A Promise Not Forgotten

Aidan:

I led Dan through the forest to Zecora’s hut. She lived close to the outside, but far enough in to warrant some caution. Trees creaked and gave an uneasy feeling as we passed. There were snapping twigs and rustling branches everywhere, I didn’t want to stay in the open for long.

“That went well,” Dan said walking behind me.

“We should try to avoid the fact that you went total apeshit on me. You know, hide that from the ponies, they might not trust you so much if they knew,” I said.

“Good idea. How much farther is Zecora’s?” Dan asked.

“It’s just around this bend,” There was a small creek running through the Everfree where we walked. I had definitely gotten better at navigating the area, whether that is in the forest or not.

We walked around the bend in the stream and spotted her hut. The creepy thing stood out like a sore thumb in this forest. I walked ahead some and knocked on the door. Zecora opened it and welcomed us in giving Dan a strange look.

“Hey, Zecora, how have things been?” I asked sitting on a stump-chair.

“I have been well. What happened to the manticore, please tell,” She said. Wow this rhyming was getting annoying already.

Dan face-palmed and let out a little grunt. “I killed it, and almost killed Aidan. Mendax was in my head screwing with me.”

She was a little taken aback at the news of a murderer in her home. “Then you are not to blame. What is your name?”

“Listen, you have got to cut this rhyming crap out. You are starting to piss me off,” Dan said coldly. “My name is Dan.”

Zecora glared at Dan. Fixing this relationship was impossible now that Dan made her instantly hate her. “Fine, but why?”

“It’s fucking annoying!” Dan replied.

“I agree with Dan, it’s a bit annoying. Just don’t do it around us please,” I said, hoping to cool her nerves.

“Ok, so why have you come then?” Zecora asked.

“We’ve come for answers. You called me Prophet before, why?” I asked.

“You look a lot like him,” She said.

“So I’ve heard, but why did you bow?” I asked with a threatening glare.

Zecora looked down and backed away slowly with a worried look on her face, “I have a past with him that I’d like forgotten.”

“Please elaborate,” I said, hoping that she wouldn’t do anything stupid.

“When he first discovered the magic that corrupted him he came to me seeking answers. I tried to help him, slow the change, but it was all for not. He was corrupt to the core by the time I figured out what could save him.”

“So why did you bow the way you did?” I asked, not believing her fully. Dan shot me a look that showed he didn’t believe her either.

“I didn’t…” She looked down before kicking a pot of something boiling at me.

“Jesus Christ that’s hot!” I said stumbling around. In the moment of confusion she kicked Dan in the nuts and ran out the door. “Come on! We have to get her!” I shouted back to Dan as I ran after her.

“MY BALLS!” Dan whined as he started to run after us.

Damn, Zecora was fast. With my super human abilities I should be able to catch up to her, but I can’t. She dipped in and out of bushes and behind trees avoiding me at every turn. She had the advantage in here; I don’t know the lay of the land this far into the forest. Zecora was the last pony I expected to work willingly with Prophet, but stranger things have happened.

She ran into a grouping of trees and looked back with a smile on her face. Damn I hate that zebra… she lured me into a trap. Some netting sprung up from under the shrubbery and suspended me in the air. Leave it to me to get stuck in a tree like this. Well, there is a first for everything. The ropes weren’t that hard to break through and the fall down was nothing new, but the squad of pissed off gryphons with some new magic were. This shit must be like my kryptonite because right after they whipped it out I felt drained.

“Why, Zecora?” I asked her as she stood behind the gryphons. She responded by looking away, whether in disgust or shame I don’t know. A rock was flung at my head, “Oh shit.” That was lights out for me!

Dan:

I ran through the forest after Aidan and Zecora, but I couldn’t find either of them. Aidan was faster than me, much faster, and yet he was still struggling to keep up with Zecora. Fuck, this is bigger than I thought. I kept running in the direction Aidan was running in when I lost sight of him. I could hear voices now, “Oh Shit.” Perfect timing to see Aidan get knocked out and dragged off by about thirty gryphons.

My training from back on Earth kicked in. I know that I would get overwhelmed by that many gryphons. I had better head back to Ponyville to tell the others. Celestia would definitely want to know.

I was running as fast as I could back to Ponyville when Rainbow saw me, “Hey, Dan, why ya in such a rush?” She asked flying next to him.

“Aidan’s been captured, have to tell Celestia,” I said running through the streets of the small town.

Rainbow flew a little bit behind when she heard the news. “What?” She asked with a puzzled look before flying to my side again.

“I’ll explain later. First we need to get to Celestia.”

I kept running as she flew beside me. With every bend in the streets she kept right by my side with a determined look. Element of Loyalty is right.

Colin: Who actually wrote this portion!

“Sorry about that window thing, Twilight. Aidan and Dan can be a little nuts at times, especially since neither of them can actually be hurt right now.” I said as we stood in Twilights library.

She looked at me with surprise. “He has crazy powers now too? Where is all this weirdness coming from?”

To be honest I wasn’t totally sure yet how humans could develop powers, but then again I wasn’t sure how ponies could talk.

“Apparently Mendax was in his head and he inherited a bunch of powers, though they seem to be mostly oriented towards bodily abilities.”

“As opposed to what?” Twilight asked, in a surprised tone.

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I did some really crazy shit last night when we were fighting possessed Dan, and I was wondering if you could help me understand it.”

“Uh oh. What happened?”

“Well, I was hanging on the side of a cliff, and to get back up, I did a pull-up that sent me flying up thirty feet into the air.”

“WHOA! You’ve got to show me that one!” Spike said, who was riding on Twilights back.

“I don’t know if I could replicate it that easily, Spike. Maybe later.”

“Oh, and when I fell off the cliff, my sword fell out of my hand. But somehow I subconsciously moved it back into its sheath.”

“Wait, you have powers too now? Where did they come from?” Twilight questioned, again quite surprised.

“I don’t quite know yet where they came from” I couldn’t tell anyone just yet who my benefactor was. “And I’m getting to the weird part.”

“I knocked out Dan, and then Mendax appeared as gray smoke that lifted up Aidan by the neck. I didn’t know what to do, and I just started screaming! Then my mind just went blank! Suddenly I produced a bow seemingly made of pure light, and shot an old arrow, which I found in the cliff face, at the smoke! The arrow turned into light too, and burned with blue fire! When it hit Mendax there was a burst of light, and then his smoke dissipated! And we were just like, ‘HOLY CRAP!’ and *GASP*” I spoke so quickly without noticing that I ran out of breath (which takes a lot because I am a swimmer).

Twilight was speechless, and Spike just looked at me with his jaw dropped.

“OK! This I have to see!” exclaimed spike.

“Again, I have no idea how I did it, it just sort of happened.” I really wished I could show him, I’m kind of a show off.

“WAIT! So you made a bow out of pure light, and you seriously have no idea how you did it? I mean that’s amazing and all, but still, how could you do that and not know?”

“Like I said, it just sort of happened, but that’s why I wanted to talk to you. Could you show me how to control this stuff?”

“I can’t help you with the light energy thing, frankly I’ve never heard of such a thing being possible. But I can help you with that telekinesis. But that can wait ‘til tomorrow. First you should read up on magic in general.” Twilight said, as she began pulling book after book off the shelves.

About an hour later, I had read a lot of stuff on magic, none of which mentioned making “hard light”, and very little helped me figure out how to move stuff (I’ve always been a visual learner).

Spike had curled up on a chair nearby, and Twilight came over to me to see how things were going.

“Would there be similar books at the library in the castle?” I asked her.

“Oh yes! Even more I suppose, they might even talk about some of your weirder powers.”

Just then there was a loud bang as the door slammed open.

Dan:

I barged through the door to find Colin and Twilight talking with Spike sleeping on a chair in the corner. “Aidan’s been captured by gryphons,” I said bluntly.

“What?” Colin asked. “Where was this?”

“In the Everfree when we talked to Zecora she ran from us and lured him into a trap.”

“Shit,” Colin said as he got up in anger. “Twilight, can send a letter to Celestia?”

“Yes,” She said as she got up and began writing. Spike was still sleeping when he was woken up, “Spike, send this to the Princess!”

We waited for a response before Celestia herself popped up in front of us. Celestia looked to me with scared eyes, “What has happened?”

“Well, we went to go ask Zecora what she knew about Prophet and the bitch lured him into a trap. Gryphons knocked him out and took him away. I came back to tell you,” I said.

“Twilight, you must wait here until further instructions are given,” Celestia said.

In a bright flash of light Colin and I were teleported to Canterlot. We were in the throne room of the Castle. Celestia stood tall but with a look of sadness, maybe she cares a little more than I thought. God, I hope not, that would be weird. “So what do you plan to do Celestia?” I asked.

“Well, you and Colin are best suited for the job. I can’t send the guard if what Colin said is true, and I can’t force the elements to kill. You have before, and will to ensure the safety of others,” Celestia said in reply.

“For now, make armor and weapons for Colin and me,” Oh right, Colin already has some, just never wears it. “In the mean time I will lead the search party; my experience will help in that field.”

“Do what you must,” Celestia said looking away. “Just please bring him back safely.”

Taking Aidan’s one liner I said, “I promise.” She worried a lot more than anypony else. There is definitely something between them, whether or not Aidan admits or even knows it. Colin and I walked out of the throne room to leave Celestia with her thoughts. “Damn, ok you coming on the search party?” I asked Colin.

“As much as I’d love to, I have to do some things here for a bit,” Colin said. Wow, what a friend, but it must be important if he can’t go.

“Ok. I’ll wait around for my armor and then head out.”

Aidan:

Shit. Now I’m being held hostage? Fucking perfect…

Listen, these gryphons are working with Prophet, they know your weakness.

Which is?

Well, see those little rocks?

I looked down at the red gems studding my shackles. They were pulsing with what looked to be electricity. Yeah, what about them.

They act as a sort of magic absorber. If the powers were your own, you would still be powerful, but because I’m projecting them through you they are absorbed before you can use them.

Fucking great. So what, wait until rescue comes?

Im afraid so. I will leave you to assist Dan in his mission.

About earlier, you being friends with Mendax…

I prefer not to talk about it. We will settle this later.

I felt Vis’ familiar presence leave my head. I felt empty, drained. The cuts I had on my knees from when they dragged me back weren’t healing. Shit this isn’t good. I guess I can’t do much else now.

Dan:

Fuck me, these ponies are so damn slow. Aidan needs help you morons!

I was sitting on a bench outside the armory while I waited.

Hello, Dan

WHAT THE FUCK?!

I’m Vis; I left Aidan to help you. He is being held prisoner in a gryphon camp. They will not kill him unless Prophet tells them to and he won’t. Aidan is safe for now, but if Prophet gets his hands on Aidan then all this will be over. Equestria would be destroyed; we can’t let that happen.

Ok, so what do we do?

Get geared up, and then we strike at night. I know where they are, but Aidan is left vulnerable if I don’t stay in his head. I have added my memories of his location to yours, I must leave now.

I felt Vis wiggle his way out of my head. God that felt weird, but he came back.

Shit…

What?

I’ve got some bad news…

Aidan:

I was awoken by the gryphons when they threw some food into the crudely made prison. It was the sort made of sticks and rope. It wasn’t that the cage could actually hold me, but that there were numerous guards with razor sharp talons waiting to kill me.

I looked down at what they had given me. JESUS CHRIST! Its steak, real fucking steak! Oh my God I must have looked like a rabid animal devouring its prey. It was the best damn steak I’ve ever had, but whether that was because it was actually good or because I haven’t had any in the past week I don’t know.

After I was finished and with the steak I sat back against the wall of the cage. I felt the familiar wiggle of Vis reentering my head. Though it felt more aggressive, more, I don’t know, painful.

Back so soon?

I heard a low pitched laugh then a booming voice speak. Hello, Aidan. My name is Prophet.

Oh, fuck.