you know?” Pete managed a half laugh. “You're like a brick wall, dude!”
Xander gave a small smile in return. “I've been told that before. Don't worry. I prefer not to get physical unless I have to.”
“Xander was invaluable when we were building our crude homes,” Lance added, smiling as well. “Even Derek, the overbearing survivalist that defaulted to being our leader, couldn't manage half of the physical tasks Xander did.”
“Please, it was a group effort. I didn't know how to build a hut any more than the rest of us. Derek became the leader for a reason.”
Jake scoffed. “Yeah, because he had a friggin' bow!”
Xander held up a finger, “He made that bow, and he knew how to build shelters and hunt. Strength of body does not equate to strength of mind.”
“The pen is mightier than the sword,” Maxwell chimed in absently, his eyes darting all around the room.
“Well, now that they're staying,” Applejack interjected, slamming her hoof on the table, “Where are we gonna have 'em shack up?”
Twilight blushed, “Well, I figured we could each take one as a guest until more permanent housing becomes available.”
Rainbow Dash practically jumped over the table and put her wing around Pete. “I call this one!”
“Rainbow, darling, you live in a cloud house. Pete wouldn't be able to get up there, or stay there. He'd fall.” Rarity pointed out, doing her best not to sound belittling.
“Twilight could cast that cloudwalking spell.”
“I don't know if that's a good idea, Rainbow.” Twilight glanced at Pete, and he knew in that moment that she knew.
The conversation stopped as the door to Sugar Cube Corner flew open, and Princess Luna walked in. The humans stared, they had seen Celestia but were unaware there was a second alicorn. Twilight stood up, the ponies were just as amazed to see the princess in Ponyville, but Luna motioned for her to sit down. She approached the table and looked at Pete.
“It is time to go, Pete.”
“Go where?” Pete looked around, making sure he wasn't dreaming. Luna showing up so suddenly would make sense if he was.
“Back to Canterlot of course.” She smiled, “You have a lot of training ahead of you to join the Night Guard.”
Rainbow Dash blinked and grabbed Pete's shoulder. “The Night Guard?! How did you-”
“I don't know!”
Luna chuckled and smirked, “You did ask if your badge meant you were official.”
Pete reached into his pocket and pulled out the dark metal Luna had given him the night before. The group gawked at it, and then looked at Pete.
“The answer is still not quite, but you were very capable I'm told. And my guard can use more capable members.” Luna continued to smile while Pete waited for a got you moment. Nothing happened.
Slowly, after a time, Pete stood up. He let out a long, deep breath and nodded. He could explain everything to Luna once they were on the train. That might be better than telling everyone present that he wanted to leave. In a small way he was grateful that Luna came in when she did. He was seconds away from explaining that he still wanted to go back to his Earth and try living his life, and he wasn't sure he could look Rainbow Dash in the eyes while he did it.
“Lead the way.”
Four Months Later
It had taken Pete weeks to recover from Luna's news. He could not go home, not yet. How ever he had managed to perform magic was still a mystery to the Princesses, and therefore they could not allow him to return if his powers were a constant. Humans did not have magic. Not magic they could use. A spark, perhaps, in the best of cases. What Pete did was something else entirely, something they were not going to risk. He understood their logic, but that didn't mean he liked it.
A squad of guards, accompanied by Luna, came to his quarters after a week and brought him to a barracks for recruits. Luna explained once again that she genuinely wanted him to join her guard, and Pete came to realize he had no other options anyway. It would be hard to find the kind of work he used to do, even more so if he wanted to be near Rainbow Dash while doing it. No idea of the economy, society, it set in all at once that he was completely alien. He had no real choice at that moment.
Basic training for ponies was much harder than anything he'd seen in the human military. Many exercises were different, distances they needed to run were insane by human standards, and it only got worse once armor was added. Pete's body never seemed to stop aching during his months of training. Even when they added magical studies in, in the off chance he could cast magic, it never seemed to be enough rest. His muscles filled back in over time, and he became more fit than he'd ever been. Though he silently told himself his new physique was not worth the military life style.
One day, during training, a guard came from Luna for Pete. He was excused from training for the day, and every fiber of his being was thankful for that. He followed the batpony into the castle and down to the basement. He'd been away from the bright lit and colorful halls of Canterlot castle for so long he was almost grateful when they descended into the darker portions of the building.
The basement of the castle was still well lit, for the most part, but it was cut from a different stone. Pete could almost feel the shift as he walked down the large staircase. The darker walls and silence added to the oppressive atmosphere of the situation, and Pete began to wonder just what he was walking towards. A portion of his mind readied itself for the worst case. He'd been deemed a threat to Equestria and imprisonment or death waited for him at the end of this walk. He didn't believe the sisters would come to such a conclusion without him being present, but he also knew they were royalty. They made many decisions without the input of the ponies it would affect.
Or perhaps they had decided he wasn't a problem any more, that he could go home. This felt less likely even as he yearned for it. That had been a theme of his life. Everything he wanted seemed to come at an inopportune time or he would never get it. The ponies had arrived in his apartment at a time he needed them, but his desire to try again in the human world seemed further and further away. Their timing had not been ideal in the end.
Amid these thoughts Pete became aware that the batpony had stopped at a door. He pushed it open and stood aside, prompting Pete subtly to enter. Pete did so, nodding quickly to the guard as thanks, and found himself in a surprisingly large room. It was made of the same stone as the rest of the lower level, but he felt a certain grandeur from it. On the opposite side was a table which seated both princesses and several unicorns on either side of them, and in the middle of the room was the mysterious sword. Pete hadn't seen it since Celestia took it from him in the hospital, and it hadn't changed at all.
Celestia quietly conferred with a unicorn on her right and then looked at Pete.
“Pete Powell, four months ago you displayed a capability for magic. An ability not possessed by your kind. They tried in vain thousands of years ago and we've tested the rest of the humans living in Ponyville now. None of them can wield magic. Yet you could.”
Pete stepped forward to interject, but Celestia gave him a cold stare. The stare made his spine tingle and gave him a glimpse into why she was the ruler of the land. He swallowed and stepped back, standing at attention as he'd been taught. Celestia raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but continued without change.
“The only factor left to test is this sword. Through your studies here in military magic you've tried and failed to produce a spell. My sister and I thought perhaps it was a fluke, but then she made one final suggestion.” Celestia sat back on her seat. “Step forward now, Pete Powell. Take the sword into your hand and apply what you have learned of magic.”
Nervously, Pete walked forward. He was more than hesitant. No matter the outcome his fate was decided. If he couldn't cast magic the last four months would have been a waste. The princesses would likely send him back to his home, and who knew how long it had been there. Months at the very least. He would be homeless, jobless, worse of than he was here certainly. But if he could cast magic he would become a guard. Risking his life day in and day out, never sure what he would come up against, if he would have the strength to fight the monsters and enemies that crawled across this alien land.
Do you desire power? A voice hissed inside his mind, stopping him for a moment. I am here for that. Take me in hand. My power shall be yours as yours is mine. Pete looked around, a murmur filling the room from the table.
“Pete?” Celestia asked as her horn lit up.
“Sorry,” Pete recovered and looked back to the sword. Was that voice the sword? What sword could talk? That was a stupid question, he was in a world of magic. The real question was what talking sword could the Princesses of Equestria not sense?
He reached out again and grabbed the hilt. The sword started to glow and the muttering of the unicorns at the table increased. When the light faded the sword was different again. Longer, over three feet, with a simple and wider guard. Pete unsheathed the blade and examined it. It was a longsword, nothing special at all other than the fact it had been a shortsword moments ago. The increased weight was nothing to him now that he'd been training, but it was still noticeable. Curiously, he swung the sword.
His training had included weapons, alongside the unicorn recruits, and he was familiar with the type of weapon. Casually he took several stabs towards a wall as well as a few pretend parries. It felt right. Something about this sword felt different than the ones he'd practiced with.
Feeling the worried eyes on him, he turned to the right wall of the room, opposite the one he had just shadow fenced, and pointed the sword tip at it. He recalled the concepts of magic. Everything had magic inside it, everything Equestrian born at least. Unicorns were unique in that they came built in with a sturdy way to channel that magic. Unicorn horns were impossibly durable and could only be harmed by magic. Simple enchantments weren't enough and a powerful enough unicorn could channel with even a nub. The second thing was channeling itself, feeling the power, bringing it forth. Pete imagined a river from the core of his being to his sword hand, and then imagined the river flowing into the sword. This method of channeling wasn't supposed to be possible. Potential energy could only travel through living matter and living matter in general could not be used as a casting apparatus. A unicorn, as explained by his teacher, could not pick up a stick and use it. The stick could contain the charge, but not release it. Only a living being could direct the spell, and while the stick could innately hold the magic it could not will it. Horns were unique, built to withstand the “kick” of magic and attached to the caster so they could will the spell into existence and fire.
Finally, came the spell itself. Minor spells could be cast simply with a thought, some could even be cast instinctively. The more powerful the caster the higher the bar for a minor spell. Celestia could probably set a whole city on fire without uttering a word. Pete wanted to err on the side of caution, so he began to speak.
“Fire of life, pour fourth and consume!” He felt the feeling again, the rush of energy and heat from his chest to his arm.
The sword tip ignited and shot a ball of flame the size of his fist. With a loud crackling the fireball slammed into the far wall, the flames reaching up to the ceiling for the seconds they lasted, filling the room with a roar. Afterwards Pete slowly lowered his sword, his eyes fixated on the scorch marks on the wall. He looked down at the blade before turning towards the magically inclined ponies. They were as shocked as he was. Each one sat with their mouths open to different degrees. Celestia's open only a sliver, her eyes focused on Pete himself.
He wasn't sure how long he stood there, but it felt like ages. A slow empty stretch of time that was only broken when Celestia cleared her throat. Those in the room collected themselves and looked at her.
“Pete, please wait outside.” It was clearly an order despite the please.
He nodded and walked outside, sheathing his sword on the way. Deliberations among those in the room went on for longer than Pete expected. He sat on the floor across from the room in silence. The two guards acting as if he wasn't there. He took the time to examine the sword more. According to Equestrian magic theory it shouldn't be capable of channeling a spell. It was inorganic. At best it could be enchanted, but there were no runes on it, and any unicorn, let alone and alicorn, would have felt it from a mile away. Nothing about the sword seemed exceptional, but it did exceptional things.
“So why did they summon you to the testing room?”
Pete looked up and the batpony to the right of the door, a mare with a purple tail and yellow eyes was looking at him.
“Testing room?”
She nodded, “The room we're guarding. It's where they take the unicorns that join the guard to see how capable they are with magic.”
Pete looked at his sword again for a long moment before responding. “I'm magic capable.”
The mare blinked and took a half step forward. “You? How?”
“No idea,” Pete shrugged. “Probably what they're talking about in there right now.”
The doors opened and Luna trotted out, a stack of paper held to her side in a telekinetic grip. She looked down at Pete and then nodded for him to follow. Wordlessly he stood up and followed her back upstairs. He wondered, of course, what exactly would happen now. More boot camp surely, but what after? She had only said she wanted capable people, or ponies, in her guard. It stood to reason since Celestia's guard was the biggest in Equestria after Luna had been sealed away. Equal rulers with uneven armies.
She led him to another side of the castle, away from the royal apartments they had visited Celestia in. The room had two batpony guards outside, and the inside was unlike the rest of the castle at all. It was clearly Luna's chambers, unlike the rooms he had seen before this one was finely decorated to its owner's taste. Dark, heavy drapes hung over the windows keeping out the afternoon light. The carpet was a matching deep blue, and the walls were lined with books. Pete could imagine Luna crouching and becoming almost invisible among the shelves and the floor. In the middle of the room was a desk, and the sole illumination came from actual candles on it. Behind the desk was a bed, but Pete had more important things on his mind. Luna took a seat behind the desk and sat the papers she was carrying atop it. Pete stood a short ways in front of the desk, still carrying his sword.
“We are in a very unique position, Pete.” Luna began slowly as she looked through the papers she had brought.
Pete swallowed. “Is that the royal we?”
Luna smiled and shook her head. “I have broken that habit now. Unless the situation demands its use of course. I mean myself and my sister.”
“I think it would be rather difficult for me to join both of your guards. I can't stay awake twenty four hours a day everyday.”
“Your mind is always looking for a way to make a joke.”
“I like levity. It cushions bad news.”
Luna cocked her head at that. “What bad news do you expect?”
“I'm honestly not sure. I mean overall with the levity thing. If you're always making jokes when bad news does happen you'll probably have a good joke about it at least.”
“Well, as far as I know there is no bad news here. Not for you at least.” Luna pulled up two sheets of paper and laid them on the desk facing Pete. He glanced down at them.
Both were finely written with quill and ink. They both appeared to be contracts of some kind. However, one was signed Celestia at the bottom and the other was signed Luna.
“I thought I just said I can't join both-”
“I want you for my guard, Pete Powell.” Luna cut him off and continued on her own. “It has been missing a captain ever since my return and since the Night Guard is made up exclusively of batponies at the moment none of its members can use magic. I have never had anything other than the night dwelling batponies, and it has severely limited my guard on more than one occasion. Since I was the one to ask for you my sister has agreed to let you join.”
Pete nodded slowly as she spoke. He could feel the catch coming.
“She wants you for another purpose however, and that is her stipulation. I could not fight her on it because she is right. It is a job you are uniquely suited for still.”
“Wait, I've heard that phrase before. Celestia said that before shipping me off to help the humans.”
Luna nodded in agreement, “Yes. She is fond of that phrase when it comes to you, I have found. She wants you to become the human's ambassador. To receive their questions and complaints and direct somepony to fixing them. Being a captain you would be in the castle already and you would have easy access to us to bring human complaints to our ears.
“The jobs come with many perks. Living in the castle is just one of them. You would receive compensation for both of course, and both come with a certain weight of power.”
“And with power comes responsibility,” Pete added. “Responsibility I'm not sure I can deal with, you know?”
“I understand your hesitation, however there is a reason for this stipulation of my sister's.”
“Because I'm the only link between the strangers in Ponyville and you two that you'll both trust?”
“That,” Luna chuckled, “And I want to pull you out of training early. My guard missing a captain has become a problem. The longer I wait the worse it is going to be for whoever I ask to fill the position. The current lieutenant of my guard is already being rather forceful about her desires to be promoted. Until our trip and your arrival she would have certainly been the choice to make. What you did today in the testing room changes that. Celestia wants you as ambassador in exchange for letting you enter service early.”
“That sounds...” Pete sighed and bit his lip for a moment, “Incredibly dangerous actually.”
“It carries some risk,” Luna admitted, “But so does waiting for you to finish in another four months. It is calculated risk reward, and I am prepared.” Pete continued to hesitate, prompting Luna to add something she thought pivotal to his decision. “As ambassador to the humans you may have to make several trips to Ponyville. I am sure there are certain ponies that would be interested to see you on a more regular basis.”
Immediately she saw the change on Pete's face. Pete himself could imagine his days of official visits, perhaps accompanied by a certain pegasus to make sure he didn't get lost as he did his job. A small blush climbed up his face and looked again at the papers in front of him. He didn't like signing contracts, but the wording in these was straight forward, outlining his duties. They made sense and unless there was invisible ink involved there wasn't any fine print.
He grabbed a quill that was on the desk and quickly signed his name to both documents. Placing the quill back in the inkwell he looked at Luna and sighed, though he was smiling.
“I guess training is over.”
Luna laughed, “Yes, but now the hard part begins. Doing your jobs.”
“Hey,” Pete's smile grew, “If I don't have to run two miles a day any more I'm all for the hard part.”
Pete panted as he ran down the dark street. He heard the wings over his head and dove into a dark alley. Pressing his back to the wall to conceal himself under the building's overhang he held his breath and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night and the cold of Winter was approaching fast. The stars were bright in the sky. All except for a pony shaped patch circling over head.
Catching his breath in the moment of down time, Pete thought about the layout of Canterlot. The city's only gate, a Southern exit down the mountainside, was close by. If he could reach it he would win. The Night Guard were more capable than he had given them credit for when they bragged about how no criminals had ever evaded them. The lieutenant, a slightly larger than average mare named Wisp, had challenged him to this game.
Coming back to the moment, Pete looked up and saw a distinct lack of pony. Either he had lost her, or she had found him. Either way he decided it was time to move. As quietly as he could manage, at a dead sprint, Pete ran from the alley and towards the gate. Rounding the last corner, the gate in view, his aerial tail swooped down from the sky and charged right at him. Wide eyed with surprise, he dove and rolled under her. The mare squeaked and looked backwards, flying straight into a building. She collapsed with a groan while Pete sprinted on. It was a dead run now, less than forty yards. His lungs burned but his mind was sharp and alert.
A second batpony came from the sky, diving off the gate itself and caught Pete off guard. His mind had been sharp but with his goal in sight his eyes had forgotten to look. Lieutenant Wisp wrestled him to the ground in short succession, planting a hoof on his chest roughly. Pete groaned and laid on the cold stone street.
“You lose, 'Captain'.” Wisp somehow managed to pull off angry and satisfied in the same sentence, which impressed Pete just a little.
“Yeah, well what can I say?” He took several long breaths waiting for Wisp to get off of him. She didn't.
“Sorry might be good,” Wisp looked at the crashed mare that was slowly walking over to them.
Pete glanced over and winced. “Right. Sorry, Stellar! Are you okay?”
The tiny mare rubbed her head and pulled her helmet off. “Is it dented?”
Wisp rolled her eyes and stepped off of Pete. “It's not dented, Squeak. This stuff is harder than that wall by a long shot. It has to be to protect you from all these accidents.”
Stellar Glow, true to her nickname, squeaked and saluted. “Y-yes ma'am! Sorry!”
“Unbelievable. You are the fastest mare in this city, we tested that when you joined! It's the whole reason we let you join with how small you are, and you can't catch someone that isn't even flight capable?”
Pete rolled over and stood up. “Hey now, I prefer to think of my evasive moves as being a credit to me, not a discredit to any of you. The whole point of this was to prove myself, right? C'mon, give me some points.”
Lieutenant Wisp turned around. “You want points? Okay. You shown a complete lack of fundamentals in both stealth and evasion. It was dumb luck Private Stellar encountered you first and it was her lack of communication that kept our best away from you. You also displayed a lack of situational awareness letting me get the drop on you at the end. The first thing a smart criminal would have done is make a scene on the other side of town to distract us away from their escape route.”
Pete scratched his head, “But since you knew we were just training that wouldn't have worked. A direct rush was my best chance. Unless you expected me to, like, actually go set something on fire at the North end of the city or something.”
“No, I didn't. However, if you had been spotted in the North a few times you might have-”
“You wouldn't have moved, Wisp. I already know that you would have sat on that gate until sunrise to get me.” Pete crossed his arms and stared the lieutenant down.
Wisp growled as a stallion landed beside her with a laugh.
“He's got you pegged, Wisp.”
“No pony asked for your opinion, Shade.” Wisp glared at Pete, then turned and started trotting away. Pete looked at the other two batponies, and then followed Wisp.
“Hey, listen, I get it. I show up out of nowhere, take your position, yadda yadda. I know we got off on the wrong foot- er, hoof. But I'm here and I don't want to blunder over every single bit of contact we have. I want to help.”
Wisp turned and looked at Pete again. “You want to help? Stay in the castle and learn how to do the paper work. That's all you're going to be good for. You didn't finish training because you're Luna's special project, even in training you were the slowest and weakest recruit, you can't fly, and you're going to have more than guard duty to worry about. So do me, no all of us, a favor and stay in the castle.”
The human raised his hand to object, but Wisp extended her wings and flew away before he could manage a syllable. Pete dropped his arm and made a sound of frustration between a grunt and a sigh. He knew things wouldn't be easy but he didn't expect someone like Wisp. Internally he realized he should have, but somehow he thought being released from training and appointed by official word of the princesses would make them think differently. Clearly he had been wrong.
He walked back to Shade and Stellar Glow, the stallion laughing at something. Pete stood next to them and gave a short wave. Stellar Glow blushed lightly and nodded while Shade wiped a tear from his eye.
“I can't believe you made her crash into a building!” Shade was out of breath and wheezing with laughter.
“I just rolled. I mean, simple maneuver right?”
“Totally, I'm just saying,” he looked at the small mare in front of him and chuckled more, “That's like classic rookie stuff. It's no wonder she's still a private.”
“What do you mean still?”
“W-well,” Stellar Glow paused and bit her lip, “I've been in the guard for four years now. Most ponies get promotions every couple of years at least.”
“But Squeak here keeps messing things up. One time she tried to give first aid to an injured robbery victim, and she ended up cocooning him in gauze!” Shade explained between laughs.
“I-I'm just not very good at the whole guard thing,” the small batpony admitted. “I always wanted to join but...” She sighed and looked at the castle.
Pete felt a tinge of regret about his appointment to captain with that. He didn't want to join the guard, it was just the only choice he had at the time, and here was somepony that did want to join and despite her lack of skills she got in. Where was the fairness in that? Little by little Pete was starting to feel that he didn't belong with the Night Guard.
Despite his best efforts Pete hadn't managed to evade his new comrades for so long, the night was still young. Patrols resumed and he trekked back to the castle to grab his armor. It had been custom made which felt like more than he deserved. As he walked through the Night Guard barracks he saw Wisp setting at a desk, her helmet to the side, staring at paperwork. Stopping in the doorway, he turned and knocked on the frame.
“Can I come in?”
Wisp looked up with a scowl. “You're a superior officer, you don't have to ask.”
“Act like a superior, you'll get mad,” Pete walked in and stood in the middle of the room with his arms out in example. “But on the other hand if I act like a rookie, you get mad. What's the right move there?”
“There isn't one.” Wisp continued to read the pages in front of her rather than look at the human.
“All right,” Pete shrugged and pointed at the lieutenant, “then get your flank back out there, Lieutenant. There's patrolling to get done.”
“What?” The mare looked up indignantly.
“I have paperwork it looks like.”
Wisp looked down at the desk, then to Pete. “There's more to being a captain than-”
“I know,” Pete held up a hand to stop her, “but part of that is also listening to your officers, right? You made a lot of good points tonight about my capabilities. I can't keep up with you all, not yet at least. So maybe learning the official side of things before getting into field work is a smart move.”
The Lieutenant stared at Pete for a minute before putting her helmet back on and heading out the door. She stopped in the same spot he had just outside and said, “This doesn't fix anything.” Pete nodded without looking and went to the desk.
Stacks of paperwork nearly a foot tall were organized on the desk, which lacked a traditional in and out box. Pete grabbed the first sheet and began reading. It seemed to be a maintenance request form. Apparently the Night Guard had some dented training equipment. He sat the request back on the stack it came from and started reading the top of each stack, followed shortly by the second page to see if there was a trend or theme to each stack. Any kind of organization would be helpful.
It was slow going but by morning Pete had sorted each stack, working out what had to be sent, had been received, and needed a second opinion. That way he could easily keep track of what was most important and what could be done later. He had also fashioned a sign for new paperwork and requests that needed to go out, for the sake of his own sanity if nothing else. The half dozen stacks he had sat down to were now much more manageable and that was the hardest thing to deal with. Having signed all the papers he felt he could reasonably approve with minimal knowledge, Pete leaned back and stretched.
Wisp knocked on the door and walked in, her armor removed and revealing her short mane and gray fur. Pete had noticed that batponies were all the same color, dark gray fur with purple manes and tails, and yellow eyes. In that way they all had a definite fear advantage even without the armor. Like they were constantly in some kind of uniform.
The Lieutenant looked at the organized stacks, as well as the signs Pete had hung and looked at the human quizzically. She had clearly never seen a well organized office before. Pete gave a short explanation of his changes to the paperwork, Wisp nodding as she understood. Certain stacks were for certain types of forms, and then they were arranged based on whether they were finished, filed, or needed to go somewhere else in the castle.
“And that, Lieutenant, leads me to this stack.” Pete tapped a modest stack of papers on the “In” side of the desk.
“What about them?”
“I need your advice on how to proceed with them. They're more than simple requests and inter-castle forms. Since I'm new to this whole … world I figured I could use your input on these. Just until I get a grasp on what I'm doing in here.”
“When would we start?”
Pete shrugged, “Tomorrow night?”
Wisp thought about it for a minute and then sighed. “Fine, tomorrow,” she turned to leave, but looked back momentarily. “This doesn't mean I'm okay with you, human.”
Pete responded with a face but said nothing. He sat back down and exhaled slowly. Exhaustion didn't describe it. Exasperation would have been better, but he was too exhausted. Minutes of silence passed as Pete sat in the office, eyes closed and head leaned back. He was so out of it he missed the sound of hooves on stone. It was the eventual throat clearing that made him sit up and quickly look around.
“Wha?”
“Oh! S-sorry, sir,” Stellar Glow, the smallest pony Pete had seen, was standing in the doorway. “I didn't mean to bother you, sir. I was just wondering what you were doing?” She spoke at a deliberate pace, clearly trying not to stutter in her usual way.
Pete looked around for another moment and then stood up. “I guess I'm not doing anything. Night's over, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Hey, relax with that. I'm barely even a guard, let alone qualified to be captain. Wisp was right.” Pete stepped out from behind the desk and moved towards the door, Stellar Glow backing up at the same pace he approached. “I'm more of a greenhorn than you, so at least when we're off the clock drop the sirs.”
The mare nodded in return, “Yes sir!”
Pete shook his head and chuckled. “Have a good day, Stellar.”
He turned and started walking away, then noticed hoofsteps following him. Glancing backwards he saw Stellar Glow slightly to one side and behind him. At first he thought little of it, the exit was in the same place for both of them after all. Once they were outside however she continued following him. Eventually, Pete turned around and raised an eyebrow.
“Is there something else?” He ran a checklist of things through his mind, possibilities of what he could have forgotten.
Stellar Glow squeaked and blushed, “W-well I was wondering if m-maybe you wanted to hang out, s-sir.”
Pete blinked and crouched down, still taller than the mare before him at half of his height. “Stop with the sir.”
“Y-yes, s-” Stellar Glow covered her mouth with a hoof and blushed brighter than before.
“Okay. You want to hang out … with me?” Pete gestured at himself for effect. “Why?”
“Well, I...” The mare took a deep breath. “I've been in the Night Guard for a really long time and everypony that joins starts out being really nice to me but after the first night or two I usually screw something up and then they laugh at me and they act really different. But you didn't do that, you even asked if I was okay and almost no pony ever asks if I'm okay after I make a big mistake so that was really nice of you and I'm not tryingtoaskyououtonadateIjustwanttobefriends!”
Pete reeled at the speed of her speech, especially the end which he still wasn't sure he caught. Apparently she wasn't just the fastest flier in Canterlot. The mare could give an auctioneer a run for their money. He realized that he must have sat too long however, because Stellar Glow turned crimson and then darted up into the sky. She clearly thought he was going to turn her down, or that he was thinking of a way to dismiss her kindly, rather than trying to parse her motor mouthed speech.
“I didn't say no!” He stood up and stared at the patch of sky the batpony had just flew into. Moments later she floated back down in front of him.
“Really?”
“Yeah, well I mean, friends are good, right? And I didn't exactly make any friends in basic training and the only other friends I've got live in a whole other town. So, why not give this a try.” Pete sighed and then put on a smile. “Whether I'm in my world or this one I've gotta make an effort.”
“Why's that?”
“That's a very long story, Stellar.”
Noticing the expectation in her eyes, Pete rubbed his shoulder and started explaining his past with the Elements of Harmony and Princesses. The pair wandered into the city as Pete talked, Stellar Glow absently traveling to a cafe she frequented while Pete followed. The batpony was engrossed with portions of the tale, the human's pacing keeping her from asking any questions because she didn't need to ask. Everything important was explained and covered eventually. Pete conveyed the majority of the time he spent in his home with the eight ponies and finished with his collapse and awakening in Canterlot.
“Wow.” Stellar Glow's eyes were wide and almost sparkling. “You're so lucky! The Elements of Harmony and the princesses all together. That's incredible.”
Pete blushed lightly and looked away. “I know, I know. It's actually kind of embarrassing now that I'm here. There's ponies that practically fight for the attention of those eight, and I had them all to myself for more time than anypony's probably had in their life.”
She nodded in response. “Well, except the Elements of Harmony. I knew Twilight and her friends were important to Celestia, but I thought it was just because Twilight is her personal student.”
“Wait,” Pete held up a hand, “You didn't know they were the Elements of Harmony?”
“Not at all. The Elements are like a... a covert team. Anypony could be an Element of Harmony, and there's been different groups through the ages.”
Pete leaned back and considered the idea. It made a certain amount of sense. The Elements attracted to special ponies and they had been used by the princesses before. There was no telling how many ponies qualified to use the Elements before the current bearers. Along with that, it was possible that if something happened to the current Elements that new ones would emerge in time. Just like Twilight and the others had when Nightmare Moon returned.
Pete's contemplative silence made Stellar Glow nervous and she scrambled to think up a new question. Something innocent that would bring him back to the moment. What to ask was the only question she could think of for the longest time. Until a mild breeze blew the edges of Pete's shirt, attracting her attention. With only a mild blush she made eye contact.
“Umm, so, why do you always wear clothes?”
“Oh,” Pete jerked, startled out of his own thoughts, “Well, humans don't have the natural cover that ponies get. Our...” He cleared his throat and spoke a little quieter. “Our genitals are just kind of there when we stand up and since we walk like that they're always just kind of there. So we have to cover up. Us without clothes would be like you walking around with your tail up.”
Stellar Glow blushed brightly and sucked in her lips, her eyes wide and nervous. Pete realized suddenly what he'd suggested and he reached for a new topic. He looked around the street for something innocuous, something that would lead the discussion away from raised tails. Cultural questions came to mind. He was still new to the world and having more information on that would help.
“So I noticed there's not a lot of stallions around, especially in the guard. What's up with that?” He smiled anxiously, trying to be casual.
“Th-the birth rate of males is one in four.” The small mare took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “For every three fillies a colt is born, roughly. Which is why we follow the herd system for relationships, roughly three mares to each stallion.”
It was Pete's turn to blush, and he did so liberally. That had slipped his mind the past few months. If he ever got to work things out with Rainbow Dash there would likely come a day where she brought in another mare, or two. He had no idea about the etiquette of that situation. How do you reject somepony? How does one make an approach? What determines when they're part of the herd? Is there's a signifier? What if he was approached by somepony from a herd, how would he know? How does leaving a herd work? Did he even qualify since he wasn't a pony?
Stellar Glow once again misinterpreted his silence.
“It's okay though! The birth rates are pretty balanced because of how long pegasi and unicorns live.”
A shiver ran down Pete's spine and he stopped blushing.
“What's that mean?”
“Well, the average pegasus lives for over two hundred years, same for us batponies too. Unicorns can live for several hundred, some of them up to six or seven.” She made a face. “Earth ponies get the bad end of things though. One hundred years is usually the limit. They're always looking to make big families because of that.”
Pete wasn't sure what to do with this information. There was no way to process it so quickly. Questions were popping up too rapidly for him to phrase them, assuming that Stellar Glow could help with them anyway. The sounds of the increasingly busy streets faded away as his mind raced. An internal buzzing filled his brain and he could barely pay attention to anything
“I have to go,” he finally said, standing up from the table. “I'm sorry. Really. Thanks for, you know, telling me stuff.” Pete turned and shuffled into the crowd, meandering in the direction of the castle. Stellar Glow tried to say something, but couldn't find the words. The whole talk had been a short but massive disaster to her.
It was almost noon when Pete got back to the castle. Even the guards could barely hold their surprise as he dragged through the castle entrance and plodded his way to his room. Once inside he stripped, tossing his sword to the floor, and collapsed on the bed. His body was sand, his mind was an ocean, and his soul was a storm. Since arriving in Equestria Pete hadn't dreamed a single time. Despite the overwhelming amount of things going on in his mind it never saw fit to haunt his dreams, but he could feel this was different. Even as his vision blurred and went dark.
Emptiness was the best way Pete could describe his surroundings. Not light, not darkness, they didn't fit. Rather it was a lack of anything at all and yet it somehow felt very full. It was a paradox. Unsolvable and beyond his mortal comprehension. It relaxed him in some way.
“Very poetic,” a familiar voice called from the emptiness. Which suddenly was not empty.
Pete sat up and found himself on a floating chunk of dirt and grass in the middle of all the nothing. Before him was a man younger than himself, but remarkably similar in some ways. His hair was wild and pure black, matching his clothes, but the face reminded Pete of himself. Like looking into an alternate mirror. That was probably possible.
“I'm here to give you just a little tease, Pete Powell. You've gotten the whole magic thing going, Equestrian magic that is, so I've decided you need something to go with it.”
“What are you talking about?” Pete stood up and looked around at the floating patch of land before facing the man once again.
“My name is Kayn,” he continued, “and I am the reason you have that sword.” Kayn raised his hand and pointed at Pete's side.
Pete grabbed his side and found his sword belted to him. “How did this get here?”
“Because I willed it.” The man laughed, “Actually this is a dream, of sorts. Luna isn't the only one that can visit people in their sleep. And unfortunately this is the only place I can visit you right now.”
“Why? What's going on?”
“Relax, Pete. I'm here to teach you some more about your new powers. I know today was hard, learning all the cultural stuff. But I need you ready, more ready than you've ever been before.”
“Before? Before when? Look, can you just answer some questions and stop being all mysterious and, well, stupid.”
Kayn smirked, “Straight to the point. I like that. Okay, here's what I can say. There's something coming, Pete. Something big, and something new. Something I haven't seen before. That's a problem because I can see the whole goddamn multiverse. I have seen some shit, and I have stopped it, but this is new and I have no idea how to approach it. That's where you come in. Now, this isn't quite the first time I've tried to get you to help me, and it hasn't worked, yet.”
“Hasn't worked? When did you-”
“Let me finish,” Kayn's voice took the same tone as Celestia's had, and some how took the wind from Pete's sails. “I've reset the clock on you more times than most people can count. There's an enemy coming, and enemy that has a penchant for darkness. The physical stuff not the typical nighttime whatever. It's something new, unique to the Equestria you're in. The more I get in the way the more my enemies can, and they would make things a lot harder for everyone. So I chose you. There are a few reasons for that, but I'm limited in more ways than one.”
Kayn stepped forward and held out his hand. Energy swirled in his grip before coalescing into a white katana. He held the blade up, making sure Pete could see every angle. Then, in a single motion, he swung the blade and a wave of energy coursed out. Pete stepped back, but was soon knocked down as the patch of ground under him rumbled and separated from the part Kayn was on.
“Your sword is similar to mine. It's a manifestation of your soul, in a manner of speaking. Learn how to use it, harness it, and you can do much greater things than shoot a few fireballs.”
With another smirk, Kayn crouched and then leapt into the air. For a moment it seemed like he was flying, but then he came back down, slamming hard into the ground. Yet, he was fine. Kayn stood and brushed some dirt from his hoodie and then smiled at Pete. Once more he held his sword out, making sure Pete was watching as it shifted into a replica of Pete's own. It shifted again into a shape Pete had never seen before. Some kind of dagger with serrations on the back. The shape reminded Pete of a wing.
“With enough focus and willpower you can do extraordinary things, Pete Powell. I've given you this power. Don't waste it on paperwork.”
Painkillers were all Pete could think about as he dressed for the night. The stress from the day before had given him a rough sleep and a dream he couldn't recall clearly. There was a knock at the door as he pulled his boots on, and he called for whoever it was to enter. Princess Luna stepped inside with a wide grin on her face.
“To what do I owe the honor?” Pete rubbed his forehead.
“I was informed today that you returned rather late in the afternoon.”
“Yeah, I went and talked with one of the mares in the Night Guard.”
“Stellar Glow, I know.”
“Then why are you here?” Pete realized how that sounded, but the throbbing in his skull was relentless.
“I simply wanted to remind you not to overlook your other duties between wooing the hearts of my thestrals. My sister does want you to do your ambassador job as well you know.”
Pete realized the insinuation, but was at a loss for a retort. Instead he promised not to be out of the castle so late again and continued getting ready. The smile slowly dropped from Luna's face, but Pete was in a hurry. He couldn't wait for the night to be over so he could try sleeping again. Luna soon understood that she had picked the wrong time to tease her captain and excused herself as Pete slung his sword across his back. He groaned on his way out the door as he realized the night would be filled with more paperwork and Lieutenant Wisp's advice. It was going to be another long day.
“I'm sorry about the other day,” Pete called from the office to Stellar Glow as she passed by on her way out for the day. He stood up and walked to the doorway to continue, “I wasn't expecting … well, that stuff about hundreds of years.”
The small guardsmare blushed and looked away. “I-I suppose I could have led into that better.”
Pete managed a grin, “You could have, yes, but I think things were just as awkward for you as they are for me.” He paused for a moment and then sighed. “Human life expectancy is generally eighty years, if that. Some live longer, some don't, but if you lived eighty years in the human world people would say you had a very long life.”
“Only eighty years?” Her eyes went wide as she thought about all the extra time she and most ponies had. “I'm sorry, I didn't know.”
“It's okay. At least it will be, once I have some more time to really process that. I have a mare I'm interested in,” he said it slowly, “and she's a pegasus. So with what you told me yesterday she's going to live through three of my lifetimes, two of them without me.”
Stellar Glow couldn't find the words to respond to that, instead she nodded weakly. What could she really say that would help?
“Anyway, I got this pounding headache so I think I'm going to go turn in early, but I hope we can keep talking. You know, later, after the headache and stuff goes away.” He smiled, “You're not nearly as bad as you or other's say you are.”
She blushed and muttered a thank you before darting off out of the barracks. Standing alone, most of the paperwork done, the young man took in the minute of silence. No guards getting ready, no locker room talk, no discussions on what to do with what form, no orders. Peace and tranquility. It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, despite everything going on in his life.
Then he noticed there was a literal weight off of his shoulders. Without thought he slung his sword off and looked at it. The weapon was suddenly formless. A writhing mass of black. He dropped the former sword out of fear and disgust and watched it wriggle on the ground for a time before returning to its previous shape as a longsword.
Pete took several steps back and shook his head. Turning around and bracing himself on the desk for a moment, he tried to collect himself. It couldn't be real. There was no way what he had seen was real. Celestia and Luna had both inspected the sword along with the best magicians in Canterlot. Nothing was wrong with the sword.
Is that what you're going to go with? That a sword which breaks the laws of this world is normal?
The voice, again. Pete looked around but all he could see was the sword on the floor. There were no ponies around, no one but himself. Slowly, he approached the sword and picked it up. He sent thoughts to it, or he thought he was, trying to get it to respond. Nothing. A cold silence hung stagnant in the air, disturbing the human far more than any voice.
Trying desperately to shrug the encounter off, he left the barracks, sword in hand, and made his way back to the castle. He stopped for a moment at the entrance to watch the sun in its beginning movements across the sky. Finally wincing away from the bright light he ducked into the castle and went to his room. One last task awaited him before he could sleep. In his room on an ornate oak desk that had been freshly pressed against the wall when he signed the Princesses contracts, by the window, was a new stack of papers.
Pete slid himself into the matching chair and skimmed the papers. Letters from the Elements of Harmony, five of them at least, about the humans they had taken in as well as letters from the humans themselves. Maxwell's was on top, briefly talking about living with Pinkie Pie in Sugar Cube Corner. Even in letter form the boy was reserved as the page was half blank. Pinkie's letter was longer, but mostly because her writing was atrocious. Pete struggled to make most of it out, but it seemed like she was making friends with all of the humans.
Lance had moved in with Rarity and seemed to be having just as easy a time. His fancy font and small letter size, however, was just as hard to get through as Pinkie's large squiggles. Lance had been working partly as receptionist and measurement taker while Rarity focused on sewing and design. At least that was what he gathered after reading Rarity's letter. The two were cordial, but not close. Something about that was surprising as the two seemed very similar.
Xander was with Applejack and Pete was glad to finally read a letter with no issue. The large man was also to the point. He enjoyed the physical activity and it seemed apple picking was foreign enough to the Apple family to be entertaining. Thankfully Xander's muscular body was perfect for the labor because Pete couldn't think of anyone else that could help if he wanted to trade homes. Applejack was equally succinct, mostly focused on how useful Xander was around the farm and it didn't bother her if he had to stay longer.
Jake was with Twilight acting as a second assistant under Spike, who had felt the need to include his own letter. Twilight was happy to have an extra set of hands and Jake had volunteered for some studies that were being used to figure out why Pete could cast spells and none of the others could. Jake's letter was several pages long and was clearly written by an overzealous fan, causing Pete to worry about Twilight's sanity in the long term. Spike's letter echoed Twilight's feelings on having another set of hands to help out, but the part that was most interesting was the signature. First Assistant Spike.
Finally came Fluttershy and Lucy's letters, both of which were simple single sentences. “Lucy is doing fine, and so am I.” “Fluttershy is nice; I'm okay.” Flipping the sheets to the back he felt sure there was more, they sent a whole page after all, but there was nothing. He had spoken to Fluttershy more than this, and he felt she would be more worried about speaking directly than writing.
“Maybe... I'll have to go down there one of these days.” Pete mused as he noticed the lack of a letter from Dash. “Just to be sure everything is okay.” He grinned to himself and slid the letters into a drawer on the desk.
The next evening Pete's head felt much better and he set out early from his quarters to find Celestia. If he was going to Ponyville officially he would have to inform her after all. What he discovered on his trip to the throne room took precedence however.
Several halls away from his destination a shadow caught his attention. Many thoughts crossed his mind, ideas on what he had just seen, but his limited training with the guard told him to ignore those thoughts. Instead he pursued the shape down the hall, speeding up while staying on the thick carpets that lined the middle off the halls to keep the noise down. Rounding the corner he caught another glimpse of the shadow. Pete sped up.
After the second corner he finally saw the shape in full, larger and lower to the ground than a pony. He continued the pursuit, wondering where the guards were as he moved from corner to corner. Whoever he was chasing was moving erratically, up and down halls, left and right, seemingly randomly. That was when it struck Pete. The intruder was dodging the patrol. Too many turns had left him confused with his location in the castle. He could shout and alert the guards, and the intruder. Speed became his primary focus, after another corner he peeled his shoes off mid jog, his feet making less noise bare. Faster, he pushed on, trying to stay out of sight each time the shade rounded a corner. He needed to catch them quickly but it wouldn't work if they saw him coming.
One last corner and they disappeared. Panting, Pete looked around. They hadn't gone down the hall, nor doubled back. The only room was a supply closet, also empty. At a loss he leaned against a wall and sighed. He looked up and saw it. The figure had wings and had flown up. It was looking away from him, out of a tall window. Pete looked for anything he could use to climb the wall but there were no holds, nothing he could stack, and he had no idea how far a winged guard would be. He contemplated shouting for a moment but a noise stopped him. A thick click. Working his way to the wall the intruder was perched on Pete could see something in its claws. A griffon, and it was holding a crossbow.
Pete made a face as he tried to figure out when, if ever, he had seen a crossbow in Equestria before, but if they were griffon weapons his point was moot. This was an assassin, ready to fire, and he was the only one there to stop it.
Silently he pulled his sword from its sheath on his back and tried to focus. A bow? A gun? Something with range, something he could use to hit a far away target. Nothing. The blade didn't change on will, or it couldn't turn into a projectile. Suddenly frustrated and running out of time Pete reeled his arm back and threw the sword. It changed as it left his hand, shifting mid flight into a dagger, and sinking into the griffon's back. The assassin shouted and the clatter of a crossbow on stone came from outside the window, and the sound of her body hitting the floor echoed inside the castle a moment later. With reflexes Pete had never had before he threw himself on top of the sniper, pulling his dagger out of her back and pinning her down.
“Don't move,” he held the blade in front of her face for emphasis.
“Like I could!” She groaned in pain from both the weight of the human and the gaping wound in her back.
“Well, don't think about it then.” Pete realized the retort was weak, but she was really killing his buzz. She was, after all, his first official act as a night guard. He just hoped the sun still being up didn't invalidate his impromptu arrest. Then again, there might be a bigger problem if making off duty arrests excused assassins.
A second later a pair of guards galloped around the corner and stopped. They looked at each other and then slowly started to step forward, the unicorn raising a spear in his magic. Pete rolled his eyes.
“Hurry up! We've got an attempted assassination here.”
“Calm down, and keep quiet!” the pegasus shouted, a warble in his voice. “Who are you?”
Pete looked at the two in disbelief. He was the only human in Canterlot, and he lived in the castle. How did guards in the castle not know who he was? Rather than argue he dug into his pocket with his free hand and tossed his badge over to the two guards.
“Captain of the Night Guard? For like the three days, but still! Come on. Get your flanks over here and... cuff her?” Pete suddenly realized he had no idea how ponies restrained each other or other species for that matter. Cuffs weren't standard issue either.
The pair looked at each other again, and then at the badge on the floor. Within a few seconds their pace doubled. The pegasus darted over and relieved Pete of his position on top of the griffon while the unicorn applied some kind of magic to her paws and claws. At that point the guards noticed the dagger in Pete's hand and the wound on the griffon's back.
“Where was she?” the pegasus asked, looking around for more blood.
“Up there.” Pete turned around and pointed at the window near the ceiling.
The winged guard flew up and looked around. Below on a roof was the weapon, and across from the window was a sight familiar to anypony. A series of stained glass windows that lined the throne room. Wide eyed the pegasus floated back down and explained what he'd seen. The unicorn looked down at their captive.
“Should I … heal that?” A moment passed between the three, realizing who the griffon's target was they seriously considered leaving it.
“Probably should” Pete said, breaking the silence, “Might cause an incident if the other nations get wind we don't do captures.”
“Then for the record, I'm doing this under protest.”
Pete shrugged and walked over to retrieve his badge while the unicorn worked his magic. Badge in pocket he turned his attention to the dagger. Something about it was familiar. It was silver all the way, even the handle, and slightly curved, with a series of serrations on the back. At an angle it looked like a very small wing. He tried once again to change the weapon's shape, focusing on its old form. It bubbled and then shined, turning back into a longsword. Without question, Pete slid the sword back into its sheath and placed it on his back. Ignoring the fact the griffon's blood had vanished when the blade changed.
It took a couple hours to get the griffon into the dungeon, processed, and put in a cell. By that time word had been passed to the princesses about the capture and both of them were anxious to question the would be assassin. Pete was in the middle of filling out the last report, one of the infamous police filings he had always heard of in Law and Order, when Luna and Celestia entered.
“Where is she?” Luna's eyes were blazing with anger.
“Settle down, Luna. This isn't the first foiled assassination attempt we've been through.”
Pete let out a single ha, “Guess I should have just let her take the shot then?”
Celestia smirked, “But then who would we praise as a hero?”
“Please don't,” Pete cringed and sat the quill he was writing with down, “I didn't want to be a captain either. Stop trying to push me into the limelight.”
“Someone has to eventually, Pete. Good press about your kind in Equestria would be beneficial to relations between ponies and humans.” Celestia was always scheming something it seemed to Pete, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing. From getting a job back on Earth without telling him to helping him get both of his positions, it wouldn't have surprised him to learn she had hired the assassin herself.
“You didn't plan this, did you?” Pete was unsure now that the idea had crossed his mind. “Like, you didn't hire a hitman, or woman... or griffon, whatever, so I could stop them, did you?”
Celestia smiled for a minute more, even Luna started to look shocked before the Princess of the Sun laughed.
“How ridiculous! First of all, anyone I hired to try and kill me would have more than likely tried to steal secrets first, or sell the guard patrols to someone else. I wouldn't compromise castle security like that. Secondly, I wouldn't know where to find a griffon assassin. A pony one, perhaps, but not a griffon.”
The last statement sent a shiver down Pete's spine. Celestia was very frightening in an offhanded manner, now that they were in Equestria. He was learning more and more about her every time they interacted and not all of it was sunshine. She was definitely the ruler of an entire nation. It was in everything she did in the castle. The way she walked down the halls, the look in her eyes, even the tone of her voice. The Celestia he had gotten to know on the roof of his apartment was almost totally different than the one that stood in front of him.
Luna had already moved into the interrogation cell, presumably convinced that her sister wouldn't hire someone to try and attack either of them. This left Celestia and Pete alone and provided the perfect opening for Pete's original intention when he left his room that evening.
“So, I think I'm going to take a couple days here soon and visit Ponyville.” He tried to act calm despite Celestia's words.
The princess paid his shaken voice no mind. “Take days off, or as an official of Canterlot?” She grinned at the human, clearly one step ahead.
“Ambassador stuff actually, yeah. You know, read those letters, none of them were alarming really. Lucy and Fluttershy didn't say much though so I figured a quick trip down there, a little eyes on.” He chuckled nervously, unsure if he should or could be as open as Celestia was acting.
“I'll speak to my sister about it, Pete. I'm sure the Night Guard can survive a couple of days without their new captain.”
Pete nodded and excused himself from Celestia's presence. An hour later he was still nervous as he entered the barracks and sat behind his desk in there. Thwarting an assassin was one thing, Celestia's demeanor was another. He decided he'd rather fight a dozen assassins than deal with the idea of Celestia knowing how to hire one. Too many dark possibilities opened up about the quiet, nice pony culture he'd been getting used to if he thought about the Princess of the Sun paying off death squads.
Rather, he decided to try and keep himself occupied. More papers needed signing, minor decisions made. The room was quiet save for the sound of writing and paper shuffling. Pete liked it that way. Something about busywork satisfied him. It was like the real life equivalent of grinding in an RPG. Instead of killing orcs you just signed paperwork, and things got done. Quills were difficult to work with, and he wasn't sure why they didn't just have pens laying around, but it added to his sense of accomplishment every time he signed something. Scratching filled the room and drown out his thoughts between rustles of paper. Within an hour the intrusive thoughts were silenced.
Every few hours a patrol would stop in as well, the head of which would report any unusual happenings, and then they'd go rest for their next shift. This provided another more social distraction. The city was never monitored by less than seven Night Guards at a time from sundown to sunrise. Which meant meeting dozens of new faces each night and building a rapport with the ones he'd already met. From the sky there wasn't anything the patrols couldn't see or hear. Response times were shockingly fast as well. Pete could easily see why no one had ever escaped them. It also meant their reports were generally short and simple. Though he could also see how Stellar Glow's simple mistakes bothered them.
The small mare was accident prone at best and a complete klutz at worst. It was a wonder she had managed to get into the guard, but her flight times put everypony else to shame. She was just a first responder, not meant to do much more than tend to victims and point the bigger guards in the right direction. With that she had managed to make several big mistakes a year preventing her from being promoted. According to her it wasn't that big of a deal, but Pete couldn't imagine she was so passionate about joining the guard that she didn't want to be anything more than a rookie her whole life.
Of course he also wondered what her cutie mark was supposed to be. Most of the guards he had seen were almost stereotypical in their marks. Swords, shields, sandbags, staves, weapons and armor. Stellar Glow's was an arrangement of three lights, like bright stars. Perhaps they simply represented her speed, like light from stars. Or maybe it was like a beacon of hope, like guards are supposed to be, a positive influence. In either case though why were there three of them? Cutie Marks had always been a mystery to him. They meant something for each pony, but what it meant wasn't always applied in the direct sense. Even thinking like that he couldn't find a way to apply Stellar's cutie mark to guard work.
Pete pondered question of the pony posterior for most of the night, a phrasing he found himself smiling at even as he read report after report. He wrapped up his work just before the last patrol came in for the night, including the wondered about Stellar Glow. Almost as if on cue the small mare stopped by and Pete shouldered his sword and followed her out of the barracks. Speaking with her was something he had been looking forward to. Partially for more information, but not just about pony culture. The more he had thought the more he was curious about the mare herself.
The two made the journey once again to the cafe Stellar frequented, Pete paying more attention to the city around him this time. Canterlot was mostly quiet at night and it took some time to get going in the mornings. Shopkeepers opened doors and windows, set out signs and products. It reminded him of Ponyville's bazaar in a way, but it was still very different to human cities. Of course he reminded himself that places like Manehattan existed and were probably much more like human cities, but for the center of Equestria's power Canterlot was very much closed during the night. There was a certain fascination watching the ponies go about their morning business with a bright eyed look most humans didn't get until the mid afternoon as well. Some of them stopped and stared at Pete as he walked down the road behind Stellar Glow, a few even waved which he responded to in kind.
A nervous silence settled in once they had sat down at the cafe and began looking at the menu. Pete realized he had no money, Stellar Glow realized their outing looked a lot like the beginning of a date. Trying to distract himself, Pete sat the menu down and looked at Stellar. She blushed lightly in return and tried to distract herself with her own menu.
“I've been wondering something,” Pete said carefully. “What made you join the Night Guard? I mean, I look at the others and it's pretty obvious what their talents are, but I don't quite get yours and how it relates.”
“I get that a lot actually!” She chuckled nervously. “I really like flying. My cutie mark appeared when I went out late one night and flew up into the sky. So far up that my village and even Canterlot were just specks. The stars looked really beautiful and, well, it just appeared.”
“That sounds wonderful. I'm actually kinda jealous. Flying is something I wish I could do. But no wings.” He chuckled lamely and redirected the conversation. “So when did you decide to join the guard?”
Stellar Glow blushed and looked at the ground. “I really liked Batmare.”
“Who?”
“Batmare. She's a c-comic book superhero. Using her wits and training she fights super powered criminals even without her own powers.”
Pete's mouth hung open for several seconds before he realized how rude it looked and rushed to compose himself. She joined the Night Guard because of the Equestrian equivalent of Batman. He realized that most would probably think that was stupid, but Pete found it cute. Stellar Glow idolized a superhero so much she joined what was essentially the police to do what they did.
“I'm a little envious of that too,” he finally replied, regaining his composure. “You're pretty lucky in my book I never idolized anyone to that extent. Luna just sort of gave me this job after we found out I can do magic. Didn't really have anywhere else to go or anything else to do.”
The mare across from him nodded, “Away from your home, your friends, your family. Stranded somewhere completely unknown to you.”
Pete smiled at her words. “Exactly. I didn't have any noble intentions. In fact it started as a joke.”
“Princess Luna is notoriously bad at taking jokes.”
“Four months of basic training for sarcastically saying my trip to talk to the humans in Ponyville meant I was a guard? Bad is an understatement.”
Stellar Glow giggled into her hoof. “What word would you use?”
“Dreadful?”
“That does have a certain weight to it.”
They continued chatting about small things for a couple of hours. Insights were gained about each other, small and large. Pete's heart condition, which he admitted seemed to have vanished, Stellar's nickname and its obvious origins, to her small size. She hadn't grown much as a teen and after years of concern her family took her to a doctor. Stellar Glow had a tumor restricting growth hormones leading to her diminutive size even as an adult.
“That's harsh. I'm sorry you went through that.” Pete was trying to sound sympathetic but he was at a loss for words. Something that happened far too often considering his past as a writer.
She smiled, “It's okay. Sometimes things have to happen the way they do. It's part of life.”
“Yeah, I suppose so. No use trying to change things out of your control, right, Stella?”
“Stella?” She giggled, he couldn't tell if it was at him or at the name.
“Stellar! Sorry, Stella's a human name. You're very close.” Pete scratched his head and looked around at the street. The sound of hooves on stone was getting louder every minute. “Guess I forgot I was in Equestria for a second. Slip of the tongue.”
“Don't worry, and stop apologizing,” she giggled again, “It's awkward for both of us.” The mare bit her lip for a second and waited for Pete to look back to her before saying, “Besides, it's a better name than Squeak.”
Pete chuckled in response and the two kept talking until they started yawning. That was when Pete had to draw the line and make his way back to the castle. Stellar Glow parted ways with him up the street and the human continued to the castle alone through the morning bustle of the city. Once again the guards at the front gate were surprised to see him so late in the morning, almost noon, but said nothing. He climbed stairs and passed through empty halls to his darkened room. From there everything was silent again, and he dropped into bed, tossing his sword on the desk.
The beds of Canterlot, at least the one Pete was given, were actually very large. He imagined two or three ponies could fit comfortably on the downy soft bed. There was no proof, but he thought it likely arose from the princesses. Their larger bodies needed larger beds, and to keep dignitaries pleased all the sleeping chambers in the castle were fitted with the same kind of bed. It made sense to him if nothing else. Within moments he found a comfortable position on the bed and his consciousness faded.
The rest of the week proceeded along that same path. Pete would wake up, bathe, dress, head to the barracks, do paperwork, listen to reports, speak with Stellar Glow, and return to the castle in the morning. It was simple, repetitive, but most jobs were. As days went on the stacks of paperwork shrunk more and more. Less time was spent reading and signing, and more time was spent sitting around. Laziness like it had begun to bother Pete.
Though he had spent years lethargic and hidden away he still felt he should be doing something while at the barracks. Paperwork at least contributed but sitting around for hours was a waste, even to him. He tried to start writing but found it difficult trying to draft with a quill. Certain he would speak to Celestia about pens, at least for his personal use, Pete found himself at a loss as what to do with his time. At some point he decided anything was better than sitting and he made his way to the Night Guard's personal training room, a large indoor facility with practice dummies for various reasons, ceilings high enough to fly in, and a rack of weapons to train with.
He wasn't interested in any training weapons though. In a single movement Pete removed the longsword from his back and looked it over for what felt like the hundredth time in his life. There was nothing different about it now than there was the last time he looked at it or the first time. Plain, simple, functional. He knew there was more to it than that. Focusing his will on the sword he envisioned the black thorned version he had used against the chimera months ago. Within moments the blade writhed and shined, changing into the dark, curved, and prickly form Pete had thought of. He looked it over, careful of the sharp spikes, and then tried another shape. A claymore, a larger and heavier weapon than the longsword. The sword complied, changing in the same disturbing way. Once more he tried something outlandish, a bow or a gun, but the sword remained unchanged. What was the limitation?
Pete tried something else, a staff. Pure wood, much like a bow would be, and it changed. He couldn't figure out the rules to the transformation. Perhaps it was limited only to melee weapons. Another idea formed and he imposed his will on the weapon again, changing it this time into a scythe. Overall he felt impressed with that change and gave it a couple of experimental swings. It was awkward, as anyone would suspect, and Pete dropped it multiple times. However, when one swing jerked his body too far he fell over. Expecting to hit the wall, Pete braced himself but found the blow never came. Wildly, he looked around. He was floating and half of his body was through the wall.
Panicked, Pete pulled himself back through the wall and looked down at his body. He wasn't solid. The room around him was visible through him, though he could still see shades of himself. Cautiously, he pressed his hand against the wall and found himself once more passing through it. Somehow he had become intangible.
His body wasn't on the ground, so he hadn't died accidentally, and thus he wasn't a ghost. At least not in a traditional sense. With a thought he changed the sword back to its usual shape and watched his body. On command his form returned when the sword was finished, and Pete stared at the blade in amazement. It granted him more powers than just the ability to cast magic it seemed.
Nights were spent from then on in the training room after paperwork was finished, trying out new weapon forms and seeing what abilities they held. Ideas about how to use his intangibility came easily enough, but if the other weapon shapes gave similar passive powers they were more subtle. The longsword's in particular evaded him, or perhaps, he thought, it gave no benefits being the weapon's usual shape. A baseline as it were. Or perhaps its effects were so subdued and minute that it didn't matter. Either way, Pete increased his training time, Stellar Glow often finding him in the training room after her shift rather than the office.
After another week, the autumn chill starting to linger throughout the days, Luna came to visit Pete in his room one evening. He had just finished bathing when she entered. As usual as ever, the human couldn't tell if she had just woken up or bathed, or not. The princess was almost unchanging now that she was back in the castle, as was Celestia.
Pete bowed as she entered. “Your Highness,” he said just above a whisper.
“Why are you so quiet?” She chuckled and spoke a regular tone.
“I'm not sure. I mean, it's almost night. Maybe somepony's sleeping around here.”
“Well, the only pony that should be asleep, or rather the only someone, is you.”
The human blinked and raised an eyebrow. “Me? I have to get to work.”
“Indeed you do,” Luna smiled, “Tomorrow morning in Ponyville.”
Understanding brushed onto Pete's face. “Right, wow. I forgot I talked to Celestia about that. Its been... almost a month?”
“Two weeks,” Luna clarified and stepped forward, “I did not want to pull you away from your new training however.”
“How do you-”
“They are my barracks, Pete Powell. There is little that goes on in them without my knowledge.”
“That's a little creepy, Princess. I mean ponies are getting dressed and undressed in there. Thinking about you watching them it's a little-”
Luna rolled her eyes and opened the door with her magic. “Get some more rest, Pete. My sister and I have cleared your visit to Ponyville and you will leave in the morning.”
Without waiting for another retort or question the Princess of the Night left, leaving her captain alone with his thoughts.
“How the hell am I supposed to get back to sleep after sleeping all day?”
“And you say this thing was large?” Luna looked up from the report Pete Powell, her captain of the guard, had turned in the evening before. Immediately on his return from Ponyville, days short she would add, he submitted a report documenting an encounter with a large, glowing eyed creature. However, the report also said he had not seen the beast in full. It had hidden in the shadows and fled when antagonized by Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty.
“Yes, ma'am.” Pete stood before both Princesses, arms folded behind him, and posture at military ease.
“Yet you said the beast never came further than the treeline,” Celestia had already read the report several times and had no need to look at it further. “How could you tell it was large if you never saw it in the light?”
“Princess Celestia, the racket that thing made running into the trees was loud enough to wake the dead. It sounded like whatever it was crushed a whole tree trunk into splinters.” The Captain was holding his temper back now. It was the guard's duty to protect the citizens, however the delay in response time was aggravating to say the least. He was beginning to think he should have ran after it. Perhaps then at least the guard would have sent scouts out to look for his corpse.
“I believe him,” the Princess of the Night said, setting the paper down on the desk before her.
“Sister, please. There are dozens of creatures in the Everfree that get that large. You know that as well as I do. The beast ran when Rainbow Dash shouted at it, and she's small even for a pegasus.”
“That may be so,” Luna conceded, “but I trust Pete's judgment on this. If he believes the creature was a threat then it is worth checking out.”
“And if he is wrong?”
“Then we, and the ponies of Ponyville, will sleep better knowing they are safe. How many times have you sent scouting parties out only for them to turn up nothing?”
Celestia moved awkwardly in her seat. Apparently there was truth in Luna's accusation.
“You did not keep this country safe by ignoring potential threats. You did so with vigilance. Now, be vigilant about things within our borders as much as you are about those outside of it.”
Pete raised an eyebrow. “What's outside our borders to be worried about?”
“Nothing,” Celestia shifted her gaze to the human. “At least, nothing we don't already know about.”
“The griffons most usually,” Luna added. “They are not the point tonight. The point is that I will order a scouting party to the Everfree. We will find out happened when they return. Until then, Captain, resume your usual duties.”
Awkwardly, Pete bowed and walked out of the room. The tension between the co-rulers of Equestria was palpable. Clearly they had a difference of opinion when it came to matters like this. That didn't matter though, what did was that Luna had promised to send somepony out to check on the forest. As long as they found out what caused the ruckus Pete didn't care what the sister's personal philosophies were.
Despite being given several days off for his trip to Ponyville Luna had told him to resume his usual duties. After a quick stop at his room to change, Pete proceeded to the barracks of the Night Guard. He passed by Shade, one of the larger batponies, on his way in, and walked straight to the main office where he usually sat doing paperwork. Lieutenant Wisp was at the desk, balancing a pen on her nose and looking at the ceiling.
“Glad to see those pens came in,” Pete leaned on the door frame and grinned.
Wisp bolted up, the pen falling off her face and rolling across the stone floor. “Captain!” she shook her head and then stood up, “I mean, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be in Ponyville for the next two days?”
Picking up the fallen pen Pete replied, “Yeah, and then I saw some kind of monster in the Everfree. Figured that needed reported since it was barely outside of town.”
“You could have just mailed the report in. Celestia's student does have that little dragon fellow.”
“I could have, yeah, but the princesses wanted to talk to me about it before sending anyone out. Celestia didn't want to do it at all.”
“Well she has a point. The Everfree is a damned cesspit of monsters. We could magically blast the whole forest from the sky and still miss something under a rock and the place would be full by next week.”
“I admit that I don't know much about places like that around here, I'll defer to you on what is and isn't a cesspit of monsters. But if something is coming up close to the edge of the forest near town I think that warrants looking into.”
The lieutenant rolled her eyes, “Yeah, or they could stop building closer to the forest. Anyway, now that you're here I can go back to patrolling.”
Pete looked at the empty desk and turned back to Wisp. “What am I supposed to do?”
She shrugged and walked away to put her armor on, leaving Pete alone in the office as usual. With a sigh he sat down behind the desk and kicked the chair back on two legs. Eventually he knew he would have to assert his authority and go patrolling whether Wisp wanted him to or not. Weighing his options though it made sense to be ready at the barracks until the scouts went out and returned from the Everfree. It wouldn't do him any good to be told there was an active threat and be too tired to help with that. He wanted to protect Rainbow Dash and the community she lived in. That wouldn't be possible if he was injured or exhausted from wandering around Canterlot.
He was half asleep when the heavy doors to the barracks were shoved open with a loud crash. Startled by the sudden noise after hours of spacing out Pete fell to the floor as Stellar Glow came speeding into the room. The small mare was panting heavily and there was blood on her armor. Without thought the Captain stood up and moved to her side. No wounds were visible on her anywhere that he could see, so whose blood was on her?
“C-Captain,” she panted, “There's... we've got a runner.”
Pete tilted his head, “But no one has ever escaped the Night Guard.”
She shook her head in response, “They knocked out Shade. Griffon, big.”
“Slow down, breathe. In, out. What's happening?”
After several deep, but quick, breaths she started again. “We were chasing a smuggler, griffon. Shade stopped him and asked what he was doing out this late. Griffon bashed him into a wall, I saw it from above and alerted the others and then went to check on Shade. He was fine, but that griffon is huge. If he manages to get away into the sky...”
Stellar Glow left it hanging, but Pete could see the problem. Whatever this griffon was smuggling he was willing to try and fight the guard over it. They couldn't let him get away, but Shade was a huge stallion. To knock somepony like that out would take a lot of power. There wasn't time to think on it any more. Wordlessly Pete ran out of the barracks, sword on his back. Running at full speed he scanned the skies and saw the direction the remaining guards were flying in. With his sketchy knowledge of the city Pete made a guess and began weaving through streets and alleyways.
There was a series of warehouses for business storage on the West end of Canterlot. He figured the griffon hadn't bolted immediately into the sky because there was something he needed to take care of first. A shipment of illegal goods in one of those warehouses would make sense. Maybe he was stopped on his way there anyway and figured he might as well try getting his product before flying coop.
Wings beat over Pete's head and he knew he was close. Pulling deep within himself he managed to push a little faster and arrive just in time to see a succession of Night Guards plummet from the sky. Above, the griffon was fighting hard, swiping his claws against steel and flesh. Batpony after batpony shrieked in pain and fell. There were only seven on patrol. Stellar Glow was back at the barracks, safe. Shade was unconscious but safe, and there were three more on the ground in front of him. Another yell and a thud, four. Lieutenant Wisp was the only one left and she came out of nowhere, just as she had in training.
The smaller mare slammed into the griffon with all of her might and the two spun in the air for a moment before the griffon recovered. Wisp was good, smart, but the griffon was much bigger. His size would beat her strategy eventually, which meant Pete had a very short time to figure out a plan. Drawing his sword he tried once more to create a ranged weapon. He needed one, he needed to hit that griffon with something, anything. He couldn't jump that high, or fly, so he needed something to reach for him.
The sword reacted. Pete watched as it twisted and shined into the familiar shape of the serrated dagger. Anger welled up in the human. He couldn't throw this, not with Wisp twisting around up in the sky with the target, and if he waited the griffon could dodge. How hard could a simple bow be to form?
“How are you supposed to help me?” he growled at the metal in his hand. A memory came to him as he looked at it in the dark. The emptiness of the night around him making the dagger feel more familiar than ever before. A man leaping high into the sky and then landing with tremendous force, but he wasn't hurt. Because of the dagger.
Clenching it tightly in his fist, Pete stepped forward and crouched. This had to work. There was no time and no other choice. He pushed upwards with all of his might as the griffon shoved Wisp off of himself towards the ground. The lieutenant stopped herself and moved to tackle the suspect again when Pete shot by. Surprised, the griffon floated in the air as the full grown man blasted into him from below. Pete felt light, agile. That was what the dagger did. His speed when he held down the assassin before, the ability to leap this high up.
Grinning he twisted the griffon around and slashed at its wings, a shout coming from the smuggler as the blade nicked him. Several missing feathers caused a loss of balance and the pair plummeted to the cobble stone below. Angrily, Pete held the griffon under him. After seeing so many guards fall from the sky it was criminal's turn. A sick crack shattered the silence followed almost instantly by a squawk of pain from the griffon's beak. The Captain reeled his arm back and punched the smuggler in the face.
“Shut it! You don't get to make another damn sound tonight.” Adrenaline fueled his words and actions. His heart was pounding and he had to focus not to get tunnel vision.
Lieutenant Wisp stepped up, stunned. “How did you do that?”
Pete looked up at her and shown off the dagger. “I've been training.”
Minutes later Shade came trotting up with Stellar Glow in tow. Wisp had shackled the griffon, including a special harness to keep him from flying away again. Pete had checked the rest of the Night Guard in the meantime, most of which were fine. A couple would spend some time in the infirmary but none of them were in danger. The next shift of the guard were coming on duty to relieve them and take the wounded to the castle. Stellar Glow trotted up to Pete and gasped.
“What happened?”
Pete followed her gaze down to his chest. In his rush he'd forgotten his armor and there was now a shallow gash on his chest. He hadn't noticed it in the heat of the moment, but it only stung a little. The tear it had made in his shirt was the worst part.
“Captain Powell,” Wisp said with only a slight trace of irony on captain, “managed to subdue the suspect.”
Shade laughed and smiled wide. “She's calling you captain now, huh? Guess that means you did something right.”
Pete rolled his eyes, “I did something useful you mean.” Ignoring his scratch Pete turned to Wisp. “What was he doing out here? I'm guessing smuggler means he had something in a warehouse.”
The Lieutenant raised an eyebrow. “Smart guess. We caught up to him coming out of this one here, warehouse six.”
“Anything in Equestrian law saying we can't go in there?”
“Good guess again. I'd say that a suspect beating up several guards is grounds to search their last known location.”
“Just to be clear,” Pete said as they walked over to the warehouse door, “You saw him exiting the building, right? He was definitely coming out, not trying to break in?”
“I'll swear it in front of Luna,” Wisp said without hesitation.
“Good enough for me. Then by the power invested in me by Luna, someone open this damn door.”
Wisp wanted to correct the captain on several things he had just said wrong, but Shade was a step ahead of them both. The large stallion reared back and bucked the side entrance in, the door clattering against the floor inside. Seconds later the big doors were open and he walked out, his face hard.
“You might not want to come in here, Stellar.”
Squeak stopped in her tracks. Shade never used her name.
“What the fuck is in there?” Pete couldn't imagine what could be so bad, and moments later he wished he had.
Pete, with Wisp bringing the suspect along behind him, entered the warehouse and stopped cold. His blood froze in his veins, all sound was replaced with a sharp tone, and he could feel his heart beating in every fiber of his being. Everything was simultaneously numb and hypersensitive. He swore he felt his eyes contract into pinholes. Fists clenched so tightly he began to shake. Nausea was there too, dull in the back of his mind at the sight before him. A mixture of anger and adrenaline coursing through is veins again.
There were several mares, muzzled and tied up. Pegasi were bound, unicorns had a device on their horns, and all of them had brands over their cutie marks. Some looked thin, too thin to be healthy, and others looked like they had just arrived. Pete sneered at that thought, arrived. Like this was a place someone came to willingly. Arrive wasn't right. Brought, they were brought here like packages, like things. Without a will of their own. It didn't take a genius to figure out what this was. Slavery.
Roaring in a more primal way than he'd ever sounded before, Pete wheeled around and charged the griffon in shackles. Once on the floor the human began pummeling the helpless criminal. He alternated punches, but always hitting the face. Right, left, right, left, right, left. There was blood, from his own knuckles making contact with the griffon's beak or from the griffon himself Pete didn't know. Didn't care. His rage still unabated, Shade wrapped his forelegs around Pete's chest, holding the human's arms in place as he roared again.
“Let me go! I'm gonna fucking kill him!”
“That's the point of stopping you, Captain.” Shade squeezed tighter.
Wisp turned, looking out the empty door frame to the warehouse, her body turned towards Pete. “It was an accident,” she said slowly, Shade looking at her confused.
“What was?”
She turned fully and looked at her comrade. “Pete killing the suspect.”
The griffon looked up, his eyes as wide as they could go. “Wh-what are you talking about? This-this monster is trying to kill me right now! You have to stop him. You are stopping him, just keep doing it.”
Pete panted and looked at the griffon. This was the first time he looked scared since he'd been arrested. Discovering the slaves, nothing. Being dragged out of the sky, shocked but not afraid. Having the human wailing on him, ready to end his existence? That was making him afraid.
“We put in a report. Pete pulled the suspect out of the sky, and when he hit the ground... snap. Broken neck.” Wisp turned and looked out the door again. “A tragedy for sure, but running away from the Night Guard is a bad idea to begin with. It was his first night on patrol after all. He wasn't ready.”
Shade looked at Wisp and then slowly let go of Pete. “This is your call, Captain.” He looked back into the warehouse and then stepped out the front and stood there. Wisp and Shade were keeping look out. Making sure no one would stop him.
The griffon started begging quietly as Pete reached up and put his hands around his neck. Begging turned into choking and Pete increased the pressure. Air became a commodity for the criminal as he struggled against his bonds, eyes bulging. There was nothing he could do. It would feel so good, to end him. One less slaver in the world was a good thing. Pete didn't look away, his eyes remained locked on the griffon's. He wanted to see it. He wanted to watch a monster like this die at his hands. One jerk, a twist, and it was over. A simple motion, like opening a bottle.
A chill moved slowly from his shoulders to his hands, as if they were going numb. They didn't feel numb though, they felt stronger. Shadowy tendrils moved up his arms and encircled his hands, causing him to stop and fall backwards off the griffon who gasped loudly and shouted. Shade turned around and swiftly knocked the griffon into a stupor and then looked at Pete. The man was staring in shock at his hands which were now jet black claws. Lieutenant Wisp had turned and was staring too. Worry settled into the trio, and with that emotion the shadow moved up into Pete's palms and turned back into his longsword, sheathed as if nothing had happened. Mouth agape, the captain looked at his two subordinates, their reactions confirming what he had seen. It wasn't a trick of the light or an illusion.
“That definitely counts as something weird.” Shakily he stood up and dropped the sword. “Get the mares out of here. Cut whatever is holding them and get them out of here,” Pete said as he slowly walked towards the door. “And someone take this guy to the dungeon on the double. Before I change my mind.”
A guard darted forward and grabbed the griffon, flying him off with the help of a second batpony. With the adrenaline coming down and the cold night are cooling him, Pete thought about what he'd just done. What he'd been enabled to do. It was the kind of thing that he'd chastised police for back on his world. Executing a criminal instead of arresting them. It was a heinous abuse of power. Whether he would have gotten away with it wasn't the point. The question was if he could really live with himself after doing it.
Pete walked over to a rail, the warehouses were on the very edge of the city overlooking a cliff, and threw up loudly. Several guards, including Stellar Glow and Wisp watched him from afar. In the moonlight they could see his body shaking even after the vomiting subsided. Wisp, concerned, turned to Stellar Glow.
“Take him back to the castle. He really wasn't ready for this tonight.”
The small mare nodded, barely noticing the second use of her actual name that night, and she trotted over to the hunched over human. It took him a moment to collect himself, but the pair began a slow walk up to Canterlot castle.
Lieutenant Wisp walked back into the warehouse and looked at the sword her Captain had dropped. Once more it looked like a normal sword. Nothing of note, except that it had just seemed to partially swallow a human. She looked around and pointed at another Night Guard that was poking around the building for anything other than slaves.
“Get this up to the castle, it goes straight to Princess Luna. No detours, as fast as you can.”
The stallion saluted and grabbed the weapon, taking off into the sky towards the castle. Wisp followed with her eyes and sighed. Brushing off a murder as an accident would have been easier to report than this.
It was almost sunrise when Luna walked into the chambers of her captain. Stellar Glow had left hours before, unable to get a response from the man any longer. Pete was on the bed, staring at his hands. He could still feel the feathers in his hands bending under the weight. Flesh giving way underneath, the way the throat flexed and struggled to work. Anger was all that was inside him, a fury he'd never known before. The Elements of Harmony worked in secret, which meant they were safe from being targeted for their actions, but it wouldn't protect them from what he'd seen. From being randomly targeted. Seeing the mares in the warehouse had brought, unbidden, images of Rainbow Dash tied down and branded. Treated like property, taken from the sky where she belonged. Even now he could feel the rage bubbling inside, simmering now.
“Pete,” the calm voice of Luna beckoned him from his thoughts. Slowly he looked over at the princess. “How are you doing?”
He tried to speak but he had no words so his mouth hung open for a moment before closing uselessly.
“I can't imagine what that was like for you,” the princess sat and kept eye contact with the human. He needed something to anchor him to the moment. He had to come back from the edge. She knew that. “Wisp told me what you were going to do, and what happened. I think I have figured some things out. Some things that may make you feel better.”
There was a light in his eyes, a look of disbelief even though he remained unchanged. Luna smiled and levitated the sword from behind her back and laid it on the bed before Pete.
“When we investigated this I overlooked something. Something I shouldn't have. Back on Earth, your Earth, you made a deal with a piece of the Nightmare magic within me that nested inside of you. In your darkness.”
Pete remembered that night well. Traveling the dreams of the Elements of Harmony, coming face to face with what he assumed to be his own form of Nightmare Moon. A living darkness within his body and soul.
“This sword is that fragment of darkness.” Luna said it coolly, unflinching. It wasn't a joke.
The human recoiled, pushing away from the sword on his bed.
“It is dormant, for now. It seems to only truly come to life when you're angry or otherwise susceptible to its influence.”
“Like being calm?” They were his first words in hours.
“Perhaps, if it sensed you were inactive, so to speak.”
“But I sleep every day.”
“And it's never on you. It's isolated. Away from you it does no good, if you fell asleep with it on however that would be another story.”
Pete shuddered. “Guess it has to go then.” He dreaded to think of a repeat of this night.
“I think you need it.” Once again Luna said this calmly, matter of fact. “It allows you to cast magic, as it is born of magic.”
“Without it, I'm nothing,” Pete completed. He couldn't do anything without its powers, but it was a deal with the devil.
“Perhaps, but with it...” The princess opened the door with her magic and on cue a mare walked into the room. Confused, the human watched her walk in and stand next to Luna. She bowed and looked Pete in the eyes.
“My name is Meadow, and, umm... I-I was one of the mares in that warehouse.”
“Y-you were in the...”
She nodded, her horn was unadorned now and Pete had seen her cutie mark was restored. He would have never guessed she was in that hell only a few hours ago.
“You,” she paused and looked at Luna for a second, “Princess Luna says you saved me. Us.”
“It wasn't just me,” he shook his head, “A lot of guards were there.”
“But you were the one that caught the griffon. If you hadn't been there he would have gotten away. He... he might have done all this again.”
Pete exhaled slowly. That was true. There was no telling if he would have gotten away and done it again, he could have been caught later but they had stopped him there, that night. And he could have stopped him forever. Not that the Princesses were going to let him get away with what he'd done.
“So, I just wanted to say thank you. I know what you almost did. It's understandable.” The mare shook lightly as she exhaled. “I would have done the same thing if I could have, but I wouldn't have stopped.”
Luna placed a wing on the mare's back and nodded. Meadow nodded back and left the room, closing the door behind her.
“You were in the wrong, Pete. At least when it comes to the law. No one would fault you for what you have done. It was shocking to say the least. You're suspended for the next few days. Take the time to think over your actions.”
He understood; he needed more time to process. That was clear even to Luna, but she had gotten him to speak. It was just as important. He knew now, the sword and his actions were potentially linked. A link which went both ways. Just as he could be used by the darkness so too could he use it. It was a choice Luna herself had made many thousands of years ago. She never wished it on anyone else but she could certainly guide anyone it fell to down the path she thought most fitting. Pete could handle it. He was stronger than he knew, as long as it didn't consume him first.
“Thank you, Luna.”
“Take your time, Captain. But do remember, the scouts will return from the Everfree soon enough. Whether you turn in your sword and badge and go back to being just another human in Equestria or whether you take it in stride are up to you, but only one of those choices lets you protect Ponyville.”
Manipulation at its finest, but Pete expected it. He knew from the moment he said he was nothing without the sword there was no other choice for him. Power was needed to survive in this world, to help him protect the ones he cared about. Even if it meant living with a Nightmare.
“How did you sleep?” Stellar Glow, the small Night Guard, was sitting on the chair in front of Pete's desk.
The human sat up and rubbed his head groggily. He hadn't liked the idea, but Luna had insisted. Every day Stellar Glow came in to check on him. She had even been given explicit time off to do so. The princess was concerned and with good reason. Days passed without a word from Pete to any pony. Food had to eventually be brought to him and the princess had decided that Stellar Glow was the mare to do it. Since then she had been assigned to keep an eye on her captain, trying to get him to come out of the shell he had retreated into.
“Fine.” It was a lie, they both knew, but it made things easier on Pete.
He looked out the window at the sun almost halfway across the sky. Ten, perhaps eleven in the morning. Food was sitting on the desk next to Stellar, which he grudgingly took and started to munch on. Hunger was foreign to him but if he didn't eat Luna might send more ponies to watch over him later. Even his taste was as listless as he was. He wasn't even sure what the food was, but he finished it and sat the platter back down on the desk.
In the corner of the room stood the source of his ire. The sword, his fragment of Nightmare, sheathed and unchanged. A reminder of what he'd done. Reasons didn't matter, Pete knew he wasn't a killer. There would have been no living with himself if he'd killed that griffon, but that still meant he had to live with the fact he wanted to. What would stop him next time? What if there wasn't anything to stop him? He needed the power, he had already decided on that. It was the risks that frightened him. Losing control of himself.
His thoughts were interrupted as Stellar Glow landed on the bed next to him. Her eyes locked on his, demanding his attention. Certainly such a small mare couldn't make him listen, but something prodded him to do so. A look in her eye? Perhaps the attitude, the way she had sat down next to him. Abruptly, forcefully out of character for the small clumsy mare.
“What you were going to do is wrong,” she said firmly. “We don't kill unless we have to and that's the way it is.” After a moment she broke her gaze, “But I understand. Everypony does. Seeing that is horrible, there's no other words for it. If it were up to the average pony your response would be the normal one, but where would it end? When the good guys and the bad guys are doing the same thing to fight each other, who's right?”
Pete understood that. Sometimes the ends justified the means, but not all of the time. A time and a place for everything, and a member of the guard killing criminals wasn't the right time or place. That was the cornerstone of his indecision. Was it right to use that dark weapon just because he thought it could be controlled?
“Just because you almost went to the other side though doesn't mean you should just crawl into a hole!” Stellar Glow started shouting. “You can't just … hide and hope everything gets better, o-or see this as some kind of punishment. You have to go out and prove that you're better than that. You need to pick up your creepy changing sword and show it who's the boss. Bad guys win when the good guys are afraid, and that sword is winning because you're afraid.”
Fear was what it wanted. Pete slowly stood up, shocked at Stellar's words. He was blinded by his own fear and that was what the sword, his Nightmare, wanted. A thought crossed his mind if perhaps Nightmare Moon had taken Luna in much the same way. Fear about the ponies mistrusting her, preying on her worries. Her words came back to him from days before, the darkness could only take hold when he wasn't in control. Asleep, empty, or consumed by a blanking emotion. His rage in the warehouse had numbed his mind just as his worries now had. If something had happened and he'd picked up the sword in that state it could have won. Could have.
Resolved, he stepped forward and grabbed the sword with his right hand. It warped and shivered for a moment and then went still, remaining a longsword. He didn't know if it could hear him, but he mentally told it that he was in control. Pete Powell would conquer this power and make it his own. Nothing came from the blade. No movement or sound or additional changes. At last he set the thing down and turned back to Stellar Glow, crossing the room in just a few steps and hugging her tightly.
“Thank you, Stella,” he whispered, as she blushed and squeaked in his arms.
“Y-you're welcome.”
A knock interrupted the two, Pete letting go to answer the door. A guard in shining gold armor was standing there. Stone faced as ever, a trait the human found more disturbing on a pony than on the British guards of his own world.
“Captain Powell, Princesses Celestia and Luna request your presence in the audience chamber. The Elements of Harmony have already gathered.”
It was time. Pete changed his clothes into his most formal attire, clothing that had been made specially to go under his Night Guard armor, simple, padded, and more form fitting than his usual outfit, and he also grabbed his sword. He thanked Stellar again and went to the audience chamber. More commonly known as the throne room, it was where Celestia and Luna held their respective courts to hear the citizen's issues. Large, easily the largest room in the castle, with stained glass windows almost the length of the walls along both sides. If it weren't for the thrones it would seem more like a cathedral than an audience chamber, which made a certain sense given the ponies in charge. At the far end there was a separate side chamber which the princesses could enter and exit from apart from the large main doors that everyone else came through. Their thrones were seated on a rather tall dais which made the already large alicorns seem even more imposing. On this particular day there were no guards in the room, usually several lined the walls and guarded the doors, and instead the six Elements of Harmony were gathered before the royal sisters. Pete joined them and bowed politely to the princesses, and then stood at ease, Twilight and her friends shooting each other glances at the human's behavior.
“Welcome, Pete.” Luna eyed him coldly as she said this, gauging his mood.
“Thank you, Princess,” he inclined his head, “I'm going to assume this summons means the scouts returned?”
“Indeed they have,” she glanced at Celestia, “and you were right to ask us to investigate.”
Celestia cleared her throat, “It's not often I say this, Pete, so don't make me repeat myself. I'm sorry.” Pete raised his eyebrows. “Yes, I know, it seems like I would be saying that more than frequently, but it's rather rare. The scouts found the trail of destruction you mentioned but couldn't identify the footprints at the scene. After a distance however they became familiar.”
“What were they, Princess?” Twilight tilted her head, likely interested in the unidentified prints as well.
Luna answer, “Hoof prints, Twilight Sparkle. And they went deep into the forest, to a cave.”
“There's gotta be like a dozen caves in that forest,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “and we all know a certain zebra that lives in there. Anypony could have-”
“Changelings were spotted guarding the cave,” Celestia finished, muting the room.
Shape shifting bugs would explain a large creature as well as its unnatural eyes. They could have been disguised to scare off the other creatures of the forest, or perhaps just to blend in.
“What's the plan?” Pete asked with an affirmative nod.
“You and the Elements of Harmony are to follow this map the scouts made to the cave, find out what the changelings are up to, and stop them if possible.” Celestia floated a map down to her student as she spoke.
“And what if we can't stop them?”
Luna looked at Pete with a certain detachment that sent shivers down his spine, and her words gave no comfort either. “I requested you go along with the Elements of Harmony for a reason, Captain. If they are unable to subdue Chrysalis, or whoever may be in charge of the changelings in the cave you are officially sanctioned to use force.”
The mane six went wide eyed and looked at Pete. It was true they had never had a guard accompany them on their missions, Celestia trusted them to complete their duties. Luna's words spoke volumes about how she thought things should be done, and her faith in the Elements of Harmony as a whole.
Captain Powell felt conflicted, but he nodded anyway. He wasn't sure if this was a test or if Luna was actually allowing him to indulge in his actions. He truly hoped it was a test because the latter worried him for many reasons.
“They are invaders, Pete,” Celestia's eyes were compassionate where her sister's were hard. “There is no ambassador here to argue for their crimes, and they have no legal authority to be inside our borders. Part of your job as a guard is what my sister has said. Do not show them fear nor mercy if it comes to that.”
Slowly he nodded again. The Princess of the Sun's speech had not helped him feel any better, but it did seem to confirm his dispatchment was something of a test. Time and place for everything, that's what he had thought that morning, and this was the time and would be the place. Either he could kill the changeling invaders and prove he could be called upon to do more than paperwork and arresting criminals, as expected of a soldier, or he wasn't really fit for duty. Partially he wanted to blame the Princesses for taking him out of training early, but he had signed that contract knowing it meant leaving early. He supposed this time came earlier in most pony's careers, long before they achieved the rank he held. In fact he was still unproven as an actual soldier, and this was to be his test. Protect the Elements, do what he was trained to do if they failed. An appreciation grew in his heart for those that had volunteered for this duty, Wisp, Shade, Stellar Glow. Acknowledged or not they were stronger than he was for signing up knowing what this line of work meant they might have to do.
Pete bowed once again and followed the Mane Six out of the throne room. The mares were talking among themselves about what the changelings could be up to and if it was another plot by Chrysalis. Their human companion was lost still in his own thoughts, his worries had been only momentarily quashed by the small guard he'd become friends with and the job in front of them called for him to be decisive. Earlier he had considered it lucky that Stellar Glow got through to him when she did, now he thought it may have been best to continue hiding.
As the seven boarded the train several took note of the human's silence and at least one noticed his worry. It was decent trip back to Ponyville, coach seating so they could all speak with each other without cramming into a single cabin. Before long the whole group noticed Pete's silence and their eyes fell to one mare to break it. Twilight mouthed to Rainbow Dash, who mouthed back, the pair having a silent argument for several seconds before a decision was made.
“Fine!” Dash shouted, startling Pete. “Pete, what the heck is up with you right now?”
“I, uh, what?”
Applejack rolled her eyes and climbed up on the seat across from Pete, next to Rainbow. “What she's tryin' to say is that you've been quieter than Fluttershy ever since we finished talking with the princesses.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow nodded, “And you weren't exactly normal talking to them either. What gives?”
Pete rubbed his forehead looking for a way to explain. “It's … rough,” he hadn't found the words.
“Well, talk about it.”
With a heavy sigh he explained the events of the night several days ago. Chasing the griffon to the warehouse, using his new powers for the first time, catching the griffon, and finding out what he was smuggling. He warned the group before hand that it wasn't for the faint of heart, but even Fluttershy stayed to listen. The yellow pegasus didn't look well as Pete explained his rage and attempt to kill the griffon, but her reaction wasn't the norm.
“Did you kill him?” Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes bright, hoofs digging into the seat.
“I doubt he did, Rainbow, although that would explain his weirdness,” Applejack rubbed her chin with a hoof, “Well his more-weird-than-normal-ness.”
“AJ's right, I didn't. Something happened to my sword. It turned into these dark strands or something. They wrapped around my arms and it freaked me out. I kind of jumped back in shock and then it turned back to normal and I had the Night Guard haul him off.”
“Is it safe?” Twilight looked at the sword, curious and worried.
“Luna said it was,” Pete had decided not to mention the truth of the blade to the Elements. “I'm just worried that I might not be able handle killing something or someone.” The word kill felt awkward to say in front of the bright colorful ponies, but that was what the princesses expected of him.
“Well, you should have killed that griffon,” RD said matter-of-factly, “I would have.”
“Settle down there, Dash,” Applejack put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. “It's easy to say you would but it's a little different when it comes time to doing. I can't say I wouldn't have been seeing red either, maybe I would have too. But if Pete's not comfortable with it or he gets weird in the head after...” She left it hanging in silence for a minute before somepony else spoke up.
“I can see his problem,” Rarity blushed just a little as everyone in the group looked at her. “I mean, it was horrible. Just hearing about it makes my skin crawl, but like Applejack said doing something like that at the drop of a hat? Darling, I can't imagine you were acting on anything other than instinct.”
Twilight nodded, “And that's the problem, isn't it? Humans are traditionally hunter gatherers, like the griffons themselves. We all know the violent tendencies the average griffon has. Not that all griffons are violent and not to say that humans are exactly like them, but there's something in their genetics that pushes them in that direction. Pete's worried he'll … flip some kind of switch he can't turn back off.”
Rainbow Dash laughed, “Seriously? Pete turning into some kind of, what, killing machine? Sure he's lean now and that sword is really creepy, but do you really think if he killed someone in a fight he'd just break and go psycho?”
“I can't answer that myself, Dash.” Pete leaned against the window and looked out at the sky. “I really wanted to kill that griffon. It was in my head that it would feel good to do.”
“Of course it was. Natural reaction to things that threaten the collective's well being are often met with a desire to destroy it.” Twilight said with a smile and a nod that put Pete off.
“What does that mean?”
“Ponies are less individualistic than humans. When something threatens a single pony it's a natural response for the rest of us to become angry about it. It's sort of a wide spread herd mentality. Seeing those mares like that would have sent any pony into a frenzy. They wouldn't have been able to help imagining their friends and family in that position.”
Pete frowned, “Like a wide spread empathy?”
Twilight nodded and smiled again. “Exactly! In fact, it's possible that after living here for so long you've started to adapt to it too. The other humans might have as well.”
“Maybe that's why he did what he did,” Applejack pondered, “and why he thinks it feels so strange. If this empathy is something we only have here then he wouldn't have known what was goin' on.”
“Empathy itself isn't unique to ponies, Applejack.” Pete felt he had to at least say that much. “The way Twilight's describing it though it sounds like it's something different. I mean, humans can feel empathy too but we don't usually do it on instinct. Mostly it's sympathy, feeling bad that something bad happened, we have to work to imagine ourselves in that position unless we've been there before.”
“You'll see the difference for yourself in time,” Twilight chuckled, “Sooner than you expect I think.” She looked at Rainbow Dash with a smirk, and the pegasus blushed.
The rest of the ride was full of small talk that Pete tuned in and out of. He was still going over things in his own mind. Perhaps his outburst was the empathy link Twilight talked about. Four months had gone by after all and if it was as pervasive as she acted then it would explain his feelings and actions. Likely the other members of the Night Guard felt it too, that was why they had been ready to let him do it. Maybe their own rage had channeled into him, he had just been the weakest link. With the least experience with it the strong anger converged inside of him and overwhelmed him. He made a point that he would control himself better in the future.
At last the train rolled into Ponyville station and the seven disembarked, heading straight for the spot outside of town where Pete had encountered the creature before. The scouting party had started their map at that location so it was easiest to follow from there as well. Pete felt a little stunned to see everything changed so quickly. It was well into Autumn now and it shown. Green leaves had changed colors and fallen off the trees all over town. Many ponies were dressed in scarves and some foals were running about with earmuffs on as well. Everfree forest however remained unchanged by the passage of time and its dark green shade drastically conflicted with the fall scenery the group had passed to reach the forest's edge.
Studious Twilight held the map in front of her and guided the group into the thick underbrush. Even though it had been almost a week the trail was clear without a map. Whatever had came through the forest was large and angry. Claw marks were evident on trees, and it has made no attempts to hide its large footprints. Curious, Pete placed his own foot inside and the group was shocked to see it was half the size of the creature's. They looked at each other with worry for a moment but pushed on regardless. Large transformation or not a changeling was a changeling. The Elements had fought plenty before.
After a mile the trail changed drastically. Footprints and claw marks vanished, replaced by much smaller hoof prints and the direction altered significantly. It certainly looked like something had tried to hide a trail, but it felt off to Pete. The way the trails met was too perfect but a changeling shifting back into its normal form was the only way it made sense. There were no other tracks that indicated a separate creature; nothing at indicated that a changeling had crossed paths with a larger creature that had made the trail they followed.
Silently, the human drew his blade and willed it into the dagger. His companions looked at him with worry, but he shook his head for them not to be concerned. With the swiftness granted to him by the dagger he rapidly ascended a tree without a sound and looked at the area from above. Whatever large creature had made a mess in the area that was easier to see from up high. Any markings where the two prints crossed were wiped out by what looked like drag marks on the dirt. He dropped back down and whispered his findings to the Elements.
“It sounds like an amateur attempt to hide the hoof prints,” Twilight speculated quietly. “Changeling drones work on a hive mind. They don't have any individuality so it's difficult to teach them things. It all gets lost in the group and if Chrysalis recalled it before it could finish or if it simply thought it had hidden enough...” She looked at the scene and nodded. “I would say we're lucky the scouts found this trail of hoof prints.”
The other Elements nodded, but Pete remained skeptical. What if they were walking into an ambush? Chrysalis was a deceiver after all. This kind of trick was right up her alley. He kept his dagger drawn, just in case, and felt thankful for its boon to his agility as they proceeded.
By midday they found the cave. Its entrance steep and set into the ground rather than into a mountain or rock formation, looking for all intents and purposes like a hole. On either side were changeling guards, slightly larger than the average pony. Lectures in the boot camp had been dedicated to changeling hives and their drones. These were warriors and warriors only meant one thing.
“Chrysalis is in there,” Twilight muttered, half to herself.
“Those are warrior drones,” Pete explained to the others, “They're basically royal bug guards. Only follow the queen.”
“So what's the plan here, Twi?” Applejack looked ready to charge.
“Certainly something a little less direct?” Rarity looked at her farm friend with shock.
Twilight shook her head, “Hive mind. Unless we can sneak by them undetected, head on is the only way. And I don't see any way around them.” She looked at Rarity with sympathy. “I don't like it either, but if we take one out it will alert them all anyway. It's better if we're ready to fight them all when we go in.”
Pete nodded and changed his sword back to normal, hefting it a couple of times to readjust to the weight. “I'm ready when you all are.”
One by one the mares nodded ready, even Fluttershy, though she was hesitant at best. Twilight gave the signal and the group rushed out from their hiding place. Rainbow Dash and Applejack reached the guards first and knocked them unconscious without a struggle. Immediately after the sound of disturbed foliage could be heard for miles. Changelings spread all across the forest were converging on their fallen brethren.
The cave didn't look inviting. It sloped in steeply and was darker than a moonless night, but the sounds around the group made the silence of the darkness preferable to being surrounded. In pairs, they ran into the cave, half sliding to the bottom which reached a sharp flat angle. Pete stumbled and rolled, standing up moments later thankful he didn't stab himself with his own blade. Rainbow put a wing on his back and looked at him with concern.
“Everypony all right?” he called back to the mares.
“We're in one piece,” Twilight responded, “but I think we have a problem.”
Her horn lit up to display the surroundings of the dark cave, the seven were faced now with three corridors. There was no telling how extensive the cave system was from the mouth, and these three passages could only be the start of a labyrinth. With the changeling horde rapidly approaching above and an unknown ahead of them an impasse was reached.
“We can't split up,” Applejack emphasized her point with a stamp of her hoof, “There's too many changelings.”
“We can't waste time searching each passage together, Applejack. Besides, if we have to double back because of a dead end or a loop we'll be surrounded and inside tight corridors,” Twilight reasoned.
“Twilight's right.” Pete stood up and turned to the ponies, “Applejack, you're with Rarity. Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy. Rainbow, me.” The group looked confused at his reasoning. “That way everyone has someone that can use magic. Worst case, teleport out of the cave and back to Ponyville.”
“That's actually very tactical,” Twilight smiled in approval. “I agree, girls. Split up, search the cave, and if you get into too much trouble, run.”
Still unsure, but with no time left to argue, they split up and took the different halls. Pete and Rainbow ran forward, Applejack and Rarity went left, and Twilight's trio took the right. If luck was on their side, the changelings coming into the cave after them would have to split their numbers evenly as well, lessening their advantage. Pete was aware that if they found Chrysalis it would be a mad dash to reunite the Elements of Harmony to take her down before changeling queen did something drastic. Another fork in the road complicated the captain's plan further.
“Which way?” Rainbow asked, slightly out of breath.
“Not sure,” Pete struggled, breathing much harder than the pegasus next to him.
The sounds of changelings and wings buzzing in the tunnel behind them became louder than before. They had entered the cave and, at least, they had chased down the main tunnel.
“Split up,” the human said at last. “I'll go right, you go left. I know you can move a lot faster than I can. No matter what's down there, come get me as soon as you know.”
“That doesn't sound like a-”
Pete was already moving. Irritated, Dash sped down her side of the cave. Splitting up further defeated the point Pete had made at the entrance, which she wanted to point out. She only hoped now that she could reach the end of her tunnel before the changelings caught up to them and she needed back up.
Captain Powell was confident in his crush's speed however. Even as he ran down the dark tunnel he knew she would catch up to him before the army of bugs reached them. He had seen her fly back on Earth after all. With a thought he changed his sword into the dagger again and sped up, enjoying once more the speed that came from the blade's smaller form. The passage he followed ran deep, steadily twisting and turning, but never sharply. It was like traveling along a worm or a snake. Subtle curves but always going in the same forward direction. Until he came upon a large cavern.
It struck Pete as he approached because there was a green glow coming from the walls. Whether the glow was natural from some kind of reaction in mineral deposits with the air or magical he didn't have time to figure out. The cavern was modeled in an almost twisted mockery of Canterlot's audience chamber, with a throne on the far end, dark stalagmites grew to the ceiling in place of the polished white columns to hold the room together, and there was even a side passage next to the throne.
Pete entered cautiously, not seeing any changelings, queen or otherwise. Aside from the wings and steps from the cave behind him the cavern was quiet. His focus shifted to the side entrance near the throne. If Chrysalis knew what the princesses used theirs for, then it was likely her own chambers were beyond it. He moved between the rocky pillars as he made his way to the passage. His mistake had been losing sight of the throne.
As he came upon the side passage a brighter glow cast his shadow on the wall. Turning, he saw Chrysalis rise from the throne, which he then realized was much lower than he thought. Of course it was, ponies didn't sit on chairs like humans. What he had thought was the seat was actually the Queen, curled up. He felt like a complete idiot as he took a ready stance with his dagger.
“There is no need for that, human.” Chrysalis' voice was slow, almost trance inducing. “I wish to speak with you before you decide we are enemies.”
“We are enemies, I'm the captain of a pony guard.”
“Ah, but you are not yourself a pony. You owe them so very little.”
“Uhh, I'm pretty sure Luna saved my life, or Celestia. One of them. I was basically dead when I-”
“Yes, and what do they ask in return now? That you throw that life away in service of them? What have they given you, a slice of power, the hope for a new life?”
Pete knew that she was wrong, he was doing this, risking his life, for his own reasons. Because he wanted to. Something in her words rang true in his mind though. An echo, like ripples in a pond, bounced between his skull. His minimal power even as a captain did seem limited. He was always at the beck and call of both princesses thanks to his dual titles. Like a puppet they could make dance on command.
He shook his head and stumbled back into a wall. That wasn't right. Chrysalis was the villain.
Is she? Why not hear her out? What's the worst that could happen?
That voice in his mind again. He tried to tell it to shut up but it was gone. How he knew that he didn't know, but he knew when it was and wasn't around. Short bursts, single phrases. It didn't want to talk, just say whatever was on its mind and vanish.
Smiling, the Changeling queen made a motion with her head and a familiar mare stepped out from behind a stalagmite. It looked like Rainbow Dash, only she was standing on her hind legs and there was a collar around her neck. Pete clenched his teeth in anger and felt his knuckles start to ache as he clenched his dagger.
“Humans are bigger, stronger, smarter, apex,” Chrysalis spoke softly in her melodic tone, her words worming into Pete's consciousness. “This is what the ponies should look like. They should imitate you, worship you. Us.” The queen grinned as she said the last word.
A primal feeling swelled inside of Pete. His mind was foggy now for some reason he couldn't put a finger on, and Chrysalis' words were like honey. After all, the princesses had been dumb enough to get trapped in his world for weeks before he stepped in and helped them. They wouldn't have gotten back without him either. He was the only human that could cast magic. He was special and deserved to be treated that way.
That's right. Embrace that feeling.
A figure became clear on the other side of the room, behind the collared pony. It was tall, over six feet easily, muscular, and black like oil without the shine. If not for the glow of the room he would never have known it was there, and the piercing yellow eyes. Whatever the being was it didn't move, and Chrysalis didn't acknowledge its existence. It simply stood and watched.
“We changelings can feel more than just love, you know.” The Queen smiled, “Anger, joy, sadness, lust. No feelings are hidden from us.”
Her attention was suddenly grabbed by a blue blur slamming into the side of the collared Rainbow. The real Rainbow Dash floated where her impostor was standing moments ago, the collared pony changing into a changeling drone and buzzing angrily. With a flash Chrysalis appeared behind Pete, in the tunnel he had been moving towards, and whispered to him.
“Follow me, human, and I shall bring all of your dreams to life.” She turned and trotted down the passage, leaving Pete to stare blankly at Rainbow Dash.
“Why didn't you wait for me?” the pegasus yelled and floated close to Pete.
“I ... need to go after her.”
He turned and followed after Chrysalis, ignoring Dash yelling behind him to call for the others. Chrysalis' voice was still clear in his head. His dreams, power, respect, obedience, she would fulfill them. Doubt was gone from his mind now, so much that he never realized the queen's horn hadn't stopped glowing since he met her. Actually, he found the glow alluring, beautiful even. It was the instrument that would give him everything he deserved.
At the end of the path was another chamber, smaller, but well dug. On the left wall from the passage was a giant ring of stone with a swirling vortex of purple energy. Across from it was Chrysalis who smiled as the human walked over to her side.
“This is what scholars of old called the Well of Souls,” she explained, “It is the magic nexus of this world. And with a single spell I can turn it into my power.”
“Weakening the alicorns,” Pete surmised.
“Exactly. But there is one small problem.” Chrysalis turned towards Pete, “The spell is potent, and I have been very hungry these past several months. So I want you to focus on the one you love, and give that to me. Feed me, human, and you shall have every dark desire in your heart.”
“Pete!”
He turned to see Rainbow Dash and Twilight standing in the passageway, Twilight's horn lit up and ready to fight.
“I don't know what's wrong with him, Twilight.” Rainbow looked at her friend and then back to Pete. “He's acting weird and like, I dunno, soulless.”
The purple unicorn glanced at Chrysalis and fired a blast of energy, which the queen deflected easily.
“She's playing with your mind, Pete! Use your magic, break free.”
Chrysalis laughed, “Magic? My changelings have been studying those humans of yours in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle. Humans are incapable of magic.”
She ignored the changeling and continued yelling at Pete. “Whatever she's told you is a lie. She's going to suck you dry and leave you a blank husk in this cave while she takes over Equestria.”
“That's ...” Pete shook his head and groaned, “What?”
Chrysalis winced and stepped back, “Impossible. Only magic capable beings can fight this spell. Humans can't-”
“Pete's different!” Rainbow floated up, smiling with pride. “And he's way stronger than some stupid bug like you. C'mon, Pete, snap out of it and kick her butt!”
Images flashed in Pete's mind. Rainbow Dash, collared, his feeling of arousal, the mares in the warehouse. Slaves, collared, strapped down, conquered. He groaned and dropped to his knees, clutching his head in his hands. Had he wanted to do that to Rainbow? Shaking he looked up at the pegasus, vaguely aware of her words of encouragement. She trusted him, cared about him, maybe loved him. Definitely loved him, he knew that. And he was about to betray her.
Again his eyes contracted, his muscles tensed, and he stood. Chrysalis shouted as her spell broke, stunning her long enough for Pete to regain his senses. With a roar of anger he spun around and grabbed the changeling by her horn, slamming her head violently against the cave wall several times before letting go and hitting her with a right hook. Any thoughts of retaliation left the queen's mind as the human's onslaught began. Chitin was strong, changelings had skeletons on the outside after all, but Pete wasn't deterred. Fists clenched, sword ignored, he swung repeatedly knocking Chrysalis' head back and forth, advancing as he did. She moved back, trying to escape his reach, trying to recover enough to cast a spell. A glow wrapped around her horn and Pete grabbed it, bringing the changeling incredible pain as he slammed her against the wall again. His knuckles were bloody and this time it was his own. They burned, but he wasn't done. He had been authorized to kill.
Finally remembering what he was allowed to do he lifted his blade and it once again began enveloping his arms. The wounds on his fists healed under the dark touch. Fingers became jagged, rough claws, and he knew that in this form he wouldn't have to worry about hurting himself on anything. Angrily he placed a claw on the rock wall beside him and raked it down, leaving hideous gashes on the stone.
Twilight gasped at Pete's change, not only in demeanor but in the darkness consuming his arms. She could feel the presence of Nightmare Moon in that darkness. Something else had caught her attention as well. Rainbow Dash was looking at Chrysalis with the same kind of bloodlust Pete had when his attack began. A triumphant and confident expression replaced with one of hate and anger. The kind of emotional change that only comes from being deep within the empathy link ponies shared. It was possible that Rainbow Dash and Pete had become that close, but Twilight could feel her own muted rage. She was more reserved than Rainbow was, and more likely to approach things analytically than emotionally. She realized the anger she was feeling wasn't coming from herself, which left her with only one other source.
Chrysalis, desperate, fired the strongest bolt of magic she could manage. Green energy burned the side of Pete's face, but missed him altogether. Another wave of anger coursed through him at the attack and he reached out to grab the queen's horn again. Rumbling filled the air before he could get to his target, the cave beginning to shake around them. Her bolt was not meant for the human. It was a signal. The changeling army had turned their attention to the supports for the cave, intending to bury them all alive.
“Pete,” Twilight shouted, “Stop! We have to leave, now.”
He ignored her. Roaring again he raised a dark claw to finish the queen off. As his arm dropped there was a flash of purple light, and the rumbling stopped. Claw dug into wood, ripping enough of a tree trunk out to topple the plant. Feral, he turned and shouted incomprehensibly, only to see the shocked look of six mares. Fluttershy recoiled and hid behind another tree. Rarity placed a hoof over her mouth and stared, which Applejack mimicked without the hoof gesture. Pinkie's usual smile was replaced by a look of fear and worry. Twilight stepped forward, horn lit, and swallowed nervously.
“Twi … light?” Pete groaned and dropped to his knees. His head hurt. Actually, his entire body hurt. As if his muscles had become too big for his flesh. The adrenaline came down, the anger faded, and eventually so did the darkness on his hands. It coalesced into a sword underneath him and then he collapsed on his side.
“Hey, don't you be dead,” Rainbow Dash shouted, having just collected her own sanity, and darted to the human's side.
“I think we need to get back to town, Twi.” Applejack moved closer to her friend, but never stopped staring at Pete.
“And we definitely need the princess,” she added, her horn glowing to teleport the group.
“I'm telling you, he wasn't just feeling, he was transmitting emotions too!” Twilight was trying to keep her own emotions in check, but her mentor was refusing to listen.
“It's not possible, Twilight. The humans were never capable of the empathy we feel. They had their own empathy, yes, but it wasn't like ours. No matter how long Pete Powell stays here he will never feel it, never be part of it.” Celestia had listened to her student insist on this impossibility for the past hour. She cared deeply for Twilight, she had plans for her, but the mare could be terribly obstinate.
“Rainbow Dash's mood changed the moment Pete regained his senses. I felt it too. It was a horrible anger, Princess. Please, believe me.”
Celestia sighed, “I will keep an eye on him, Twilight. But that is all I can do. We can hardly goad him into another one of these episodes. They seem to take a lot out of him infrequent as they are.”
“That's another thing,” Twilight's attitude changed as she remembered the darkness. “That power, the sword. It's Nightmare Moon, or at least it has the same feeling.”
Celestia nodded after a moment of indecision. “While we were in Pete's world a piece of Luna's Nightmare escaped into your dreams. It sought a new host and it found something in Pete. What it found we don't know, but it seems something drew it from within him turning it into that weapon and in that way granting him power.”
“Luna?” Twilight almost accused.
“No, she was as confused as I was about the power of that weapon. She has allowed him to continue using it however. It's his choice, as she said. I just hope we don't have to seal him away like I did Luna.”
Twilight Sparkle frowned at that possibility. Pete's outbursts could have been because of that piece of Nightmare. Slowly corrupting the once shy and misanthropic human into being a new terror in Equestria. Something she and the Elements would have to deal with. Fighting a former friend. It left a bad taste in her mouth. There had to be another way.
Author's Note
We're now at the half way mark, five days late.
Two Months Later
“I think he's going to be hungry pretty soon, Lieutenant.” Pete looked at the griffon chained to the floor across from him. The dimly lit prison cast shadows across the human's face that moved with his expressions.
“I'm not gonna eat anything you bring me, I know the kinds of potions unicorns can whip up.”
Wisp chuckled and walked out of the room, a lock clicking into place before her hoofsteps faded down the hall. The moment they could no longer be heard Pete reached forward, grabbing the griffon by the head, and slamming him into the table between them. Reeling from the sudden attack, he tried to stand and get away only to be tripped by his binds and fall to the cold floor. The Captain stood and walked over to his captive, jerking him back up and driving his fist into the griffon's face.
“What are you doing?” he shouted, wings tugging against their restraints.
“Hungry is a code word for you're going to need a medic,” Pete growled with a smile, “In about two minutes my Lieutenant is going to walk back in here with a unicorn that's going to patch us up. I'll give her a couple of hours to get back to the clinic, and then we'll do this again, and again, and again, until you tell me what you know.”
“Us? What are you talking about, I haven't even touched you!”
Pete grabbed the griffon's claw and pressed it firmly into his own uncovered arm, raking it down until it drew blood. His smile never faded as he released the claw and delivered another hard punch.
“You attacked me, I got a little pissed off and hit you, Wisp stopped me and then went to get a doctor. It's a nice little cover story, isn't it?”
The griffon looked at the wound on the human and then down to the drops of his own blood on his chest.
“You're insane!”
With another growl Pete lifted the griffon up off the floor, to the limits of the chain that held him down. Maybe the griffon was right, but he was doing what he had to do. He slammed the lion bird down on the table, getting a surprised squawk from the prisoner, and held him there.
“You helped bring in two crates of sedatives that didn't go to any clinic or licensed practitioner. Sedatives most commonly used by a sex slave ring that's been trying real hard to get a leg up in Canterlot.” Another hard punch. “You're going to tell me where that shit went, because I have all night to do this, and the resources to make sure you can take anything I dish out.”
“Go to Tartarus!”
Without a word Pete drew his sword, its shape switching to the dagger, and he plunged it into the table next to the griffon's face. Slowly he drug it down the table and stopped around the middle. Right next to the furled up wing. His eyes stayed locked on the griffon as he pulled the blade over and let the edge kiss the bend of the wing. Struggling was useless but the griffon tried anyway, soft pleading escaping his beak.
“Do they plead, griffon?” Pete asked quietly but with harshness in his voice. “Do you see them, tied up like you are, branded, locked away, taken, begging for it to stop?” The knife drew a trickle of blood and the griffon shrieked.
“The stuff went to a griffon called Giro, he's a small time crime boss that's trying to get political influence. H-he's a complete amateur, barely even has a crew in town. He's been staying in some hotel in town. I'll tell you where he's at just please stop!”
Pete sighed, pulled his blade from the table, and let the griffon go in a single move. He sheathed his dagger, it reverting to a sword, and walked to the only door in or out of the room.
“Lieutenant Wisp will be in here to take your statement soon, as well as get you cleaned up. You'd better not be lying,” Pete stuck out his right arm and willed the sword into it's true form, darkness coating his arm and turning it into a claw that he dug into the stone of the room. Yanking a chunk out of the wall and tossing it onto the table for emphasis, he turned around. “If you are lying I'm coming back, and it won't ever stop.”
Horrified the griffon pulled back as far as he could on his chain, pressing up against he wall in fear as the human left the room, his arm returning to normal. He took a deep breath and sighed, leaning against the door to the interrogation room, collecting his thoughts. Gryphos, the empire of the griffons, were just as interested in stopping this slave ring as the ponies were. Mostly because of the might Celestia wielded, and the solidarity such an action would show. They needed leads that could be traced back to their homelands however, and this Giro sounded like the first break in the case.
Moments later Lieutenant Wisp came around the corner with the castle's physician, a unicorn with a roll of gauze on her flank. She sighed at the sight of Pete's arm and began healing him, her magic accelerating the speed at which the flesh regrew and pulled together to an almost awkward speed. It didn't hurt, but it was noticeable. He thanked her and filled Wisp in on what the griffon had told him. She gently tapped his knee with a hoof and smiled. Also she informed him of a report from Celestia that had been delivered to the barracks for his eyes only.
Obviously the report had to be about the clean up from the changeling mission he and the Elements had been sent on. Upon returning to Canterlot they had given separate reports to the princesses. Both were truthful and accurate as much as they could be. Pete confessed to Luna that he went berserk again after Chrysalis managed to temporarily dominate his mind. The princess wondered why he hadn't seen it coming, to which he replied he didn't know. Literally did not know. At that point the lack of training became apparent to both princesses. Anti mind control techniques were standard for magically inclined soldiers, both to help themselves and their comrades. Twilight had helped Pete because he didn't know how to help himself. This led to a period of suspension while Pete took a crash course in military magic. Two weeks of dedicated study, and exams, and he had been returned to his position much more knowledgeable in his own powers, something Luna apologized for overlooking.
It had taken the guard almost as long as Pete's suspension to clear out the rubble from the cave and a formal investigation had seemingly just now concluded, if the report on his desk was what Pete thought it was. Curiosity piqued he thanked the doctor for her care and headed to the barracks for the report, confident in his Lieutenant's ability to get the rest of the information from their suspect. He wasn't sure if it had to do with his now entirely nocturnal cycle or if perhaps the darkness he was now liberally using was affecting his mind, but he preferred the dark and cool castle basement to the brightly lit topside. Overall it would be less eye strain to go back and forth from the evening air to the dungeon than it would if he didn't have to first cross through the castle proper. He realized it was a necessary evil however, as the guards stationed outside the prison would look much more suspicious standing outside of the castle guarding some trapdoor on the ground, and it meant less exits if anyone ever managed to escape.
Pete nodded to the still guards as he left the dungeon, and made his way to the outside of the castle. Canterlot seemed different at night, with most of the lights in the city out and the usual chatter silenced. It was a remarkable difference from human cities that never slept, even though Canterlot was quite large and the center of Equestrian government. Few visited the castle at night despite the fact Luna had returned and regularly held her own court. Other than merchants getting drunk and blowing off steam in taverns, the city was asleep. Even the ambassadors in the castle regularly slept during the night. It made it incredibly easy to catch illegal activities. During the day nothing would happen without being seen by somepony, and during the night there were few reasons to justify being out of bed. You wouldn't be stopped simply for being out, but eyes were literally in the sky watching every road and side street in town.
Luna's barracks were positioned inside the castle walls and were easily identifiable by the banner that hung on either side of the main door that was emblazoned with her cutie mark. Perhaps for strategic purposes, the rest of the building matched any of the other buildings positioned inside the castle's walls, which were separate from the city walls. Pete didn't want to know what event had transpired that the princesses knew to have an individual wall for their own safety.
As Wisp had said, inside the barracks on the desk was a report from Celestia's guard. The folder was sealed with a mark that Pete had recently learned was equivalent to Top Secret back on Earth. Rather than simply being a deterrent though the mark was magical. It prevented anyone but those of the proper rank from reading the intelligence enclosed, unless they were powerful enough to break the enchantment themselves.
He placed his palm on the mark and it began to glow, recognizing his right to view the enclosed material, and the folder opened. Hundreds of changelings were caught in the collapse of the cave, few survived and had to be put down when encountered. A few guards were injured but nothing major. Tunnel system stretched for miles in every direction and it was fortunate Pete made the group split up like he did. None of the passages went anywhere in particular, not towards towns or across boarders. Only the one tunnel towards the Well of Souls led to anything. And the Well itself was seemingly destroyed in the collapse. Chrysalis was nowhere to be found.
Pete groaned and closed the folder. The queen had sacrificed quite a lot of her hive to escape, but a small spark of hope suddenly made the captain smile. It did mean he had another chance to take her down at a later time. She wasn't one to simply give up on her plans after all. Losing the Well of Souls was the worst news in the report. He didn't know what kind of effect that would have on Equestria as a whole. Magic certainly wasn't running out, yet, so things appeared to be fine. Twilight on the other hand was sure to be upset by the loss of such an artifact and whatever scientific or magical relevance it had. Despite his second loss of control during that time Pete felt like the mission went well. At least as well as they could go with his minimal training.
In the intervening months he had seriously buckled down on being the captain of a guard. He trained nightly, patrolled in a rotation with the others, and had even helped bring in several criminals. Most of them small time compared to the griffon he'd interrogated earlier but catches nonetheless. It was a compulsion in him to step up after he'd failed to kill Chrysalis, to make Equestria safer. One he threw himself into fully.
A clock on the wall chimed, informing him of the hour. Pete glanced at it and hmm'd to himself. It would be morning in a couple of hours and he didn't have any more patrols to go on, the paperwork was finished, and Wisp was dealing with the griffon they'd captured. On an average night he would stay in the barracks in case something happened, but following his interrogation and patrols he was feeling somewhat gross. His armor was heavy and smelled like metal. Despite always being cold when put on it quickly warmed up while inside and caused disturbing amounts of sweat. Even in the winter winds outside he often remained toasty unless his skin came into contact with the armor. All of these things came together into a single problem with a simple solution. He needed a bath.
Pete went to the armor storage for the barracks, removed his armor, fetched the file, and went to his room in the castle. Tossing the file on top of a stack of unread letters, he dug through his dresser to get a towel and a change of clothes. It was a rare moment where he moved at a lackadaisical pace. He'd gotten so used to practically marching everywhere, or using the dagger form for extra speed when he needed to move quickly, that simply walking to the bathroom felt slow.
What he appreciated was how easy it was to relax once he was in the bathroom. The wonderfully large hot bath was the perfect place to wind down. After rinsing, lathering, and rinsing again he simply sat. All was quiet. He was alone with just his thoughts. Specifically he wondered if he was doing any good in his job with the guard. Wisp was certainly more satisfied with how he acted, but he felt there had to be a reprimand coming from one of the princesses sooner or later. Beating suspects wasn't exactly protocol after all.
“Maybe I'm still not cut out for this after all,” he mused, leaning back and floating in the bath that took up nearly the whole room.
“And why would you think that?” Luna's voice echoed through the steam, causing Pete to quickly sit up and cover himself.
“Princess?” He looked around frantically.
Metal clinking against the floor, and then against metal, and finally the sound of hooves drew Pete's attention to the door. Luna walked in, her royal raiments removed and protective spell off. Her mane was dark and still, lacking the swirling lights that Pete now realized must be part of the spell, and in this state one could see her mane was naturally wavy. There was something about her casual look that brought a blush to the man's cheeks. Or perhaps it was the way she slowly walked into the tub with him, her tail and mane spreading out in the water.
“You look surprised to see me.”
“Yeah, a little.” Pete slowly moved backwards away from the princess, giving her more room than necessary. “I thought you had your own bath. I've been using this bathroom for months now and haven't seen you once.”
“That would be because I come in here before dawn, and usually you do not leave the barracks until dawn.” Luna chuckled and smiled at him.
He looked out of the window at the still dark sky and lamely replied, “Oh yeah.”
“Now, why do you still not think you are cut out for the guard?”
Pete exhaled awkwardly and averted his eyes from the bathing royal. “Well, I know I've been kind of rough lately. Overzealous one might say.”
“Criminals need a reason to be afraid of committing crimes,” Luna shrugged, “You are providing that reason, 'Dread Captain.'” She chuckled at the nickname Pete had gained in certain circles.
He wasn't too proud of it himself, but he admitted it had truth in it. His methods had become violent in a way most ponies never saw on their streets. All it took were a few hard take downs for ponies to start talking about the omnivore guard captain that could leap dozens of feet into the air and wasn't afraid to break bones, regardless of cuffs being on the criminal.
“I can't say I'm a fan of that title,” he admitted, leaning against the inside of the tub.
“I see nothing wrong with it. You strike fear into the hearts of criminals which I believe we should be doing.”
“You don't think it's too rough? I mean, I sort of beat a suspect tonight.”
Luna rolled her eyes, “And the Elements of Harmony blasted me with a magical energy beam. Unfortunately they cannot be around to blast every crook in Equestria, so we have to take other measures.” She looked at Pete seriously, “I used to be a villain, Pete. I know just how hard one has to push to get them to change.”
He nodded in response and moved awkwardly to conceal certain aspects of his naked form from Luna's sight. The princess simply grinned.
“There is another matter I think we need to address.”
“What's that? I mean, we can talk about it later, right? When we're not...” Pete couldn't bring himself to say naked.
“I have noticed it has been almost seven months since you arrived and from what I have heard you have yet to bring anypony to your bed.” There wasn't a hint of hesitation or discomfort in her statement.
“I-I, uh, what?”
“It has been my experience with guards in the past that 'blowing off some steam' generally keeps their spirits high, and yours have been particularly low as of late.”
Pete did not wait for the princess to finish explaining herself. Talking about mares in his bed and blowing off steam made it all to clear to him what would come next and no amount of shame about his exposed crotch would hold him back. He turned and pulled himself out of the bath, power walked to his towel, covered himself, and fled the bathroom as fast as possible.
Dressed in his own room, Pete flopped onto his bed and rolled over to face the wall. The sun began to rise and fill the room with light but he didn't budge. His mind was still trying to deal with Luna in the bath. There was a physical attraction he admitted but she was on a whole other level than him. Not just in terms of status but in power as well. He made it a point to not sleep with beings that could rival the power of gods. Break ups could be bad enough with regular girls, and he dreaded to think about what breaking up with a unicorn would be like let alone an alicorn. Besides all that, he didn't really know that much about Luna. There were things he had learned when they were all living in his apartment but there was more to know about someone than the few things he gleamed. After all, she had been awake at night while he was sleeping after dealing with the others all day. She was the one he had spoken with the least.
The sound of his door opening drew Pete's attention and he rolled over to chastise the Princess for following him to his room, as well as entering without knocking. What he saw however killed his words. Rainbow Dash floated in, slamming the door shut behind her, hooves placed like hands on her hips, and a very sour look on her face. Wordlessly, she floated over to his desk, knocking the report to the floor and looking at the unopened letters underneath. Her wing shot down, scooped, and then flipped back up, throwing the mail into Pete's face with enough force to make him flinch.
“Are you kidding me?” she shouted and floated closer. “You said that we should make an effort to communicate, I sat down and wrote like a dozen letters to your sorry butt, and you haven't even opened them?”
Pete tried to respond but he was completely stunned.
“Worse than that,” Rainbow continued, after Pete failed to speak, “you don't even try to write to me! Not write back but just make some effort. Effort you said we should put into this. This was your idea.”
“I'm … not sure I can be with anyone, Dash.” Finally the words came out. Bleak and hopeless words that gave shape to what he'd thought for months. “My outbursts, this sword, I need to do this to keep you safe, but that means I can't trust myself around you.”
“I'll be fine,” Rainbow scoffed.
“Would you?” he looked at her with concern. “If I suddenly went crazy like I did in that cave, snarling and ripping bits out of trees, what would you do?”
“I'd go get Twilight, or something! I'm not completely helpless here. You know that as well as anypony.”
“You don't get it. The things I've done as recently as tonight, it's not...” He sighed and rubbed his face. “I'm not something anyone should like.”
“That's stupid!” A second voice from outside shouted, the door to Pete's room being thrown open again and Stellar Glow walking in, livid. “If that's what you think about what you've been doing then stop doing it. It isn't hard.”
Both Pete and Rainbow stared at the small mare.
“It's not that sim-”
“Yes it is,” Stellar stamped her hoof and turned crimson. “I-if that's what you think about how you act with power then j-just give it up.”
“I want to help, I don't want to just move away and pretend things are all right.”
“You aren't the only guard and we were doing fine before you. We can do just fine without you too.” Stella climbed up onto the bed next to Pete and placed a forehoof on his shoulder. “You have to be happy too.”
Rainbow Dash blushed for a moment, then landed on the bed opposite of Stellar. She placed her own hoof inside of Pete's hand and sighed.
“I'm not good at this stuff, but... she's right. We want you to be happy, Pete. You don't seem happy. If trying to protect Equestria has you doing all this stupid darkness stuff, then forget it. Leave the protecting to us Elements and the guard.”
“I can't just do nothing,” he reiterated.
“You won't be doing nothing,” Rainbow looked at Stellar, and then to Pete. “You'll be making two mares very happy.”
Stellar Glow and Pete blinked and looked at each other, then to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus shook her head and raised an eyebrow.
“Are you kidding me? You two didn't see what was going on here?” RD gestured to the two of them. “Th-this is classic herding. I mean, like, old as Celestia classic. Not modern classic which is really fun,” she chuckled for a moment and then shook the thought from her head. “Point is, you probably should have told me you had somepony here. I might have, you know, worried less.”
Pete looked at the small batpony and thought about it. She had been there for him, they had become friends, but he'd never thought of her romantically before. Wasn't that sometimes a positive start to a relationship though? People on Earth always said it was best to marry someone you feel is like your best friend. Maybe the ease he had talking to her was a good sign. He certainly didn't know anything about herding traditions or anything.
After a minute the guardsmare leaned up and kissed the human full on the lips. Pete was taken aback, but his lips moved instinctively. Slowly the kiss broke and Stellar's face was a blushing bright red. A hoof tapped Pete on the shoulder and when he turned he got another, rougher, longer, kiss. He was panting by the time it ended and the three slowly looked at each other.
“So,” Rainbow broke the silence, “I think that settles that. We're a herd, Pete's quitting, all's well that ends well.”
“It's not that simple.” The two mares groaned and opened their mouths to respond before being cut off. “I'm gonna have to move out of the castle, and I have to deal with telling Luna I quit, and what the hell am I going to do for a job now?”
The mares looked at each other and then started laughing.
They had spent most of the day talking and having fun. Rainbow was surprised to find out Stella was older than she was, almost being as old as Pete. Around the late afternoon the need for her partners to sleep lulled Rainbow Dash to sleep too, something Pete realized was part of the “empathy link” Twilight had mentioned. When he was alone, working with the guard, it was like all of the good things in life were gone. Whether that was caused by the piece of Nightmare he carried or if it was simply his natural disposition, he didn't know. What he did know was that the moment Rainbow and Stella had sat on either side of him he could feel a warmth in his very soul. Their compassion, their love for him came through in a way that he knew wasn't possible on Earth. He could literally feel their emotions from that moment on. Herding was a deep, and kind of scary, thing that finally made him understand how it stood up against single marriage. Confident with his new relationships there was only one thing left to do in Canterlot.
Luna's room was as dark and mysterious as usual, and Pete took a moment to remember it. This was possibly the last time he would ever see the room after all. His badge and sword in hand he walked up to the desk the alicorn was working at, and silently set the two object down on it. She looked up from a piece of paper, confused.
“What is this?”
“This would be, uh, a resignation I guess.” Pete swallowed nervously.
“You're quitting?” Luna's eyebrows rose in a mix of surprise and question.
“I talked with Rainbow Dash and Stellar Glow today. Things got kind of serious.” He sighed and closed his eyes to compose himself. “They, we, agreed that if I keep doing this Night Guard stuff I'm going to end up just like I was back on Earth. Angry, alone, and mistrustful of everyone. I don't want to go back to that a third time.”
That was what he had been worried about all along. Under his confidence with Wisp congratulating him on being tougher, when he was alone. The doubts were all about that one simple fact. Pete didn't want to hate everything again. All the mares had shown him the good things in life, the positives of friendship, and more. Losing that scared him. He pushed away from Rainbow Dash and sunk into his work as a guard as an excuse. If he convinced himself he wanted it then it wouldn't be a loss. But it was and speaking with the two mares had made him realize that.
Seconds felt like minutes, but eventually Luna's magic glow enveloped the sword and badge and the two vanished from the room.
“I understand,” she said, slowly exhaling. “It is difficult for me too, but you have a choice. I respect that.” Luna smiled at Pete, a kind of smile he hadn't seen from her in a long time. It wasn't a smile of a princess to her captain, a royal to a subject, but a friendly smile.
Pete would be gone from Canterlot by the next day. Stellar Glow, regrettably, had duties to attend to as a Night Guard. She still loved the job after all, and the offer was open to come by Ponyville any time, once Pete found a place to live at least. Rainbow Dash snuggled close to the human as they rode the train back to Ponyville, to Pete's new home. Weight had been lifted from his shoulders in more ways than one but ahead of him laid new challenges. Mundane ones compared to what he'd seen in the guard, but still they were new and in a new land. He wasn't sure where to begin with anything. With Rainbow Dash by his side though, he couldn't imagine anything would be too daunting.
Princess Cadance nodded to the guards outside of Celestia's chamber, and entered on her own. She had packed light for a princess, only a couple of saddlebags. Her own lands needed tending to after all and Celestia had only asked for one thing. It had taken her months to track it down after Sombra's defeat.
Celestia's room was as immaculate as ever and the white alicorn barely acknowledged Cadance's entrance. She had just gotten word of Pete's departure from the Night Guard and was smiling at the report. Her sister wasn't always right when it came to those that gained dark powers. Sometimes they shied away when it was least expected. It didn't take long for her to sense it though. Another dark energy that pervaded the air. Silently, she turned to Cadance.
“Did you find it?”
The pink alicorn nodded and pulled a black leather book from her saddlebag and floated it over to Celestia. Eyes wide, the ruler of Equestria took the book in hoof and tried to open it. A magic held it tightly closed, but there was no magic she couldn't break.
“It was very well hidden. We found Sombra's own journals before that one.”
“I wouldn't have expected it to be easily found,” Celestia murmured, “He was a crafty stallion.”
“Nothing I did could break that binding spell,” Cadance admitted sheepishly. “I guess I'm not that strong even for being a princess.”
The much older alicorn chuckled, “And this seal is much older than you are. Do not doubt yourself yet, Cadance. It will take me time to get through this.”
“What is it?”
“The journal of a very old and powerful enemy. One who stood against Luna and I's ancestors.”
“There are some weak spots in the kitchen floor, and the roof leaks in a few places,” the realtor said with a smile on her face.
Pete was still unsure. “So there's some loose boards, a weak floor, leaky roof, and it's drafty for winter, and that's all that's wrong with it?”
“Come on,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “It's cheap, that's what matters.”
A sudden thumping interrupted the conversation in the poorly maintained two story house. Mashing her teeth the realtor turned and faced a house down the road. A house occupied by Vinyl Scratch, local DJ who felt the time to play her music was any time she wanted. That was all Pete needed to know. Cheap homes did not come cheap for no reason, even in Equestria, and a look of defeat spread across the realtor's face as she prepared to lose another sale. The home needed work but it was always the noise that kept ponies away.
“I want it at market value,” Pete said, crouching to look the realtor in the eyes.
“M-market value?” She blinked as she processed what had been said.
“Even on a house like this one you gotta mark it up to make a profit. It looks like this place has been neglected so long though you've given up on getting rid of it. Plus there's that noise to consider. You're gonna break even on it. No more.”
It was bad business in a burgeoning market to make that kind of deal. Prices were going up all over town as Ponyville grew. This house had sat unused for almost a decade though, and no one at the office could move it. Even if she wasn't making money the house would become someone else's problem. It had become infamous showing the house off to prospective customers. Ponies dreaded taking clients to the house and showing it off, because Vinyl Scratch inevitably “dropped the base” in the middle of the deal. Like she was watching and waiting for the perfect time to start her music and ruin everything. This deal, despite making no money, would make her a legend.
Pete would never disclose how much he paid for the house, but it had clearly been more than he'd hoped for. He took to trying to repair the house himself while Rainbow Dash hauled in his few belongings from Canterlot. The roof was something he was just going to have to pay for, he knew less than nothing about thatched roofing. Flooring, however, his father had shown him a few things on. Far from proficient, but adequate enough to replace a few bad boards and reinforce the supports under the floor just in case. Rainbow Dash even helped to test the floor and repair the loose boards, which turned out to be nothing more than worn out nails. He was sure the house had been a steal after a day of work found the floors perfectly fine, if it hadn't been for the constant thudding of Vinyl's music.
He had a plan for that though. Grinning, he reached behind him and grabbed at the air, realizing that he no longer had a sword. And without his sword he couldn't cast spells, even simple soundproofing ones.
“Guess we gotta go talk to Twilight,” Rainbow shrugged.
The couple set out as the sun was slowly covered by clouds. Rainbow informed Pete that the first snowfall of the year was planned for the next evening, which meant he would also need layers for living in the drafty house until winter was over and proper repairs to things he didn't know how to fix could be done. It also entailed him finding a job before his funds ran into the red. Thankfully the clothing he formerly wore under his armor was well insulated so the cold wasn't bothersome yet. Although a trip to Rarity's would be in order sooner rather than later.
Golden Oaks was the same as ever, Jake and Spike were carrying things around the library, dusting, and generally helping out Twilight. The mare in question was surprisingly above ground this time, seated at the same table Jake had been during Pete's visit months ago. She had a bit of parchment in front of her and was scribbling something rapidly on it.
Rainbow winked at Pete and silently glided up behind her friend. Pegasus wings could be quiet despite their size. Slowly the rainbow maned mare reached a hoof out and tapped her friend on the back. Twilight's head shot up and she teleported half way across the room, appearing facing Rainbow Dash, her horn lit up and ready to fight before she realized what had happened. A blush rose on her face as her horn flickered out.
“Rainbow Dash!” she shouted angrily. The pegasus simply laughed in return, joined in by Spike.
“Sorry, Twilight,” Pete chuckled sympathetically and sat at the table the unicorn had just been at. “She's been a little bit giddy since this morning. We just got a house.”
Three sets of eyes went wide at the remark.
“How?” Jake practically came out of nowhere, from someplace behind Spike, and joined Pete at the table. “I looked for weeks and couldn't find anything. I mean, there's some rentals, sure, but nothing in an assistant's price range at least.”
“It was some fixer upper,” Dash informed, “But the biggest problem is that it's right down the road from Vinyl Scratch.”
Twilight scrunched her nose, “That's going to be annoying. Sometimes we can hear her all the way out here.”
“Well it would be,” Pete smiled at the purple mare, “But I know there's a few soundproofing spells we could use.”
Realization dawned on Twilight's face and she teleported away. Magical sounds could be heard from upstairs, and then more downstairs. The four left in the main room looked at each other and chuckled. Apparently soundproofing the library with magic hadn't occurred to the mare before. She reappeared moments later, dressed in a scarf and earmuffs clearly ready to go to Pete's new home. A few to do lists were left with her pair of assistants, much to their clear annoyance, and the trio headed to the new house.
Twilight was mildly impressed by the home. A large fireplace sat across from the front door ready to be stocked and lit, the kitchen was large enough and functional, the upstairs contained a pair of bedrooms, the building even had a dinning room. It wasn't ornate in anyway, mostly simple wood and stone, but for Ponyville it was large. Pete had personally only one issue and that was the bathroom. He took it in stride however, blaming royal living. Nothing was wrong with the bathroom, it was just much smaller than he had grown accustomed to, and featured only a shower, no bath.
Twilight began walking around the house, chanting quietly and putting the soundproofing in place. Pete, meanwhile, decided to go talk to Rarity. It was going to take Twilight a while to put the spells in place since they were much closer to the source of the noise than the library was they needed to be stronger. Rainbow Dash wanted to go with him but he insisted he was capable of dealing with Rarity on his own.
“You should walk Twilight home when she's done, maybe see if we can't pay her or something for this. It's quite nice of her after all. I'll be back by the time you two finish.”
Dash grinned in return, “I don't know about that. I'm a lot faster than you are.”
“You'll have the unicorn to slow you down,” he chuckled.
“Challenge accepted,” Rainbow muttered with a grin.
Pete rolled his eyes and left, setting out for Rarity's boutique for the first time. It took him a minute to recall Pinkie's directions from his first official visit. Thankfully Carousel Boutique was easily spotted once he was headed the right way.
Inside the boutique was warm enough Pete considered removing his shirt. Reason won out over instinct in that regard and he approached the front desk, ringing the bell once for attention. To his surprise it was Xander that came around the corner, the large man almost having to duck to fit through the doorway. He raised an inquiring eyebrow at Pete's presence, which he explained rather shortly.
“Ah, so a proper customer then. Rarity is in the back. Come with me, I'll measure you up while you two talk.” He turned and walked back to the room he just emerged from, succinct as always.
Pete followed and did as he was instructed while Xander took a measure to various parts of his body. It was the first time Pete had ever gotten measurements taken and it was more awkward than he would let on. After a minute or so Rarity came out of her work room and blinked at the two men.
“Pete? What are you doing here?”
“I need winter clothes. I just moved to town officially, bought a house, but it's really drafty. Figured some thicker clothes would be a good idea.”
The shine in the white mare's eyes were obvious to anyone that looked. She immediately began to rattle off ideas and designs, some of which Pete had to object to. He was looking for something simple. Nothing expensive for sure. At least, as inexpensive as custom tailored clothes could be. It wasn't like a human clothing store was around the corner or in another town after all.
“Of course, darling. I can do something unique and cheap you know. It's all about the fabrics really. The effort I put into their creation, that's my choice on price.” She giggled and grinned wide. Clearly Pete was getting whatever Rarity cared to make. He sighed in resignation, after all he had seen the episode where the Mane Six tried to correct her designs. Better to let her have her way.
“On another subject,” Pete looked over at Xander. “Why are you here? I thought you were doing good with AJ?”
“I was, however Lance decided to help the Apple's out with some financial troubles. I decided to come here, to keep the balance.” Xander shrugged, “Apparently Lance likes it over there more.”
That was strange. Pete had figured the upper class acting blond boy would have hit it off with Rarity. Perhaps, he thought, they were too similar in some way. It was possible. Anything was possible in this land of magic and ponies.
“Xander has been wonderful. He's very good at carrying the large things a lady like me struggles with, and he's very polite to the customers.” Rarity seemed to flutter her eyelashes at the large man. Pete hoped Spike didn't stop by any time soon.
“She can use magic to carry just about anything,” Xander whispered, “I'm not sure her reasons for liking me here are entirely business.”
Without a word Pete nodded his head in agreement. He wasn't sure what was going on with Rarity, but it also wasn't his business. Instead he thanked them both for their help, Rarity informing him that she would have something in the next couple of days, knowing the storm was incoming she would put a rush on them. Once more he thanked her and was allowed to leave.
Almost glad to be back out in the cold weather, Pete made his way home. A skip in his step at the thought of that. Home. Not a castle owned by a princess, not an apartment, a home. It was something the human had never thought he would have. There was a certain satisfaction that came with it as well he didn't think he would feel either. Clearly there were just certain things he didn't think about in his old life. A lot of things that he'd been forced to think about recently.
Going from depressed and misanthropic to trying to be hardcore and edgy, now to simply being content with life. It was a series of changes that felt faster than they were. Although he supposed in the span of a year was quite a short time for everything he had been through. Now the year was drawing to a close. Holidays were coming up too. He hadn't even thought of those. Time to be spent with friends and family, and the first time he would have a, sort of, family of his own. At least Rainbow Dash, maybe Stellar Glow would drop by too. He was certain the thought of those two was also contributing to his warm fuzzy feelings. Home ownership, a herd, as awkward as it was still to think about them like that, and a new town. It was impossible not to feel a certain excitement about all the changes.
Another surprise was waiting when Pete arrived home. In front of the fireplace, which had been piled with wood and lit while he was away, was Stellar Glow. She was shivering in front of the fireplace, hooves outstretched to the heat to warm up, Rainbow Dash rolling her eyes next to the small mare.
“Can you believe her? Flying here in this weather?” Rainbow asked Pete as soon as he stepped in.
“Is that dangerous?” He was genuinely curious.
“Pegasi and batponies have naturally warm bodies,” Stella said, still shivering.
“Clearly not warm enough.”
“Warm enough for high altitudes,” Dash admitted, “But not for speed flights when it's freezing out. The Wonderbolts wear special suits for a reason.”
Pete didn't know, and it didn't matter much as long as Stellar was okay. Quietly he walked over, crouched, and hugged her from behind. She blushed and placed her forehooves over his hands. Rainbow Dash, blushing against her nature, floated over and hugged the pair as well. After just a moment the smaller mare stopped shaking and there was only one thing left to ask.
“So, what brought you here so soon? Not that we mind,” Pete said quickly, “I just figured you'd have more guard duties to do and stuff in Canterlot.”
Stellar Glow pulled a piece of parchment from her saddlebag. “I have to go give this to the local guards.”
It was a note informing the few guards that patrolled Ponyville that Luna was expanding her Night Guard, and Stellar Glow was the first of many batponies that were being stationed at posts around Equestria. Her intention was to double the size of the guard, meaning the Night Guard would equal Celestia's own, within a year.
“Wait,” Rainbow shook her head and read the letter again. “So that means, you're moving in already?”
A massive surge of elation passed through Pete and for the first time he was able to see the empathy link himself. Rainbow's look of surprise was swiftly replaced by a smile that she tried to conceal, and Stellar's usual bashfulness turned into a full blown, toothy smile of her own. Dash looked at Pete and shook her head, muttering something he couldn't hear. They couldn't help it. He was happy, and it spread unintentionally.
“I, um, I have an idea,” Stellar said, finding her voice.
“What's that?”
“I think I know a way we could, um,” she blushed fiercely, “b-become closer.”
Rainbow Dash suddenly chuckled, “Yeah, me too. And you know what? I think the soundproofing works both ways.”
Pete swallowed hard, giving Dash another giggle.
“Oh yeah, I really like the modern classic herding,” she muttered and pressed herself against Pete.
“And, I don't have to check into the guard station until tomorrow night!” Stellar Glow added, turning towards the human herself.
It was going to be a long night.
Times They Are a Changing
It was a week after Hearth's Warming, three weeks after Pete moved to Ponyville, when a Twilight Sparkle came to his house with a letter from Celestia. The reigning princess of the land had called all of the humans as well as the Elements of Harmony to Canterlot. Some terrible thing had happened and apparently they were all involved. Twilight gathered Rarity and Xander, Pete went to Sugarcube Corner for Maxwell and Pinkie, while Rainbow Dash went to the far locations of Fluttershy's cottage and Sweet Apple Acres. They all convened at the train station within an hour, each of them bundled up for the cold weather and light snowfall.
Some magic kept the inside of the train warm, which pleased the group as they sat, some more comfortably than others, in the coach seats. Pete took note of the humans and their hosts, almost as a second nature. Rarity and Xander were sitting next to each other, but that only seemed odd because Lance and Applejack were on opposite sides of the train, two ponies between them total. Jake and Twilight had no issues sitting next to each other, and they were both quietly discussing what the issue could be. Pinkie was looking over Maxwell's shoulder at something he was drawing, and strangely Lucy and Fluttershy were almost pressed into the same area of the seat. He couldn't tell if it was nerves or what but there was something strange with them too.
“What if it's another god like being, like Discord? Or something worse, like an eldritch horror!” Jake pondered loudly, getting the attention of everyone on board.
“Calm down,” Twilight scolded, gently thwacking the human's shoulder with her hoof. “Do you want to cause a panic?”
“Uh, Twilight?” Pete looked around and then back to the unicorn. “There's no one else on this train. Celestia sent it for us special for some reason.”
“Well there's a conductor somewhere,” she retorted, “Somepony has to drive the train.”
“Whoever is driving the train is probably busy driving the train. Jake brings up some, well not good, but interesting points. What could this problem be that's so big it needs all twelve of us?”
A look of inspiration dawned on Jake's face. “Wait, there's six Elements of Harmony, and there's six of us humans! It's like we're balanced or something.”
Pete groaned, “You just realized that?”
“Hey, my mind has been occupied by things other than that.”
“He has a point,” Twilight conceded. “I've been bouncing some ideas about magical theory off of him and, well, he's been studying.”
“That's surprising. I wouldn't have thought you were the type.”
Jake scoffed at the accusation. “I'll have you know that I can be very studious, when the subject matter is as interesting as magic.”
“Never would have guessed,” Pete admitted. “So, beyond that, seriously, can anyone think of what problem needs the Elements of Harmony, plus five non magic humans, and one magic human that can't do jack without an evil sword?”
All of them were quiet. Some simply shrugged, others seemed to give the idea some thought, but no one spoke up. It was a mystery to Pete as well. Jake and the others had virtually no power, especially compared to a unicorn or alicorn. Whatever problem was waiting in Canterlot had to be unique to warrant their presence.
As the train pulled up the mountain something strange became apparent. A wave passed over the group causing them all to shudder, and the sun seemed to change position. After confirming everyone was fine, Twilight and Pete looked out the window at the sun. It was directly overhead. Roughly two hours back from when they started the trip. Celestia could have done it, but why?
“Or maybe it's related to whatever this problem is,” Jake offered.
Twilight didn't like the idea at all, but she had to confess it was possible. Chronomancy, or time spells, did exist after all. Things didn't change once they reached the station. The sun remained locked in the middle of the sky, and adding to the weirdness there were no ponies in Canterlot. More accurately there were none outside.
Moving up the street to the castle, the city eerily silent for midday, Pete noticed a few eyes looking out from the houses. Stores were closed and doors were locked. Nothing nefarious seemed to be going on, however. His training in the guard wasn't kicking in, and Twilight claimed there was no magic afoot. Something had stopped the sun, but only in the area around Canterlot.
Inside the castle walls a pair of guards approached and led the group to a room in one of the towers of the castle. It was circular, with one large window overlooking the city, the walls were lined with books, and there was a strange arcane symbol carved into the floor across from the one window. Most important though was the presence of both princesses, their faces grave.
The guards shut the door behind the group and the twelve spread out in a semi circle, each looking at the alicorns with a face of confusion.
“A week ago the sun ceased its movements in Canterlot,” Celestia said outright. “The combined strength of my sister and I have failed to move it, but we have confirmed that it continues as we direct outside of the city.”
Twilight blinked and stepped forward, “Princess, what does that mean?”
“Something is interfering with time in a localized area, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna explained. “We have continued to move the sun and moon for the rest of the world, but we have realized the field is growing. Every day that passes more areas become like Canterlot. Within a week Ponyville would also have this frozen sun.”
“That definitely sounds like a magic problem. Uh, your majesties,” Jake added with a sheepish look.
“It is,” Celestia nodded, “But it unfortunately concerns you humans.”
“How does it involve them?” Twilight looked at both princesses.
“My sister and I have discovered the source of the problem. It lies with the humans.” Luna looked at the group as a whole as the shock rippled through them individually. “As we noticed upon returning from Pete's world, time moves differently for the humans there as it does for us. Why this is so we cannot say, but it is fact.”
Celestia turned and addressed the group as well. “There is something about the humans that is causing this. What it is we don't know, and we do not have the time to study it. Luna and I have shielded Canterlot from the ill effects we would face from constant sunlight, but it cannot hold forever. The citizens are in a panic and rightfully so.”
“We have a decision you all must make.” Luna looked at Celestia, who nodded in return. “Either we can send you back to your own world... or we can attempt to make you into ponies.”
“There is something unique about you, perhaps the change wouldn't solve anything, or perhaps it will. However the only other recourse we would have if it fails is to send you back.”
Xander crossed his arms, “And since time moves differently between these worlds, there is no telling what we would go back to. Grieving family, lost homes and jobs. We have spent so much time here it would not be an option.”
The other humans locked up upon hearing the observation. He was right of course, and Pete knew it. Rainbow Dash had told him they had returned after living a month in his world less than a week after leaving in their own. If a week in Equestria was a month in the human world, and the humans had been in Equestria for seven months.
“Twenty eight months,” Twilight mumbled just loud enough.
“Two years,” Xander simplified.
“We've been gone that long?” Lucy looked almost terrified.
“That's about how long we were gone,” Twilight said. “At least roughly. Almost one week passed here after living with Pete for almost a month.”
Jake stepped forward, moving between the alicorns. “Sounds like we don't have a choice then. Pony me up!”
The alicorns were clearly taken aback. His decision was rather sudden after all.
“He is right,” Xander said, stepping forward. “If this is what must be done, then it must be done.”
Lance was next, nodding affirmatively.
“Can't go back,” Maxwell muttered, almost to himself. “Don't want to.”
Lucy looked at Fluttershy, then at the alicorns and nodded as well.
“Guess that settles that, princesses.” Pete ran his hand through is hair and chuckled. “Didn't think this was where thing would go but, hey, maybe it's for the best?”
“We will do this one at a time,” Luna said, her voice unsteady. She was losing the human race a second time.
“The strain it will put on us is rather extreme,” Celestia explained, “We will also need to rest between changes.”
The group nodded and stood back. Jake, already between the sisters, was the first. The alicorns chanted in unison, an old tongue even Twilight didn't recognize. Magic poured forth from their horns almost tangibly, like water, and enveloped Jake's body. A look of surprise, and maybe pain, washed over his face as his body slowly altered. Legs and arms became hooves, the head changed, mass seemed to vanish as he grew shorter to the usual pony size, and a horn sprouted from his head. His fur came in as a dark reddish brown, and his mane and tail retained his hair color. The process took a half hour, and when it was over he stumbled away, eyes rolling. Celestia and Luna sat, breathing hard, and watched him.
“This is weird,” Jake said, tripping and falling over having four legs. Twilight caught him with her magic and stood him up, adjusting his spacing so he could at least stand. “Guess those magic lessons are going to pay off now though.” He chuckled and tried to look up at his new horn.
The humans entered the circle flanked by the alicorns in the order they had stepped forward in. Xander came next, becoming a half earth pony half zebra perhaps due to his human lineage. His coat was a light shade of blue, but it was also marked by many dark stripes.
“I suppose I should have expected this,” he sighed and stepped down, taking it slower than Jake had.
“Darling, you look exotic. Don't be upset.” Rarity was eyeing the still large, now stallion, quite aggressively.
He winced at the word exotic. “Please, don't.”
The fashionista blushed lightly. “I'm sorry, I only meant to say that it looks good on you. There is no reason to feel ashamed of who you are.”
Xander nodded, clearly not convinced, but it was nothing he hadn't dealt with before. Pete certainly felt sympathy for him.
Once again Lance followed. The transformation took slightly longer, the fatigue of the sister's showing, but the process remained the same. Almost an hour later another earth pony was deposited, coat and mane very similar shades of yellow, the coat just a little less vibrant than the mane and tail. Lance stood up, carefully and looked himself over. With a deep breath he walked over to Applejack and smiled.
“Well, if you didn't like my human self, how about this?”
The farm pony went slack jawed. “Are you sayin' you agreed to this because of that?”
“It certainly crossed my mind.”
She blushed and looked away from him. “S'all right,” AJ mumbled.
“Wait,” Pete stepped over, “What are you two talking about?”
“None of your business, Pete Powell!” Applejack shouted, the human deftly moving his foot to avoid her hoof crashing down on it.
Lance chuckled and sat. “I won't lie,” he grinned at AJ quickly, “I came onto miss Applejack a while ago and she turned me down. She said it was awkward because I was a human. Now I am not.”
The collective had to keep from bombarding the pair with questions. There were too many and AJ was right, none of their business.
“Well, hopefully that works out for you, Lance.”
After a long down time the next person stepped into the circle. Maxwell became a pegasus, surprising everyone considering most pegasi were hyper active, and Max was the opposite. His coat was a deep red that complimented his naturally orange hair, now mane. He said nothing as he slowly walked back over to the group.
“He's going to need flying lessons,” Rainbow said to the group.
“I hope he isn't afraid of heights,” Fluttershy added in her usual tone. “I mean, it would be kind of sad if he was like that and, um, didn't like flying.”
“Like you?”
Fluttershy eeped and blushed, looking at the ground. Lucy, almost naturally, crouched and put an arm around the pegasus. Things were coming to light, it seemed, that Pete felt he should have known. It had been a long time since he'd caught up with any of the humans, or the other Elements for that matter.
Lucy was next, her pony form becoming a pegasus as well, an almost bland white coat to go with her black mane and tail. Like Lance she walked over to her host pony, only she was blushing.
“D-do you remember? Y-you said it was awkward in public because I-I was a human?” she forced herself to speak. Fluttershy blushed crimson and nodded in response, and her nod was met by a sudden kiss. The recently human, turned mare, confidently and almost desperately kissed the shy pegasus in front of her. It went on for almost a full minute, the entire group frozen with shock at the forward display of affection.
Lance was the first to recover, shooting Applejack a grin that brought another blush to the mare's cheeks.
Once the kiss was over Fluttershy looked at the group, still red, and said, “W-we've been, um, dating f-for a while. I hope that's not weird.” Her sentence trailed off into silence at the end.
Pete stepped forward. “Fluttershy, I'm dating two mares. How is what you're doing any more weird than that?”
Instantly her friends were at her side, hugging the mare and congratulating them both, and even the humans turned ponies got in on it. Pete realized it probably gave a few of them hope for their own crushes and potential relationships. Strangely, he felt things would probably get easier for him too once he was a pony. Then it got dark.
The group looked up from their hug as the light returned, and it became dark again. Outside the window the sun was moving, as was the moon. The week that Canterlot had been stuck in daylight was passing by now. Whatever field of power kept the sun in place dissipated causing the astral bodies to match up with the outside world. When it finally stopped moving the sun was positioned almost for nightfall, a sign for Luna to lower the sun and raise the moon.
Pete was still human.
“Maybe the field shrunk enough with just us?” Jake proposed, trying to scratch his head with a hoof.
They turned to Celestia for answers, but the Princess of the Sun was staring at her sister. Slowly their eyes drifted to Luna. She swallowed nervously under their gaze, and then met her sister's eyes.
“I didn't know.”
“Know what?” Pete asked, confusion obviously written on his face.
“The humans of old they didn't mix with ponies, they were too different. They were immune to our empathy, they couldn't cast magic, they were the weakest species on our planet. I had to do something.”
Celestia's face became like stone. “What did you do?”
Luna turned to face Pete, tears in her eyes. “It was the only way. You wouldn't wake up. Please.”
Pete stepped back, a tightness forming in his chest. “Am … am I dead? Did I die?”
Solemnly Luna nodded, “I made you a new body, a new form. I changed things. Adapted you to our world and placed your soul inside it.”
The human looked down at his hands and then his body. It wasn't his, not really. It was new. That was why his heart never hurt, why he was missing scars, why his eyesight was perfect now.
Luna managed a smile and took a step .towards him “But this means not all of the humans need to vanish again. There is still one.”
A sudden darkness cast over Pete's heart. One. The last human. Only one. There couldn't be any more, or at least there was no reason for them to be. If they were they would be like him. The discomfort at the idea of swapping souls into new bodies was apparent on everyone else's face. A nervousness about the concept, and perhaps a fear about the one in their midst.
Without a word Pete left the room. He ran down the stairs only to be met with Luna at the bottom, the alicorn having teleported ahead of him. She tried to reason with him again but reason was not on Pete's mind. Distorted and angry, he held out his arm and channeled. The magic built up in his finger tips. Luna's eyes went wide and she shouted for him to stop, but it was too late.
Pete screamed in agony on the floor of the Night Guard barracks, abandoned during the day. His arm was a bloody mess, more of a stump or paste. Releasing magic without a reinforced casting implement causes severe damage to the caster. What was left of his arm was in pieces, most of them on the floor. Bits of bone and flesh. But he was Equestrian made. Magic flowed within him naturally, and unnaturally his blood steadily ceased to flow from the grievous wound. He was dizzy, sick, injured, but alone. He needed to be alone. To think about what Luna had said meant.
The wound beginning to heal signaled the first course of his thoughts. He was, effectively, a human unicorn. His magic would sustain him longer than anyone else. Hundreds of years suddenly opened up before him. He would be the one to outlive his mates, not the other way around. Another realization struck him as he clung to the remains of his right arm, which now stopped at the elbow. He had cast magic without his sword. The power was his all along, the Nightmare fragment simply allowed him to use it without injury.
A whimper escaped his lips as the pain surged again. Tears rolled down his face and he rested his head against the wall behind him. He was in the office of the barracks, that much he knew, but it was all he really knew any more. Luna had kept something so massive from him, something that explained so many strange things.
His thoughts were all he had as he sat in the corner next to the pulp that had been his arm, crying. Shade or Wisp would find him soon enough, when the Night Guard shifts started at the latest. Until then he sat and tried to deal with what he had learned. After a while his thoughts slowed down and he became very tired. The adrenaline rush was ending and he began to feel the pain even more. His eyes closed as he heard the door to the barracks open and somepony began to shout, but their voice sounded far away.
He woke up slowly, dazed and blurry eyed. For a second time since arriving. His right arm came instinctively to his face and he rubbed his eyes. The room was vaguely familiar, it was the castle infirmary. A typical hospital gown had been put on him, he realized as he sat up and looked around. The gauze flanked doctor was reading a chart across the room, oblivious to her patient's awakening. And then Pete realized his arm was back.
Stunned he pulled his right arm, which he'd just used instinctively, up to his face and stared at it. Fingers wiggled on command and there was no sign of the damage he'd done at all. Then the doctor noticed him. Their eyes locked for a second and she jumped up and ran out of the room. Pete, still blurry and sore, laid back down knowing full well what would come next. Within minutes his assumptions were proven correct as Rainbow Dash practically dive bombed into his bed, forcing her way under the covers and into his arms. Followed shortly after by stamping a hoof onto his chest and knocking the air out of him.
“You idiot!”
“I know,” he choked as he struggled to breathe.
Seconds later his bed was surrounded by ponies, including the princesses. Luna was to the side discussing Pete's condition with the doctor while the rest of them looked at him with mixtures of fear and anger. Mostly though it was obvious they wanted to know what had prompted him to run away. And he began to explain.
He reminded, or told if they didn't know, the humans now turned ponies that their lifespans would be different. Holding up his restored arm he explained how it had stopped bleeding on its own thanks to the magic that he now knew was innate to him. How unicorns lived the longest for the same reason, how he had been experiencing things the other humans hadn't. The realization that he was, in a strange way, alone now.
“We're still here,” Jake said, wobbling his way onto his back hooves to slam a forehoof on the bed. “We may be ponies now, and there's going to be some getting used to for that, but we were human once. You'll get through this.”
“Why do we not change him into a pony as well?” Xander inquired of the royals.
“Because my sister has already made him in tune with this universe,” Celestia started, “we don't know what making him into a pony would do.”
“If we risked it,” Luna stepped over and looked at Pete sadly, “he may not survive. The change may give him additional magic, and he already has more than he should have.”
Celestia looked at Luna coldly. “And who is at fault for that?”
The blue alicorn looked at the floor and sighed. “I have already apologized, sister. I do not know what else to do.”
Pete sighed and laid back. “I'm sorry for running off, and thanks for fixing my arm. I think that,” he sighed again, “I just need some more time to process this.”
“We understand, Pete,” Celestia nodded. “Don't do anything foolish again, please. Luna and I will see what we can do, but it will be pointless if you end up dead.”
The princesses wrangled everypony from the room, Rainbow Dash included, and Pete pulled the blanket on the bed up to his chin. Alone again with just his thoughts. Stable now, clear headed.
I knew there was something about you. The mysterious voice made Pete sit up and look around. This time he saw something. The same large figure from Chrysalis' cave. A mass of scaly darkness. No, darkness wasn't right. It was tangible, or at least it had texture. How had it gotten into the castle without being seen?
No one can see me unless I want them too, Pete Powell. I know quite a lot about you, but you don't know anything about me. So I thought it was time for some quid pro quo as you say.
Pete shook his head. The creature's mouth didn't move, it wasn't speaking aloud.
I am an Aspect. A special race the dragons tried to create with their own brand of magic long ago. We feed on the emotions of certain creatures, each of us specially tied to one individual until they pass. And you, your dark thoughts are absolutely delicious.
“Fuck you,” Pete spat.
Oh please, you embarrass me. The simple fact is I'm here, and I've been watching you ever since your trip to Ponyville. Feeding on those twisted little thoughts. Your anger, you lust, your desire for power.
“You were in the forest. You led us to those changelings,” he realized, too late now.
Very smart, boy. You see, there is a catch to me. I am bound to you, like it or not. I can't do anything to harm you, not directly. Mmm, but I can taunt you, wear you down, lead you to places and things that might.
“What's your goal? What do you want from me?”
The more you feel those emotions the stronger I become. And that is what I want. I want you to sink into the rage, the primal feelings locked inside your brain, let them out, let them be in control.
“You're like a changeling then, feeding on thoughts and emotions.”
Close, but quite different as well
The shade leaned forward and touched Pete's arm, his hand suddenly, painfully, swelling with muscles. It changed, much like it had with his sword, but it was bigger, and it looked exactly like the claw of the Aspect. Pete jerked his arm back, his flesh turning normal as he did.
I'll be around. Watching, waiting. And one day you'll be at your lowest, your weakest. When you really need power, I will be there. Then, only then, will I finally achieve what none of my kind had before.
His laughter trailed off into the air as he vanished from sight, and from Pete's mind. The human pressed his back against the wall and stared at the empty room. Another mystery, another dark shadow that wanted to control him. More monsters.
Across the castle, Celestia had finally broken the seal on the journal. She poured through it in a matter of hours, skimming details she knew, searching for something. At the end she found it. Mention of a mysterious magical artifact, made by-.
A shadow caught her attention, strange, almost with form. It vanished as she looked. Part of her wanted to dismiss it, but shadows and darkness were his specialty. They had been when he was around. How he had survived this long she didn't know, but Cadance's reports on Sombra's own journals had proven it for her. Somehow he had survived tens of thousands of years. A normal unicorn, powerful, but just a unicorn. At least he had been.
Author's Note
Three.
The Hunt Begins
Two days in the hospital had left Pete stir crazy. Even with Rainbow Dash visiting for hours a day he was sick of laying in bed doing nothing. When the doctor finally released him, it was on the orders of Luna who requested his presence in the audience chamber. Unsure of what to expect, he headed there immediately. Inside stood the Elements of Harmony, as well as the five newly made ponies. Once again the guards were missing from the room, signifying the importance of the conversation.
All eyes were on him as the doors opened and he walked forward. Celestia and Luna were, as ever, imposing on their throned dais, but they weren't sitting this time. They were standing, and it looked like he had interrupted something important. The collective watched as he approached, some apprehensive, other concerned. Finally as he reached the group Celestia turned to Luna.
“No, absolutely not.”
“He is our only option, sister.”
“I'm sorry,” Pete held up a hand. “Only option for what?”
Luna shot Celestia a look as the elder alicorn opened her mouth, making her close it slowly.
The Princess of the Night then began, “My sister has found evidence that an ancient foe of ours is once again active. He has been behind events as recent as Sombra's return, and as old as my own corruption to Nightmare Moon.”
“Who in the world can be that ancient? I mean, you two are thousands of years old. It's not Discord, clearly, so who is that powerful to live so long and be able to make Nightmare Moon?”
“He goes by the name of Eclipse,” Celestia said. “Our ancestors took the job of turning the sun and moon around the planet and stole from him a position of power.”
“Eclipse used his powers of darkness to coat the sky in black, rather than move the sun or moon. It was a good alternative, but when our ancestors arrived and began to move them expecting nothing...”
“He got greedy,” Pete surmised. “Tried to fight the alicorns of old, lost, and has been in hiding?”
“Correct.” Celestia nodded approvingly. “I recently obtained his journal and he makes note of an artifact of his own design. A powerful piece of magic technology that he claimed could rival our power. After he writes about completing it however the entries stop.”
“Sounds like a simple task. Twilight and her friends go out, find the thing, bring it back. Why am I the only option?”
“Because, Pete, sending the Elements away now would leave us vulnerable, and the journal is not so clear on the artifact's location. Whoever we send is going to have to do a lot of work trying to find it.”
Pete crossed his arms. “So me. The disposable former guard who just set up his life in Ponyville?”
“You aren't disposable,” Luna insisted, “The new ponies are not yet capable, despite their insistence, and as Celestia has mentioned we cannot spare the Elements in case of an attack.”
“Scouts then,” Pete suggested.
Celestia shook her head, “If we sent anypony related to the military out they may have to cross borders, and then we may end up with international incidents on our hooves.”
“So it's not because I'm disposable, it's because I have the training, but I'm not official.” Pete sighed, “Because you know if it's this important I won't say no.”
Luna blinked in surprise. “You won't?”
“I hate it, but no. How could I? It took me a long time to quit the guard because of this, and even if I don't want to do this I can't ignore it. Rock and a hard place.”
“I'm going too,” Rainbow Dash flew up and put a hoof on Pete's shoulder. “I'm not letting you walk out of here alone after what you pulled.”
“Rainbow, the whole point of me going is so the Elements of Harmony stay here, together.”
“Pssh, please! If something goes wrong there's no where we can go I can't get back here in a day, tops. Fastest flier in Equestria, remember?”
“Rainbow Dash, that is not the point,” Luna interjected.
“I dunno,” AJ shrugged, “She's pretty fast if you ask me. And Pete definitely needs somepony to keep him in case he does anything stupid again.”
“Princess,” Twilight looked at Celestia pointedly, “Rainbow is right. We can't just send Pete out alone. Not just because of what he might do to himself but because of how everyone else might react to him. More than ponies, every other race out there too.”
Celestia sat for a moment in silence before shaking her head. “I can't stop her. If she wishes to go then there is hardly anything I can do but object. Just be sure to return as soon as you can, both of you.”
Pete nodded, “Of course, Princess.”
Luna's horn began to glow and she materialized Pete's sword from wherever she had kept it. It floated down to the human, who couldn't help but feel ominous about it. He stood with it in hand for a moment after Luna's magic faded. Nothing happened. Silently he slid the weapon around his back where it had sat before during his time in the guard. Like it had never left. A second of revulsion flashed in his mind, thinking of the Aspect's offer of power the day before, but he pushed it away. Once more he needed the Nightmare weapon, for better or worse. The devil you knew.
Celestia then floated the journal to him, explaining that she had already found a possible location for information. A small settlement on the Northern border of Equestria. This Eclipse had made his home in a crater left by some meteor thousands of years ago but the location of the hole had been lost to time as national boundaries were redrew, areas were renamed, tribes rose and fell leading to civilizations. History that was lost even to the sisters. She also suggested that he read the journal himself as a fresh pair of eyes could gleam information she might miss in her assurance of past events.
Supplies were fetched from the kitchens, as well as some bits in case any expenses came up. All in all Pete and Rainbow were ready to be gone for several weeks. Before leaving he turned to Twilight.
“Tell Stella that Rainbow and I will be back as soon as we can, okay?”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “It's always hard leaving our families when we have to go out on missions, but we do it to protect them. She'll understand.”
Pete smiled back, and he and RD left. They boarded a train heading to the North and settled in for a long ride. Rainbow stretched out and napped, her head on Pete's lap. The human decided to take Celestia's advice sooner rather than later and began to read the journal. It was strange, written in a clearly unrefined style of Equestrian. Much like early English before spellings for words were officialized. It struck him as funny though. Due to his past as a writer, spending years in college reading old books, he was uniquely suited to parse through the journal's old dialect.
It was simple enough in the beginning. Eclipse, as he called himself from the beginning of the journal, documented his early life and discovery of his talent. He lived in an ancient time with a unicorn tribe and like all stallions was placed as a lookout. One event in particular they came under attack by what sounded like timber wolves of yore. His talent manifested as he blinded the wolves with his dark magic, literally covering their eyes with darkness.
He then documented several months or perhaps years, even he was unsure of the time, of training. The sun in those days never moved. What lived managed a slim existence in caves and living as nomads between the halves of the world that were in light and dark. Eclipse then proposed an alternative to both, to shade his people with his magic in exchange for essential worship. He wanted to be free of responsibility, his whims tended to, mares to please him. And they were happy to oblige his price for a way to escape the sun.
Pete nudged Rainbow awake as the train pulled in at their stop. Ultimately they still had a long trip ahead of them on foot as the town Celestia had mentioned was small and thus had no train going to it. He pulled his new jacket, thankful that Rarity had rushed his clothing as promised, tightly around his body. At that moment with a stretch of cold dirt road ahead he wished they could have left in Spring. Dash was mostly unaffected but she was also bundled up in her own way.
Two hours later they came to the small village, smaller even than Ponyville, and the residents couldn't help but stare at the odd couple. Naturally Pete stood out and most of the ponies kept their distance.
“Maybe I'll go ask around,” Rainbow offered with a reassuring smile, “Probably faster that way.”
“Yeah, you're right. Now that I think about it I'm really glad you came along. You'll make this process a lot easier.”
She grinned and puffed out her chest. “Leave it to me! I'll find out what we need to know and we'll be back home in no time.”
Winter gave way to Spring, something Pete was grateful for, but the leads continued to go to dead ends. Rainbow Dash and the human had tracked into griffon lands searching for anything about ancient craters. They had given up on specifically meteor or asteroid impact zones. If something like that had happened it was lost to history. They were simply looking for any old holes in the ground. Almost three months had passed since they left. While sending letters home was possible receiving them was difficult because they were constantly on the move. It was a warm feeling whenever they did manage to get one, either because their search led them back through a town or because of a devoted post official.
With the passage of time also came the depletion of their reserves. Pete had taken to doing odd jobs in the towns they stopped in. Particularly smaller communities seemed to always need some form of wildlife removed from the area that the locals were afraid of, and medium sized towns got a kick out of some of Rainbow's aerial stunts, with special effects support courtesy of Pete's magic. It wasn't a large income but it got the two by in their search. Gathering crowds and winning trust also loosened lips making information gathering easier.
After one event a griffon approached them. He knew of their search and directed them to a lake on the other side of a mountain nearby.
“We're looking for craters, you know, holes in the ground? Not lakes.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
“Dash, lakes happen when holes in the ground fill with water. And this hole we're looking for is supposed to be ancient.” Pete shook his head, cursing his own stupidity. “We should have been checking lakes too. This damn artifact could literally be under tons of water.”
“What do we do if it is? I can swim, but I don't think I could hold my breath that long.”
“Me either, but we do have an advantage here.” Pete tapped his sword and Rainbow gained a look of comprehension.
“Oh yeah, you could probably raise the artifact up with magic or something.”
He laughed, “Or something, yeah.”
They thanked the griffon for his information and set out for the mountain he had pointed to. It was a balmy day, not hot and not cold, which made it perfect for travel. A complete reversal from when they had started. Led by Rainbow Dash, Pete felt secure enough to pull out a map of the modern world and count the noted lakes that could be large enough for their search. They had passed several, which meant more backtracking. While he wasn't fond of the idea, he did enjoy the fact it meant they might get more letters from home. Part of him also couldn't wait to tell the others about his screw up of forgetting lakes. Once the artifact was found it would make an amusing story.
The path twisted around through a small forest and Pete could almost forget they were on a vital mission for the fate of the world. It felt like a hike through the woods. Even Rainbow Dash was smiling as she floated along in the lead. Sure, the search had taken much longer than they had expected, but progress was being made. Every step brought them closer to their goal. Although Pete was starting to think it might have been better for Celestia to have started an international incident. At least it wouldn't have taken three months for someone to start dredging lakes for magical relics that way.
Near the base of the mountain the path split and the couple stopped to argue which way was better. Pete preferred going around. Less dangerous, easier walk. Rainbow, of course, said they should go over because it would be faster. The human wasn't sure of that though, as there were many dangers that could impede their progress across the mountain. He'd also never been up a mountain before and had no idea if there were precautions he should take before hand.
Their argument was cut short as a wave of energy shook the world. Confused, they looked around and then gasped. In the direction of Equestria a dome of pitch black had appeared. From afar there was no way to tell how large it was, but the fact they could see it from there was a testament to its size. They froze despite the warmth around them. Silence filled the area. Rainbow looked at Pete, and he knew. She had to go. Something was wrong and it was time for the Elements of Harmony to do their thing.
“We should go,” she said, emphasizing the we.
“No, you should. I have to find this thing.”
“What if he has it? What if this search has just been a huge waste of time?”
“Then you can come get me after you girls blast him into submission.” Pete reached out and ruffled Rainbow's mane, to her annoyance. “You really think some doofus calling himself Eclipse is going to best the Elements of Harmony? Celestia might even take care of him herself if you don't get there fast enough.”
Slowly she nodded, “Yeah, yeah, you're right. No one's going to defeat me and my friends. I'll go take care of this guy and then come find you. Then we can go home together.”
Pete smiled, “I'm certainly ready for that.”
He watched her fly off into the sky, waving as she went. Part of him believed his words. The Elements of Harmony were something primal in this world, a power that defied conventional reasoning. A simple unicorn, no matter how strong, couldn't defeat them easily. Another part however was worried. Nausea filled his body as he thought about this being the last time he would see Rainbow. With a deep breath he convinced himself it wouldn't be, he was just sad to be alone again. She would be back in a couple of days, tops.
Pete knew that something was wrong when the dome didn't disappear. When weeks went by without any communication from Equestria. The dark shell surrounding the nation sat ominous in the skyline, like a looming threat waiting to pounce on the world at large. Griffons began stationing themselves on the outside of the dome, soldiers quarantining a hazardous zone. Travel to Equestria was obviously banned. None of which made Pete feel any better.
At best the Elements of Harmony had been captured, and who knew what had been done to them. Worst case, they were dead. As hard as he tried not to, his mind constantly drifted back to it. They were dead. He was too late. A failure again. Somehow it motivated him. He kept going on, searching for the artifact that Celestia had deemed this important. Spring became summer, fall, winter again, and during that time his search became fueled by something new. Nobel intentions were gone. Revenge was all that burned inside of Pete.
And then, after all that time, monsters began to arise from the darkness that surrounded Equestria. Pony shaped figures of inky blackness that attacked anything that lived. Normal animals fled from the monsters. Nature rejected the beasts and they gave no care for nature. They could kick down trees and homes, even monstrous creatures like manticores and Ursa even gave way to the small aberrations.
In the wake of these creatures the remaining nations banded together and formed a collective army to stem their flow from Equestria's borders. Security became tighter and though many had already gotten through into the lands beyond, the rest became dormant again. Standing menacingly on the other side of the dome looking out at their foes and wardens. Those that had gotten through roamed the lands freely, meeting minimal opposition as they traveled from village to village. In time they would become a gruesome threat, but Pete had yet to meet a single one as he wandered into a village in the spring of his second year on the hunt.
As with any community he visited the first stop was the tavern. There was only one thing he wanted, information. If the person, griffon, pony, whatever, that had it wasn't at the tavern then someone at the bar knew where they were. Conversation ceased as he walked in, sword openly worn on his back. Any one of a dozen griffons liked to make a statement about his armed state in the past, but the arrival of the shadow ponies had made weapons common again. Many that would have made a comment turned back to their drinks, the rest didn't care about his sword.
“I know you,” a voice shouted from the far end of the room. “You're that human thing, aren't ya? Got out of Equestria just before it turned into Tartarus itself.”
“Yeah, I did, and I am.” Pete walked to the middle of the building and raised his voice. “I'll make this short. I'm looking for information. I have spent the last year searching this whole side of the globe for a single thing. A damn crater from thousands of years ago that was caused by a rock falling from the sky. Does anyone know about any myths or legends from anywhere about something like that?”
Myths and legends were what he had to resort to now. All facts and confirmed stories had turned up nothing. At one point he had used an old pre Equestrian map to see if there were any landscape differences, and there were, as well as a few old town names. Either changed or abandoned. It, along with the journal, had given him a better idea of where to search. He knew he was in the right place. He just needed to find where this rock had landed.
“I might know a guy,” a chubby looking griffon at the bar said, “But you ain't getting it for free.”
Pete shrugged. It was never that easy anyway.
“What do you want then?”
“I live near the edge of town, right? And we've had a couple sightings of those pony monsters in the woods. A good night's sleep would be nice. One where I don't have to worry about being attacked in my sleep.”
“Let me guess, small town, no guards?”
“They all left to maintain the border,” a barmaid chimed in with a scowl. “Those monsters took my best customers mind you.”
“All right. I'll go run them off.”
“Kill em.”
“Or that. Whatever it takes.”
Pete walked back out the door and made for the woods. The sunlight didn't bother the shadow creatures, from what he had heard, but they did prefer the darkness. Caves, forests, but it by no means stopped them from chasing anyone into the light. He hoped their numbers were few. Fighting a group of unknown enemies wasn't tactically advantageous, and they were complete unknowns to him. He drew his sword as he entered the forest, ready for anything.
It was dead silent. A sure sign something was wrong in the woods. Birds that should have been chirping, animals running around, but there was nothing. Silently he began putting gashes into the trees with his blade. It didn't dull, as he had learned in the guard, so there was no worry about cutting wood with it. He would need a trail to find the village again once he was done and it was the simplest solution. Maintaining a straight line was difficult, but it was better than wandering and getting lost intentionally.
An hour passed without a sight of anything, shadowy or otherwise, before he found them. Four creatures, definitely pony shaped, but they were entirely black. They even lacked eyes. It was as if someone had ripped a shadow off the wall, given it three dimensional form, and set it loose. Featureless and haunting, except for the existence of a mouth. Why these things needed mouths Pete didn't want to know. Instead he took a deep breath and ran straight for them.
They reacted as soon as he began moving, leaping out of the way as though they were filled with helium, floating and landing without noise. A high pitched hissing noise came from their maws and they lunged. Something stopped Pete from swinging his sword though. Despite their terrifying appearance they also resembled ponies and he found himself conflicted. Instead he swung a fist, landing a solid blow to one's face. Another bit into his arm as he dodged to the side to avoid the other two that were aiming for his center of mass. Angrily he slammed the one on his arm into a tree. It let go and laid prone on the forest floor. Three left.
One charged, head down, and Pete met it with his knee. Sharp pain rocketed through his leg, but he pushed on, grabbing the shade in a headlock and lifting it with ease. Despite their speed and silent movement they were quite heavy. Pony weight at least. The thought made him worry about hurting them. Perhaps they were ponies, corrupted by the dark bubble over Equestria. As carefully as he could he knocked the second shadow out, tossing it aside and looking at the two remaining ones.
Though they lacked eyes he could feel them watching him. They waited, stock still. Pete put himself into a ready stance. Making the first move could go poorly. Light shone through the trees and cast over the shadows, highlighting their unnatural looks. It was like staring into a black hole and equally as unnerving.
“Well,” he mustered, “Come on!”
Intimidated or their task completed, the shadows suddenly vanished. They didn't run away or teleport. Like smoke they poofed into nonexistence, including the ones he had beaten unconscious. Shakily he sheathed his sword and limped back to town. He hoped the information the griffon had was good. Pete wasn't nearly as proficient with healing magic as a doctor unicorn would be, so the scar the bite mark on his arm was going to leave needed to be worth something.
“I'm rather impressed, human,” the griffon muttered as Pete walked in and sat down on a chair that was clearly too low for him. It beat standing. “We heard the things screeching from here.”
“Why, because I fought some pony sized shadows? No big deal.” It was, but his reputation as the Dread Captain of Luna's guard still hung around griffon lips. Protecting that did him favors from time to time.
“Well, I'd say you earned your information. There's an old hermit that lives out across the way, to the West. Crazy coot says he saw a lake drain itself one time and fill back up the next day. Like magic. No one believes him though.”
Pete blinked. A magically draining lake? It certainly sounded like it was worth checking out. “How far out is he?” He had to know; his leg still ached.
“Not far, a couple miles. Assuming those monsters didn't get him.”
Another complication Pete hadn't thought of. The wilderness was getting more dangerous with those creatures about. He thanked the griffon and stood up, making his way West towards the hermit. It was already midday and he didn't like the idea of staying out in the dark with those shadows around. Despite his gusto and healing magic the trip was slow going. Pete didn't know how to heal injuries he couldn't see, so the pain in his leg stayed as he walked.
It was a nice day all things considered, unfortunately Pete no longer considered all things. Even his pain, invasive as it was, only registered partially on his mind. He had suffered many injuries on his travels, and he was certain there were more to come with the advent of these new creatures. He couldn't let it get to him now though. Not with a new lead only an hour away, not as long as he had some hope to cling to.
The dirt road twisted and curved around several natural barriers, boulders and the like, but eventually it led to his destination. A cottage away from civilization, bringing up bad memories of the past that he had to shake away as he approached. It didn't matter, in the worst case he would have his revenge. His hope for that lied within the elderly griffon outside the cabin.
“Hold it right there,” the griffon shouted upon seeing the human. “I don't know what you are, but you need to leave.”
“I don't need to come any closer than this,” Pete shouted back, “Some folks at the tavern said you saw a lake drain one time? Like magic? I want to hear about that.”
The old griffon's eyes shifted around for a moment, questioning if it was a prank. After a moment of decision he spoke, “I was on a trip up near the capital. There's this big lake up there, nearly an ocean. Camped out one night to catch some fish, but around midnight the whole thing turned empty. I went to find someone to tell it to, but by the time we got back the next morning it was full again.”
Pete pulled out his map and examined it. The griffon capital was near the coast. Certainly it had a large lake nearby, but he and Rainbow had avoided it for several reasons. Pete's reputation for one, and the griffon's general hostility towards ponies for another. It was possible, but how could no one have found this place if it was in such a well trodden spot? It was his only lead. He had to follow it.
Thanking the old griffon Pete started towards the capital of the griffon's. At his current rate it would take him almost a month to get there, and twice as long to return to Equestria. An ache in the back of his mind reminded him that time didn't matter any more, that Rainbow Dash, and perhaps even Stellar Glow, were dead by now. He remained as optimistic as he could though. They might be captured, waiting for rescue, in which case time mattered greatly. Every second he spent could be agony for them. It burned in his stomach and pushed him on.
Weeks later, alone on the road, a group of shadow ponies approached him. Their actions had become more open and he had gotten used to fighting them. The way they always vanished bothered him, but it kept him from using lethal force. After all, if they could be stopped without it why waste the time and energy? Despite his soft approach the shades were far from reciprocating. They fought hard every time he encountered them. Another reputation had built up around him after his outing in the forest. Apparently few were strong enough to defeat the beasts. It didn't make sense to Pete, but he took it in stride. Anything to further his goals.
Five of them approached, spreading out slowly in a semi circle, their mouths hissing lowly. If they were capable of speech it was never clear. Mostly they hissed and bit. Pete took up a ready stance and waited. He found it best to let them make the first move due to their speed at retreat. Baiting them into an attack, making them commit in a way they couldn't easily evade from, that was what brought them down. They masked this weakness, if they were truly capable of thought, by moving as one. Four advanced, a mixture of leaps and dashes, while one waited off to the side to capitalize on any mistakes the human made.
Pete dodged right, away from the waiting shadow, and swiftly booted one of the runners in the face. It hissed as it flew back and rolled along the ground. His legs had always been a strength and all of the walking the past year had only improved them. However, the creatures were now on either side of him, a basic pincer. The kicked one recovered, rising silently to add to the number at his back. Three in front, two behind. Guard training didn't cover multiple combatants very well. The idea had always been to fight as a group, singling out opponents while keeping your ally's movements in mind. The Equestrians had the largest army in the world after all, troop numbers were large enough it was rare for oppositions to match them. He was the one outnumbered now.
They charged, all five at once this time. Pete decided to break through the two at his back, spinning around and rushing them. Putting all five back on one side of him would help. He aimed for the one he'd already kicked, lunging and bringing his knee to its face. Rather than try and land he allowed himself to fall onto the creature, dragging it and sliding along the ground with it before throwing it towards the others. His hands were scuffed from the slide, but the adrenaline kept the pain away.
Pick off the weak ones, thin their numbers. Military tactics began to sound predatory as he thought about his next move. It was how animals hunted after all. Hit the slowest, the youngest, the ones easiest to take down first.
They rushed again, the injured one hanging back. To avoid being surrounded again Pete decided to push through the four, attacking the straggler, and perhaps even taking it down in the process. As he darted towards them things went wrong. One suddenly went low and bit into his calf. Whatever it had instead of teeth were as sharp as a bear trap and clenched just as hard. He was almost certain he heard his leg break. No amount of adrenaline could mask the pain and he screamed. In seconds the others were on top of him and finally instinct won out over his decision to avoid killing whatever these things may be.
Sword freed from its sheath he struck down, bashing the one on his leg with the hilt and freeing himself. Changing the sword into the dagger he leaped backwards, wincing as he landed from the bloody wound in his leg. It needed healing. The shades regrouped as Pete regenerated the damage to his leg. The bone inside wasn't fully healed, but it was manageable at least. He had one final ace. With his sword out and magic on the table there was one surefire way to finish the fight without danger. He began channeling and chanting the spell for the same fireball he'd started his magic lessons with. His abilities had improved since then and with enough force the spell could be devastating.
One of the shades, the most injured, jumped towards him as he chanted. Perhaps, he thought cockily, it was seeking to take the brunt of the attack and give its comrades time to finish him. He wasn't going to give them the chance. At the same moment he began to release the spell the shade bit down on his dagger, and everything went wrong.
His spell broke and he reeled backwards from the recoil, letting go of his blade. It no longer resembled a blade of any kind though. Once more it was darkness, writhing tendrils like when it snaked up his arms, and the shadow gnawed on the mouthful of darkness, a disgusting, putrid scent pervaded the air accompanied by sickening squelching sounds. Like someone was eating raw meat, not just hamburger, but guts and entrails. After a moment the beast swallowed and his weapon was lost. Pete stared in shock as a pair of giant yellow eyes began to emerge from the once flat areas where eyes should have been all along. They were without iris, and they were wholly unnatural on the creature. Its head moved to look at him, if it could see now, and jittered as it did. Moving as if it were a failing animatronic.
“Peeeeeteeee,” it hissed audibly in a high pitched, almost whiny voice. Without taking a breath, as if the air had always been in its lungs and it only now had a way to let it out, the beast screeched again. Its voice unnatural, shrill, and scratchy. “Peeeeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeeeeeeee!” It screamed his name over and over, methodically, incessantly.
Pete scrambled back, never taking his eyes off the now screaming monster. How could he? It approached in equal steps, gaining on him slowly, until the four other shades pounced on it. The four creatures began to eat the screaming one, it was the only way to describe it. Their mouths ripped into it, peeling darkness away to reveal more darkness, and eventually nothing. Pete's name was shouted into the air even as the beast's comrades or brethren killed it. It didn't move, it didn't struggle, it screamed louder and louder until finally it had nothing left to scream with. Gone, gulped down with the same sounds it had made consuming his sword, his fragment of Nightmare. Pete was more than alone now, he was powerless.
Fear pierced his heart and he fled. How or if he could get away it didn't cross his mind. He simply ran, his own name screeched from that monstrous mouth echoing in his ears. His leg erupted with pain as he ran but nothing would slow him down. He would willingly let it shatter into pieces if it got him away from those creatures. The road stretched on for over a mile, and by that point he was tired, but he kept running. Eventually a town came into view on the horizon and he practically collapsed inside its walls.
A group of griffons surrounded him and carefully poked around him. At some point they decided he was safe and took him to an inn for rest. By that point he would have been fine with being killed. His leg was certainly broken again, and his entire body ached worse than it ever had during training. Worst of all was the screaming in his mind. It didn't stop. Even with the creatures no where around, even with the only one to ever say anything dead, it echoed in his mind. Haunting and sinister. A scream of loathing and need.
“You're that human,” a female griffon demanded as soon as Pete woke up.
“Yeah,” he looked around and clutched at his head. He had not slept well. “Where am I?”
“A town called Gyra. Founded by my great, great, great, grandmother, Gyra.”
Pete winced. Gyra was his next stop on the map.
“Did anything follow me here?”
The griffon raised an eyebrow. “Nothing that our troops saw. Was something following you?”
“Yeah, some of those fucking monsters.”
She nodded slowly, “We thought it was something like that. The gate is closed for tonight, but we want you to leave in the morning. Nothing that attracts those things is welcome here.”
“Why'd you even bother taking me in?”
“Call it a gut feeling.”
“Speaking of guts, my leg is kind of messed up. Any chance you can get it looked at before I leave? The better health my legs are in, the farther I can run.”
The griffon smirked, “You get what you want, we get what we want. I'll see what our physician can do.”
While Pete laid in bed, stuck in the simple room of wood planks and candle light, he figured it was time to do more reading on Eclipse. He had taken his time with the journal before but with recent events it came to his mind again. Knowing was half the battle after all. Information was often the deciding factor in many wars and he was painfully unaware of Eclipse's abilities to say the least. His monsters just ate a fragment of Nightmare Moon after all.
An interesting section of the journal talked about when the ancestors of the Princesses arrived. They openly demonstrated the ability to move the sun and moon, to the amazement of everypony around. Unlike Eclipse they did not ask for worship. They asked for peace among the various pony tribes, warning that if peace could not be achieved something terrible would happen. Clearly, to Pete, they were referring to the windigos that froze Equestria in the past that were only defeated by the fires of friendship. Their mentions however were vague and were off putting to some.
Many unicorns were hesitant about the idea, Eclipse vehemently denounced the alicorns as abominations for having traits of all the races, but many were convinced they were gods. That made sense to Pete after everything he Luna had done. Her ability to make new bodies and transfer souls seemed much more plausible to a being outside of the natural realm. Eclipse, later in his journal, had to agree. He fought the alicorns and lost, despite all of his power and training. Ego was the reason they were gods to him, however, because only a god could have possibly outwitted, out done his magic.
So he began working on a device that he claimed would enhance his magic hundred fold. The very device Pete was seeking. Eclipse fled his village, no need to fear the burning sun as the alicorns took their duties moving it and the moon. He described his newly created hideout in great detail. The crater it was in, the magic infused meteorite he found at the bottom that would become the device, the mountain range to the North.
Quickly Pete checked his map. Mountains were the slowest pieces of land to shift or change over time. Lakes near mountains. His current destination, the lake the allegedly drained itself certainly fit the possibility. So did a dozen other lakes, some he hadn't checked yet. The list narrowed further and hope renewed. He would have his revenge.
Screams drew Pete's attention outside. Tucking away his possessions into a crude knapsack he'd purchased long ago, he stood and looked out the window. Several shadow creatures were inside the town, marching towards the inn. He could feel their eyes, or whatever they had instead, watching him through the window. They knew where he was. It was possible they had always known. The guards outside fought, a couple managing to defeat some of the creatures, but they were fast, resilient, and coordinated. Several griffons lay dead in the street and Pete couldn't stand there any more. If they wanted him, they would get him.
Anger clouding his vision and mind, Pete stepped out of the inn, drawing the attention of the shadows immediately. They moved, slowly, jerking like the one with eyes had, towards him. He had no weapon, hopelessly outnumbered, and there was only one thing on his mind. Kill.
He channeled and chanted loudly, thrusting his left arm forward, fully aware of what was going to happen. The explosion rocketed him backwards into the stone wall of the inn, his back making a sickeningly loud crack on impact, causing him to scream even louder than his now missing left arm did. A teleport had once cost him his forearm, the fire magic had cost him his entire arm. Even his shoulder was missing. The smoke cleared and there were a half dozen burned shades, but a half dozen was a dozen too few. Pete tried to stand but his legs wouldn't move. He was paralyzed. Arm missing, legs nonfunctional, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Rage still burned inside of him. So much left undone. Visions of Eclipse standing in Canterlot laughing as the bastard learned of his death filled Pete's mind. With the last of his strength he raised his right arm and began to channel again, the strongest spell he knew. Wide spread destruction was certain. It would kill him, but it would send a message.
That's right, that delicious rage and hate. That primal desire. Kill! Get your revenge! The creature that had called itself an Aspect appeared on the edge of Pete's vision. Do you want power? More than that spell, more than any spell you've ever seen or heard of. The power to take your revenge, seize it with your own two hands.
It was what Pete wanted more than anything. To choke the life from Eclipse with his bare hands. Knees on his chest, fingers crushing his throat. Like he had wanted to do years ago to that griffon.
The Aspect walked forward, reaching down and lifting Pete with a single claw. Then give in to the rage, accept your hate. As long as you sustain me I will sustain you. We will be one and the same.
Pete looked at the Aspect, a hatred in his eyes he had never felt before. Deals with the devil never ended well, but a life of damnation for his revenge sounded fair. The Aspect grinned at the human's acceptance. It vanished suddenly, leaving Pete weak and leaning against the wall, his legs shaking. But he was standing. Strength returned to his body. He stood up straight and took a step forward, his legs worked. A warmth spread through is body, his muscles bulged, his destroyed arm reconstructed itself. Bone grew out, tendons and muscle forming around it, and then finally flesh. His body shook with a mix of pain and relief. He looked at his hands which now shaped into claws, black as night, and scales spread across his body. He could feel the changes happening all over. Muscles, size, clothes that fit ripped into pieces, his skin became scaly and dark to match his claws.
Pete watched as the corrupted shades backed away from his new form. A breeze blew on his midriff, confirming his larger size as he realized how much more focused he was. His eye sight was better than ever. Details invisible to most were razor sharp even in the dark, every muscle in his body was under his control. And he knew because he could feel each individual one. He felt powerful, intoxicatingly so. The Aspect was right, he could feel more power in this form than any spell he'd ever tried. Experimentally he flexed his claws and arms. It drew the attention of both himself and his attackers.
“Like a dragon,” he mumbled to himself, even his voice was deeper now. “This had better be worth it.”
Relax, it will be. Go ahead. Try it out on those husks. Your friends are dead. The voice of the Aspect was cold and factual. You know it as well as I do. Whatever blotted out the sun in Canterlot was stronger than Celestia. It wouldn't have let the Elements of Harmony escape. If they aren't dead they're in chains, tortured, or worse. Release your rage, Pete Powell. Feed me and my strength shall be your own.
A heat rose in the back of Pete's throat, an anger he'd never felt. Months of loss filled his mind, images of friends and loved ones injured or dead. His pupils contracted, a familiar feeling but oh so different this time. He didn't fight it. Anger flowed through is body and he roared, a sound that wouldn't have been out of place from a dragon's maw. This was what it was like to let loose. To allow emotion and instinct to rule. Claws tore into shadowy flesh, unearthly howls spilled from mouths that had been silent for years. All of it was drown out by a series of deafening roars from Pete.
The first shade he grabbed tried to bite but its teeth failed to penetrate his new hide. With a scowl the new Pete grabbed it by the head, his hand now large enough for such an act, and crushed it. The shade turned into goop that quickly vanished into smoke. Another attacked him from behind, but he could hear it now. They were light, but now he could hear everything. Voices gasping from streets over, watching the monsters fight in their city, insects outside the city even. He turned and punched the shadow, knocking it down. He stood and raised a clawed foot, his shoe hanging to it in tatters, which he slammed down with enough force to crack the stones under the pony shaped foe. The spectators recoiled as Pete loosed another loud roar. With his rage building he felt new changes taking place. Leathery wings sprouted from his back which he began to use to devastating effect. One creature he launched with a flick of his wing and then impaled on his claw. Another he pulled in close, unbalancing it from a leap and slamming it to the ground.
It felt good. To slaughter these creatures that had hounded him all day, that harassed the rightful inhabitants of the world. He was angry, and perhaps his violence was too far, but he wasn't wrong. A realization formed in his primal mind as he literally tore the final shade in half. Anger at losing his friends and family, his home taken over, his life stolen, ruined. There was nothing wrong with what he felt. It was natural. What he had spent his time suppressing was nature. No more.
You're a beast of desire now, kid. You don't need any more, you want. So tell me, tell the world. What do you want?
“Revenge,” Pete growled, walking over to his packed sack and lifting it like nothing. His old items, easily four pounds of weight, were like air.
He looked to the sky, the mountain range in the distance where the lake he was heading for before was. A chuckle accompanied images flowing into his mind. Wings flapping, movements, angles. How to fly.
I live to serve.
Pete released a pleased growl, a sound he strangely liked to hear. Wings spread behind him and he took off. Awkwardly at first, but he quickly got the hang of it. He had always wanted to fly of his own power, not with magic but wings of his own. Now he could. It had cost him too much.
“I'm coming, Eclipse. I won't die until I hold your warm, beating heart in my hand, and smash it.”
Author's Note
Two
Aspects were forged by dragons, Aspects would say born, but dragons would correct them. The dragons say forged because Aspects were weapons. Half spirit half dragon, combining the powers of the two forms for a single purpose. To defeat the alicorns.
Dragons missed the days when the sun stayed still. They thrived in its heat and the molten parts of the world it made. The alicorns were strong though. Despite the dragon's natural near imperviousness to magic the alicorns could will their way through. Tougher opponents the dragons had never faced, and their backs to a figurative wall they dredged up ancient draconic magic. Spells in the dragon tongue that were now forbidden by the treaty with ponies. Lost arts to all but a few. With these spells they made physical apparitions, completely immune to magic, immortal, unkillable.
However the pony leaders of the time were fierce and cruel. They attacked clutches, breaking eggs before the dragons inside could gain any resistances. Some were taken, the dragons flew to the ponies domain, furious, but the leader of the ponies was prepared. He stood atop a mountain on a cliff, and as the dragons approached they felt a wave pass over them. A potent magic unknown to them. And the pony smiled.
“How many of your number have come?” he called to them, his voice booming as a dragon's would.
“All of us, pony! We seek justice.”
“Then you may have it, but it has cost you your future.”
The dragons looked at him, angry and confused.
“As you flew in I released a spell. It has rendered each and every one of you impotent. And my sister holds the last of your eggs, safe from my spell. Unless you make peace with me here, now, your race shall be doomed.”
“We will not rest until every pony has been burned!”
“Then make peace. See that your race survives as well as ours.”
They had no choice. The Aspects were to be banished, as only draconic spells had the power, and the dragons were to divide their lands as all the other races were. Years later historians, of both races, would admit the deal was surprisingly fair considering the leverage the ponies held, but that did not help most dragons who grew to despise ponies and their culture. Not that they could do anything about it without bringing the full wrath of the pony leaders down on their race again.
The Aspects that were banished however were not banished completely, not all of them. Few still roamed, intangible, invisible except to a few. To those they could take energy from. Ghosts that needed to haunt individuals for the power to survive. Once bound to their host they became whole again, a need met deep in their empty souls. They would be forced to obey, subjugated by their host, but whole.
Pete learned this story during his second year as an Aspect from his new half. He had come to learn and appreciate the irony of what he was now. Aspects were enemies of the alicorns, weapons built to destroy them, and his deal had made him one. A deal made to save an alicorn. It had taken him almost a year to realize this, mostly because he had spent the better half of that year killing as many shadows as possible. Eight months in a nearly blind rage, never sleeping, never eating, only killing. If his title as the “Dread Captain” was not enough his new form had spread even faster. Rumors began to spread that he was a secret soldier made from dragons and Equestrians in case something were to go wrong. They weren't entirely wrong either.
Once he had calmed down Pete had thought about what he was doing, what his goal was any more. In that process he remembered why he made his deal, the irony of it all, and finally made it to the lake near the griffon's capital. Without a second thought he dove into the water, sinking to the bottom. He didn't need to breathe, he didn't need anything. He was a creature of wants now, not needs.
The impact of that statement struck him at the same time as his senses returned. Months spent without sleep or food. His anger sustained the Aspect inside of him, and in turn the Aspect kept him alive no matter what. No food, no sleep, not even air was needed any more. He could eat, he could sleep, he could breathe, but only if he wanted to. He could live a life of pure indulgence. Revenge was all he wanted, and it was all he needed. Dark thoughts, hatred, anger, revenge, selfish and destructive desires fueled his new form. The very things he feared sinking into were now his power; and he liked it.
At the bottom of the lake was a building, small, unassuming, easily hidden by the murky water. It was a single cube more than a building, with a single door that lacked a handle or any other device to open it. Pete held out his claw and channeled magic, his new form being made from dragon scales could withstand any spell and the Aspect within explained that dragons of old did it the same way. Bring the energy down to the tips of their claws or their palms, depending on the needs of size and accuracy, and then release. It was much easier than using his sword and he felt much more powerful doing magic with his own body. Or as close to it as he could be. The door did not budge no matter what he tried.
It's made from magic resistant materials. Strong stuff. Old as Tartarus itself.
'So what do we do?' he thought back to his other half.
Get real close, listen to it.
Confused, Pete stepped forward and put his ear on the door. A light clicking noise came to his attention, difficult to hear through the water, but present. His enhanced senses were even more useful than he thought.
'What does that mean?'
I think we just have to wait and see what happens when that clicking stops.
Pete growled and jumped, rocketing to the surface of the lake in a single bound. He didn't know how he knew, but he could feel the necessary power for each action he performed. How hard he needed to jump, punch, flap, run, stomp. Like a section of his mind was dedicated to calculating the perfect force needed to do anything. In a way it was disturbing, but more often than not it was useful.
'So, as long as I feed you, I get to keep these powers?' Pete sat on the shore of the lake, looking down at the building. Even with his enhanced eyesight it was impossible to see. That was why no one had found it before. Diving equipment didn't exist for griffons, and ponies were busy using magic to look at the bottom of their own lakes. Since he had the time and the frame of mind, he figured talking with his new mind companion would be a good way to pass the time.
Yes and no. You'll keep them as long as you feed me, yes, but you won't just lose them if you stop. Decide to become a moral little boy again and I'll have to fight you for control. You held me back this time, and the large number of shadows was a blessing. They were the source of your rage, so the more we fought them the more I got fed.
'What happens if I fail to hold you back?' Pete knew he wouldn't like the answer, but he had to ask anyway.
I don't have any problem killing living things, kid. I've seen the world almost burn under dragon fire. As long as I survive I don't care what I make you do, and I don't care what you do.
Pete stopped and raised an eyebrow, 'Does that mean if I were to, say, go back to fighting criminals...'
As long as you hunt them down with the burning anger you feel now, go nuts. See, the alicorns don't like my kind because we have to feed off of the magical energy released by emotions, much like changelings, but we're worse because we thrive off of the bad ones. So we're always pushing for bad things. Or we were, when we were around.
He sighed, a strange noise with his new voice. It was like having a devil on your shoulder to constantly antagonize you into doing the wrong thing. Pete couldn't help but recall his months of rampaging. It was like watching a movie, he had done it but it didn't feel like himself. That loss of control could be devastating in his new form.
Just stay angry, kid. Any time you get mad, any time you hate, any time you want to rip the still beating heart from some dumb motherfucker's chest and watch him cry in agony as you smash it in front of his face, I get a meal. When I get a meal, you move further back from that line of losing control.
It wasn't that easy and Pete knew it. Constantly being that angry would make anyone sound insane. There wouldn't be any way to hide that over time. Like walking around with an anger management problem. Eventually someone would say the wrong thing at the wrong time and he would snap. The difference was it would be himself snapping instead of losing himself to some dark beast that now resided inside of him.
We are one now. I don't just reside in you, I am you. And you're me.
“We're a happy family,” Pete muttered sardonically. He looked at his reflection on the surface of the lake. Everything about him was different with scales. His hair was the only thing that remained the same and looked out of place among his more draconic features. It was impossible to not see the dragon influences in his features even though he still had many things that made up a human face. A snout had not grown on his face, he still had a nose and mouth, but like everything else they were covered in scales as strong as any metal. His eyes were now an ethereal yellow and featured the typical slit pupil. In fact, he was sure that without the hair no one would know who he was at all. Which made him decide to keep it all the more. While losing it would have fit in more with his now scaly hide, keeping it reminded him of his true self. He was human, under the scales and anger, and as a human he had a promise to keep.
Pete had to fight the urge back, his pupils contracted again, a feeling he was becoming all too familiar with. It was the first sign of his rage taking over his usual thoughts. In six months the lake had done nothing. Every day he'd jumped in to check on the door, and it had done nothing. At one point he even sat on the bottom of the lake to watch the door of the the entire day. Nothing. He was sick of being stalled by a cube of a building, barely a shed, that had been built before most cities. Gryphos, the capital of the griffon's land, also called Gryphos, sat on the horizon and Pete knew with objective certainty that he could conquer the entire city in a day. Unfortunately thinking about that just made him angrier, and the city began to look like a good place to blow off steam. The way it gleamed in the darkness of the night. They wouldn't even see him coming in his new shape. Black as the night sky itself.
A gurgling sound caught his attention, his eyes returned to normal and he looked at the lake. Bubbles were pouring up from the middle, from the building. Without hesitation he jumped into the lake again, hooking his claws on the bottom to stop from being pulled in by the suction. There was no telling where the water was going, but it was going into the building. The door was opening, about half way down now, and the water from the lake was draining into it.
That's a deep hole
'Thank you, Scales.' Pete thought back with a roll of his eyes.
Wha- Scales?! I'm not one of your girlfriends. I do not need some kind of pathetic nickname.
'What is your name?'
I am an Aspect, we don't have names. We are beings of power that-
'Well, you said we are one and the same, but clearly you think on your own. I have to call you something and if you have no name, I will just give you one. Scales.'
Scales continued to rage inside of Pete's mind about his new name, but the man was focused on other matters. The lake was nearly drained, and the door to the building was completely open. There was a ramp inside the water was flowing down and over. It went down, very far down. What Pete couldn't figure out was how the water would get back up. There weren't any pumps or pipes near the surface of the lake, none that were visible as the water finally drained to his knees. So it wasn't pumped back to the surface. Magic could explain it. His own knowledge in that area was lacking to say the least. More than a dozen spells could be designed for exactly this situation and he wouldn't know one.
And just what kind of “name” is Scales? That's like naming one of those horses you fawn over “Fluffy.” I'm not a damn pet, kid!
“Then why do you keep calling me kid?” Pete mumbled aloud, taking steps towards the now opened door. “My name is Pete, and you know it. You've literally used it before.”
When you get as old as I am, everyone is a child. Except for those alicorns.
Pete looked down the slope, cautious. It wasn't a hard enough angle it would cause him to slide, but it was certainly steep. With his goal finally in sight though, he couldn't back down even if it was a straight chute to the bottom. He had to go in.
The slope was made of stone, and lacked any railing that would be present even on modern Equestrian structures. It went down, very far down. He could still hear water rushing and colliding with walls and itself. Like a waterfall in the distance. The bottom of the area wasn't visible even with his eyes. A long drop would be an understatement.
“How are the alicorns as old as you? Aren't you some being from ancient times?” Pete's voice echoed around him. The hole was definitely cavernous.
You'll see when you look at them, kid. They aren't the thousand or so year old alicorns you think they are.
“So they're gods, like Eclipse thought.” He continued talking to Scales as he walked down, the conversation welcome after months of silence from the beast. Not to mention the calming effect it had on his nerves. So close he could taste it, but not if he made a mistake now. He was in Eclipse's domain. Traps were certain.
Absolutely. We were designed to live forever so we could fight forever. As long as the gods were trapped in a cycle of dying and rematerializing they wouldn't have the time to move the sun or lead anyone.
Pete stopped for just a beat before continuing down the slope, which turned suddenly and continued down. Of course he hadn't missed that, he just didn't know how to address it. Fighting the alicorns, fine, of course. Aspects were living weapons, he'd learned that. Designed to live forever, that was sticking in him.
Yes, that means you too, human. We are one now. You are an Aspect. Spirits mixed with dragons to form the originals, and now we must parasitize others to become whole again. Without you and your acceptance I would have followed you until your dying days, and then found another to follow. Always bound, always preying, always waiting.
He swallowed hard. Having several hundred years ahead of him seemed awful before. This, immortality as it were, sounded like a nightmare. A never ending one at that.
It is possible you'll go crazy. But who knows, maybe those alicorns of yours will treat you to a little petrification. You can decorate their garden like that god of Chaos did.
Pete shuddered to think about that too. Being blasted by the Elements of Harmony, petrified for thousands of years. Was Discord awake during his petrification? Was he aware? Would he be aware? At least if he was free he could find ways to occupy the time of millions of years. Maybe he could be a piece of living history, telling historians about things that happened long before their time. He didn't want to think about it any more. The more he thought about it the closer he came to insanity, and he wasn't even thirty years old yet.
He refocused on the task at hand. The slope having finally reached a bottom, or rather an end point of some kind. Over the side the water was still not visible, so clearly it wasn't the bottom, but there was a room suspended over the nothing before him. That was progress, more progress than he'd made in his entire three year journey. At one point he thought he would be home in a few weeks, back with Rainbow Dash and Stellar Glow. Now he was trekking on, alone, years later. Eclipse owed him a lot. Even his death might not be payment enough for everything he'd lost over the years.
Inside, the new room was strangely familiar. He had seen Twilight's lab once before and the room was a primitive version. Calculations were written on the walls, subjects and specimens were in tubes. Several chunks of the meteorite that hit were soaking in various chemicals with different outcomes. Eclipse's lab, where the artifact to increase his magical power was conceptually designed, and possibly even created. There was a certain magic that clung to the walls. The kind of magic that stuck to things when massive events happened. Discord's original outburst had left a large swath of discorded lands in Equestria, and whatever had happened in this room had left the walls faintly glowing. Walls that were supposedly made to resist magic.
That's real power, kid. Ancient power.
Pete could do nothing but agree. It wasn't a taint just a mark where something incredible had happened. A thumbprint as it were. A mark on history. Despite his obvious egotism, Eclipse did have skills to back it up. Of course he did. He'd taken Equestria from a pair of literal gods.
Beyond the room was another slope and Pete became tired of walking. Spreading his wings out he flew along the side of the slope. Like the one before it there was a turn that led deeper, the slopes almost layering each other like a stairwell. This time the slope evened out flatly. Pete landed on it and the ground shifted. It was floating on top of the lake water. Looking back the sloped parts were held up by something, perhaps magic, but this piece was floating. Even if a unicorn, or someone without wings, had gotten to the bottom of the lake, and inside, without the water the final piece wouldn't be here. It would look, for all intents and purposes, like a bottomless pit.
Not trusting the shaking piece of stone Pete took back to the air, understanding now why Rainbow preferred to float or fly everywhere. At the end of the path there was a large room dug out of the rock. Its ceiling was high and lit by magic, it glowed faintly golden from a single point in the middle of the roof. In the middle of the room, atop several stone steps, was the artifact. A cube made of stone, covered in runes, with a single hole in one side. The theory was that by channeling a blast of magic into the cube the runes would power up and redirect the power back into the caster, bolstering their natural abilities. Eclipse had left it here, for some reason.
Pete stopped and looked around, his presence causing several symbols to glow on the walls. Some of them he was familiar with, others he had no clue, but the ones that he knew were the problem. They were trap runes. Designed to keep things out. It would take him time to disable them, more time spent waiting around, making slow progress, and who knew when the water would vanish, the door close. Trapping him inside for another month, or longer. A growl escaped his throat. He was tired of waiting.
Then don't, kid. Those runes would probably kill a normal person, but you aren't normal.
That was right. He didn't need to stop the security, disable whatever field Eclipse had set up. He had never encountered an Aspect. Something that was magically impervious. In fact, a dragon could probably have walked through the runes. Eclipse had prepared for a pony, another unicorn, or the alicorns.
Letting his anger flow, thinking about the sweet revenge in his grasp, Pete walked forward. The runes on the walls began to shine and their spells activated. Lightning and fire spewed forth in waves, and he didn't even feel them. Bolts of energy slammed into his stomach, where a pony's head would have been, but he didn't flinch. Grinning he continued up the steps, each and every spell bouncing off of his black hide until finally he wrapped his claw around the cube. The markings stopped glowing, and the light overhead faded. Pete laughed in triumph.
A roar broke his celebration. The water outside suddenly began reversing mysteriously, flowing upwards back into the lake. Smarter than most, Pete focused his magic and teleported to the shore of the lake to watch the water return. It was dawn, the light was weak, but enough to see. The water rushed out of the door it had gone down hours before, the lake refilling almost to the drop as the door shut behind the water. Magic had, of course, been the answer. Eclipse had been a unicorn after all. He loved to show off his power. Draining and refilling a lake? That was the kind of thing he would get a kick out of. Somehow Pete knew this. Years on the hunt had given him a rather keen look into the bastard's mind. And now it was about to be over.
He looked at the artifact. It fit in the palm of his over sized hand, perhaps bigger than a Rubik's cube. The question remained of what to do with it now that he'd obtained it. Bolstering his own magic could work, but he didn't know if he was strong enough to fight Eclipse himself. True, it had given the unicorn the ability to fight alicorns, but how strong was he before that, did he stack up to Pete's own skills? It was too much of an unknown, if would even work on his new body. The device itself was simple enough, Pete understood it at a glance with Scales' own magic knowledge being siphoned into his mind. The two really were one and the same and it helped Pete more than he cared to admit.
There was something he could do then. Something simple in fact. Like rewiring a piece of technology. He extended a claw to one of the symbols and channeled his magic, like a torch of arcane power. Slightly, every so slowly, he altered the symbol, changing its meaning and power. He hoped it worked, as he slipped the cube into his pants pocket which had thankfully been spared destruction in his change of shape. All that was left, was Eclipse.
“Well done,” the sound of clapping accompanied the voice, causing Pete to turn and flex his claws. Behind him stood a man, a human in all black, smiling and clapping. “Well done, Pete Powell. I knew you'd get here eventually. With enough help.”
“Who are you?” Pete growled, his teeth clenched.
“My name is Kayn, and I come bearing a gift. Another gift, aside from that Aspect you merged with.”
“The Aspect... how did you-?”
“Because he's not from this world. He's from one very, very similar, but not this one. In fact, the only difference between the two, aside from this Eclipse business, is that all of the Aspects here were wiped out.”
Wiped out? Bullshit. Come on, kid, waste this guy.
“Oh it's not bullshit, 'Scales,'” the man's grin widened.
“How did you hear that? Are you reading my mind?”
“Mind reading is easy when you're in my position.” The man flipped a coin towards Pete, who caught it without breaking eye contact.
A surge of magic passed over him, and he couldn't help but look at the coin. It was gold, and engraved with the face of a woman he'd never seen on both sides. The magic it held was impossibly potent, more impossible was the fact it held magic at all. Only organic material could hold a charge.
“Unless you're a god of some kind.” Kayn laughed and turned around, walking off towards a portal of darkness that appeared. “You'll know what to do with that coin when the time comes. I believe in you, my precious little pawn.”
With that, he was gone. Pete shook his head and looked at the coin again. He could feel the magic coming from it. So powerful he could even identify what kind.
Chronomancy, Scales rumbled, Incredibly potent. Kid, you're lucky to be alive. That guy could have killed us if he can do that to a coin.
Pete blinked and looked up at where the man had stood. Something told him Scales was right. Whoever that was he was powerful, even more so than the Princesses. Several things clicked into place about his life. About his death, his sword, Scales. All of it had been planned. He was a pawn. The anger sustained him as he flew towards the dark dome. He would use it to bring an end to the conflict. And maybe even set things right.
The inside of the dome was like night without the stars. If not for his new eyes Pete wouldn't have seen anything. But there was one light. Barely visible in the distance. It wasn't the outside, but rather a bubble within the dome. A familiar feeling emanated from it, calling to him. He flew past Canterlot, a pulsing magic from the castle told him exactly where Eclipse was. The dark castle would be the location of his final battle. For better or worse it would be the end. At the moment he flew past, towards the bright bubble in the darkness. A beacon of hope in despair. Ponyville was safe.
Luna braced herself for the dark looking beast that flew into town. She thought her barrier was impenetrable by the invading shades. The last several years she had been the only thing to keep them out, keep the last of the ponies safe. Sun and moon still set and rose within her sphere of Equestria, a bubble surrounding Ponyville. With their safety at risk however she was ready to do anything to keep it. Closer and closer the winged monster came, and as it came closer it slowed down. Finally it stopped and landed only a few feet away.
The princess lit her horn and sized up her foe. He was bipedal and well over six feet tall, covered in dark scales with piercing yellow eyes, sharp claws, and large bat wings. It was like a twisted version of something she would create. She was as intrigued by it as she was worried. It looked formidable to say the least. Maybe Eclipse was stepping up his game, building stronger foes. Its eyes gazed at her and she felt something from the beast. With a word it disarmed her.
“Luna,” it rumbled in a deep but familiar tone.
“Pete?” She could barely contain her emotions. “What has happened to you?”
The monstrous Pete gazed at a claw. “I became one with an Aspect. My sword was destroyed, I was surrounded. I didn't have any other options.”
Luna stepped forward and placed a hoof on the amalgamated human's chest. He was cool to the touch now. She knew, of course, what an Aspect was. He didn't need to explain. It was worrisome, but there were bigger problems now. She knew that too. She knew that Pete had sacrificed himself entirely to try and help them.
“It was worth it,” Pete placed his claw over Luna's hoof and looked her in the eyes. “I found it. The artifact.”
Realization crept onto her face. “You found it?”
Pete nodded and held up the cube he had found in the ruins. “I modified it. Hopefully it works. Either it works, or...”
They couldn't think about that. It had been three long, arduous years of death and darkness. A problem that yet threatened to plunge the world into apocalypse. If the artifact did not work then it didn't matter. There was nothing else they could do anyway.
“Tell me, Luna,” he asked softly, “The Elements, Stellar Glow?”
She removed her hoof from his chest and shook her head. He didn't need to know the details. He needed the anger. Knowing what Eclipse had done would help bring about his undoing. Pete swore to himself, and to his Aspect side, that he would let nature take over when the time came. Eclipse would die by his hands, or he would die to Eclipse. There was no redemption or imprisonment for this one.
“I'm going to settle this.”
“Wait,” Luna turned towards the town, “I shall rally what is left of our forces. We will-”
Pete held up a claw to stop her. “No, I'm going alone. This form is powerful, Luna. Much stronger than anything I could have imagined. It scares me, the things I could do like this. But it's the means to an end. I'm not afraid any more. I can do this, Princess.”
Luna tried to object but she couldn't find the words. Pete knew what he was doing. He had an air of confidence he lacked before. If he survived everything would be fine but if he failed, and they both knew that was possible, he would rather she keep as many safe as she could.
“Be careful,” was all she could muster.
Pete nodded and spread his wings, taking off into the oppressive darkness beyond Luna's influence. Out into the unknown. The last of her humans once again beyond her help. If he failed, she would do what she had been unable to bring herself to do for all those years. She turned back towards Ponyville, to the library she now made her own home. Inside she kept her armor, specially made for such a purpose. Eclipse, she knew, had bonded to Celestia's being. Destroying him without separating the two would kill her sister, but it had come to that. Pete was her last hope of things becoming even slightly normal again. The Elements dead, but her sister alive. She stopped at the door and looked out at the dark dome beyond her power and wondered if she shouldn't have stopped him sooner.
Pete landed in the blackened Canterlot with a thud. Shadowy creatures poured from every corner of every street. Twisted citizens of a twisted land. Even the buildings were cracked and ruined. He smiled, and Scales laughed. Taking a sadistic joy in fighting, that was a dark thought, a dark act, and the Aspect loved it. Pete felt a jolt of pleasure as he conjured up lighting to his claw tips and loosed it on the crowd. He joined Scales in a laugh as it shredded the creatures before him. It felt good to let go. To leap forward and physically pound one of the shades into smoke, adding to the cracked ground around them. Destruction, the shadow's pained final howls echoing into the void around them, it was pure ecstasy.
Moving up the street, spell by spell, attack by attack, crushing shadow after shadow. There was no end to them, but there was no end to his power either. Each one he brutalized he could feel himself becoming stronger. Letting go of himself had never felt so good, so right, so dangerous. It was a grim reminder in the back of his thoughts of what he could be once the world was set right. A monster no better than any other.
Eventually the horde broke. There were no more shadows or shades of any kind. It was silent on the steps up to the castle. Pete stopped and took a deep breath. He wanted to, it felt right to do. Stabilize his thoughts before proceeding. He had to be calm, to surprise Eclipse with his plan. It was a gambit that relied on everything working the way he thought it did. If he was wrong there would be a fight. One he might not walk away from. Once he was settled, he walked up the stairs and into the opened castle.
Pete walked into the darkened corrupted throne room of Canterlot castle. The black and starless blanket hung thick over the city, thicker than any where else in Equestria. Of course it would, its source stood on top of a pair of crumbled thrones. The room around them reflected the state of the thrones as well, cracked, broken glass and shattered columns. A black alicorn with nothing adorning his flank and piercing yellow eyes. Too familiar a scheme for Pete to not recognize. The human stopped as the sound of metal underfoot echoed. Beneath his feet were the Elements of Harmony, the physical items, rusted and shattered, their bearers no where in sight. Rage welled up within him, but he held it tight. There would be time for that later. He would not fail.
“I see,” the black alicorn stepped forward off the dais, “You were the other one she sent. I knew there was someone else but I thought perhaps you'd perished out there alone.”
Pete stepped forward, standing between the alicorn and the broken Elements. “Not quite,” he withdrew the journal Celestia had given him and tossed it between himself and the alicorn, “thanks to that.”
“Ah yes, I was wondering what she had done with that. Not that it matters any more.”
“Tell me something, how did you managed to capture a god?”
The alicorn grinned, “So you figured it out as well? Yes, Celestia and Luna are far more than your average pony, or even alicorns. Timeless beings changing face and shape but never soul. There is the weakness.”
Pete raised an eyebrow, “Their soul? How is that a weakness?”
“It's not, their forms are their weakness. You see, magic comes from the soul. A soul touched by great magic can wield great magic. Such as that fragment of Nightmare Moon which touched yours. Your own power, human, came from me.”
“You had something to do with Nightmare Moon?” The human shook his head in disbelief, “Is there anything you weren't attached to? You drove Discord insane, more insane I guess, corrupted Luna to Nightmare Moon, freed Sombra. Did you invent cancer too?”
“No, but I am the source of a great many ills in this world,” he grinned at that. “Nightmare Moon was an experiment, to see if this would work.” His horn shined briefly and another sickening dark pony arose from the shadows. “You see, as long as the goddesses are trapped in a physical form they can be used much like a battery. If Celestia were capable right now she could free herself, godlike body control and all that. Stopping her own heart would be nothing, and once the soul was released from its form there would be nothing to stop her from destroying me and returning. By taking complete control over her body however, by preventing her from escaping, I gain access to all of her power.”
Pete exhaled slowly, steadying himself. “So Nightmare Moon was a test, to see if your powers could control the princesses. Then it was just a matter of time before you found one of them unawares.”
“Not just one, Celestia. The only one that could fight my darkness effectively. Luna can hold her little corner of the world bright for now, but I've already been inside of Celestia's body for so long there's no way to tear us apart. We are almost completely one and the same, except for her soul of course.”
“You'll die one day, she'd get free some how.”
“Ah, that is where you're wrong again. Alicorn magic is powerful, goddess magic especially. I'll live forever like this, human.” Those last words were spoken with a twisted grin that nearly pushed Pete over the edge.
“So, you killed the Elements of Harmony, preventing the one other source of power that could have removed you from Celestia, and now you've hidden away, biding your time.”
“Knowing full well that Luna couldn't separate me from her sister either. And whatever you've found thanks to my old journal is inconsequential. I have total control over this body and unfettered access to all the power of a god!”
“So what was it, about three years ago? You, standing on the dais as the Elements of Harmony burst in, and then blam, gone?”
The alicorn grinned again, “Yes, almost to the date. Your beloved saviors looking so afraid as their lives were ripped from their bodies. They never expected a twisted Celestia to be their demise.”
That was all Pete needed to know. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold coin he'd been handed by the mysterious human. It surged with chronomancy, powerful time magic, god level magic. He focused on that day three years ago and he flipped the coin. The sun and moon reversed course, days passing in seconds, backwards through time. Far away Luna stood in shock as the ponies around her reversed and were she a lesser being she would have too. She also wasn't a fool and she set out for Canterlot at once. How he was doing it she didn't know, but Pete was making a gamble. He was resetting everything, dragging time back to where this all began. The day Rainbow Dash arrived and took her Element. When they were all confronted with the twisted form of her sister. She had to be there.
Pete watched the dark alicorn forced backwards in time, his days spent pacing and lounging, summoning dark creatures to terrorize the last inhabitants of Equestria. He may have held Celestia's body, but it wasn't her body that would be immune to the magic and her soul would always be hers. Pete frowned as he realized what that meant for himself. He was immune to the spell as well. It was moving things globally but he remained in place. Pete also watched, a revulsion in his stomach, as the bodies of the Elements of Harmony reconstituted beside him, their bones returning from ash turning into corpses, cold and lifeless, and then breathing their last. Finally the coin fell to the floor, bouncing once, and he watched the blast that killed the Elements flow backwards to the alicorn as the Mane Six stood up. The alicorn looked like Celestia, but something was clearly wrong. Her cutie mark was dark, and there was a sickly blackness surrounding her mouth and eyes. Pete knew the path of the blast now and he stepped in front of it at the ready.
Time resumed and the blast flew again, but this time he was there. The artifact in hand, he held it up and caught the blast. Twilight and the other Elements gasped collectively and stepped back, to them it was as if the draconic being simply materialized before them. Eclipse, barely in control of Celestia now, recoiled as well at the sight of his artifact. Pete roared in victory, his wings spreading behind him as he channeled with the cube. The blast fired by Eclipse returned to its caster, as intended, and with the change of rune it ripped away from him every ounce of magic he possessed. Suddenly torn from Celestia and thrown backwards, cracking the Princess' throne as he landed. Celestia herself staggered and moved away, looking at the once more solid unicorn.
The cube hadn't simply increased his power, it had made him his power. He had become ethereal darkness. Shadows that Celestia had seen moving had in fact been him, waiting for her to let her guard down in private, to take control. Now he was just another stallion, any other unicorn. Tossing the cube aside, Pete leaped into the air, almost touching the ceiling, and landed on top of the stunned unicorn.
Claws clenched into fists he began to mercilessly pummel the barely cognizant stallion. Teeth flew off the dais in spouts of blood, his legs jerked and kicked uselessly against the giant on top of him. Pete roared and brought a fist firmly down on one of Eclipse's forelegs, which he had raised to block, and shattered the bone causing the pony to scream in agony. His beating was relentless, his eyes contracted again, the anger was taking over, and he was going to let it. The bastard under him deserved it far more than anyone ever had before. There was no stopping him. Vaguely, Eclipse realized this and lit his horn to try and escape. As soon as he did Pete's claw wrapped around it and he snapped the appendage off, causing every other pony in the room to recoil in pain and getting another scream from the stallion. Even through his rage Pete could see Eclipse's face, and for the first time perhaps in thousands of years he was afraid.
Pete smiled at the fear. He loved it. This was what a villain deserved. Luna had been right all along. Sometimes drastic measures needed to be taken. He raised the horn in his claw, pointing it down at the stallion. His own horn would be his demise, driven into his chest by the man who most wanted revenge. For the three years that had now been undone, for all the horror he had seen, all the deaths, all the loss, all the sorrow, all of the pain.
“Pete, stop!” Luna shouted, galloping into the throne room.
Rainbow Dash looked around, “Pete? Where?”
“Upon the dais, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said, stepping forward. “He is different now but it is him. It is you, Pete.”
Pete paused, arm raised with horn in hand ready to finish the job.
Dash stepped forward, her voice shaking, “Pete?”
He groaned and looked back, Eclipse was pinned, with no magic he couldn't escape even if Pete didn't look at him. “Hey, Rainbow.”
She took a deep breath and a half step back. His voice was different, everything about him was different, but she could feel it. There was a tone in his voice she knew.
“What happened? What happened to you in a day?” Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was seeing.
“It's been a lot longer than that.”
“That is not the point now, Pete,” Luna slowly walked towards him again, trying not to destabilize him further. “You spent months agonizing over how you treated criminals. Stellar Glow talked you into quitting the Night Guard because you had a problem with your anger. You didn't want it to consume you, to become what you have become now. It isn't too late. You can still stop.”
“You know, Luna,” he looked at her with a smile, “It's cute how you start using contractions when you're flustered.”
The princess blinked and shook her head. “What are you saying?”
“Stuff like 'I am' becoming I'm, you are becoming you're. You don't normally use them, but when you get flustered you do.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Pete looked back down at Eclipse and dropped the horn in his claw, the stallion letting out a breath he had been holding for minutes.
“It means I realize that maybe there are some things we only do,” a sickeningly wet noise filled the throne room and Eclipse screamed, “sometimes.” Pete's claw was now wrist deep in the stallion's chest. He wriggled it around and found the pony's heart, and with a simple squeeze, it stopped.
Eclipse gasped and shook, almost like he was having a seizure, and then he stopped. Pete sat on top of him, pulling his left claw out, glistening with blood in the sunlight of the room, and watched until the last bit of life faded from the stallion's eyes.
He stood, wiping as much of the blood as he could off on Eclipse's coat, and turned towards the shocked ponies, alicorns included. Fluttershy had fainted, and the rest looked like they were going to be sick, except for Luna who only looked surprised. Pete started to walk down the dais and began to speak.
“I thought maybe I could ignore this. Ignore how much I wanted to do something about all the bad things I had learned. That maybe I could go live a normal life like I used to. Then I went on this journey, this adventure through Equestria and Gryphos. All the time I spent fighting for my life, and I realized that sometimes you have to do something bad to get good things to happen.”
He glanced back at Eclipse and then down at his claw, still covered with blood. “It's not easy,” he continued, “but when I stood there, facing him, I noticed something. He wasn't afraid of the Elements of Harmony. He wasn't afraid of Celestia or you. Because they were good. The only time he felt afraid was when I jumped on top of him, when I was going to kill him.” Pete closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “Bad guys don't believe in the power of good. If they did, they would be good guys. Monsters like them don't fear the good, because they don't believe in its power. They're only afraid of bigger monsters, meaner bad guys.” Pete looked at Luna alone, “And if I have to be that monster, then so be it.”
Rainbow Dash started towards him, but stopped, her eyes locking onto his blood soaked arm.
What a touching speech. I've gotten my fill, so I'll tell you what. Wake me when it's dinner time. Scales' words echoed in Pete's mind, and he felt something change within him.
Smiling Pete turned to Rainbow Dash. “That doesn't mean I have to be a monster all of the time. In fact, I'll need to come back from that. I don't want to fall off the edge into the abyss, but staring into it has to be done. When the abyss starts staring back it becomes time to fill yourself up with something else. It's a give and take. I have something for that.”
Pete sighed and relaxed his whole body. He had never noticed how tense he felt with scales. As he did the transformation reversed. Dark scales receded from his body, his claws became hands, his feet returned to normal, he shrunk in size. Back to his normal self. Even the blood from his hand was gone with the form. The group gasped collectively, and Pete stepped over to Rainbow, kneeling in front of her. Slowly he reached his left arm out and ran his hand down her soft blue fur. He leaned forward and hugged her tightly, tears pouring out of his eyes. Silently he cried into her shoulder, and the mare couldn't help but start to cry too. Her wings wrapped around him fiercely. She didn't know what had happened to him but she could feel the change. Several she could even see. Scars lined his body, his hair was longer, and he was much more muscular than when she'd last seen him. How he had changed so much she didn't know, but he had, and now he needed something to bring him back.
“I love you,” he whispered, eyes shut, tears streaking onto the mare's back.
“I love you too.” It didn't feel like enough to her, but it was all she had.
Luna told the Elements and Pete to return to Ponyville. Their job was finished thanks to Pete's timely arrival. She then turned to Celestia and led her sister to a more private room. Where she would begin to detail the three years of darkness only she and Pete remembered. Celestia would come to the realization that she intentionally allowed the spell to affect her, even though she could no longer remember doing so because of its effects. They wondered together about where Pete could have obtained such a powerful artifact. The coin itself, collected by Luna, was depleted of all magic it held. Only trace amounts remained within as a reminder of what it was. Even the golden luster of the coin had faded.
Pete and Rainbow Dash went to their home, the others being promised to get most of the story once Pete was better. He appreciated things he hadn't felt in years. The soft touch of Rainbow's hooves on his side, the Spring breeze, and the warmth of the sun overhead. Stellar Glow was more than happy to see him, bounding up into his arms as soon as he walked in the door and bombarding the two with questions. Rainbow had stopped by to get her Element of Loyalty and said nothing about the man's location.
He sat them both down and began to recount his somber tale. Neither of them liked much of what he said, but they listened. The herd link between them made sure of one thing, they knew he wasn't lying. Pete told them of the Element's failure, of Eclipse's dark dome, the shadowy pony monsters, his trip up and down and all over Gryphos. The loss of his sword, and the arrival of the Aspect. He watched Stellar closely as he told her about what the Aspect meant, what he had become. She cried and hugged him tightly, and promised that she wouldn't let him become a monster.
“I know you have to, but... I won't let you go too far, I'll make sure of it!” She promised, a determined look undermined by her freely flowing tears.
He thanked her and held the small mare close. Scales fed on anger and dark emotions, Pete had to feed on these happy ones. He would find a balance that was beneficial to them both. It would be hard, but he promised once to live his life to its fullest. That meant he wouldn't hide from struggles, he wouldn't blame others for his actions. He was strong now, so he had to be strong emotionally too. Yin and yang coexisted, the balance of light and dark, good and evil. He would simply have to embody this ideology. Balance his hate and anger with love and kindness. He was sure there were other ways he could feed the Aspect's desire for primal emotions too.
At the time though he was tired. His story finished, Pete yawned loudly and leaned back against a wall, eyes shut. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and pushed him to get up and go to bed. It didn't take much convincing. Soon the three were all snuggled together on the extra large bed. Stella would have to get up in a few hours to do her patrol of Ponyville, but that didn't matter to her for a time. What mattered was that her herdmates were home, and they were safe. For the most part.
“Peeeeeeteeee!” The hissing voice broke his concentration. He couldn't cast a spell. Try as hard as he might his claws couldn't kill the shade of a pony. No matter how angry he got he wasn't strong enough. Another voice called his name behind him and he turned. There were two now. Three. Four. Five. Six. He shuddered as they all screamed his name. He roared and attack them but his claws did nothing, his magic refused to heed his summons. Once again he was weak, helpless. He fell over and stared in horror at the beasts.
A bright light pierced the sky and suddenly everything was gone. Not just the shadows but everything. Pete was floating in what looked like space. He swallowed and looked around. There were lights all around him, some closer than others, but other than that there was nothing.
“Ahem,” Luna cleared her throat, catching Pete's attention. “I am nothing, am I?”
“Luna? Where are we?” Pete looked around again, confused. “Last thing I remember was going to bed with Rainbow Dash and Stella.”
The Princess chuckled and smiled, “It was a dream.”
“Damn, that's... well, thanks for save. I guess nightmares are to be expected now and then.”
“Pete, that was much more than a simple nightmare.”
“How do you-. Never mind, princess of dreams and stuff. Got it.” Pete looked down at himself. He was in his Aspect form, which troubled him slightly.
“It seems you have truly adapted to that body,” Luna floated around him, “Even Cadance sometimes dreams she is a pegasus again.”
Pete rubbed his arm awkwardly. “Maybe I will too, in time.”
Luna nodded and sat on the nothing next to Pete. “I wanted to speak with you. In a place where we can have as much time as we want.”
“Okay. What's up?”
“My sister and I have discussed what it means for you to be what you are. Aspects are enemies of the alicorns after all.”
He nodded in agreement. Facts were fact. “I did save pretty much everyone though.”
She grinned, “Of course. And we did our research. There is no way for us to return you to normal.” She paused for a long time, watching the lights in the distance. “I am sorry, Pete.”
“Do I get to say good bye?”
“Whatever for?”
Pete looked at the princess sharply, “Because you're about to say you have to petrify me like Discord to make sure I don't destroy the world?”
“Why in Tartarus would we do that? The Aspects hated us because they were forged to hate us. My sister and I decided to let you continue living in Ponyville, and keep you under watch. Stellar Glow is going to be sending me reports, keeping an eye on you, as Twilight will be to my sister.” Luna shook her head. “We did what we had to to Discord, as my sister did to me. If either of us had been reasonable or in control she wouldn't have.”
“So I get to stay like this? Live free?” Pete was more than stunned. He was obviously waiting for a catch.
“Well,” he nodded as Luna began, “You are a free citizen, but you will be expected to respond to the same threats as the Elements. Criminals, other insanely powerful foes, we expect you to arrive to help out.”
“That's it?” Luna nodded in response. “I was going to do that anyway. This thing inside of me needs fed after all. That means I have to get violent some times.”
“Well, hopefully not too violent.”
Pete smiled reassuringly which he was sure looked odd in his scaly form.
“There is one other thing,” Luna added, looking once more into the distance. “You and I are the only ones that remember what happened.”
“Yeah, I noticed. What does that mean?”
“That spell was incredibly powerful, something even my sister and I would struggle with in our current forms.”
“In your physical forms,” Pete corrected, knowing their secret.
Luna looked at him with surprise, “Yes. I suppose I should not be surprised you know. Having merged with an Aspect. No,” she corrected herself this time, “having become one.”
“You're gods, there is no ancient ancestory line, it's just you two reincarnating over and over again. Different forms and relationships, same ponies in the end.”
“In spite of both of those facts, those three years were rough on us both, Pete.”
“No kidding. I can't imagine what you went through.”
Masking a blush she looked at him, “Perhaps I should tell you. And you can tell me what all happened to you.”
“Sounds like those would be two very long stories.”
Luna giggled, “Well, then maybe you should go first. You are the writer after all.”
Pete sighed and looked up, seeing nothing but more star like lights. “What's the point though? It happened but it didn't. It's all over.”
“Perhaps it would be best to think of it as,” Luna paused as the space around them changed into a living room Pete was very familiar with. His old apartment. “Counseling. What I saved you from was a night terror, and my own rest is equally plagued. Bad things leave scars on minds as well as flesh, Pete. Like the wounds that harm flesh, ignoring the damage to the mind can cause it to heal wrong.”
Pete thought about it for a while. Luna had a point. What they had been through was traumatic, and now that they were the only ones that remembered it. Even sympathy from their loved ones wouldn't be the same. They could understand superficially, but they hadn't been there. Time was on a different course. They would live to be happy and flourish without ever realizing the horrors of what had almost come to pass. With that in mind, Pete began his story. All the way back to when he first met the Aspect, and embarked with Rainbow Dash to the northern border. A story that was sure to take many nights to tell.
Author's Note
One
“An iceberg?” Pete looked at the princesses incredulously while standing in the middle of the cathedral-esque throne room of Canterlot castle. Only an hour ago he had been snuggled up with Stellar Glow and Rainbow Dash in bed, certain ideas being tossed between the group, when Twilight had come over. Her hooves pounding on the front door could have woke the dead. Instead she got a mildly irritated Pete Powell. The unicorn whisked him and Rainbow away to Canterlot, urgent Princess Celestia summons. Threat to Equestria that calls for the action princess and human turned Aspect summons.
“It's the middle of Summer, Pete,” Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Ice moves in the ocean, I've seen it.”
“And we have observed it growing in size, despite reaching warmer waters,” Celestia countered. “In fact, our scouts have reported the ocean around the iceberg is reaching freezing temperatures itself.”
“Okay, that's a problem.” Pete leaned back on his heels and crossed his arms. “What're we gonna do about it?”
“Investigate?” Twilight suggested, with a healthy dollop of sarcasm.
“No pony we have sent has been able to get inside of the iceberg, but we sense a magic within,” Luna elaborated, shooting a look at her sister for being so cryptic. For all of Celestia's strategies being direct was never an option.
“So, simple go to floating hunk of ice, get inside, neutralize whatever is causing it?” Pete offered skeptically.
“As long as neutralize doesn't mean what you did to Tirek,” Celestia gave Pete a stern look while the Mane Six around him paled visibly at the reminder. “I don't want to replace the carpets again because they're drenched in centaur blood. Or any blood.”
“Hey, hey!” Pete pointed at Celestia, “I asked if I could handle that my way. You agreed.”
“We didn't exactly have any alternatives at the time.”
“Not that I shall complain,” Luna added to her sister's statement with a sideways glance.
Celestia sighed in defeat, “Just try not to end up killing anyone, Pete. I do try to be understanding of your new situation but it is hard to keep the citizens in line when you do things like drag corpses of villains through the streets to prove you killed them.”
Pete's face turned red and he coughed nervously. “That, well, that was less me and more the other me.”
“You lost control?” Celestia's eyes bulged ever so slightly.
“Is that why you deflected that energy blast that ended up destroying the library?!” Twilight's eyes were almost as wide as her mentor's and her jaw was dangerously close to floor levels.
“A little,” he admitted with a frown. “I'm working on it. This is hard, okay? I mean, this is damn hard. Trying to balance having a raving sociopath for a co pilot in exchange for power? I can think of a few dozen better ideas but this is the one I've got.”
Tensions seemed to break with that line. The royal sisters were well aware of the parallels between Pete's changes and their own histories. At the very least Pete's efforts had been directed towards criminals and dangerous creatures in the Everfree. Travel from Ponyville had never been safer than after Pete began hunting in the Everfree and putting dents in the chimera and timber wolf populations. He was trying to find helpful outlets for his new need for anger and violence, which was better than their failed attempts to stave off corrupting outside influences.
Celestia explained that this mission would have a different method of travel. Due to the iceberg's distance from land taking a train was simply not viable, and approaching by boat would be too dangerous. The seven were to be taken to the iceberg by sky, in a chariot much like Celestia's own, and the team of pegasi would be on stand by outside of the anomaly for when they left. Of course getting into the thing was left to the two most magically capable members of the group. Melting was the plan.
They were soon escorted to an area behind the castle, each given a heavy coat, which Pete refused, and ushered into the chariot. It was less cramped than Pete expected, but space was still at a premium. The ponies did their best to give him room as the team of pegasi took off, barely jostling the group as they looked out the windows. Even by air it would take nearly an hour to reach the coast, and well over that to reach the iceberg itself. Pinkie and Applejack put their coats on early, and Pete figured Rainbow and Fluttershy would be last. Pegasi had a natural resistance to cold after all. He briefly wondered if that applied to Twilight now that she had wings as well.
Twilight had taken quite well to being a princess, though the new castle still bothered her. Pete felt a degree of responsibility for that considering it had been him that fought Tirek. He had resigned himself to being entirely entwined in this timeline and was no longer afraid to confront villains by himself. In fact he'd had another plan for that weekend before Celestia's summons but princess orders took priority over disrupting the timeline. Especially another event that didn't occur in the series he remembered. Significant differences in the timeline had already happened, including himself and Eclipse, and the universe hadn't imploded yet. He figured that was a good enough sign to start meddling in his own ways.
“Pinkie, please!” Rarity shouted and shielded herself with a foreleg as the pink pony next to her wiggled in discomfort.
“I'm sorry, but this thing is seriously cramped!” Pinkie scrunched her nose and tried again to get settled in the seat. The inside of the carriage was quite ornate, and comfortable, but fitting six ponies and a human was rough. Even with the group split between two seats on either side of the carriage. Pete was sat next to Rainbow and across from Twilight, with the two bickering mares on his bench and on the opposite side.
Pete shook his head and put his hand on the handle to the carriage. Twilight and Rainbow opened their mouths to stop him, but he simply rolled his eyes. The door was flung open, wind whipped the inside of the carriage, causing the girls to squeal and shout as Pete threw himself from the carriage and into the sky below. Twilight closed the door with her magic and the group huddled around the window, watching their friend plummet several hundred feet into a cloud they were passing over. A barely audible roar parted the cloud and Pete shot upwards into the air in his Aspect form, wings spread wide. He kept pace with the carriage and pointed at the Elements of Harmony, laughing at their worried expression.
Seconds later the door was thrust open again, Twilight exasperatedly closing it again, the disregard for pressure among the fliers of the group was getting to her. Rainbow Dash flew out and tackled her lover in the air, swatting at his shoulder several times with her hoof and berating him.
“What in Celestia's name were you thinking?” she shouted as he rolled in the air.
“That I'm tired of sitting in that cramped carriage, and I can fly now,” Pete grinned at Rainbow, a strangely toothy grin in his new draconic form.
RD tried to argue with him, but realization slowly crossed her face. He could fly. He wanted to fly and now he could, and so could she. Her eyes went wide and bright as his grin turned into an unabashed smile. Within seconds the two were zipping around the sky, around the carriage, flying in front of the leads, back behind the carriage, racing each other, pushing their limits. Rainbow was faster by a long shot. Pete had more weight to carry and was still new to the whole idea. Tirek had clipped him a few times even after Scales had taken control of their shared form because of his inexperience.
The couple weren't thinking about that, they were focused on the fact that Pete could now do something he had dreamed of. Something he'd wanted to for decades. The fact it was something he could share with Rainbow Dash factored in somewhat, but he'd wanted to fly before he met her. It had been something he wanted to do on his own, and to a degree it had been what attracted him to Rainbow Dash, along with her confidence and strength. He shared all of those traits now and wondered if perhaps the empathy link the ponies and he shared were part of that.
Out of the corner of his eye Pete saw Rainbow dive down and then back up towards him. Her speed knocked him upright in the sky and she grinned as she leaned in and kissed him. Rainbow Dash wasn't afraid of Pete's new form. In the back of her mind she even admitted she was attracted to it, but it was something that separated her from her friends and most ponies. Scales would never admit it but he liked the idea of having ponies around, at least he enjoyed himself from where Pete sat. It was a unique set up between them all, including Stellar Glow, but they made it work. They were a different sort, from different backgrounds, with their own problems. Each of them were strange: Rainbow for being interested in a human at all, Stellar Glow for her size, and Pete for being a human and Aspect. In a sense they were a herd of misfits.
Pete and Rainbow flew the rest of the way to the iceberg, greatly enjoying each other's company in their newly shared obsession. The pegasi team brought the carriage down on the uneven surface of the ice and the Elements of Harmony hopped out, all wearing their coats, with Rainbow climbing back into the carriage for a moment to get hers. Twilight spoke to the lead of the team, told him about her signal for pick up, and watched them fly off with their ride. Pete stood, unaffected by the cold in his Aspect form and felt the sudden weight of the mission. This was the first time since becoming an Aspect, since he was officially expected to help the Elements of Harmony, that they had a job together. Rainbow Dash, his herdmate, would be in serious danger and it would be his job to watch out for them all. He let out a resolute breath and approached Twilight.
“So, time to start melting?”
Twilight nodded, “Straight down appears to be our only option though.” She teleported around the edge of the berg and then back to Pete, and shook her head. “There's no ledge we could stand on, and it would be problematic getting those of us that can't fly into any hole we make on the side.
Pete cocked his head and then picked up Applejack and Pinkie Pie, one mare under each arm. “You're saying I can't do this?” He set the two down as AJ began kicking, ineffectively but clearly agitated at suddenly being lifted.
“Point taken.” Twilight blushed and flew over the edge, followed shortly by Pete.
The pair pointed their magic casting limbs, Pete's claw and Twilight's horn, and began blasting the side of the ice. It was slow and methodical, trying to make sure the ice above didn't crack or melt. Surprisingly progress was uncomplicated, and after a few minutes the two melted their way into some kind of inner chamber. As he'd demonstrated before, Pete flew up and grabbed the two earth ponies, escorting them to the impromptu entrance that had just been made, while the pegasi flew down and Rarity teleported herself.
Inside of the iceberg was somehow even colder than outside. Several of the mares pulled their hoods up as they explored the strange room. The walls were perfectly sculpted and smooth, and there appeared to be holes that led to more rooms.
“Someone built this,” Twilight muttered as she looked into the next room. “There is no way something like this formed naturally. These are doorways,” she pointed at the other holes in the ice that seemed to lead into other rooms, “like this iceberg is a … ship of some kind.”
Wordlessly Pete extended his claw and channeled magic, a spell he'd learned from the Night Guard to seek magic. Twilight was right, someone inside of the iceberg was casting magic, a slow and steady spell. The kind that might be used to continuously chill the area and create ice. He alerted the group and led them through one of the openings into another room.
The floor of the new room was completely flat and the sky outside was almost visible through the sheet of ice above them. If someone had been in the room when they landed their presence was already known. They could have easily been seen through the ice. It was unsettling to Pete. He should have looked down as soon as they landed. He should have known.
A sudden chill swept the room and the ponies gasped as various ethereal shades poured from the walls. Horse shaped and ghost like there was only one thing they could have been. Windigos. The group formed up in a circle, the magically inclined channeling to fight, when one burst from the ground below them causing them to scatter.
Anger building in him, Pete lashed out at the windigos, clipping a couple but barely harming them, if at all. Twilight and Rarity however were more successful in pushing them off. After a few minutes however the windigos seemed to form around Pete. They swirled around him, the air becoming colder and colder as they gathered. That was when he remembered the entire story of Hearths Warming. Windigos fed on hate and anger, the same things his Aspect form fed off of. The angrier he got the stronger the spirits became too. With a growl he dove through the apparitions and slid towards the Mane Six.
“Why does everything in this world exist to screw me?” he complained as he relaxed and shed his Aspect form, returning to a human. A very cold human with little clothing.
Twilight tapped the human with a spell, one that seemed to quickly warm him up from the inside, and the windigos began to disperse. The group caught their breath and huddled close.
“I guess that's my fault,” Pete confessed, wrapping his arms around himself. “Windigos feed off hate and all that, right?”
“Yeah,” Applejack nodded, “And that's what your dragon thing likes, right?”
Pete nodded, “Guess they saw me as a free meal.”
“What are they doing here?” Twilight pondered with a head scratch. “Windigos haven't been seen for thousands of years.”
“Well, we're in an iceberg headed for the coast of Equestria. I'm guessing they've got some kind of plan to invade?” Pete shrugged, “It doesn't matter, does it? We're here to stop them.”
“Knowing their plans would help with that, darling,” Rarity pointed out, between chattering teeth.
“Can anypony speak windigo?” Pete shrugged, and watched the group glance at Fluttershy.
The yellow pegasus retreated into her hood, leaving just a snout. “No.”
“Well, I guess the only thing to do is go forward and see who's casting that spell.” Twilight sighed and turned, half marching into the next room. The rest followed suit, but their progress was quickly stopped.
Halfway through another flat room a spell was released. Pete was unprepared, as were the others, and they soon found themselves half frozen in ice. The ponies were engulfed to their flanks and shoulders while Pete was trapped to his waist. Grunts of struggle were met with no success in freeing themselves, and even Twilight's magic couldn't break the ice. No other choice, Pete flexed his body and roared, but his Aspect form failed to break the ice. With a groan he changed back into his human shape and blinked at the predicament. Apparently the ice that held them was strong. After a minute of struggling a mare stepped out from the far side of the room.
She was a mix of whites and blues, like the iceberg that surrounded them. A deep blue mane and tail with a white coat that trailed into light blue tips. Everything was long, her mane half hid her light blue eyes, her tail almost dragged on the snowy floor below her, and even her coat was untrimmed. It was an odd sight for everyone. Most mares kept themselves trimmed at least, which raised the question of how long this one had been inside of the iceberg. As well as why she was there.
“Just as father predicted,” she said soft and monotonously.
“Who are you?” Twilight looked bewildered at the unicorn before them, who slowly walked around, taking a strange interest in Pete.
“My name is Gale,” she replied, her tone remaining flat. “This iceberg is my home.”
“And your father?” Pete asked, watching their captor circle him.
“Him too, yes.” Gale nodded and looked at the mares. “You are the Elements of Harmony, correct? Celestia's personal strike force.”
“You're right we are,” Rainbow Dash shouted and started tugging at the ice around her again. “So if you know what's good for you you'll let us go!”
Gale shook her head, her horn lighting up and causing the ice to start moving up along her victims. “My father gave me clear instructions to eliminate any intruders.”
Twilight lifted her head and swallowed, watching the ice crawl up her chest. “What's his plan?”
The ice suddenly stopped and Gale turned around, slowly walking back in front to face Twilight. She stood for a moment and stared at the purple unicorn, unflinching.
“He didn't say I couldn't explain... Very well,” she nodded, “I shall tell you. My Father plans on freezing Equestria, and I am his key to that.”
“How?” Pete asked, keeping his hands above the ice, even after it had stopped moving.
“I am half windigo,” Gale replied simply. “The windigos' weakness is the fires of friendship. Being spirits they are particularly weak to such things. I, however, am solid. A pony and a windigo together. A product of my Father and one of the windigos that inhabit this iceberg.”
With a breath the icy mare turned transparent, her eyes became glowing orbs, her body wispy and ethereal like the other windigo. She demonstrated her heritage, chilling the very air with her presence as she passed through several members of the group causing them to shiver. Afterwards she landed in front of Twilight again and returned to her corporeal form.
“So you're kind of like me,” Pete said as the ice around them twitched upwards. It stopped once more and Gale came around to his side.
“What do you mean?”
“I'm like that too. I've got a spirit that lives in me. An Aspect. It's like a dragon thing.”
The ice around Pete slowly melted and Gale stood back. “Show me.” Her voice remained monotone but there was an edge of a command. Pete nodded and roared into his Aspect self, growing and feeling the scales cover his body. The wings behind him unfurling, and the pent up rage calling forth several windigos to swirl around him. This time he ignored them.
Gale stared, wonder filled her eyes. She could feel the same thing the windigos could, as well as sense the spirit that inhabited the human. Like before she paced around him, examining every angle of his new shape before stopping in front of him.
“It is a shame that I must kill you.” She didn't sound any different, but Pete took the line at face value.
“Why is your father doing this? Why does he want to freeze Equestria?”
Gale paused again, thinking about what he father had told her to do. He hadn't said anything about keeping their plan a secret, so she relented.
“Long ago my father was married to a normal mare. She was an adept at ice magic much like he was. He claims their lives were bound together in ice. However their work kept them away from home for months at a time. She never saw Equestria in winter. Never saw natural snowfall or Hearths Warming.”
Gale looked at the group who were all paying rapt attention to her story. “She died one year away from home, having never seen that time of year. So my Father has vowed to bury Equestria in snow, in her memory.”
“In honor of his deceased wife he's going to kill thousands more?” Pete was in disbelief. “That's insane.”
Gale once more paused and thought. “I do not think he intends to kill anypony, except those that would interfere with his wish.”
“But that's what he's going to do,” Twilight said, trying to look at Gale, “Thousands if not more will freeze to death. Mares and stallions, just like his wife, will die.”
She blinked and turned around. Clearly she had never thought on her father's plan. No one had ever questioned it, Pete reasoned. She was born in this block of ice, alone with a raving lunatic. It wasn't that she couldn't understand or that she was brainwashed, she had simply never known anything else. No one had ever challenged the validity of the idea. It was ridiculous of course, but the receding ice around the six ponies proved his theory.
“I will speak to my father,” Gale said, turning back to them. “I am sure he does not intend what you say. And when he explains himself I will finish with you.”
“If he doesn't intend for anypony to die then I am sure we can come to some kind of peaceful resolution,” Twilight responded.
Gale led them further into the iceberg, Pete remained in his Aspect form despite the swirling windigo around him. In this form he was immune to magic, even Gale's trap wouldn't stop him. If something were to go wrong with her father he would be ready. A neutral expression remained on his face, however, to keep his thoughts his own. Having a good poker face was a must in negotiations regardless of world or context.
Deep inside the iceberg, down under the ocean as the group could see through the walls, was a room much different from the others. There were two beds, a bookshelf, and books. In the middle of the room was another unicorn, old and gray in places, frail as well. Pete almost felt sorry for the stallion. His isolation couldn't have helped his grief over his wife. Perhaps that had contributed to his delusions.
He turned and his old face contorted into rage at the sight of the Elements being led by his daughter. Shakily he stood and took a few steps towards them. With a spark of his horn the passage behind them sealed with a slam. Ice rose up and trapped them in the room with the old man. Rainbow and Applejack readied themselves, but Gale stuck out a foreleg to stop them.
“I have a question, father.” Gale stepped towards the old pony. “Did you know that in freezing Equestria we will kill many ponies?”
He blinked and shook his head. “Have you gone daft, girl?” His voice was rough and low despite his age. “Of course I knew!”
The half windigo blinked and tilted her head, “But why would you cause such pain? Mother's passing was hard on you. Why would you inflict that suffering on others?”
The old stallion smacked his daughter with a forehoof, her head snapping to the side. “You dare to question me?”
Slowly Gale brought her head back to its normal position. “You have never hit me before.”
“That's because you always did what you were told before! I didn't create you to ask questions. I made you to lead an army.”
“I am your daughter,” she replied, “Not a soldier.”
He shook his head. “You were whatever I needed you to be.” With another glow of his horn, the old stallion pulled Gale towards him by her neck and stared at the others. “Now I have a hostage, so I know you won't try anything.”
His demands were cut short as a pain rippled through his side. Gale had become a windigo again and was phasing through her father. The duration she spent passing through him displayed the terrifying power of the windigos. She did not pass quickly through his form but slowly, agonizingly so. Unlike the rapid flitting through the mares, which had left them only cold, ice was building up around the old stallion. He opened his mouth in horror as his body began to freeze from contact with the now subzero pony. Any screams he may have had were frozen along with the rest of him. The group stood, paralyzed at the sight as Gale returned to her pony self and looked almost sadly at her father.
“You were right,” she said, still looking at him. “I should have asked him sooner. I was blinded by his talk of family.”
Pete turned back into a human, the threat neutralized, and the windigos around him scattered. He stepped forward and knelt down, putting a hand on Gale's cold back.
“I wasn't family to him. I was a pawn.”
“It'll be okay. We all make mistakes. It's what we do to fix them that matters.” Pete patted the mare's back as he spoke.
A rumbling got the eight's attention and they looked around at the ice surrounding them. The floor shuddered and cracked, and with it went Gale's father. For the first time since meeting them, and the first time in her life, Gale expressed an emotion. A mix of shock and sadness as the frozen form of her father cracked and then shattered into pieces. The icy pony shook for a second and then stopped, closing her mouth and her eyes returning to their previous emotionless state. Behind her the Mane six blanched and looked away, Twilight becoming especially pale.
Without a word Gale turned and used her magic to open the door. She moved through the group and into the tunnel that connected to the previous rooms before turning back to them.
“We have to leave.”
There wasn't time for words as the group ran through the crumbling iceberg. Pete realized that the windigos inside had vanished. They had left when he and Gale's father had stopped producing hate. The iceberg was collapsing because he turned back into a human. In his own way he had contributed to the death of the stallion behind them. Ahead of the group was Gale who felt her own share of blame for what had happened, but as she said they had to leave.
They reached the hole in the side they had made and once more Pete roared into his other form, grabbing the earth ponies and flying them up to the top of the iceberg. Surprisingly the carriage was waiting for them. The lead pegasus grinned and shouted as they approached.
“We saw this thing start sinking and figured you might not have time to launch that signal.”
“Thanks!” Twilight responded, as she pulled the door open and ushered everypony inside. Five mares.
“Where's Gale?” Pete looked behind him but saw no one. With a groan he channeled magic and teleported into their makeshift entrance where Gale stood looking out at the rising sea and the sun on the horizon. “We gotta go!”
“It is right I die here. With my home, and father.”
Pete groaned and grabbed the mare, looking her in the eyes. “No, it's not. This place is not a home, and he was a terrible father. It was a prison and he was your warden. You're free now.”
Gale stood quiet as she processed this concept. “What will I do?”
“I don't know,” Pete replied honestly, “But you'll never know if you don't try. What you did here wasn't living, and if you give up before you try living who knows what you could have done.”
“You seem to be familiar with this.”
“Yeah, I guess you could say I was in a similar situation once upon a time.”
Gale looked down and then back to Pete's eyes. “What did you do?”
He chuckled and stood up, “Obviously I chose to live, didn't I? That's how I got here.”
She nodded in response and the two teleported to the top of the iceberg, Gale climbing into the carriage along with Pete who once more reverted his form. Twilight was the last one in and moments later the pegasi team took off, lifting the carriage into the sky as the iceberg below them crumbled and sank. The group, excluding Gale, let out a collective sigh as the carriage made its way towards Canterlot. The day had been rather full and the sun was setting outside. Pete noticed something about the mare beside him that called his attention away from the window. It seemed that Gale produced an aura of cold. Of course they were all chilly, they had spent a whole day inside of an iceberg, but the chill around the mare was different.
“Yes,” she explained when he asked, “Being part windigo I emit a radius of cold at all times. No matter the temperature.”
“Well that'll be handy,” Rainbow chuckled, “It's the middle of summer back home. You're like a living air conditioner.”
“That's rude, Dash,” Pete chided.
“What is an air conditioner?” Gale looked at the group, confused.
Pete opened his mouth and then closed and shook his head slowly. “I'm guessing there's a lot of stuff you aren't going to know.”
Twilight tapped her hoof to her chin and then grinned. “Well then, Pete, as the princess of friendship I order you to be friends with Gale and help her adjust to life as a normal pony.”
“Seriously?” He laughed and gently patted the icy mare on the back again. “Easy. Probably more fun than anything else.”
Gale looked up at him and tilted her head slightly. “You think it would be fun being friends with me?”
Pete shrugged and grinned, “Yeah. I mean, I've always liked cold weather anyway.”
Briefly, for only a moment, Gale smiled and giggled before returning to her usual blank expression. The mares in the carriage looked at each other and smiled. Terrible things had happened that day. At some point they would have to address them, but for now it was time to unwind as best they could. After all, they had rescued a new friend and stopped a threat to Equestria. It might not have happened in the best possible way but it was still a success.
It was late in the evening when the group returned to Canterlot. Twilight and Pete were summoned to the throne room while the other ponies were escorted to sleeping quarters since the last train for the day had departed before their arrival. Once before the princesses, Twilight began to explain what they had found in the iceberg. Celestia and Luna were shocked to hear about a pony/windigo hybrid, but more so how a normal unicorn came to hold such sway over the creatures.
“Perhaps we should speak to this Gale ourselves,” Luna suggested, looking at her sister.
“I don't think that would be the best option.” Pete uncrossed his arms, having stood through Twilight's accurate retelling of their adventure. “She's seen the error of her ways. I know it seems rather flat, but no one was ever there to question her father. I don't think he controlled the windigos so much as they just followed his hate. Something about him, he just despised other ponies. That's what caused the whole big freeze thing all that time ago, right?”
Celestia looked at the ceiling of the throne room in thought. A unicorn separated from the empathy link wasn't uncommon. Any pony could, that was how some of Equestria's greatest enemies arose. They were always on the look out for ponies that slipped through the cracks like that, but it was impossible to help them all. There simply weren't enough resources or ponies. Twilight was the first of what Celestia hoped would be many ponies that would become more aware of those that could be saved.
“Besides,” Pete chuckled, “Princess Twilight told me to be friends with Gale, and I'm not sure letting very intimidating alicorns interrogate your friends is what those do.”
The royal sisters looked at each other, and then at Twilight who blushed sheepishly.
“I guess I forgot to mention that part.”
Luna smiled and sat back, looking at her sister. “Well, we can hardly object to that, can we?”
Celestia gave the younger alicorn a blank stare that conveyed exactly how she felt about the situation. She wasn't above reforming ponies that did wrong, but she did like to ask them questions before turning them loose. Trixie had been quite valuable in helping to locate the origins of the alicorn amulet after all.
“Listen, I know you two want to know all there is to know about this guy. I kind of do too, but I think it might be better for us to approach this more delicately than tossing her into isolation for the night and then blasting her with questions.” Pete shrugged, “I mean, she did change her attitude as soon as we offered and alternative. She's not bad, she just doesn't know any different.”
“And what does your Aspect think about being delicate?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. Rough measures were Pete's specialty any more. If he was suggesting a softer course of action it would do her well to listen.
Pete responded with a groan. “Don't remind me. I'm going to have to do some hunting tonight. He's been screaming in my head since Gale let me loose.”
The Princess of the Night leaned forward in interest, “But you did not give in?”
“I couldn't with the Elements all trapped in ice.”
There was a moment of silence. Even Twilight looked nervously around the room, her eyes darting between the elder alicorns. It was Celestia that spoke in the end.
“Then we shall leave it in your hands, Pete Powell. If Gale says anything of interest, report it to us immediately.”
Pete grinned and gave a half salute, more out of irony than anything else since he wasn't officially a member of the Equestrian military any more. Assuming it had been settled, he turned and made his way out of the throne room with the city outside the castle being his destination. He would hunt criminals that night instead of beasts, something he did infrequently that was strangely welcome by Luna's new guard captain. Wisp was less level headed than Pete had been in the job, but she was more stable than Pete was in his Aspect state. It was a give and take that the guard simply had to deal with.
Twilight remained behind and looked at her teacher. “Do you think it's a good idea? Letting Pete be friends with a pony that used to be bad?”
“Do you know why you asked him to do this?” Celestia asked in turn.
“I'm not sure,” Twilight began to pace slowly. “Something about it just seemed right.”
“They are quite similar, young Twilight,” Luna said, watching the door Pete had just exited through. “Both had isolated themselves, and both had to learn our ways.”
Celestia nodded and smiled at her student, “You picked up on that instinctively. Without having to think through all of the connections you saw that Pete could help her. And maybe she'll give Pete a lesson in friendship along the way.”
Twilight stopped and blushed again, returning her mentor's smile.
“We both agreed you should be in the position you are in, Twilight.” Luna joined in the smiling, “Don't question your own judgment so quickly.”
The purple alicorn responded with a bow and excused herself from the room. Shortly after, Celestia excused herself leaving Luna alone to ponder her own choices. She could only hope that her sister, and Twilight, were right. That Pete would help this new pony find her own way and that they wouldn't anchor each other back into their shells. After a moment she laughed at her own brooding thoughts. Pete had helped her with her own issues. There was nothing to worry about with him any more. Somewhere along the line he had matured into a decent being. She just had to believe in him, despite his rough spots. That was one of the important things in friendship after all.
BONUS: Priscilla Powell in Equestria
“Priscilla Powell!”
There was only one being on the face of Equus that thick as honey voice could belong to. A voice that evoked images and rang throughout her dreams and fantasies. Tingles shot down her spine when she heard it, her heart would race, cheeks flush. It was sexy, beautiful.
“PRISCILLA! Get your ass down here!”
It was angry. Begrudgingly, Priscilla pushed herself away from her desk cluttered with papers and quills, exited her room, and climbed down the polished stairs of Dusk Shine's castle. In the map room that had magically appeared last year the woman found Barbara, Barb the dragoness, arms crossed over her full figure, feet tapping, her multitude of head spines bouncing along with the rest of her. Angry as she sounded, Priscilla couldn't help herself. Attempting subtly, she smiled and walked towards her lover with open arms.
“Hey there, sexy scales,” she half cooed.
Barb planted a hand on Priscilla's face, intentionally killing the mood, which was easier to do since her growth spurt. “Don't you give me that.”
“Sweetie,” the human forced out with a palm over her lips. “What's wrong?”
The dragoness pointed at the map which was covered in papers and ink. “How about that for starters? You think I don't recognize your handwriting?”
Priscilla leaned back and chuckled, “Of course you recognize it. You proofread all my stuff.”
“You're damn right I do, on top of being Dusk's assistant mind you. So just what were you doing in here, with an open inkwell, and why did you just leave it?”
For the first time since walking in Priscilla looked at the map. Sure enough pages of her story draft were scattered about the map, but that wasn't the worst part. What Barb was angry about was a spilled inkwell that was now running all over the map, as well as her own pages. Alarmed, Priscilla ran over and started collecting dry pages, trying to keep them out of the flowing ink's way.
“What happened?” she shouted between lunges for pages.
“I came in here to clean and someone left their inkwell open on the edge of the map. So when I turned to pick up a page on the floor my fat butt you love so much knocked the inkwell over.”
Having collected the majority of pages Priscilla looked at her lover. “So you did this.”
“I didn't leave an open inkwell in the map room! And why were you in here anyway? You know Dusk doesn't like to let anypony in here.”
“I needed to study the map of Equestria,” Priscilla sat her papers down on a chair and stared at the ink. “It was for one of my stories.” She waved the pages for emphasis, a crestfallen look covering her face as she realized the severity of her mistake.
Barbara sighed and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend. It was hard to be mad at the lady when she put so much effort into her novels and stories. The way she would forget about her long hair as she wrote, the ends brushing over the pages and smearing ink, the blank look in her eyes as she envisioned scenes before drafting them, and especially the over excited way she would talk about things she had yet to put to paper. Even though humans lacked cutie marks, Priscilla had clearly found her niche in life.
“Dusk is going to kill you though.”
“I know,” Priscilla sighed and leaned against Barb, a comfort that also reminded her that the dragoness was a full head taller. Among having other larger assets.
“Why would I kill you?” The unicorn in question walked into the room and looked at the girls with a raised brow. It took him much less time to see the problem than it had Priscilla.
“Priscilla left the ink in here, but it was my fault, I bumped into it.” Barb moved as if to hide the human from her adoptive brother.
“Barb, no. It was my fault for being in here in the first place.” Priscilla tried to move the dragoness, only her head visible as she pushed fruitlessly against the stone wall her lover had become.
Dusk Shine groaned and looked at the pair, searching for the confidence to finally tell them what had been on his mind for months.
“Barb, ever since you and Priscilla got together,” there was hesitation on together, the ladies knowing full well he meant slept with each other, “and you changed, as dragons do when they find a suitable mate, things have been more and more difficult.”
“What does that mean?” the dragoness puffed her ample, human emulated, chest out.
The stallion winced and looked away, “Those are kind of what I mean.” He sighed and looked back at Barb. “Listen, even since your body started imitating a human's you've just lost your sense of scale. You knock things over with your tail and, um, rear, and you bump into stuff with your pseudo breasts. Not to mention your new spines getting in your face when you bend-”
“Get to the point, Dusk!” Barb had a blush on her face from hearing the pony she saw as a brother describe her recently developed body parts.
“Right! Um, well...” Dusk Shine took a deep breath to steady himself. “I think you two should go find a place of your own.”
The girls blinked and looked at each other. This was as close to granting a blessing the herding ponies gave a couple. Priscilla would admit she was interested in the concept of a herd, until the Mane Six arrived in her apartment, along with the Princes, all of which were revealed to be stallions and not adorable mares. She'd found common ground with Barb, Dusk Shine's assistant, who turned out to be significantly older than the Spike she'd grown to know through the show. Now the couple had gained the blessing of Barb's brother and they couldn't help but smile at each other over it.
Faster than a pegasus the pair bolted out of the castle, leaving Dusk with the mess on the map. The stallion shook his head and lit up his horn. Magic enveloped the mess and the ink flowed backwards into its container. He floated it up away from the map and put a stopper on the bottle of ink and teleported it back to his desk.
“They could have at least offered to clean it up,” he mumbled, and went back to his duties.
Bubble Berry was the couple's first stop. As the friendly stallion kept up with everything happening in Ponyville he naturally knew what places had vacancies. There was one two story house for sale, and several smaller places to rent. Nervous about being on their own together for the first time the two decided to approach renting first. Priscilla was more familiar with it than actual home ownership after all. Their first stop was a small place above the local flower shop.
The owners were nice, Barb seemed fairly familiar with the flower brothers, but there was a certain hesitation they seemed to hold as they were led up to the rental. It wasn't a large place, but it was big enough for two. Enough room for a desk and writing to be done as well as a bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. Priscilla could hardly ask for more.
“I wonder if I still have a job.” Barb ran a claw through her many head spines, which hung loose like giant strands of hair.
“You really think Dusk is going to just fire you like that?” Priscilla nudged the dragoness with an elbow.
“I mean, maybe? You heard what he said about all my … bits bumping into things.”
She had to admit that Barbara's new growths were interesting. Different than any other creature, dragons grew in accordance to their desired partners. While Barb was chasing Elusive she had grown to facilitate walking on all fours, and stayed within pony size. Often, during their initial interactions, Barb would scurry rather than walk places. Priscilla found it cute.
After a night of drunken passion following months of bonding over comic books and cheesy romance novels, as well as working for Dusk Shine, the dragoness changed. She stopped walking on all fours as much, and within a week she was growing rapidly. By the end of a month she was as tall as Priscilla. Then she began showing development in other areas. Despite having no biological need for breasts a pair of nipple-less ones began to appear on her chest. Her ass grew somewhat, and several new spines appeared on her head in a scale shedding frenzy. Two and a half months passed and Barb had become the dragoness she was now. Curvy, spines for hair, wearing clothes much like Priscilla did, and finally she confessed to the human.
Priscilla was less surprised than she thought she would be. She did watch Barb slowly change into something like a cross between a human and a dragon after all. The change had given her more than enough time to deal with her own feelings. She'd always preferred girls, boys were okay but girls were the preference, and Barb was the only female she'd gotten to know closely. Only one female in the Night Guard had gotten to know her, and she was a muscle head that got along with everypony. There had been one cute little stallion, but after the human quit they hadn't talked at all.
The king of the changeling's mind control had put a complete stop to Priscilla's desires to keep fighting in the guard, despite Prince Artemis' wishes. She returned to Ponyville, moved in with Dusk, and began writing like she had when she was in her own world. It was hard work without a computer but she was making steady progress and since it had led to her becoming closer to Barb she didn't regret her decision for a moment.
She accepted Barb's confession with a passionate kiss that left the dragoness more than ready for some nightly activities. It took Dusk Shine no time at all to figure out what had transpired between them, and now that he'd worked out his own issues involving Barb his blessing had been given. Which also, Priscilla hoped, meant he would stop trying to push Barbara and Elusive together.
Softly, Priscilla put her arm around Barb, very close to the dragoness' butt, and squeezed her close. “Hey now, I like your new bits. And if Dusk doesn't, then we'll find you a new job.”
Barb grinned, “Like a strip club?”
“There's an idea.” Priscilla raised an eyebrow and grinned back.
“Shut up! You know I was kidding.”
“I do, but it's cute to make you flustered.”
“I just don't want to, you know, be a mooch or something.” She whispered and looked back at the owner who was in another room testing utilities. “They might not let us rent if they find out we aren't exactly financially stable.”
“Don't worry about that. I've got tons saved up from working in the guard, I was a captain remember? I can float us for a good long time.”
Barbara wasn't sure, but another of the brothers came up and whispered something to the one that had shown them around. The two siblings eyed the women for a moment before asking them to leave. Priscilla thought their behavior was strange, and rude to say the least, but later she discovered another pony had rented the place after they left. An act which reinforced something in her mind.
At every location they visited after the owners, stallion or mare, seemed to be putting on a fake smile. Some places were suddenly much more expensive than Berry had told them, and others had owners that made the couple feel uncomfortable. They were stand offish about problems with the rentals, acted like they were in a rush, and one refused to say anything that wasn't about the house, no small talk or personal information of any kind. It was like half the town hated them. With all of their renting options exhausted, the two sat down for lunch in the mid afternoon.
“What is with everypony?” Priscilla picked angrily at her salad. “Price gouging, in Ponyville? You're not exactly getting tons of renters around here. My bits spend just as good as a pony's.”
Barb strummed her claws on the table, half in annoyance and half in boredom. “Well, we are the only two of us in town. The only human and the only dragon.”
“That doesn't make it less rude,” the human said through bites of her food. “Actually, that probably makes it racist.”
“Well, you did go crazy in your last couple months in Artemis' guard, 'Dread Captain.'”
Priscilla shuddered remembering what she'd done in her attempts to distance herself from the ponies she'd came to care about. Horrible things under the guise of protecting them.
“Yeah, okay,” she admitted. “Still, we need to find somewhere to live. I mean, I guess not today, Dusk would understand.”
Barb sighed and leaned back in her seat. “I think we have to go check out the house.”
The human practically dropped her fork, “Are you crazy? Us, getting a house?” She tried not to think about the commitment buying a home usually meant for humans. Surely ponies thought the same. Though, Barbara wasn't a pony.
“It's our only choice. Who knows what mess I could make tomorrow. Besides, it's not like we have anything else to do today.”
Priscilla could actually think of several things she would rather do with the dragoness, but she was a sucker for those beautiful green eyes. And so, with lunch completed and paid for, they walked to the real estate agency and asked for a tour of the home. Surprisingly the realtor was more than happy to show the house off. Her enthusiasm was explained by the layers of dust coating the inside of the home and the length it seemed the sign had hung out front. No one was interested.
It was a mystery that made Priscilla start asking questions. All of which were answered in short and satisfactory order. Plumbing worked, there were creaky floorboards, some weak spots in the kitchen floor, being near the edge of town meant travel time to do anything, the roof needed redone. The realtor was upfront about everything without hesitation. He told them it was a fixer upper, and it certainly was. That didn't explain his nervousness.
Mid sentence a sudden rhythmic thudding gently vibrated the house. It wasn't terrible but it solved the mystery.
“Damn that DJ...” The realtor held off on finishing his sentence and instead mashed his teeth in anger.
“We're up the street from...” Priscilla looked at Barb and they both grinned. The house didn't sell because of the loud dance music at random hours. There was a spell for that. Multiple in fact.
They tried not to tip their hand in negotiating for the house, but the realtor didn't care either way. A home his agency had written off until the musician moved, which was uncertain at best, had been sold. He could have lost profit and still been called a legend. Barb and Priscilla were just happy to have a place to live in such a short time. There were many things they had held back on because of Dusk Shine.
Barb went back to the castle to pack, and fetch Dusk Shine to cast the soundproofing spell, while Priscilla started cleaning the place up. By evening the pair were snuggled together on a bed surrounded by boxes and silence. Priscilla sighed contentedly and not so subtly placed her head on Barb's imitation breasts. The dragoness, familiar with her girlfriend's favorite place to lay, merely held her tight.
“I think Dusk was shocked we found a place so fast.” Barb ran her claws through Priscilla's hair, almost envious of it.
“Well yeah, he told us to find something this morning. I doubt anyone expected a whole house in a day. We just got lucky.”
“I can't believe there wasn't some other unicorn looking for a place that knew how to cast a soundproof spell. That's almost spell casting 101.”
“We got lucky,” the human dragged her words out for comedic and emphatic effect.
“Are you seriously that tired?”
“Hey, I did a lot of sweeping, and mopping, and I hauled just as many boxes as you.”
“You carried your papers and clothes. I carried everything else.”
“But you're a big, strong,” Priscilla let out a sensual chuckle, “sexy, curvy, stacked dragon!”
“Flattery will get you at least into my pants.”
“Put it on my tab,” the human yawned and snuggled into her warm, scaly lover. “Tomorrow for sure.”
Barbara chuckled and leaned down to kiss the top of Priscilla's head. “Tomorrow it is. I'll hold you to that, little lady.”
Author's Note
I wish I had done this back in 2012 instead.
Author's Note
Welcome, to the official for real rewrite of this ... old piece of shit I wrote when I had no idea what I was doing. A few notes. First of all, if I mention something that is contradictory to something I said in Not so Magical Land of America, ignore it. This is the new canon and I'm just not going to update the old story with new information as my views on this universe have changed. If you notice something that contradicts what is in THIS story only, bring it up, I'll fix it somehow.
Secondly, this is going to be a very, very different story than before. That's why everything else is gone and I only have these two chapters. Hopefully I'll finish this thing properly this time. I do have an outline of what I want to get accomplished, I know how this ends. I've been working on my own stuff lately, my own novel (hooray) but it's very difficult to get back into the swing of things. A friend suggested I get my writer legs back by finishing this up and I suppose that's what I'll try and do. I have a road map after all, just need to work on getting it done. That being said, this is rough. I mean, I know this is rough to start out with, but I have literally rewritten this one chapter EIGHT TIMES. I changed so many ideas and plot points that this thing needed redone that many times before I settled on a beginning I liked that sets up what I want it to.
If you're a new reader I'd like to thank you for checking out what I'm sure will be mostly unknown as "Just another human in Equestria fan fiction." I hope you will at least bear with this minimal quality writing into the next chapter where I personally feel that my writing picks up. Like I said, I've been away from big projects for a while and it's hard going from short stories in college to full length "Write whatever you want" fan fics. If you don't think my writing improves in the second chapter feel free to tell me what you think and if there's anything I can do to improve it. Thanks again, people!
Awakening
“If the darkness within him is so dangerous why not draw it out into a more malleable form?”
Kayn looked at his brother, Elysian, across the room. Between them laid the unconscious Pete Powell. Kayn had informed his brother of the failures the last several incarnations of Pete had suffered, many arising from fragment of Nightmare that now infested the young man’s soul. He had previously tried extracting the piece of darkness, but it had left Pete powerless against his coming foe. However, leaving it inside left him just as vulnerable. Thus, Kayn had turned to his brother for help.
Elysian had never been one to tolerate the kind of Darkness they faced, the kind that Kayn wielded alongside the Light as the Lord of the Void. Elysian could do much the same, but preferred the Light. The boy before them wasn’t as powerful as they were though. He was a simple human soon to be set loose in a world of magic and monsters. Something had to be done.
The Lord of Void watched as Elysian drew his black bladed katana, and held it above Pete. The blond-haired man looked at Kayn inquiringly and Kayn nodded in return, agreeing to his brother's proposal. To bring forth the fragment of Nightmare and place it into a malleable form, something controllable even by the mortal between them.
Pete groaned and sat up, his eyes felt welded shut and he had to rub them a lot to regain his vision. Once he could see Pete took stock of his surroundings. He was on a bed, a rather large one at that, which was pushed almost completely into the right corner of the room. There was a dresser at the foot of the bed, against the opposing wall, and a full-sized mirror to the left of it. He shifted to the side of the bed and stood up, looking down to confirm the floor was polished stone, cold, and his feet were bare. Seconds later he toppled backwards onto the bed, his body shaking slightly from the sudden movement. With a groan Pete rubbed his face and ran his hands through is hair. He felt weak, and somehow still tired.
Taking a deep breath and using all of his willpower, Pete managed to stand up, wobbly as he might have been. Grabbing the sheet from the bed and wrapping it around his noticeably nude body, he walked over to the mirror and investigated himself. It was clear he wasn’t in a hospital, he wasn’t in a gown, there were no doctors or nurses, no IV hooked into him, and his body seemed terribly gaunt. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps he’d been in a coma, in fact he was sure he had given the muscle decay he had, when the door opened from the far left of the room. The door was a heavy wooden one with metal bound around it, like a door from the dark ages.
Pete stood, looking towards the door, as Princess Luna entered carrying a tray with her magic. The princess was half way into the room when she noticed him and stopped. The two stood for a moment, both surprised, until Pete raised his hand and waved. Luna’s eyes went wide and she bolted out the door as fast as she could manage. Pete considered following her, but stopped as a window caught his attention. On the same wall as the head of the bed he’d just left, properly obscured from his vision while laying down, was a simple arched window. He walked over to it slowly. Outside was the city of Canterlot, colorful and brilliant in the midday sunlight. Pegasi flew around moving clouds, carrying things, and many kinds of ponies and non-ponies walked the streets below. Pete exhaled and walked back to the bed he had just left moments ago.
He sat on the edge of the bed and went back through is memories. He remembered falling after helping the Elements of Harmony and the Princesses return to Equestria, and how much his chest hurt. Biting his lip, Pete placed his palm to his chest and felt his heart. It was pumping just as much as it usually did, but he was also aware that his old scars were absent. He'd looked in the mirror and they were gone. Something had happened. Clearly somepony had pulled him to the other side of the portal. At least, he hoped. His alternative theory was that he had died. How that would get him into another reality he didn’t know but he liked the idea of being able to be sent back. He had promised to give living in his own world an honest try after all.
Moments later Luna came back in carrying a set of clothes with her, ones that matched the set Pete had collapsed in. She sat them on the bed next to Pete and then turned around. Pete stood and started getting dressed, a small blush building on his face. He had only just fully realized that Luna had walked in expecting to find him asleep and still naked, and while he was sure her intentions were pure Pete was sure his were not. With his shirt hanging from him and his belt a whole notch tighter he realized just how long he must have been asleep.
Without a second thought, Pete reached back to the bed and picked up a sheathed short sword and attached it to his belt. The sound caused Luna to turn back around, confused. Her face scrunched further in wonder at the dark sword Pete had just casually discovered. Pete returned her confusion, until his mind caught up. Where had the sword come from? Thinking twice now Pete removed the sword from his belt and examined it.
The hilt was a dark black and unreflective, its sheath was normal as far as Pete’s knowledge of swords went. Carefully he pulled the blade out and continued his investigation. It was a sword, but just barely. It was about two and a half feet in length and the blade was polished to a shine. Pete turned the weapon over several times, looking at it from every angle, before returning it to the sheath and looking at Luna.
“What’s this?”
Luna shook her head slowly. “I am unsure. At first, I thought perhaps one of the guards left their weapon in here, but none of them should have been in here and the handle is all wrong. No pony employed here at the castle would carry such a blade.”
Pete scratched his head. “I do remember … voices.”
“Voices?” Luna looked alarmed, her gaze going from the sword to Pete.
“Yeah, uh, two guys. I can’t remember what they said though.” Pete massaged his forehead, as if he could stimulate the memories physically.
“That is all I need to hear,” Luna said coldly and took the blade from Pete’s grasp. “I will deliver this to our investigators here at the castle. Perhaps they can find who owned this. In the meantime, my sister wished to see you when you awoke.”
Pete cocked his head to the side. “Celestia? What could she want with me?”
Luna smiled and turned towards the door. “The sooner I drop you off with her the sooner you will find out.” The alicorn looked at the sword in her magic and muttered, “And the sooner I can learn about this.”
The young man sighed and shrugged with resignation and followed Luna out the door. The hallway was just as medieval looking as the room they had just left, but it also displayed a certain grandeur as well. There was a length of thick rug on in the middle of the hall that stretched the length of the corridor, making a sort of crimson road between the gold borders of the rug. Pete became hyperaware that he was barefoot as he stepped onto the rug and felt himself sink into it, but shoes had not been provided. He thought to bring it up as they walked, however Luna appeared almost as confused as he was.
The alicorn princess stopped for a moment at each intersection the pair came to. She would look down each passage before nodding and proceeding in seemingly random directions. Just as Pete was about to ask if Luna had gotten lost in her own castle, they came around a corner and were faced with several guards standing next to or in front of many doors. Pete wondered why the rest of the castle wasn’t this guarded.
“The royal chambers,” Luna elaborated, “Each room here is held for a specific royal guest and thus are guarded.”
Pete nodded as they walked and began to notice a pattern. Some doors the guard was in front of the door, others they were beside the door. He guessed that if the guard was in front the occupant of the room was out for the moment. It would be rather inconvenient to tell the guard to move every time you wanted to open your door after all, and it would feel much more like a prison at that point.
Their journey ended at a door that looked like any other, except there were two guards in front instead of one. The guards gave Luna a small bow and opened the door with their magic. Pete nodded to the two unicorns as he passed, but neither reacted to him. He became increasingly aware of his alien nature in this new world, both out of time and completely foreign.
Celestia sat on a cushion in front of a desk, a quill held tight in her magic, as Luna held out a forehoof signaling Pete to stop. The Princess of Night then cleared her throat to alert her sister. The white alicorn turned and did a double take upon seeing Pete standing in her room. Quickly she sat the quill into its proper place and stood. After a few steps forward she turned to Luna.
“How is he?” she asked almost as if the human wasn't in the room at all.
“I'm fine,” Pete spoke up indignantly, folding his arms in front of his chest and locking eyes with Celestia.
Celestia returned his gaze for a minute and then laughed. “Well, if that's the first thing you have to say I believe you.” The joy faded from her face moments later. “We have a situation, Pete. One that I'm afraid you're uniquely suited to dealing with.”
Pete raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. “Me? The atrophy and muscle deteriorated writer that just survived a heart attack? Do you need a really strong sob story or something?”
The Princess of the Sun shook her head, “What we need is a human that knows about us. To explain what has happened.”
“What exactly has happened?” Pete frowned and glanced around the room, noting that outside of Celestia's window all seemed fine.
“With you unconscious Luna and I decided to move ahead with our plans. Unfortunately they seem to have escaped our control.”
Pete sighed and stared at the ceiling for a moment before making eye contact again. Cliched as it was he had to ask, “What plans were those again?”
Sleep did not come easily that night thanks to Pete's typical nocturnal sleeping pattern. He wasn't a stranger to being up late nights, or all night, and then sleeping through the day. Most nights he didn't have to be on a train at eight in the morning though. Usually he would have nothing to do during the day, even in Equestria. So the night was spent experimenting more with his sword, testing new shapes and seeing if that would wear him out. It didn't and eventually he changed activities. After meditating, an on and off habit he picked up in college, and practicing some small spells, he tried sleeping.
It was well past midnight but he spent hours tossing and turning hoping for even a nap. He wasn't sure when but he did manage to drift off at least for a while. Sweat was pouring off of him as he woke, and he had a desperate feeling that he needed to remember something. A dream, surely, but why would a dream be something he needed to remember? Images were all he could recall and those faded within seconds. Swirling down a drain into his subconscious. Exasperated, he went to the baths located near his room and soaked. Whatever he was supposed to remember was gone from his mind now and he simply desired to forget that he should remember anything at all.
The baths of Canterlot were a sight to behold, at least in Pete's opinion. They reminded him of Roman bathhouses, large rooms with the baths set into the polished white tile floor. Mirrors lined one wall with several showers adjacent to them. Along the side of the bath sat several soaps and shampoos, most of which smelled like fruits and flowers. The human was worried the first time he used them, concerned that smelling like traditional pony food would bring unwanted attention. He then shelved those thoughts because people consumed just as much fruit and no human had ever tried to bite someone because they smelled like soap. At least not to his knowledge. Beyond one edge of the bath there were several windows which let in light during the day and gave a pleasant view at night. From the bath Pete could see it wasn't quite morning yet, so he had time to relax and forget his restless sleep.
One concern he had upon discovering the bath was the frequency it was drained at. A problem he knew human bathhouses had. When the water was changed he didn't know, but he had noticed it changed often. Perhaps even daily given the lack of grime and the clarity of the water. Bathrooms were important to Pete. He felt there was something sacred about them. A place where someone should be able to relax entirely based on the privacy they demanded for “business” to be done. Canterlot's bathrooms took his standards to a new level. The human wasn't sure he could ever go back to small cramped tubs and simple rooms after experiencing the royal baths.
Of course he couldn't say for sure these were the royal baths. Celestia and Luna likely had their own bathrooms. There had been a second door in Celestia's room that was shut when he visited her with Luna. If they did have their own he didn't know where Luna's would be though. Perhaps she had a hidden one, or maybe she even used the same one he did.
Awkwardly, Pete pulled himself out of the bath and dried off. His thought about Luna bathing in the same room had made him uncomfortable as he remembered her talk about the barracks the night before. She knew everything that went on in there, what wouldn't she know about her own bathroom? Returning to his own room Pete made a silent vow to ask the princess if she deigned to use the same baths as everypony else, or if she had her own private room. Phrasing it as a matter of security he hoped would take the strangeness of the question away. Knowing the castle better would be useful in his position as captain after all. It only made sense he would inquire about locations the princesses could be found in if something were to happen. Not only did it make sense, he also felt like it was his duty to be ready in case of an emergency. Sometime in his months of training he had grown to care about the world he was in. He had only opposed being there on moral principal after all. Once he learned the magic he wielded meant the princesses had to keep him close by there was almost a relief.
“You wanted this all along after all.” Pete sighed and watched the sky lighten from his window, the color of the city being painted by the light of the sun. “I'm a lucky bastard.”
Traveling to the train station wouldn't take long, so Pete stopped by the kitchens for a light breakfast. He'd found himself eating even less now that he was frequently active, something he would never have imagined feeling a decade ago. A simple sandwich, the request irritating the highly trained chef, was all he needed before setting out.
Meandering to his objective, the front gate of the castle, Pete thought how strange it was that the castle never seemed to have the kind of esteemed guests he assumed it would. Dignitaries were all that ever seemed to arrive, diplomats from various corners of the globe to speak with the princesses about one matter or another. Most of the castle was empty year round. He hadn't even seen the distant relative Blueblood. It felt like there should have been other guests at least some of the time. The halls were silent except for the sound of patrolling guards marching on thick rug that ran down the center of each passage. Red and gold was the theme of the most of the castle, until you entered Luna's room where the color scheme suddenly shifted to dark blues, blacks, and silver. Not even her wing was decorated in the colors, just her personal chamber.
Somehow it felt fitting though, following the red carpet embroidered with gold outside, the sight of the city below him and the sun slowly trekking in the East. The scene felt set by the colors and time of day.
Down the steps and almost straight forward was the train station and Pete's journey there was once again met with strange stares. The same ponies that waved the last time he passed through town waved again, and those that didn't almost inevitably stopped and stared. He was getting used to it. Humans looked monstrous to ponies after all. Tall, mostly hairless, simple colors, and anatomy that didn't make sense to the ponies that were used to seeing four legged creatures like themselves. Perhaps Celestia was right about getting good press for humans. At least it would ease his own dealings with the ponies in Canterlot.
The train arrived promptly on time, something most human transportation failed to do, and Pete had arrived early. He wasn't happy about spending another half hour or so sitting, but such was the nature of traveling. Sitting beat walking for half a day down a mountain.
Inside the train looked almost like any other Pete had seen in movies and television. There were cars with separated compartments, a dining car, and what he assumed were coach class seats without rooms. Simple wooden benches, essentially, with cushions on the bottom. He had been led to a compartment car, a perk of being a guard or a captain he wasn't sure, which was much more furnished than the unseparated benches. The upholstery was soft, and the padding inside matched. It was almost like a bed. Laying down crossed Pete's mind, but the compartment was too small for that. Ponies could surely lay and nap, perhaps even a griffon, but there was no way he could comfortably angle himself to drift off. Instead, he leaned against the window and stared out at the passing scenery.
Most of Equestria was empty. Large swaths of land were unused despite the presence of cities in some parts of the nation. Pete wasn't sure if the existence of such cities then were acts of hubris or deliberate space conservation. Taller buildings housing more ponies per square foot instead of making large single family or herd homes specifically to preserve the wilds that existed made a certain sense, but then places like Ponyville being a village made up of houses like that seemed strange. Sure, there had been towns in America, but Ponyville felt and looked more isolated than most of the towns Pete had seen. It had a single main road that stopped being paved less than a mile out of town, and the nearest settlement was Canterlot. Pete made another mental note to inquire about the defenses of the smaller towns in Equestria. Many humans had questioned what, if any, they had and he was in a rare position to be given that information freely after all.
Forty five minutes had passed since the train had left Canterlot, but Pete's cramped legs would have said hours. He had arrived at last at his destination however, and felt it best to stretch out off the train. Autumn was coming soon and the early morning air reflected that perfectly. Not that it bothered the human, he liked the cold, and his Equestrian sewn clothes were fairly well insulated. A small breeze left goosebumps on his arms, but the rest of him barely felt it. The cold weather did mean something more though.
Stepping away from the train station and out into the village, Pete saw Applejack and Xander setting up a market stall, surrounded by boxes of apples. Harvest time had come and gone and now was the time to sell produce. Smiling, he walked up and waved to the large man arranging crates. Xander stood up and waved back, attracting the attention of his four legged host.
“Well howdy there, Pete. Its been quite a while since we've seen you in town,” the farm pony said with a smile. A smile that caught Pete off balance. Applejack had never been his biggest fan.
“Yeah, I know,” he replied, stepping over to the stall and gently leaning on it, “Last time I was here I was scrawny and half dead twice.”
“Wouldn't being twice half dead make you just dead?” Xander raised an eyebrow towards Pete.
“Uhh, yeah, I guess? I mean, I came out of a coma, so I was half dead, then I came here and almost died again.” It was like recalling events from a past life already. Training and guard work had changed Pete in more ways than he realized.
“Well, ya did a lot of good out there, Pete.” Applejack smiled again, “And I hear you're part of the guard now.”
“Night Guard, and also pulling double duty as the official ambassador of the humans.”
AJ's smile faded and she looked away for a moment. “Listen, I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye in the past, and I know I said things were okay when we left your place back in the human world,” she turned back to him with a half smile this time, “but I do find it hard to dislike you now that you're part of the guard. Call it nationalism or whatever fancy term you want, but you settled into a respectful position and we haven't heard any scandalous news or nothing so I think you must be doing a pretty good job.”
Pete rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Well thanks, Applejack. I didn't exactly plan on things working out like this, but yeah I'm doing my best. It's the least I can do with all the trust the Princesses have shown me.”
Xander nodded next to Pete, “From what Applejack has told me about you, it sounds like you've changed a great deal.”
A blush rose up on Pete's face. “From what she's told you, huh? Oh geez. I didn't expect that.”
The larger human put his hand on Pete's shoulder. “Don't worry. Most of it was positive.”
“Except for the part about you being a creepy shut in mizandrope.”
“Misanthrope,” Xander corrected, “a human that hates humans and society in general.”
“It's weird that y'all have a name for that kind of behavior.”
“I bet you have one for it too,” Pete suggested. “Just because you haven't heard it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.”
Applejack waved her hoof, “That's Twilight's business. I ain't got time for making sure things have names in a dictionary. I have to sell apples.”
Pete chuckled, “Speaking of selling apples, how is that going?”
“We sold most of them the other day,” Xander replied, pointing to the remaining bushels next to the stand. “That is all we have left.”
“Yep! Xander here was a good help selling 'em too. More ponies probably bought apples just trying to get an up close look at him than they did cause they want apples.” AJ smiled at that for a moment and then winced. “That's a little sad actually.”
Pete reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch tied with string. The farmpony blinked and tilted her head, fully aware of what was in the pouch but confused as to why the man had pulled it out.
“Well, I'm not interested in just looking at humans, I can do that every day. What I haven't done though is tried one of the Apple family's apples. You know I like apples, and you talk a pretty big game about their quality, Applejack. So come on, gimme your best apple.”
“All right,” she said after a moment, grinning at the challenge, “You're on.” AJ browsed the remaining apples and sat a ripe red delicious down on the stall. “Two bits.”
Pete removed two coins from the pouch and placed them next to the apple, then picked up the fruit and took a bite. He wasn't sure if the difference in flavor and texture was because of how stores kept their fruit fresh or if there was an actual difference in how earth ponies grew food, but there was a difference. It was like a true apple, the flavor was much the same, but it was also much richer. There was no comparison he could think of. If there was a difference in taste quality between processed foods and fresh then the apple in his hand was a step above that. Even the skin had flavor, and that was always Pete's most hated part of the apple. Waxy was the best way he could describe the skin on an apple from his world, but this was soft and easily consumed with the fruit inside.
“Well?” Applejack smirked from the inside of the stand. Pete continued chewing and just gave a thumbs up, getting a laugh from the mare. “Tell ya what. Have a second one, on the house. It's not every day somepony gets to try one of our apples for the first time after all.”
Pete thanked her and picked up the second apple, depositing it in one of his large pants pockets for later consumption. He was glad that Luna had been able to get across the idea of cargo pants to the royal tailor, because between his coin pouch and badge there wouldn't be much room for anything else otherwise. Waving, Pete set off for his next destination, Sugar Cube Corner which was conveniently close by.
Xander, meanwhile, looked at Applejack with a look of confusion. “Apples are one bit, not two.”
AJ grinned, “Well, he got two apples, didn't he?”
“You were going to give him a second apple anyway,” he accused.
“Of course I was. He just needed to pay for it. I'm not Rarity; the farm has to make money.”
The large man scratched his chin, wondering if it was dishonest to not tell the price, or if it was honest to have given Pete both apples he paid for. He also began to wonder if these Elements of Harmony actually worked.
Inside Sugar Cube Corner it smelled like a combination of baked goods and hot sugar, and Pete had to resist the urge to pull his money back out and pay for more food. It was the first time since Earth that he'd had such ready access to familiar meals. He bet Pinkie would even make him pancakes if he asked. Against temptation he stepped over to Maxwell, who was sitting on a chair usually reserved for customers with a large book in front of him. Curious, Pete looked over his shoulder. The book was full of numbers in columns. More confused, Pete sat down across from the boy and waited. Moments later the hyperactive ball of pony known as Pinkie bounded onto Pete with a giggle, ensnaring him in a hug.
“What are you doing here?!” She was clearly excited, bouncing even in the hug and smiling ear to ear.
“I came to check up on the humans,” Pete gestured towards Max. “It is my second job after all.”
“Ooooh! Well, Max is doing great! Ever since we found out how good he is at math he's been doing all the record keeping for the store. He even found the Cake's ways to save money by buying a liiiiiittle more of some things.”
“Really?” The captain looked at Max with a raised brow and then back to Pinkie. “I'd have never guessed he was a math prodigy.”
“Yeah! He doesn't talk much but he's like a unicorn when it comes to numbers.”
“So I guess the Cake's are okay with him staying here for a while longer then?”
“Psh, totally! We weren't sure what to do, since you humans don't have cutie marks so we had no idea what he would be good at. That's a pretty big problem, you know. You guys should really look into getting something like them. Anyway, Mrs. Cake was doing the number stuff and Max saw it, then he leaned over and did it all in a flash, like Rainbow fast! Then we knew what he could do to help out, and he's not even bothered by it. He gets up every day and checks the books so the bakery is more on top of things than ever!”
Pete blinked and shook his head trying to process the pink pony's speech. He felt like time had to have slowed down for her to say so much. Max was happy though, or at least he wasn't complaining or in trouble so that was good. If any pony in town could tell what someone else was feeling it would be Pinkie, so Pete felt like the boy was in good hands. Or hooves rather.
As he stood up to leave, Pete stopped and looked back at Pinkie. If anypony would know where Dash was it was the party pony. Or so he thought. Pinkie confessed she'd been in the back all morning and Rainbow didn't usually stop in until the afternoon. She almost volunteered to help him find her, but Pete insisted he had to stop by the other mare's homes anyway to check in on the humans. Instead, Pinkie gave him directions to Fluttershy's cottage, Rarity's boutique, the Golden Oaks library, and wished him luck.
Walking towards Twilight's library Pete couldn't help but feel a small bounce in his step. The pink party pony was infectious like that even for a recently reformed misanthrope. Perhaps that was why her energy was so easily transferred. The void inside of Pete from lack of connection simply sucked in anything positive it could. He shook his head of the dark thought and pushed his way into the library.
Shelves of books he was unfamiliar with mingled with an all too familiar scent of a library, generating a strange mix of new excitement and familiar nostalgia. Weeks spent pouring over books for his English finals and thesis papers, months of reading old adventure and fantasy novels, childhood and adulthood all mashed together with the smell of ink and paper.
“Boy do you look happy!” Jake practically popped into existence beside Pete, startling the captain.
“Jesus H, man!”
Jake laughed and banged his fist on the table, “I don't know what's funnier, hearing human exclamations or that sappy grin on your face. Here to see somepony special?” He grinned and dragged the last word out.
“No, just here to see how you and Twilight are doing.” Pete sat at the table across from Jake and explained, “I used to be a writer, before all of this. Spent a lot of time in libraries with books.”
“Shouldn't you hate libraries then? All the studying and references and all that?”
“Not at all. I liked what I did.”
“So you went from writer to medieval pony guard without a hitch?”
“Well,” Pete crossed his arms and thought, “It wasn't without problems. I mean, I was a twig even before I spent all that time in a coma. Then suddenly I have to run miles every day. It's amazing my body didn't give out a second time. I was constantly exhausted, it seriously felt like I was dying.”
Jake nodded, “But now you're, like, built.”
“I'm fit,” Pete corrected, “Far from being as strong or muscular as I could be. My training got cut short after all. You could easily get this by doing some exercise every morning.”
“Hey, organizing the library and helping Twilight out isn't exactly easy work.” Spike said, walking down the stairs with a duster in his claw. “Jake and I are on our feet almost nonstop.”
“Speaking of Twilight, where is she? I wanted to ask her something.”
“Downstairs,” Jake pointed to a door in the back of the library, “Just knock before walking in.”
Pete thanked him and followed the door down a set of stairs to another door which he knocked on to be safe, as Jake had suggested. There was a bit of commotion from the other side before the door was magically pulled open by Twilight. Inside there seemed to be a laboratory with all kinds of machines and chemicals in test tubes. Pete had forgotten Twilight's interest in science as well as magic.
“Pete,” Twilight shouted with a smile, “Perfect timing. Come in here and grab this.” The unicorn levitated a strange piece of metal in front of her that connected to a huge machine.
Curious, the human walked in and grabbed the bit of metal, “Now what?”
“Channel into it like you do your sword.”
With a shrug Pete began channeling, and just like before he felt the surge of power travel from his core to his arm and into the metal. Various gauges on the machine suddenly sprang to life at different levels and intervals, the lavender mare making notes on a clipboard and mumbling to herself.
“Give it everything you have, Pete.”
He nodded in response and took a deep breath. He focused every ounce of power he could muster. The machine became noisy and the gauges maxed out before the whole thing suddenly fell silent, Pete losing the connection with the metal. He opened his eyes and tilted his head, staring at the piece of equipment.
“Did I … break it?”
Twilight laughed, “No, don't be ridiculous. Your readings were something else though. The machine measures magical potency and in what areas.” She gestured to several meters on the instrument, “Fire, water, air, healing, even darkness. They're all here. Your readings are...” She paused and sighed, “Rather close to my own. I hate to admit that, but numbers don't lie. With a few years of study you could be incredibly powerful.”
Pete put the metal down and shook his head. “And what happens with the other humans?”
“Jake makes the first few needles move, but that's about it. I haven't tested all the others yet, but so far they don't move them at all. You're an anomaly.”
“Maybe I'm an outlier. What if … I don't know, some humans are just magically inclined? When the humans got banished maybe something about traveling through the portal affected us.”
Twilight shook her head. “We would have seen something long before now. Something happened to you, Pete, and you alone. What that is I don't know. Yet.”
“Well, if you're looking into it I'm confident we'll get an answer eventually.” He smiled and Twilight returned it. “Speaking of getting an answer though, do you know where Rainbow Dash is? I haven't seen her all morning and, well, I kind of figured I would have heard from her by now. It's been months.”
Celestia's student chuckled, her horn glowing for a moment. “She's just outside of town, judging by her elevation she's on a cloud. That should make her easy to spot. Lone clouds are kind of unusual around here.” Twilight oriented herself with the front door above them and pointed towards the Everfree. “Head that way and you should find her pretty easily.”
Pete grinned, “You're gonna have to teach me that spell some time. If I'm going to keep losing a mare that can fly it would be seriously useful.”
“It could be fun having a student of my own.”
Pete gave a mock bow, thanked Twilight, and went back upstairs. He said his good byes to Jake and Spike, and stepped out of the library. Right, that was the way Twilight had pointed him, and so he set off. Everfree forest was visible in the distance from the library, but it was far from close. The treetops towered in the forest which itself stretched for miles. A good distance from the last house on the edge of town however a lone cloud, as Twilight had said, was also visible in the sky. Closer to the forest than he'd like it to be, but a certain rainbow colored mane was visible. It was almost like she was avoiding him.
That thought caused a pain in Pete's chest, and impishly he thought he would repay her for it. Silently as possible, he positioned himself under the cloud. A bit of tail could be seen poking from the bottom and it gave him his target. Holding his breath, Pete reached into his pocket and pulled out the apple. He cocked his arm back and threw the fruit almost straight up, through the cloud and it was followed by a dull thud and an exclamation of shock more than pain. Moments later a light blue face and magenta eyes peered over the edge of the cloud and down at him.
Rainbow Dash wiggled through the cloud, apple mysteriously clutched in a hoof, and floated down in front of him. She held the apple out and examined it for a moment.
“Does Applejack know you're using her precious apples as ammo?”
“No, but it was expensive as hell. Two bits per apple? Is the farm going under or something?”
Dash raised an eyebrow and the laughed, “Did she get you with the 'first time special' too?”
“Get me?” Pete squinted for a moment. “Are you saying the Element of Honesty ripped me off?”
“No, she charged you two bits, and gave you two apples.” Rainbow tossed the other apple at the human, who caught it one handed. “It's a prank she pulls on ponies she knows that haven't bought from her before.”
“I... guess it's funny,” Pete scratched his head and looked at the apple again. It was fine, despite having unceremoniously crashed into a mare's flank.
“So,” RD rubbed her head, subconsciously mimicking Pete, “I don't think you came out here to talk about apples.”
“No,” he put the apple back into his pocket, “I was actually here to talk about … us.”
The pegasus frowned slightly, “Yeah?”
“Yeah, like why haven't you tried to get in contact with me for the last four months?”
“Why haven't you?”
It was a strong retort. “I am now,” he responded weakly.
“Well, I'm not very good at, like, writing letters or talking about mushy stuff and stuff. You know that!” Dash puffed out her chest and tried to sound angry.
Pete deflated and looked away. “Yeah, me either.” He let that hang for a while, and Rainbow slowly exhaled.
“I guess I should have known that too,” she admitted.
“Didn't really talk to anyone that much about anything that mattered.”
“Still, you have more skill at writing than I do. You could have sent something.”
“You're right,” he looked back and smiled, “I could have. I'm sorry.”
RD blinked and backed up a little. “Well, I'm … sorry too.”
“We're both new to this, some more than others,” he chuckled awkwardly. “Herds and pony stuff.”
“Yeah, there's a lot of things I don't know if humans do or would really like the way ponies do.” Rainbow shrugged, “But I guess that wouldn't put you off too much.”
Pete exhaled slowly and took a step forward, pulling Dash close to him. “What's the pony culture say about kisses?”
Dash smirked and bit her lip for a moment, “Who cares what culture says? This girl says do it.”
Grinning, Pete turned his head to kiss the pegasus when something caught his eye. In the treeline behind them a pair of glowing yellow eyes was watching. Not just a trick of the light, actually glowing. They were too tall to be a pony or a griffon. Minotaur perhaps, but Pete doubted their eyes glowed. Actually he doubted anything that was safe to be around in this world had glowing eyes. Training kicking in, he moved, placing Rainbow Dash behind him and placing his hand on his sword.
“What the hay?!”
Pete pointed towards the eyes, “In the trees.”
RD squinted and then moved back. “Okay, I don't know who you are, but spying isn't cool.”
There was a loud grunt and the eyes disappeared in a cacophony of heavy footsteps and breaking branches. Whatever it was, it was large, the sounds disturbed birds in branches for miles around and the pair could hear things being broken for almost a minute after it fled. Worried, Pete stepped forward, but once more his training took over. Instead of following the creature he turned back to Rainbow.
“Back to town, now.”
“What's wrong? What in Tartarus was that thing?”
“I don't know,” Pete looked back one last time and then started walking briskly, “But I'd rather not find out when we're here alone. I'll go back to Canterlot and request some guards come by.” He grumbled as Rainbow Dash caught up to him. “So much for being an ambassador.”
Twilight's ascension caught her friends off guard, but Pete had only stood and clapped. He had known it was coming after all. While he never told any of the ponies about what he knew was on the horizon he was always aware of them. So when the day came that dark vines spewed from the Everfree and Princess Twilight was uncertain of what to do, he was calm.
“You knew this would happen!” She accused him as he approached at a casual saunter, her hoof jabbing at him in the air.
“Of course I did. I remember almost every major event, Princess.” He chuckled at the last part. As much as it had bothered him from a writing stand point, it was cute how he could fluster her with her title now.
“Well, what do I do? What did the me that you saw do?”
“I can't spoil everything, Twilight. I have to let you make your own choices here. We've talked about this before, not only is everything different now that me and the other humans arrived, even if they're ponies now, but things were different before. We can't risk the-”
“Fabric of time and space and reality,” Twilight said, comically annoyed, “I know, I know! It's really aggravating that you keep mentioning that when I just want some advice.”
Pete smiled and looked down at her. She was going to make the same decision here, he knew it. It was Twilight and her friends had already gone into the forest. She was going to chase in after them. His own presence stopped her though. She was trying so hard to do the right thing that she might end up doing the wrong one.
“Well, I can't say anything,” Pete held up a finger as the purple alicorn went to protest, “But I can do this.” With a mighty roar Pete transformed, his muscles bulging, scales regrowing, wings sprouting, and within a minute there stood the Aspect. His yellow eyes looked kindly upon the princess, and she smiled back.
“Let's go!” she shouted and dove into the forest.
Pete chuckled and followed her. That was his duty now. To follow the Elements of Harmony into the jaws of danger. Defend them while they risked their lives, and pull them from the fire if things were to go wrong. Many things were different than he remembered, the humans that had become ponies added many new twists and turns, but for the most part Pete had settled well into his new life in Equestria.
Author's Note
Finished.