The Good, The Bad, and...The Ponies?

"Hey Kiyo!  Kiyo!  Wake up!"

I quickly sat up gasping for breath, and sweating profusely.  The bed and sheets were completely soaked and cold from the sweat.  I rested my head in my shaky hands as I recalled the recurring nightmare.  I've been having the same nightmare for more than a week now.  I would always start off standing in an empty field and I would start to hear laughter all around me.  I would then search for the sound to find my family laughing.  After finding them I would run to them and give them a group hug.  I would start to feel something wet trickle down my arm, looking up I would see them start liquidizing in my arms still hearing their laughter becoming more and more distorted while at the same time louder and louder.  Every time, I would either wake up screaming bloody murder or would start crying like a scared child.  The nightmares began the same night Twilight had basically thrown me out of town with the rest of it behind her.

After a few moments, I looked up to see who had awoken me.  "You were screaming in your sleep.  It sounded like you were having one hay of a nightmare." the pony said.

I looked back down and rested my head in my hands again.  "You have no idea Arcana."

Arcana was the first pony Malice introduced me to after bringing me to the cave.  He was a crimson unicorn with a Cutie Mark of what looked like a blue fire surrounded by some old runes.  He had a spiky light blue mane and a grey tail with black streaks in it.  His eyes were of a deep brown color that that were somewhat similar to mine, well... the right one anyway.  I mean sure he looked odd for a pony as far as color goes, but who am I to judge this weird technicolored world.

He sat on the edge bed next to me and draped his foreleg over my shoulder.  "You know you can talk to me if something is bothering you."  He looked at me with concern for my well being.  I just shook my head in my hands.  How could I tell him any more than I already have?  I've told him everything that I know.  But he thinks that there's something more to it than just that.

When I first told him about my arrival, he was curious as to why Twilight would become friends with me and then treat me like I was more vile than Discord, who I learned was the embodiment of the purest chaos.  I chalked it up as her knowledge about what my eye truly meant, but that didn't seem satisfactory to him.  So the more and more he pressed, I told him to leave it be or I didn't answer at all.

Ever since I arrived at the cave about 3 months ago, he's acted like a big brother towards me.  He gave me the tour of the entire cave, which turned out to be an underground castle of some kind. He hung out with me as I tried to get used to my new environment and new faces.  He even taught me some magic that I could use defensively or offensively.  Even though it took some time and a lot of anti-burn creme, I managed to get the basics down.  The time he gave me the tour though stuck out in my mind the clearest.

The further that we went into the cave, the more its features would change.  First, the walls and floor would transfer from their original rocky surface to old stone masonry.  Second, the walls would expand and hold highly detailed paintings of important looking ponies wearing armor or fancy garments fitted for them and landscapes that would seem impossible to recreate on a canvas.  We would more often than not pass by stone obelisks that would stand tall and strong as they seemed to be holding the ceiling up from crashing down on us.

Every now and then we would pass by a group of ponies or individuals that looked like they were busy.  But even as we passed them, they didn't try and attack me or run away in fear.  They would look at me, smile and wave.  It was true what Malice had said, I could be here and nobody would treat me any differently than they would themselves.  Here I could be treated as I've wanted to be...normal.

Getting up from the bed, Arcana trotted over to the entrance of my room.  "Well, if you don't wanna talk to me, I understand."  I looked up at him to see him looking back at me with a playful smile.  "But don't think just because I gave up this time means that there won't be a next time."

I returned the smile and said, "I wouldn't have it any other way," as he left.  I stood up from the bed and stretched, releasing a few satisfying cracks.  Walking over to the dresser in my room I saw my belongings patiently awaiting me: my iPod at a 22% charge, an old black wallet still containing the memories of my old life, and my ever faithful family boken, but with a few more dents and scratches.  Opening a drawer I pulled out a new set of clothing to change into.  The clothes that I had been given were made with great care and precision but also strong and durable so that they would last awhile.

The three shirts that were made were all of the same basic short sleeve design but were given their own look.  They all had the all black design but either had a grey, crimson or white stripe that traveled up the sleeve to quickly change direction and go down the front of my chest in a mirroring "Z" pattern eventually going straight again before the hem at the base turning 90 degrees and meeting in the middle of the shirt.

The two pants that were made were especially cool.  They both felt like they were sweatpants but were much more durable than that.  They were a plain black color and designed for the utmost flexibility but also for maximum protection.  They had the same feeling that sweatpants had but breathed better keeping me cool and could take some damage.  The designer had imbued them with a magic property that would act like shield or barrier on the point of contact in the event that I was attacked or had to do some major ass kicking, specifically kicking or using knees, I could still move around and not be hindered by any heavy armor or worry about injuring myself.  There was also a written incantation that were placed on the inside of the two pockets that allowed me to put nearly anything in it.  They acted similar to giant storage area that weighed nothing at all, if the item was in it then all the wearer had to do was think of the object, reach in, grab, and pull.  The two rules about it were simple; the item had to be smaller than the wearer, and there was a five item limit per pocket.

I was also given a new jacket because the one I had originally wore was scratched, torn, ripped and stained with blood, most of it being my own.  Well, it was more like a trench coat than a jacket.  Its overall look was amazing to say the least.  It was made from faux leather and was dyed black just for the occasion that I had to blend in with the shadows and hide.  The zipper reached from the waist up to the collar which could be buttoned closed to conceal my mouth.  To make the whole thing look slimming on me, a thick black faux leather belt with a loop for my boken was adorned on the waist.   For practical reasons the tailor had decided to give it a hide-away hood in the event that it rained or i needed some shade from the sun.  For a safety precaution, it was enchanted so it couldn't be torn or ripped.  This meant that while I wore it, I couldn't be stabbed or have a limb severed.  However, I would still feel the force behind the attack.  At least I wouldn't have to worry about any sharp objects anytime soon.  But I would still have to be careful nonetheless.

Malice took it upon himself to introduce me to the tailor that had been living here ever since he found her a year ago in the great capital of Equestria called Canterlot.  Now one would think that being from the capital of a country, she would be living the high life, right?  Drinking fine wine every night, eating meals that were on par with royalty, and getting to wear clothes made by the most highly recognized designer.  That's what I had thought when I had first heard of her.  But I had been proven otherwise.

She had been living in a house with her parents and a 5 year-old brother.  They were the image of a perfect family.  Nobody fought, they shared everything, were honest, and most importantly loved each other very dearly.  Sure they had some wealth, but they hadn't flaunted it like their neighbors and everyone else in Canterlot did.  They would spend their money wisely and not buy everything in sight or the most expensive item available at the time.  Nor did they brag about their living space.  They lived in a medium-sized house, just big enough for them to be comfortable but not too small for them to be cramped.  No matter what was said about them, they were happy living the way they did.  But one night was all it took to take that happiness away.

She had spent the night at one of her friends unaware that her home had been broken into.  When she returned the next day, she found her family dead lying in a pool of their own blood.  Each of them had their throats slit from ear to ear.  With no other family to go to, she had been forced to fend for herself by taking any job she could, but it all didn't work according to plan.  Eventually the house was foreclosed and she had to live on the streets where no one was willing to help her all because she was "lower" than them.

We would always meet each other either due to me needing new clothes or for the usual meal time gatherings.  I took the initiative to introduce myself to her as she seemed to be the socially awkward type.  She told me her name was Violet Spool and true to her name, she had a violet coat with a sewing spool for a cutie mark. Her long ash colored mane was always kept in a ponytail that formed a cute little hook at the bottom.  What grabbed my attention the most about her were her golden eyes that seemed to glisten like finely polished gold.  Eventually she warmed up to me and we began to hang out often than not, like friends would.

By the time we noticed the giggles from the groups we would pass or the silent whispers of ponies during meals it was already too late.  Someone had started the rumor that we were a couple and had been going out for month now.  Baffled by this new discovery we began to try and disprove it.  No matter how hard we tried, we were unsuccessful at proving them otherwise.  Eventually we went along with it and started dating.  Actually, now that I think about it, it was her idea that we should go along with it.  Although odd at first, I finally got used to the idea that I would be dating a pony and the fact that she was my first girl- er, marefriend.

As I was tightening the last strap on my coat, I saw a rolled-up note kept shut with a little violet bow left neatly on my nightstand meaning it could have only come from one pony.  Unraveling the bow, I began to read the note.

Dear Kiyoshi,

Today's the big day!  Aren't you excited?  Because I sure am!  So just a reminder, don't forget to bring your essentials and a few other things cuz we're gonna be gone for quite some time.  Who knows?  This might be our first time being alone together.  OH MY GOSH!  WHY'D I WRITE THAT?  Ignore that last bit, anyway... yeah.  Just remember to bring some essentials and, wait didn't I already write that?  You know what, just meet me at the dining hall and we'll go see Malice together.  I wonder what kinda mission we'll get?  Hopefully it's not too dangerous.  See you soon.

Love,

Your Marefriend,

Violet Spool

Lightly laughing, I gently rolled up the note and stowed it inside the nightstand.  "You're something else Violet."  I said to myself.  Grabbing my stuff from the top of the dresser and everything else I could need, I placed them into their proper places on my being, or to be more exact, my pockets.  I took a quick glance around the room one last time in case I forgot something.  Smiling at myself, I quickly made my way towards the dining hall to meet up with Violet.

Approaching the dining hall, I could see Violet patiently waiting at the entrance for me.  Seeing me, she started waving to get my attention.  Smiling at her, I waved back and jogged to get to her quicker.  As I reached her, she jumped up into my arms and kissed me lightly on the lips which I was more than happy to return.

"Hey there Kiyo."  She said with a smile.  "Have a good nap?"

I put her down gently and smiled sheepishly, "I've had better to be honest."  I said while rubbing the back of my neck.

She looked at me inquisitively. "Nightmare again?"

I just nodded slowly.  "Nightmare, again."  She just shook her head, picked up her saddlebag and started walking towards where we were to meet Malice.

She gave a soft chuckle, "You know, you should put up that dream catcher I made for you."

I look down and give a laugh of my own, "Yeah I know.  I just can't find any space to put it up."

We turned a corner and kept up the conversation.  Things about my daily life and my "training" as I like to call it were brought up.  In reality it was just Arcana teaching me stuff about magic and other things that are useful to know.  When it came to magic though, that is where I would have the most fun.  Whether I would botch the spell or not, I would always get a good couple of laughs out of it.

We entered the meeting room in high spirits, excited that this was our day to shine.  The meeting room was fairly sized.  There was a large round table with candles lighting the room pretty well, illuminating all that needed to be seen.  A few chests and drawers could be seen lining the walls most likely holding something important.  The lone figure looked up from the papers in front of him and smiled as we entered.

"Good afternoon you two.  Have you had a good day so far?"  Malice asked with a smile.

Violet was the first to speak, "I've been having a wonderful day, thank you for asking.  Him on the other hand," she said motioning towards my direction, "not so much."

Malice tilted his head in my direction and gave me a questioning look.  "Nightmare again?"  he asked.

I just facepalmed at the question, "Man, does everyone know about my nightmare?"

He gave a small smile in response, "No.  Just everyone you know."  We all laughed at his joke.  "Okay, all pleasantries aside, are you ready to get your assignments?"  We both nodded in agreement.  "Good."  he said cheerfully.  Malice levitated a scroll over from one of the shelves in the room and opened it flat on the table.

"As you may know, every once in awhile I send out ponies to get certain things for me while they stay here," he began, "And as of now, your times have come to get this item."  He brought our attention to the opened scroll.  On it was a drawn picture of what looked like a small gemstone surrounded by some old runes.  The gemstone was a perfect sphere and seemed to look like it was giving off an aura of sorts.  He levitated over a map of the Everfree Forest in which we resided.  "The Guardians Fire," he began, "is an artifact that was thought to be lost over a millennia ago," he paused for a dramatic effect, "that is until now."  He began to point to an "X" on the map.  "From the old tomes that I've been researching, I think I may have found its location.  Somehow it managed to find its way into the Everfree and now it is just ripe for picking."

I glanced up from the map and asked, "What makes this 'Guardians Fire' so special?"

He looked at me like I was crazy.  "The Fire was rumored to have the ability to heal wounds, remove illnesses, dispel curses, stop you from aging.  In essence, if you were to obtain it, you would become immortal."  He said almost excitedly.

If I had the ears of a pony, they would be sticking straight up and focused on everything he was saying.  "Okay, now that's important."

He continued where he left off, "Your assignment is to get the Guardians Fire and bring it back to me."

We heard a knocking at the entrance and turned around to see Arcana standing there wearing a saddle bag.  "You wanted to see me Malice?"

Malice looked at him with a smile on his face.  "Perfect timing Arcana."  He turned and looked back to Violet and I.  "Because neither of you have ventured out before and the Everfree is a dangerous place to be, Arcana will be escorting you to and from your assignment."  Arcana gave a quick nod as confirmation to this.

Violet gave a sigh and hung her head.  "And here I thought we were going to be alone." she said just above a whisper so that only I could hear.

I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "When we get back you'll get to have as much alone time with me as you want."

Her head shot up immediately with a dark blush gracing her cheeks.  She quickly blurted out, "When is the earliest we can leave?"

Malice gave us a grin before his horn started to glow a faint yellow color.  "Right now."  Before we could say anything else, there was a bright flash and we found ourselves standing outside the entrance to the cave.

After walking for about an two hours or so the three of us had come to a unanimous decision to take a quick lunch break.  I had been given the task of building ourselves a small campfire to illuminate the area while Arcana and Violet left together to go and forage for some edible plants for all of us.  Occasionally I would hear around me the sound of a twig snapping or a rustling of a bush.  Probably just an animal running around spying on me trying to discern whether I am predator or prey.

I had been sitting and waiting on one of the three logs for about thirty minutes that I had dragged over to the fire to use as a seat, bored, when I heard a rustling of leaves from my right.  I turned and saw Arcana and Violet walking back with a basket of blueberries.

I looked at the blueberries with an air of suspicion and asked, "Where did you manage to find those?"

Arcana took a seat on the log to the left of mine and Violet on the one I was sitting.  "There was a bush of them about ten minutes that way," he said pointing the way they came from.  "We were about to give up and come back when we found them."

"We got lucky too," Violet began, "We saw a pack of timberwolves near it but we got past them."

I looked to see her smiling at me in the cutest of ways.  "And how did you manage to do that?"  I asked with a sudden interest in the mare sitting next to me.

She suddenly gave me the most serious expression that I think she could muster.  "I killed each and every one of them and ate their lingering souls like candy."

I could feel nervous sweat start to form on my head. "R-really?"  I asked with a small amount of fear.

She fell into a fit of giggles before returning to her normal expression.  "Of course not silly," she said.  "They were asleep so we snuck around them."

I closed my eyes gave a sigh of relief as I removed the thought that my marefriend could kill me in my sleep.  I could feel a small round object being pressed up to my lips.  Opening my eyes again I saw Violet holding a blueberry in her magical grasp trying to feed me.  "Say ahh."  She said drawing out the 'ahh'.

I did as requested and she fed me the blueberry.  As I chewed it, my taste buds screamed out in pure bliss at the flavor.  I let out an audible moan of pleasure at the flavor being so exquisite.  Swallowing, I looked over to the basket in amazement.  "Wow!  Those are really good!  And you found these?"

Violet looked up at me with a happy smile, "Yep!  Eat as much as you like."

I picked up a few from the basket and positioned to eat before I stopped myself.  I looked at Violet with concern.  "Don't you want any?  I mean, as much as I would like to eat all of them, you two have to eat also."

She closed her eyes and shook her head.  "Don't worry about us, we already ate some on the way back.  Now go on and eat up.  We all need to be prepared for anything that might be guarding the Guardian's Fire."  Looking down at the delicious fruit that lay in my hand, I gave a nod and continued to eat.

As I ate I felt a strange pain at the base of my skull.  Reaching for the spot I felt nothing at first but the pain gradually increased causing me to break out into a pained sweat.  What is this pain?  I felt fine a minute ago, but now I just hurt.  I turned to try and find if anything was behind me only to see nothing.

Turning back to Violet i could see her looking back at me with an questioning look.  "Are you okay Kiyo?"  She asked with a tilt of her head.

I shook my head as my vision swam and became blurred.  "I...don't think so."  I tried to stand from the log only to be pushed backwards tripping me over the log by an unknown force.  Landing with a grunt I looked up into the sky not daring to move a muscle.

Hearing a lot of movement around me I could see some objects start to walk out of the surrounding bushes.  I gave a startled gasp as the objects became clearer.  The golden armor, the snow white coats, the sun insignia on the armor; they were Celestia's Royal Guard.  I struggled to get up when I saw a crimson hoof keeping me pinned.  Looking up, I saw who it belonged to.  "Arcana?"  I asked with a hurt tone.

Arcana looked at me with with a sad frown revealing a cloth in his other hoof.  "I'm sorry Kiyoshi."  With that he raised the cloth and covered my mouth and nose.  I started to struggle, breathing faster as fear got a firm grip on my being.  My flailing arms and legs grew heavier and eventually stopped as my conscious finally succumbed to the darkness that clouded my vision.

Awaking to the feeling of being thrown to the ground, I groggily lifted my and blinked several times to clear the fuzziness in my sight.  As it started to clear, I could see that I was currently laying prone on a long strip of red carpet atop white marble.  Looking up I gazed at a pristine throne atop a set of steps of which to armor clad unicorn guards stood at the base protecting it.  Bringing my gaze further up, I saw banners hanging from the high ceiling,  On the left half of the ceiling hung red banners emblazoned with a sun in the middle.  On the right hung blue banners emblazoned with a crescent moon.  The windows along the walls were all stained glass art.  Some displayed scenes of ponies playing together while others showed what looked like important events that transpired over the years.

The look of this great hall was astounding to say the least, but the one question that kept floating in my head was simple and clear, "Where am I?"

"You are currently reside within my castle Kiyoshi,"  a female voice announced.  A giant sun symbol appeared in the air in front of me radiating a bright light.  Splitting in the middle, the symbol opened like a door releasing a blinding light causing me to shield my eyes.  I could see a silhouette walking out of the light getting closer and closer.  Once the figure was close enough the symbol closed and disappeared taking the blinding light with it, leaving a single pony behind.  She had a white coat that seemed to almost glow with a magical light.  Her light green, blue and pink mane and tail seemed to wave in a non-existent breeze.  A long sharp horn sat atop her regal head, and two glorious angelic wings were spread open making her seem much larger than she really was.

My pupils shrank when I realized who the figure was.  "Oh no." I whispered.

Celestia's light purple eyes met my gaze as she spoke in an authoritative voice.  "And we need to have a little talk."