Chapter 3: Some Way to Live a Life...

          Or: Question after Question and a Favor on Top

Now…I won’t tell you anything that happened those last few days since it would only force you into the utmost boredom. So I’ll skip until a further place in time. It happened to be several days further from the first meeting and it was quite an interesting day.

For starters, I know that I somewhat altered the original timeline of MLP but since I am in this world in the first place, there was no real way for me to not do that in the long run. I told Twilight to keep the Shurima Library and her lessons with me a secret, mostly for the fact that her friends probably would start becoming suspicious about me as soon as they set eyes on my outer appearance.

Anyway, it was one day in particular, when Twilight entered my library. I knew that it was Twilight because the torches on the walls would flicker in purple flames for a short time. She joined me in one of the upper floors where I usually gave her some lessons of history, ecology, basically anything she wanted to know. I just avoided the further past of Equestria, namely the rulership of Queen Aurora and King Starlight because it was one topic I wasn't too fond of.

„Nasus, can I ask you something?“

„Silly, why do you ask me that? I told you that you could ask me anything you want to know. Besides…you are already asking.“

At that statement, she simply blushed and looked sheepish on the ground. She wasn't used to getting caught out in such a fashion.

„You are right. Well…there is that one question…that bothered me since we first met.

You see…you obviously know very much about Equestria…but I always wondered how? I mean, you are an Earth Pony, but you technically can’t live long enough to know all this. Besides, I have never seen such a pony as you are. Especially your eyes…where was I? Oh right, I want to know about your past, Nasus.“

She was of course acting the way every“pony“ would if they’d see me like this. But I couldn't help but chuckle at her. She was young, innocent, always looking for a way to know more. She reminded me of myself at a young age. But I hope that she’ll learn later that knowledge over everything is dangerous…

Anyway, I was thinking about how to play this situation. Certainly I couldn't tell her the truth, I couldn't tell her that I was the one who, in some way or another, killed her mentor’s mother. So I had to get around that subject in any way possible.

„I am sorry Twilight, but I can’t tell you everything of my past, for my life isn't something anyone should know. However I can tell you the origins of my appearance and my ability to know so much.

You see, there was one day when I was at the brink of death, where I accepted death already. I closed my eyes, awaiting the obvious, only to wake up in the house of somepony.

As it turned out, I was somehow teleported far away. I ended up in the nation of Zebrica where a nice old zebra mare took me into her home and „cured“ me. However, as I asked her what happened to me, she told me the only way to save me from death was to put an ancient curse on me.“

This story was just made out of my mind and I simply hoped that Twilight wouldn't get suspicious towards this story. Glad for me, she didn't.

„What kind of curse? How is a curse supposed to help you surviving? Aren't curses always meant to do bad things to somepony?“

„Well, it did in the end. She told me that the curse would extend my life beyond and natural borders and only through force I’d die. However, the curse had it’s problems. It would change my appearance, turning my eyes into soulless red orbs. On top of that I can no longer eat to nourish myself.“

"But how are you supposed to not starve if you no longer can eat anything?“

„To prevent starvation, I have to consume the souls of living beings. I know of the cycle of life and death. I know that the soul of every living being doesn't simply vanish. Instead, it will return to the cycle and be given a new life to live. But as I consume these souls, I take them the chance to return to another life, erasing them completely.“

I looked down on the ground, hoping that Twilight would feel pity for me. And as I did, I felt myself in a hug. I turned my head up to see her hugging me. She wanted to make me feel better in this time of misery, at least that’s what I think she thought at the moment. That meant for me however that she doesn't have any grain of suspicion towards me and that I probably do not have to fear Celestia recognizing me because Twilight would burden for me to be an ordinary pony.

„I didn't know that your past was so hard. Sorry for asking you-“

At this point I hold my hoof to her muzzle to silence her.

„You don’t have to apologize. You simply wanted to know something and you have all right to do so. You couldn't know that my past wasn't easy to take. So it is alright.“

„Nasus…ehm…did you ever eat somepony’s soul?“

„I was told that eating a soul of a currently sentient being would nourish me for a long time, on top of that I’d have access to his‘/her’s knowledge and memories. However, in all the time I have lived in Equestria I never did such a thing. It would be equal to cannibalism, only on a higher level of consuming. So I never did, and I’ll continue to never do something like that.“

I could feel and see her relaxing. She was of course unnerved at first that she learned of someone who could eat ponies without actually eating them. But hearing me confess that I, really this time, never ate anypony’s soul before was putting her worries at ease.

After that, she bid farewell and left me to myself. But looking at the date and the overall timeline, I knew that it wouldn't take long for the next major event to occur. And I would be ready to witness and actually take part in it.

---Several Weeks Later---

I was, like all the time I wasn't out to nourish, in my library and studied a bit. Now, you might think that there isn't anything left for me to study but you are wrong. I lived long, yes, but not long enough to actually know everything in this world. For one, I still didn't know everything about the Crystal Tree, The Elements on how they actually worked. Also Discord and his magic was something I could spend years on analyzing without getting any real result.

But good for me, somepony came to end my misery. I saw the flames on the walls flicker purple, showing me that Twilight was here. So I made my way to the entry hall.

„It’s good to see you again, Twilight. How are you doing?“

„I’m doing fine, Nasus, thank you. But I’m not here to study. I rather wanted to ask you of something.“

On the outward, I was looking surprised. I couldn't possibly know what she wanted to ask. But on the inward I knew that it was time for that certain event to take place. I could probably guess what she wanted to ask me.

„What do you ask of me? There isn't much I wouldn't do for my students. Especially for such one as you are.“

She blushed for a moment, not expecting such a compliment of me. But soon enough she regained her composure and asked the question I was awaiting.

„My brother is marrying somepony and his wedding is in a few days. He asked me if I could be the supervisor of the wedding, checking if everything is perfect. But…I don’t know…I don’t think that I can really do it alone. It would be better if I had somepony with me to check everything twice so that absolutely everything will go the right way. And…I thought maybe you could assist me on that task?“

I  knew it. I was interfering the original timeline enough to actually change the course of action considering the wedding. I couldn't say no because I don’t want to know what would happen then. It would be entirely possible that the changeling queen would win, Twilight and Cadence would spend the rest of their lives in the Canterlot Caverns. So…

„It would be an honor for me to help you supervising your brother’s wedding. It means much for me that you’d entrust me with such a task since it is meant to be a very personal event. Nonetheless I gladly accept.“

At this point she was beaming with excitement because I said yes. With me by her side she knew that nothing could go wrong. But I knew of course that everything would be wrong the moment we would meet ‚Princess Mi Amore Cadenza‘…

Next Chapter: Dusty Remnants of The Past Estimated time remaining: 8 Minutes