Chapter 11:

I Need a Restraining Order!

(Takes Place 3 days after ‘Bridle Gossip’)

“Omnius, open up! Ah know yer in there!” Applejack angrily called out, pounding on my door.

“No I’m not!”

CRASH. The sound of splintering wood reached my ears.

“Uh oh,” I winced, nearly dropping the brush and cloth I was using. I looked around the corner, and saw Applejack, who had just bucked down my door (How she managed to kick down both halves at the same time, I’ll never know).

Applejack stormed into my kitchen, and glared at me angrily. I had managed to throw a thick blanket over the table I was sitting at, and I grinned nervously. “Well howdy Applejack! What brings you here?”

“You know why,” She said. “Nopony has seen you in town fer a few days, and you’ve been ignoring everypony who comes by!”

“Look, sorry, but I’ve been kinda busy lately,” I said, getting up.

“So busy that you haven’t had time fer yer friends?” Applejack said, although most of her anger disappeared when she saw how tired I must have looked. “When was the last time you got some sleep?”

I yawned and looked at the small clock that was on the wall. “Oh, maybe a couple of days ago?” I ran a hand through my hair, and chuckled. I leaned down, and started picking up empty soda bottles and cans that had accumulated on the floor.

Applejack trotted in, being careful not to step in any of the mess, and said, “Well, you at least coulda answered the door fer Fluttershy when she came by.”

“Fluttershy came by?” I frowned, and scratched my head. “When was that?”

“Yesterday.” Applejack frowned, and added, “Omni, I’m not really one ta say somethin’ like this, buy you really need to clean up yer kitchen.”

I looked around, and sighed. She was right of course. I had made a small dent by picking up all the bottles, but the counter was still littered with the debris of my last few meals, and what could be seen of the table was covered in oil and grease. I held up my hands, and saw that they were stained black and gray in some places. I glanced at the reflective surface of my toaster, and grimaced. I had bags underneath my eyes, and my hair was sticking up where my greasy hands had touched it, spiking it in odd places. There was a fine layer of sparse stubble on my cheeks, and my beard was scruffier than I would have like it to be.

“I guess I shouldn’t have touched my hair. I definitely need a shower now,” I groaned. I moved to fix a corner of the blanket I had tossed over what I was working on, but Applejack reached it before my sleep deprived body could.

“Just what in the hay are you working on?” She asked, before yanking the blanket off the table. Her eyes widened in confusion, as she took in a device with a long metal barrel, and wooden stock. “What is this?”

I sighed, and picked it up. “This is a double-barrel shotgun that’s been modified to hold six rounds instead of the normal two,” I explained, opening it to make sure it was loaded. I nodded when I saw the glistening ends of the buckshot it was loaded with.  

“A what?” Applejack asked, even more confused than before.

I walked outside, and Applejack followed me. I lifted the shotgun in one arm, and aimed it at a random clump of trees.

“What are you doing?” Applejack looked from the gun to the trees.

I said nothing, and pulled the trigger. BOOM! Birds flew everywhere, startled by the sound of the shotgun’s loud report, and I winced. The kickback made my arm go numb for a second, and I wondered how Ash could do that all the time. Applejack’s jaw dropped, and she looked at the gun with apprehension.

“This is my Boomstick,” I said casually. “Now, you want to know why I’ve been so busy lately? Well, remember how that Ursa Minor was rampaging?”

Applejack nodded.

“Did you see a gray unicorn by any chance?” Please say no, please say no….

“Yeah. We’ve been meaning to ask you about that.” Oh damn it.

“Wait, ‘we’?” I asked, putting the Boomstick in its holster that I was wearing on my back.

Applejack pointed, and I turned to see that the rest of my friends were standing behind me. Fluttershy was hiding behind Rainbow Dash, and she had her hooves over her eyes and mouth. I felt a brief flash of guilt, and I went to kneel by her.

“Fluttershy?” I asked, lifting up one of her hooves. She opened one eye, and I quickly said, “It’s alright, there ain’t nothing here that’s gonna hurt you.”

As soon as I said that, a rustling sound came from some nearby bushes, and a dark blur shot out, charging straight for us. I whirled around, and kicked it, sending it flying through the air. Fluttershy let out a small ‘eep’ of fear, and I said in a calm voice, “Scratch that. Twilight, be a dear and magic that thing so that it can’t move, would you?”

The ‘thing’ in question didn’t like the sound of that, and it tried to take off into the forest. Twilight prevented that by encasing it in a purple bubble, where it made snarling noises, and threw itself violently against the walls of its prison. I pulled the Boomstick out of its holster, and eyed the bushes cautiously.

“What is that thing?” Twilight asked, almost fearfully.

Before I could answer, more rustling sounds came from the bushes, and I shouted, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

Three more shadows shot out of the bushes, only this time, they were aimed at Twilight. I aimed the Boomstick at the closest one, and pulled the trigger. With a loud BOOM, the creature vanished in a puff of black mist, leaving no trace of its existence. The other shadows slowed down, clearly not wanting to go out the same way.

I held up my Boomstick, and said in a low, angry tone, “Alright you shady screwheads, listen up!” I hefted the gun over my head, and said, “Ya see this? This…is my BOOMSTICK!”

The Shadows stopped, trying to assess the situation. This gave me an opportunity to get a good look at them, and I didn’t like what I saw. At first glance, they looked like small, malnourished unicorn foals, except that they had glowing yellow lights for eyes, and no mouth. Their coat shimmered, giving the impression that they really were living shadows, and they had small antennae that stood, quivering slightly, next to their horns, which had been broken off, leaving a jagged edge. They lacked a mane and tail, and the edges of their hooves were sharpened, cutting the grass whenever they moved.

“What are those…things?” Fluttershy asked in a quiet voice.

“Shadow-Stalkers,” I answered simply. “Ugh, I’m gonna need a bigger drink.”

“Is drinking your answer to everything?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Now that you mention it…” I started, right before the stalkers moved again. “Oh no you don’t!” I shot another one, but missed the others. Thankfully, they obviously hadn’t been made with much intelligence, as they charged at Applejack this time.

She whirled around, and bucked both of them as if they were just another stubborn tree. They went flying, and crashed into the side of my house, where they evaporated into the same black mist as before.

“Nice kick,” I said, digging a hand into my pocket. I pulled out a few shotgun shells, and with my other hand, popped open the Boomstick, ejecting the spent shots. Reloading the gun, I asked Twilight, “Think you can move that bubble of yours into my house? There might be more around, and I don’t want to get caught off guard.”

Twilight nodded, and Rainbow Dash said, “Pfft, they don’t look that tough! Besides, you and A.J took ‘em out like they were nothing!”

The bushes rustled some more, and I said, “I guess that means we’re about to fight a whole lot of nothing! Everyone get inside, NOW!”

We ran inside, just as ten shadow-stalkers crashed through the brush, following us. After the last pony ran in, I slammed the door, leaving myself outside.

“Omnius!” I heard Fluttershy shout, as they all looked outside of the window.

I gave them a thumbs-up, and grinned. I summoned my Traveler’s Blade to my free hand, and adjusted my grip on the Boomstick. Keeping the sword so that it pointed at the ground behind me, I aimed the Boomstick at the stalkers, and said, “Come get some.”

Three of them broke off from the main group, and charged at me. I fired both barrels, and all three of them turned to mist, and were dispelled by the wind.

I grinned, and started to leak magic into my Boomstick, empowering the next shot with magic. To buy myself some time, I started saying, “Before you attack me again, you should know, that I am the one your master fears…in his tongue, I am ‘Travel-kiin’…TRAVEL BORN!” I had no idea of what I was saying, only that I was making it up as I went along.

The stalkers all charged at me this time, and I shouted, “Fus Ro BOOMSTICK!”

The shotgun roared, and a blast of pure concussive force shot out, taking the shadow-stalkers with them. They crashed into the trees, and only three of them managed to survive the attack. “And just think about what would happen if I actually knew how to do that,” I added. “For now, you’ll just have to settle for the joke.”

I dropped the now empty Boomstick, and charged at the remaining stalkers. I swung my sword, at the first one, cutting off its head and causing it to disappear. The next one dodged my first swing, and it stabbed its broken horn into my thigh. I gasped, and the second stalker sliced its razor sharp hooves at me, leaving two bloody lines.

I slashed at the stalker that was still attached to my leg, and sliced open its neck, killing it instantly. Unfortunately, this left me open to an attack from the remaining stalker, and it leaped at my throat, ready to tear open my neck-

-when a bolt of purple light shot out, and hit the stalker right in its eye. The monster disappeared, and I let out a sigh of relief. Turning, I saw that Twilight was standing outside, her eyes wide with shock.

“I…I killed it,” She said, looking at the spot where the monster was.

I limped over to her, picking up the Boomstick from the ground, and patted her on the head. “Good shot Ace.”

“But…I killed it…”

“Twilight.” She looked at me, and I smiled. “Don’t feel bad. That was a Shadow-Stalker, a magical construct that doesn’t have feelings, or even a soul. Come on, I need to explain this to everypony.”

We walked inside, and I dismissed my Traveler’s Blade. I looked at the ponies, and said conversationally, “Want a drink? I know that I could sure use one.”

XHXHXHXHXHX

A few minutes later, we all sat around the Kitchen table (Well, I sat, the ponies stood). I poured myself a glass of Dew, and took a small sip. The ponies all had a glass of apple juice in front of them, and they left it untouched.

The Shadow-Stalker was still in its bubble, making snarling noises as it thrashed about. I glared at it, and said, “Twilight, any chance you could make that bubble soundproof?”

She nodded, as her horn glowed for a moment. The Stalker went silent, but that just made it thrash about more violently.

“So…I guess I’ll just go ahead and answer the question that you all want to know: What is that?” I said, placing my cup on the table. “That…is a shadow-stalker. They’re beings of evil that are created to serve their master, and do his will. There are several types of shadow-stalkers, each with their own unique powers and functions. However, they all lack a conscience, and do not even have a soul.”

Fluttershy raised her hoof into the air, as if this were a classroom, and asked, “But they still feel, don’t they?”

I shook my head. “Not exactly. They can only feel the emotions they were made with. Take this,” I tapped the bubble, “For example. This is a ponified version of the basic Shadow-Stalker. Right now, I like to call them Imps. Basically, they’re used as foot-soldiers, or scouts. They feel naught but anger, and have little, if any, intelligence. Weak, but very cunning, and they always appear in groups of three or more.”

I winced as I shifted in my seat. Twilight noticed for the first time that I had been wounded, and she said, “Omnius, I’m sorry, I didn’t notice that you were hurt! Would you like me to heal you?”

“If it isn’t too much trouble.”

She trotted over to me, and looked at the wounded leg. Her horn glowed, as she touched it to the poorly bandaged area, and I gasped. It felt like she had just poured ice water into my veins, and I watched in amazement, as the wounds closed instantly.

“Where’d you learn how to do that?” I asked.

“Remember that muffin epidemic?”

Pinkie and I both shuddered, as Applejack winced. “Yeah. I can’t believe those muffins did that. Good thing I was on a Danish kick that day,” I said, patting my stomach.

“Look, ah said ah was sorry!” Applejack said defensively.

“We know, we know,” I said, laughing. “Twilight, if you would continue.”

“Well when we were done helping the sick, Nurse Redheart loaned me some of her medical books, and some of them had healing spells in them.”

I nodded. “Ah. Say, how did you know that the spell would work on me in my human form?”

“Um…I didn’t?” She said, grinning sheepishly. “The book just said that the spell would close any open wounds, and…”

I facepalmed. “Well, thanks anyway Twilight. At least now you know that it works.”

The Imp threw itself against the bubble again, angry at being ignored. I glared at it, and then said, “Anymore questions about Shadow-Stalkers?”

Rarity hesitated, before asking, “How many kinds of beasts like these are there?”

“Lots. Ivy has an entire section of the Timeless Library devoted to them. That reminds me…” I reached over, and hit a button that was hidden underneath the table. “Ivy? Can you hear me alright?”

There was a brief pause, before Ivy answered, “Affirmative.”

“Good. Ivy, add another entry on Shadow-Stalkers, Imp variety.”

Another brief pause, as I felt Ivy probe through my memories, then, “Entry added. New form recorded. New attacks recorded. New weakness rec-”

“Thanks Ivy, we get it,” I interrupted. “Thank you.”

“A pleasure to serve.”

I got up from the table, and chugged the rest of my soda. “Now then, where were we?”

“Wait a second,” Applejack said suddenly. “You said somethin’ bout them having a ‘master’ right?”

I sighed, and said, “I might have mentioned it.”

“So who’s this feller’s master?”

I washed the cup silently, not sure of how to answer.

“Hey? Didn’t you hear her?” Rainbow Dash said loudly. “Who do these things work for?”

I slowly put the cup back into its place on the counter, and then stood there, not facing the ponies. Finally, I answered, “Do you remember that unicorn you all saw before, when Trixie was in town?”

They nodded, and Rarity said, “Who was he?”

“To understand that, you need to hear a story…And be forewarned,” I said in a quiet voice, all traces of humor gone. “What I’m about to tell you must never be spoken of to anypony. It must remain a secret between us. Do you promise to keep it a secret?”

They all nodded once again, and Pinkie Pie said, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

I grinned. “Alright…Now then, let me tell you something that is true for all realities: There are Gods, capital G, and Goddesses…”

XHXHXHXHXHXHX

Once I finished telling them the ‘Story of the Travelers’ (which can be read about in the intro) Fluttershy said, “So that unicorn was…”

“Torrentican, The Endless Traveler of Evil.” I felt my hands curl up into fists, and I added, “He’s the one who created the Shadow-Stalkers.”

“And nopony knows his real name?” Applejack asked.

“Nope. Except to the Gods and Goddesses of Evil, his real name is unknown. Heck, I don’t even know if he’s human or not,” I confessed.

“You still haven’t answered mah other question!”

“Which was?”

“Why have you been cooped up in here?”

I pulled out my Boomstick, and started absently cleaning it, saying, “When I went to Zecora’s place, after we had gotten the Poison Joke cure, I saw Shadow-Stalker tracks. They were too big for Imps, so I figured that Torrentican must have started placing them in strategic places around town.” I tightened the strap on the holster, and added, “I’m getting ready to go into the forest and try and find them.”

“What are you gonna do when you find ‘em?” Applejack asked.

I slid the Boomstick into my holster, and summoned my Traveler’s Blade. “Get rid of ‘em.”

“Well, we better hurry if we want to find them,” Twilight said, right before she teleported out of my house. A moment later, she reappeared carrying a set of purple saddlebags on her back.

“What’s this ‘we’ stuff Kemosabe?” I asked, shifting the blade onto my shoulders.

“Well we ain’t just gonna let you wander off into the forest by yourself!” Applejack said, grinning. “Twi, would you mind grabbing mah bags too? They’re next to mah bed at the farm.”

“Not a problem,” Twilight said, teleporting again.

“Oh no! Y’all ain’t coming with me, this is something I gotta do myself,” I tried to argue.

“No it’s not!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up to me. “We’re friends right? And friends help each other, so we’re going with you whether you like it or not! Oooh! I should pack snacks!”

With that, she ran off screen, returning a few seconds later with her bags fully packed.

“Pinkie, how did you do that?” Rarity asked, a look of weary confusion on her face.

“I ran, silly,” Pinkie giggled.

I looked at Rarity and shrugged. “Hey, it’s Pinkie Pie. I’ve learned not to ask by now.”

Rarity agreed with me, saying, “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

I looked at my Blade, and frowned. “I’m gonna shift into Unicorn form real quick. I don’t want to scare Zecora when we go and see her.”

“We’re going to Zecora’s?” Fluttershy asked softly.

After I had shifted, I levitated the Blade with my magic, and swung it experimentally. It made a slight whistling sound as it slashed through the air, and I nodded in satisfaction. “Glad to see I can still use this. And to answer your question, yes, we’re going to Zecora’s first. She might have seen something that could point us in the right direction.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy responded.

Twilight chose that moment to return, struggling to hold up Applejack’s heavy bags. “What’s-oof- in these?” She gasped out, dropping them to the floor.

Applejack tossed the bags over her shoulders, and said, “Oh, just some essentials.”

“Is everypony ready now?” I asked impatiently.

“So you’re letting us come with you then?” Applejack said smugly.

“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled. “Y’all are too stubborn, and I’m too impatient to wait around and argue with you. So let’s go!”

XHXHXHXHXHX

After Twilight finished grabbing everypony’s bags (and after I had given her a shot of soda to perk her up –she liked it by the way) we marched into the forest towards Zecora’s hut. As we walked, I made sure to examine the forest floor, searching for any sign of the shadow-stalkers.

“Omnius?” Fluttershy asked shyly.

I looked up from the ground, and smiled at Fluttershy. “What’s up?”

“Well, you said that Torrentican can make more of those monsters, so what’s to stop him from making more once we get rid of the ones that are already here?”

I grinned. “Good question Fluttershy. Remember that stalker I had Twilight put into a bubble?”

“Yes?” She said it as if it were more a question than an answer.

“Do you remember how it suddenly vanished after a few minutes?”

Pinkie giggled, and added, “I bet the viewers were really confused and thought that we had just forgotten about it!”

I laughed with her as everypony gave us a weird look. “What are you talking about?” Rarity asked.

I waved her off, and reduced the laughing to a small chuckle. “Nothing you would get. Oh, my past self is gonna hate me for this!”

This made all of the ponies gathered, even Pinkie, more confused. “What do you mean, ‘Past self’?” Rarity asked.

I clamped a hoof over my mouth, cursing myself for the slip of the tongue. “Oops. Um, how do I explain this…Well, I explained how in other worlds, this might be a book, or an opera, correct? Well, uh…” I tried to come up with a better way of saying it, but all I could come up with was, “My past self is seeing all of this in a vision.”

“Right, you did mention how you can see visions of your future on other worlds!” Twilight said, her inner scientist taking control. “Does this mean that you’ve already seen everything that’s going to happen here?”

“Erm, yeah, but I kinda, had to, you know, um, wipe my memory clean so that I wouldn’t try to alter the future,” I said, stammering slightly.

“Hmm, that would make sense! You said yourself that we would forget seeing you in your human form if it would alter the story too much…Is this another form of that?” Twilight asked.

“Yep. Hey look, it’s Zecora’s place!” I said, glad that the interrogation was over. “Let’s go!”

XHXHXHXH

- STOP THAT SCREEN WIPE!!!

“Oops, almost forgot,” I said, smacking my head again. “When nopony was looking, I warped the Imp into the stable, where it’ll be fully analyzed and then destroyed.”

“But what about Torrentican? Can’t he just make more once we get rid of the others?” Rainbow Dash asked, still confused.

“He can only create a certain amount at a certain time. Since a Goddess of Good is in charge of the night, the time when he can make shadow-stalkers, that means that he has to wait until it’s a new moon, and even then, he can only choke out a few at a time,” I explained.

“So…how many can he make right now?” Rainbow scratched her head as she considered what I just said.

I did some mental calculations, and answered, “I’d wager that he could pump out forty-five imps at a time, but since it looks like he went ahead and made bigger ones, then…I can’t say.”

“You mean you don’t have any idea?”

“Sorry, but it’s kind of hard to predict what he’s thinking. It’s part of what makes him so dangerous. You’ll never be able to predict his next attack, because he can predict what you think he thinks!”

“…That doesn’t make any sense,” Rainbow said simply.

“Join the club.”

Okay screen wipe, you can come out now!

XHXHXHXHX

I knocked on the door of Zecora’s hut, and called out, “Zecora? I need to talk to you about something real quick!”

The door opened to reveal a surprised looking zebra with turquoise, almond shaped eyes, wearing several golden bands around her neck and forelegs. The zebra smiled, and said in a sing-song chant, “Hello Omnius, it is good to see you. I believe I could spare a word or two.”

I couldn’t help but grin. The fact that Zecora could rhyme whenever she spoke was just plain awesome to me. I don’t know why, but come on! It’s a rhyming zebra that can brew up anything from Poison Joke cures, to a hair growth potion that would put Rogaine to shame.

“Good to see you too,” I replied. “Listen, you haven’t seen anything unusual around here lately, have you?” I asked, getting straight to the point. We had no time to waste, and I wanted to make sure that the Shadow-Stalkers wouldn’t do anything.

Zecora thought for a moment, and said, “A lot of strange things I have seen, but what exactly do you mean?”

Tee-hee. Rhyming. Sorry, I’ll stay focused!

“Well, have you seen any tracks that don’t match anything you’ve ever seen?” I said, trying to think of a way to ask it. “Or maybe anything that sounds like it’s pissed and out for blood?”

The herbalist tilted her head, and said, “There is something that matches that you see, but I don’t know what it could be!”

“Where did you see it?” I asked, absently adjusting the holster on my back. I had already figured out how to use magic to fire my Boomstick, but it was the only gun I could currently use, as the Armory (the weapons section of The Vault) was currently under its monthly maintenance.

Zecora’s eyes narrowed, and she said, “There is more to them than meets the eyes…You should avoid them, if you are wise.”

I sighed, and said, “You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard something like that. Don’t worry Z, I know what I’m doing.” My eyes hardened, and I said in a voice like steel, “These monsters need to be stopped before they can hurt anypony. If you know anything that could help us find them, you have to tell us. Please.”

Zecora looked at me, and after a long moment, nodded. “You’re telling the truth, of that I can tell, so heed my words, and listen well!”

She pointed down the path, and told us how a few nights ago she had seen some strange paw prints in the dirt. Zecora led us to the tracks in question, and even though it had been a few nights, the imprint was still easily seen in the undisturbed path.

I bent over, and put my hoof in the center of the catlike print. My hoof was just big enough to fit inside the center of the imprint, and I nodded, unsurprised. I turned to Zecora, and asked, “Did you hear something that sounded like a cat screeching, or something?”

She raised her eyebrow, and said, “I do recall hearing that sound, and it reminded me of evil unbound!”

I winced. I was afraid of that. “Alright, that’s all I needed to know. You shouldn’t have to worry about these things for a while now. Thanks for your help Zecora.”

“It was no trouble to help you my friend,” She answered, smiling. “I just hope that these creatures will meet their end.”

“You and me both sister,” I answered. Zecora left, and when she was out of earshot, I turned to the others, and said, “Alright, I have a better idea of what we’re up against.” I levitated a swath of hair that had been caught on some nearby branches, and held it out to Applejack. She touched it with her hoof, and shivered.

“Why is that thing so dern cold?” She asked.

“If I’m right, then this is the hair of an Ice Leopard Shadow-Stalker.” I passed the hair around, and they all touched it, each of them shivering from the chill they felt. “Maybe a bit smaller than a manticore, but what they lack in size, they more than make up for with their fangs and claws.”

I levitated the hair back to me, and with a quick thought, incinerated it in a small orb of light.

“Why do you call them ‘Ice Leopards’?” Twilight asked, deciding not to ask why I just burned our only piece of evidence that proved that Shadow-Stalkers were in the area.

“Because instead of normal bones, they have heavily condensed pieces of ice. That’s why you have to watch out for their claws and teeth. If they manage to scratch you, there’s a good chance that your blood will freeze from their sheer coldness.” Note to self: Find better way of describing it. “They have the appearance of black leopards, with some noticeable differences, like a small mane made of frost, they don’t have tails, and they always work in pairs, along with a few underlings.”

I walked deeper into the woods, and kept talking as I walked. “They prefer to try and go in for sneak attacks, so keep up your guard. They hate bright light, and heat, but a good buck to their face will do just fine as well. If you can take out their eyes, you’ll instantly get rid of them, but it’s pretty bucking hard to do.”

“Why’s that?” Rainbow Dash asked, hovering in the air, and looking around too.

“Two reasons,” I said, levitating my blade in front of me, and swinging it as an improvised machete. “One is that Ice Leopards are actually pretty smart. They know how to use the environment to their advantage, and are capable of giving out basic commands to lesser Shadow-Stalkers. Two, they can breathe ice.”

“Breathe ice?” Applejack asked, confused. “You mean like freeze breath or somethin’?”

“Yep.”

We kept going through the forest, searching for any sign of a shadow-stalker, until it eventually started to get dark.

“Maybe we should head back,” Fluttershy suggested quietly, her eyes darting around rapidly. “I mean, we’re not going to be able to see them like this, right?”

I stopped suddenly, and the ponies walked into me, not expecting me to stop like that. “You’re absolutely right,” I said, feeling like an idiot. I pulled out my Boomstick, and aimed it at the sky.

“Omnius, what are you do-”

BOOM!

Everypony winced at the loud sound that the Boomstick made, and I grinned crazily. “That should get their attention.”

“ARE YOU CRAZY!?” Twilight yelled at me.

“A little. Why?”

“You just alerted everything within a five mile radius of where we are!” She shouted angrily, while I grinned all the while.

“That’s the point my dear bookworm,” I said, looking around. I blinked when I saw my breath come out in a puff of steam, and added, “Looks like it worked. Get your game face on ponies!”

There was an ear piercing shriek, and a shimmering blue blur shot out of the trees above me, and attempted to sink its claws into my neck. I aimed the Boomstick at the blur, and right before it landed on me, shot it in the face. The buckshot tore apart its face, and it disappeared in a spray of mist. I whirled around, and spotted a few Imps charging towards the others.

“Girls, behind you!” I shouted.

Applejack went into action, bucking at the creatures, while Rainbow Dash dive-bombed them, stomping on their heads with her hooves, dazing them so that A.J could take them out easier. Twilight and Rarity stood off a little ways away, magically hurling rocks, and whatever else they could grab, at the shadow-stalkers, taking them out. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy both darted around, getting the stalkers’ attention, and they drew them into the unicorns’ line of fire, doing an excellent job of being live bait.

I grinned with satisfaction as I watched them fight. They may not have been used to the idea of violence, but they sure knew how to work together to get thing taken care of.

A sudden raking pain across my back snapped me out of my thoughts, and I cursed myself for not paying attention. With a snarl, I turned to see that the remaining Ice Leopard had already escaped into the trees, and was getting ready for another attack.

“Okay, so that’s the way you want to play,” I grumbled, aiming my Boomstick at the trees. The monster leaped out of the trees, and pounced at me, knocking away the gun with a swipe of its paws.

“…Not fair!” I shouted, ducking another swipe. I summoned my blade, and started to go on the offensive, slashing at the monster. I lunged at it, and got ready to bring my sword down on it-

-when with a feral smile, it opened its mouth, and encased my blade in a block of ice. The sword fell to the ground, and I quickly jumped back.

“Why can’t I lift my sword with my magic?” I yelled, as the Ice Leopard clawed at my foreleg, leaving a long thin scratch that was lined with frost. I could only imagine my back looking almost exactly like that, and I gulped.

I charged a light orb, and flung it at the shadow-stalker. The stalker nimbly jumped to the side, cleanly avoiding it, and it pounced at me again. I rolled away, and the stalker jumped into the trees, quickly disappearing from view.

“Alright, that’s it,” I finally shouted. “No more Mr. Nice Pony!”

I closed my eyes, and started to summon an Aura. Just before I could bring it up, the Ice Leopard pounced at me, breaking my concentration.

“SON OF A BITCH!” I swore, avoiding another attack. My sleep deprived mind wasn’t making things easier, and the pain from the wounds on my back were distracting me as well. I tried lifting my sword in my teeth, only to be rewarded with a stinging pain on my tongue. “TOO COLD!”

Okay, think for a second here Omnius! You can’t use your Blade because of that ice (my mind finally remembered that the ice was somehow enchanted to thwart all forms of levitation magic…thanks for letting me know now, brain, instead of earlier, when it was useful!), and you can’t focus enough to bring up an Aura…wait, maybe I can.

I leaped to the side, running from the Ice Leopard, and called out, “APPLEJACK! I NEED YOUR HELP WITH SOMETHING!”

The farmpony looked up from where she had just kicked an Imp, and her eyes widened when she saw me. She quickly ran over to me, and stood her ground, snorting at the Ice Leopard.

“Having some trouble there pardner?” She asked, never taking her eyes off the creature.

“A little. Hey, A.J, are there any matches inside of your bags?” I asked, standing by her. The Ice Leopard stood a little ways away, its eyes narrowed as it watched us.

“Yeah, but I don’ think that a small little match ain’t gonna do much against that varmint,” She replied.

“Which bag?”

“The one next to you. Omnius, what are you thinking?”

I didn’t answer, but instead used my magic to rifle through her bag, until I came up with a small box of matches. I gleefully took on out, and lit it, the small flame eliciting a hiss from the shadow-stalker.

“What are you doing?” A.J asked, looking at me now. I grinned, and then used the already flaming match to light the rest of them, creating a small fireball. With a slight wince at what I was about to do, I pressed the fireball against the wounds on my back, and grit my teeth against the sudden pain.

Okay, now comes the fun part…focus on that pain…

I felt an intense burning on my back, and even though the flame stayed there, I felt the burn start to pour through the rest of my tired body.

Focus on the burning…

A fire lit inside of my chest, and it made me howl, the pressure of it building slowly, until I couldn’t hold it anymore.

UNLEASH!

I roared in both pain and defiance, and summoned my Blazing Aura. Small fires erupted around my hooves, and my beard erupted into small flames, dancing in a gleeful blaze. The air around me got considerably warmer, and my mane and tail both erupted into flames, while I let out a mad grin.

“Omnius?” Applejack asked, looking at me in surprise. “What in tarnation happened to ya?”

I snorted, and small puffs of smoke came out of my nose. I reared back, and said, “I. AM. ON. FIIIIIIRRRREEE!”

I stomped my front hooves on the ground, and charged at the stalker, small patches of flame flaring up whenever my hooves touched the grass, leaving a small trail of scorch marks. The Ice Leopard knew what was coming, and it rushed out to meet me, howling all the while. It leaped into the air, and lunged at me, claws extended, and I felt the tip of my horn glow white hot. A beam of fire shot out of it, and hit the stalker on the chest, igniting it. The leopard rolled in mid-air, thrown by the force of the fire, and somehow managed to land on its feet, glaring at me all the while.

It stuck out its tongue, and frantically licked the burns, ice replacing the patches of burnt fur. I smirked, and said, “Get out of the kitchen.”

The stalker and I circled each other, and before I could react, the Ice Leopard ran at me, and slashed at my face. I stepped back, and let instinct take control. I lobbed a fireball at it, and it dodged, countering with a quick puff of ice. I simply stuck out my chin, and let my flaming beard take the blow, easily melting the ice and creating a cloud of steam.  The stalker hissed, and sent more puffs of ice my way. I quickly hit each puff with a small burst of fire, and I wondered what the stalker was up to.

I suddenly had to resist the urge to smack myself. The Ice Leopard had created a large mist that encompassed the both of us, and I could barely see two steps in front of me. I took a tentative step forward, and nearly tripped. I looked down, and grinned. My sword was laying on the ground in front of me, and with a quick tap from my hooves, I melted the ice that encompassed it.

An orange aura encompassed the sword as I lifted it off the ground, and slashed it through the fog. There was an angry hiss, and I called out, “Pinkie!”

I heard her voice respond, “Yeah?”

“Do you happen to have a record player with you?”

I heard the sound of a bunch of things falling onto the ground, and then- “Yep!”

“You still have that record I lent you the other day?”

“You mean the one with The Trammps?”

“That’s it. Play it.”

There was a short scratching sound, and then suddenly, disco music started to play. I grinned manically, and shouted at the stalker, “This here is a personal favorite that goes out to all the fire users out there…

The cat howled in anger, and charged at me, its claws raking against my side. I took the blow, and stabbed it with my blade in retaliation. As I stabbed it, I started singing, “Burn, baby, burn, Disco inferno!”

With a final howl of pain, the Ice Leopard disappeared, having taken too much damage for it to have survived. I turned my gaze to the rest of the imps, and…felt my jaw drop. The girls had already taken care of all of them, and I was the last to take care of my cat problem.

I blinked, and said, “Wow. For a race of supposedly non-violent ponies, you girls sure know how to kick some serious flank.”

They laughed (well, everypony but Fluttershy, who just looked a little nervous) and I dismissed my sword, and picked up the Boomstick. Pinkie turned off the record player, and then shoved it back into her saddlebags (How does she blatantly ignore the laws of physics, and why doesn’t it bother me?).

“Aren’t ya gonna get rid of that, uh, Aura thingie too?” Applejack asked, beads of sweat on her face.

I shook my head, and said, “Not until we get back to my place. We might have gotten rid of the stalkers, but I still have those scratches that the cats gave me. My heat will keep them from getting any worse, and by the time we get back, they should be completely gone.” Well, the frost part at least. The scratches themselves would still be there, and my back would still be a mess of burned skin.

“Let’s go back,” I said, smiling.

We walked through the forest, my flames lighting the way.

XHXHXHXHXHXHXHX

We made it as far as Fluttershy’s cottage, before I felt my strength start rapidly draining. I started swaying, and I had to drop the Aura before I passed out. I swayed on my hooves, the world spinning, and I grunted as I fell to the ground.

“Omnius!” Fluttershy yelped, flying over to me. She looked at my back, and said in a small, yet fierce, voice, “Why didn’t you tell anypony about these?”

“Is there something on my back?” I said meekly, not fooling anypony. “I’m fine thought. I should be able to make it back to my house at least, and then I can put on some of that burn ointment I paid Zecora ma-” I clamped my hooves over my mouth, cursing my stupidity.

“You had Zecora make you burn medicine?” Twilight asked, tilting her head.

I grimaced, but then nodded. “Yeah.”

“How did you get the bits to pay fer it?” Applejack asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Oh, I, um, just had some spare bits…”

“For that matter, how did ya manage to pay for the furniture in your house?” She continued.

“Drop it please,” I said, shifting nervously on the ground.

Luckily, I was saved from having to answer any questions by Fluttershy, who said, “Girls! Now isn’t the time to bother him! He’s hurt.” She flew over to me, and she wedged herself underneath my arm, helping me up. I leaned on her, and she led me to her cottage, saying, “You can stay at my house tonight. Goodnight girls!”

The others said their goodbyes, and I added, “Hey…um, thanks for the help. I couldn’t have done it without you girls. Thanks.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged, and said, “Nah, it was nothing! Besides, did you SEE me take out those imps? BAM!” She went on, flying off, not really noticing that I wasn’t paying attention.

Fluttershy opened her door, and led me to her couch, where I collapsed on it gratefully.

“Thanks Shy,” I said, unable to turn my head without my back flaring in pain. She smiled softly, and flew into her kitchen, where she started to rifle through random cupboards, looking for something.

I looked over the arm of the couch, and saw a small fluffy white rabbit. “Hi Angel Bunny,” I said simply.

The bunny grinned, and then hopped onto my head, making himself comfortable. I let out a sigh, and said, “I’ll never understand why Fluttershy named you Angel Bunny, when something like, oh, I dunno, Punk, or Bugs, would have fit you more.”

Angel stomped his foot onto my head, telling me to shut up, and he arranged my hair into a comfortable pillow. He settled down, satisfied, and just sat there, simply not giving a fuck.

Needless to say, me and the bunny got along surprisingly well. Both of us were protective of the ones we cared about, we liked the occasional troll, and come on! He’s a violent, sadistic, loving bunny! What’s not to like about that? He’s the kid friendly version of the Demon Rabbit from Monty Python!

“Good day then?” I asked him conversationally, as I felt him put his arms behind his head as he reclined on my hair.

He nodded, and I felt him draw an arrow with his foot that pointed to my back.

“Got in a tussle. Monsters that wanted to hurt the others. We won though.”

Angel nodded, and then drew another arrow in the direction of Fluttershy.

“She held herself surprisingly well. She got some of the monsters closer to the others, so they could be whammied by Twilight or Rarity.”

I could feel the disbelief that emanated off of him, as he redrew the arrow.

“Yeah. She was pretty brave. She’s letting me stay here so my back can heal. You know, she reminds me of my girl, Jenna.”

Confusion. He drew a question mark on my head, and I chuckled slightly. “What? Just because I can live forever, it doesn’t mean that I’ve never fallen in love…Gods and Goddesses, I miss Jenna…”

“Who’s Jenna?” I heard Fluttershy ask, holding a towel with a bowl of some sort of green ice in it.

“Oh, Fluttershy, I um…” I stammered, and then decided, Fuck it. I can tell her at least.

“She was my…girlfriend, I guess you could say. Kind of like you actually,” I chuckled. “Kind, gentle, and quiet. She was a healer, a white mage, for lack of a better word. She had soft red hair like a sunset, and sea-green eyes that could ease your pain just by looking at them.” I sighed, her image returning to my mind full force. “She always tried to help others, and she never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She could see the light in a black hole.”

“She sounds nice,” Fluttershy said, packing the ice into the towel. She lowered it onto my back, and I stifled a gasp. “Oh my, I’m sorry, I should have told you before I-”

I waved her apology off, and said, “No worries Shy. I know that you know what you’re doing. I trust you.”

She smiled, and put another ice pack onto my back. “Where is she now?”

“She’s dead. Has been for a small while now,” I tied to say casually. “I tried to bring her back to life, but we both realized that it wasn’t right. I mean, if I could decide when people could live and die, that would make me a God, and that’s not what I am. She helped me realize that…So now she’s resting in heaven, and I’m still alive and kicking…” I sniffed, and Angel actually patted my head comfortingly. “I miss her.” I stated simply.

Angel shifted uncomfortably, and I pushed a clump of my hair up a little. “Better?”

He nodded, and relaxed again.

“Don’t mention it.”

Fluttershy sniffed, and said, “Oh dear, I’m sorry that I asked, it can’t be easy to deal with something like that…”

I let out a wry grin, and said, “Naw, I don’t mind. It helps actually. Helps me remember her…” I trailed off, falling silent as I lost myself in my memories.

“What did she like to do?” Fluttershy asked.

“She loved singing. She had this haunting voice that just called out to you, and I swear, even the birds would stop and listen when she sang. She liked to take long walks on the beach, especially during the sunset,” I answered.  “She was so beautiful when she did that…The sun would caress her hair gently, transforming her hair into strands of golden light, and the waves would gently grasp her, as if the ocean itself wanted her to claim it as her own…But instead, she claimed me. The bumbling, smart-aleck, Eternal Traveler of Good.”

I felt the pain in my back start to lessen, and I asked, “What was in them ice cubes? It’s working great!”

“Oh, Zecora gave me some herbs to help me treat some animals.”

“Ah. She sure knows her plants, huh?”

We were both silent for a long moment, and the only sound that could be heard was the soft snores of Angel, as he slept in my mane.  

“How did she…”

“Die?” I finished. She blushed, but nodded slightly. “Don’t be afraid to ask me Fluttershy. If there’s anything you want to know, or just want to ask me, go ahead and ask.” I took a deep breath. “It was actually during the adventure I had before I came to this world…My friend’s girlfriend had been kidnapped by a guy named The Lord of The Land. Or at least, what remained of him. Anyways, Jenna and I volunteered to go with Gordon on a rescue mission, and try and save her…We made it to his castle…fought past all of his minions…saved Shizukana, the damsel in distress, and met The Lord of the Land in one final, all-or-nothing battle.”

I felt tears brim in my eyes, as I remembered…

“What happened next?” Fluttershy asked.

“…I fought him in a sword fight, and lost. Just as he was about to deal the final blow, Jenna used her magic to call up a shield to protect me. Since he couldn’t get through it…He killed Jenna.”

I shook my head, tears flowing now, and continued in a low, husky voice. “I lost control, and unleashed my Dark Aura. One of the most powerful Auras I have, and the most uncontrollable. I beat The Lord of the Land, and my friends then had to beat the hell out of me, just to make sure I didn’t go on a rampage and destroy that world. They won, barely, and I destroyed the Dark Aura.”

Fluttershy gulped, and said, “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you, it was wrong of me to…”

I grabbed her hoof, and held it for a moment. “Don’t worry. It actually feels better to finally tell somepony that. Thanks.” She smiled softly, and then yawned.

“What time is it?” I looked at a clock, and whistled. “Wow. One in the morning…You should get to sleep Shy.”

She nodded, and then she gently gave me a pillow, saying, “You should probably stay on the couch…I mean, it would be bad if you reopened the scratches on your back…”

I nodded, and accepted the pillow gratefully. She then gently pulled a blanket over me, and tucked me in. I felt like a little kid, and almost wanted to protest, but then decided that it wasn’t worth it. She was just doing her best to make me comfortable.

She put a small blanket over Angel, who instantly wrapped himself in it, and fluffed up a small patch of my hair, making himself comfortable.

“This is gonna be awkward if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night,” I mumbled. Angel tapped me on the side of the head, and I added, “I know, I know, shut up and let you sleep. Got it.”

He nodded, and went back to sleep. I looked at Fluttershy, and said, “Thanks Fluttershy…I’ll see you in the morning then…”

“Goodnight Sean…”

“Night Fluttershy.”

With that, I closed my eyes, and let sleep overtake me for the first time in almost four days…

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