Malik lifted his brush to the canvas again after depositing another wad of tobacco into his stout pipe which hung limply from the Side of his mouth. His lips pursed around the mouthpiece now and then to inhale the smoke, then spit it back out from the other side of his mouth. He mentally scolded his subject, knowing fully well that an outburst would accomplish nothing but scare the raven.
Malik would like to believe he had the patience required for his hobby, but he instead stamped on the grass and growled in frustration as the raven flapped its wings once and hopped to another patch of thin grass to dig for a snack. Reason number one why all of his accomplished pieces were of detailed scenery, not mobile creatures. His favorite piece, not being boastful mind you, depicted a moonlit scene on a rolling hill, the soft, muted light of the glowing orb turning the grass to an almost silver hue. He loved the way he could capture such colors on a piece of rough canvas, as if he were merely taking a picture to show off later.
Shooting an almost murderous glance to the traitorous fowl, Malik shoved his acrylics into their wooden case and lifted it onto his back. He was grateful to the soft, crimson aura that surrounded the large wooden case, it made his life that much easier. The magic flowed through his body, almost as a comforting spirit, and was released through his blackened horn, which he was questioned about all too often due to his light grey coat. His white mane fell around his neck and even went so far as to reach his muscled shoulders. At the moment, his wings were free, allowed to be touched by the cool morning winds, sending a small shiver that ran down the entire length of his spine, and swept the silver mane away from his azure eyes.
It had been a long while, nearly four hundred years if his memory wasn't failing him, since he last entered this valley. In fact he almost did not recognize it with a size able town in the middle. The only familiar sight was the large black scar known as the Everfree forest, one of the few things on this landmass that rivaled him in age. It gave him a certain nostalgic feeling and for a moment he thought about traversing it's depths as he once had as a child. He discarded the warm memories, deciding to get through the town as quickly as possible.
As he could not risk being seen as an alicorn, he quietly rolled around in his mind figuring whether a horn or wings would be most useful here. He had a list of provisions he seeked, so his horn won out to increase efficiency when purchasing those goods.
He sat back on his haunches and closed his eyes, concentrating his magic and will to his back where his wings protruded. He gritted his teeth and grunted, holding his breath as the wings slowly shrunk into his body. He sat panting for a moment before standing again, turning his back to the biting wind, and setting off for the town.
The morning sun beat on his back, offering the only warmth in the cool morning, until a plump cloud, laden with water, limped its way in front of the sun, dampening Malik's mood. Not long after starting his walk, he spotted a small cottage that sat, sandwiched by the Everfree and the town. It looked lonely as it sat in the blooming sunlight, the cloud having passed on its way to bother others elsewhere.
"Quaint." He breathed, his gruff voice sounding almost alien to him, as it had been a while now since he last spoke aloud.
Trampling through the grass, he picked his way around boulders with moss and neared the small house. He noticed a small stream that ran by the cottage and nearly dropped all of his gear, rushing over to the reassuring water. Dipping his entire head into the brook, he brought it out breathing heavily but grateful for the refreshment. His horn glowed a dark crimson and a glass appeared before him, dipping into the water and returning filled to the brim. He drank greedily, swallowing every drop his tongue could reach, then, when finished, went for more. After eight full glasses of the cool liquid he sat back on his haunches sighing in contentment.
The world suddenly took on a new light just then, as if vanquishing his thirst lifted a hazy filter. His filter must have made him blind as well, because it was only then that he noticed a pair of cyan eyes staring at him. He shrieked in surprise and fell over onto his back.
"Oh dear. I'm so s-sorry, d-did I scare you?" The way she stuttered suggested he had been the one who scared her.
"Just startled me. I take it you are the owner of this humble little cottage?"
"Y-yes, I am." A thick lock of her pink mane covered half of her face, showing how shy she was. The yellow Pegasus started to walk closer to him though, steadily but slowly.
"Could you be so kind as to tell me what town this is?"
"Ponyville, and if you don't mind me asking, where a-are you from?"
"I do not belong to any specific place, I go where the wind takes me." A wanderer, a nomad, a vagabond, call it what you like, he was an adventurer of sorts, exploring new places and visiting old ones to see how they've changed.
Somehow, he'd lost her, her face showing puzzlement, so he tried a simpler explanation. "I am a wanderer, I have no home."
"Oh my, doesn't that get lonely? Do you have any friends? I-I could never bear to leave behind my friends." Her stuttering had already nearly stopped. Malik was glad he didn't appear threatening to her.
"Not so little one, I have many a friend and the road isn't so lonely with all the animals."
"Little one?" She half whispered to herself but with a criticizing tone.
"Ye-" crap. He swore and mentally scolded himself for having slipped up so soon. Old habit die hard he guessed.
'She might be more cautious if she found out how old I really am, or worse, what I am.'
"Just trust me when I say I am a bit older than I look." He tried to patch the situation, but the questioning look on her face betrayed his efforts.
"Aaaaand I really must be on my way, I bid you a good day." He rather quickly re-shouldered his pack with a flick of his horn, and started off toward the town.
"Hold it right here mister. You say you're older than m-me, but you don't even h-have a cutie mark." She called after him freezing him in place.
Malik turned back to the Pegasus with a look of unease.
'Damn it! She was so shy before, why is she suddenly getting so questioning?'
He was older than Celestia herself. In fact, Celestia couldn't hold a candle to his age. Why was he being patronized by a mere pony that could not have been a day over thirty? Malik feared he was losing his touch, were the years catching up to him? Or was that silly curse finally taking its toll?
But Malik did something even he did not expect. He laughed. More of a chuckle really, but surprising all the same. "Perhaps I shall tell you that if we meet again." He then just started walking again. Crisis averted. All he had to do was pass through the town without looking back, avoiding the yellow one at all costs. But his hurried gallops were only alerting his enemy that he was housing a secret. He could feel the criticizing eyes boring into his back as he escaped.
Now a good mile from the cottage, but still another half from the town, he sank down to catch his breath. Maybe he should have chosen flight over magic this time. Only then did it occur to him that he could have implemented a simple teleportation spell which would have allowed him to avoid the trouble with the pegasus and take him straight to the city's edge. Again scolding his brain for not functioning properly in the spur of the moment, Malik continued on his way.
Teleportation was sounding like an enticing idea to just pass over the town altogether and not risk any more risky encounters. But he really did need those supplies to carry him to the next town, which he did not know how far that would be.
By the time Malik took his first steps into the town of Ponyville, the noon sun was stretching to its peak in the sky, his fur soaking up the excess heat that blazed down. The first mare he saw, he stopped and asked where he might get a drink and buy some provisions.
"There's an inn on the other side of town called the Sweet Berry Inn. You can get a drink and rest there. As for supplies, there are several general stores in Ponyville, but I would recommend Town Depot." The mint unicorn mare pointed in general directions as she spoke, but Malik got the idea. A small leather bag then appeared before him and he withdrew from it a single golden coin. He flipped it into the air and levitated it over to the mare who accepted it, albeit surprised, with an upturned hoof.
"No no, you don't have to pay me, I'll gladly help a traveler such as yourself free of charge." She tried to return the coin with a levitation spell of her own, but Malik simply started walking away, waving a hoof as he went and shouting a "thank you."
The general store appeared first, but he decided to pass it by and continue to the inn, which didn't take too long to find due to a large sign in the front of the tall wooden building. He swung the wooden door inward and strolled in, finding a seat next to a window. He set his pack down beside him on the ground and heaved a gratifying sigh, sinking into the plush cushion of the booth. The inn seemed to be more of a diner, as he could see several other customers enjoying steamy meals and a waitress going from table to table. However he did notice a set of stairs leading upwards and a board of keys behind a desk.
Finally gaining a sweet moment of sublime rest, Malik slowly closed his eyes, sighing again despite himself. A tap on his shoulder thrust him back to reality and he blinked rapidly to dispel the fatigue.
"Sir? Can I get you anything?"
"What? Oh um... Just some water would be most appreciated."
The waitress, a dark blue earth mare with purple mane hanging over both shoulders nodded, then returned not two minutes later with a tall glass of the liquid he desired. She set the glass in front of him and sauntered off to the next customer who came in moments after he had. He waited for a few drops of moisture to race down the side of the glass before picking it up in his magical grasp and taking a reserved sip from it. He would have ordered ale or wine to better relax his nerves, but if he were to get drunk and draw attention to himself it would be game over.
With thoughts roaming his consciousness, it took him a good thirty minutes to finish his drink. As he swallowed the last mouthful, he gazed out the window and nearly lost it all at what he saw. The same yellow Pegasus mare from before was staring at him through the window, a look of what appeared to be distrust adorning her face. How long had she been there? The mere thought of that question freaked him out just a little.
She then continued to do what he feared and entered the inn, making a beeline for where he sat. Malik froze stock still, hoping the mare was somehow interested in something else and just pass him by. Fat chance of that. She promptly sat herself opposite him in the same booth and continued her one sided staring contest, never so much as twitching an eyelid. The staring intensified and it was getting immensely awkward for Malik. He couldn't help but wonder if the mare expected him to spontaneously combust if she stared long and hard enough.
"Can... I help you?" Malik finally asked, hoping to break her concentration.
It was a few moments before she answered with a question of her own. "You're not a unicorn are you?"
'Hmm, I can’t tell if she’s perceptive or just nosey.'
"I don't see how I could be otherwise."
"Who are you? I-If you don't mind me asking."
"My name is Soulfire, and I'm a mere traveler passing through this town."
'Yes, Soulfire, let's go with that. It sounds fitting and Malik is a dead giveaway.'
"I'm not s-sure what you are, but you're not a u-unicorn."
"And why is that?" He crossed his hooves over his chest and sat up, trying to maintain the superiority in the argument.
Y-you don't have a cutie mark. And you say you're older than m-me, but you look my age if not younger."
That was true, to some extent anyways. To further disguise his true identity (and in truth it was in part by his curse) he used a young body. It also helped with the more physical aspect of his traveling, making it all the more convenient. And since his kind did not receive "cutie marks" he was unable to conjure one up with magic, due to it being beyond its capabilities. So instead he carried a cloak to wear which would cover his bare flank. But in a rather unfortunate event, he lost it in the last town, and his loss had all but escaped his mind. He mentally noted to add that to his list of provisions to get.
The mare continued, suddenly asking: "Are you a changeling?"
Malik only stared blankly before erupting into raucous laughter, nearly falling out of the booth. He quieted down after coming to his senses and realizing the whole inn was staring at him. In truth he was actually quite annoyed that he was being compared to such a young and illegitament species. When he first heard of them nearly 100 years back, he could only see them as insufferable children.
"Hardly, but I still don't see it as the business of a mare I just met."
"You said you would tell me the next time we met."
"W-" she had him beat there. "Searching for me doesn't count!" He pointed an accusing hoof at her as a young colt would.
"T-then I'll just keep following you until you tell me." Why in Equestria was she so persistent?
But Malik only smiled mischievously, already having come up with an escape route. "That is, if you can find me." His horn took on the familiar glow as he vanished before the lunging mare could grab him.
As Malik appeared on the outskirts of the town he did a quick victory dance. "Haha, now all I must do is..." Where was his pack? Filled with his art and art supplies along with the remainder of his food and money? And worse yet, his pipe. Since being a pony, he had picked up the habit and become fond of it. It kept him calm. He hated losing it.
He got all huffy and started back into the town with another teleport. "Damn it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn, could more often than not be found lurking in her home-like library where she almost mischievously conducted her magical experiments. Whether it was for a personal gain of knowledge to safe her curiosity or to further the world's understanding of the workings of spells and science, Fluttershy wasn't sure, but she smiled nonetheless when she found the purple unicorn tinkering away with beakers and microscopes. Her experiments weren't dangerous usually, but they made the yellow Pegasus uneasy.
Once Twilight spotted Fluttershy through thin vapors of smoke and Celestia knows what else, she removed her goggles and stepped out from behind a large desk laden with various scientific instruments.
"Good afternoon Fluttershy, is there something I can help you with?"
The airborne mare hesitated slightly before flying back to the door and returning with a, slightly large, wooden box. It was about the size of a grown stallion's back (neck to rear, a little smaller than the stature of Big Macintosh), and had a sort of sliding door on the top.
"Watcha got there Fluttershy?" By now Twilight got excited. Her natural urges to sate curiosity took precedence over manners and she took another step towards the box, paying almost no mind to the mare who had brought her such a treat. Her mind swam through possibilities of what the box could contain. Ancient tomes or relics? Scrolls with long forgotten spells? Fossils belonging to early prehistoric mammals? Anything test worthy would satisfy her.
"Twilight," the yellow Pegasus finally spoke up, "I met somepony strange today?"
"Strange? How?" She had to constantly pull her mind back to the mare in front of her.
"W-well, I found a stallion outside my cottage this morning drinking from the stream. He was gray with a white mane, but his horn was all black and longer and sharper than an ordinary unicorn's..."
"Black horn?" Twilight cut in.
"Ye-yes. But the strangest part was that he had no cutie mark. He even said he was older than me. I thought he was a changeling at first, but he only laughed at me when I said so."
Twilight, only momentarily distracted from the mysterious box, tapped a hoof on her chin thinking what the strange sounding unicorn could be. There are several spells that could be used to mask identity, one able to change your whole appearance by removing or adding features such as wings or a horn. However this was extremely high level magic that she herself still had not been able to successfully cast. The prospect of another alicorn came to mind but she brushed it away.
"A-and when I found him in town later, he got really defensive when I questioned him and teleported away. But he left this box behind." Fluttershy timidly pushed the box closer to her unicorn friend and eyed them both cautiously, half-expecting something monstrous to burst from the box.
Twilight prodded it with a cautious hoof, studying it with a practiced eye and ran a few spells meant to scan. Nothing. The spells only showed a hollow box, but when shifted around, you could clearly hear movement inside. When she finally caved to her own desires, she brought a hoof to the lid and tried to pull it open. It wouldn't budge. Her horn shimmered in translucent magenta and tried to pull it open with magic, but still there was no give. She scanned it once more, this time for a locking mechanism, but no such thing was to be found. It should have just been able to slide open.
"Whoever owns this has some ridiculously strong magic guarding it. It would seem that the only way it's going to open is with the owner’s consent. I want to try one more thing though. For your own safety, Fluttershy, please step out of the library.
Fluttershy complied, giving a small "meep" before leaving through the front door.
Now alone, Twilight began her preparations. First she shielded the library and everything inside, but he box. She watched as the magic laced over her instruments and the innumerable books that lined the walls on their shelves. She then applied it to herself as well. Taking a deep breath, she lowered a set of goggles she had on her forehead down over her eyes and letting the breath out slowly, concentrated hard on the box. Her horn steadily grew brighter and the color of the billowy aura went white. All of a sudden the box ignited in white flames and exploded, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked Twilight off her hooves.
When the smoke screen dispersed, Twilight released her magic and the barriers fell from the library's contents. Carefully walking back to the box, shock and disappointment filled her mind.
While that spell could effortlessly rent holes in steel, the box, made of wood, was unscathed. It was completely free of scorch marks or any sign that would suggest she was assaulting it.
The violet unicorn bit her lip. Up until now, she was able to solve any problems thrown her way. Give her complicated algorithms and she'd get the answer in a few hours, give her a tough spell and she'd master it in a week, give her anything that's broken and she'll return it in pristine condition. She was frustrated that after everything, she was stumped by a box.
"Fluttershy!" She yelled, not realizing how much venom she had added to the word. She hoped she hadn't flown off.
A timid Pegasus slowly poked her head through the door before fully entering. "Y-yes T-Twilight?"
"Find that stallion and bring him here now! I want to speak with him."
"B-but he disappeared and he was trying to avoid me. W-who knows where he could be now."
The deadly gaze that the unicorn shot the Pegasus may as well have been Armageddon with its power. The timid mare squeaked and shot out the door, almost colliding with the frame as she went.
Twilight re-directed her gaze to the box again. Not that it was any of her business what the box contained, but that box was mocking her. Taunting her. And she took it as a personal challenge.
The food all looked so enticingly delicious. Steam rose off the baked golden crust of a pie. The sweet aroma of fresh fruit mixed into a salad topped with mouthwatering dressing. Or even the heavenly scent of newly baked chocolate chip cookies. It was why Malik hung his head in disappointment when he once again was reminded of the loss of his possessions. It seemed the only result of coming to the market place was to torture himself with unreachable goods.
He had gone back to the inn to see if that mare had left his pack, but, as he feared, it was gone. His stomach growled noisily and drew attention to himself, so he continued on his way.
A yellow dot in the sky caught his attention, and when he tried to squint his eyes to see what exactly it was, he screeched and backpedaled, nearly too dramatically, as onlookers stared questioningly. It was that crazy pegasus again. He knew full well she had sight of him as she was making a straight path through the blue sky, closing the distance between them rapidly.
Malik searched the vicinity for an escape route, he wasn’t about to run out of town yet again, and he spotted a narrow space between two buildings. He charged his magic and teleported to it, hopefully the sudden disappearance would not alert his pursuer to his destination. He walked along the narrow space, avoiding a few trash cans and a blanket that lie randomly sprawled on the dirt, until he exited to another point of the market.
He cautiously looked into the sky and found the pegasus scanning the ground about 30 ft. into the air.
At this point, Malik could do a number of things. He could cast a mass sleep spell on everypony, but that would require his alicorn form and take most of his magic. Not to mention he would no longer be able to buy the supplies he needed unless he was willing to steal. In his arsenal of spells, he had a number that could stop the pegasus, render her wings useless, compress the air around her so she couldn’t breathe, etc. but he did not want to cause any harm to a helpless and innocent pony. He could always just ask for the yellow mare to give him his pack back, but for some reason that just didn’t seem logical to him. For a brief moment, the thought of leaving his pack and continuing on his way entered his thoughts, but it was quickly brushed aside without much consideration.
“Got you!” The voice was harsh and tomboyish, not like the yellow mare. Malik looked to his right, which was quite difficult considering the headlock he was currently in, and spotted a rainbow colored mane in a windswept fashion belonging to a cyan pegasus.
“Not sure why, but Fluttershy wanted me to catch you. You’re coming with me buddy.”
A quick incorporealization spell allowed Malik to fall right through her grip, and she stumbled in confusion. Malik allowed himself to chuckle heartily at the mare’s dumbstruck expression. Then, in a taunting voice that had maybe too much enthusiasm, said, “catch me if you can.” Before disappearing once more.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t paying much attention to his coordinates and landed on a dumpster mere yards away from his starting position. He cracked his head hard on the metal and tried to shake away his disorientation as the blue mare dashed at him, closing the distance in less than a second.
Trying again, he landed in a more comfortable spot near a lake. Ponies dotted the grassy landscape, but none seemed to charge him the moment he was noticed.
Sighing in limited relief, he sat down and tried to devise a plan to retrieve his belongings. There were now two mares chasing him and Celestia knows who else the yellow one had recruited. The next step was to locate his pack. Calming his heart rate, he concentrated on his magic, allowing his mind to blank. Out of the numerous protection spells he laced his pack with, one allowed him to track it should it get lost such as now. An image started to form in the back of his conscious, and he brought it forward, enlarging it, but it remained blurred. Pressing himself further, he grunted in exertion, trying to make the image clearer.
A large tree carved its way out of the fuzziness and for a moment he thought the spell wasn’t working, until the image cleared more to show that the tree was actually made to be an inhabitable structure. It was complete with windows, a door, and even a balcony suggesting it was a two story structure. A sign that hung from the side of the door informed him that it was a library. He smiled. He hadn’t seen any creatures build out of trees like this since he last visited the fairy folk before they went extinct due to reckless rule of their queen.
He willed the image to zoom out and it complied, showing him the surrounding buildings and landmarks. Making a mental map based on a few of the architectural landmarks he recognized, Malik once again made a teleport to the nearest one. He was in luck, he spotted the tree in question just a block away to his right. Deciding it would be best to save his magic reserves for whatever fight or flight moment that may arise, he set off galloping towards the library.
He didn’t get far, (for some reason he never expected to) before an accented voice with a southern drawl called out, saying “Hey you!”
His normal growl of annoyance turned to a snarl now as he whipped around to face his interference. A yellow-orange mare with a blonde mane and tail, both fashioned into pony tails, bounded up to him looking angry.
“Ah hear ya been givin Fluttershy and Dash some trouble.”
He tried to remain calm and collected, but Malik could hear the impatience slip into his voice. “On the contrary, it has been they who have been giving me trouble.”
“What? Sweet ol’ Fluttershy? Ah don’t believe that fer a second.”
His nerves cracked, his pseudo smile fading, and a frown creasing his face. “I just want my possession, then I will be on my way.” He said it slow, enunciating every word as not to be misheard. “Now, if you will excuse me-“ Crack.
Red and yellow danced before Malik’s eyes before he slumped to the ground. He struggled to retain consciousness, but it slipped from his grasp, leaving him in a black void. His last thoughts being that of a criticizing nature towards his own powerlessness against mere mortals.
“Crap. I think I hit him too hard.” Lamented Rainbow Dash. She stared down at the body that lie motionless except for a few twitches in its legs.
“D-Did you really need to h-hit him at all?” Fluttershy could only feel sorry for him. He didn’t exactly deserve to be chased around and harassed all because he had a few secrets that were nopony’s business. She regretted now making such a big deal out of it.
“What I want to know is why he suddenly has wings. I mean, do you think he’s actually an alicorn?” Rainbow Dash prodded one of the limp wings with a hoof.
“No matter, let’s just get im back to Twi.” They all helped Applejack heave the body onto her back. And as a trio, they headed towards the library.
Malik’s awareness swam through the darkness until it re-surfaced in a low-light room filled with curios and scientific miscellanea. Several windows that dotted the walls were covered and the only door shut. His back was uncomfortable on the ground and he realized his wings once again protruded from his upper back. He cursed and rolled onto his side, grunting in pain from his back and head. Crusted blood stained the back of his head and his skull smarted.
A tight feeling on his horn concerned him and he tried to raise a hoof to it only realize they were tied. He tried a simple luminance spell but the magic didn’t come to him.
“Where am I?” He asked no one in particular.
“You are in the Ponyville Library.” A disembodied voice answered. A harsh spot light fixed on him, blinding him momentarily until his eyes could adjust. After a moment of blinking, he could pick a figure out of the darkness. “You have no magic to aid in your escape,” continued the voice. “So please just answer my questions.”
Why did all of this seem so badly dramatized? He’d attended several plays, where the actors were pitiful in their parts and therefore unconvincing. This wasn’t all that different.
“May I ask what the hell I did to deserve such a welcome?”
“May I ask why you are an Alicorn with no cutie mark?” She spat back.
‘Oh right, the wings.’
“I don’t recall it being any of your business.” That couldn’t have been the real reason he was here. Nopony could have known he was an alicorn, or rather disguised as an alicorn.
There was scuffling and then scraping sound as something was pushed across the wood floorboards. His pack entered the spotlight.
“Mind telling me what’s in the box?” The voice was more demanding than questioning.
That’s it? That’s what this is all about? Malik wanted to laugh. He let out a hearty chuckle and sat up, pointing his bound hooves at his horn. “Take these restraints and the magic cancelling ring off and I’ll show you.”
There was no answer for a while. She obviously didn’t expect it to be so easy and Malik could only imagine the look of surprise oh his captor’s face.
A violet unicorn mare stepped carefully into the light and he mentally whistled. She was pretty, with indigo hair falling over her shoulder with a purple and pink stripe. She accepted his offer and removed the ring with her teeth, a small shiver running down his spine when her lip grazed the base of his horn.
Once removed, and the ropes away from this hooves, he dropped the protection spells on his pack and slid it open with a forehoof.
Shock and disappointment was all too clear on the mare’s face when she looked inside, so full of wonder and curiosity, only to find such mundane items. All that was in there was a case of brushes, neatly cleaned, some pencils and erasers, a stack of paintings, a sack of bits, and some bread and cheese folded in a brown leather cloth.
“I-I don’t understand.” She sat herself on the floor as the spotlight vanished as well as the window coverings, allowing afternoon light to filter in.
Malik snickered, “You young pony folk are so amusing. Your curiosity knows no bounds and you’re not satisfied until you have the full truth in front of you. At least you are more entertaining to be around that those griffins. They think they must act so superior and serious.”
The Unicorn said nothing as she continued to look dumbstruck, mouth slightly open. Bemused, Malik shut the lid on his pack and stood up, shouldering the box.
“Who are you?” was the only thing to escape the mare’s lips.
“If you promise not to tell, I’ll show you something.” One mare couldn’t hurt, right? Besides, he was dying to see her reaction.
She nodded silently in agreement and stood up. She then squealed as they both teleported to a secluded are of a forest, the trees having been cleared in a 50 yard radius.
“May I ask you your name?” Malik spoke.
“Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”
“Alright Miss Sparkle, you have to promise not to tell any soul about what you are going to witness. Such a secret must be kept and you will only know of it because I think you an honest and trustworthy mare. In fact, I will put you under a blood oath. If you tell, you will die on the spot. I will allow you a moment to decide whether or not to accept.” He knew that using such old magic wasn’t necessary, but he wasn’t taking any risks. If large amounts of ponies knew of his true self, he could very well be found out by enemies he did not wish to alert.
A bead of nervous sweat ran down the side of Twilight’s face. “I accept.”
“Very well. I commend you on your thirst for knowledge.” Malik’s horn glowed a vibrant red and a small, thin stream of magic approached the unnerved unicorn.
“W-wait!”
He stopped the spell, beholding her with a questioning gaze, wondering if she had changed her mind.
“What about the princess I have a duty to report to her?”
He smiled. A smile of nostalgic reminisce. “Oh, she knows. That’s if she hasn’t forgotten her old friend.” Even if she was the one who placed this curse on him. He thought it unnecessary to make a bad image for her. He continued the spell, the thin stream once again leaking from his horn. It approached Twilight slowly before increasing in speed rapidly, piercing Twilight’s heart. She gasped in surprise but there was no pain.
“Now, watch carefully.” Malik dropped his pack and stood in a steady posture, positioning his hooves wide apart. For a moment nothing occurred, just the noise of a groan steadily growing louder. All of a sudden, his back arched and his wings shot out, growing rapidly and changing shape, losing the feathers and turning to something more akin to skin, leathery and rough.
His hooves expanded and grew digits, the fur on the legs seeming to retract into his skin, being replaced by white scales. Lengthy claws protruded from the fingers. His back convulsed twice before exploding, his whole body getting a lot bigger. His head changed but the horn stayed, only growing longer and more jagged. Large fangs and teeth grew in his gaping maw, and he let loose a growl.
“A D-Dragon?!”
“INDEED.” The voice seemed to echo through Twilight’s mind.
“B-but how can a dragon have a horn? Let alone use magic to turn into a pony.”
“I am a lot older than those young dragons you see these days. In fact, I look upon your dear princess as a mere infant.”
Twilight could only stare transfixed at the brilliant white scales that adorned the dragon’s body. The sun glinted off each on making them shine like flawless diamonds. The large azure eyes that beheld her with mirth squinted as he let out a hearty chuckle that rumbled the surrounding area, shaking Twilight to her bones.
With a groan, Malik shrunk until he was back to his pony size before losing the dragon features, once again becoming an alicorn.
“I-I have so many questions.” Muttered Twilight.
Malik strode up to her and laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Perhaps when next our paths cross, we may have a proper discussion. For now, I must continue on my way. It’s been quite some time since I last visited this valley, but I think I might return. You ponies gave me quite the amusement despite being hit over the head and knocked unconscious.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Twilight apologized, hanging her head.
“The town is not all that far from here, so this is where we shall part ways. I wish you well Twilight Sparkle.” Malik shouldered his pack once again and turned in the opposite of Ponyville, starting the long walk he had ahead of him. He turned once and waved before shouting, “Remember, not a soul.”
Something crossed his mind and he stopped. He chuckled and swore before moving again. “I never bought my supplies.”
The hillside was steep, rocky even, but nothing Malik couldn't handle. Besides, if he kept with teleportation to get places, he'd lose shape. Something he just couldn't afford. The sun greeted him as always with a warm blanket that magnified his fatigue as sweat ran off his forehead and back. The hill seemed to continue on in a monotonous pattern, teasing him with mile after mile of unreached land. It was only after he passed the large boulder with a daisy poking it's head out from underneath for the nth time that he realized he hadn't really covered any ground. Confused, he looked to his surroundings, and sure enough, he was at the base of the hill once more.
"Curious."
He tried teleportation, but that only succeeded in bringing him 20 yards up the hill before stumbling on a rock that protruded jaggedly from the earth, and losing the gained land with a blur of spinning scenery. Malik lay on the grass looking up at the sky. The clouds passed lazily, but once reaching the hill, they almost turned completely, going the opposite direction. So flying would do him no good apparently.
Malik studied the hill for any sign that might suggest a curse or enchantment of some kind. The only curious feature was that nothing adorned the hill. Not animals, not trees, not clouds above nor birds. Only clear blue sky slightly darker than that of the surrounding area. It was then that he noticed a small colt staring at him from a nearby tree. The mane was a mess of a lilac color and his small frame took on a light gray hue. When the boy noticed Malik had discovered him, he stumbled backwards and turned to run. But Malik was faster and before the colt had turned completely, he was waiting patiently to intercept his escape. The small colt screeched and reared onto his back, gasping heavily from being startled.
"I apologize, it was not my intention to frighten you. I was only hoping you could inform me about this mountain." Malik smiled softly, hoping a friendly demeanor would aid him.
The colt huffed before walking off silently.
Malik sighed but did not press the boy further. Once the boy was out of sight, he cast a side-long glance to the unscalable hill and decided it would be best to set camp for the night here without going further. Besides, he had no plans on leaving the mystery of this hill unturned.
The menial task of gathering kindling took him a good hour before he found wood dry enough to burn, and once he returned to his pack, he found that same colt as before trying desperately to open his pack. The sight reminded him of his incident in Ponyville several weeks ago. He laughed, before asking the boy what he thought he was doing. The colt, startled by Malik's stealthy approach for a second time, jumped and quickly ran off.
"Hmmm. It would seem I have more than one mystery to decipher." He chuckled heartily before getting back to work setting his camp, which consisted only of a bedroll and a decent sized campfire.
It grew dark quickly and without much warning, and Malik could only be grateful for his fire as with the sun, the temperature dropped drastically as well. He did not eat, nor had he much of an appetite, so he saved the last of his bread and cheese for later. He took a single swallow from his water-skin, wiping a hoof across his chin to dry any drops that escaped. The fire began to die in it's luminance and Malik decided it was a good time to turn in. Fishing out his new cloak he bought in the last town, (a small one by the name of Spring's End) he curled into a ball on his bedroll and let his eyes drift closed. Before drifting off though, Malik almost mindlessly cast a spell around himself that would protect from the cold as well as alert him if there was danger anywhere nearby. It was a custom made spell he was quite proud of. It was perfect for when he was not able to sleep at an inn. Feeling satisfyingly safe, sleep accepted him into its own realm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a cry piercing the still night air that awoke Malik. He sat up groggily and rubbed vigorously at his crusted eyes. It was still very much dark and smoke rose steadily from glowing embers. He gauged he'd been asleep for only 3 or 4 hours. Still half asleep, he looked around him to see if he could see the source of the shrill yell. It did not take long before he was able to pin it on none other than the lilac maned colt from the previous day. Except that he was now joined by three other creatures that he guessed could only harbor ill intent. The young pony ran straight for him at full gallop. He then halted before using Malik as a living shield from his pursuers.
"Please mister, help me!"
Malik was slightly taken aback by this situation, but figured he could not just leave a child for dead. An image flashed at the back of his thoughts and he pressed a hoof to the claw hanging from his neck.
"Give pony to us, maybe we let you live then." Loud and annoying. When Malik could make out who the others were, he wished they were not what they were. Perhaps the only race he despised more than the changelings were the diamond dogs. He openly despised such filth.
"Pony stole from us. Give him over if not want to die."
The colt pressed further into Malik's back and shivered. "I think not." Sometimes Malik wondered where he inherited such kindness towards ponies, surely not from his kin.
The foremost diamond dog then pulled out from a sheath on his back a long sword. "Maybe reconsider?" His two companions, both slightly smaller than their leader followed suit, drawing swords of similar sizes and laughed. A crude and very much annoying sound. "Maybe just want to die..." A gurgle of a cry came from the leader's left. The other two gasped when they looked to their companion and saw a pebble sized hole burrowed through his forehead and making a tunnel clean through to the other side. The dog fell flat on its face with a claw clamped on his forehead. The two remaining dogs growled and turned back to face Malik before charging him.
It was to his advantage that it was night, the dark concealing his projectile. A small smile remained hidden from his attackers and Malik's horn began to glow eerily in the night light. The second dog's death was more brutal than his friend's. It was almost comical how easily the top half could be twisted away from the lower. Not a single sound escaped the lips of the second dog that fell in two heaps on the ground.
The remainder faltered slightly in his charge, but continued strong, letting loose a crude war cry before folding underneath the weight of a large boulder. Quite a useful attribute of dragon magic was that the object being controlled or manipulated did not beacon with a noticeable aura. Magic could be used stealthily.
At this point, Malik's face was contorted into a grimace, nose wrinkled in disgust from the stench of blood that now permeated the air. He did not enjoy killing, even when he thought it necessary, he would rather settle matters peacefully. He knew full well the legends that beheld dragons as vicious and vile creatures. While not entirely false, he disagreed with the views of his kin. Perhaps that is why he has survived so long.
When the weight did not leave the small of his back, he slowly turned to behold the colt. Up close, it was more noticeable the scars and open wounds that adorned his small frame.
"Would you like to tell me what that was all about?" His tone was careful and kind.
"D-did you kill them?" The colt peeked around Malik to confirm his own question.
Malik sighed, "Yes. Now let's start with your name."
"Charcoal..."
It would definitely explain the black stick that was stamped on either side of his flanks. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you Charcoal. My name is Soulfire. Now, why were those diamond dogs chasing you?"
It was apparent that Charcoal only just then remembered he was carrying a bundle. "Food." He said simply and held up the bundle. Malik accepted it in his magical grasp and undid the cloth. It was a pleasant sight indeed. Various fruits, breads, and even some meat. Now, being a pony now and all, Malik was unable to just walk into a town and simply order a steak. It had been a while since he last sank his teeth into tender meat. And while he would never partake of pony meat (he'd grown much too fond of them in all honesty), this appeared to be venison. Something he would lust after greedily, but deer hadn't shown themselves much when he was on the road. Malik eyed the pony suspiciously and drifted the bag of food back to him.
"I take it you have no family to take care of you?"
The colt's quiet demeanor and fallen face where answer enough.
"Stealing from the Diamond Dogs is dangerous. What if I wasn't here to protect you hmm? You would be either dead or on their menu if not working as a slave." Slavery. He despised such an act with gusto.
"I-I don't care anymore!" Charcoal suddenly shouted. Glistening tears were welling behind his azure eyes. "My dad disappeared up that damn hill, and my family was torn apart by those dogs! I-"
"What can you tell me about that hill?" Malik cut in.
"I-I don't know anything. Just that one day it appeared out of nowhere and when my dad tried to climb it, he disappeared."
Malik stared down at the boy in wonderment. 'How was this boy's father able to scale the hill and not I? Why was I sent to the base every time?'
"Did you try to go up it?"
"Yes, many times, but I couldn't get to the top for some reason."
"And what race of pony was your father?"
"Pegasus. Though I guess I inherited my mother's earth pony genes."
"I wonder..." Malik quickly started picking up his things and returning them to his pack, everything suddenly a-light with a scarlet glow. The moment he was finished, he took stance and concentrated on his horn. His horn slowly started to retract into his head, and he groaned in pain. It was one of the reasons he chose magic over flight most of the time. After finishing, his wings sprang from his back and he flapped them twice in testing.
Malik gave a soft chuckle at the boy who regarded him with genuine shock. "Don't tell anyone alright?" He punched the colt with a hoof in his shoulder playfully. The boy nodded silently, apparently still trying to grasp what just occurred. Malik turned to take off, but he felt a hoof on his hind leg.
"Please, let me come too!"
"Out of the question."
"Please! Please! I have to find my dad!" Tears immediately sprang into action, moistening the boy's face with salty water. He latched himself onto Malik's leg and no amount of shaking would detach him.
"I-I may not be able to protect you if something goes wrong." He was throwing excuses around now.
"It's not like I have much to live for! My whole family is gone and I've been here alone for 3 years now!" The crying intensified and the colt's grip tightened. "Please! This is my only chance to find my dad!"
"..."
"I-I p-promise I-I won't g-get in the w-way." He stuttered, his crying softening to quiet sobs.
"Do you have a house or someplace you stay?"
"Y-ya. I have a tent."
"Can you take me there?"
"Mmhmm." The colt looked up into Malik’s eyes. The boy's azure eyes sparked with maybe the only hope he kept in reserve. Malik truly felt sorry for the young lad.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps the next half hour to 45 minutes was spent wandering around trees and brush and rock until a small cave, the entrance barely large enough for Malik's frame, appeared around a bend.
"You live in a tent in a cave?"
"It helps to keep me hidden from the diamond dogs and vicious animals."
"I see." In the dim moonlight, he could see a small trickle of a stream run down the rocks and collect in a little bowl carved out of the stone surface. 'At least he knows to camp near water.'
"Listen, we will rest until dawn then head out. Eat what you can from what you stole today, you'll need the energy." Charcoal nodded silently in agreement.
A meal of sorts was eaten within 20 minutes, charcoal showing Malik how he collected water in his single wooden cup. Malik also noted that the boy partook of the meat without hesitation. And he wondered if living so long without society had muddled his morals as a pony. Afterwards, charcoal crawled into his sleeping bag, which appeared to be thick and cushioned, while Malik took position against a wall with his pack beside him. He guessed they wouldn't have long, an hour at most, before the sun sneaks over the mountain, but he would sleep when he can. He drew out his pipe and, after lighting it, drew a long breath before letting it out with a sigh. He looked to the sleeping colt and let his mind wander, the images in his vision twisting until he saw a separate reality. Colors blended and smeared, and lights danced around his vision. His hoof drifted up and against the claw around his neck. A small dragon, still larger than a pony by 2 or 3 times, was lying next to him, breathing noisily in its serene slumber. It shifted a few times, but it finally lifted its eyelids and Malik gazed into its large eyes. Sparkling emeralds winked back at him, regarding him with a sense of trust and love. Malik stretched out his hoof, but never made contact with the dragon as the image blurred then faded, replaced by another image. The same dragon appeared but the eyes that beheld him were fearful. They looked straight through him as if he was a ghost and tears proceeded to well in the dragon’s eyes. The dragon looked around frantically before a howling screech tore the silence. Blackness gripped Malik and he was sent spiraling into an abyss. Again colors clashed and burst in front of him and his eyes were forced open, his cheeks wet with salty tears.
The sun stretched its rays down through the small crevices and holes in the cave ceiling, rousing him further from his sleep. Malik could feel something moving around on his tongue, and when he stuck it out, he found a slightly chewed piece of wood. Confused, he searched around him until he found his pipe lying in the dirt, missing the mouthpiece.
He swore and scooped it up with his magic, placing it in his pack. It would be the last time he allowed himself to sleep with his pipe in use.
With this settled, he finally recalled where he was and why he was here. The boy colt was gone, and so was a considerable amount of the food and supplies that were there the night before.
Malik scrambled to his hooves and grabbed his pack before taking one last sidelong glance at the cave and heading out through the small entrance.
It wasn't too difficult, but it did take him longer than he'd hoped to navigate his way back to the hill from yesterday. As expected he caught sight of Charcoal leaning against a tree, his back to Malik, and an obviously over packed sack, bursting with the goods that used to in the cave.
"You're up early." Malik stated plainly, walking up beside the colt, and sitting down to relieve his back of the weight from his pack. To his amusement, Charcoal started with a yelp of surprise. He'd obviously gotten here perhaps hours earlier and then sized off.
"I knew you would try to sneak out without me, so I woke up early so I could get here before you." He nonchalantly stuffed a peach that had rolled out, back into his bulging cloth.
"I don't think you'll be needing much of that. I hope to be back by nightfall. And I would like to clarify that I am going on a hunch and nothing more. I would hope you do not have your hopes too high."
Charcoal lowered his head for a slight moment, then lifted it, his new expression surprising Malik. It seemed the boy would not be taking his advice, but instead his features contained nothing but hope, determination, and resolve. “Maybe you're wrong, but you’re the only hope I've had, so I'm going to put my faith in you."
"You're an idiot child!...” Charcoal cringed at the sudden outburst, but Malik smiled as he lowered his head close to the colt’s. “But you have guts and you're not so far off from how I was as a child. I feel you'll do just fine in this world." He placed a hoof on Charcoal's head, and messed with his mane. "Well now. Shall we be off?"
Charcoal nodded in affirmation then stood up, rising to a total height of up to Malik's upper chest.
Malik pulled a rope from his pack and, with his horn gone, skillfully and firmly secured his pack to his back using his teeth. When finished, he wiggled around and jumped a few times to ensure he would not lose it in flight. He then tested his wings to make sure they had full movement around his pack. Once satisfied, he leaped into to the air, being suspended with his wings flapping up and down in a monotone rhythm.
"I won't have my magic, so I will just have to carry you in my arms."
"Um. Ok." Charcoal waited patiently as Malik proceeded to drift towards him and, once above him, scooped him up. Hefting him into a comfortable position, Malik took off, gaining speed and altitude as they neared the hill. Without falter, they rammed headlong into an invisible wall that seemed to reject them entrance.
Malik shook the disorientation from his brain as he tried to regain his composure before trying again, but this time going in slower. The invisible wall seemed to give way a small amount, and he pushed more firmly. Now it seemed less like a wall and more like a thick and viscous liquid. It seemed to gradually accept him though as he pushed towards it slowly. He actually feared that charcoal would not be allowed admittance but, sure enough, he was sinking into the same invisible substance as he. He smirked down at the colt who had a look of unadulterated horror, as if he was being eaten up and would cease to exist.
"Don't fight it." Malik called down. However he did not sway Charcoal's feelings about the current situation, who continued to thrash around in his arms. Malik tried to get a better grip on him, but they were suddenly sucked inwards and torn apart. Malik scrambled to catch Charcoal's outstretched hoof, but missed it several times by mere inches as they were drifting further apart. Now it felt as if they had been sucked into a giant tornado and no amount of effort would do any good. Malik would have tried magic, but the strain from the forceful winds blowing around him was too much for him to concentrate enough. Feeling utterly helpless and thinking this was indeed a bad idea, he said a final goodbye to the world and a half-hearted apology to Charcoal for failing him before he closed his eyes and blacked out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Malik came to, he was no longer being stretched and ripped apart by wind, but lying on a bed of soft cloud. He groaned and stretched, then panicked when his pack was no longer secured to his back. He searched around him but found nothing. At all. As far as he could see, it was an endless range of clouds taking on the hue of an August sunset, where the sky is painted with Reds, oranges and yellows. The clouds however did not appear to be regular clouds you see drifting lazily in the sky on a cool summer morning. No, these appeared to be almost solid, meaning non-pegasi could still roam and. Not fall to their deaths. They did not move either, or at least that he could tell. The air was dry and the soft wind that blew chilled him, causing a shiver to momentarily run up then down his spine.
Malik stood and tested the "ground" more thoroughly; changing form to gain his horn, and even still, it supported his weight. Now he only needed to find Charcoal and his pack, which he now knew would be safe sitting on these pseudo clouds. He expected the cloud ground to continue endlessly as the hill had, but to his pleasant surprise, he found it ended with a large gate. And lucky for him, his pack was found along the way, however splintered on the side, and everything inside was relatively unharmed. However there was no sign of his travel companion. What shocked him even more was not the fact that there was a large silver gate in the middle of a field of clouds, but what was beyond it. A very large, very old-fashioned (compared to what he knew to be modern) town. Complete with a castle that sat slightly suspended above the rest of the buildings and surrounded by stone turrets. Several of them looking to have taken damage over time. Something caught his attention to the side and he noticed a large guard, not pony, but Minotaur, with dull iron armor and a tall halberd. However, no skin or fur was attached to the beast. It was a skeleton left standing for a purpose he could only guess to be a guard. His gaze once more fell upon the gate and saw that it had large gilded letters in bold with the words:
Welcome to Laputa.
