The Blue Stranger, The Red Curtain

by Io

First published 8th of June, 2012

When you've lived your whole life wanting revenge, what happens when you finally get it?

'When one man finally takes his vengeance against the man who caused his life to turn to ruin, he finds that he has nothing else to live for. That is, until a strange man in a business suit offers him a deal that would change his life. The question is: Is it for better, or worse?'

-This story plays on the Multiverse theory, that there's more than one Equestria Universe and more than one 'Earth' Universe, basically what happened if Aoi let the Killer go...

Cancelled, reason (as stupid as they seem) here: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/498680/gg-no-re-thoughts-on-episode-100

There was a boy... [1]

"How did you get in here?" I had my katana pointed in the stranger's direction, the blade emitting a ghastly white aura from the city lights.

"I walked in. Don't worry though, time has fully stopped, it's just you and me..." He was straight forward, I liked that.

"Who are you?" He had a serious glare in his eye. The strange part was that he looked exactly like me, down to the color of the eyes and the length of my queue. He wore a black business suit with a red tie.

"I'm the one who can give you what you want, another life.” His vague omniscience was unnerving to say the least. It only made me tense my grip on the hilt of my sword.

"What do you want with me?"

"Nevermind what I want, it's what you want that really matters." He waved away his last remark as if it were an insect in the room. "But since you asked, I just want to make you an offer, one you cannot refuse."

"What makes you say that?" I started to get really uneasy, taking a step back towards the window of my apartment. I look outside to see a still image of the Special Assault Team. Time really did stop.

"Hmm... so... your offer..." I started to look at him with more of an interested curiosity.

"Think of it, a new world, no one knows who you are, what you're past's like, and the best of all, YOU get to start a new life there, whether it's happy or sad is up to you," It sounded too convenient, too suspicious. His posture showed all spades of an attempts to swindle me. If it wasn't for the Butai breathing down my neck at the moment I would have kicked him out right then. As it stood though, I was only in a position to play along. I pressed him further.

"Fine Print, NOW!” I growled. I had some notion of credence in him, but the belief of him being powerful enough to give me a way out of this mess barely held. I needed facts.

"Well, of course you have to abide by the world's laws, you're not going to be human, I can assure you that, but I can turn you into whatever creature you want, be it dog, cat, wolf, dragon, pony, pick your poison; all of them can pick up things and walk upright. You're going to start off completely naked, but so is almost everything else in the world I'm sending you.” What kind of world was he sending me to?

"And the place is a complete Utopia, all sunshine and rainbows, at least most of it..." I mulled the entire concept of his offer in my head:

Completely defenseless, but almost no likelihood of an outward attack, in case of an attack I can handle myself just fine. Different creature other than human, likely an anthropomorphic version of some animal. Weighing many possible options, I decided to go with a low profile yet high natural defense creature: a wolf. Naked, no supplies, which means I'll have to rely on instinct and survival methods. Compared to going up against the SAT, looks like this would be a better alternative. But why was he just giving this opportunity to me? I had to press him once more.

"Why are you offering me this?" I reached behind my back to grab my pistol.

"Because I like you, you have potential, but never got to use it.... With my help you can..." He knew how to pull strings, I give him that much... "I take it you're looking for this?" He pulled out my pistol and pointed at me. I looked behind me and found it gone from where I had placed it. I glared at him. "Relax, I'm not stupid enough to shoot a man I'm doing business with." His gaze turned from smug to sincere. “Besides, I still have a debt to pay, so what'll it be? Take your chances with the battalion outside, or come with me?”

He sounded like I had a choice in the matter. I had no chance against an entire rank of heavily armed personnel. I was between a rock and a hard place.

"Alright." I stuck out my hand as to seal the deal. "By the way-" He took my hand in response. "-What's your name?" I felt a blow to the back of my head.

"I thought you were done with the questions." My vision started to blur, I fell into unconsciousness.

I woke up in the middle of a forest, It was raining and I found myself under some sort of palm tree. Main instinct, I'm alive, try and control my motor skills, curling one finger and then the other, then opening and closing my hands. They felt rough. I did the same to my other hand and my legs. They felt crooked. The bottom of my foot felt smaller than the rest of my leg, which felt longer. My vision was different: I closed one eye and saw everything in a strange bluish green hue; I closed the other eye and saw the world in full color.

My senses were immediately overloaded with various scents and sounds; my nose smelled everything, even the rain had a scent. I focused my ears and felt them move, depending on the direction I moved them, they seemed to magnify the source of the sound they detected. All signs pointed to the new concept of I was now a wolf. I tried to stand up, the new legs made it hard, since I now had to balance my entire body on circular feet. Now for checking past psychological states...

I used to work with an associate of sorts, said he busted from Area 51, something like that, but then again, he was drugged when I found him, so I didn't take many of his stories with even the tiniest grain of salt. He wasn't really right in the head, but that didn't matter to me, what I needed were weapons, and what he gave me instead was something better. He worked on a virus based 'switch' he called it that would instantly trigger the flight or fight response at will, to the point of extreme levels, useful yet temperamental. He said once someone was infected with the virus, it changed their entire neurological profile, linking together the mental area's of intent and instinct. I was willing to try the new product of his work, only when he said he had everything worked out, from Alpha-Beta wave differences, to even genetic variation. His instructions were quite simple:

"All you have to do is thing you're in danger, not really think but sense it, kind of like trying to sense someone behind you..." I did what he said, instantly I felt the world slow down, movements blurring, I felt adrenaline course through my body, my muscles itching to move obstacles out of the way, I stopped it with surprising ease, with the only side effect being my movement being laggy half a second after I stopped the effects. He had created bullet time, and I liked it. With months of training afterwards, even bullets slowed down to an arrow's speed, and an arrow to a lightly thrown softball. After 3 more months, I was able to redirect a bullets' flight paths by hitting them with the flat of a katana. I gave him as much funding needed from my personal accounts. He enjoyment of his new found source of funding was fleeting, he was gunned down a few weeks after I told him by punks who say he stifled them on payment. Payment for what, I didn't want to know.

The perfect time to test if his creation stayed with me had come, I heard the inhale of breath to my left. I went into bullet time, and ducked, moving my hand into the trajectory of a dart, and catching it as if it were nothing at all. I looked at the tip, blow darts, interesting. It was the “rare” case of having come under attack. I was immediately surrounded by a gang of 7, all of them seemed to look like dogs with collars instilled with gemstones. I kicked up a nearby stick and grabbed it, Long, sturdy, a perfect staff. I heard the charge of some kind of cannon, I reeled back and threw my staff at an oncoming net, the net closing around it and the momentum returning the staff back to me. They wanted to capture me.

Rule of Combat: When dealing with non-lethal hostiles, main objective is pacification, but if intent is potentially life threatening, hostiles are expendable.

I had a staff, they had blowdarts and net launchers. I heard one of them grab a glass vial from a belt and throw it. I focused mainly on the vial coming towards me to give myself a few cycles to think. Glass vial, intended to break on impact, releasing contents on target. Contents, according to non-lethal intent contained either a vaporizing knockout gas or other chemical meant to debilitate me. I dodged the vial and grabbed it with the hand furthest from the source, then threw it back. It broke on a nearby tree and turned into gas, rendering its original user unconscious. Knockout gas? I used the staff to deflect two incoming blowdarts. I grabbed the unconscious dog's launcher and fired, the net caught both of them and bundled them into the net. Three down, four to go. I threw my staff similar to a javelin, the adrenaline giving my muscles an enourmous boost, it went straight through the fourth dog's head.

I dashed across the clearing, grabbing two incoming vials thrown at me, and dodging a net one launched at me. I reached and grabbed the staff, pulling it through the now dead dog, and grabbed a nearby rock. I threw it up and batted the rock into the fifth dog's head, hearing a satisfying crack on impact. It occured to me: my muscles were stronger, the fact that I'm able to lift this staff with one hand effortly is testimant to that. I held my breath before a glass vial smashed on my staff, the gas vaporizing then dispersing in less than 2 seconds. I didn't take any chances, I swallowed the air in my mouth and ran full sprint towards the sixth dog, who seemed to panic at my speed. I swung at full power my staff crashing into the dog's skull, giving me a confirmation that the dog was unconscious. The sixth dog started to run away, I took the blowdart out of my staff and clenched it between my teeth, I burped bringing back the air stored in my esophagus and inflated my cheeks, I spit the blowdart out with enough force for it to be sent flying, embedding itself into the last dog's neck, instantly dropping it and ending the fight.

I looted the dogs' bodies with some reward: gems, a couple of vials of knockout gas along with a belt to hold the vials, a blowgun from one of the dogs in the net, which I got by dumping the contents of a knockout vial onto the net. I had no use for the net launcher, too bulky, but I kept the staff.

I looked at a nearby pool, I really did look like a wolf except for a few outlying features, I had a long tuff of fur ranging from the front of my head to my lower back, resembling hair. The world looked different, somewhat of a racked depth perception, like cutouts. The man had kept his end of the bargain with almost every letter of fine print: no one knew who I was, I was now a wolf, the laws of the world probably being the entire world being different and that sentient life was all in the form of anthromorphic animals, but I happened to get thrown into the part of the world where it wasn't a Utopia.

I had a minor hypothesis about the dogs who had attacked me. They were most likely slave traders, looking to capture people for cheap labor in some form or other, the currency being the gems they carry. They weren't poachers, since they would've been carrying lethal weapons to kill me and take my fur. I wasn't royalty so they wouldn't kidnap me for a ransom. All signs pointed to slave traders. So much for a utopia.

First hour in this world, and I was now armed with a semi-lethal weapon, 2 non-lethal weapons, some currency (valuable by the color of the gems), and some manner of bearings from a map of what looks like tunnels. Thankfully they were labeled with the towns in the area. I locate myself in an area close to what looks like a major border, Equestria and the Dominion. I had an idea of where I was going next...

Lilac Bones [1x]

So much had happened in the span of a mere 20 years: death, hardship, love, war, and justice. Oh yes... especially justice. Justice I took with my own two hands, justice that no one else would pass out of fear and indifference, save the one person no one would suspect it to come from.

After that one event, my life's course was altered before it had barely begun to ripen and age. I was all alone in the world, no mother, no father to protect me, with only a single goal to drive my will to live. I would see with my very eyes that... murderer brought to justice, behind bars, wasting away for the crime he had caused against me.

But where to begin? I had no more roots to center my beliefs, no more ground to take a firm stand. I was free to believe what I wanted too, and what I believed in was this: it was my duty to bring that man to justice no matter what it took. That sole drive echoed forth through my actions wrought on that single belief.

I led a rather unexpectant life skewed of status quo. Left at an orphanage after my parents died, with not a single yen to my name, nor any living relatives. I was really alone in the world, no one to talk to, to relate to, only to very few did I come to trust, but... no, now wouldn't be the time to bring back those long cherished memories. Cherished they were, but painful as well. In due time, maybe I will indulge in those memories again, but for now, my past will suffice with a simple outline.

I finally attended school at the late age of thirteen, but long before that I learned to read and write. As with all youth, reading became a delicacy to enjoy, as I soaked up all the wisdom and knowledge that the books I read had to offer. I read of many subjects: Forensics, Anatomy, Warfare, as well as a few Romances. Ones that caught my attention the most were of Sun Tzu's Art of War, Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, and William Shakespeare's Hamlet. I was engrossed in the abilities, personalities, and motives of each individual contained within the bound pages. In a sense, they were my first teachers.

I was rather content, building my knowledge brick by brick in a secluded wooded area. The quiet of Asakusa's abandonded provincial shrines gave me peace of mind. There were many rumors floating around the locals that one shrine in particular was said to be haunted after the god of that shrine was driven out. I paid the rumors no mind. A nagging feeling however gnawed at the back of my mind whenever I was there. There were times when the shrine I took residence in was subject to drafts of cold air. I overreacted sometimes, thinking that it was a specter. My mind sparingly returned to the rumors, reinforced by the scene of the spirit of Hamlet's father returning, I wondered if there were ghosts in that abandoned shrine.

A few months after I started school, an 'incident' led me to a man by the name of Ryo Mitsuru, a hachi-dan level kendo master visiting from Hokkaido. He taught me how to sheathe emotion, to sharpen my awareness, and to strike without hesitation. I gave it my all to learn what he taught me, having not much else to do after finishing my studies, even going as far as practicing long into the night. Mitsuru sensei took me and three others as his star pupils. Together all four of us passed the hachi-dan level examinations after three years of hard work, as well as a few off-handed 'negotiations' between members of the federation in ordewr to allow exceptions to be made for us to test early. When I passed my exam, I couldn't help but feel proud of myself, wondering if my parents would feel proud if they were still alive.

My prowess at the art soon landed me a travel scholarship to learn other forms of martial arts overseas in China. From there I learned various styles of Wushu, as well as continuing my studies. Overseas I traded Conan Doyle and Sun Tzu for Allan Pease and more scientific material. I had soon forgotten about the fields of Kanto prefecture over the rustle and bustle of Beijing, so very different, yet still having a link to Japan. I thought about how My history teacher talked about China's influence on modern day Japan as I looked over the rice paddies one morning. When the day arrived to return to Japan, I waved goodbye to a land from which I learned many new things.

School life returned to normal and soon the class would have to take our finals. When we finally graduated, the teachers congradulated me on getting a perfect score on the exams. As much as I should have felt glad, it all started to seem hollow for me. It hit me as I scanned across the crowd that came to our class graduation. No one was there to actually BE proud of me. Mitsuru never came as he had went back to Hokkaido to teach the next batch of students. I went back to Asakura to revisit the old shrine to pay my respects. I don't know if there really were ghosts there or not, but I still went there, offered a ten yen coin, and remembered all of those in my life that I cared about, all taken from me in one way or another.

I tried going into detective work, but when I tried to apply for a job, the Chief of Police merely laughed at me, turning me away, saying, "Go home kid, you're not Conan Edogawa, so I don't think you'll be much use to us here." Having been shot down, I decided to pursue other interests to bide my time until I could try again. With a seemingly overwhelming amount of redirected luck, I became apprentice to a famous swordsmith, a man who had had his smithing technique survive for generations, earning him the prestigious title of 'Living National Treasure'. From him I learned everything, how to tend the flames, how to hammer the steel into the perfect shape, how to hone the blade even further. I followed each and every wisdom he bestowed on me through his teachings, and as with everything else I did, I worked hard to perfect it. Unlike Ryo, my master often praised me, but also criticized me in order to help me perfect my own technique, to the point where it was no longer master and pupil, but forging as partners. But even so, I looked up to him, like a grandson would admire his grandfather for his achievements. And once again, I felt proud of myself for coming this far.

But it always kept coming back, the ache of pain that with each day of living my life, I felt I was failing my parents. After accepting the title of 'heir to the living national treasure', I left. It was not long after, however, that I had no direction to follow again, no arrow to guide me, even though I had my one goal in front of me again with no distractions. A single period of time in my life however was one that would alter that goal and open my eyes.

It started with a simple letter, unmarked except for a stamp labeling it confidential. It was a letter of enlistment to a 'contracting' agency in the United States of America. I traveled immediately to the address on the letter, and found myself tossed into a shitstorm of international proportions. I don't know why I accepted when the director asked me to join, I just did, hoping that somehow, this was the path I was suppose to take.

I was half right, and half horribly wrong. Through a few 'short' years at the agency, I found myself learning about how horrible and wretched the world really was outside of what I knew of Japan and China. I didn't talk to almost anyone at all, I followed orders without question. I found myself conflicted over what became right and what became wrong as it was blurred in a mesh of assassinations, missions, and most of all, casualties. I soon tasted war, but not in the sense of fighting for one's country. No, just killing to 'get rid of an obstacle'. My whole view of the world changed through each mission turning over another rock I never would even think to look under, and wish I didn't. The world was corrupted, all for the sake of supposed 'self-interests' that made all the other problems going on in the world pale in comparison to what happend on the inside. I took no pleasure nor remorse in each target I removed at the level of a gun. Over time I got better and better at 'doing my job' and two years later, I had become the perfect killer.

After a mission gone wrong however, I was let go, but not empty handed however. I came out of the agency faster, stronger, deadlier than I had imagined. I'm not going to lie, I didn't like doing some of the jobs I did, but I did find it to be a good source of income, so I 'retired' with a hefty amount of money tucked away when I came back to Japan. But the most important thing I brought back with me was a new outlook, a tome of revelation. I wasn't going to get my justice by merely turning in a criminal, he would just get out one way or another and do it again. I would have to take care of him personally. I was out for blood.

I sold most of the swords I independantly forged during my days as an apprentice to various art collectors, who paid handsomely for each piece sold. I bought a single penthouse apartment as my new home as well as a base of operations of sorts. For the next couple of years I started to plan out my vengeance, amassing resources, such as guns, military equiptment, etc. But the one thing I lacked the most was intel.

I went as far as to take hit jobs from the yakuza on rivals in exchange for their intelligence on all things related to what happened 20 years ago. Some were lucky enough to have men on the inside of the police department who could fetch intel. It was all there, newspaper clippings, photographs, forensics, intel on each individual person involved, save two people: the murderer, and me. I didn't need to think any longer on that fact. The man didn't want to be found, and he went as far as to use the yakuza to make sure he stayed hidden.

The day I found that my efforts were all for moot, I lashed out, smashing furniture and breaking windows in an immature tantrum. After burning myself out I fell into a pit of despair, laying in bed in complete despondency. Here I was back at square one, nothing to go on with. I listfully went by the next few months drowing myself in self pity.

And then came my birthday, when I turned 24. Roused by a knock on my door one late night, I opened it to meet a man who I believed gave me the greatest help anyone ever did. His name was Keith, no last name, that or I never knew it. He was a scientist expelled from MIT and other well known universities for conducting illegal or denounced experiments, and was in need of funding. I invited him to stay at my apartment in Tokyo, by this time I could care less who I shared my apartment with, he was wrecked, badly, often spouting out random gibberish at times. I checked out a book from the library on possible symptoms of dimentia, finding out that he showed more symptoms of being under the influence of narcotics. I detoxed him with several hours clocked in of steam baths as well as candida and heavy metal cleanses. He thanked me later after a month of reluctant treatment, for getting him back on his feet. I said I needed someone with some background of science and intelligence. He took the job on the spot.

I somewhat regret doing that because he would always do weird things in his room, from playing overly loud music to biohazardous experientation. At least I now knew some essence to American Culture through the Beatles and Metallica, as well as having someone to talk to. Sooner rather than later, I found myself running low on funds due to Keith's experiments. I soon took a job as a gun for hire, sometimes it was by the police, sometimes by other contacts. I took most of the jobs from the police, the jobs being capture of a previously uncatchable criminal. Somehow word got out that I was a mercenary, and the jobs flooded in, which gave me some combat experience, but mostly were petty babysitting jobs. On some rare occasions, however, the job was rather interesting to say the least: Anonymous contracts, money was paid up front. The targets of those jobs were corrupt politicians or business men, most of the jobs involving corporate business men I didn't take--mainly petty corporate squabbles and the like where a dead CEO just conveniently opens up a power vacuum for another company-- but the politicians however seemed interesting, they're most likely secured, which gave me experience on infiltration as well as assassination, though many times the job went south fairly quickly without having a team to back me up, which lead to rather, messy outcomes.

By my 14th major job, Keith started to engineer the virus. Behind the scenes he did some tracking, hacking, and some queueing work for me. Normally I didn't need his help, since none of the hits I took were that secure on terms of security systems. However, he truly shined through when he did some digging and found my main target, the fucker who did all of this. When he found the info he asked me a favor, to be the test subject of his experiment. At that time, I was so grateful to him I agreed to be the test subject only when he was finished. The test was a huge, but rather unorthodox, success. Even now, no side effects aside from the after affects of fatigue. I could honestly think of him as a genius, we had two shots of his favorite scotch to celebrate, although I hated the taste, It was nice to actually celebrate something.

But I drank heavily to his tenacity the day he died. He went down shooting two of the bastards who went after him for some 'payment due'. When I heard from one of the people who saw him, I was surprised to say the least. I half expected that he would have died begging for mercy or something like that. Now that he was gone, I kind of wish I got to know him better. After the last shou was drunk, I left the bar swaying from depressed inebriation, plopping back into bed in my apartment. Although he was random, eccentric, even irresponsible at times, he was still a man of honor. I went to sleep brushing aside my thoughts. Now was not the time to think about a eulogy, I had judgement to pass.

The night before, I went over that SOB's detail, he was wanted for over 140 counts of murder, Keith's digging in the Undernet revealed he became the dragon head of a Yakuza sect, the headquarters being a nightclub. I started gathering a plan, down to the weapons I'd go in with, CZ75 with silencer, night vision goggles (courtesy of some retirement hardware I 'borrowed', and my strongest work, Tsukuyomi (It passed with flying colors against a bullet test, even deflected a 50 caliber round without a single nick in the edge). The next night I hit the club, cut the power and went in. I took out all the Yakuza members, and headed to the Boss's room. A civilian threw an alarm, but I kept walking.

I opened the door to see my target try and make a last ditch effort to kill me by having his two doormen ambush me, I ducked as the door opened and cut the first one's arm off, then decapitating the second, all in one motion. I've planned for this moment for 20 years, now to finally collect on my investment...

"Who the fuck are you? How'd you get in here?" He dropped from his chair and scooted away. I also planned what I was going to say to his dirty face.

"Out of all the 140 people you killed, you're saying you don't remember two that look just like me?" His eyes widened as I retold of his exploits. Every step I took, he scooted closer and closer to the wall.

"You didn't think even one person would come after you, did you?" I remembered the exact moment when he killed my father, a sickening grin spread across his face.

"Why the scared face? You always loved to smile when someone died by your hand." I pointed the tip of my blade at his face.

"WHO ARE YOU?" He yelled as he closed his eyes. I shoved my blade into his mouth and jerked the blade to the side, splitting his cheek causing maroon blood to splatter over the back wall, him yelling in pain.

"You SICK SON OF A BITCH!" I started feeling the vision in my right eye go red.

"Oh, I'M the sick son of a bitch..." I took a few steps to the left, dragging my blade along the rug.

"And how about all those people you killed, people with families, and yet none of them called YOU that." I felt my blood boiling. He started curling into a ball.

"You stabbed by father how many times before you even let him DIE! I stabbed my blade into his leg right next to the nerve, cutting it ever so slightly, he started to scream...

"Ah ah ah! Move even a sing inch and Tsukuyomi rips your leg off," I grab the hilt it and slightly twist it, I had him nailed to the ground. Then I start giving my dramatic speech, yes the over dramatic one:

"Think of all the people you killed, every single one was defenseless, they did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DESERVE WHAT YOU DID TO THEM!" I started yelling at him, "Yet you sliced and diced like you were at a butcher shop," I flicked the blade causing even more pain to rivet him due to the vibrations running down the blade, "Let me tell you something you little SHIT!" I started to lean one hand on the glass window next to me and look out towards the city below, He tried to pull out his gun, but I pulled out mine and shot it out of his hand, My view still out onto the city lights, "20 years I've waited for this day, watching, waiting, and hating myself every day for not having done it sooner. For 20 years I've longed to bring your pitiful ass to justice. Today's the day I fulfill that justice, by sending you straight to the court of judgement... and then Hell." He started to pul out his cell phone. I tapped the bottom of his foot, the resulting pain causing him to immediately drop the phone and tend to his leg.

"You're not HUMAN! You're a demon!" he tried to psyche me out with his next line, "Just like me," the poor bastard tried to grin to scrap up some manner of his old self, too bad he's dealing with one who read all about psychology, and can defy it to the letter. I look at my transparent reflection and see the cause of my vision turning red, I'm crying blood.

"He... hehehehe... you're right," I turn to him, my head tilted upwards, "can you guess WHICH Demon I am?" His grin dropped immediately to sheer terror. I started to smile, the first time since that day 20 years ago. Then jerk my head to the side for that ghastly emphasis, he tears away from his leg, dropping from the pain and fear, the leg still twitching, I use my foot to flip him over onto his back. I take the blade out of his dismembered leg and stab it into the other one, causing him to wail in agony. I start to hear a gurgled response.

"The demon..." more gargling, then coughing, "The de *Hack cough* the demon of..."

"The Demon of... C'mon now, you can say 4 measly words can't you?" then I hear him eek out the last word from behind a now tear soaked face.

"...vengeance." Music to my ears... I start the final onslaught.

"THERE YOU GO! And now for your reward," I take Tsukuyomi and stab him in the chest, his body jerking up in response.

"Cross my heart," twist, "and hope to die..." I then stab the sword through his eye.

"Stick a needle in my eye," I let go as I see the blood gurgling and flowing from his mouth.

"That tonight you'll surely die," his body jerks sporatically causing more blood to spew from his wounds, "and with these words, I'll say 'goodbye'." two cops enter the room and see the grisly scene at hand, I feel nothing but utter relief, now to make my great escape, but first a few words from the high of killing my long targeted objective,

"No need to thank me guys, just stopped a wanted mass murderer and Yakuza head in his tracks," They were dumbfounded, giving me enough time to make my escape.

I grabbed Tsukuyomi and with one motion, sliced the glass and grabbed the now blood soaked cadaver. I jumped out as two bullets whizzed pass me. The last phase in my plan, fall with style and escape. I positioned the cadaver as a platform, while falling I aimed it at the police car down below. about 100 feet before I hit the ground I activated bullet time and started to crouch down on the body. By the laws of physics I shouldn't be able to survive this fall, but by using the cadaver and the police car, I could make a one use, time sensitive, possibly splatter on the ground into a mass of meat chunks and bone trampoline. At ten meters I pressed down onto the cadaver with a great amount of leg strength, pushing it onto the car, the car's roof giving into the weight of the cadaver, and me landing into a crouch, preserving the momentum. I jumped off as soon as I felt the force come back to my legs and successfully survived a 20 story jump out of a building. I started running, deflecting oncoming bullets from behind, and jumping onto the roof of a nearby car, riding it all the way back to my apartment.

But all good murders never go uncovered, the power went on as I was gutting the bastard and the security cam caught my demented face all on camera, along with the audio that went along with it. My story was heard all over Japan, maybe even all over the world the next morning.

It was worth it though, ever had a good night sleep after a long day of work? Take that feeling and multiply it by 20 years, and you get how I felt that morning. It was over, That face that haunted and drove my every action, thought and feeling was gone from my life, my parent's may or may not be proud if there is an afterlife, but last night was the best sleep I ever had in my life. Then I turn on the news and see my act of revenge last night the top news story, with some mixed reviews. Some of the reporters thought what I did was justice, other's thought I was too brutal, the views change throughout the report as the recently deceased's criminal record was brought to the public, phone calls rang in from all over the country, all with various comments and questions.

I turned off the television and enjoyed a bowl of cereal, and opened the window to let a cool breeze in. It was kind of nice in the fall when the breeze always carried a small inkling of the scent of flowers, and now I had the time to enjoy it. But then it hit me... I finally delivered that man to justice, like I had wanted to do for 20 long years. I had nothing else to live for, but I still wanted to live, so I asked myself, 'What now?'

I didn't want to continue life as a mercenary, and Keith was dead, so there wouldn't be any more need for funding. I had very substantial amount of funds due to my “celebrity” status, my works of art I'd sold, and the jobs I'd done, some paying literally millions. I remembered an old book I had read, the count of Monte Cristo. I laughed now that I saw irony that my life just like Edmund Dantes, but without the whole love story at the end. I was loaded, a celebrity, and now an infamous man.

I thought to myself, "Why not go on an adventure? 'For the world is broad and wide.'" Today was a day of renewed hope. After all that I've seen, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to recapture the image of the old world for as long as it would last, the world for its lighter side. I sat down on the couch, enjoying a warm mug of freshly brewed coffee.

I continued to watch the news report, then I realized what my actions televised would mean, the impact on my former masters, especially the living national treasure. I decided to write a letter to him, after all, his sword craft was part of what made my revenge possible. Suddenly, the last segment of the news report broke my train of thought.

'Aoi Myoujin, wanted Alive for Questioning, considered armed and dangerous...' That last part wasn't true at all, I could hear it in the reporter's voice. I thought about it for a moment, realizing what killing him meant. He had become the head of a crime syndicate, a full out gang war was going to erupt to fill in the power vacuum left by his death, as was with the fall of any dragon head. There would be tens of leaders going after me. I thought it out even further. 'Alive for Questioning' my ass. Some heads have probably hired and bribed entire police sections to catch me. After all, they must be thinking, one man takes out an entire gang, a good little 'dog' to have in their 'army'. I couldn't let that happen. I immediately made plans to get out of the country, unavoidably by illegal channels. I threw the empty mug on the floor, the dregs splattering out on the carpet.

That very night the Special Assault Team was at my apartment as I was about to head out the door. Bringing me to how I met the stranger in my apartment...

...But there was one last thing...

...One last little thing he asked me...

"Are you familiar with a television show called 'My Little Pony?'" I thought it strange he'd ask me about a children's television show, I asked Keith about it back when he was still alive, his room had a poster of it tacked on the wall.

"Somewhat..." I replied.

"Oh good, then you should be just fine..."

Author's Notes:

If you notice, it's just a general telling of Aoi's life, with a helluva lotta blanks in them. Rest assured, as the story progresses, more of his past starts to flesh out, after all, it's part of the plot.

An Old Tattered Road [2]

"So this is my life now?" I had forgotten to ask if would I be staying here forever. Not that it would matter, It wasn't like I would be seeing him again. Though the resemblance was rather strange, bearing my appearance down to the letter. I made a mental note of it to ask him if this really was to be my permanent residence, should we ever cross paths again.

I turned my attention to the staff, testing the sharpness of my claws on its shaft. The inside edges were good for slashing and shaving wood, but mostly blunt on the tips and outer edges. I sat on a rock whittling my staff into a basic spear, primitive, but effective. I didn't feel like taking chances with those nets if I ever get ambushed by those dogs again. I added a curved edge onto the end. With only wood, it wasn't that great, but for cutting string, it was fine. When I was finished I took an overall look at it; it looked like an oversize wooden scalpel. This wasn't good, I needed something more sturdier. If I could find even sub par steel, I could craft a sword.

I whipped out my map and glance across the landmarks, placing my bearings near a small dot labeled Sri Flanka. Hopefully, they would have a black smith with decent materials. I decided to take one last look at my loot before leaving. I knew how to use a blow-dart, but the vials seemed temperamental. I examined the liquid inside; it didn't seemed pressurized, so it was most likely when it reacted to the air that it vaporized. Whatever those dogs were, they have some form of intellect. I also pondered over the gems, some looked like things I'd recognized: sapphires, rubies, emeralds, even some silver and gold ingots. I could use the gold and silver as trading material, but not forging, way too malleable. I got up from the rock and headed towards the town.

I finally had some time to myself, the forest themselves were beautiful, a slight Autumn color, flowers in bloom. I walked for close to a mile before ending up at the village. It seemed small, but still fortified by guards and the like. I found no resistance from the guards, only a tinge of worry from their expression. It wasn't long before I had found a capable smith, Auburn was his name.

"What can I do ya for?" he greeted. Not to my surprise everyone in town was an Equine, pony as Keith would call them. He spoke English, so it wouldn't be a problem communicating. He was busy working at the forge. I noticed that his form was skewed, the metal would end up too brittle. Then, turning my eyes to a few ores on a shelf, I found just what I needed: it was metal, but not just any old steel, they were tamahagane--metal from what would seem like from a master smelter--and in his hands, he would end up ruining them.

"How much do you want for those two ores on the shelf over there?" Those two ores would fetch over 10 million yen back in Japan and he was leaving them out in the open.

"Oh those old things? Mmm... 12 bi-" He looked at them then shifted my view to me and paused. He saw my figure and started to screw his face into a toughening one. My form was rather edgy to the locals, "I don't want no trouble at my forge," he immediately got defensive and threatening me.

From here, I could have done one of two things. Asserting dominance would have challenged his authority and likely have had him call the guards on me.

I decided to go for calm, ease my tone, and settle his mood.

"No one's going to give you trouble, I just want to buy the ores you have." His expression eased up but still kept a warning glare on me. I looked back dead in his eyes with a slight expression of sincerity. He soon dropped the expression and went back to a calm state. "12 bits you said?"

"Right... I can't really make good steel out of them." Bit was probably the currency, since I glanced at a table with a few coins on it. I looked at a nearby stand of fruit, 1 apple = 2 bits, I did a rough conversion in my head. To him the ore's worth was no more than 120 yen.

"How much to use your forge for a week?" My question caught the stallion by surprise. He looked at me with a discomforting look.

"I'd say renting it, for a week... 200 bits." Perfect, I pulled out the silver ingot. His eyes widened.

"Will this cover it?" His jaw dropped, I'd take that as a yes.

"Heck, with this, feel free to use my forge for the month!" I'm guessing silver had some high value, that or he never saw anything further than a sliver of it.

"No, a week is fine, feel free to watch me work, I might need your help on some things," I began to work on the blade. The metal was absolutely perfect, I could sense very little slag in the ores. I started folding steel, my hours under my master paying off. Auburn aided me in pounding the slag from them. The steel took two full days to fold over a half a million times. I motioned for him to stop; the ores were pure. I took two minutes to take a large gulp of water before continuing the next step. The stallion couldn't under stand why I took two whole days in order to just fold the steel

"I'll explain later." I said before the next step: merging the two metals. I gingerly placed the tough steel into a u-canal made by the hard steel, and continued to forge the steel for another day. After the initial forging, the blade's skeleton was complete. I asked Auburn to find some charcoal powder and clay to coat the blade,

"Why do you need those?"

"To paint the blade. Don't ask me why, I'll explain later." He shrugged and got me exactly what I needed, despite his reactions he was actually paying close attention to how I worked. I sat there in his workshop painting the blade, showing great detail to the actual design I was painting. Then took the rest of the day off to eat and sleep, Auburn offering my a bedroll on the floor for me to rest, but I didn't sleep, wouldn't want to risk a robbery, not that he would try, seeing my spear on my back deterred any sense of hostility from him. He actually saw me as more of a teacher.

"You know, for a diamond dog, you sure show some skill with a forge."

"Diamond dog, what's that?" He got confused.

"Aren't you one? They eat gems and mine minerals in the mountains," I took out a small, poor quality gem from my pack, studied it, then bit into it, no flaws whatsoever.

"No, If I have things correctly, I'm a wolf." He looked even more surprised.

"I've only heard of wolves in old mare's tales, there are ones just like pegasi, ones like unicorns that use magic with horns, and ones that, look like you!" Hmm... interesting.

"There are wolves that fly?"

"Not anymore, the wolf race was said to be extinct. The only things like them are Diamond dogs." Concepts immediately started to make sense. Those dogs that attacked me earlier were carrying the gems for SUSTANANCE, not currency.

"So I'm guessing I'm the last of my kind..."

"Guess so..." Being the last of your kind brings some existential thought into play, but only for a moment, I decided to strike up some casual conversation, "Where did you learn how to smith?"

"I taught myself, wanted so bad to be in the guards. I built up my dashing figure smithing, but didn't have a lick of combat sense. So I gave up and earned my living smithing weapons. I get a couple hundred bits per week smithing weapons for the guards, the least I can do to help. What about you, I've never seen anyone smith like you." The tone on his last mark contained a bit of hesitation, and his voice sounded a bit familiar, but where.

"I'll let my work speak for itself." Day five, the hardest part, but under studying for so long, I had turned it into instinct. This process involved heating the blade to a little under 1500 degrees, then plunging the blade into a trench of water to cool it rapidly, giving the blade its curve. By now, I was able to do it perfectly, every one of my blades surviving this crucial step.

The blade hissed as I slid the blade down into the trough, steam enveloping the both of us. I could feel the blade bend underneath the subtle ripples of the water. I breathe a sigh of relief to see my new blade almost finished. The final step: polishing. I sat in what seemed like an awkward position and rub the blade in some stones I found, some that were perfect for the task. I polish the blade for two days straight to reveal a sophisticated hamon on the blade, Auburn marveling at what I revealed. After inspecting it one last time, it was time to put it to the test. On day eight I asked Auburn to bring in a sizable boulder and one of his swords, the latter he somewhat reluctantly agreed on. I don't blame him.

I stood in a stable stance, and raised my new creation above my head, then brought it down in an unyielding swing, slicing the boulder in half. Auburn stood up from his chair in surprise and awe. Then, I took out one of Auburn's sword, it was thick and layered like a great sword, while mine was thin and sleek, he seemed disbelieving to what I was about to try, but after slicing a boulder clean in half, he was somewhat excited. I brought the blade down, my blade seamlessly dividing his like a person slowly walks through a curtain, leaving an almost clean divide. I sheathed my sword in a wooden scabbard I carved myself. He looks at me with a sly look, I knew what that meant.

"Alright so tell me, where did you learn how to smith?" I decided to explain.

"I was apprenticed under a swordsmith who, where I came from, was deemed a living national treasure, one renowned for his excellence in crafting swords with great beauty and strength. Some even nicknamed him Goro Masamune." He was confused. I wasn't surprised. "Simply put, he was the best of the best. I guess I'll take my leave now." I got up. "But before I go, here's some advice, hire a couple of helpers to help you smith, you know how I make my swords now, but they require a lot of work, hire someone with finesse for polishing and someone with strength for folding the steel."

"Wait!" He lunged forward beckoning my to stop, "Who are you?"

"My name's Aoi, Aoi Myoujin." I continued to walk out the door without another word. I hoped his business does better.

'Now to get these jewels traded in.' I turned a small sapphire in my hand, doing mental conversions. I walked into a jeweler's store. Inside, we talked only for a little before settling on a price of about 32,000 for the entire lot. He seemed a bit too eager, but I wasn't about to haggle, so we settled on the fair amount. I knew I got what they were worth, and he seemed blessed to get some good quality gems.

I walked outside to encounter a mob of 15 ponies, looking similar to a biker gang in western action movies. Only one guard was around and he was scared out of his wits. It took all but two seconds to realized that this gang operated the village behind the scenes. One pony who looked like the head of it all walked towards me, trying to act calm and collective.

"Howya doin, name's Lick, I'm the one in charge of this here village," This could get bad, I decide to press him and question his authority.

"So you're the mayor?" I had my sword tucked behind my back on my belt.

"You could say that... Now word is you haven't paid the toll." He was trying to rob me blind. I decide to play along, keeping a serious face.

"And how much is this toll?"

"Oh it's not much, say about 2000 bits?"

"So how come the guards haven't come to arrest me for not paying this 'toll'?"

"That's what we're for, unless you pay up." Intimidation, it wasn't going to work, I decide to lower the bait.

"I'm not, you want to 'arrest' me, you're going to have to come with some actual guards, not this sorry bunch." I walk towards a hole in their ranks and try to get through, the leader blocking my path.

"Now hold on there, are you sure you've got your head on straight, cause it looks to me like my 'guards' can help you?" they started to surround me, I reached behind and grab my spear. Their intent was hostile but unarmed. I brought out my spear and brought it down to my side. I catch a glimpse the sun setting.

"My head's on perfectly fine, now I'll be on my way," I picked up the leader by the cuff of his shirt and threw him to the side, he landed holding his neck. Negotiations have failed, now I do it my way. The sun disappeared.

"GET HIM!" I spun the spear around my neck and slammed it down onto the first one, I jumped high and sped down to deliver a bone crushing punch to the next colt, knocking him out. I stomped down on one leg to channel force and swing my other leg in a wide arc, delivering a roundhouse kick that breaks the next colt's jaw and cracks his skull. I used the retained momentum of the centripetal force to kick up my spear and hit another colt in the side, fracturing what I count to be four ribs. four down, ten to go, minus the leader. He scurried and hid behind a barrel. The rest of the colts pulled out various weapons: chains, clubs, and even battle axes.

Rules of Engagement have changed: Hostiles now show lethal intent, fight to kill.

I slowly draw my new blade, the edge glimmers in the light of the rising moon. My warriors blood springs forth into action as a group of three rush towards me, two of them throwing chains at me while the other rushes with a battle axe. I sidestep as the chains wrap around my blade and the battle axe comes down on the chains. I slip my katana through and bring down the blade onto the chains now wrapped around the battleaxe.

'Zantetsuken (Iron Cutting Blade)'

The blade severs both the chains and the stave supporting the axehead in one quick movement. I bring my right leg behind my left and twist to bring my blade around for a wide-arced slash, severing all three of their heads. I had the moon behind me, and used the blade's newly polished luster to blind 2 oncoming colts. The dropped their weapons to tend to their eyes, I brought the blade down on one colt's shoulder, while finishing the other with a horizontal slash to the abdomen, blood spurting out of his mouth as he choked. The final five approached carefully. I saw Auburn come out of his workshop to see the grizzly scene outside his store, he shies away and locks himself inside. I lowered my blade, the blood on it quickly thinning out and dripping off the tip, leaving the blade spotless, ready for the next wave, I was soon met by the scared guard coming towards me.

"Let me help!" The guard said with sincerity, he pulled his sword from the sheath at his side. I sheathed mine and crouched into a quickdraw stance, the guard confused. I nodded to the guard, a signal to charge. I dashed towards the remaining 5 gang members, them doing the same, but in a linear fashion. I hated to say this, but they really were just lining up to die. My movement speed was undeniably faster, due to my longer legs, I could cover more ground and generate momentum. I slashed through the first before he even moved his arms to swing, then jumped and cut straight through the second, flipped over the third for him to be stabbed by the guard, then stabbed the fourth, throwing the corpse to collide into the fifth one then jumped high into the air.

'Tsuibangeki (Earth Shatter)'

I pointed my sword downward as I was falling, and landed straight onto both of them, my sword skewering the two colts torsoes straight through the heart, the impact of the landing indenting the ground around us. I jumped off and casually slid my sword out of the two dead ponies, flicked the blood of my sword, and sheathed it. then I caught sight of the running leader, who tripped on his own hooves and started crawling away. I walked over to my spear, grabbed it, tossed it and nailed the leader's coat to the ground, right outside Auburn's shop.

"So what do we do with you?" I towered over the leader pinned to the ground. He started to grovel.

"PLEEEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!" I crouched down to meet his view at eye level.

"What a sorrowful grovelling sack of shit you are," I looked up at Auburn.

"I remember you, you threatened to burn down my house if I refused to give you your bits." I looked over to the guard and shook my head, a social cue to leave us alone.

"How the mighty have fallen, was it just you fifteen? Decided to get some weapons then take over due to the lack of guards..." I stood up and drew my sword, Auburn picking the poor fool up by his front hooves. I leisurely hovered the tip of my blade over his throat. He gulped in response.

"Auburn, your call, I know nothing about this poor ass except he tried to get a toll from me. What say you about this fucker?"

"He's Lick, runs the Axe Trotters, well what's left of it. He came to town with 14 colts saw we had almost no defenses and went to town, killing the mayor, extorting the shops for supplies, etc."

"How many guards are in this town?"

"There use to be five, but then he killed off the two he didn't need, he just keeps the two at the town entrance and that one loner over there for appearances."

"How come no outside towns have helped?"

"Well one, no pony actually knows about us except for the diamond dogs that trade here sometimes, and two, Lick blocked off all methods of communication to the outside world." I had the perfect thing for this son of a bitch. I took out a blow dart and ripped off the feathery end of it, leaving only the needle, perfect.

"There's no mayor or judge there is there?" Auburn nodded, "Do you mind dragging his sorry ass to town square?" He shook his head, I liked this guy.

In the center of town we had the surviving goons jailed and a crowd surrounded us.

"So, Lick! Do you know why you're here?" I paced around him with my hands around my back, "You are here because you got drunk off your own power of numbers, yet you stand here under a ponies' court. I, Aoi Myoujin, will serve as judge and if need be, executioner," I drew my sword for emphasis, "'Your' town will be witnesses and jury for crimes you have committed as such." I dragged my blade on the ground, forcing him to sit.

"Court is now in session. You are the defense, make your opening statement." he stammered but was to scared to utter a single word, in the end he bowed his head in silence.

"Very well, the prosecution, your opening statement please." I motioned a hand towards Auburn.

"Before we continue," Auburn interjected, "a moment of silenced to be held for all who have died tonight."

"I'll allow it." We bow our heads for a few seconds, then Auburn breaks the silence.

"Done." The crowd snickers.

"Ahem, May the prosecution announce the charges brought to us?" Auburn pulls out a blank piece of parchment and pretends to read it.

"Murder, theft, extortion, threat to the common good, a threat to pony life, assault, and attempted murder."

"Defense, how to you plead?" The colt stammers for words again but finally gives up and whispers 'Guilty'.

"So the defense admits to the crimes, what say you the jury?" the crowd goes wild with suggestions: burn him alive, throw him in a rotting cell, chain him up and tape him to a flag pole.

"I'd say that constitutes as them finding you guilty. As for your punishment that is up to me to decide." He starts to panic, giving me the cover I need to stab the needle into a heart meridian point on the back of his neck, a little to the left of his mane line. He then starts crying and asks me in a whimpering voice.

"What are you going to do?..."

"Me? I've already passed out your sentence, as you can see, you can no longer move, in a few seconds you won't be able to speak. You've now become a living statue, and guess what, no one's going to help you. You'll be watching and listening as the world goes by, but you won't be able to do a single... damn... thing..." I walk slowly away from him, "Case dismissed." The crowd went berserk as confetti went into the air, I used the havoc to slip away out of town on a back road.

"Now to check on supplies." I had a katana now, a solid weapon for defense. I left my spear at Auburn's place with a note, saying he could keep it as I no longer needed it. I had a sizable amount of food that I bought, and a large sum of cash. I pulled out my map to mark my next destination...

Stalliongrad...

Tales of the Demon Blade [2x]

As my training progressed under the master swordsmith, I quickly became his favorite apprentice. My timing became perfect for forging blades, and I soon developed a unique quality in each and every one of my blades, a deadly sharpness honed perfectly, along with a durable edge. I paid it no mind, but my master saw the care and the secret precision that went into my blades. He talked with me along a small stream in his garden.

"Aoi, the sword, you know, has a souls of its own, endowed with those who chose to wield it, but your swords have their own voice, one I've only heard legends of," Swords having souls... a metaphysical quality of attachment? I stayed quiet.

"Aoi, I see you aloof from the world, staring out into the sky and the gardens, as if waiting..." He could read people's innermost emotions, an unnerving yet fascinating feature.

"...and I feel you have something about your past eating away at your soul, and it reflects in your blades," he was right, I knew what he was talking about.

"I forge blades because I want them to come to life, to show their true worth, through their pure beauty and essence, you I see your blade's as tools of war, but also a sadness lying in its edge," the more I think about it, the more I realize it's true.

"I decided to see for myself, forgive me, but I took one of your blades to test my theory, I laid it down on a pedestal facing up, and dropped a single autumn leaf onto the blade. Can you guess what happened?" I shook my head, but I had an Idea.

"The leaf cut cleanly due to just the weight of it, yet it cut not the inside of the scabbard when sheathed. It reminded me of the Legend of Muramasa..." He described the legend as this:

'Long ago, Muramasa and Masamune had a contest to see who was the better swordsmith. They tossed their blades into the river, Muramasa's blade cut everything it touched even the air was cut by the blade's presence. While everything that touched Masamune's simply slid past it harmlessly. Muramasa deemed himself the winner, but a passing monk who saw the event declared Masamune the winner, since his sword didn't mindlessly cut everything it touched.'

"... but there was a heavy difference. Your blades don't thirst for blood... do they, rather they treasure their edge yet think it a curse at the same time... but what that says about you... I'll never know," the next thing I said would confuse my master for years to come.

"So who am I like, Muramasa or Masamune, or am I even like either of them at all."

At my awards ceremony, the Emperor described my work of equal quality to my master. I just listfully went throught the ceremony, my mind as usual off in another direction. A few weeks afterward, I decided its time for me to go.

"Master, I am afraid I must go, but I thank you for everything that you taught me. Think me not ungrateful for leaving your guidance, I hope we can meet again someday." We parted on good terms, yet my master had a worried look on his face.

A little while afterwards I sold many of the blades I had made, some to Royalty, with rumours of my deadly edge dubbing me Sengo Muramasa, Apprentice of Goro Masamune. I chuckled one day after Keith made a joke about it, calling me Master of the Demon Blade. He even asked me one day If I would kill anyone with my swords, to his surprise and slight amusement I said yes... and I meant it.

It must have put a shock for my master to see me on the news that day. He was right, now he knew what was troubling my past, and also found out the answer to the question I had asked. I don't know what I would go down as in the History of Japan, a psychotic demonsmith, a warrior of vengeance, the Second Muramasa, or what. My past is behind me now.

Battle of Stalliongrad [3]

I walked towards Stalliongrad when I felt someone watching me. I drew my katana and swung it behind me to find...

"Auburn? What the hell are you doing here?" I lowered my sword to the now panicking Auburn.

"I saw you sneak away from town, listen." He took a deep breath. "I have something to tell you." He struggled to find some words but none really fit except for what he was about to say, which was going to turn things completely around for me.

"I'm Keith."

I blinked twice, trying to comprehend what was going on. An associate I knew, shot dead, was standing right in front of me as a Pony. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I only needed one answer.

"What did you ask me when I became a renowned swordsmith?"

"You ever gonna kill anybody with those swords?" I nodded.

"Hot damn, you actually did it," His personality became completely different from the pony I knew as Auburn, he became Keith.

"But how did you survive?" Behind a calm exterior, I was panicking. How could someone I thought was dead just happen to come back to life?

"Yes what you know is right. I got shot--through the heart--but I wasn't dead. To be precise, I was left for dead, then some hot buxom biker chick came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go to Equestria, I said sure. Better than heaven, I can tell you that much. So now, I'm here, I'm dead sexy, and I found YOU! Wait, does that mean you're dead?"

"No... Last I remember I was talking to a man in a suit who looked just like me..." This could be complicated.

"So you actually did it, huh, found your revenge, how was it?"

"I have to be honest with you." I turned away. "It was worth it, and I'll remember every second of it." Then another thought occurred to me, Keith knew about this place, and now I had reliable intel.

"So, you know every single square inch of this universe, right." Keith nodded, "Heh, You made a pretty convincing display back there, didn't suspect you for a second."

"I know right, first day I got here I thought, 'Oh shit, need a convincing story NOW!' On the spot I thought up a story, a made up pony name, and faked an accent. You have no idea how hard it was not to make pony jokes every day. It was absolute MURDER!" This was the Keith I knew, part of me still preferred Auburn to Keith.

"At least you learned how to control yourself, but that's beside the point. Did you know about the Dominion beforehand?"

"Well I didn't know about the Dominion part, that's the part we're in. But anything you want to know about Equestria though or other creatures, I'm your colt, or stallion." We sat down in a small clearing and caught up.

"So now what are you planning on doing?"

"Start a new life, simply as that. What about you?"

"Same thing, except without the drugs, still have everything science-y stored up here, though without computers and a known lab, pretty much fucking useless. I had a hunch it was you once you started smithing and told me about your master, but I had to make sure."

"Do you think we're the only humans in this world?"

"Beats the fuck out of me, I just wanna enjoy this. So where you headed?"

"Hold up for a second. Before we talk about any 'buddy-buddy' tag along adventure, one, can you actually handle yourself out here?" He flipped my spear around, showing off his expertise.

"Staves for two years, they said it was a useless hobby."

"Then I guess I won't have to say what two is, I'm headed to Stalliongrad, know the place?"

"Haven't a clue," So much for reliable intel. I immediately reacted to a sudden roar above us. The form was vague and moving fast, but it looked like a black dragon, headed in the same direction I was headed. I stood up and dashed towards Stalliongrad, Keith having to gallop in order to keep up with me. The new body was amazingly durable, I could run for a longer amount of time before getting winded. But could it slay a dragon? We arrived at the city gates to a scene of chaos, ponies and other creatures running for their lives.

I don't know why I did it. All rational pointed towards running away, trying to evacuate all the others. Screaming against rational was a scratching feeling, clawing at the back of my mind. Whatever it was, it felt like it was telling me even though I had no hope of taking on the east, I should still try. I drew my katana and made a beeline towards the site.

"Dude, FUCKING WAIT! THAT'S A BLACK DRAGON!" I looked back at Keith hollering. "Their scales are stronger than DIAMONDS!" Strong armor, but still vulnerable vitals. I jumped onto a roof and started to close in on the dragon. I dodged to the left to avoid an Incoming fireball. I heard Keith laughing from ground level:

"AOI, HAS ANYONE EVER TOLD YOU YOU ARE FUCKING CRAZY?!" I ignored him and continued on. I had a clear view of the tail, and lept onto the flailing mass. The scales were rough, but sleek at the edges, defining their sharpness. I tried to step on the broad flats of the scales, avoiding their edges and slowly making my way up the dragon's back. I needed to get onto the head. What I was trying most likely would not work, but now, I couldn't give a damn. I hit the dragon's back scales to get him to look this way, the scales vibrating with each successive clang. I could feel the air split over the scales, confirming my hypothesis. I finally got the dragon's attention, then jumped. Time crawled to inching milliseconds as I soared through the air.

The dragon's jaws opened wide, I held my sword backwards. The air tensed, the dragon's mouth started to close, I swung and carved an enormous gap in the teeth, the force causing the dragon's head to jerk to its right, me continuing the momentum of the swing to turn myself forward and grab one of the dragon's barbs below the head. I swung on the dragon barb and stabbed upward as I hit the chin of the dragon, and was rewarded by a large flow of blood from where I stabbed it. It reeled its head backward allowing me to put my full weight onto the blade, dragging the sword down its neck until I hit the tough black scales, the blade becoming lodged in one of the muscles, the abrupt stop causing me to lose my grip and fall, I saw Keith directly below me dragging a huge cartful of hay, breaking my fall.

I woke up from shock by the wailing of a dragon. My bruised form crawled out of the cart, stumbling due to the disorientation from impact. I look up to see blood spewing from the large wound in the dragon's neck, then the dragon falls to the ground spanning over 20 houses. I staggered over to my blade ripping it out of the dragon's neck dislodging a small scale about the same length as my blade. I grabbed the scale, its edge slightly cutting into my paw. Throughout the hazy perception of reality and shaking field of view, I somehow made out enough illogical sense in my head to take the scale a s a crude trophy. Keith starts trotting beside me, awestruck.

"You, my friend, have just become 20% cooler," I coughed in response, still slightly dazed from the impact. "Uh oh, here come the paparazzi." I was suddenly surrounded by twenty guards and a mob of citizens. I waved my sword at them, signaling to clear the way, then sheathed it. Slowly, I walked up to the head of the dragon; he was still breathing, but I could hear his pulse fading. If dragons could understand English, then he wouldn't mind me talking to it.

"You just... *cough* gave me... the most difficult... fight..." my hand slips from the bridge of his nose and my back slams into his maw, me slowly sliding it, "...that I have ever had... and I... *cough* I loved every living second of it... thank you..." I started to laugh, and to my grand surprise, he heard me. To this day, I had no idea why I actually said that.

"To you, young one... I give my thanks..." Thanks, for stabbing him the neck? "My life was drawing to a close... I came here to end it all... I've lived too long in peace... I wanted to feel... the fires of battle... one... last... time..." most likely a dragon whose seen and enjoyed the taste of war, he spotted his scale in my hand. "To you I grant my scale... to fight your new battles... so that I may live on... and lend you my strength..." We stayed still for several minutes until he finally died, his chest falling for the last time. Before all sense of consciousness left me, I slid the scale towards Keith.

I woke up in the Stalliongrad General Hospital, a unicorn treating two of my fractured ribs. It stung like a pole driving through my sternum as a glowing yellow aura set my ribs back into place. I located Keith right next to me, sitting in a foldout chair, holding onto my sword and the scale.

"Holy fucking shit, you actually killed a dragon." He sat there grinning shaking his head in slight disbelief. "And you did it taking a Leap of Faith." I looked up at the ceiling. Looks like my new life was going to be great.

"You know, the day I thought you died, I drank five shous of sake after hearing you went down--how do you say it--'poppin caps in asses'?" He laughed.

"Something like that." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Wait, you actually got drunk?" I nodded, and we both laughed.

The next day I was discharged from the hospital. Keith feeling somewhat like a pack mule.

"Damn, you are seriously loaded," he remarked as he was looking through my belongings and found the bits, "I mean SHIT! you could buy a house with this." I grabbed my wallet and went to a local armory to buy a bow, I was going to need a long ranged weapon. After placing it over my shoulder I also bought a quiver of arrows.

Afterwards, I saw that the dragon had its scales and bones harvested, the carcass looked like it had been butchered in place. I took back my sword and looked at the blade, there were a couple of nicks in the blade, but I had an idea on the repairs. But first I needed some clothes, I stopped by someplace where it looked like had some oriental clothing. Their stock surprised me.

"Son of a bitch..." They had a full set of traditional Japanese clothing. I tried it on, it fit rather loosely, but it would make do for the time being, so I paid the woman the bits and left. Now It felt a little bit like home again.

"Dude, I don't know why you don't just go naked, but I won't complain, the new duds look swag." I began to feel like bringing Keith along may or may not have been a good idea.

We left Stalliongrad, with me setting up a makeshift forge next to a lake, I built up a strong fire, reaching almost a tree in height, from then on I worked. I managed to break the scale after heating the scale up and cutting it into a long sliver, then the hard work began. I used the sliver to cut the blade down the middle, then insert the sliver into the blade, using steel that Keith had. I reworked the entire blade, taking me 3 days straight in order to pound the metal so that the original blade fused with the dragon scale. As the sun set on the third day, I painted the new hamon, adding an almost undetectable dragon design to the base of the blade, then began the quenching process. I guessed the dragon scale needed to be heated to a higher temperature in order for it to work, so I scanned the flames diligently, waiting for the right moment to pull the blade. Instinctively, I pant in reaction to the hot temperature, the hours dragging into the night. Then I hear a sound, I don't know whether it was from the many years I had been doing this same ritual or what, but the sound gave me the signal to pull the blade to quench it. Keith heard it too, as he later told me...

... it sounded like cannon fire...

Kokuryū no saishū-bin [3x]

I plunge the sword into the cooling waters, the moment growing tense. I've never forged a sword quite like this, one made from the scale of a great dragon, I was excited. The blade slowly curving as the water grows still in the lake, I look across it and see a shimmer, I realize it as a reflection and look up, a pillar or color seems to shoot out in the direction of my view, rising from a collected base into the sky until it ends at a single thread. I start to see a figure rise from the ending point on the pillar of light, into that of a dragon.

Visions start to flash before my eyes, and I jump backwards, onto the lakeshore, as the visions slow their transition they stop at a particular scene. I wasn't by the lake anymore, I was emersed in the vision, the background a soft green mist. The vision itself was of an older dragon looking down to a younger dragon, looking with caring eyes, like that of a father or mother at their child, as if they'd leave and never come back, but wanted to give them something to remember them by. The elder dragon plucked a single scale from its body and gave it to the younger, who took the scale in its claws and looked at it, then looked at the elder with teary eyes. The younger then embraced the elder one last time before the elder gently pulled away and flew into the sky. I followed the elder dragon until he dissolved into the night sky as well as the green misty background into the night.

I found the vision in my eye started to go red, I reached up and touched my face, pulling it away to find my paw stained with blood.

I then looked at my new blade, the hamon surprisingly had already shown itself, as if being in the water polished it, the blade shining with a bright luster as a three layered hamon of silver, black and silver again shimmered in the moonlight. The hamon design giving me inspiration for it's new name, I whispered my blade's name to the world, ushering new life into it,

"Kokuryū no saishū-bin, Last Flight of the Black Dragon."

To Cherish a Friend... [4]

I stood up slow, I felt Kokuryu beat with a pulse, commanding me to swing. It was lighter than it's previous form, of almost equal weight with my arm. I looked down its edge, it had tapered to a threadlike black edge, air slightly distorting around it. It beckoned to be used. So I slashed at the nearest point of interest, the giant flame that forged Kokuryu. The next instant amazed me, the blade cut through the fire, leaving a gap between the flames, then a sudden rush of wind slightly pulled me towards the fire, as well as extinguishing the entire flame. I stood their in awe, staring at the blade in the moonlight, the pulsing replaced by a small ring made by the blade vibrating. I tried to piece together what had just happened, I looked at Keith who had the same dumbfounded look as I.

"Holy Shit-bags, that was AWESOME!" as I slowly replayed the instant in my mind it made sense, the blade was so light and so sharp, I swung with enough force to create a vacuum, stifling the flame to cinders. I sat down for a second, this is the power of a dragon. 3 more days I molded the remaining scale into a smooth black sheath and a hilt for the blade. Keith was Impressed by the design.

"Black... sleek... tight as fuhk! Yep this definitely passed Keith's swag seal of approval," I wondered how he had stayed under the radar by hiding his personality. But I'm afraid I had to talk with him.

"Keith, I need to talk to you... You can't stay with me," He had a look of utter confusion. I looked at him dead in his eyes.

"What's up man? Ain't you glad to see me?"

"Keith, this is your second life... I'm telling you this for your safety, you're a person who survived death, don't waste that chance. If it will make you trust me, yes, I AM pushing you away, If you have any last questions ask me. Right now, here," I gave him 4000 of the bits, "Take it, and head back to Stalliongrad, barter passage, rent a house, whatever, just... stay safe..." I wasn't going to let him die on an 'adventure', not the one I'm taking, "Go wherever you need to go, you could go on to Equestria, but..." I had to go out and say it, no way I was avoiding it, "You are the first friend I ever had..." I stood back up and turned around, "Write sometime, if it helps." He only looked at me and asked one question.

"Why? Why do this?"

"Because, one, you've got your whole second life ahead of you, don't waste it chasing to keep up with me, two, I promised to give you unlimited funding, this will probably get back to your scientific endeavors, and three, you can handle yourself, but not me." He almost objected, but I just waved and walked away, "Nice knowing you, and-" I couldn't believe I was going to say this, "-thanks for letting me test out the virus, saved me a couple of times." I walked away and didn't look back.

I didn't hear him anymore, confirming that my harsh farewell stuck. He didn't try to follow me, andI didn't go back. If you asked me, not once would I say I was a lone wolf, even though now I was alone. My reasons are my own, you can't expect any better than that.

I had to stop someplace. It wasn't on the map, but I knew where to find it. It was a rushing waterfall, to be specific the bottom half of one, I take off my clothes and place them on the rock next to me, then sat under the waterfall. It was something I learned in Asakusa; it clears the mind and allows you to focus on any thought you will. I decided the first thought I would focus on would be the combat implications of my new blade, focusing on every aspect of its power, its form, its movement. Contrary to popular belief, sitting under a waterfall isn't mad, but neither is it easy. Think of it, gallons of water constantly being dumped on you, and you have to sit upright, else you risk being crushed by the sheer force of it. With my new skeletal structure it becomes a little easier, but still difficult. I let the cold water rush over my back, and concentrate.

After a few minutes, something clicks. In a vacuum, there is no air, no air also means no resistance, leaving for an even greater force of a follow up attack due to the increased speed, but the second attack needs to be fast otherwise air collapses the vacuum and the second attack becomes harder due to the collapse. I had to create new techniques for this, ones that, if executed correctly, could give me an enormous advantage in battle. Kokuryu started to emit a slight ring from its sheath. I felt it, something else was missing. I spent a few moments more under the waterfall thinking. Something else was there in that instant, something important that I noticed but overlooked. What was it?... I feel a gust of wind blow in to the north... and it hits me.

I felt the wingbeat of a dragon...

My eyes open suddenly, I grab Kokuryu, with one motion I unsheathed it while still on the rock, then immediately turn and jumped off the rock, swing the sword in a full circle, the major arc directed towards the water, I was rewarded with the waterfall dividing horizontally a huge gash in the flow revealing the smoothed polished stone below the flow, and was rewarded further still with the indent of a cut into the stone. The dual wave made by my slash followed me into the water as I smirked. Not only did the blade divide air, it formed a moving blade out of it. I swam back up to the surface and shook myself dry, then retrieved my clothes and my gear from the rock, skipping back to the surface on the polished stones. I knew what I could do now. A full list of techniques entered my memory, Kokuryu still once again. I'm hoping this was the last thing it would teach me. An Overwhelming number of combat possibilities opened up to me, but it would take practice to utilize all of them. i decided to name my style, 'Kami no mukui (Divine Reckoning)' after that night.

I decided to put in my newfound skills to the test, I piled log after log until they reached as tall as twice my height. I gripped Kokuryu tightly, and jumped high to the point where I looked down at the top log,

'Tengoku no Girochin (Heavenly Guillotine)'

I tilted my body to become parallel with the ground, then spun once and extended my blade, causing a wide arc to ensue, the blade two feet away from the logs. I pivoted my body again and landed with my back to the logs and the blade extended away from my body. I looked back at the pile, cut precisely down the middle, to where there was a long score along the ground. I sheathed Kokuryu, satisfied with the results. The rest of the day I looked at the sunset eating a portion of rations, apples and other fruits mostly, since the shops in Stalliongrad didn't sell meat. I never really got to see the sunset until I came here, It's like experiencing life for the first time.

Night fall came, and I started to see small lights appeared out of nowhere, then noticed they were fireflies. They flew into the sky in what seemed like groups of a million, adding to the stars in the sky. Without even realizing it, I started to follow them, first from the ground when they were low, then climing and hopping across the tree tops, the wind following my every stride. I jumped and landed on the rockface of a mountain, quickly scaling it. I felt I mustn't lose sight of the fireflies, I didn't know why, but I made it to the mountain ridge and started running on the ridge, the fireflies gathering new families, new members, becoming brighter and brighter. I started running faster now, wanting to catch up, but their flight speed was fast. I ran faster and faster. I caught up to them, all the lights around me shimmering a spectral yellow, and time seemed to flow like a soft stream. Then the fireflies yellow glow became white with a soft brightness. I feel like I'm flying among with them, until I reach the cliff edge. I stop and sadly watch as the fireflies pass me. Then Kokuryu starts to ring softly, and I look behind me to see more fireflies, in even greater groups than the one I was with. I sit on the cliff edge, watching as each firefly floats past my shoulders. I draw Kokuryu slowly, the blade glowing with a soft golden luster, I hold it with both paw, the blade facing the direction the wind it's coming from.

It starts to hum, softly at first, but then as the winds change, it strums out a melody like one I heard long ago, and then I hear a small voice, like that of a child, singing in the wind as the fireflies fly past. It was just like my mother's...

My vision starts to go red again, I just sit there until the last of the fireflies dissapears into the night. Kokuryu loses the gold luster, and I sheath it once again.

"I never asked for your name, but whoever you were... Thank you..."

Eyes of Red [5]

I dreamt that I was standing in a field of green mist, like the night I finished forging Kokuryu, face to face with the dragon I had fought. I stood their for several seconds before finally asking,

"I never got to ask your name, what is it?"

"Young one... speak with the tongue of your soul, I cannot hear you..." the tongue of my soul, I spoke again in Japanese,

"Watashi wa anata ni shitsumon o suru chansu, anata no namae wa nanidatta no o yatta koto ga nakatta? (I never got a chance to ask you a question, what was your name?)"

"It is Blackfire, a dragon's name dies not with it's body, but lives with it's successor."

"Kuroi hi? (Black fire?)"

"Yes... I pass my name onto you, I feel your soul burn with the same fire mine did several millenia ago."

"Anata wa hontōni nagai jikan ga nakatta sunde iru? (You really have lived a long time haven't you?)"

"Yes... from the banisment of Nightmare Moon to the return of Discord, we dragons have seen, heard, and felt many things. Now I rest... Has my scale been of use to you?" I unsheathed my sword to reveal the black dragon hamon.

"Ah... I feel it... my scale rests within your blade now..." His face becomes serene, "My bones sought to taste the strain of war and strife, driving me to attack your Stalliongrad but my heart knew it would be my last."

"Node, anata wa tan'naru kimagure de Stalliongrad kōgeki shi? (So, you attacked Stalliongrad on a mere whim?)"

"Just like you killed me to save Stalliongrad, but I felt you didn't do it just for that, did you young one..." I remembered what I felt just before rushing into the city.

"Hai, watashi wa sore o setsumei suru hōhō ga wakaranai. (Yes, I don't know how to explain it.)" I lightly stabbed the sword into the ground.

"Indeed... for 3 millenia I tried to explain that feeling, It was the feeling of doing something new, something you've never tried, it felt... exhilarating. Which is why I chose you to be my successor?"

"Kōkei-sha? (Successor?)"

"When we dragon's have a moment in our lives when we know our lives will come to a close, we chose a succesor to out line, to keep our soul, our spirit, and our power... I chose you, storing a piece of me into the scale I gave you... to you, it was instinct to take the scale... I loved to fly, soaring across the clouds, even destroying peaks of mountains with my collisions into them," I smiled, "Which is why you felt my wingbeat, why your blade now rends the very air around you with a single swing..." He looked at me intently with emerald eyes, "Tell me young one... have you named your blade?"

"Hai... 'Kokuryū no saishū-bin' (Yes... 'The Black Dragon's final flight')"

"Ah... of strong words indeed, thank you for honoring my last wish... from now on, when you speak in your sou'ls tongue, my voice will sound along with you... Well done, young one... but I must now ask... what is your name?"

"Watashi wa Aoi Myoujin gozen. (I am Aoi Myoujin)" I take the blade and sheath it.

"Very well... I aknowledge you as Aoi, successor to Blackfire..." The green mist starts to thin. I wake up.

The first time I had a good night's sleep since I got here. I was no stranger to insomnia, but it always felt good to earn some rest once in a while. I sit up, still on the cliff's edge, the sun now high in the sky. I looked below the cliff, there was a rock plateau about 60 feet from the cliff, I dropped down, landed with surprising ease then dropped down to the forest below. I had no idea where to go so I found the nearest road and stuck to it for about a couple of miles. I shot a deer for the meat, the katana easily filleting the flesh, wrapped the meat in the hide, then picked a clearing in order to cook it. Cooking meat was many times easier than swordsmithing, the only think to keep an eye out for were burn marks, even so, veniso didn't get tough unless cooked for an exceedingly long time. I took time to savor the first morsel of meat I ever ate since I got here, soft, melting fat over a rich fillet of meat. I doused the fire and continued on my way. For the first time in my life, I had no Idea where I was going, and I didn't care one bit.

I hiked for about a month, making my way closer and closer to Equestria's borders, getting a feel for the land. It had a liberating atmosphere, unlike a nature reserve, but an actual forest. It was a haunting feeling of eyes watching you, not to control you in fear, but to remind you that you were just as likely a target as everything else in its dominion. It kept me on my toes. Nothing too eventful arose, aside from the occasional bandits attempting to mug me. It was brought to my attention that I was a lot taller than most of the things dwelling in the forest, standing far past the first few branches of a tree. Maybe that played into my uneventful encounters.

That notion soon shattered when just then I heard a scream, relatively close too. I ran towards the source of the sound. A young woman was screaming by the tone, and she was hurt. I reached the scene in less than a minute to behold the situation: a ninotaur wielding a large hammer was about to attack someone who looked like a griffin, heavily wounded by the bruises and how a bag leg had been broken. I stood in the way of the charging minotaur, who swung indifferently at me, hitting me scabbard with tremendous force, sending my rocketing into a tree, the impact causing me to rebound and fall onto the ground.

'Dammit...' I staggered and got back up, releasing adrenaline for the pain in my back.

Rules of Engagement: Hostile with lethal intent, fight to kill.

I looked over to see the minotaur still charging, his eyes bloodshot with rage. I retook position in front of the wounded griffin, standing in a quickdraw stance. As the Minotaur swung I dodged the blow, then unsheathed my blade and slashed upwards cleaving the behemoth in half, stopping his charge immediately, the halves of the minotaur gliding past me, his blood splattering on my clothes. I sheathed my sword and fell backwards. I've never encountered anything that had that much force. I coughed and regained my stature, staggering towards the wounded griffin.

"Are you alright?" It didn't look good, her bruises showed massive amounts of trauma. I upped the dose of adrenaline and made a run for the road, carrying the wounded griffin to the next town. Thankfully I got her to the hospital in time, I was treated for the bruise on my back, and she was treated for broken bones. About a week or so after treatment she woke up and looked at me.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the guy who found you, glad to see you're alright. Who are you?"

"Chime," she says it softly, her body still probably aching from treatment.

"How old are you?" I had no idea, but her voice seemed soft, my guess was young.

"15," I'm guessing they mature quickly, no parent in their right mind would leave a child to fend for her own at 15, but then again I'm not quite familiar with the parental traditions of this world yet. She yawns, then winces, then turns onto her side, "thanks for saving me," I backtrack to all the times when others shied away from me because of my eyes, there was no trace of that fear in Chime's. She falls back to sleep, I get up to sign my release from the hospital, but something holds me back, I look back and find Chime's claw gentle latched onto my tail. I slowly pry the talons from my tail and go sign the sheet in the lobby. I grab my weapons and gear then leave. I'll probably never see her again in my life, maybe I will, but for right now, its best I leave. I don't want to endanger a griffin not even old enough to drive.

I grab a local newspaper from a park bench and look things over, news got about my dragon slay in Stalliongrad, I never really told anyone my name so they marked me as the wolf dragonslayer. I see something that catches my interest, the Grand Galloping Gala, a party that Princess Celestia hosts in Equestria annually happening in a few months time. I've never been to a party, maybe I'll enjoy myself. I head to a nearby tourist stand.

"Excuse me, sir, do you happen to have a map?" He was looking down when he pointed to a lower shelf, I dropped a bit coin on the table and left. Currently, I'm in a place called Gridfeather, the Equestrian border is near so I can just walk the way there. I restock on rations and head on out. I stuff an apple in my muzzle just before leaving the town gate. Apparently not many people can distinguish between a diamond dog and a wolf unless they get a good look at my face, so up until now, everyone had addressed me as either "dog" or "mutt".

I walked while reading the rest of the paper, glancing over the rest of the stories, most of it's about the Grand Galloping Gala, I read over a small strip, 'Griffin Pirates Recruiting through Equestrian Tour' I chuckle thinking of Keith and his music... Then drop the paper and unsheathe my sword and turn around. No one's there, but I feel eyes watching me... I quickly sheath my sword into a low quickdraw stance...

'Shinigami no toiki (A Reaper's sigh)" I quickly do a cross slice that brings down all the trees in a 5 meter radius. I feel someone... There! I point my sword towards the direction of the presence.

"Come out, there's no use hiding anymore," I hear the pull of a bowstring, I duck to avoid the arrow, then sidestep to avoid the next, then back flip to avoid the third, there was only one shooter. I grab Kokuryu between my teeth and pull out my bow, the next arrow I catch between two fingers and immediately send it back. No response for a second, the presence still there, then I hear a jump, I drop my bow and then ready Kokuryu for deflecting, the figure reveals itself from out the trees, it's a diamond dog diving into a jump strike. The form is skewed so I sidestep easily and grab him by the scruff as he lands, he swings backwards but I bring Kokuryu up to deflect using the flat of the blade, then twist the blade around to sever my attacker's sword in two, still keeping a firm grip on the diamond dog's scruff. I pick him up higher, sheath Kokuryu and punch him in the face. He looked too young to be wielding a blade.

"Who the hell are you?" His answer surprised me.

"Why should I tell you, you killed my father, YOUR PELT IS MINE!"

"Who am I..."

"Don't try to fuck with me, you're Ensin!"

"Wrong," I kick him in the ass to set him straight, "I'm Aoi Myoujin, you've got the wrong guy. Beside, even if I was him, you certainly wouldn't kill me with those moves you pulled, they were too rash, I could detect you and your form is off, never go for the jump attack as a last resort. Now," I hold him higher and drop him on the ground, "I think an apology is in order don't you think."

"Wait if you're," I hit him on the head with Kokuryu's sheath to correct him, he stands up and looks away, "I'm sorry. If you're not Ensin, then who are you, and how did you dodge everything."

"Tell me what's going on and I'll tell you," He picked up his broken sword, he had a bow over his shoulder, I towered over him, he then took another look at me, his eyes widened. He fell backwards and started to edge away.

"Hey, what's wrong!" He pointed square at my forehead, I had no idea what that mean, so I just picked up my bow and slung it over my shoulder, "Your mother never taught you it's impolite to point?" It was actually kind of unnerving to have a speechless diamond dog pointing at you. I brushed myself off and tried to leave, I wasn't getting any information from him. When I walked past him he grabbed onto my leg. I looked at him, and he looked up at me with tears in his eyes.

"First you attack me, then you point at me speechless, and now you're grabbing on to me like your life depends on it, what's going on?" He let go, stood up straight, and then straight out bawled

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you." I handed him a cloth to blow his nose in, he wiped his face and continued, "You, please, you must help me," he started to calm down, he sat on a nearby stump while I leaned against a tree, "Our Alpha, Ensin, he is a cruel ruthless alpha, hoarding gems dug by slaves, then sending the slaves to be offered to the dragon, last month, Ensin sent my father as one of the offerings, I ran from the pack, waiting in the forests so that If he ever showed his face around here, I'd kill him..." I raised my hand to talk.

"I'll help... don't say thanks... now, where does this offering take place?" his eyes widened at my agreement to aid him.

It looks like I'd be fighting another dragon soon...

Lunar Legend [6]

Eol, the diamond dog, became my companion for the detour, his clan was further away from Equestrian borders, and more inland to the Dominion. We talked a bit about his situation, how in about a month's time, the alpha would plan on holding a massive sacrifice to a dragon on a plateau where it lived. It took us two weeks to get there, and for the rest of the month we stayed in a small brush a few kliks from the foot of the mountain, monitoring the area to see if this "Ensin" Eol was talking about would show his face early.

"Ensin sometimes goes out of the warren every two weeks or so to trade with other clans."

"Sometimes?"

"Most of the time he just sends a messenger. But there are times when the other clans get... restless."

I learned from him a bit about Diamond dog culture, how it was a territorial battle they constantly had to maintain to prevent an overthrow, nothing much greater than dogs pissing on fire hydrants. The time came for us to scale the mountain to the plateau where the scheduled sacrifice was to be held. There I saw it, the dragon's lair in the cave of the mountain side, the alpha and a couple of guards taking the lead. A breeze came in from the north. The dragon slouched out of his cave, purple, a third of the size of Blackfire, Kokuryu hummed in it's sheath. Then the Alpha gave a command that had me interrupt the entire ceremony, he made them kneel before him. I could not take it anymore. I motioned for Eol to stay behind cover, thing were going to get bloody. Instantly the dragon and the Alpha noticed me slowly walking towards them. The Alpha spoke first,

"What is the meaning of this? Who are y-" I walked up to him, my vision going red, without a second thought I jutted my hilt into his abdomen, the strike dropping him to the ground in a curled heap.

"Jamada... (You're interferring...)" I then walked up to the purple dragon. He cackled and stared at me,

"Who are you to brazenly walk up to me?" I unsheathed Kokuryu, the blade singing in the open wind. I feel the presence of Blackfire next to me, the winds stand ready at my command.

"Watashi wa Kokuryū no kōkei-shadesu, Blackfire! (I am the successor of the black dragon, BlackFire!) Watashi wa Aoi Myoujin desu! (I am Aoi Myoujin!)" The Purple Dragon chuckled.

"You a mortal, successor to a dragon of the first order? Don't make me lau-" He held his words when he caught a glimpse of the blade I held at my side and growled.

"Anata wa watashi de anata no kiba o mukidashi aete? (You dare bare your fangs at me?)" I felt Blackfire's voice behind my words.

"No... It can't be... you're just a... you killed Blackfire?" He pondered on that thought and grinned.

"So if I kill you, I am stronger than Blackfire! Very well, take your best shot." He lunged at me, I slowed down time, tilting my body slightly to barely avoid the impact of the head into the plateau, I only needed one shot. I hopped up and pivoted my body.

'Kami no Mukui, Tengoku no Girochin (Divine Reckoning, Heavenly Guillotine)"

I turned in midair once then brought the sword down with both paws directly onto the dragon's neck, severing it cleanly, the scales breaking due to the sheer force of the attack, causing them to scatter all over the plateau. I land and sheath my sword, the deed finished. But there was still one unfinished piece of business. I grabbed Ensin by the scruff and held him high for his people to see, now free of their bonds thanks to Eol. He came up to me and asked with a serious expression.

"So what do we do with this trash," I toss the incapacitated Ensin at the feet of Eol,

"Take your revenge, or do what you will with him, your call." Eol looked at me as if I had guidance to give him, I stood there with a look of indifference, I made my choice on my own, so would he, no outside influences, I signaled the crowd to be silent. The fate of Ensin's life was now for Eol's to decide.

Eol paced around the crippled Ensin, still struggling to breathe due to my prior blow. What I was thinking was this, whatever choice he makes now, he will have to live with his decision, no one would interfere, it was all his. His Experience, his Emotions, his Ethics, those three factors would weigh his decision. I could see him, struggling to make a decision, but here's the honest truth, he had never killed anyone before, many attempts with solemn resolve, but when actually given the one opportunity... I saw his face he wasn't leisurely thinking up how to make him suffer, he was contemplating letting him live. My revenge was over, and when I look at him, I saw myself still in that room with my object of vengeance, except my decision was clear. I backed away to give him some room. he then looked at the dragon head, and I saw a flood of memories recarve themselves into expressions on his face, sorrow, pain, helplessness.

It hit me. It wasn't that he knew his father died because of Ensin, he was there. He was me 20 years ago, and he was me at that very moment, my target on the floor, helpless, just like he made me feel. I couldn't help but grin at the irony of the fact that he was this world's version of me, and now I'm here from the other world to see what this me would decide. I started to think of it as fate's experiment, in which fate is observing how I react to this decision that someone else will make. It somehow made sense, but whatever the outcome however, was not for fate, but for Eol. I was actually giving the finger to fate right now, I had no idea what he would chose, but I would not be surprised with either outcome. I wouldn't think him any less or more because of it. I was dealt the 'Death' card from the Arcana, a card of which it's meaning is coming to terms with your past in order to move on to new life, and right in front of me was the card's climatic play...

He walked over to the dragon's head and pulled dragon's fang from the head, and walked over to Ensin, and started to give a speech to the crowd of slaves,

"You see before your eyes the alpha who led our people to the slaughter, so he could hoard all the gems dug from slave labor. I ask you, will you follow him?" Every one of the slaves said no, even the guards surrounding them.

"Ensin, you fed my father, and countless family members to this monster, to slake your lust for gems, have you ever felt what it was like to be ripped to pieces by the fangs of a dragon?" Ensin shiverred in his crippled state. Eol brought the sharp fang down onto each of Ensin's limbs, following each pierce was a large splurt of blood and an agonizing cry of pain. Until he drove it straight through Ensin's heart, the diamond dog covered in crimson blood.

"Band brothers, today this land is free from the monstrocity that has oppressed us for generations, and we have the Legendary Wolf to thank for this." What he said took me by surprise. Legend? The crowd cheered in awe and jubilation, I turned away from the crowd and started to walk away. I was no legend, hell, I wasn't even from this world, so how could they...

"Aoi, what's wrong, isn't this great, you are finally with us! you can liberate us from the dragons." I brought Eol aside behind the dragonhead, the crowd distracted by the joyous news.

"I'm no Legend... I'm just a regular old wolf," Eol smiled. He was excentric about this.

"That's the thing! You are the ONLY wolf in existence! Wolves have never been seen for over generations, the fact that you are a wolf and have slain the dragon PROVES you are the legend." He then spotted my sword and unsheathed it.

"This blade, I can tell by it's form and from the way you severed a dragon's head it's made of dragon's scale! YOU ARE THE LUNAR LEGEND!" Lunar legend? I was getting more and more confused.

"Long ago, when the land fell into the dark control of dragons over the lands outside Equestria, there was a prophecy, dictated by the reading of the stars. A White wolf with fur as silken as the moon's glow will come to existence, wielding the sword of dragon's bane, who will come to liberate us from the oppression of dragons." I closed my eyes to let the information sink in. I can kill dragons, I have white fur, I'm the only wolf in existence as far as the witness of over don't know how many diamond dogs. Sign's point to yes... but I'm not going to let this go off easily, I didn't train to raise an army to fight dragon's, then again, I never knew I would be coming here in the first place. Well played fate...

Now It was time for me to make a speech,

"Brothers of the land, I have something I must share. I came to this world with unknown intentions. I was wrought here by fate's design. Eol has told me the prophecy of which you speak. I may or may not be the Lunar legend, that fact remains to be seen, I must leave now, but I will advise this. Enstate a new Alpha amongst yourselves, one of valor and virtue, but also of honor and kindness, ready youselves for battle, for you mustn't rely on legends or prophecies, for they may be misunderstood, or the may be true. A new dragon may arrive to take this one's place. Brothers, stand tall, have courage, and you shall prevail, If I may come again, then the prophecy is true, but now, there are things I can't comprehend. Thank you all..." Eol looked at me with pride and joy, wagging his tail. he came up to me and asked something taking me completely offguard.

"I want to come with you!" I looked at him, he had heart, had potential, still young so he could be trained, but I had to be responsible for him. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to focus on the rewards and consequences. I felt Kokuryu hum, and that was the voice I needed.

"Alright, maybe you can shed some light on this." I now had a source of intel on the outer sanction of this world for which i would start a new life.

Maybe I could also start a new family, with Eol as my brother...

Author's Notes:

This Chapter by far was the hardest chapter to write the ending for, because I had conflicting ideas on whether or not Eol should kill Ensin, I read through the last paragraph and since the chapter's focus was fate, I decided to let it decide with a flip of a coin, heads Ensin dies, tails Ensin lives, well now you know what the result was. Also, I'd like to give Blackwing an Enourmous THANK YOU! While I was writing he gave me a huge motivational boost by favoriting The Blue Stranger, knowing that one of my favorite Authors of All Time liked what I was writing. BlackWing, this chapter is dedicated to you.

Pack of Two [7]

We left the plateau after we got the slaves back to the hollow, instructing them to convene a moot for the new Alpha. They harvested the dragon and recovered the gems from it's cave, the clan extremely happy to have an abundance of food supply.

"There's something bothering me about what you said, what did you mean by 'You came to this world'..." I decided to tell him, since I needed absolute trust.

"I'll tell you, but it may shock you. Are you sure you want to hear the absolute truth," he nodded, and I took a deep breath, "I'm not from this world, as you may have guessed. I was not even a wolf," He stared intently, taking in what I said, "I came here from a world where diamond dogs, dragons, or griffin's exist only in mythology and fairytales." He actually took it well, not with fear, but with absolute belief.

"How did you learn how to fight?" I couldn't lie with this question.

"I learned when I was little, all the way to two years ago, I learned my entire life." He knew I was hiding something and stared empathetically, "I learned how to kill, how to defend myself, and how to make weapons."

"So how did you manage to catch my arrow mid fight, I've never seen anyone do that..."

"When you've trained for as long as I have, doing it becomes second nature." started washing my dobuku in a stream nearby, "There are things faster than arrows and twice as deadly, it's not a matter of reflexes as it is anticipation, and acting on it." I grab a stick and then swing it in Eol's direction, he clasps it in both his paws.

"Good... you're not a stranger to fighting, makes my job easier," I stand, letting go of the stick, "How long have you been planning that moment?"

"5 years."

"How old are you now?"

"17,"

"Now you have your whole life ahead of you, what will you do now?" What he said surprised me.

"I wanted to help other clans from tyranous bastards from Alpha's like Ensin," I look down at the stream again and sighed.

"Why not go back and lead your clan."

"I can't, once you run away, you can never go back, besides..." He looked down at the stream, "I've nothing to go back to... That's why I decided to go with you..." He looked at me, "You could be my Alpha."

"I'm not sure I understand," I pull out my dobuku out of the stream and wring it dry, then hang it from a branch, "I have no intentions of starting a clan, nor am I one to lead... besides, I would have no idea on what an Alpha even does, what a diamond dog's customs are..." I pondered further, "I don't even eat gems..."

"You sure about that?" He tosses a gem to me, I placed the gem squarely between my teeth and bit down, the gem as flawless as ever. I hand the gem back to Eol. He took it back somewhat dissappointed.

"Okay, so you don't eat gems... but there's no proof that you had to..."

"You sure seem to know a lot about wolves, what can you tell me about me?"

"There actually used to be wolves all over Gem Fido, even some in the Dragon Badlands. They were just like the Equine species. Winged wolves controlled the weather and had wide spreading wings like griffins, they were cynogriffins. Wolves who used magic had two horns that channeled the energy constantly. Land wolves like you," I kept listening, "were fast and strong, making excellent warriors. Diamond dog Alphas are said to have descended from wolves, hence the Alpha's superior build and smoother coat, but were only a shadow of the original wolves. But one day, they were just gone, almost no trace, some rumored migration to another land, some a war with the dragons that ended badly, but they were gone, heh..." I wondered if others like me came here as wolves. Keith came here as another pony.

"I poured all my time into studying lore and legend, just to hold onto some hope that got me through the day," life must be hard as a diamond dog.

"What was your life like?" He started whimpering, then he sighed. I sat down next to him, wading my feet in the stream.

"Working in the mines... all you're taught is to listen, obey, and don't ask questions... those who slow down are dead, either the risk of being run over, not having enough to eat by day's end, or being eaten by the dragon you serve under, all while cold, barely breathing, starving, and exhausted. Each clan used to serve a dragon and the dragon protected us from attack, a mutual interest, that was when wolves were around, then the dragons became corrupted, and started to oppress those who served them, us. The dragons who oppressed their clans had gem hordes that could feed millions of diamond dogs, the dragons who didn't lacked and their scales weren't as strong, so they became prey to the other dragons, killed and their clans took over. I gathered every book I could, filling my head with knowledge, so that one day, my father and I could survive the journey to another clan, or even someplace like Equestria." he then starts to cry, "I'm free now, but no family to go anywhere with... my mother died giving birth to me, my dad was the only person who cared about me..." He wiped his face with his arm.

"Well now you have me..." I stand, "I hereby officially accept you into my clan." He looked up and smiled, then stood up and hugged me. It was the first time I had a hug in 20 years, I missed that feeling. I hugged back. I finally got a rough perspective of how tall I really was compared to him... now, I was his big brother, "Welcome to the family, Eol," I remembered the newspaper. "Have you ever heard of the Grand Galloping Gala?" We both sat down on the banks and he nodded, "We should go there sometime, after all, you're free now, your life is yours to do with as you please."

"Would you like to travel the world?"

"I'll go where my Alpha tells me to," that somewhat troubled me. I sighed.

"You shouldn't think like that anymore, you owe me nothing."

"You gave me a new purpose in life. I owe you everything!"

"Becoming free only to be enslaved to another shouldn't be what ones life should be. Think of being part of my clan as a bond not of fealty, but of trust." Slavery is what brought his clan to ruin, I wasn't going to make that mistake. He then smiled.

"Then consider us brothers in arms, and I'll always have your back," good enough for me. He looked up at the sky, "and yes, I would like to travel the world sometime, but only after we free the clans of Gem Fido. That means killing the dragons." He looked at Kokuryu, "I'm not sure how many there are, but no matter what, I know we'll succeed."

"Don't get your hopes up. I never said I'd start an entire onslaught," his mood depressed a bit, "One, some of those dragons may have families, they are sentient, and I don't want to cause anymore strife, two, I'm not even sure I'm the Legend you claim me to be." He took my reasoning with an expression of understanding.

"How about I tell you the entire legend?" I didn't know he skipped a few parts.

"The prophecy has been interpreted many times, but still with some discrepancies. I took an entire month recovering and re-translating the archives, the un-interpreted legend is this:

'In the Age of the Return of Sun and Moon, a white wolf will rise from unknown lands, with fur white as the moon, with a gaze of fire and ice. He wields a sword of dragon's bane, carrying with him an aura of that of a dragon itself. He will come to free the lands of the tyranny of dragons. He will lead his kinsman to victory, and the lands will be united.'

And that's the uninterpreted legend, you fit his appearance precisely, which is why I wanted to come with you." I was quick to object.

"Not exactly, I have red eyes..." He smirked and laughed.

"Maybe before you got here, but look at your reflection." I scooped up some water from the stream, the reflection held true, my colorblind eye blue, but my full-vision eye still the red color I've had my entire life, I let the water slip through my fingers, he continued.

"Many diamond dogs have stood up and claimed they were the legend, simply because they were able to kill a dragon, their fur various colors, claiming that the prophecy may have been wrong on the legend's appearance. When faced with a stronger dragon, they were slain like the diamond dogs they left. But you, you have white fur and blue and red eyes." I had to think a little before my next question.

"So how do I fit the rest of the legend?"

"You carry a sword that sliced a dragon's head off in one swing, made of a black dragon's scale, supposedly the strongest type of dragon. You yelled something in some language that made Hane what I'd say was scared, like you had done something unfathomable to a dragon," Hane must be the purple dragon, "Now all that's left is for you to lead us to victory."

"Honestly, I'm not that convincing, because there were some diamond dogs that attacked me my first day here, how am I going to lead an army of diamond dogs that don't even know me, much less have given up already."

"In someways, most diamond dogs have given up on the legend, and have fallen into brutish ways, kidnapping, stealing, and driving slaves. But some still have hope... It's just... I wish you had come sooner." He shied away when he finished, still remembering his dad, "But what you did will make waves amongst the clans, and the news will sooner or later reach Gem Fido, and maybe even Equestria." He was right, nobody's going to forget how one person slayed a dragon easily, especially not in front of a bunch of slaves who just witness their freedom being given to them. I think i just found out what to do in my life...

"Very well... I'm still not one-hundred percent sure I'm the legend you're talking about... but I'm not going to sit around while this happens," I remember Eol's first plea to me, "and I'm not going to let what happened to you and me happen to anyone else." His ears perked up at that last part, then looked at me intently.

"You mean... It happened to you, too?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes... it's why I spent almost my entire life learning how to fight, and how to kill." I ran my paw through my fur to smooth it out. I told him the whole story.

"My parents weren't eaten by dragons, they were killed... brutally, by a sick son of a bitch who killed for fun." Eol's ears flattened, "I eventually got my revenge. I'm not going to lie to you, I enjoyed every second of it, and I thought it was worth it." Eol sighed seeing his kill justified, "I started thinking the next morning, now that I had avenged my parents' death, what I was going to do, I had the rest of my life to do it, like I was born anew. That night I my apartment was surrounded by SWAT and a stranger offered me to send me here. It's Ironic really, meeting you, you had the same story, the only person worth living for, stolen away, then you spend your life plotting revenge," I replayed Eol's revenge in my mind, "Except the last part was different: I killed simply to finally end the living nightmare that haunted my past, You... I heard your speech, but I wasn't sure... what was your main reason for killing him?"

"I thought about it afterwards, at first I thought it was to make him pay for his crime, then I thought what it would be like if I let him live, he would soon find another clan, then take that over, then continue the same thing until someone put a stop to him," I felt relief hearing a straight answer.

"In my mind, both are justified, but I wouldn't have thought you less or more if you let him go," Eol looked confused, "fate played me a final card when I came here, to see how I would change or react to seeing you and your choice. Then I thought of it. In my world, fortune tellers use cards called Tarot cards divided into 2 groups: face cards and cards from the Major Arcana. Face cards reveal your personality, then the Arcana show the path you're destined to take. I thought Fate dealt me the card 'Death', its meaning was that I would have to soon come to terms with my past before I continue with my new life. Seeing you finally settled the deck, and now I'm free... so let me ask... are you willing to come to terms with your past in order to follow me?" He still didn't fully understand, but nodded. I contemplated what I was about to say.

"Then think, do you feel that the event you created is over? Do you feel bound? Are you ready to start fresh, and look to the future that you now grasp?" He looked to the stream and sighed and then looked at me.

"One last question, answer me truthfully, you knew all this and knew all I felt and didn't stop me or offer advice... Why?" The last chain was bare, all I had to do was sever it.

"That last decision was yours to take, you had to do it all on your own, no interference, no advice. Think of it as your rite of passage, a step you had to take in life, except this didn't define what path you took or your maturity, it simply would show you a piece of who you are. I made my decision, I wanted no part in making yours. I didn't think on terms on whether you did the right thing or not, because what you think is right isn't for me to decide. I simply pondered if you now could instill resolve in yourself to continue." He then had an expression of revelation, then looked at me in complete and utter relief. That was the look I needed.

"Now that you've accepted the cards Fate's dealt you, you can follow through. Now come on," I stood up and picked up another branch, "In order to be in my pack, you must learn to defend not just yourself, but support me as well if I ever need it." He stood up as well.

"Being in a pack isn't about keeping up with the rest, it's learning to act as a single unit. However, there are some skills you are lacking. I will be honest, training under me will be difficult, but if you can perservere, you will unlock your own potential."

So the lessons began. I first needed some preliminary testing.

"Before anything, let's see how you handle in battle, form your stance and attack me. A word of caution, the battle ends only when you or I yield, be prepared, I'm not going to go easy on you, so attack me like you mean to kill me." He formed his stance, stable but I saw an immediate problem, he led with his right foot but had the branch grasped the wrong way: his right paw was below the left giving him inadequate force when swinging, and also making him predictable in which way he planned to swing first. I held the branch in my left paw, but he didn't notice my hint. He charged headfirst, with the branch trailing on his right. He swung at full power. I parried, feeling the force of his swing, strong, but he immediately drewback due to the recoil of the parry. I grabbed his right paw and turned, hitting his torso then his face with two elbow hits. He staggered and counterattacked with an uppercut, I dodged and hit him in the side with my branch, winding him. He grasped his side. Now to test his defense. I turn and bring the branch down, he parries but his arms yield under the force. I use this to my advantage and press down, the branch slipping from his paws onto the ground. He dodges to the left. I turn and swing with both paws clasped onto the branch, to my amazement, he punches the branch out of the way with his left with surprising force, and turns to hit me with a backhand with his left. I wince but duck in time to avoid a puch from his right, then lift the branch upwards to hit him with an uppercut. He uses the momentum to flip backwards and gain distance from me. He's more accurate with hand to hand, with some knowledge of acrobatics, but he's swinging at any opportunity he gets, only thinking of his next move on the dot. He changes his stance to that of a boxer. I swing at his right side, trying to hit his weakened side. He reads this and ducks, hitting the branch with a flathanded uppercut, then hits me with a jab to the solar plexus. He reads the tide of battle quickly, also left handed, might explain the way he held the branch. I take a step back to catch my breath then decide to toss aside the branch, I was going to need to get in close. I take a lower stance, meeting him at eye level. He takes a few steps forward, but still retains his stance. I wondered why he did that, then I remembered our first encounter.

Why did he think I looked like Ensin, Ensin had gray fur which might have looked white, but I also had different clothes. Poor eyesight? No, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to even aim at me, and wouldn't choose arrows. What was it? I had to find out.

I dashed forward and reeled my fist back in a punch, he read that and shifted his stance to be ready to dodge. At the very last moment I dove into a slide and tripped him in a sliding sweep, then righted myself and slammed my left foot onto his lower leg, he barked in response to the pain. But immediately roller over and stood up in a low stance, his fist propping himself up. He took a few breaths then stood back up again ready for more, seemingly fine from the leg injury. He was taking punishment surprisingly well. He took his stance again but brought up his fists in a different way, his leading fist slightly farther from his face. Again with an unknown, interesting, but what did it mean?. He then charged, but with a low dash instead, his fists still in the same position. I sidestep to the right, his front fist not at all extending, but instead he stomps with his left foot. He wasn't going for a punch! I immediately bring my left arm into a guard as he pivots, blocking an immediate roundhouse kick. I grab his leg and toss him into the stream. He doesn't resurface for a few second. but see a single bubble surface among the flow. I duck into a low stance. He jumps out of the stream and reaches his peak above me, then flips and brings his leg down in a heel kick, I cross my arms in a block, but he instead brings his foot lower and lands on my arms, leaving me defenseless for a kick with his other foot into my chin. This fight got a lot more interesting. I flip backwards and skid to a stop, going back into my stance. He charges again, His body primed for a forward punch, I jump, pivoting my body and slamming my right foot onto his head, smashing him into the ground. He rebounds and I land on his back, pinning him to the ground. he immediately reached behind his back to grab my foot, but it doesn't reach. I grab both paws and cross them behind his back, then I turn around and sit on them.

"Give up yet?" I ask playfully. He struggles to pull his paw out from under me, but my weight secures them tightly, his struggle stops and he relaxes. I wait for a few seconds, then hear whimpering. I stretch my neck forward to listen. He then does something that catches me off guard: he rolls over and pushes me off him, grasping for my legs, but misses and I grab his arm. Then cross my legs over his torso, catching him in an armlock. Good tactic, bad action afterwards.

"How about now? This hold could break your arm, don't make me use it." He swallows.

"I yield." I let go and both of us get up.

"So, can I handle myself in battle?" He asks intently.

"Yes, but I have to tell you a few things. One, you need to work on your sword grip, it was too loose, making you drop it in the first place. You also have to work on thinking ahead with each move you make, not just attacking at every available moment. Also, the way you attack with a sword makes you too predictable. However, you are good at split-second thinking, acrobatics, and excel at hand to hand combat. Though I have to ask you two questions..." He perked up.

"When we first met, why did you mistaken me for Ensin? Also, during the fight, you stepped forward and didn't attack, Why?"

What he said next took me completely by surprise...

An Eye for an Eye [7x]

==8 years ago==

When you work in the mines, you learn that your age or handicaps don't matter, if you can work, you can work, no amount of crying or pleading will change that. But that doesn't mean I didn't try. One day, when we had some free time, I asked him.

"Dad, why do I have to work in the mines?" His face turned sad.

"Eol, we need every single hand that can help to mine these gems in order to survive."

"But don't we already have a lot of gems, I saw LOTS of gems in Ensin's room? Why doesn't HE mine?"

"Those gems are for the dragon. We don't mine just for us, we mine for the dragon protecting us, at least, that's what I'm told. If we don't gather enough, the dragon will leave and we'll be defenseless to the other clans," He worked hard, gathering more spare gems for us to eat. But he was getting older, and not getting enough sleep.

I resolved myself to working in the mines, becoming stronger, I pulled in extra hours of labor alongside my dad. I made it my goal that one day, I'd be strong enough to protect my clan, having no need for a dragon, then we wouldn't have to work so hard in the mines, and dad could get a good night's sleep.

Working in the mines puts a terrible strain on your health. The air quality is so poor you spend most of your time coughing due to the dust in the air. The caverns are hand dug, meaning there's not much room between the floor and the ceiling. Sometimes the builders forget to add enough supports and the caverns collapse, trapping and even killing others. One day, I was put on the building team, the wet mud made it hard to put up the supports, I thought about it and realized we were next to a lake, I signaled the team to stop building and redirect or route, otherwise the cavern would flood. Thankfully, they listened and moved the tunnel route away from the lake. No one thanked me though, and later everyone forgot about it. I felt that what I did was pointless. When I told my dad afterward he said,

"It wasn't pointless, you saved a dozen lives today. I'm proud of you. Even though we do things deserving of gratitude, they often will get overlooked. But the point is to do those things to help, not to seek restitution or reward, that kind of thinking will lead to dangerous actions," I felt better, he always knew what to say in times like these.

One day, I found an old book, I opened it up, to me they were nothing but a bunch of scrawling in paper. I asked my dad what they were.

"They're letters, forming together to make words, written in a language that no one reads anymore. I only know bits and pieces. Would you like me to read some of them?" I nodded, excited that we had another thing to do together. He read, and I listened, pretty much drinking the words and the stories like water. With each night of reading story after story, I got better and better at reading, until I learned words even my dad had trouble reading. I looked forward to every night when he came home so that we could read together.

One month though, he didn't come home. He was put on a long term building project, and wouldn't be coming home 'til it was finished. I held the book in my hands, sitting on my bedroll. I opened it up to read the rest of the book. I became so immersed in the story that I read through the rest in one night. I read, re-read, re-re-read it. I asked others where I could find more books, most shrugged, then I found leads.

"Try surface world, heard the books are there," Most diamond dogs didn't talk much, so the most they said were in broken speech. there were some however that spoke fluently, who i liked talking with while I worked.

One night I decided to finally go to the surface and dug a passage to the outside. From what I read, the surface world was up. So, I dug a little each night until finally, after about a week, I reached the surface.

It was truly beautiful, for the first time, I saw the sky, the moon, the grass and the trees, Everything just as it was described in the book. I leisurely ran in the open air, feeling the cool night air in my fur, and the soft grass below each pad, I rolled around in fallen leaves and branches and stared at the moon. For the first time in my life, I experienced the magic of the world beyond the mines.

Then I remembered my purpose for the journey. So I walked for a bit, looking under rocks and in trees for a book, until i came across a town. It turns out, our warren was near a town called Gridfeather. I went there in the search of books, and then came across a bookstore. I went through the door, the bell ringing to herald my entrance, and I stood there, mouth gaping wide open. I looked at the massive expanse of books in awe, and now I could read them. Every night I would slip away from the warren and go to Gridfeather, and borrowed a random book of my choosing, and gingerly turned each page, absorbing the contents of each book like a rag does to water. I loved every story, romance, adventure, comedies, and even sad tales, those were ones about misunderstood griffin's and diamond dogs. I cried, laughed, and trembled in suspense as I read each letter. After about a month my dad came home to the ground covered in books, I looked up, and ran to hug him. He hugged back and his attention went back to the books.

"Where did you get all these?"

"From the surface," His expression changed to one of immediate worry, but then he looked back at me and smiled.

"So what have you been reading without me?" My eyes widened and I broke out into an expression of excitement. So in one night I described every single book I've read. He seemed amazed that I memorized everything.

"I'm glad to see you've been finding a way to cope with me being gone," I started to cry.

"I missed you dad..."

"I missed you too..." I felt like that one moment made life a little more bearable.

That would be the last moment for a while. Ensin required more, even younger diamond dogs to go into service, and everyone to work overtime. All the while Ensin stayed in his room doing who knows what. i saw dad less and less, but I still treasured every second he was there.

One day my vision started to become blurry, I could only see things up close. I told dad, he started to look away, and I heard crying.

"What's wrong dad?" He looked at me with tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away and knelt down in front of me. I was scared, but he made me feel safer.

"Eol... some diamond dogs are born with a... defect... your eyesight is slowly going bad due to it. In a few months, you won't be able to see things clearly. Don't tell anyone this... if anyone finds out..." He paused... "... really bad things are going to happen... keep this a secret from everyone... even your best friends," I was shocked to hear the news, and ashamed. Being told you have a defect was like being told that you did something wrong, even though you didn't know it. But he always showed that he loved me.

The next few months my vision got worse and worse, it was starting to become apparent by the increasing difficulty of jobs I used to do perfectly. I wondered why this was happening to me, why I had this... curse. Then finally I decided to do something. I went to the Gridfeather Bookstore again and scoured the shelves for medical books and books with remedies. I brought them home and Poured over them every single night, while I was still seeing, I would read to find a cure.

Then I found it... an alchemic reagent to restore lost sense. For the next 4 days, I spent memorizing the recipe, collecting the ingredients, then finally trial and error to make the potion. Unless I got the potion exactly right, the potion would, without a doubt, burn my eyes out. The difference was hard to distinguish with blurred vision: the potion would work only if the result was see through, if it was opaque or translucent, then I got it wrong. After 12 attempts I finally got a see through potion, now to see if it would work. The instruction said to apply 2 drops directly to the afflicted eye. I thought a while figuring out how to do that, then thought to dip my digit into the potion and have the liquid drop off from my claw.

The moment of truth, I washed my paws and dried off each claw, then dipped my digit into the potion, it was cool and slick on my claw. I propped open my eyelid and dropped it into my left eye. I snarled and winced at the pain, but continued to raise the claw above my eye, the second drop hitting my eye with a multiplied sting. I then closed my left eye immediately and lowered my head. A few seconds later an intense pain washed over the entire left half of my face. I flailed around the room, struggling to keep the left eye closed, I knocked over books and slammed into the wall, hoping another pain would dull the first. I fell on the ground, writhing in pain when my dad came in and saw me, he picked me up and restrained me in a calm yet strong embrace. A minute later I stopped. I had my left paw over my eye, the other one discharging a stream of tears. He looked at me wondering what was going on. His face was a blur in my right eye.

"What's wrong Eol? Are you alright." I slowly took my paw away from my face, then slowly opened my eye. i jerked back in surprise, my vision in my left eye had completely changed. I did the one thing anyone would do in this situation: scream and freak out. I broke away from my father's embrace and crawled away on the floor. Then when my back was against the wall I calmed down, breathing heavily. I closed my right eye to see the real effects. I saw my dad's shape as a white outline with color in constantly spinning swirls, the area around him was black, with the exception of the objects in my room, seen with the same appearance of white and color swirls.
He started to step forward reaching out to me, his footsteps making ripples and distortions in the black space around him. I curled up in a ball and closed my eyes.

'What was going on?!' I reread the instructions in my mind.

'This potion will restore lost senses.' I get a crazy notion in my head. I was seeing scent through color, and sound through ripples. It made absolutely no sense. I slowly cried myself to sleep, dad stroking his paw through my fur gently, reassuring me that everything was okay.

I woke up the next morning, slowly opening my eyes, my fears realized. I saw everything, Sight, sound, and smell. Each sound moved across the walls and floor, bouncing off of anything and everything, the slightest vibration made the tiniest ripple. I laid there, thinking of what this could mean, now that I was stuck with a left eye seeing everything except perfect sight, and a right eye that could see real sight, but in a blur. I then thought I would have to get use to it. I looked at dad with both eyes. I focused on him and saw my blurred vision align with my new vision. I thought things might get better.

One day they did, but not for long. I soon found out I could locate gems easier due to the distortion in the ripples from inside the rock, working with dad to harvest surpluses of gems. Life was good, we had enough to eat, more time together, and most of all, we were happy. I asked dad not to tell anyone about my eye, and he agreed. Until he died, he told not a single soul about my eye, or even that I had bad vision to begin with.

I still hadn't gotten used to it yet, sometimes I had to close my left eye in order to have a steady visual on an object, then reopening it again for confirmation that it was the thing I was looking for. My left eye however couldn't distinguish among other diamond dogs because we all smell almost the same, therefore had almost the exact same scent colors, so I had to go on sound to distinguish between them, except for my dad, he had an almost completely different scent, I wondered why. I was still able to perform everything I did, and even harvested more gems than anyone.

Two years later that all changed. My father was called to some unknown business to attend to on the surface. I decided to follow him through my secret passage. No one noticed me gone, perfect. I followed closely behind the group, noticing that everyone had their hands bound, along with my father. I was worried. So I followed the group all the way out onto a plateau, with Ensin at the fore. It was then that I first saw the dragon who protected us, a purple dragon, tall, terrifying, with a cold, sinister gaze. Ensin started to speak,

"Oh great Hane, I beseech from you clemency, this month we have not been able to harvest enough gems. So I humbly ask you accept our sacrifice to you, along with the gems we do have," What was Ensin talking about, he had plenty of gems stored in his room, I knew this because I peeked one day and saw the entire room filled with gems. The diamond dogs not bound brought not even a tenth of the gems I saw in Ensin's room.

My mind started racing, in fear and anxiety. What was this sacrifice they were talking about? Then I glanced back at my father, bound with a sad look on his face...

'Oh gods...'

I watched in horror as Ensin brought my father forward, then pushing him to the ground. The dragon licked his lips, then stabbed its claws into him. I became wide-eyed with horror, watching from the shadows, not able to do anything. The dragon wrapped its tongue around him, sliding him off its claws and snapped at his body, the blood flowing from the dragon's maw. I was paralyzed with fear. My dad, dead... eaten by the dragon whose role was to protect our clan, not devour it. My body started moving on its own. I ran the other direction, as fast as I could for as long as I could, just to run away from the reality I just witnessed. After running what seemed like hours, I collapsed in a field, crying all through the night baying at the stars to find some inkling of relief. I found none. I stopped and replayed the entire memory in my head, instant by instant. After that I realized...

It was all Ensin's fault. He lied about everything, He lied to everyone, He lied just to horde the gems we work for for himself... and he used my father to compensate his actions...

'Kill him...' I heard a voice in my head...

'Rip him to shreds, fillet his flesh, tear him limb from limb...' I clenched my fist... the voice in my head was ME!

'... you have to... you owe it to dad...' I thought about it for days. I had to stop Ensin, for dad, for all those bound on that plateau, those who went missing but were never noticed, those who will keep on dying because no one would stop Ensin. I thought about it long and hard and you know what? ...

... it was right...

First Lessons [8]

"An eye that sees what the other senses detect. But what does that have to do with you mistaking me for Ensin?"

"You see, when I was looking for Ensin, I knew he came to Gridfeather often because he wore clothes from here, different from the other diamond dogs. I looked for scent colors similar to that of Ensin's, you happen to have almost the same scent color. When I saw you through my 'bad' eye, You looked just like him, although, since diamond dogs are colorblind, might have not been the best idea." He looked back down at the stream, "Then I reopened my left eye to aim the bow and arrow." He held up an imaginary bow to demonstrate.

"So what was the difference between me and Ensin?"

"I look at you know and see you have brighter, more pure scent colors. But scent colors can be affected by things like pheromones or sweat." It made sense, now for the last question.

"Why did you take those steps forward in the battle." He put his paw over his left eye.

"Whenever I'm moving, sometimes my vision separates and so I have to get closer in order for both my eyes to get back in sync. It doesn't make sense unless you think of two translucent pictures overlapping each other, the picture moves too much and the image splits somewhat and you have to adjust it again." He lies down on the grass.

"So now what do we do?"

"Heh... First, we get some sleep. Then, training begins..." We set up camp and take shifts between sleeping and watching guard to make sure no one ambushes us. I look at the sky, realizing how little I knew about the world. I was in uncharted territory. Thoughts started swimming through my mind.

'What to do... I needed to think of a plan. Eol and I can train on the go, but where would we go? This world was vast in it's own part, traveling in it wasn't going to be easy, especially on foot. What are we going to do...'

'Know your enemy as well as know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster,' the quote of Sun Tzu's words fresh in my mind. I decided to build up from the beginning.

'Who am I?'

'I am Aoi Myoujin, known to others as the Lunar Legend.'

'Who is my enemy?'

'My enemy is the oppression and cruelty that reigns across these lands...'

That established, what do I need to defeat my enemy? Support for our cause, Awareness of our cause, and for any war, well trained troops and ample supply. I am here, this is now my purpose. First off would be to gain support and awareness to our cause, therefore I needed to get in touch with world leaders. Keith mentioned that the Leaders of Equestria were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, so they're my best bet for support in the cause. I could talk to them at the Grand Galloping Gala, making that my first destination. I pulled out the paper and looked at the date, then woke up Eol when it was his shift to ask him.

"Hey Eol, when is the Grand Galloping Gala?" I had no idea how dates worked in this world, I handed him the paper.

"It says here that the Grand Galloping Gala is in a few days," This gave me cause for alarm, I looked at the map to see the Equestrian border near out position. We had to move quickly, but how? I thought it over for a second. Until we found a mode of transportation, we would have to run the entire way to make up for time.

"Well then we better get moving, I have to get an audience with the Princess soon. How long can you run for at top speed?"

"Diamond dogs have stable bodies, but running at top speed, at most an hour before we have to slow down."

"Well now," I gathered all of our things together, "I guess training begins with Endurance." Eol chuckled. After we had our bearings we started to make a beeline for the nearest town. I explained to Eol why we were running,

"One of the first steps is that we have to make known our cause and gather some support from someone influential, the most influential being Princess Celestia, and the event she's hosting, the Grand Galloping Gala. We can make it in time if we get to a town with a train station to take us to Canterlot. But for now, we can train along the way."

"How so?" I slice of two branches with a dashing cut, then catch one, Eol catches the other and smiles.

"Lesson number one, climbing." His smile turns into one of nervous excitement.

"Try and run up the next tree in front of you, we have enough momentum," He decided to trust me and managed to run up it his first try. Not bad. I do the same. We both end up on the tops of trees.

"Next, use your sense of hearing to detect where the next tree branch is, then jump, keeping the momentum all the way through. If you can keep your legs steady when you land, most of the time you'll ace the landing." He picked up on my advice quickly and soon was fluidly jumping and keeping up with me.

"Now, last one to reach town has to buy the weapons..."

"Wait weapons?"

"Of course, forging could take weeks and you have a broken sword, you'll need something to defend yourself."

"Good point." What he didn't know was what we were going to use them for. We hit the Equestrian border in a few minutes. I had a gigantic smile on my face.

"Quiz, are you ready to jump the wall? Failure means you'll have to take the long way around.

"How in Celestia's name are we going to jump that?"

"On the second to last tree that you see near the wall, land putting as much weight as you can on the end of the branch, turning it into a spring."

"Makes sense," He nodded his head to the side, like he was struggling to understand the concept. We cleared the wall and caught a glance at the bewildered guards' faces.

"See ya!" He laughed at his accomplishment.

"Aoi, I can honestly say I have NEVER done that before."

"There are a lot of things you haven't done yet. If that's how you react to every new thing, I better get myself some earplugs."

We reached the next town, Brismane, in a few hours. I let him get ahead of me since he didn't really have money.

"Haha! I win..." He had the widest grin on his face, but he was clearly out of breath.

"Alright then, I'll buy the weapons, and some drinks on me," we stopped at a nearby drink stand and got two drinks, Eol grimaced at the taste of lemonade, I smiled at his reaction.

"Now, lesson number 2," we walked into an armory and I glanced at something that would be a good weapon for Eol, brass knuckles, "A brass knuckle, a short sword, and some iron gauntlets," the shopkeeper immediately stacked the weapons on the counter, we paid our bits and left. I tossed him the brass knuckled and gauntlets. He slipped them on with a quizzical look. I drew Kokuryu and shaved the edges off of the blade, making it dull, then re sheathed Kokuryu, "You are caught in a fight surrounded by hundreds of civilians that you don't want to see hurt, options now!" I swing my sword, Eol Blocking the swing with his gauntlets, understanding why I bought them. Immediately he scrambled over some barrels onto the roof of the store. I jumped and landed lightly on the roof, going for a low sweep of his legs.

"Good, not many civilians walk on the roofs of houses. Now you're thinking." I swing my sword a couple of more times, he deflects the first, then slides the knuckle under the swing, batting it away. He was adjusting well now that he had a flexible shield to deflect swords. I kept going on the offensive, pushing him towards the ledge of the roof until his feet were on the edge.

"You're now cornered, and now you have limited options, what are those options?" He tried punching me, I parried with a swing of my sword. He then jumped to the next roof, I followed swinging at him, he turned around in midair and parried. We landed and I lowered my sword to my side.

"Excellent, you just learned that not all fights are grounded, you must use unexpected opportunities to turn the tide of battle, but remember, don't attack at every possible opportunity. Now then, let's give these people a good show, shall we?" I winked. He looked around him and saw many ponies were gazing at the rooftops, wondering what the hell a diamond dog and a wolf were doing fighting in the middle of town. He turned his attention back to me and gave a sly grin. He started the offense this time, going for a low punch, I dodged with a sidestep to the left and batted his arm away, punching him upside the head, he stumbled and teetered on the edge of the roof, regaining his balance he turned around trying to get me with a backhand, I guarded and turned with the impact, gaining momentum for a leg sweep. The crowd gasped as he jumped and turned, hitting me in the head with a roundhouse kick, I staggered backwards. He was learning to read me. Time to take this up a notch, I started to run away, him chasing after me, then stopped abruptly and turned to hit him in the side of the head with a backhanded slash, he immediately recoiled with the attack, a long mark showing where I hit him. I continued my attack by starting with a slash downwards he crossed his arms to parry but I jerked the sword to the right and turned to hit him in the neck, he coughed and grasped his neck due to the pain of the impact.

The crowd gasped in excitement and horror, never had they seen a brutish fight such as this in their life. Then he charged, skidding his foot in a slide, kicking up dust that had accumulated on the roof, I heard the whistle of the gauntlet and immediately guarded, but the force of the impact knocked me off the roof. I landed on the ground hopping backwards and jumping onto the next roof over. Fortunately he was teaching me as well as I was teaching him. I never saw any style of hand to hand combat like Eol's before, I was excited. He ran and jumped over the gap between the roofs, his arm pulled back to deliver a punch. I side stepped and turned, hitting him in the back of the head with the flat of the blade, knocking him onto the ground. He's too over dramatic in his attacks that he leaves himself open to dodging attacks. I made a mental list of flaws in his combat skills, we'd practice those skills later. He used the momentum to flip himself over back into standing position. He turned around to reveal dust all over his face and a now messy new mo hawk, I jerked forward snickered, trying so hard to hold back a laugh from his ruffled look. He growled, smoothing back his fur and started to charge again, guess he didn't take it well. I blocked the punch with the flat of the blade and shifted it, making him skew off tangent to me, open for a drop kick that left him lying on the roof, dazed.

"Sleeping in class? We still have a lot of work to do," I realized, this was the first time I was actually taunting my opponent. I was actually enjoying the fight. I picked him up by the scruff and booted him off the roof, causing him to land on his ass on the street below. He winced as he landed and got back up. I jumped down and landed in front of him. I lowered the short sword to my side.

"So, what have we learned," The crowd was surprised at my announcement. Eol rubbed his sore backside.

"One, attacks can come from anywhere, so you got to be aware of what or who's attacking you at every given moment, and two, you are one sadistic teacher, Aoi." I looked at him with a surprised face, then laughed out loud. Then a mare started to trot up to me, then pointed a hoof at me.

"Wait I know you... you're the one from Stalliongrad! I recognize you from the paper!" She looked at me with wide eyes. The crowd started to close in on us, then a swarm of stallions and colts with camera's started taking pictures of me and asking a swarm of Questions, I looked at Eol and nodded. I jumped back onto the roof, he did the same, and we jumped from rooftop to roof top the crowd following us at the edge of the city walls. Then turned around.

"Mares and Gentle-colts I do believe me and my brother are pressed for time, so if you don't mind we'll be on our way." I grabbed Eol by the scruff and we jumped over the wall into the forests below. Eol and I both hearing a shout on the other side of the wall,

"AFTER HIM!" We started running again. About a half a mile away from Brismane, we heard the city gate open and a swarm of reporters galloping towards us, determined to get the scoop on me. After 2 months of experience being chased by the paparazzi, you learn to be able to avoid them easily. We stayed camouflaged in the shadows of the trees, running silently on the ground, keeping a close eye on the road for any stray ponies. I pulled out the map and marked our next destination, there was a town just a few miles north from where we were. Hopefully they had some sort of transportation to take us to Canterlot. I looked back at Eol, he was kind of sore from Our fight, so I slowed down to a fast walk.

"Let's slow down for a bit, I wanted to talk to you about something..."

"What is it?"

"Where you learned how to fight, did someone teach you?"

"I taught myself, no one wanted to teach a diamond dog how to fight in Gridfeather..." His mood turned to ashamed.

"Why?"

"Gridfeather was mostly griffin based, there's distrust between them and the residing diamond dogs because of the notion that ALL diamond dogs kidnap other species for slaves. So the griffins wouldn't allow the sale of weapons to diamond dogs. I got my sword from a connection inside the city. The rest of the time, I taught myself hand to hand combat by brawling in pubs and other rowdy places. I've been given the bum's rush on more than one occasion... what about you?"

"The best that I could find to teach me..." A slight glare in Eol's direction signaled him to drop the topic.

"Oh yeah, I'm not one for using these, so here, do you know how to use them?" I handed him the belt of vials and blow gun, along with 7 to 8 darts. He looked at the gear and then at me, then nodded. He put the belt around his waist, and loaded the blow gun and slipped that into a sleeve on the belt. I slipped Kokuryu in my obi and we continued for a few more steps. Simultaneously, I drew Kokuryu and Eol readied his boxer stance and turned to our right.

"Who's there." Suddenly three diamond dogs came out from behind the trees, both with a similar appearance to Eol, more sleek and stood upright. Definitely higher classed.

Talking with Eol, I found out differences between the diamond dogs. They had a caste hierarchy based on their resemblance to wolves. Omegas were heavy lifters who walked slouched, their arms extending even below their kneecaps. They were considered rather insignificant. Then there were the Gatas, ones who stood upright but were rather rounded in the abdominal area, they usually detected gem veins. Then the Betas, who were rather skinny and stood upright, with very flexible bodies and smoothed out fur, they mined and were guards, and held above average intelligence, able to speak fluently. Also, as later described by Eol, squad leaders of capture groups. Then the Alphas, who have shiny fur, and stood taller than the rest, they led the pack due to the belief that they share a close bloodline with wolves, as well as their intellect.

The dogs looked very much like Betas, all with bows and arrows, they weren't here to capture us. Surprisingly they slowly walked up to us and knelt.

"We proudly pledge our allegiance to the Lunar Legend," I was surprised, Eol wasn't.

"I told you what we did would make waves." The tallest of the Beta's stood and greeted me.

"I am Koal, my companions are Elt and Ubi. We've left our clan in hopes of joining your clan." He glanced down at Eol.

"What's the meaning of this? A young one so brazenly stands at your side?" I punch Koal in the face, sending him into the tree behind him.

"Why are you doing this?" Elt gets up.

"No one insults by brother," I return my fist to my side, "You'll do well to respect him. I wonder if you are even worthy of joining my clan." Koal stands up dazed. I wink at Eol.

"So, those who wish to join my clan must pass one test, you must fight Eol in unarmed combat." Eol grinned and cracked his knuckles.

"We are from clans of high regard, why won't you accept us?" Elt asked confused, Ubi stayed quiet.

"Rank and name mean nothing to me, you have to prove yourselves if you wish to stand by me," My tone turned harsh. All three of them became nervous. They dropped their swords and took up stances, except for Ubi who took a skewed stance with arms at his side. Koal rushed Eol, but was quickly downed by a sidestep and an elbow to the back of the head. Elt tried now and tried to kick, Eol grabbed his leg with both paws and twisted it, causeing a pop sound to emanate from Elt's knee. He looked a me and shrugged,

"Too much?" Then he looked back at Ubi, still silent. Eol waited for him to make the first move. Ubi slowly walked toward him, his eyes not blinking. Something was different about this guy.

"Eol, duck!" He reacted and ducked to avoid a roundhouse kick, but then got nailed as Ubi reeled backwards and slammed his fist on Eol's head. He stumbled backwards. Ubi started to have a cold look in his eyes, One I knew before.

"Eol, get behind me." Eol reluctantly did. I started to match Ubi's gaze. He started to walk towards me slowly, I slowed time down to catch his movements. I jumped over a low sweep, then countered a punch he thrust while I was still in mid air, back flipping and kicking the fist away, then landing backwards. Time reverted back to normal. I knew for a fact what Ubi's fighting style was, It was one of deception, one almost similar to that of some Chinese martial styles. For 20 seconds I matched each of Ubi's attacks blow for blow, his gaze still kept on me and mine on him. Until I slowed time down to nail a heavy punch to the chest, causing him to fall backwards onto the ground. He was hiding strength, heavy strength. He slowly got up for round two.

"This test is over. Ubi..." I smiled, "I, Aoi Myoujin, officially except you into our clan." Koal and Elt's jaws dropped while Ubi's expression turned into one of surprised, completely contrasting the look he had while we were fighting.

"Koal, Elt, you come here thinking your names and your clans will earn you respect, but what you lack is humility and skill, when you've acquired both, you may join our clan." They had their tail between their legs, and left, utterly disgraced. Ubi stayed, deadpanning.

"Ubi, are you okay?" He nodded, "Can you talk?"

"Yes..." he was blunt, and his face turned calm. He was taller than Eol but a foot shorter than me.

"How old are you?"

"26..." He was older than me.

"So how do you feel, being apart of the clan?" I tried to make him feel comfortable. He had an expression of subtle joy on his face, then looked at me.

"Happy..."

"Alright then, we need to double time it if we're going to make it to Canterlot in time, Ubi can you run for long?"

"Yes..."

"Great, In that case we can head out," Eol came out from behind me, him and Ubi looked at each other, Ubi rubbing his the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it, I've been hit harder by Aoi here many times, some even recently," he glared at me with a coy smile.

"Alright you two, let's get going, next stop..." I put up the map.

"...Ponyville."

A Good Run [9]

I taught Ubi how to run up trees and jump on them. He fell off the branches once or twice, so we stuck to running on the ground. After we made some distance, we set up camp under the moonlight. Eol started talking to Ubi, asking various questions, to which he would shy away from or answer with a yes or no... I laid back on the grass gazing at the stars. Eol's endurance had increased due to the running, which also helped his leg muscles increase, enabling him to deliver more devastating blows. I wasn't sure what Ubi was good at exactly, he could read and attack someone one, but had little skill in terms of actual defense. Then again, that was only on hand to hand combat, I haven't seen his skill with a sword yet. He had strange fur for a diamond dog: while most diamond Betas had solid brown, black, or gray fur with markings around the face, he had silver fur. He was also picky at times, refusing to eat the other gems, only diamonds. Eol happily snacked on any one of them, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, the whole lot. I couldn't eat gems, so I didn't get how they could even taste them. I ruffled through my sack and brought out a nice ripe mango. I cut it open with my claws and enjoyed each juicy slice. Mostly sweet, mangoes had a slight bite to them if they're not ripe enough. As I was slurping up another slice of mango, Ubi came up to me and sat down beside me. I started to strike up some casual conversation.

"Do you ever wonder how you've lived all this time but never thought to look up at the stars?"

"I was never on the surface..."

"Oh... sorry..."

"No sorries needed." He sounded detached.

"How'd you come here with those other betas?"

"We ran away from the clans, they say they were noble, but I knew the truth," I perked my ears up.

"Oh? What was the truth?" His answer interested me.

"The clans were evil, they just wanted to sound good." When Ubi spoke, it was usually cold, aloof from the world, as if he was talking to everything.

"Are you the real legend?" He looked at me with a tinge of doubt.

"I'm sure of it," I took another bite of the mango, "It took me a while to realize it though. Eol said I fit the legend exactly."

"Where's your dragon blade?" I showed him Kokuryu, he slowly unsheathed the sword and touched the blade. Suddenly his eyes went wide, and he immediately sheathed the blade, tears coming to his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He gave the sword back to me, bowing his head. I tilted his chin up, a look of sadness on his face, "What's wrong?" He wiped his eyes and looked away. I decided to leave him alone, no point bringing up uncomfortable thoughts. I had a feeling he'd tell me soon enough. I decided to change the topic.

"Do you think you'll miss them?" He looked back at me.

"Your family, do you think you'll miss them," his gaze turned cold again, and he looked away.

"I have no family..." Either died or something else. When I thought about it, All of us are orphans. Being together makes us family...

"Well you do now," He looked up confused. I washed my hands in a nearby pool of water, "Being part of our clan means being a part of our family now..." he lost his cold gaze and went back to being depressed. He's emotionally troubled, I wonder what happened to his parents. I draw Kokuryu and inspect the blade, something happened when Ubi touched it, but what? I touch the blade and feel it warm to the touch, strange... I sheath it again and look to the stars.

'To think, someone makes this happen, every single night.' Then I wondered why I was called the Lunar Legend. Maybe because of my fur, something like that. Eol walked up to Ubi and sat down next to him.

"In all honesty, Eol and I don't have any parents or any family left. Both our parents were killed. Eol's by a greedy son of a bitch, mine by a fucker who enjoyed killing." Ubi looked at me and his ears flattened. I gave him a reassuring look, "What about you?" He curled up, crossing his arms over his knees and resting his head. Still silent...

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to. If it helps, would you like to hear the story what happened since I got here?" He nodded. Even though Ubi was 26, he was like a child, shy and uncomfortable with confrontation. Eoi was goofing off, swinging from the branches.

"To be honest, I'm not really a wolf," Ubi's eyes widened, "I came from another world, I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but when I got here, I turned into one. I got used to it and decided to explore, so I did. The dragon where I got this scale from, I fought at Stalliongrad, first time I ever fought one, I actually fell close to 120 feet into a wheelbarrow of Hay at one point," Ubi smiled, "at the end of the fight, I carried a scale over to him, he said I could have it. The dragon's name was Blackfire, he seemed like he went through a lot. After woards I spent the later half of a week forging the dragon blade, merging my sword with his scale. Strange things happened, and now somehow, I feel connected with him. He talked to me in one of my dreams and named me his successor, whatever that means in dragon terms," Ubi looked surprised.

"It means he sees you as his true son," How he knew this, I wouldn't know.

"He passed on his soul to you. Everything he's known, now with you."

"How do you know all this," he looked away again. He was definitely hiding something, but I don't think now would be a good time to press him on the matter. I looked back at Eol to see him smash into a tree after swinging from a vine. I laid back down and turned by gaze back to the stars. I thought how Blackfire could now soar into the clouds without end. Then drifted off to sleep...

"Aoi, take care of the silver-furred one..." I opened my eyes again to find it close to twilight. We found ourselves at the edge of Ponyville, which seemed almost completely unguarded. If a dragon attacked, this place would be gone off the map.

We started walking through the street, our appearances warrant some suspicious looks. Then I spot a tree in the middle of the town marked Library. Immediately Eol whimpered and looked at me with puppy dog eyes. I nodded and he zoomed off, jumping up and down. We followed him to the door of the library. I knocked on the door and heard clamoring inside. The door opened to reveal a purple unicorn fumbling over some cloth,

"Oh sorry for the mess, I'm just doing some last minute preparations and GAAAAHHhhh!" she looked up and saw me towering over her. In a rough estimate I stood maybe 7 to 8 feet in height, Ubi at 6 and a half, and Eol at 6 feet. She looked up with a look of nervous surprise.

"*Ahem*... m-m-may I help you?..." Immediately Eol zoomed into the library, looking through the shelves, wondering at books he's never seen before. I looked down.

"May we come in?" She nodded, me and Ubi had to duck just to get in through the door. Now that I had a better look, the entire Tree was a home within a library. I saw parchments and books scattered, spotting a letter with the end of it written in slick manuscript, 'Your student, Twilight Sparkle'. So that's her name? After shaking her head and calming down, she started asking questions.

"Sooooo... what brings you to Ponyville," her speech was choppy, signaling suspicion.

"We were hoping to catch a train to Canterlot for the Grand Galloping Gala," her expression changed to surprise, "But meanwhile I thought we'd stop by to relax." Twilight tilted her head over to Eol balancing precariously on a ladder to grab a book out of reach.

"Eol loves to read, that's why we stopped here," her expression changed to relief, and also a sort of joy, she used magic to slip the book out of the shelf and place it into Eol's paws.

"Would you like some tea?" I nodded.

"That would be nice," Twilight brought over a tea kettle and poured us some tea, seamlessly with ease considering she had no fingers, but she had a troubled look while doing so, as if pondering something. I decided to strike up some casual conversation.

"I've always wondered how ponies could pick things up with their hooves when it's a flat surface," She stopped immediately, putting down the tea pot, her eyes dilating, then slowly turned her gaze to me, her eye twitched. She replied in a quiet tone.

"I have been trying to figure that out for weeks now, and it's been driving me crazy!" her voice turned into one of anger and irritation, "ever since that GRIFFIN sent that letter to Princess Celestia, it's been racking my brain non stop." Her head jerked to the side in a nervous tick, "and you know what?!" I stared at her, "I HAVE NO IDEA!" she burst into tears. I took the teacup and sipped, the warm tea having an unfamiliar yet nice aroma. I should probably avoid mentioning that in the future. Then I replayed what she said in my head.

"Wait, you know Princess Celestia?" She could be useful. She wiped away her tears.

"Yes... I'm her student," Perfect.

"Do you think you could get me in touch with the Princess? It's very important," her expression changed to one of deep thought.

"I don't know... I mean why would she want to talk to someone like-" I shot her an irritated glare. She froze up, "I mean SURE, sure." She started to rummage around the room for a quill, distressing when she could find no ink, she looked at me and dryly chucked, "It seems I'm out of ink... I know, uhm mister..."

"Aoi..."

"Aoi?" she cocked her head to the side, "*ahem* could you head to Zecora and pick up the ink she's making for me? She lives in the Everfree forest."

"Of course," I motioned for us to leave, Eol with a stack of books in his arms.

"Can I borrow these for a bit?" Twilight looked amused

"sure, when are you bringing them back?" She asked out of curiosity.

"When I finish." Eol said coyly. We walked out without another word. I checked the map and we made our way through the Everfree forest.

It was damp, like a tropical rainforest, yet had an eerie gloom to it all. Ubi seemed uncomfortable, fidgeting and rubbing his fur. Eol seemed rather normal, Immersing himself in a book labeled 'Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone'. It reminded me of how I used to go to the library to check out every book that mattered to me, spending nights reading them, memorizing their contents. Maybe I should try and find a good book, or write one of my own.

"Now if the map's correct, Zecora's should be around here somewhere..." I look around and see a pillar of smoke north of here.

*Snap*

"Get DOWN!" We duck, barely avoiding swipe from an unknown creature. I drew Kokuryu and cleaved the one that attacked us, an amber liquid splattering across the grass. Ubi took formation to my left, Eol to my right. Suddenly more of them came into view, they looked like feral wolves, but made of wood. That liquid must have been tree sap, I'm guessing.

"Eol, do you have any idea what these things are?"

"They're timber wolves, wolves born from the forest trees, and Yes, they are carnivorous," Apparently Eol read about the types of wildlife here. Let's have some fun, shall we.

"Stop..." Ubi stood in front of us, walking towards the largest one. I didn't see his eyes then, but I knew his aura turned cold. I could tell Eol saw what I felt. His walk was calm, yet forceful. He unsheathed his sword, and threw it at the leader's feet, gauging his reaction... The leader back off a pew paces, and all the other timber wolves became still, their backs arching. I sheathed Kokuryu, and motioned for Eol to stand down. I looked a Ubi for a few seconds longer, simply passing by his sword. As soon as he did that I knew one thing for certain...

... that timber wolf was going to die...

Moon Beams [10]

The Timber wolf pounced and tried to pin Ubi to the ground. Ubi grabbed its legs and flipped it, slamming it into the ground. The Timber wolf righted itself back up. Ubi maintained a calm, subtle stance. The Timber wolf went into a dash, then lunged at Ubi's throat, he whirled around and slammed his foot into the Timber wolf's head, splinters flying into the air. The timber wolf got back up, then hopped to the left to distract him, lunging again in an attempt to tackle. Ubi grabbed the Timber wolf's front leg and reeled back his other arm. He brought down a clenched fist onto the leg, breaking it, a loud snap and a pained howl following it. The now broken leg was hanging off by a strip of bark, sap dripping from the break. The timber wolf backed off and snarled.

Ubi now started his counterattack. He ran at the Timberwolf with arms at his side, so as not to give away his next move. The Timber wolf reeled back, about to lunge forward with a snap. Ubi's arms launched forward, grabbing the timber wolf's mouth, keeping it pried open. He started to pull the Timber wolf's maw outward, widening it. He strained his muscles, the timber wolf's expression changing to one of pure horror. Ubi gave some slack to his arms then jerked them apart, tearing the bottom half of the Timberwolf's jaw off. Sap splattered everywhere, and the timber wolf collapsed to the ground in pain, causing the other timber wolves to back off from Eol and I. Ubi walked back to us, throwing away the bottom jaw and picking up his sword to sheath it. I had no questions, more of an idea of what happened in his past. The Timber wolf started to gurgle and soon ended up on the forest floor, dead.

"I take it your no stranger to killing then..." He kept walking past us, what I said probably hit a sore spot. We grouped back together, and headed on towards the smoke stack to the north, Ubi walking ahead. Ubi calmed down soon afterwards back to his distant self. Eol started walking close to me. he started to mouth words to which I could hear them as an actual whisper. This was probably how diamond dogs had private conversations.

"What's up with him?"

"I have an Idea of what happened in his past, but for now, let's leave the subject alone..." I started speaking in a normal voice again, "Hey Ubi..." He perked his ears and they swiveled to my direction, "Nice work back there." He slouched his head down in response, then I knew it... he hated killing. He probably hated it to his very core. But why did he show no restraint on killing that timberwolf? I shook my head and continued onward. I started to overhear something as we approached Zecora's place, sounding like a conversation.

"...yes but then a white bear came you see? And slammed the manticore into a tree," the voice was old, foreign sounding.

"Oh my gosh... a bear?" this voice was rather quiet and high pitched.

"Not any bear I had ever encounterered, stood high on two, not four legs, and sauntered."

"Wow..."

"The bear was victorious, from the battle of two, but before I could thank him he vanished from view, into the trees begone from my sight he left but his gaze to ensure I was alright."

"That's... very interesting," I could here apparent fear in the other one's voice. Just then the door opened and a young mare walked out with yellow-cream fur and a pink mane. She slowly looked up and saw me.

"AHHHH!" She jumped into the bushes immediately...

"It's okay, I won't hurt you, I'm just here to run an errand for Twilight..." Slowly the mare peeked out from under the bush...

"What's your name?"

"I'm Fluttershy..." She said it in a soft voice, just barely audible. She then started whimpering.

"I'm Aoi... if you don't mind I'll just be on my way, I needed to pick up a delivery for her." We walked inside, the situation wasn't much better.

"Oh... a stranger enters upon my humble shop, I sense you are to pick up what I was going to drop."

"One, I'm here because Twilight Sparkle told me to get some ink you had for her. Two, who's this white bear that stands on two legs?"

"I see you and him are part of a single thread, such many things of mystery lie ahead." She went over to a shelf and picked up a vial and a bottle. She handed me the vial and the bottle.

"The vial contains something to bring you aid, the bottle for the young Twilight's request she had made." She then turned around.

"Be warned, for the vial is not to drink, for it's effect is more surprising than you think..." She had a devilish grin then went back to the cauldron at the center of the room. I looked at the vial, it had a red shimmering liquid inside. I gave it to Ubi to place in his belt, Then we all left. A few steps down the road back to Ponyville, Eol spoke up.

"Aren't you wondering what's in the vial? It looks kinda strange to me..." I knew what was in the vial, but I was going to use that information later. Ubi looked uneasy again, glancing occasionally at the vial. I thought for a second how to get Ubi to tell us about his past. I could always wait until he felt comfortable, or confront him about it. But for someone emotionally unstable, who knows what will happen...

We came back to Ponyville in the evening, delivering the ink and having Twilight write the letter:

'Dear Princess Celestia,

Aoi wishes to have a talk with you about what he says are 'very important matters' and has asked me to write you this letter. He wants to know whether or not you can speak with him.

Your student,
Twilight Sparkle

She seemed to be relieved to have a well of ink now. She gave the letter to Spike, he breathed a puff of fire, burning it.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Well, Spike can send letters by burning them. they arrive, the princess writes back, and she sends it directly to Spike, simple as that." She seemed proud to explain the process, "Now about why you wanted me to write on having political talks with the Princess?"

"Sure..." We sat down at a rather small table, Twilight on one end of the table, Eol, Ubi and me on the other sides. She levitated some plates carrying cake and placed them on the table. Ubi and Eol started Eating, Eol while still reading one of the books Twilight lent to him. Twilight staring intently on each and every one of us. Ubi gently sliced the cake with his knife, while Eol was shoving the cake into his muzzle by the fork load. Yep, complete opposites.

"So what brings you to Ponyville?" I answered her question already... she's still probably suspicious.

"I came here to take the train to Canterlot for the Grand Galloping Gala." Twilight's Eyes widened.

"You mean the The Princess invited you?" Suddenly, Spike belched and a letter appeared. Twilight caught the letter Immediately, skimming it over. Along with the letter was a golden ticket that floated towards me. I grabbed it and looked at it.

'Admit All ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot' She stared intently at the ticket then to me.

"B-b-but... this makes no sense! Do you even know each other?" She seemed shocked. She gave the letter to me.

'Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Tell Aoi I'd be glad to have a word with him, and that he's invited to the Grand Galloping Gala along with anyone else coming with him. The more the merrier.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia'

"I take it this is a welcome with open arms?" She nodded. I stood up and bowed, "Thank you for your hospitality and all your help..."

"I-I-Well... um... you're welcome?" We walked out and shut the door behind us.

"Well that was simple enough..." Now I had an audience with the Princess, now things can go into action.

We boarded the train to Canterlot and arrived near the evening. Only one more day until the Gala, we actually had some time to relax.

We rented a room at an Inn, staying there for the night. Officially the preparations were to be undergone tommorrow and the Gala tommorrow night. Eol turned off the light and we went to sleep.

At least one of us...

I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to look at the night sky, having trouble sleeping. I walked outside the inn and climbed up onto the roof to find Ubi there, laying on the roof. I layed down beside him.

"Ubi, do you mind if I ask you some things?"

"I know already..." His face turned sad...

"I'll tell you..." Then raised a finger, "Let me ask you this..."

"Fire away." He seemed relieved.

"Have you ever been treated as an outcast?" I thought about it. People would shy away from me, fearing me because of my cold demeanor and my red eyes...

"Yes... because I was different... some thought I was a demon even..." He looked at me with a look of understanding, then smiled and laid back down, his face changing to one of solemnity.

"Then I can tell you this..." I He raised his paw up in front of his face, his fur shining silver in the moonlight, then taking out the vial I gave him earlier, turning it twice around in his paw. He sighed...

"I'm not really a diamond dog..."

A Fatal Gaze [10x]

I was running... I was afraid... my whole clan... they hated me... now... they wanted to kill me... The betas and the alpha... they wanted to 'dispose of me...' they said I was a blood traitor... Why were they doing this? Why did they hate me...? I tripped on a stone and fell. I backed up and grabbed a pick. They drove me to the forgotten part of the mines... They had me trapped.

"By order of Arian, you are sentenced to death... you are an abomination to our clan, your blood has brought bad omens on this clan. For this you must die to return favor from the gods..." Oles drew his sword... he was crying... I thought we were friends... why was he doing it...

Because he hated you...

What?

He loved his precious clan more than he ever cared about you...

No, it's not true...

I don't blame him... they would have killed him as well for defending you...

NO! It's not TRUE!

Face it... your friendship couldn't save you... here... the strong live... the weak die...

NOOOOO!

Then PROVE IT!

"Oles... Why?..."

"..." He stayed silent...

"Why!?" Tears fell from his face and mine...

"...." I asked one last time...

"WHY!!!!!!"

"Because YOU'RE NOT ONE OF -" He stopped... I held a pickaxe in my hand...I stood up...

So much for being your friend...

"So its true... all of it... was just a lie..."

"Don't make me do this."

"SHUT UP!"

"Ubi..."

"DON'T TALK TO ME... YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE... I thought we were friends.......... I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!!!" He raised his sword above my head. I swung the pickaxe... It pierced his skull, splashing blood and bone over the cavern walls. I picked up his sword and slashed through 3 others... they used to be my brothers... they used to be my friends... I had no one now...

"The strong live...... the weak die...." I started running again... digging my way to the surface, I had to run... I had no one now... I crawled out of the ground, lying there... crying... I had no one... I was alone... I killed someone I thought was my only friend... he betrayed me... he betrayed me and died for it...

What will you do now? You can't stay here anymore...

I don't know! What is there left for me to do...

Instead of asking yourself why... find out why...

I dug a hole and stayed there, curled up, crying...

Crying's not going to turn back time... but it helps... I held on to Oles's sword... the last thing I could depend on...

My life become a daily fight for survival... I barely ate more than once a day. The only gem i could really eat was diamond... any other gem would cause me to either feel sick or vomit. Around the forests it was scarce to find diamonds, so I moved on to the mountains, where it's said that the gems were more pure. All I had was a sword and a pickaxe... so i dug, finding occasional diamond and selling the gems I do find to a town nearby... I stopped talking to other diamond dogs... I had lost all trust in them. If my clan thinks I'm a traitor, then others must think the same thing. I never trusted anyone anymore. I lived on my own.

One day I remembered what I was going to do...

Instead of asking yourself why... find out why....

They hated me, called my a blood traitor, and abomination... Why... Oles said I wasn't one of them... If I wasn't one of them, who was I one of? I didn't have any parents... So who were they? I started to think more and more about who I was, but it always lead back to me being alone. I looked at my reflection in a lake one day, spending all day trying to list differences between me and other diamond dogs, I had silver fur, a trait Oles told me was extremely rare. I had two black marks at the corner of my eyes. I looked at my claws, longer than most diamond dogs. So what did the difference mean? I continued to mine for diamonds, getting stronger fighting off other clans that wanted to capture me.

One day, I started to dig far into the mountain and ended up in an empty cavern filled with diamonds, a white dragon on top of the pile, the dragon seemed familiar somehow... I slowly walked up to it... gazing at the great beast. Then It opened its eyes and looked at me. It lifted its head high to look down on me, the cave suddenly turning cold.

"Ah... so, you've finally found me..." I was shocked...

"Who are you?" The White dragon smiled.

"It's been so long, Ubi." She knew who I was, "You don't even remember do you?" Remember what? She stood up now, her head almost touching the top of the cave.

"How do you know me?" She chuckled.

"So does time and fate... time erased your memories of me..." She then brought over her tail, and tapped it on my head, "But fate will bring you back to me," She had a soothing voice, like one almost like...

...like that of a mother...

"Mom?" She nodded slowly. I started to cry, her head went low so she looked at me at eye level and licked my face. I did something for the first time in my entire life. I hugged her...

"Why did you leave me? They almost killed me!"

"I never thought they'd do that, I thought you'd be safe... I wanted you to be along with your father's people... like he wanted." I sniffled.

"Dad wanted me to live with the clan? Why?"

"I'm not like the other dragons... the other dragons would try to eat you any chance they got. We sent you to the clans because we thought it would be the best place to grow up for you." Things started to piece together, My silver fur, the diamonds, the other's calling me an abomination... it all made sense now... I started crying deeply now... for the first time in my life, I was now home again... I had a family again... I smiled again.

We spent months together, enjoying the horde mom had, her telling stories spanning across millenia, catching up on lost time. She taught me many things about my lineage. I was part dragon... mom said it would only be a matter of time before I could learn magic.

"Magic? Like what?" She pondered it over.

"Like breathing fire, or ice, or even lightning," she demonstrated by breathing out a chilling blast of air across the ground, making it glossy. I tried blowing outward, but nothing happened.

"In time, you'll learn."

She also told me that most dragon's are suppose to leave their young to fend for themselves. It was sad that parent's would just abandon their children on a whim. I understood how mom and dad left me with a clan, but the feeling of being abandoned never goes away. But it was in the past now... this was my new life now.

One day, It all changed. I woke up to roars and rumbling outside of the cave...

"WHERE'S MOM!" I got up and ran, ran to the outside of the cave. I saw mom, bleeding, and another dragon, standing in front of her, he looked like he was grinning...

"UBI, RUN!!! Get as Far away from here as you can..." I stood there with my eyes wide....

"... RUN!" I don't wanna leave you again....

"JUST RUN!!!" I went back inside, gathered all the diamonds I could and escaped out of the side cavern I once came in from. I ran again... I ran... leaving behind my mom. The only family I had left... Part of me wanted to go back and help her... part of me wanted to keep running... the time we spent together... the lessons she taught me... all passed me by... I was crying... for the first time in months... I hated it... I ran... hoping I could run away from it all... I collapsed by a familiar lake...

Now you're all alone again

I woke up and went back to the cave... the horde was gone and so was my mother... I stepped through the puddles of blood on the ground... I sat there where the horde used to be for several hours, wishing mom was still there... I wanted her back... I wanted her back home... I stared at the blood on the ground... it was still crimson...

I remembered something... 'When a dragon dies, it's blood turns a deep black color, but if the dragon's still alive, it's blood will still stay red, even after the blood has left the dragon's body," Mom was still alive somewhere... I wanted to find her again...

I stepped outside the cave and looked at the sky, no dragon in sight. I had a new goal... find my mother again... I started asking questions, then going from town to town... nothing.

I kept going, still hoping mom was still alive... I started to go to other clans, asking. I was mainly encountered by angry Alphas, but some were docile enough to give me some leads... all of them turned up a dead end.

I started sitting by the lake more often, it was more of my last refuge, since no warren tunnels were made beside them. I still had Oles's sword with me... my old clan... the one's who betrayed me... I heard small footsteps and turned around.

What I saw confused me, it looked like a wolf with wings. I pointed my sword towards him.

"Who are you?" I stared at him. He just paced back and forth with a grim look on his face.

"Sorry kid, I'm the one they sent to kill you..."

"Who's they..." I drew back my lips in a snarl...

"Well since you asked so nicely.... no." I needed answers, "All they said was something about betrayal and yadda yadda yadda. I really only wanted to know the target and the price." My old clan still wanted me dead.

"I BETRAYED NO ONE!"

"Well it's not my business..." he was in it for the money...

"... how much did they offer you?..." I lowered my sword.

"30 high quality gems, I got half already for taking the job," he jingled a small sack, "Going to fetch me a nice price with the embargo on Gem Fido Celestia put up..." he put the sack away. I reached into my pack and pulled out some of the best diamonds I had.

"Here's 20 if you leave me alone and tell me why they sent you?" He raised an eyebrow in interest and had a crooked smile.

"Now you're talking my language. But what's to stop me from killing you and taking the gems?" the wolf sat on his haunches at this one. "Tell you what, give me the diamonds and a little blood. I get paid, they think you're dead. We both win." I didn't like the idea... I made one of my own...

"You want a fight... come get one..." I need to make it look convincing. I sheathed Oles's sword and stood there.

"*Sigh*, always have to do it the hard way..."

His wings popped open as he lunged for me, I jumped to the side as his claw grazed my leg. I grabbed a handful of feathers and yanked them out. He let loose a snarl and jumped towards me, I hit him with my rear legs and flipped him over. I got back up as he went into a low crouch and growled. I brought my claws out and lunged at him, he rolled over and scratched dirt into my eye, then slashed with his, cutting into my side. I barked at the pain... I scratched his rear leg, feeling warm blood on my claws. He stopped and stood up wright again, wiggling his claws, looking tenaciously at them.

"Alright, this should be more than enough to convince them you're dead. So just toss over the gems and I'll be on my way." I got back up holding the wound at my side with one paw.

"Here's your pay..." I tossed him the sack... now I needed one more answer... "Before you leave, can I ask you something?" The winged wolf waved his paw for the me to continue as he double checked the gems for quality.

"... You're an assassin, in it for the money, you have no clan..." he nodded indifferently, "so you won't be offended by this..."

"Do you know why they wanted me DEAD?" his ear twitched in my direction.

"You were a traitor or something, I didn't pay attention really. Makes the job easier if I don't know stories." He would want to know mine...

"Heh... the truth is... they tried to kill me before... just because I was different...," I saw a glint in his eye as he glanced at me.

"...not that you'd understand..." I went over to the lake and washed my side. The water felt cold against the wound. He sat there, "...you have your pay now... go!" I waved at him and looked away.

The wolf gave a harsh bark of a laugh and sneered,

"Kid, where I'm from you didn't get that mercy. If they wanted you dead for being different, they made your life hell until you took it from yourself. By the way, how old were they when they tried to end you?" he lingered on the last word. It's been many years since then, but I still remember.

"13... they sent someone I thought was my best friend to do it... someone I thought I could trust..."

Anger flashed in the wolf's eyes for the briefest of moments before he hid it away. "Well kid, I got my money and I 'killed' you so I'm good to go. Enjoy the rest of your life kid. Maybe I'll see you around some other time, but," he turned around, "I got some dogs to see..." the wolf said the last part with a cold tone in his voice before launching himself into the air, a rainbow shock wave left in his wake. The wind brushed by me, my side tingling, still sensitive to the air. I watched him fly away, and I smiled.

"He heard me..."

I kept wandering in search of any hints or leads, none to be found. I tagged along with some other diamond dog rouges, Elt and Koal. They weren't strong, but they could hold their own. I mostly kept to myself. We traveled along until we heard of the Lunar Legend appearing in Equestria.

"Ubi, don't you see what this MEANS?" Kelt asked excitedly.

"If we can join the Lunar Legends clan, we can bring down our old clans and bring peace again to Gem Fido." A wolf, and a dragon slayer as well... I started to worry. What if he finds mom and kills her... I couldn't let him do that. So I went along with them to look for the Lunar Legend. It wasn't until later until I found him...

Murderous Intent [11]

"So you're the son of a dragon..." Ubi sighed.

"Yes, I thought you'd kill her by accident, or on purpose. That's why I didn't tell you until now... but then you trusted me enough to tell you your story... I felt... guilty."

"From what you've told me, I wouldn't have any reason to fight her... and there's no need to feel guilty, you wanted to protect her, that's fine by me." I looked up at the sky.

"She's your mother, and by extension, mine as well." Ubi smiled. He held up the vial to the moonlight.

"Do you mind if I have this?" I nodded. If it helped, I wasn't going to say no...

"Now I know she's still alive..." he looked at me with eyes of pure joy, "Thanks...." I felt kind of jealous for him, he still had a mother, someone he would go through hell to protect and would give anything just to be with her... I dwelled on the fact of how he knew she was, but then brushed it off. This was his thread of hope.

"There's still one thing I needed to ask you, when you touched Kokuryu, you started crying... why?" What he said surprised me.

"I saw everything, about Blackfire, about you killing him... it made me feel sad for both of you..." I held up Kokuryu's sheath to the moonlight. It glimmered.

"Then you know he died happy, part of him lives on in Kokuryu." He started to look at it more closely.

"Do you want to know what his name means?" He slowly nodded.

"The Last flight of the black dragon."

We stayed up there for a bit, until we heard something nearby, it sounded like a scream. Both of us jumped off the roof and headed towards the sound. We came to a building that looked like a blacksmith. I drew Kokuryu and went inside alone... the killer wasn't there anymore... but he did leave something.

'The Brothers Black...'

So... it's not just one, but an entire syndicate. I look around the room for clues. Lock picked, not broken, stealth entry. I looked at the body, resting in the bed. The actual murder was done rather loudly... light sleeper, woke up, called for help, stopped abruptly. I smelled something in the room, I looked at the wound, the blood had turned black... poison. I heard a noise and exited the house, spotting a black smudge on the floor. I looked down and found the smudge to be perfectly circular. A footprint of a pony, smudged in a certain direction, good reference for later. I used parchment to make a carbon copy. I walked out casually, motioning to Ubi to follow me. We followed the path that the footprint was smudged in. Why weren't there more footprints? We ended up at a dead end. I sighed.

"So much for that approach," I took a deep breath to collect my thoughts, Ubi did the same, then tapped my shoulder. I turned around.

"What?"

"Burnt feathers." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in through my nose. He was right, the smell of burnt feathers lingered in the air. I opened my eyes and looked up, I spotted a cloud high in the sky, barely visible due to the distance. I walked back to the Inn with Ubi, discussing what my idea was.

"So, you're thinking the killers are pegasi?"

"Precisely, tomorrow I'm going to look for someone who can help me... a mercenary, or someone with a common interest to help me, let's hope he, or she, is a heavy hitter. For now, let's get some sleep."

In the morning I describe what happened last night to Eol, he seemed excited to actually get some action. We head out immediately after some breakfast and start combing the streets. Strange, it's barren... I soon see why as we arrive back at the crimescene, with some unexpected people. Two Ponies dressed like hipsters and a strange looking creature. I motion for Eol and Ubi to stay back. Don't want to get caught in the crossfire. We manage to hear a bit of dialogue.

"Who are you suppose to be?" The creature tenses up, yet looks amused.

"We are Crash and Burn! Monster hunters supreme!" The two hipsters twirl into a pose. The Creature started to get annoyed.

"What do you want and Why should I give a damn?" He pulled back his lips in a wary growl. The hipsters smiled widely.

"Shall we tell them, brother?" The first one nudged the second one.

"Yes we shall, Crash!" They started stepping backwards.

"Oh, We have an Opportunity in this..." They start to sing...

"Stop! No, you will not start singing now or anytime while I can hear it!" The Creature pointed fervently at the two.

"Well brother, it seems the beast isn't very musically inclined." One of them said with a wry smile.

"Certainly not brother," The other put his hoof on his chin, "perhaps we should just end it for him so he doesn't have to hear anymore music."

"Capitol idea brother, so creature are you ready to accept your death at the hoofs of the famous Crash and Burn brothers?" I took my hand off of Kokuryu, let's see how this guy handles himself. The creature scratches his head as if trying to remember something... He sighs in annoyance.

"You two wouldn't happen to know the two dumbass I put in jail named Flim and Flam would you?" He spoke brashly, an uneven timber. The two ponies started to seeth with anger.

"YOU PUT OUR COUSINS IN JAIL!" They shouted at the creature at once.

"Yes, I did. They tried to rob me so I bashed their skulls together and turned them in," he tentatively lingered on what seemed to him like a fond memory.

"Well Crash it seems this beast needs to be taught a lesson in proper manners when dealing with famous ponies doesn't he?" Those two were famous?

"Very much so brother, may I be the first to take off one of his limbs?" Their tones turned hostile, now to see the creature in action.

"After you." The smaller of the two said in a sing-songy tone.

"Thank you," the larger one brought out whis weapon and started the attack, lashing at the creature with a claymore, these ponies were idiots. The creature grabbed the sword seemlessly with what seemed to be a prosthetic metal arm. The creature yawned and brought out a crossbow with runes on it. I heard what sounded like latin.

"Obtusum vis! (Brute force)" A black arrow shot him point blank, sending him backwards into a nearby fruitstand, the Creature chuckling at his show of force. The pony spit out an apple lodged in his mouth and staggered back to standing position.

"My, you're a strong brute aren't you?" The creature seemed irked by the ponies tone. He crushed the claymore the pony had with a forceful grip, this show of force had a larger effect, causing chills to go down their spines.

"Confringo! (Break)" He fired at the now useless claymore on the ground. The blade rusted rapidly, deteriorating it with effects that would normally take centuries to do taking place in mere seconds. The blade became crippled and unusable, blowing away in the wind that came by. All that was left was the gold that comprised the hilt, the creature picked it up gingerly, waving it like bait infront of the now defenseless pony. He was infuriated. He scratched at the ground with his rear hooves, his brother intervening by barring him with his arm.

"Brother, allow ME to take the loaf." I believe he meant oaf, Keith would've called that a fail... he drew a rapier and took a grandiose pose, imitating rapier stances in movies. I ran my paw through my hand in frustration, they knew nothing of proper stance: Stance body width (better position for footwork), no flair of the other hand (you get it cut off that way), and the foot he was leading with ws skew (he wasn't a crab he was a horse). The creature sneered.

"Nice blade," A blade extended from the topside of his hand, "but mine's better." I caught a glipse of the blade: it was stained with dried blood. The Pony turned around to try and hit him with a backhand. Pretentious fool... The Creature caught sight of it and blocked it with his blade, a lound clang reporting through the street, he parried and delivered a kick to the pony's face, which broke his muzzle instantly, he staggered then went into a wide stance, the Creature fast walking up to him, swinging his sword and shaving off the tip of the sword. The fight was already over. He went for a second slash but was interrupted by a parry with the broken rapier, the hit connecting with a sound ring. The fabric floated away from the side of the creature's arm revealing more of the arm prosthetic. The pony backed away, proud of his hit. He turned and proclaimed to he brother on the sidelines.

"What's this? It seems he was armored the whole time! Hah! Brother he chea..." In the second he gave that speech, the Creature broke the rapier in half with a single slash. Both the poines became wide-eyed. The Creature continued slashing until the rapier had become nothing more than a guard and a hilt. The creature pointed his crossbow, about to fire another shot.

"Obtusum vis! (Blunt force)" Nothing appears, the pony sighes in relief, the creature glancing for a split second at the weapon while the ponies try to make a walking retreat. he grabs their tails with a wicked smile.

"Doesn't work that way boys," he yanks back, the two ponies yelping at the pain, "ever want to learn to fly?" They rapidly shook their heads, silently begging no. The Creature gave a hearty laugh and started to spin, the ponies crying in pain as the centrifugal force started to lift them off the ground. When we spun at full speed he let go, causing the ponies to fly high into the air, clearing the city walls. I had to give him credit for style.

After the fight, he walked up to the blacksmith's forge and placed a sigular red rose on the anvil. The people started to fill the streets again, the three of us disappeared amongst the crowd and followed him closely. He bought miscellaneous supplies: ink, quill, parchement, and a pillow. He started to walk towards an alley before stopped by a small grey unicorn. Their conversation lost in the bustle of the crowd. A gray pegasus came up and staarted conversing to the Creature, then departed.

The crowd started to thin out as I walked toward the creature, then made us known.

"So... I take it you went to pay your final respects?" He stands up to answer.

"Yes," he looked at me with interest, "Why aren't you afraid like the rest of the ponies..." He's been experiencing discrimination... I knew how he felt. I took a careful look at him, he looked like something out of Keith's posters.

"Should I be?" I crossed my arms and stood there. His mouth slightly curves to as a small act of bravado.

"I DID just throw two monster hunters out of the city."

"The one's who tried to kill you?"

"Yes," blunt with answering, doesn't take a rocket scientist to say he's braggin, "I'm sure they'll land in a nice soft patch of manure." He waves the matter away.

"I overheard you, trying to defend family honor is one thing, but when it resorts to violence," I stepped forwards, "One needs to know their place..."

"I did not defend anyone's honor, and I have none either." He thought i was reffering to him.

"I was talking about them... Crash and Burn right?" He took a pose imitating one of them and said in a loud tone.

"THE SUPREME MONSTE HUNTERS! What a joke they were." I chuckled.

"Right." I went straight to business, he had the skills, all I had to do was convince him. I pulled out the paper from the news bulletin, "I assume you want to look into the blacksmith's murder?" He pondered the thought for a second.

"If I wanted to, I would have," I tried to pique his interest.

"Aren't you a little curious?" I looked at him, raising an eyebrow, "Or are you not one for getting into the business of the dead?" He glanced back at me.

"Depends on the dead, I suppose," he looked at his arm in reminiscence to something, "but I am curious." I broke the news to him.

"I was there last night, but the killers got away, I couldn't get a glimpse of their faces, but i did reinspect the scene..." He turned his head to me in interest.

"...And I found some interesting clues..." His ear twitched.

"Oh?" he tilted his head down to meet me eye to eye, "And what might those be, O mighty wolf?" I detected heavy sarcasm in his voice, he wasn't seeming to be taking me seriously, I decided to try a little intimidation of my own.

"Drop the attitude, sarcasm may seem nice, but can irritate, unless," I pause for reaction, "that's your goal... How about we talk about it over tea?" I tilt my head in study, "or do you prefer liquor to celebrate the dead?"

"Sure, I haven't had tea since I left..." he looks at the road as if to backtrack. I took him to a cafe he seemed to be familiar with. Eol seemed annoyed that we were having tea again...

"Why is it always TEA?" He raised his arms up in disgust. Then slowly sat down.

"You can order something else if you'd like..." They did have a menu after all. The Creature burst in the conversation.

"Just stop complaining, you're not helping anything," Eol seemed irritated by this.

"You're not the boss of me!" he barked. I intervened.

"ENOUGH!" The Creature looked at me with renewed curiosity. This time of me.

"Short fused are we?" I sighed and glanced at the waitress, she seemed terrified at the appearance of two unfamiliar characters. The creature started speaking politely now.

"Miss, can I please have some more herbal tea?" He was trying to calm her down, it didn't help much, though. most people here judge too much by mere appearances.

"Y-y-y-yess sir, right away sir..." she stammered and turned to me, "and y-y-y-you?"

"Black tea..." I always found Black tea calming during times like these.

"Right away..." She turned to Eol with a slightly calmer look.

"Just a glass of milk," Immediately the creature made a snide remark.

"You're a growing boy aren't you?" I glanced at Eol not to respond. He reluctantly backed down, but continued to stare at the Creature.

"Nothing for me..." Ubi drank water most of the time, preferring the minerals in spring water. The Creature looked back at Eol with another remark.

"You know it's impolite to stare at others, no matter how attractive I am to you." His looked darted back from mine to his in silent protest, then stared even more seriously. I draw Kokuryu and pint the tip towards the Creature under the table, scratching my nose to draw his attention. Until further discussion, I wasn't going to trust him, especially if he starts a fight with Eol. I strike up some casual conversation to relieve the tension.

"So, what's your name?"

"Celt, and yours?" he takes another sip of tea, tilting his head to the side to sip. He was off balanced by something, only using one hand. Apparently I'm not the only one with something under the table.

"Aoi..." He seemed to draw a tinge of interest of my mention of my name...

"And your friends?"

"Ubi," He had the same look of distrust...

"Eol, and don't you forget it!" He had a look of slight surprise, a tinge of annoyance.

"Eol, you remind me of a character from a TV..." he stopped abruptly, I curled the edge of my mouth... he was HUMAN... he tried to save himself, but the cat was already out of the bag, "I mean a character I used to know..."

"Oh, and that character was?" I leaned in slightly closer.

"Just a kid who wanted to be important despite everyone's beliefs, overconfidence is deadly." Eol pulled back his lips in a snarl, I shot him a glare. Hmm... now it was my turn...

"Sun Tzu?" He sighed after his sip and grinned.

"Art of War," I responded with a smile of my own... I offered my hand, he responded and grabbed mine, I clearly saw the struggle to keep his arm down. Now would my arm be as visible...

"Welcome to Equestria, Celt..."

"You aswell," He relaxed in relief as he let go, "I suppose I should take my crossbow away from your crotch now..." So he was aiming... only fair.

"And my blade from yours." He looked under the table and saw my blade to his shock. I pull Kokuryu away and sheath it, him placing the crossbow in it's holder. Now that introductions are out of the way....

"Now, portaining to the recent murder..." I sit back in my chair.

"Ah yes, we were getting a bit off topic now, weren't we?"

"Just a little. You do have quill and parchment don't you?" I took a sip from my cup, I was going to need them to put together my evidence. He pulled out the Quill and parchment he just bought and spread them on the table.

"Here you go."

"Thank you... Now, I looked around the building and noticed a couple of things..." I started writing down the facts.

"Such as?" He looked at what I was writing down.

"For one, the murder weapon was a blade, inspecting the wound, I found it to be laced with poison..."

"Well aren't they clever."

"Conclusion... they're pros... but still sloppy," I kept writing.

"They HAVE been at it for a few months, mind you." He slouched on the table. I curled the edge of my mouth in a smirk.

"Not enough... trust me..." I wrote down the facts about the marks I found last night, "Ash marks were left near the crimescene, on closer inspection..." I start to pull out the copy I made of the hoof print, he blurted out a guess.

"Magic?" I finished pulling out the imprint and unfolded showing the print exactly as I saw it last night.

"Hoof Prints," I spotted a look of dissappointment on his face, "Being in a blacksmith's forge, one is bound to step on a coal or two..." I should know, one time I stepped on the furnace ash and accidently dragged the ash all the way to the zen garden. Celt suddenly had a look of impatience.

"Brilliant deduction Sherlock, we already know they're ponies." Not my point, but I gave a wry snicker and decided to act the part.

"Ah... not just any... pegasi. After the initial footprints none else were found..." I took another breath, mainly for dramatic emphasis, "They flew in their escape..."

"So they're a group, they're bound to have a few pegasi." Not just a few, the entire syndicate.

"You obviously haven't investigated before... if there are pegasi, their hideout wouldn't be grounded..." Pegasi weren't known for sitting around in houses... "They'd be in the air where no one would find them..." He started to understand, but had his doubts.

"Makes sense, but wouldn't the weather team notice a cloud they hide in?" THis is where it got interesting... I pieced it all together on paper, then gave the sheet to him, arrows from the clues pointing to a drawing of a small cloud.

"Not if it's a cloud that looks just like anyother... high in the sky..." He looked at me...

"Stratus?" I pointed to a cloud high above in the air, the one me and Ubi spotted last night, it looked small, indistinguishable from the others when no one didn't think about it, but if one looked carefully, one would see the glaring difference of shape. Celt now looked impressed at my findings...

"Sure is purty, friend." He takes his cup and slowly sips, "One problem though." I knew what he was going to ask, but I humoured him.

"That is?"

"If they're in a cloud, how are we supposed to get them?" and there it was. Obviously, wolves, diamond dogs, and whatever Celt was couldn't fly. How to take down something out of reach? The answer would surprise most people.

"Simple..." I finish the last of the dregs at the bottom of my cup, I aswered coyly, "Up is where they are, so Up is where we'll go..." he had a glance of disbelief, then of curiosity. Then I revealed my actual plan, "Or shall we bring them down to earth's level..." I broke out in a tenacious grin. He sort of knew what i was planning, just a few more inches...

"I like that look," he smiled as well, "It means death is near." Close enough... what I was actually thinking was this.

We were going to blow that cloud out of the sky... I decided to see what input he had for the current situation...

"So now that I've divulged my findings, let's see yours..." His eyes darted back and forth, then had an Idea of what to tell me.

"He was killed by a group called the Black Brothers," Brother's Black Actually... "The leaders are called Black Sun, Black Star, and Black Soil." It wasn't the reaction I was going for, oh well...

"Then to me... it's just another bust," Just like the yakuza...

"That's what I know..." Now to get it from his own lips.

"How well can you handle yourself?" I glance at the crossbow, that weapon could do serious damage if applied properly, but that's not what I was going for.

"I do just fine," now to give him a push on his ego.

"Can you go up against 30, 50, maybe even 100?"

"Depends," Perfect, he performs what he preaches... not overconfident.

"Then this just might work..." his mood somewhat deflates a bit. Was it something I said? "By the way, I need to stop by the local fireworks shop..." I stand and pay the bits at the counter. Eol finished his drink with a heavily coated milk mustache.

"Alright..." He stands and leads the way. We headed to the local fireworks store, bought what we needed: an oversized bottle rocket, a cannon labeled brightly with the words 'Danger', a bundle of sparklers and a ridicuous amount of Roman Candles, coming in at a total of about 430 bits, small change considering the bounty the castle guard put up for the entire syndicate, about 2,250 bits per member captured dead or alive each. I also bought some tape, a few bits extra. While leaving, Celt asked me why ubi was carrying the bundle of sparklers.

"Why does the pipsqueak there carry the light crap?" He shouted at my face.

"Actually, he's 26, so he's technically not a pipsqueak," As for why he's carrying only the sparklers, I wasn't sure whether he was able to breathe fire or not, with legal, potentially lethal explosives around, it's for the best, "And trust me... you do not want him near the big stuff..." He had a look of utter surprise, but understanding.

"Right..." Something else came as a shock to him, "26? I'm 16 and I'm taller than he is!" That's because you're a... whatever you are...

"Don't ask, cause he won't tell." Mainly it's because I didn't want to goad him on racial differences.

We went to a hill with a perfect view of our target, the sun just hitting high noon. As soon as we got the explosives set up, we were ready for launch. Celt had a look of uncertainty. Eol flat out asked me...

"YOU SURE THIS WILL WORK?" 3 months demolitions and tested detonations... yeah, it was going to work, but what would be the fun in telling them that? I opted for the option of maximum reaction.

'... Honestly... I have no idea..." I put on an indifferent expression for what Keith would have aptly named, 'Shitz and gigglez'. Celt got excited and shouted, imitating a german accent.

"FIRE ZE MISSILE!" Eol pulled the cord to detonate the cannon, sending our makeshift missile high into the sky. The residual heat from the lighted sparklers tied near the fuse of the bottle rocket would light the fuse as it reached peak height. With the Fuse lit, it would reach the cloud seemlessly with enough force to make the moles inside stick their fucking heads heads out. The Roman Candles were there to cause mayhem, giving us some time to prepare for the onslaught.

The Missile hits its target straight and true, as we watch the cloud explode with color and vibrant light. Celt seemed touched. A lone bystander remarks on the explosion.

"Little early for fireworks don't you think?" True, but I had no time to waste. Celt simply replied in a carefree tone.

"Eyup." I chuckled at the deadpanned response. I leaned right next to him, hands folded behind my back.

"I think they need a new door." Eol watched in awe, apparently hearing my remark.

"Yah, they're DEFINITELY going to need a new door." Two seconds after he said it, Pegasi swarmed en masse above us, preparing to dive at the group who blew the shit out of their headquarters. I held back laughter at Celt's remark.

"My GOD... they're like BEES!" He starts to smile in a wicked grin, "C'mon, let's go say hi. Quickly Eol, Get the newspaper!" Eol for the first time, actually listened to Celt and ran to get the reporters. I wasn't sure he meant that newspaper.

The swarms drew near to the hill in which we stood, I drew Kokuryu, Celt extends the blade from his prosthetic, Ubi readies his claws, then Eol arrives with the Entire reporting staff for the Canterlot city paper. Eol turn's around and announces to every colt and mare there, camera's primed with the flash.

"Please take a seat, you're gonna want to see this." Eol readied his brass knuckles and we rushed down the hill to meet the swarm awaiting us.

I started going top speed, my hand in a quick draw position, the hill giving me needed momentum for my first attack.

'Muon-gatana (Soundless katana)'

I slashed quickly through the first one that landed, the vacuum eroding any sound in that vacuum, leaving only a slight wind to fill the vacuum, the second one that landed tried to throw a poisoned dagger, I ducked and jumped on top of it to get to the next one in the air. Ubi followed close behind, catching the dagger and stabbing the second one, then pulling the dagger out and throwing it, hitting the fourth one as I cut through the third one, pained cries and blood splattering over the ground. Ubi grabbed Eol and threw him past me, I hear what probably equates to a diamond dog curse phrase,

"SON OF A TOPAZ EATING TAIL LICKER!!!!!!" Eol reels his arm back, punching the fifth one with tremendous force, the skull cracking and shards of bone embedding itself with in the brain, killing him. The lifeless pegasus plumets with blood gushing from his head. I grab Eol's legs and launch myself ahead of him, stabbing the sixth one straight through it's head, I stand on the falling body for a second, then shift to standing on the hilt of the blade. The body impacts into the ground, splattering the remains of the pegasus' skull over the grass. I jump off quickly and run back to meet Ubi on the slope, the rest of the Pegasi about to land. I go over to some landing enemies and sheath Kokuryu, then swing the sheath into a pegasus' side, hearing the satisfying crack of ribs breaking, the pegasus collapsing and coughing up blood, trauma and catatonic shock hitting him soon afterwards. I run to the next pegasus in view and place the sheath on the pegasus' shoulders. I flip overhim and unsheath the Blade, severing his head from his shoulders as I turn towards the next enemy. Eol lunges by me, nailing a pegasus between the eyes, then stealing his dagger to throw at a nearby enemy. A pegasus runs towards me, I resheath Kokuryu and slam the sheath into his legs, the bone snapping through and jutting out from his flesh. I bring the sword over in an arc and unsheath it, slashing downwards onto his spine, the sword sliding through the pegasus' body easily. I slash to block an incoming dagger as it warps on impact. I spot Ubi grab a pegasi by his throat and snap it seeminglessly, using the body as a meatshield for the oncoming daggers. He grabs the daggers from out of the pegasus' limp corpse and throws them back at their origin, the skull of one, the torso of another, and the flank of a third. I slide on the ground to dodge an incoming dagger coming from my right. I flip to bring myself to standing position. I place kokuryu between my teeth and draw an arrow. I aim and fire, hitting my ranged assailant in the arm, the force of the arrow ripping the appendage from it's owner. Bleeding out will take care of the rest.

"Aoi, Bow!" I throw the bow and it's quiver to Ubi, just as Eol stabs another pegasus with the remains of a broken knockout vial. Ubi aims high and pulls back the arrow extremely taut, he lets loose an arrow that soars into the head of a flying pegasus, then lets two more off simultaneously to hit it coming down. That one being the last of them. I shake kokuryu of the blood still on it and sheath it, the blade singing with our victory.

I spotted the three bosses near the bottom of the hill, Ubi shot an arrow at their feet to scare them.

"All yours..." I walked up to them and pointed Kokuryu at each of them.

"Now what to do with you..." They raised their hands in immediate compliance.

"WE SURRENDER, JUST DON'T KILL US!!!" I motioned for Eol to tie them up. We left them there to deal with later.

I run back to Celt's position to see how he's doing. Apparently fine now that the press are hounding him with camera's. He turned and asked me a question.

"What happened to the brother?"

"Did you want to interrogate them?" All of them were either dead or dying... He looked at me uneasily...

"Yes and no, I wanted to find out which one killed Iron Mane and give him a little... test." Probably had something to do with the blacksmith... If he could find and Identify the body, I wasn't going to stop him.

"By all means... I only need 1200 bits fo the bounty..." 430 for the cannon, the rest for new clothes for each of us, can't go to a gala covered in blood now could we? "You can keep the rest." His eyes widened.

"Wait, there's a BOUNTY?!"

"Of course, they are a wanted criminal syndicate that no one's been able to capture..." He started to grin at the mention of a bounty.

"How Much?" I did calculations in my head, all the members now 'Captured', the three bosses included, gave us...

"Including the 30 we just wasted, plus all their confiscated goods... 65 grand..."

"Take half, I have to go find a pegasus."

"If you insist," I pondered where we were going to put all the money. We went to the guards stationed to get our bounty and split it 50/50 between us and him. he started to make a mad dash for it.

"Tell the guard to send one of the bosses to the smith." I nod and motion for Eol to get one. The Guard grabs the one identified as Iron Mane's killer and starts to drag him away, screaming, begging, and crying... before he left out the door, he turned to me and said one more thing.

"Have a good life, you only get one." He waved at me and I waved back.

"So, Eol, Ubi, we just got 32500 bits richer. Ideas?" I look at both of them, both having clueless faces. I don't think they've ever had anything to wish for or spend money on except food and supplies, for Eol occasionally it's books.

We finally decided to open up a savings account at the Canterlot bank, depositing all our funds accumulated thus far, including the cash I got from trading at Sri Flanka, except for 1200, as needed. We then went through the various boutiques throughout Canterlot, getting new clothes that personally, I think both of them liked. Better than going around in bloody clothes with everypony thinking you're a murderer. It was close to 3 am in the afternoon. With our new outfits, We decided to stop by for some late lunch.

The Next stop, the Grand Galloping Gala...

Off the Record [11x]

I lay there, wearing a blood soaked Kevlar vest on the cold asphalt, hidden from view under an overturned Humvee, my body wracked with pain, my blood freezing with each passing second as it oozed out slowly onto the black runway. I could barely feel my right arm, let alone move it. My ears were ringing, having been in range of a concussion grenade. My back was singed, along with the bottom half of my queue. My left femur was fractured, and half my ribs were broken. I had a bullet wound that pierced my right cheek, barely missing my teeth, making it a struggle to even breathe, lest I choke on my own blood. A hole through my right hand, one that I could see through it I held it up to the light. My left arm lay outstretched, my handgun laying 2 inches from the tips of my fingers. I kept track of how many rounds were left: 5 rounds, no reserve clips.

My entire team was dead, all of whom I knew professionally. The sniper on our team was immediately shot down by a predator missile from above, the remains non existent except for a few chunks of singed flesh scattered about the base. The on team electrical specialist accidentally triggered a laser alarm system in the ventilation system, and poison gas was vented through. She choked on her own saliva. Our demolitions expert wired everything perfectly, the initial explosion went without a hitch, and that was the problem. I could only presume he was caught in the explosion since We never even saw him leave the building. The point-man was the last to die, after the explosion, the response moved in so fast, so quick that we were immediately overwhelmed. The resulting firefight ended badly, with me riddled with bullet wounds and my point-man with a fist sized hole punched through his head, eyes gone, brain and skull shattered and strewn across some crates we were using from cover.

Our mission was simple: get in the base, destroy all traces of weapons research, then blow the base sky high, preventing a possible nuclear threat. We also had to take out the person operating the base, wipe him from the face of the earth. We thought our plan would work, and that was the mistake we made...

The plan was to start an initial explosion to draw the enemies' attention, then the electrical specialist would cut the power to the entire base, causing everyone to panic, leaving me and the point man to go unnoticed to plant the charges while the sniper covered us. As soon as we cleared radio surveillance, we could call in for evac. In case of mission failure, we were to call in the back up strike team as a last resort and a hazmat team to clear the base for nuclear weapons. Casualties would be disavowed from the registry and it would be like we never existed.

The firefight left most of the base on fire, we detonated most of the explosives, but my point-man screwed up, unable to plant the charges efficiently, leaving some crucial target buildings intact. The main target was still alive, and through the commotion planned to get away. I couldn't move, helpless. My morale drained along with my blood, and I felt weaker and weaker by the second. My role as team leader was to organize the effort, and I failed, paying the price with my teams blood and my own. Now the only role I could fill now was calling in the mop-up operation.

I reached first for the detonation switch to terminate each of my dead team mates in an atomizing explosion, leaving no traces of equipment or DNA. Guilt swam through me as I thought of each member of my team, their dead bodies, the last remnants of them on this earth all blown to ashes by my hand, removing them from existence.

I closed my eyes as I flipped the first switch, hearing an explosion to the west, where the electrical specialist died. All I could think of was her dossier going through the shredder, being tossed into the fire to burn, becoming nothing more than a sad memory later forgotten through a visit to the pub for her friends and family. I should have known something was wrong the moment her communication dropped. She used to talk about an invention she worked on, one that would help other countries obtain fresh water supplies in area's where water was scarce. I thought of how that invention would never be finished, now that it's creator was dead in a ventilation shaft, ashes soon to be scattered in the wind.

I flipped the second one on the detonator with trembling fingers, to no result. It was the sniper's, blown up by the missile. The charge on him must have gone off already. He challenged me once to a shooting competition, hoisting French pride of his skills as a crack-shot with a sniper rifle. I matched him with a mere M1911 against a Beretta .50cal. All that skill with a rifle had no change against a guided missile, even if he had noticed the drone in time.

I coughed, barely audible over the chaos and confusion of the raging fires and fleeing guards on fire. I skipped the demolitions expert and eased my thumb down to point-man’s switch. When I was new to the branch, he challenged me to a sparring match. He had a larger build than me but still agile, pinned me to the mat in less than 10 seconds. He taught me to always have the drive for combat, even when you were about to go to sleep. Now his brain, along with all the lessons and skills he taught me as an instructor, wasted, covering supply crates that may or may not have already been destroyed. I opened the cover of the switch, turned off the safety, and pressed the button, an explosion scattered splinters and shrapnel near my position.

I dropped the detonator, the first half of the clean up phase done, then pulled out the radio, clenching my teeth in pain as my arm drew out the emergency radio, My throat was dry, gasping for air as I tilted my head to the side. I held down the button and started to speak out orders into the radio, my voice rasping and gurgled.

"This... is... Alpha-27, the mission... failed... RGHH... Initiate clean up. Authori-*wheeze*-zation *hack*: Damocles..." I let go of the button, dropping the radio from my grip... and spotting the target with two armed guards trying to take a jeep and escape. I reached for my pistol, scooting it towards me, then grabbing it. I saw the two guards opened the door to let the target enter the vehicle.

To my relief, the vehicle flooded and stalled, failing to start. Thoughts burned into my head like wild-fire when I heard the ricketing creak of the engine.

'This is your last chance, you can still finish the mission.... TAKE THE SHOT!'

I brought the pistol into my line of sight, lining the target's head right between the iron sights. I struggled to keep my arm from shaking, but the fatigue set in, causing my arm to rebel. Pain raced through my arm, beckoning it to fall and let them go. Each second went by like an entire minute, a war between my bones and muscle waged to instate dominance, the ache and pain being the deciding factor. But like an oppressive monarchy, my brain screamed for obedience.

'YOU WILL AIM, AND YOU WILL SHOOT!' I swayed my aim towards the guards, firing 4 rounds.

*PAP, PAP, PAP, PAP*

The guards dropped as my stray aiming was rewarded with them falling to the ground. The target looked around to see where the shots come from, his head darting around to find the source of the gunfire. My vision blurred, making it difficult to aim the last round. My ears detected the target trying to start the engine again. The focus from my eyes distorted and blurred, my depth perception failing to acquire a clear view of the target. I had lost too much blood. My arm losing strength, dropping slowly from the pain and fatigue. Thoughts screamed through my head.

'TAKE HIM DOWN! LET ME TAKE THE SHOT!' But my vision still rebelled. A single thought raised it's voice above all others in my mind.

'YOU WANT YOUR REVENGE DON'T YOU? IF YOU TAKE THE SHOT, YOU STAY ALIVE!' Like that my arm stabilized, my vision becoming clear enough to see the iron sight line up with the target's face, who looked right at me, his own gun pointed at me. Instinct took over.....

*PAP, PAP*

*SPLAT, DOANG*

...

"Yatta... (I did it...)"

According to Plan [12]

"Gochisousama (It was a good meal.)" I said walking out of a small ramen stand, surprised and glad they had them here. Eol sighed as he slurped up the last of the ramen, while Ubi sat on the roof to eat his diamonds.

"Hey Aoi, what was the food like in your world?" It's been months since I've been to an actual restaurant that served Kaiseki cuisine. I sighed. I never really thought about the food at restaurants, I just ate for sustenance. But there was one food that I enjoyed, 21 years ago. I remembered the taste, and salivated, it was the kind of food that the more you ate, the hungrier you felt and the more you wanted to eat it until you were satisfied. I remembered every single ingredient that made it also. To Eol, I only had one word to say,

"Unbelievable..." I slowly stood up, interrupting my memory, and walked into the street to find Ubi.

"If I remember how to make it, I'll make some for you. Maybe even Ubi would like it." I saw his ears twitch in recognition, still chewing. He put the bag of diamonds on his belt and jumped off the roof, landing lightly. His look started to beam with curiosity.

"Is it really that good?" I nodded.

We all visited the 'groomers' and took baths, so none of the high class ponies would complain about the smell, plus it gave their coats a nice shimmer. Eol complained that his dirt was his history. I snickered as I watched the beautician scrub some sort of shampoo mixed with lotion into his fur, suds forming almost immediately. Ubi looked relieved to get his fur washed. I opted to wash my own fur in the showers. I felt relaxed cleaning the dust clumped in my fur, lathering shampoo over my hair, then finally rinsing the suds out. I then had the mysterious urge to shake, I was alone so I indulged in shaking the water off of myself, my fur air drying fast. I took a deep breath before sighing. I leisurely put my clothes back on and looked to see if the others weren't finished yet. I burst out laughing when I saw that one of the beauticians had tied some of Eol's fur into neat ribbons. I walked past him, laughing and yanking the ribbons off to his relief. He shook off the neat mold the ribbons left and messed up his fur again, following me with a glare backwards. Ubi put slipped on his tunic and followed closely behind, his fur shiny and more fuller than before.

"I am NEVER going back to that place again." Eol rubbed his fur nervously.

"Don't worry, it's only for social events, if it makes you feel better, you can roll in the mud next time it rains." Ubi snickered. We headed towards Canterlot Palace, the various ponies all dressed up for the Gala giving us mixed looks. Some were impressed that some diamond dogs had the decorum to dress in proper attire for a grand event, some disdainful looks at the fact that diamond dogs would even go to the Gala. Some looks were mainly looks of nervousness and fear. They'd probably never seen anyone taller than 6 feet, let alone me towering at 8 feet.

We arrived at the gate of the castle to a handful of guards, one barring our way. I shifted Kokuryu to my backside, concealing it from view.

"The castle's barred to visitors before the Gala, no looky loos." I stared at him with a fierce glare.

"I'm Aoi Myoujin," I thought of a political position on the spot, "Vanguard and Embassador to the Diamond dogs of the Griffin Dominion, come to have a meeting with Princess Celestia. Besides," I pulled out the 'Admit All' ticket from my dobuku, "She personally invited us." They seemed dumbfounded by our approach.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, It's very urgent we get through." We start walking past them, after we were about to enter, Eol turned around and made an insulting face to the guards before quickly turning back around again.

The castle was devoid of life, just a griffin setting up what seemed to be a drumset onstage, wearing scaled armor that shimmered like a rainbow. I shifted Kokuryu back to my side, resting my hand on the hilt. The griffin catches sight of me and remarks with open arms:

"Oh Hey, who invited Captain Komamura to the party?" Who the hell was he talking about? Maybe another human from Japan came here before me... Some kind of insult... military?... or maybe it's just something else... I waved the matter away and kept on walking. As I kept walking however, something kept on bothering me about that griffin, a nagging feeling. I passed the stage at a slow pace, Ubi having a somewhat worried look. Just then Kokuryu emitted a slight, brief hum. I turned around to look back at the griffin, spotting what looked like an oversized zanbato sheathed on his back. I spotted the black sheen near the hilt, hinting at the material the weapon was made out of: dragon scale. There's only one way he could've gotten it. I whispered something to Ubi and Eol.

"Ubi, Eol, go on ahead and look for the Princess. If you find her, tell her to wait for me in the throne room. I'll catch up later...." They looked at me questionably, then went onward. I started to approach the stage, questions and thoughts racing through my mind all at once. 'Did he actually kill the dragon, or did he just loot off the body. If so, that means I'm not the only dragon slayer. Maybe I can get him to help me... there's also a likely chance he's going to reject it.' I hopped up onto the stage, landing as lightly as possible, my footpads making my approach silent. I walked up slowly and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He swiveled abruptly complaining:

"Damn, we haven't even started yet and we already got a- WHOA!" He was caught off guard by my sudden appearance. I always had an uncanny problem of surprising people when I approached them from behind.

"Are you always this sneaky, or did you take lessons?" I raised an eyebrow, then started asking.

"Your sword, the one your back... where did you get it exactly?" I cocked my head to one side in curiosity.

"Up north. Damn dragon ate me." He pointed backwards and smirked, "Too bad for him, I'm chewy." Was he just joking or serious? Interesting, but highly illogical, I decided to press him further on the matter.

"...You're saying a dragon choked on you and you took his scale?" I kept a straight face, I wanted straight answers, not a joker out for laughs.

"Yeah, that's about right..." He looked away then back at me, "Well, the scale taking was first, THAT'S what he ACTUALLY choked on. But pretty much, yeah!" A griffin of daring... but not just any daring...

"Who are you?" I shifted my stance to the other side of my body, glancing at the sword on his back, "Not everyone just takes a scale and dives into the mouth of insanity..." I grinned, "Two emotions would require that: a disregard for one's own life... and rage..." His mood changed slightly at my mention of rage.

"Quite perceptive of you. I never valued my life too much until recently," He looked down, "and he was hurting the first friend I ever had. So, I MAY have gone a tiny bit off the deep end." He motioned with his talons as if he was measuring his insanity. He put his hand on his hip and mimicked my look.

"What about you?" He squinted, "What's your story? You seem like an interesting sort..." Info for info... fair trade... but why not play with him a bit... give him the honest truth...

"... I'm Aoi... my parent's were killed... I killed the guy who killed them." I gauged his reaction: eyes opened wide with surprise, then relaxation, as if I did something worthwhile.

"Good on ya. Trash like that needs to be thrown out... and burned" His face winced to emphasize the burn, he was satisfied with what I did, "Not many have what it takes to do it, you're okay in my book," He leaned back with a grin. Agreeance, he knows what it's like to hate something with every fiber of your being... I decided to divulge more...

"... And I loved every fucking second of it..." He chuckled lightly.

"Of course you did." His look had a tinge of sincerity towards it, "Putting and end to someone like that has got to feel good." ... hmm, one to indulge in violence... I was starting to like him...

"I spent 20 years learning... training... and fighting... just to kill him..." I changed my tone to playful, "worth every second..." I clicked my claws, like I was cleansing the underside of them from dirt. His grin had a sense of wicked interest.

"Well, at least you prepared for it. Too many people just go all willy nilly and end up six feet underground." He was drawing attention to me, getting me to reveal more. Times up, it's my turn.

"Now, what's yours?" I flicked a finger at him, drawing the topic to center around him, "Starting with your name..."

"Griffin. Yours?" I held out my hand, offering a handshake.

"Aoi... remember?" He grabbed it with an Evil smile, I spot his other hand resting on the hilt of his blade. In a deft movement, I unsheathed Kokuryu, then had the blade over his neck, the wind flowing anxiously past his feathers. Similarly, he drew his and had the edge right over my jugular, holding the blade steady. I grinned back.

"Do you always do this to people you meet?" He asked wryly, glancing of Kokuryu's edge.

"Only to those I like..." I moved the blade away from his neck, the tension winding down as he moved his away from mine. He looked interested in my sword.

"That's no ordinary sword..." I turned the topic back to him.

"I take it you're not here just for the sights and sounds now, are you?..." He smiled and held his arms outward.

"I am one of the sights and sounds." He puts his arms down, "I'm finishing up my concert tour here in Canterlot, and the Gala was right around at same time." I rewind back to the paper I read, then asked myself, 'Why does the name Griffin sound familiar.'

"Concert?" I ruffle through my dobuku and pull out the newspaper, then skim through the article about the Griffin Pirate's tour. I look back at him.

"You're Griffin from the Griffin Pirates," I raise the paper in front of him, "You and your crew are plastered everywhere."

"Aha... So you have heard of me." He scratched his chin, "Yeah, I didn't really want fame, but it came up and bit me, so I decided to use it." All it took was one look at the blatant manipulator to realize he was giving me humility bull shit: he was loving it.

"But for what purpose? Money?" I paused, "Mares?" Maybe his 'tastes' aren't monetary. He snickers in response.

"Money, I have PLENTY of, gained legitimately in fact. Well, if you call stealing from thieves legitimate." Robin hood justification? "Mares? I have my mate, and that's all I need." He had a shimmer in his eye. He had quite the catch already. I scratch my chin in curiosity; not women, not fame, not money, reputation as a pirate... I reread the article in my head, 'Griffin Pirates Recruiting'. It hit me, A pirate, heavily armed, with a dragon sword to reinforce a hovering notion of power, comes to perform concerts and gain fans, possibly becoming supporters just by him mentioning a cause... he was building an army... but for what purpose? Time to press him...

"'CAPTAIN Griffin' is that right? Or shall I call you General?" He looks at me with an indifferent look.

"No, just captain. It's not like I'm raising an army... yet." This brought a new card in play, he had no other reasons, but was still gaining supporters. I reread the article again in my head, 'Griffin gives amazing performances all for free, songs leaving the crowd speechless except for the clamor of cheers...' I pieced it together with everything he told me already. I curled the edge of my lip in excitement, now to take a shot in the psychological dark...

"So... as my friend Keith would have called it," I rested my chin in my palm, "You're doing this for the lulz..." His expression tells all, the look of complete shock, then a sly grin. His face told all, he was a human.

"Aoi, by any chance, do you like banana's?" ... redirection?... No, too off center... now that I knew he was human... he was making a reference. Now his query, 'Do you like bananas?' was one Keith asked me a long time ago, when I answered bluntly, he explained the joke to me... I didn't get it, but maybe I could use it to have some fun of my own...

"I know where you can go bananas..." I watched amused with the widest grin almost looking plastered on my face as Griffin pointed high into the air...

"ON THE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- wait." Gotcha... he stopped abruptly and cleared his throat.

"So, both of us are human. This just became very interesting..." I crossed my arms, retaining my grin...

"Definitely interesting. Well, considering the fact that we haven't tried to kill each other yet, I take it as a good sign." Apparently he didn't include 2 minutes ago as one such event.

"Now that we are at an understanding... let's talk."

"Aren't we taking right now?"

"I meant over a nice cup of tea," I paused, raising an eyebrow, "Or do you drink beer?"

"Tea. Have any green tea blends?" I could tell from his slight grimace he knew the consequences of alcohol.

"I actually have some I got from someone in Ponyville. I believe you two have met?" He stood their pondering for a second before finally responding.

"Twilight?" Now to break the news...

"Yes, she mentioned how you drove her crazy on your question about how ponies could grab things without fingers." He starts to laugh immensely. After catching his breath and wiping away a tear he continues.

"Actually, I asked the Princess, who didn't know and passed the question on to her. Is she still trying to figure that one out?"

"I asked her the same question and she seemed to have a mental breakdown... I should probably avoid that question." We started walking down to one of the tables in front of the stage and sit down. I drop a small amount of the tea leaves into a nearby teapot to let it steep.

"Don't worry too much about it. She's brilliant to be sure, but she'll spaz out if the slightest thing goes out of alignment. She'll probably have some foul words for me when she realizes yet again that I didn't tell her how I use magic. I'm sure it's driving her nuts just thinking about all the studying she COULD be doing that she can't because I won't spill my secrets." He was enjoying this way too much, oh well. What actually interested me was the word magic... then the interest wavered... was a griffin using magic uncommon? I decided to play on that thought and press him on the matter.

"A griffin who uses magic... what other surprises do you have?" He reacted immediately.

"Ah ah ah, a magician never reveals his secrets. People like having an ace up their sleeve, I keep about twelve or so. Even from friends." Concealing... he likes secrets as an advantage... Let's see what happens when I counteract with divulgence. I huff, hinting a lack of interest.

"I'm not going to lie... my prior training has helped me well in this world..." Now to hit him with a familiar topic, "One of them helped me kill a black dragon..." He motions for the newspaper and takes it, turning to the article about the dragon slayer in Stalliongrad.

"You?" I nod intently...

"Surprised?" I glanced inside the teapot to check on the leaves, rewarded by the tea becoming a nice tan. I start to pour the tea gently into two small cups.

"Not really, I heard about some prophecy from one of my dog crew members, then saw it in the paper." So the news reached even to here... "And now, seeing you, it fits. I could tell by the way you carried yourself that you were a warrior, hesitant to let his hand leave his sword," He knew about the legend aswell. "Still, you've got some catching up to do. My draconic kill count is..." he starts gingerly counting on his talons. I slowly take a sip, the unfamiliar aroma spreading over my taste buds again.

"Ah... So I see you take pride in your kill count..." No problem in indulging, but there's a fine line between that and bragging.

"I like to keep track... I'm up to nine now," Impressive, he's not lying about it either, "I've also got a youngling we adopted on board the ship. Didn't kill her parents though. As it turns out dragons aren't all bad. Poor kid, her mom got killed trying to protect her." I cough on the tea, What did he just say? I regain my composure and continue.

"Who was the mother?"

"Some green dragon we found dead up by the volcano." I sigh in relief, then listen intently, "Little blue dragon nestled up next to the corpse." At least she's found another family now, I'd like to meet her one day...

"I'm glad for her... what's the young dragon's name?"

"She's Shimmer. She was named that by her mother, because her scales gleam brilliantly under both the sun and moon." He exits his poetic tone abruptly, "She's a good kid, likes to help out, brave. It's always the nice ones that fate gives the middle finger to." Just like us...

"I'm glad she has parents now..." I look down at my tea cup, he starts to drink his.

"Who were the two Diamong Dogs you came in with?" he asked with slight curiosity.

"The silver one's Ubi, the other is Eol. They're my family now..." I continued with a soft smile, "I found a new purpose in life, to save the clans under oppression." My mind flashes back to Eol stabbing Ensin.

"I started with Eol's Clan. Believe it or not, their leader hoarded the gems for himself and offered his own clan as recompense." I feel my own tone grow with regret, "One was Eol's father." He winced.

"Ouch. yeah, a lot of those alphas are sick fucks. It hurts having family taken away, like Etch." My ears turn toward him at the mention of another comrade, "I feel the same about Etch and Growl. That they're family, I mean. They were slaves for seven years, after their alpha was killed by a competitor. I busted them out, and gave them new names to show that their past didn't matter." Eol and Ubi, hmm, I'll have to ask them sometime, "They seemed to like them. Etch is looking for his family. Growl is really just along for the ride, pretty much nothing better to do with me because he hopes that by freeing the clans, he can see his wife and pup again," Just like Ubi, wanting to see his mom again...

"Ubi, his is a different story, his mother... Well, she is or was a white dragon... His clan tried to kill him for being the son of a dragon... even sent a hitman after him..." Griffin gagged as he heard, choking and coughing. he looked at me in confusion.

"He's the son of a Diamond Dog and a DRAGON? How would that even WORK?" I knew nothing on dragon anatomy...

"I wouldn't know much about how dragons mature." I should probably ask Twilight next time, the dragon that accompanied her seemed like a baby, yet acted like an adolescent.

"Nevermind, I don't think I want to know..." He was off guard, I wanted to redirect back to the topic of magic...

"On a previous note, I believe that said you use magic, I take it that's unusual amongst griffins?" He answered without hesitation.

"Yeah, definitely unusual." So only certain species naturally used magic, "Although there's not much about me that is usual." We're human, the fact that we're here is unusual.

"Well then... It's only fair I share something unusual..." He perked up in interest.

"Oh?" I place Kokuryu on the table, slowly unsheating it, revealing the blade.

"I think you can take a guess on what's special about it..."

"Well, considering the way it hummed when you had it at my throat, I take it you know magic as well?" A wild guess, but close enough...

"Not really... I'm not sure of it myself," I sat looking at the blade, it's unique luster shimmering in the ambient lighting, "But I believe this sword has the dragon's soul inside of it."

"Yep, that'd do it." He seemed to believe it. I started to run my claw along the flat of the blade.

"Forging a dragon blade is similar to forging a katana, except there are a few adjustments you have to make." I pull my claw away near the middle of the blade.

"The material is very... unique." he had a wary, unsure look.

"I don't know too much about that, care to explain?" He motioned a hand towards me, signaling the go ahead.

"Dragon scale requires a higher temperature to heat before quenching, because of that, the blade ensures maximum strength and sharpness." I demonstrate by grabbing the hilt and swinging the blade to my side, the air cleaving the table cleanly, cloth and all.

"That sharpness, obtained only from refining the edge of a dragon scale, can render the very air itself." I was the only one who knew the exact way to make it. A craftsman never reveals his own style...

"Impressive. All I did was rip his arm bone off, jam it into the scale, and wrap it up. I had a blacksmith in Wethoof strengthen it. I use magic to enhance the edge." Hmm, interesting techinque, but to use unnatural magic is taxing, unless you're powered by the adrenaline caused by battle, using it repeatedly would probably exhaust you to the limit.

"To each his own..." I pour another cup of tea, "Cheers."

"Cheers. Well, it was nice talking with you." He takes another sip, then starts to leave.

"Likewise," I stand up and crack my neck, the stiffness relieving instantly, the chairs here are horrible for posture... "Maybe someday you'll have enough bits for me to reforge your sword. By the way, mine's named Kokuryu... what about yours?" One should have the respect to know the other's blade.

"Hades, and I'm pretty sure I already have enough, Hundred K enough?" I did enough rough conversions to know it was small change. I hold up 4 digits in response.

"Along the lines of 4 million..." He starts to laugh.

"Man, Steelhorn is gonna have a hayday. Good thing I just set up a deal in Ponyville for gem sales. I should have enough in a month or two," Music to my ears, a month's wages are usually what even some of the richest nobles in Japan would pay for one of my blades.

"I half expected you to talk me down, now I see you mean business," I cross my arms with a slight grin, "I like that..."

"If you're as good as you say you are, then it's worth the price. I can see how finely crafted your sword is. So, in that case, money really isn't a problem. I mean, it's only bits." I was starting to like him better by the minute.

"I guess sword making's my version of a painting now," I sheath Kokuryu and started to walk away.

Captain Griffin, I'll have to Remember that name.

"Man, what took you so long?" Eol asked me as I caught up with them. I simply smiled as we headed to the throne room. Looks like I'm not the only one wanting to free those in captivity.

"I found some useful information, and a possible ally."

"You mean that griffin back there?" Eol looked uneasy.

"Yes, he's from the same world I am, working to free everyone."

"So he'll help us?" Eol's face lit up when he heard.

"Not us, persay, but he will help others," Who knows, we may just meet him again.

We entereed the throne room, the glass windows letting in sunlight through the rear windows, bathing the throne in a warm glow. Perched atop the throne was the princess herself. Her mane shone like the colder part of the spectrum, with an ivory colored coat. We bowed in front of her to show respect, then said our greetings.

"Princess Celestia, I am..."

"Aoi Myoujin, yes, I know who you are... do you mind if we talk in a more... private setting?" She turned to a door nearby. We obliged, heading to the door, Princess Celestia taking the lead. We walked into a large bedroom, the bed was wide, with a furnishing just above it, satin curtains and a dresser next to it. She sat down on a rounded sofa nearby, patting the seat next to her. Ubi sat on my side, Eol on the princess' side. She levitated a teapot over to the counter that the sofa surrounded, pouring us each a cup. Eol rolled his eyes, the princess simply smiled.

"So, I take it if you know who I am, then you know why I am here?" Time to test a hypothesis.

"You're here to ask me for help on the current situation in Gem Fido..." Her expression turned sad. So she could read minds, to a certain extent.

"... Sometimes, I've torn myself apart over this dilemma dozens of times before..." She blinked away a tear welling up at the corner of her eye. She sighed and continued.

"Aoi, I'm sorry, but the most I can help you with is inside the bounds of Equestria. Griffin's done much more than I could do." So she knew him as well. But what did she mean by all she could do? She started shedding a tear. Helplessness, followed by frustration. It hit me, although she was a god, in earthly form, she can only do so much.

"I'm sorry I brought up a troubling subject for you..." She sniffled.

"Don't be Aoi... It's I who should be sorry." I took a small sip from the teacup as she sighed, "When I think back 900 years ago, I think of the other ways I could have handled that situation... but for lack of forsight, I decided to go with the shortest route, the result being the enslavement of those outside of Equestria. Now, it's too late for me to go back and fix my mistake." She then starts to pull a wry smile...

"Aoi, as far as I know, you and Griffin are the rest of the world's hope for a better future. I can handle things here, but we're stretched to the limit on support, all I can really do is pardon any crimes you 'accidentally cause' from here on out." I nod to her.

"What happened 900 years ago?" At the very least, I can help her deal with what happened...

"I was handling Equestria on my own, Luna banished to the moon before. I started to regret not having my sister not helping, me having to raise the sun and the moon. Running a country becomes difficult when it's just one person. Everyone looks toward you to be strong." her expression turned to one similar to defeat, "I tried to be, but I didn't take it seriously, and things started to decline for the worst. The Dominion's Government, led by Igor Redwing, saw what difficulty we were in, and started making hostile advances towards our borders. That was the straw that broke the mule's back. I could do almost nothing under the stress of ruling, and the coming threat. We were at the edge of war. I didn't want to risk that. I had to dissolve their government, So I teleported Igor to a remote island. With their leader gone, the government collapsed, the Dominion in shambles." She was new to ruling alone, now had to face her consequences. The worst part of it was she had to live with her mistake.

"I'm not going to lie, that's not what I do. You made a mistake and had to deal with it. It was the wrong choice and now this is happening." I take a sip of the tea, the cold porcelain irritating my lips, "But now, It's in the past. What's done is never undone." I recline in the sofa, the cusions soft and comforting, "But now, you've got others that will help you through. I'm not mad at you for not being able to help, I understand. For now, let's just talk..." Eol started to comfort her as well.

"We all know what helplessness feels like, no matter how powerful you are, or how much you know. Some things, you just can't stop." Celestia looked at Eol with a smile. Ubi started to speak as well.

"We all have had bad things happen to us that we wish didn't, but they did. What we do afterwards shape who we are." I finished our point.

"After all is said and done, no matter what you've done in the past, it's time to start life anew..." Princess Celestia's expression started to show a sense of release, one we knew as letting go of the past. She spread both her wings and gathered all three of us in a slightly awkard group hug. It still felt nice though, the feeling of appreciation never really goes away, nor an embrace from a loved one.

"Thanks... I've learned a valuable lesson from all three of you..." She giggled, "Maybe I should write a letter to Twilight about what I've learned." She released her wings and folded them back at her side. Even when a god, she still had to bear the burdens of life, burdens thrust on one without consent and carried often without reprieve or reward.

"I'll never forget the favor you've done for me... if you ever need aid or guidance, ask me. I hope you and Griffin can work together."

"With all due respect, I think he'd rather work apart from other humans." She seemed rather unphased by my mention of humans, "Being one of them, I can relate to him having... trust issues." I stand up and look out the bedroom window, "Beside's, working alongside a pirate... as tantalizing as the idea is, I think I'll pass." She got up and stood beside me by the window.

"I can sympathize, as enjoyable as his letters to me and Luna are, they're somewhat inconsiderate in their approach." A pirate captain keeping close ties with royalty, interesting, "Still, I see his and your cause just in nature. Maybe even worthy enough to mark your heroic deeds in the history books." I objected coldy.

"I'm no hero, at least not in my eyes at least," I realized the cliche of what I just said, "Heh. I bet Griffin's told you the same thing... in that case, you know that where I'm from, heroics are just a sad fairy tale." I continued to keep her from objecting, "Like most humans, my past is one that would give nightmares to your subjects in this world, those that could withstand them would question why ANYTHING like this could happen. Nothing's gonna change that." I wasn't going to mention my days as a blade for hire. I turn around and lean back on the glass, facing her. I smile maliciously.

"In a land where everything in Equestria is happy and loving, one battle torn and weary might think to take up residency here. Then there's the outside world where what it takes to survive and live free are slit throats." I motion a claw past my neck to emphasize my point, "It's not that different... except the level of danger." Her expression turned to serious regard.

"So, you've taken lives as well?" She inquired with a heavy air.

"Only when I needed to, and I've learned not to lose sleep over it. In all seriousness, some would consider me a sad husk of a person. Fuck those condenscending assholes." I started to look away, "But I never kill those who don't deserve it." Her look turned to one of Empathy.

"What happened in your past?" I figured she must have been told what Griffin's past was like, so I decided to tell her.

"My parent's were killed when I was little, right in front of my eyes, and I did nothing but watch curled up in the closet I was watching from, unable to do anything but fucking watch. I spent 20 years of my life after that planning on finding the person who killed my parents. When I did, I gutted him like the pig he was and threw him out the window." Her look turned to one of shock, apparently my past was worse than Griffin's. "The day after, I came here. I decided to start a new life, I was told this world was a Utopia, but when I arrived, it was the same." I paused, "At least the outside of Equestria is..."

"This world you come from... how could it breed so much suffering?" She was completely in horrified awe.

"How the hell would I know... I was just one person in a sea of others, living in the same world, under the same sky. That world made people like me and Keith and Griffin. You know what?" I pause starting to laugh, "I don't want to even look back!" She seemed confused.

"All it takes is for the world to not care anymore for evil to spread," I stand straight again and look down at the princess, "Heroes are born when everyone else is too afraid to care anymore." She started to back up slowly understanding what I meant, "Heroes are there to do what others don't even try." I spread my arms out. "Heroes are there to SAVE EVERYONE'S ASSES When NO ONE ELSE WILL!" I step back as my vision goes red, "When no one else will lift a finger to help because it doesn't help them." I think about what I just said, "So yeah, I guess that does make me a hero... but what happens when the hero becomes forgotten, when no one cares about the hero anymore..." I stand there, looking at Celestia's face, "That moment is when the hero sees himself turns into the very person he tries so damn hard, each and everyday to stop. That's why I don't want to be the hero." I laugh, " I don't ask for people to remember what I do, I don't want to be famous, or rich, or marked in history books for people to remember another fact put on a quiz. If I wanted to do all that stuff, I'd have stayed in my other world. I just wanted to finally find others that... that I could call my family again. I'm doing this to prevent others from going through what Eol, Ubi, and I have been through. I'm sure you understand..." Tears started to run down Celestia's face. She was utterly speechless.

"I fight for my family... that's enough for me... thanks for listening." I walked back over to the window and gaze over the landscape, forests overshadowed by distant mountains, only disturbed by an occasional city or two. I kept looking outward, sighing at my outburst. Emotions overtake the best of people, an outlet's the only way it's ever get out into the open. I feel a cloth brush against the back of my fur, and turn around to find a hankerchief, levitating by my shoulder. I grab it and wipe my face off, the blood staining the hankerchief with streaks of crimson. I held it in my hands, I felt better.

Then I hear a loud thud come from outside.

"What was that noise?"

Celestia answers without batting an eyelash. "Oh, that's probably Knightmare training."

"Who's Knightmare?"

"My friend... he's helping me with something." Her mood turns to an indifferent state. She waves the matter away. I sigh, wondering what could possibly be going on.

"Anyway, thanks for letting me talk with you, and thanks for the ticket."

"No problem," She waves a hoof at me. I wondered what the noise actually was. I walked to the door to see what was going on in the courtyard, with Ubi and Eol following close behind. We walk down the marble halls. I had renewed hope, we now had royal support: We had near free reign in terms of operations in Equestria, as well as pardon for accidental crimes. Music playing interrupted my train of thought as we enter the courtyard, what we see is strange to say the least: an entire military company marching and singing to the lead of a changeling at the fore with an electric guitar.

I lean against the entryway and watch as the group march, wondering how the entire Royal Guard was lead by what looked like a humanoid changeling with an electric guitar. I decide to walk alongside the group, my long strides catching up to the leader easily. He starts to bid goodbye to the guards as the song comes to a fading close, then turns to greet me.

"... 'sup?" I start to fold my arms and begin.

"I didn't expect for a Princess to let a changeling into her ranks, what makes you so special. By Eol's lore, Changelings recently attacked Canterlot, their leader attempting a coup d'etat. Already grounds for suspicion.

"Well, for one thing, I'm actually an alien," An Alien? "She kinda 'customized' me to her liking. That, and I'm her biggest fan, so I'm also pretty loyal." It took me a few moments to realize what he meant. He was another human, a 'Brony' by the way he reffered to himself as a fan. Just because he was one, I wasn't about to let down my guard, let's see how he reacts to a slip of the lip.

"So... do you have any idea how many humans are here?" he answered immediately.

"So far, there's me, Griffin, and apparently you," apparently he and Griffin have met already, "Since I never specifically SAID 'human'." blunt, not caring...

"I know," I said with a slight grin, "Before we continue, allow me to get introductions out of the way, I'm Aoi," I offer a paw with a widening grin. He grins as well, mimicry: uneasiness.

"They call me 'Knightmare'." He takes my paw and shakes lightly, "Literally, they don't know my real name, and I don't plan on giving it. New life, new name." Time to give him a little push, I grab his hoof and twist it around his back, then slam him into the ground.

"Still a rookie..." I bear down on him slightly. I didn't notice him grabbing the guitar with his foot. I sway at he last second to reduce the force of the impact of the guitar. I flip back to standing position, drawing Kokuryu out of reflex.

"Not as much as you might think!" Might as well follow up.

"C'mon, a worm hits harder than you," I easy my grip on the hilt, "So now what? Is that all they teach you?" In response, he takes off into the air, tossing his guitar and deftly catching it, strumming a riff, sparks dancing across where the strings should be.

"I don't know about you... but I was going to go help set up for the Gala tonight..." That's all I needed. I sheath Kokuryu.

"I was just having a little fun," Actually, I was testing him to he how he would react. He passed with flying colors, "In all honesty, I need to ask you some questions..." He moves the guitar to rest on the crook of his shoulder bone.

"Sure, whatcha need to know?" From what I could tell, he was a novice at combat, using a rather crass move to handle being pinned down, moreover, it was out of self defense. What he said about being loyal seemed to be the truth, but how loyal?

"Is the Princess really a goddess of this land?"

"Hmm... let's see... immortal, revered, beautiful, commands the sun, TECHNICALLY all-seeing, a LOT more powerful than she appears, and undeniably benevolent. Yup, sounds like a goddess to me!" He was just stating good qualities, time to press further.

"And yet, she does nothing to help others outside Equestria..." He objects immediately, going from a playful grin to a hostile expression.

"Have you ever tried to run a country? Being a bog-standard 'goddess' basically means doing ONLY the magical duties, and getting nothing but praise. Celestia raises the everloving SUN day in and day out, WHILE Running the entirety of what, from what I've seen, is the BIGGEST country on the planet.... She's been doing it ALONE for the past thousand years. I honestly don't think even SHE indulges in herself THAT far. She's, technically, a goddess, yes. But she's not ALL POWERFUL. She still has to abide by the laws of physicality. She, quite literally, CANNOT go improving the lives of countries outside Equestria because there's literally no way TO do so in her position. She's running a goddamned country WHILE managing her goddeess-ly duties. It's not easy in the slightest." The fact that he repeated Celestia's reasoning in a defending matter proved what I suspected: He was absolutely smitten for her...

"Hmm, now that that's answered, I can trust you..." He looked at me with a troubled look. Might as well le him in on my charade, "I talked with the princess already, she told me she could only provide support while I was in Equestria, but anything beyond her borders was out of her control."

"Same thing on my end. Basically, if I leave Equestria, I'd best be self-reliant by then. I don't plan on it until I'm damn sure I'm ready... she's got a mission for me, but hasn't revealed the full details yet." He seemed resolved, but uncertain.

"Well, I suppose I should tell you about myself, I owe you that much," After all, I did just tackle him and taunt him for no GIVEN reason.

"My two companions here are Ubi and Eol, I also am on a mission, but I doubt it's the same as yours..." He looks past me and waves at them. His expression turns somewhat friendly.

"Maybe we'll be allies at some point, who knows? Better friends than enemies, I always say." Apparently easy to forgive and forget, better not press him on that trait.

"Maybe... but you're too weak as is..." He shot me a glare, "No offense, but I don't think you'd want to take on dragons, am I right?" He rolls his eyes.

"I don't plan on killing ANYTHING. I play music, it's what I do."

"Then why train with the royal guard if you don't plan to fight?" A mission, not planning on killing anything, yet training with the guard. I had an idea on what he was doing.

"A changeling, undisguised, amongst ponies so soon after a failed invasion. Think for a moment." Self defense...

"I'm not training to kill people. I'm training to defend myself if a crowd wants to get rough. I'm no fool. I know that, sooner or later, fighting will be unavoidable."

"You're all alone aren't you..."

"Yeah, no idea what your mission is, but should we cross paths again, I'd hope we'd be allies." He had a mission, but no idea what it was even about, he was setting himself up for failure.

"So, you're here as a wandering bard, Celestia as your patron, yet with no idea what your goal is..." I shook my head, "Life's going to get much more difficult for you..." He gave a wry chuckle.

"My life was already hell, back on Earth. Even if things aren't perfect and pristine, even if things are extremely dangerous here in Equestria... it's still a step up for me. Plus, Celestia said she'd give me the details after the Gala." So he wasn't just going in blind. I start to turn around.

"Well, let's hope you get stronger," I wave back at him, "You're going to need it if you plan on reaching your goals..." I turn back to him, "What are they anyway?" He smiles.

"A little peace and happiness where it's needed..." One who wants to turn things around... I smile.

"Good Luck, you've got the rest of your life to accomplish it."

"And I'm hoping it's a long life. Well, i gotta go help set up the GGG. Be well and Blessed be, Aoi." He salutes me goodbye. I turn back around.

"I guess I'll see you there, Knightmare... have fun." I start to slowly walk away, just as the sun was about to set on the horizon, painting it with gold and amber. Knightmare grumbles something, my ears barely catching it.

"Why in the everloving fuck is everyone more badass than me?" I grin and look at him one last time.

"Cheer up, you'll get your moment..." We leave for the Grand Galloping Gala. I look at the sky once again... A night promising to be a night to remember...

Letting Loose [13]

"Eol, Have you read up on the Grand Galloping Gala at all?" I looked at him.

"Well, from what I've read from romance novels, It's a very formal occasion, anyone whose anyone will be there, the Princesses for sure, Prince Blueblood, Which I think is a pompous applesmacker, and most of the nobles in all of Equestria." Really? I start bursting into laughter to the confusion of Eol and Ubi. I wrap both my arms around their shoulders and pull them close to a whisper.

"There are at least 3 humans attending this party, I can guarantee you, this party will not be formal at all." They still had confused faces, "Two of which I know for a fact will not stand for the lush formality of high society." I can't help but laugh, "Simply put, there is no way in hell that you will see any ounce of order, much less formality, in this party." I stand straight again with a grin as wide as possible. Eol spoke up.

"Aoi, I'm going to head to the little pup's room, I'll be right back..." He was obviously lying, but might as well let him attend whatever his business was. I smile at the thought that he might be setting up a prank for the nobles. Looks like I might be staying longer than I had anticipated.

"Do you want me to follow him, make sure he doesn't get arrested?" Ubi looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"If it makes you feel better, go ahead," I waved in the direction Eol went in. It gave me some time to think. Looks like more humans have made it into this world: Celt, Griffin, Keith, and Knightmare. Now what to do...

I should probably talk to Griffin on how he's going to form his approach, I might get some Idea on how to deal with this. I brush my thoughts away as I head to the ballroom. The party already started, with Knightmare and a pink pony singing onstage, I walked over to the banquet table and started to pour myself a glass of punch, I leaned back on the table and took a long sip, actually downing the entire drink with it. 'Right, larger mouth.' I looked around and find a small bowl, then started filling that with the punch, still gazing at the stage. I slowly drank the punch, not noticing the slightly bitter taste accompanying it. After a few drinks I start approaching the stage, the lights starting to seem brighter and the music a little louder. The music was different from what Keith usually plays, but never this loud.

Eol and Ubi were nowhere to be seen, probably enjoying the party. As the Electric Guitar blares in the foreground, I start to feel a bit lighter. I felt tenacious, I felt the night was mine, I felt like doing something new. I then started to stumble towards the stage. I start to lift myself up onto the stage, and grab the microphone off the ground. I look around the stage and spot a pink pony who smelled slightly like cotton candy. I noticed that there were absolutely no instruments onstage. The pink pony starts to walk up to me.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, What's your name?" I wave a hand in her direction.

"That's nice, I'm Aoi. Have you seen a guy named Knightmare?" I look around, no drums, no speakers, nothing. How did Knightmare manage to make that music? Maybe magic? I look out across the crowd and see Griffin chasing Luna over the entire ballroom. The next thing I knew, the cake fell right on top of Griffin, splattering the cake all over the ballroom floor, with a deranged captain under layers of frosting. I saw him break out in a wide sinister grin. He started to say in a playful whimpering voice.

"Aunty WOOOOONA!!! Griffy needs a hug." He spread out his arms and wings wide in what I perceived was a sincere hug. Then the boisterous captain wiped the cake off of his face and smeared it all over the princess, covering her with cake. I started laughing as I saw the lunar princess with black and red frosting covering her face and mane. Then I remembered that Griffin also held concerts over Equestria. I started to slowly stumble towards the pastry covered captain and the princess. As I approach the pirate captain, I feel Knightmare sliding underneath my legs strumming a quick chord before asking.

"So, Princess Luna, care to make a request?" I kept walking past the changeling, tapping Griffin on the shoulder. My words come out slurred and halting.

"Griffin... Griffin... How did Knightmare play the music back there without any instrumenties?" I held a finger in front of his face to get his attention. He shrugged and continued spreading cake all over the helpless princess.

"No idea, whenever I do it I always use magic, Why?" He stopped and looked at my inquisitively.

"I-I wanna sing something." I haven't tried singing in a while, less so ever since Keith disappeared. The last time I visited a karaoke bar was 2 years ago, at the request of a rather 'merry' detective.

"Ah, so you're finally getting in on the 'Fun'." He glances back at the princess, holding her hooves in front of her face to avoid more cake being strewn all over her. I stagger backwards, 'How was painting the princess with black and red frosting your idea of fun? Princesses aren't canvases.'

"Trixie!" a blue unicorn with a greyish mane trots over to the Captain, and salutes with a 'Yes Cap'n?'

"Aoi would like to sing a song, you feel like helping him?" She looks up at me, my stance rather crooked and my posture limbered and slack.

"You got it." She replied with a wink. Griffin starts to stand up, shaking a sizable amount of red frosting from his hands. He pulls out a gem and hands it to me, then flared out his massive wings.

"I'm gonna fly through the waterfall to wash up." I immediately stop him, almost grabbing his tail before he flew off.

"Wait, wait, how does this work?" I hold up a stop signal for him to relay instructions, still looking at the gem.

"Just say 'musica a memoria' and then think of the tune you want it to play, as long as Trixie keeps the gem charged, you can keep going. I'll be back in a bit." He exited the building in a grandiose rocket upward then out through the columns leading outside.

I waved at him and walked back to the stage, remembering that Anime Opening theme that Keith often played on his subwoofers, saying that I'd like it. I did find the theme catchy at times and soon could remember the entire tune and lyrics by memory. I climbed back up onstage, holding the microphone. Pinkie Pie grabbing one as well. The song started to come back to me, note by note. I took a deep breath.

'This one's for you Keith, for playing music loud enough for the neighbors to hear!'

"Musica a memoria!" Music started flowing from out of nowhere, seemingly coming from the walls themselves. It almost took me by surprise, but I kept focusing on the music. Pinkie winked at me, as if signaling she knew her part. As the guitar riffs played out, Pinkie took the leading verse with surprising accuracy

..................

.............

..............

The song slows down to a few measures of jazz, Knightmare occasionally strumming a quick rift. The crowd sways to the rhythm of the ending, some even lighting the room with illusion magic. I back away from the edge of the stage, swaying my head to the soft music that closes the song.

The crowd breaks into applause. The cheers almost deafening to my ears.

'Keith, you are missing one hell of a rave.' I chuckle to myself as I start to walk offstage, 'Don't ever say I never partied.' I lose my balance a bit, stumbling on the staircase as I go down. Eol slowly walks up to me with a smug look on his face, Ubi following close behind.

"Aoi! Aoi! Woof, man, you've got a set of lungs on you... I mean, I could never sing that fast if I tried."

"I felt... great..." I say at last.

"Well of course you did, you were drunk through that whole thing!" Ubi started to come up next to me. What did Eol just say? I raise my paw in front of my face and breathed, sniffing what came off of my breath, it smelt pungently of alcohol...

"Well what do you know..." I started falling, "Someone spiked the punch..." Ubi and Eol manage to catch me as I fall, my vision starts to get blurry. As I start to slip into unconsciousness, I remember something Keith always used to say.

'It ain't a party if there's no alcohol.'

=Eol=

"Well he's out of it." I say to Ubi, he just stared back at me with a suspicious look. I wasn't fooling anyone, I swear, that guy could see through a person faster than it takes to say sapphire.

"You spiked the punch, didn't you..." Tarn it, that obvious huh... I really got to work on keeping a straight face. I waved off the matter.

"Who's gonna know?" I look back at him, he raises an eyebrow, "Don't tell him..." I wave a finger at Ubi. Who would have thought Aoi would be the first one to fall for the spiked punch. Speaking of which, I feel Aoi getting heavier under my arms.

"Now c'mon, help me get him someplace where he won't get trampled..." Ubi lifts up Aoi's legs and we start carrying him out of the ballroom. I look back at Ubi.

"And Ubi... never let me forget this..." Ubi suddenly had a wide smile.

"Never...." I don't know whether to take that as a good or bad sign.

=Aoi=

Consciousness flickers in and out, I start feeling myself being carried through what seemed like the hallway back to the throne room...

"He's waking back up, let's set him down somewhere..." Eol says in a panicked rush.

"How about in the bedroom?" Ubi replies.

"Perfect..." As I hear that my mind starts to put together the loose pieces of info. I open my mouth to object, but I feel my lips slacken. As I feel the ache in my temples, I drop out of consciousness again.

I wake up later to see Eol staring at me, leaning over the bed...

"Finally you're up. How do you feel?" I slowly sit up, feeling disoriented, the room starts spinning, then clicking back to normal level in a irregular loop.

"Where am I?" I rub my temples, still hearing the cheer of the crowd from the ovation of my last song.

"Princess Celestia's room..." I roll out of the bed slowly, catching myself with my paws, then slowly staggering to upright position.

"I need to get back to the ballroom..." I didn't want to be caught intruding on the Princess's bed, much less drunk in it. Besides, I needed to kick the person who spiked the punch in the ass. I started running down the hallway in a stumbling sprint to the ballroom, falling a couple of times due to my disoriented sense of balance. Just what was in that punch?

I re-enter the throne room to see the entire crowd finishing up a dance I saw teenagers sometimes do in Japan. I walk in and lean against the wall, chuckling a bit at the harmonious bouncing of the crowd to the song, I look up on stage to see Griffin, Celt and Knightmare doing the same thing.

Out of all the people dancing, only 4 ponies simply just stood around, pacing nervously at the dancing around them. As the song ends, one of them caught my eye. She had a blue coat, dressed in a red kimono with an autumn leaf pattern around the sides, mane neatly bundled in a small bun, a light brushing of makeup on, augmenting her natural features. Needless to say, she looked just like a geisha. I start walking slowly towards her, trying to regain my composure. She spots me walking at a somewhat skewed gait, a soft melody of piano and drums set a calm, smooth atmosphere. She looks at me, giving a soft and hesitant smile.

"May I have this dance?" I hold out my paw... she looks at it with wide eyes. A white mare beside her nudges her. Taking the cue, she takes my paw in her hoof, others taking the example and forming couples. The soft scent of dew drifts in through the open doors to the gardens, adding to the subtle mood.

I remember the time I danced to a tune like this in a small jazz club in France, with a young woman who was my partner for a hit. Now, there was no hit to call, no house to burn, no mission, no objective. Just me, and a young mare, dancing slowly to the beat of the drumset and the masterful, light touch of the piano. I look over and see Knightmare dancing with Princess Celestia, Griffin with another griffin, and Celt with Pinkie Pie. I smile and keep dancing, turning slightly. The blue pegasus follows suit, leaning in close for support. The pianist warmly plays out the tune with a light, almost feathery touch, each note filling the room, dancing along past each embracing couple. The moonlight glistens through the windows, shedding a soft crisp glow on the dance floor. The spare glasses reflecting the tiniest amount of light, making the edge of the ballroom shimmer like stars. I start to feel the young mare relax, letting the music guide her foot movements along with my own. I feel my heartbeat slow in time to the music, each one of my steps slow and delicate on the floor, my foot gently gliding along the marble. It was a moment in time no one wanted to end. And yet it did, slowly, with almost no one noticing until the music stopped.

The couples slowly part from their embrace, some sharing a delicate kiss. The blue mare looks up to me, and I down to her, she had an expression of curiosity.

"Who are you?" I smile at her.

"Does it really matter? I had fun..." I really did... so far, this was the best night of my life... She stared at me a little longer, still waiting for a reply.

"If you really want to know, I'm Aoi..." I think for a second, "But you can call me Blue..."

"Why would I call you that?" her tone was slightly rough, but vying to be soft.

"That's what my name means... at least my first..." She tilted her head to the side in interest.

"What's your last name?"

"Myoujin..." I paused to remember what the last part meant. "... it means 'stranger'." She broke out in a small snicker.

"Blue stranger huh... I think I'll just stick to Aoi..." I look at her with a soft, but sincere air, waiting for her to give a response, "Oh... mine's Rainbow Dash." I glance at her flank to see a rainbow in the shape of a lightning bolt, probably a tattoo based on her name.

"Well, did you have fun?" She looked down at her kimono for a second, then back to me, then curled the edge of her mouth in a grin.

"Yeah... I-I guess I did..." She started to turn around and leave, blending back in to the reforming crowd. I step back a few paces, swaying at the imbalance going through my body right now. I spot Eol holding hands with a cat who was almost a foot taller than him, and Ubi with another griffin. They probably didn't want to feel left out. Eol walks with the Cat out to the balcony outside, while Ubi starts to walk away from the griffin, turning his attention towards the moon. He starts to walk outside into the slick blades of grass leading towards the gardens.

My stomach starts to growl as I remember that I hadn't eaten dinner, so I walk over to what looks like a food stand manned by a single orange pony with a cowboy hat, spotting Griffin already ordering some food. I wave to the tender of the stand. Walking up to the stand, I gaze over the expanse of delicacies that lay before me, mainly composed of apples. I felt like indulging my sweet tooth.

"2 apple pies please." I look over to see Griffin with his mouth full of pie. He turns over to me.

"Oh, hmh Aoir, yerr gumma trah derse struff!" The griffin he was dancing with smacks him upside the head, causing him to close his mouth and gulp down the food in his mouth.

"Oro? The gummies in the stuffing?" I couldn't hear what he was trying to say.

"I said you gotta try this stuff, Aoi. it's really good. best apples in Equestria."

"The Best apples?" I looked in disbelief. The tender at the stand starts to blush.

"The BEST!" I smiled with a sigh.

"I'll take your word for it." I order a two apple pies, dropping a generous 20 bits on the counter. I slowly inhale the warm, rich aroma of cinnamon and apple. I grab a plastic fork from a nearby dispenser the stand had, gently lifting a small bite of the steaming, golden crusted pie into my mouth.

Author's Notes:

In light of recent events, I've removed the lyrics to the song on terms of copyright grounds, but you're free to look them up at your leisure.

A Dinner with Drunkards [14]

As I take a bite of the pie, immediately I feel a warmth overflowing my tongue with the rich taste of apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, with a light, delicate crust. What surprises me the most is the richness of the filling: the fond slick and rich, yet when I chew, the filling glides across my tongue in a smooth dance of flavor. I swallow, letting the initial morsel slide down my throat, a cleansing warmth spreading throughout my entire body, demanding that I eat more. Before I realize it, I was raking in bite after bite of the pie, finishing the entire pie in less than 30 seconds, a single apple piece covered in syrup was still left on the plate. I lick my lips in satisfaction, letting out a heavy sigh, yet somehow I feel even more hungry than I did before I ate. I gingerly slide the last apple piece over my tongue before snapping at it, finishing the pie. I break out in a warm smile. I find myself sitting at a table across from Griffin.

"Well Captain, It looks like you were right, these are the best apples I've ever tasted." I gesture my thumb at the cart, giving a small snicker. I gingerly lick the fork I was eating of it clean of the remnants of the filling, then start on the second one. Trying to eat more slowly, I end up finishing it even faster than the last one.

"I'm telling you, they're seriously missing out," I hear the captain say after I eat. We get up from our tables to order more. Griffin looks around and spots someone who looks similar to Celt and calls to him.

"Hey you! Bear-thing. If you're looking for food that isn't garbage, the apple cart is over here!" He turns to reply, and I spot the metal right arm, it IS Celt. I thought he hated the snobbish regals of high society.

"I'm not a fucking bear! IM A BUGBEAR! ASSHOLE! Oh wait..." Yes, that is undubitably Celt. I spot Ubi and wave for him to come over here. He slowly jogs towards the apple cart. I turn back to the vender.

"I feel like indulging my sweet tooth, 2 more apple pies please." I slam another 20 bits on the counter, taking her by surprise. She hands me two apple pies, I grab both in each paw. By this time Ubi catches up to me. I place one pie in his paws and scoop up a big piece of pie with my free paw, motioning for him to eat. He looks at me with confusion.

"Eat it...." He cracks open his mouth only slightly, enough for me to shove the piece in his mouth. I looked beside me to find Celt Pondering what to get. I smiled and took another fork, scooped up a morsel of pie and shoved it into Celt's curled up mouth.

"Just eat it already, before it's all gone." Both of their eyes widened in amazement. All he could do was smile. I turn back towards the vendor.

"Your name is Apple Jack, right?" She nodded her head.

"Uh-huh." I place 30 bits on the counter.

"2 apple strussels and another apple pie, please." She rakes in the bits and waves for me to take the treats.

"All the while, Griffin and Celt are busy calling out more orders, quickly overwhelming AppleJack.

"Whoa whoa whoa Hold on! Ah can't keep up that fast, y'all are gonna have ta line up, one at a time so I can get tha orders straight!" All with a wide smile of the business that Griffin, Celt, and I are giving her. I hold the 2 apple strussels in one paw, and the apple pie, along with another fork in the other, handing the apple pie to Ubi. Then I over hear something that made both our eyes widen.

"You know what? Screw it. Here's three thousand. Gimme the whole damn cart. Come on guys, let's eat!"

"Wait what?" He bought the whole cart without batting an eye. Celt objects immediately.

"The whole thing? The hell?! I wanted some more!" Griffin drops a large bag filled to the mouth with bits into AppleJack's hooves and rolls the cart to the courtyard, holding up a fist in victory. He turns back to Celt.

"Moron, it's for ALL of us. Saves time standing in line. Don't worry about it, it's on me." Griffin reassures Celt, somewhat easing his mind. Apple Jack stares at the bag of bits Griffin just gave her.

"But....... all the stuff on there was only worth two thousand......" She stood there, gawking at how he could afford the cart. I walk over to her and explain, both of us following behind the captain. I ate both the apple strussels, the flavor more complex than the pie, with a slight tang at the finish.

"For food such as this, I would have gladly paid triple. After all, that's what it's worth. Besides, he has more money than he knows what to do with at this point, and more coming to him. Just take it and don't ask questions." I give a smile while answering. She seems to understand and puts away the back of gold. We kept walking, Griffin leading the fore with the cart wheeling out to the courtyard. The courtyard had a clearing with cobblestone pavement and some tables. We sat down on a picnic blanket that Apple Jack brings out. Griffin rubs his palms together, licking his lips.

"Aoi, bugbear, Let's EAT!" He grabs an apple tart and shoves it into his beak. Celt's jaw drops.

"You really bought the whole cart......." Griffin looks back at him with a grin.

"What? Something the matter? I'm sharing, what do you care?" Rainbow Dash comes back and sits with us, sitting on my left while Ubi Continues to eat the apple pie, sheading a tear while eating. I guess he found something better than diamonds. I grab 3 fritters from the cart and fold my paws together.

"Itadakimasu. (Let's Eat)" I suddenly hear Knightmare's voice from a distance.

"BUT WHAT ABOUT MEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEE?!" He's held back by what I presumed to be the Changeling Queen, Knightmare almost lunging out of her arms trying to escape her clutches while the Queen lectures him. Something that the Queen said shot down Knightmare's resistance, slumping into a state of defeat and despair. Griffin starts laughing.

"Ha! This is too good! You finally get to Equestria, and you can't eat anything! No Sweet Apple Acres food for you!" His remark makes Knightmare stand up again, this time with a look of anger.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING ASSHOLE, GRIFFIN THE GRIFFIN! A COMPLETE AND UTTER ASSHOLE!" The Changeling Queen lets him go, only to have him buzz up into the air, then sputter into despair again after being reprimanded by the princess, swaying with a drunken stagger. He drops onto the ground, dragging his hooves and his guitar away, following the Princess inside. Griffin grins even wider, flipping up his middle talon at the changeling's back.

"I DON'T CAAAAAARE!" Saying the last part with a raspy cackle. I look back at Ubi, the tears flowing down the side of his muzzle. I give a caring smile.

"Congradulations Ubi, you found a food worth eating that doesn't come from a cave." He just smiled and kept eating. Eol was missing out. I look back at Celt.

"Celt, so glad you could join the party, although I didn't expect you to like high class social occasions." He kept on eating, looking over at me to signal acknowledgement. Griffin gave him a nudge.

"Sooo, Bugbear....."

"My species is bugbear, not my name asshole!" I'll remember not to talk to him while eating...

"Well then, what IS your name?" Griffin looked annoyed at Celt.

"Celt. You're Griffin right? Some kind of big shot?" Rainbow Dash grabs a slice of pie and starts eating it out of her hoof. Apparently she wasn't one for decorum outside of parties. She sat there watching the captain and the bugbear talking.

"How long you been in Equestria?" Griffin asked Celt bluntly. What gave him away?

"I'm here for a reason and did Aoi tell you I was human?" His voice gives way to slurring, he was about to get hit by the effects of alcohol, and by the slurring, it was heavy.

"No, as soon as you said, 'You can dance if you want to' I figured it out. By the way, do you like bananas?" and here it comes...

"No, no no no. You are not making that joke with me, I already got blown outta one building today from dat stupeeeed line." The effects hit hard, but what concerned me was his mention of an explosion. I waved the matter away and continued eating, as Knightmare comes out with a small cup of punch...

"What the hay is with you aliens and yer bananas?" AppleJack alternated looks between Celt and Griffin.

"Internet." Celt, Griffin and Knightmare say synonomously with a deadpanned expression. I gave a light chuckle, knowing had Keith been here, he would have done the same thing. Knightmare starts complaining.

"Fucking hell, finally get to Equestria and apples will kill me." He holds up the glass of punch, "THE ONLY THING I can eat while here....non-alcoholic punch." Just then, Knightmare starts to bring the glass up to his mouth. I replay back to the events of a half hour ago, almost choking on the pie I was eating. I swallow heavily and wave my paw at him to stop.

"IIE (NO!) Someone spiked the punch!" He stops, lurching forward and gives a complaining groan...

"GREAT! Chrysalis says the only thing safe for me to have is the punch....and some fucktard spiked it, so I can only get one cup.... Anymore and it's fatal." He drops the cup onto the grass. I shook my head.

"Remind me to kick the guy's ass later." I say while eating an apple fritter. I look around to see if I could spot any guilt on the face of the potential culprits, mainly Griffin, since he was the only one not drunk. He spotted me looking at him, giving a wide grin.

"For once, I can honestly say it wasn't my fault." He starts laughing, claw on his chest in a carefree manner. It wasn't him, Celt was staring blankly into space. Griffin lowers his claw and leans back, holding up talons in count.

"So, let's see, Aoi, Echo, Celt, Knightmare, Carl (Deceased) and myself. Six humans. Knight can't have any booze or he'll die, and I can't have any or Gilda will kill me. Echo is who knows where, Celt is wasted yet still standing somehow, and Aoi, judging by the way you're wobbling, you've had some too am I right?" He looks at me. I smile and pinch my fingers together, although in reality I've had enough to guarantee me a hangover the next morning. Suddenly the Princess slowly trots outside, her face red and her hooves in an awkward gait. She was drunk as well, this didn't bode well. Apple Jack looked at her in disbelief.

"Princess Celestia...... are you drunk?" I snickered at AppleJack's question. I'll never understand why sometimes people will ask questions with an obvious answer.

"Lord Fester and I have had....." She taps her hooves on the ground to mark and recall how many drinks, "....... a case and a half each of 'The Royal Pink'. It's not hitting hard yet but it has a delayed effect. We're going to have unimaginable hangovers by dawn." Same as I, "Since this is the first time I've ever been able to get a buzz, much less be part of the party instead of greeting everypony, I maaaaaaaaay have gone a little overboard." Her first time? I would be surprised if she even got out of bed at all the next morning. I lay backward on the blanket, eating a cupcake that had a small apple slice on top of it, draining out the conversation, and staring into the painted night sky.

"Vis!" I hear an explosion out of nowhere, I look up to see a tree completely splintered, Celt standing with a proud look on his face. I started to get a little concerned. He got a smug look on his face.

"Heh heh, I made a stallion eat a firebolt once, it wasn't pretty." He still had a smile. Apparently I missed something during the crackdown battle. Griffin grimaced jokingly.

"Are you sure you should be saying that with the Princess right behind you........ swaying drunkenly?" The bugbear looks behind him to see the equally drunk princess. Celt shrugs as if nothing was the matter.

"He was a criminal anyway." Celestia changes her attention from Celt to Griffin and hugs him. Griffin caught by surprise makes a face of discomfort.

"Oh, you weren't lying.... you's soooooooooooo soft......" Celestia nearly falls asleep on Griffin before he jerks out of her arms, making her fall. She starts to get all teary eyed, whimpering.

"Why you do that for? I jus wan cuddles....." I chuckle, then see Celt stumbling backwards, his eyes widening. All those drinks are finally catching up to him.

'How many bottles did they say they had?' I try counting on my digits, until interrupted by Celt's bellowing.

"Everyting ish sho bright! Ish sho beautiful!" Enough to make him higher than a hot air ballon. he starts stumbling towards me, arms extended.

"I want a hug now too, come ere puppy give me a hug..." I stood up, slowly backing away.

"N-n-n-nani o shite iru no? (W-w-what are you doing?)" He kept stumbling towards me until Knightmare came up to him and poked him in the side of the head, freezing him instantly, then slowly tipping him over until he hit the ground in the same pose with outstretched arms, pausing for a few seconds before tilting his head and exclaiming in a wail.

"Why does the ground hate me so?" Just then Griffin grabbed Knightmare by his horn and flung him at the drunken princess, Knightmare impacting with her in a hug. This was all getting too crazy. I fell backwards onto the ground. I look at my paws and find them blurry. I try and refocus my vision by rubbing my eyes, until Ubi catches me completely off guard: he starts scratching me behind the ears. I suddenly felt more relaxed, with a sense of relief over my entire body. Little did I know that I had tipped over and was lying on my side, my legs still crossed. I suddenly jerk back up again due to a familiar voice.

"Speaking of Party, Aoi, Um, do you, I don't know, um, want to dance again?" She was dragging a hoof along the blanket where we were sitting in a nervous manner, Griffin nudges me and winks. I look back at her.

"Sure," I look at Knightmare and Griffin, "Do you two know anything upbeat?" I say with a wink. They get the cue and look at each other.

"I've got the perfect song," Knightmare says with a flourish of his guitar, "but first we need to get Celt and Drunk-lestia to some beds. I don't know the castle layout too well, and I've gotta get set up for the song so," He looks at AppleJack and a few others, "do you wanna take her?" He motions a thumb to the drunken princess. I sigh as Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, one of the Cats from Griffin's crew, and Griffin's dance partner carry the Princess inside, avoiding the crowd. A single thought crosses my mind as I walk with Ubi back inside.

'Heh, it's a shame, Keith, you're missing out on one great party.' I chuckle and dust off my hakama.

We meet up with Eol later inside, him asking us where we've been.

"We've been having the time of our lives." Rainbow Dash finds me again and stands by my side, Eol with a dumbfounded look on his face. I walk with Rainbow Dash to the center of the dance floor, her dress a flowing fiery red behind her. I start making light conversation, waiting for the Captain and Knightmare to finish setting up, and starting to feel the alcohol leaving my system, slowly, drop by drop.

"You know, this is actually the first real party I've been to, in my entire life actually..." Rainbow Dash reacts shockingly to my response.

"Not even one?" I shook my head no.

"Never..." she starts chuckling.

"Well then you might want to stay away from Pinkie Pie, she'll try to make up for lost time..." I chuckle lightly. Back onstage, Griffin taps the microphone to signal the continuation of their performance, arms in the air to greet the crowd.

"Hello Canterlot! How are you all doing tonight? A bit crazy eh?" The crowd falls deathly silent except for a single noble who objects to all that has happened so far, and he's standing right next to me.

"What kind of a party is this? This is supposed to be an event of sophistication! Not........ rough housing!" I wanted to punch him right then and there, clenching my fist tightly.

"Ah, come on, we're just..... 'horsing around'." I deadpan. I didn't find horse puns to be particularly funny....

"What can we say, we Humans are 'All the Buzz'!" my ears perk up as he said it. I glance over and see Rainbow Dash cocking her head to the side. I look back to see Griffin quickly smacking Knightmare on the back of the head.

"I think I just got pun-ished." I shot Knightmare an uneasy glare.

"Dude, they don't know what we are! Way to blow it!" Griffin tries his best to keep it at a whisper, but unfortunately, everyone there with enhanced hearing could hear him loud as a bell, making some shift uneasily. Griffin regains his composure and and clears his throat in the mike. "Sorry folks, just disregard him, he's an idiot." Knightmare rubs the back of the head and flutters off in a heated fit.

"So, since you want something a little classier, I'll start with some swing music. I hope you like jazz. Let's dance!" I take his cue and immediately grab Rainbow Dash by the hooves without warning, glancing only slightly as if to say:

'Hope you can keep up with me.' She meets it with a glance of her own.

'You're on.' She starts adapting to my lead, the steps flowing back with every second, lighting up the dance floor in a symphony of rhythm and dance. The mares and stallions around us slowly back away, stomping their hooves on the ground in time to the beat. She smiles at the fast pace and then we execute riveting moves: a left step shuffle to a quick samba step, to a pause as we grasp each other's shoulders. Then I sweep Rainbow Dash under my legs, flipping over with the momentum, then launching her into the air with an upward fling, leaping closely behind her. We grab each other in midair, twisting in the air and slightly pushing us apart, so that we land a small distance from each other, face to face. We slowly advance towards each other with rhythmic stepping, snapping with each step. I grab her left hoof, twirling her and sashaying to a debonair pose. We lock arms facing the crowd, shouting 'Hey!', then stepping back two paces, ending in a bridge, again the crowd shouts, 'Hey!' then turning around and sauntering a few paces, shouting another 'Hey!' as everyone claps. As the song comes to a riveting close, I wink at her as to give the signal, though with total honesty we were making this up as we went. We finish the dance with flair as I backflip over Rainbow Dashes head, Rainbow Dash grabbing my rear paws and following along, my momentum throwing her into the air in a triple flip, releasing her in a wheel of dazzling aerial flips to a skydiver's freefall, I return to upright position and run to her fall position and slide just in time to catch her just as the song ends. The crowd bursts into applause at our finishing move. Griffin gives a high whistle over the bustling crowd. I look into her eyes and see her blush.

"Wow... that was amazing! Where did you learn to dance like that." I give a wide smile as I stand, letting her down from my arms.

"Well one needs to learn these things as a secret a---"

"Stop there beast!"

Collateral Damage [15]

I turn and see Celt, looking for someone, while a noble with a bloody nose. Griffin immediately flies from the stage and intervenes.

"What the hell is going on here? Shouldn't you be lying in bed, sleeping off your stupor?" I started to slowly walk towards Celt and Griffin bickering, grabbing 2 darts from Eol's belt, immediately stripping them of their feathers.

"I hash an earth pony to find and punch. Friggin bucked mah head." He was too drunk to be swinging around aimlessly like that. Griffin drew Hades and pointed it at Celt as a warning.

"You're ruining the party, don't make me knock you out." Celt stood high and looked down on Griffin, poking him in the chest.

"I ish nert aferd a yooooooo." I step between the two.

"Hey, Celt, calm down." Celt rolls his eyes and shoves me aside. I readied the needles. Griffin glanced at the needles in my hand. He returns his gaze back to Celt.

"Come at me, bro!" Out of nowhere, Knightmare floats in to take his turn at intervening.

"Celt, you're drunk. Griffin, YOU'RE insane. Keep all bickering, death threats, and battles for the fate of existance OUTSIDE the ballroom okay?" Celt swats him away like a fly. They both turn towards the changeling.

"Shut up, nobody likes you." He starts to scurry away, defeated. Celt pulls out the crossbow. I shifted my position to go to his backside without him noticing.

"Ignis Vis." I start to spring into a jump, but at the last second Ubi holds me back, giving a quick shake of his head.

"YOU'RE ALL GONNA FUCKING BURN!" I turn back around to see a red crossbow bolt fly towards Griffin's position, only to be deflected by Hades. The Bolt flies over several heads through a window, finally exploding in the air. The resulting explosion surprises everyone, soon after hundreds of fireworks go off around the castle. Celt looks back at Griffin with a gaping jaw.

"Shit...." I gave a wry chuckle, Celt curled his mouth in a crooked smile, "Um, well, you see, I'm sorry?" He rubs his head with a boy look on his face. Griffin matched his grin, slowly walking towards Celt, dragging Hades along the ground.

"You just bought yourself a one way ticket on Nighty-night airlines!" Celt raises his arms infront of him to brace for impact. Griffin swings his sword like a paddle, the impact ringing out in a loud clang all over the ballroom.

"Ventus!" A wind rushes past through the ballroom, strong enough to help send Celt flying through the open window into the depths below, resounding with an audible splash.

'I'm glad that's over...' I stitch the needles into the sleeve of my dobuku, in case I needed them again. I walk back to where Rainbow Dash was.

"So, where were we?" She looked at me with an expression of confusion.

"You were saying something about... being a secret what now?" Thoughts started raging through my head. How could I let it slip so easily like that? Not that it matters anymore, you're retired now, best to be open with it. After all, she might not believe it anyway.

"Oh... that." I took a short breath, putting on a stupid grin, "I used to be a secret agent, then retired recently." she didn't seem convinced. In fact, she broke out in a disbelieving smirk, then laughter.

"Secret agent, yeah right... you? a spy?" I chuckled along with her, neither denying nor reaffirming her claim. If she asked, I could say I told her the truth. Knightmare buzzes by with a chuckle.

"Stranger things have happened," He shrugged, glancing around the ballroom, "Now where the fuck did I put that thing?" He keeps on looking around, finally setting his eyes on the stage.

"OH FUCK!!!" He immediately rushes to the stage to retrieve his guitar. I turn back to a still laughing Rainbow Dash, who's wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

"Seriously though, where did you learn those moves?" I look at her with a serious air to my voice.

"I took lessons... added my own twist to the moves." Some situations called for inconspicuous blending into a crowd, some called for something to keep their eyes on you. It all depended on the mission, but now, it was just for fun. I was feeling alive, the thrill of dancing a riveting number simply to dance gave me a thrill unlike any other. I look towards the stage to see Knightmare struggling with a Gray mare with a musical clef tattoo.

"I'm going to go see if Knightmare is going to need any help..." I hear a smack as the grey pony near punches Knightmare. I lean on the edge of the stage, listening absently to the bout between Knightmare and the Gray Pony, overhearing about another human turned into a winged beast called 'Zeta'. I perked up when it clicked in my head that this one knew about humans. I didn't know whether to be concerned or just let it slide. The tension starts to escalate as the argument continues, Knightmare defending the appearance of humans here in Equestria, with the Gray Pony rebutting it with a snide remark. Knightmare quickly objected with how we only came here against our will, not knowing that this world wasn't as cracked up as it was made out to be. Then the Gray Pony asks the million dollar question:

"....How bad is 'your world' that this place would seem a paradise in comparison?" I could answer that question in 4 words or less. What words would Knightmare choose?

"....War." Well done, you just answered it in one, not what I was thinking of, but a good answer nonetheless. The entire room suddenly had a slightly darker feel to it than a few moments ago.

"War?" She paused, her lower lip quivering, "How recent?" All the nobles were on edge, waiting for the changelings unwanted answer.

"Daily." I heard someone faint in the crowd, then silence. "For the past five hundred years, there hasn't been a single day without war occurring somewhere. Even if things aren't perfect here...at least there's no worry that you'll be press-ganged into fighting against someone you've never even heard of, all for resources and money thinly veiled as 'the right thing to do'." That's basically it, how the entire world simply competes for resources, power, authority, with no absolution or resolve in morality or conscience. If one wonders why war even exists, it can simply be traced back to mere greed.Even if there were only two people left in existance, as long as one wants what the other has, they'll try and take it by any means necessary, be it commerce, theft, or even seizure. I stand up straight and nod at Knightmare.

'Your goal may be farfetched, but not impossible...' I pace along the edge of the stage, ponies still in shock and awe of what Knightmare has said. The ponies of Equestria really were virgins to the outside world, living in the lavish comfort of peace and prosperity, they never knew what it was like to be torn from the womb and tossed into the outside world, with its simple evils of fighting simply to survive the next day, of which, if ever they were exposed to it, would violate their moral values and traumatize them to a point of no return. Wherein lies the only choice they would have left: to realize that they have lost their innocence, and so must continue with what life has thrust upon them. Knightmare simply gave a mere taste of what our world was really like, and they threw up like they had just tasted garbage.

Rainbow Dash walked up to me, standing by my side, leaning on the part of the stage where I was. I looked up at the glass chandeliers decorating the ceiling, sparkling and shimmering. I tuned out the entire world out, letting in only the music that played afterwards. The metal causes the entire room to quiver. I tune the music out, looking at Knightmare and the Gray pony onstage. I didn't know much apart from what I heard, but it seemed like the Grey Pony is a classical musician. I met musicians just like her, they usually end up in a drunken stupor of depression when they become entangled in the changing times, they lose grasp of what they know due to the ever rising popularity of western music. I watched as Knightmare guided his hands with Octavia's hooves to play his guitar. To my surprise the pony started to enjoy playing the music. As the song ends I lean on the edge of the stage again, seeing the Gray pony blush as Knightmare beams with a smug grin.

""Admit it, THAT was fun!"

"I will only admit that it wasn't as horrible as I'd feared..." She seemed out of breath. Her friend, a White unicorn with styled blue spiky hair combed over, came over and patted her on the shoulder.

""Octy, you are one stubborn mare," The Unicorn and Knightmare share a laugh before 'Octy' took the guitar and smacked Knightmare over the head with it, knocking him offstage to land right next to me. I look down at the changeling slowly picking himself back up.

"Well done Knightmare," Aoi tells me. "You've managed to make a little bit of peace...." He cracks his neck audibly and rubs it.

"I MIGHT have deserved that..." I raise an eyebrow with him as he lifts himself back onto the stage.

"You okay? She hit you pretty hard..." He nurses the new bruise wrought from being hit with his own instrument and chuckles.

"Dude, Aoi, mah bro. I've hit MYSELF harder than that! No seriously, ask the asshole back there, he witnessed it." I look backwards to see Griffin reeling backwards onto the floor in laughter, "Savor it, Griffin the Griffin, for it shall be the LAST time I embarrass myself! PERIOD! It shan't happen again!" He said the last part in a Highland accent.

"Ten bits say you make a fool of yourself three more times tonight," Griffin says with a smile, wiping away a tear of laughter. I shake my head, apparently slapstick comedy was more prominent among the two.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Scratch and I shall conduct a bit of an experiment in dedication to the resident bad-asshole, Captain Griffin of the Griffin Pirates!" I see Griffin immediately stand up shaking his head in dismay, to a look of a mix of terror and embarassment.

"So, a 'special performance'?" I turn around to see a display of magic, and see face to face with an image of Griffin kicking down a door, Hades pointed forward with its tip glowing red, the image cutting to a clip of me sitting in a chair, holding a cigarette in my paws. I break out in a smile.

"One shudders to imagine what inhuman thoughts lie behind those eyes..." My holographic self state, slowly twirling the cigarette. I try to hold back a chuckle, I don't even smoke. "What dreams of chronic and sustained cruelty...." The image gets a close up onto the illusionary captain's eyes to reveal...

'What?' The image turns into a candyland-esque world with the captain dancing and frolicking among the fields, holing a giant red and white lollipop, along with various chibi versions of diamond dogs and changelings. I double over in laughter, clutching my sides.

"No way in hell would that ever happen." I pause when I hear pawsteps rushing towards my direction. I roll over and get back to standing position as the captain marches past me, leaping onto the stage and grabbing Knightmare by his jacket.

"Knightmare, you... Fucking TRAITOR!" He yells to the point of spitting on Knightmare, then punches him across the stage, slowly approaching him, "Just what the FUCK was that?"

"Uh, meet the pyro?" Knightmare replies through a winded voice.

"What." Griffin stops immediately, his expression turning to that of what Keith would describe as a 'WTF Face.'

"Valve finally released it." He slowly gets back up, nursing his new bruise.

"You've got to be kidding me. Do you have ANY idea what you just did to my image?" He pointed to the wisping image disappearing.

"Mauled it like a cat does to a baby bird?" He turns his head to the side with a nervous smile.

"And do you have any idea what I'm going to do to you?" Griffin kept on advancing towards him.

"Um....... see previous?" Knightmare gulp and held his arms in defense. Griffin scratched his chin in thought.

"Hmm. No." Knightmare sighed, wiping the sweat off of his brow. "I think I just won't help you with your 'unable to eat real food' problem." He froze as if Griffin had shot him through the heart.

"Now how the hell could you 'help' with THAT?" Knightmare starts growling at the captain.

"I know magic, and I maaaaaaaay just know a spell that lets us humans toggle between our true forms and what we are now." At the mention of turning us back to human form, my ears twitch. "Meaning that, if I feel like it, not only could I expose all of us for what we really are, and make us damn near powerless at that, but if I were to make you human, you could eat some of the leftover food from the Sweet Apple Acres cart. However, for what you just did on that stage, I don't think I'm feeling very generous right now...." I sigh in relief, I'm not sure I wanted everyone to know about us just yet.

"And you didn't bother mentioning THAT earlier!?" He starts seething with anger.

"Must have slipped my mind......." I think the whole room could hear the spiteful sarcasm coming off of Griffin's voice. Knightmare's face turned red with anger, steam whistling out of his ears. Knightmare grabbed Griffin by the throat, griffin simply stating a phrase I thought I'd never hear again:

"U MAD BRO?" That tipped it, Knightmare started to curl up his hands in a punch.

"YOU BRAINDEAD EGO-MANIACAL SNIVELING SONOVABI-"

An explosion knocked everyone off their feet, and sent a guard flying towards the stage, Griffin and Knightmare dodging out of the way. I jumped onstage and had my hand on Kokuryu. I crouch to a low stance and gaze at the mass of rubble and smoke, ready to attack at any moment. As the smoke cleared I saw a Black dragon, as tall as I was, with purple lines running over her scales, almost seeming to beat with a pulse of their own. I felt Kokuryu hum violently within its sheath. Her size answered a much needed question lingering in my mind.

'I guess that's how...' My hand tensed over the hilt, I gave a low growl. Knightmare walked towards her, cursing and ranting.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" He shouted as he dragged his guitar along the ground. The dragon simply walked past him, her focus set on something behind us, I look backwards and spot Princess Luna sitting on her throne, her gaze one of confusion. The air becomes still. The dragon reels her arm backward into a punch straight into the Moon Princess's maw, many of the nobles reacting in a shocked resounding clamor, other nobles fainting. The Princess recoils from the punch, the throne tipping over, ejecting the princess into the back wall. I see Knightmare's fist clench in anger.

"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" He drops his guitar and grabs a chair, throwing it at the dragon. The chair merely splinters into woodchips, the dragon not even flinching. Both Griffin and Knightmare stood there, their jaws dropping. I kept my hand wavering over Kokuryu. I had to be careful, take a tense situation and add three loose cannons that could go off, and you have a situation going bad in less than a second. The Princess staggers up, her nose bleeding profusely. I was still working off the effects of the alcohol. Adrenaline started to run through me, clearing my vision momentarily. I couldn't afford to be reckless...

"WHO ART THOU AND HOW DAREST THOU DISRUPT THIS OCCASION, AND ATTACK EQUESTRIAN ROYALTY!" Her voice booms across the ballroom, swaying the chandeliers with the sheer force of her voice. "THOU SHALT BE PUNISHED FOR THIS ACTION!" Her shout hurt my ears, other ponies around the room clutching theirs.

"OUTTA THA WAY! COMING THROUGH!" Knightmare bolts towards the Dragon, shifting into a tall, heavily built cat woman, breaking the marble effortlessly with each step. The Princess flew into the air, a velvet aura coating the air around her horn, readying a spell. I shouted to Griffin.

"Griffin, GET KNIGHTMARE AWAY FROM THEM, HE'S GOING TO GET HIS ASS KICKED!" The dragon leaped into the air, grabbed the Princess's glowing horn, and used her as an equine club to slam Knightmare backwards, the cat-like figure rushing towards me. I take my hand away from the hilt, outstretching my arms to catch him, right as he slams into me.

"I got you!" With the inertia slowing down only slightly, I struggle to regain my footing to create friction on the cracked marble tiles. We skid across the floor, halting as we both smash into the drywall. He pulls himself out of the new crater in the wall the impact made, Knightmare seeming unharmed.

"Bad... Move..." He stands up tall, clenching his fist. I wheeze due to the impact combined with the dust in the air.

"You Okay, Knightmare?" He roars, going back into another run again, I grab his tail.

"I will be OK when I got that oversized lizard and that damn bird in a headlock!" He kept running, to my dismay, I couldn't get a proper footing and he ends up dragging me along with him. I try desperately to regain a steady grip on the floor, but it was too slick. He snatched his guitar off the ground and starts charging forward. As I was hanging on with one paw, I fumbled through my sleeve to retrieve one of the needles. Then Griffin stands between Knightmare and hold out his arms, seeminglessly stopping Knightmare in his tracks.

"Hold it bug. Think about it for a sec, Okay?" Griffin turns around to glance at the battle between the Princess and the Dragon, while I let go of Knightmare's tail and dust myself off, grasping the needle in my paw.

"If that thing can do THAT to princess Luna, just what exactly do you think you'll be able to do against it? It would be better if the three of us stayed OUT of this, at least till we know what we're dealing with." Knightmare changed back to normal, gritting his teeth at the helplessness of the situation.

"Fine, but then we better spend this time thinking of how we can beat that thing." He pointed towards the two battling forces. I give a slight chuckle, nursing a bruised solar plexus.

"Heh, next time Knightmare, don't expect to use me as another pillow, my ribs still hurt from you slamming into me..." I wince at the pain.

"Okay, Knight Aoi, we've got something here that is on the same level as Princess Luna. Did you see those lines all over it? Yeah, that's magic if I ever saw it, meaning that this dragon..... thing, rather than using basic dragon abilities, probably knows how to use spells. Since it's a dragon, it has a near unlimited reservoir to use spells."

"A dragon that knows how to use further magic?" Griffin nods at me. I think back to what Ubi told me about dragons...

"So, we'll need to triple team it, if it comes to that. Also, its scales were black, meaning we're gonna have a tough time even cutting it to begin with. It's smaller than the ones I'm used to fighting, and it's faster, so we'll have trouble even hitting it to begin with."

"Griffin, there's something Important I need to tell you!" His attention turns to me,

"Yeah, what is it?" Thoughts start racing through my mind, info, memories, going to the conversation I had with Ubi.

"Ubi told me how dragons use magic, usually taking years of natural practice... Meaning..."

"Meaning..." I needed one more piece of information.

"Meaning?" He cocked his head to the side.

"What did you say about using magic..."

"That is has a nearly unlimited reservoir? That it is definitely using it?"

"That the fact that you could tell from those lines."

"Yeah. By that, it's strong magic." Things finally came together. It wasn't just strong, it was immensely powerful. "If it takes years of practice, yet this thing is so young, I'm guessing it's the Twilight Sparkle of Dragons." I didn't know what he was talking about, but it was probably nowhere near close.

"... wrong..."

"Huh?" Griffin and Knightmare cocked their heads to the side in confusion.

"You're not going to be able to get near it... Let alone touch it, or even get a swing at it." I take a deep breath, "Unless you can use that same level of magic, we're most likely going to get floored as soon as she finds a new target."

"You're right. My sword is too slow. I won't be able to hit it, unless I have a clear shot and she doesn't see it coming. Knight, let's face it, you might be able to hit her, but you won't do any damage at all, so........"

"So, we're right fucked then, aren't we?" His tone seems to deflate. I hold up the needle.

"Now I didn't say we couldn't buy some time for Luna," Immediately a spark of inspiration lifts everyone's spirits.

"You mean, let Luna handle it, while we give her time to prepare herself?"

"Yeah, but first." I call Ubi over, "Ubi, on my signal, get ready to call the royal guard." Ubi flattens his ears in disappointment.

"I can't everyone's too scared to, they're not going to listen."

"Dammit..." I look back at the two, "You do realize that, considering what it's doing to Luna, trying to get close will pretty much be suicide right?" They nod, Griffin having a sly look on his face.

"Which is why we're playing distraction." Oh? "Knight, you and I will play distraction, while Aoi does his ninja thing and goes for the kill shot. We'll only get one chance at this. Screw up, and we're all dead. It won't fall for it a second time." I'm not a ninja...

"It could work, and it means we're more likely to live since we'll be playing defensively." I start thinking further.

"Griffin, how much magic can you spare?" He pulls out three vials of that strange liquid like the one in the vial I gave to Ubi... meaning...

"I got about ten minutes of unlimited spells, but then my brain will be fried and I'll have to drop out."

"I only need one." I needed something to make me fall faster, if a sneak attack was going to work, it would be from above...

"Hold on." He snaps once, calling three crew members by his side. "You three, get the crew to evac this place. It's about to become a warzone." Knightmare still gazes warily at Griffin.

"I still hate you, you know that, right? Once she's down for the count, then it's gonna be you and me." He then looks at me with an impish grin, "How about bullets, will they work?"

"Bullets won't work on something harder than diamond." He bits his bottom lip, thinking.

"True, How about a plasma cannon instead of bullets?" I was still wondering where he would get the bullets from...

"Can't guarantee it'll do damage, but it should at least give the rest of us breathing room. But, where are you going to get something like that?" Griffin looked questionably at the changeling. Knightmare broke out in a wide smile.

"Shall I?" he raises an eyebrow towards my direction. I simply nod, and he changes into a large mech with heavy weaponry. Keith would have had a fanboy moment right then and there.

"Remember, We're going for buying time here, nothing serious." Griffin nods.

"Now, Aoi, you said you needed one spell?" Griffin asks.

"Yes." He cocked his head to the side.

"What kind of spell were you thinking?" I needed speed.

"Can you make me go faster for about 30 seconds?" I did the physics calculations in my head.

"How much faster?"

"Fast enough to turn me into a living bullet while falling?" I wasn't sure this could bode well at all, but it was worth a shot.

"Does 2578 kilometers per hour sound right?" I nod in response, 'Perfect.'

"That, I can do. Just tell me when you want the buff." He shakes one of the vials.

"Okay... now... are we forgetting something?" He looks behind him to find another pony, clad in armor with a sword on its back. All eyes were on her now.

"Ello poppet. Where do you think you're going?" Griffin lunges at the pony, pinning her down with one hoof behind her back. I felt Kokuryu vibrate within its sheath with vigor at the battle ahead.

"You, you came in with that... thing. You know it better than we do. So, tell me how we can kick it's ass."

"Um. I'm Ritz...... I don't.... really.... know... any of her weaknesses? I don't even think she has one........" She said stuttering, scared out of her wits.

"You're kidding........" Griffin deadpanned. Knightmare approaches the pinned pony, morphing an appendage into a cannon.

"Well then, 'Ritz'. I you've got 5 seconds to think about what weaknesses she has, or you won't have a face." Knightmare said, his voice metallic and artificial. I dash to the position between the cannon and Ritz's head, giving him a cold glare.

"Don't start this Knightmare, It might be hard to do, but calm down..." He lowers the cannon away from my face. Griffin slowly lets go of Ritz.

"Ugh, it's fine, A dragon that uses magic is small enough to evade power strikes, and strong enough to withstand speed attacks. It's very possible that she really DOESN'T have any weaknesses. We'll just have to play her 'Not-strengths'." He says, scratching his head. Knightmare tilts his head to the side, as if irked by Griffin's remark.

"I don't think you fully realize what's hidden within this castle. If their brawl should breach the Black Vault, we are ALL in deep shit. Ending this fight as soon as possible is my current priority." I could tell it was hard for him to maintain that form, if he kept it on for too long he could overexert himself from the stress.

"The Black Vault?" Griffin asks, getting back up. Knightmare finally dissolved his disguise back to his original form.

"Celestia told me about it. It's literally a vault where things deemed 'More Dangerous than Discord' are locked away. It's INSIDE the castle! If their brawl breaks it open, I don't wanna think of what...THINGS could get released!"

"Well fuck. That would have been nice to know. Now we have to go after them..." He suddenly remembers something, "Wait a sec... we're forgetting something. Six somethings, actually." He winks at Knightmare. I shake my head.

"We need to go now, I don't want to deal with other hazards that could endanger MORE civilians." Knightmare pats his fist into his palm, finally getting what Griffin said.

"The Elements of Harmony!" I still didn't get what they were talking about. Knightmare calls out in a sing-songy voice, "Oh GIRLS!" The six ponies immediately group around us: Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, AppleJack, and the white pony who nudge for Rainbow Dash to dance. Rainbow dash speaks up.

"Would you three explain what the hay is going on?" Rainbow Dash asks with a confused look on her face.

"Well, Whatever this thing is..."

"HER NAME IS EMBER" The armored pony interrupts.

" Okay, EMBER, is thrashing Luna as we speak, and we have a plan. But if it fails, we need you to use the Elements of Harmony, so, go get em." He waved them off as if to tell them to go play. I look at Rainbow Dash and stop her before she leaves.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you still doing here?"

"I'm here to help, isn't that obvious?" What could she do against a dragon?

"She's the Element of Loyalty, that's why!"

"Element? What Element!" Griffin facepalms in frustration.

"The Elements of Harmony are six artifacts, taking the form of five necklaces and a tiara, which represent kindness, loyalty, honesty, laughter, generosity, and magic. Together, they are the most powerful force in this world." He explains in a monotone fashion.Knightmare chimes in.

"They've defeated a demoness and sealed away the spirit of chaos, and a power-hungry changeling queen. I think they can handle a wingless dragoness." I sigh.

"Hmm... I sure hope you're right about this..." I think fo the implications it would have should they fail.

"So, we three will head to wherever they are, and you six get to the vault and..." Griffin was cut short by the crumbling of a wall, the dragon using the princess to smash down the wall, slowly walking over the bits and pieces of debris. I draw Kokuryu Immediately, taking a defensive stance.

"Girls... Go... Now.." Griffin says in a hushed tone.

"... You gotta be fuckin' with me..." Knightmare shifts into another form, a white alicorn with a fiery teal mane.

"Griffin, when I sheathe my sword, cast the spell." The dragon throws Luna to the side like a ragdoll, turning her attention to us. I tightened my grip on Kokuryu, the blade shimmering golden. Knightmare looks at Griffin for a cue to attack, While Griffin simply just shakes his head no. Out of nowhere, a familiar voice calls out to dragon.

"Ember, STOP!" Ritz, the armored pony trots up to Ember and smacks Ember, literally knocking sense into her. The lines disappear and her eyes turn from a glowing purple to shining crimson. Knightmare's jaw drops and lets his guitar drop to the floor.

"Well now, THAT was anticlimatic." Ember rubs the back of her head.

"Ugh... what happened?" Ritz begins her lecture.

"You went on a rampage, AGAIN! And at the Grand Galloping Gala!" The dragon wincing at each piercing word. Griffin blinks, dumbfounded.

"What... the... fuck... just... happened...?" I lower my blade into a relaxed stance.

"Scratch that..." I breathe a sigh of relief. Both Griffin and Knightmare twitch in frustration, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL JUST HAPPENED!?" Knightmare yells, turning towards us to provide an explanation. The dragon starts to speak now, turning to us.

"Umm... oops? Hehe... Sorry folks." She continues to chuckle rather nervously, "Yeah, I don't care...
Now where'd I put that bitch, Luna?" She sported a playful smile. I started to smile.

"To answer both of you, Ember just got some sense knocked into her..." I snicker.

"You... you have GOT to be shitting me..."

"I don't believe this..." I simply shrug. Just then I see Ember turn her gaze to Griffin. She had a look of rage: cold, dark gaze. One I knew of as one wanting revenge.

"WHAT?!?!" I don't think this was the time to be coy. You have a lot of explaining to do...

"You..." She point at him then starts walking towards him. I tightened my grip on Kokuryu.

"What about me?" He asked, not getting it.

"Yeah, what about him?" Knightmare chimes in, "Because, seriously, fuck him, he's an asshole." Ember walks until she's face to face with him.

"I'm going to kill you, asshole," She spits in his face. Knightmare blinks, then smiles.

"I like this gal..." I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Five minutes ago, you wanted to get back at her for interrupting..."

"Only because she was interrupting me giving Grif a piece of my mind and playing some Grifball." I give him an indifferent stare, blinking twice to signal that I didn't get the reference. Ember backs off by two steps.

"But not here. Too many innocents to get in the way. Be warned. I will find you. And I will fill you with so much pain, you will beg for death. And after that, I'm going to EAT you, but, unlike my dad, I WON'T choke. Now, I have to go....... talk with Princess Luna." Ember starts to drag the unconscious princess out through the wreckage of the wall she came in from, then something comes back to mind.

"WAIT! Ember..." I call out to her, only to have my call fall on deaf ears. I was hoping to have a talk with her...

"Wait... hold on. She storms the gala, wrecks shit, curbstomps Luna, snaps out of it, says sorry, threatens me, then takes the princess out back to have a chat over a cup of tea?" He tries to tangibly grasp the situation for emphasis, but fails, "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?!?"

"I DON'T KNOW, YOU TELL ME!" Knightmare bellows out a reply with an equal amount of confusion in his voice. I sigh and sheathe Kokuryu.

"I don't know, but it looks like you're going to have to watch your back." It was only a half lie, why she bombarded and attacked Luna was anyone's guess, however, one thing was for certain.

"She just swore a vendetta on you..." They were still yelling at each other.

"Sonor. Sonor. Sonor. Sonor. I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" Griffin shouts, the blast from his voice sends Knightmare flying backwards onto the ground.

"She just swore a vendetta on you... and please stop yelling." My ears were ringing from Griffin's shout.

"WHADDA YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A BIRD CAT THINGY!" I hold my paws over my ears.

"I'm still trying to burn through the spiked punch, you yelling is not helping!" They look back at me, Griffin taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Okay... She said She said she's gonna kill me, and unlike her dad, she won't choke........ wait, her dad? Oh, just FUCKING great. She's pissed because that dragon ate me and it died instead." It took you that long to figure it out. It would have been faster had you not yelled and would have save me the pain in my ears.

"Are you serious? A dragon ATE you and it died? How the fuck does shit like that happen?"

"I'll tell you what I tell everyone else. I'm chewy." He said with a sly grin. I rolled my eyes and looked dead at Knightmare, speaking in a deadpanned tone.

"He dove down its throat with a sharp scale." Griffin frowned and looked at me.

"Wow Aoi, way to ruin it." That was for nearly blowing out my ear drums. Knightmare shakes his head in a mix of disapproval and disbelief.

"Not ONLY are you an asshole, you're a lunatic to boot." Not 14 minutes ago, you were going to shoot the pony who saved us a lot of trouble in the head with a plasma cannon, you're not one to talk...

"Yeah yeah. They're coming to take me away, haha! Hee hee, ho ho, haha, to the funny farm! Where life is beautiful all the time! Seriously though, I know. I'm pretty screwed up."

"Then move to Ponyville, you'll fit right in!" I crack my neck and give a small sigh.

"Have your face plastered all over the news one day," I think back to my last day on earth, "Then you could see yourself acting crazy." I look out across the now ruined, broken, crumbling ballroom, and I laugh a little.

'There is no way in hell we are going to clean all this up...'

Midnight Sonata [16]

I suddenly hear a voice behind me, carrying with it a worried and anxious message.

"Umm, I hate to interrupt but..." I turned to see the six mares with the Elements of Harmony, all with a look of fear, "We have a problem..." It looks like the night's not over yet. Knightmare's eyes widen at the mention of the phrase and immediately turns to Pinkie Pie. Griffin shrugs like nothing is wrong.

"What's the issue? You got the Elements, and the problem is gone. Everything is good, right? Well, except the floor and wall, and Luna's out cold, possibly kidnapped by a rampaging dragon, Celestia is passed out drunk, and all the ponies are outside, freaking out because the Gala just got attacked." If there's a problem, it must be on their end.

"That phrase never portends an easily solved problem..." His mood changes to one of panic, "Agent Pie, Sit rep, now!" Pinkie Pie salutes and immediately answers in kind.

"The Black Vault is shredded and over half of the Articles are GONE!" She says, flailing her legs about for emphasis. Griffin cocks his head to the side.

"Wait, AGENT, Pie? You mean........ *Gasp* I knew it! Pinkie Pie IS a spy!" Griffin points at Pinkie Pie, the pink pony reacts merely with a tilted head.

"She's not a spy," Knightmare sighs, rubbing his forehead in order to find words to explain, "She's an agent for Celestia, just like me."

"So your both spies, eh?" I let loose a small snicker under my breath, "So was I..." I say nonchalantly. Griffin glances towards each of us.

"Wait... That means you two are spies, too?" Griffin started to laugh uneasily, "Heh.. Haha.... Ha... I'm surrounded by spies." Then starts to laugh with a rather creepy air. Knightmare drops his head down towards the floor with a groan.

"Ex- to be exact," I corrected him.

"If anyone makes a 'That changeling is a spy!' joke I'm gonna go Pyro on yo ass!" Knightmare then morphs into a humanoid form with a gas mask and a flamethrower. Griffin gets a wide grin and replies.

"That Pyro's a SPAH!" Knightmare turns back to normal and pouts, Griffin looks at him and raises an eyebrow, "What? I didn't say changeling."

Twilight rolls her eyes and then starts to explain what happened.

"Luna and the dragon were fighting, and they slammed into the door to the vault, and broke the door off." I shook my head in disappointment.

"For a vault, it's not that secure." Knightmare's Look reverts to one of panic, his eye twitching. He then bolts out of the ballroom towards the location of the vault. Not too long afterward I hear Knightmare's voice again.

"Oh you HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING WITH ME!" It was muffled, but still audible.

"Did you hear that?" I look towards Griffin. He pulls a standing feather out of the side of his head, flicking it away.

"I see nothing, I hear nothing, I KNOW NOTHING." Griffin says in a rather staunch, German accent. Knightmare Immediately returns, out of breath.

"NIGHTMARE MOON'S ARMOR IS MISSING!!!" Shock immediately shows on the captain's face.

"Okay..." He tries to calm down, then spots his crew coming towards him, away from the sudden screams and shouts coming from the opposite direction. "GILDA, What in the name of Morgan Freeman is going on out there?" Gilda, the other griffin, answered swiftly with a salute.

"Some stupid oaf got into the Canterlot Zoo and let all the animals out. We've got timber wolves, manticores, hierophants, some rocs, and a fucking basilisk out there!" Griffin rolls his eyes, raising his arms in frustration.

"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" I look back at the captain.

"Well Griffin, looks like the night's not over yet..." Griffin looks around, grabbing the hilt of Hades. He lets go and starts rubbing his temples, while I try and track down Ubi and Eol amongst the crowd. Griffin sighs and looks at me.

"Okay, okay, I got it. Aoi, you go deal with the animals. I'll have my crew help the moron track down the dark goddess's armor." Knightmare immediately interrupts Griffin with a question.

“Then what the hell are you gonna do?” Knightmare almost shouts the question at him.

"I'm going to sit here on my ass, take some deep breaths, have one drink to calm my nerves, then try to figure out how to stop the fucking apocalypse. Also, Discord is laughing at us right now. Fuck you Discord. Apocalypses aren't funny." he shouts at the ceiling to some imaginary figure, hoping it would help. Knightmare leans towards me and whispers something.

"Is it just me or does it feel like the apocalypse tonight?" He shrugs then starts heading through the castle.

I grab Kokuryu's hilt, making a beeline for the balcony, passing Ubi and Eol along the way, signaling them to follow. I look towards Knightmare as we diverge and see him twirling a finger around his temple, flicking his thumb backwards at the captain. I give a small snicker as I look back at the cowering crowd of nobles. I wave at the crowd to get out of our way. as we head towards the crowd we jump over them, clearing half of them while lightly hopping on the backs of others, making it to the stairs. We keep moving until we make it to the balcony. I use the hilt of Kokuryu to bash the glass of the window in the way and we land, broken glass. I look over the balcony and see the animals on the lower level, trying to Bash through the double doors leading into the main ballroom. I look towards Ubi and Eol to make sure their ready. Looking down I review the situation.

'Rules of engagement: Potentially dangerous animals, most likely turned feral. If left active, could cause civilian losses. Animals are expendable.'

"Eol, on my signal, ready two sets of knockout vials, throw them as I fall, Ubi, take the longbow and give me some covering fire from the balcony." They nod, Eol pulling out two vials, and Ubi notching his bow. I perch myself on top of the balcony, drawing Kokuryu and aiming for my first target. Scanning amongst the hoard of animals I find a large elephant like creature trying to break through the barricade. I waved to fingers for Eol to release the vials. He tosses them down to land amongst the target creature and a few others. The timberwolves gnawing at the barricade go limp as the knockout gas hits them. I take a deep breath and hold it, then jump off the balcony in a front flip, positioning myself onto the hilt of Kokuryu, bearing my weight onto the hilt, the blade pointed downward towards the target.

'Dìjiǎn fēng zhē (Descending Bee Sting)'

I hear the blade piecing flesh and bone through the green vapor, the odor tingling my nose, tempting me to breathe in. Blood spurts out of the wound, the beast swaying to the left. I jump off, pulling my blade out of the elephant like creature's skull, and landing onto the ground, I hear two thwacks, the mist clearing to see two arrows impaling a nearby manticore that was trying to rush towards me. I sidestepped to avoid the falling behemoth as its body crashed into the ground, cracking the tiles underneath it, serving as an extra barricade. As the last of the knockout gas disperses, I stand in shock to see a massive stampede head my way. Knightmare slips past the barricade to ask me something.

"Aoi, any guesses to who might wanna steal the shattered armor of a demon-goddess" I push him out of the way and duck to avoid a manticore's tail gliding past my ear. I look up back at the balcony.

"Eol, Ubi, get back inside to help with the civilians, fall back!" I back flip and avoid a manticore's tail in the ground that I was standing on moments before, bits of tile grazing across my face. I call back through the barricade.

"Griffin, can you and your crew handle this?" I pull my sword upward to slice its tail off, the beast recoiling at the pain. I look at Knightmare as a cue to get back inside. He scurries back through the barricade, readying his guitar. I hear Griffin respond.

"Sorry, they're still with Knightmare, looking for the demoness' armor, and I'm still trying to pour my brain back into my skull. Come on, they're just a bunch of animals. I know you can take care of it." I dodge a downward swipe of the manticore's paw, grabbing it and dislocating it with a twist, then thrusting my blade into its face, "I know you can take care of it." I felt off balance, my vision desynchronizing due to the effects of the alcohol. "Besides, someone needs to protect the element bearers. Since I'm totally freaking out right now, it should probably be me," That statement made no logical sense at all, "If you really want to, we can switch in a bit." I pulled my blade out and jumped over the manticore, slicing the timberwolf behind it in half. I rolled over to the side to avoid a roc trying to dive bomb me. I couldn't keep this up for long. I needed to stall them.

Another elephant slams its tusk into me, flinging me through the air into the wall.

"GAHHH!" I felt two ribs fracture as I hit the wall. I fell onto my knees, clutching my side. I start pumping adrenaline to subside the pain. I had to fall back soon. The Elephant kept charging. I took a flat thrust stance with Kokuryu, and slid under the beast, carving a large gash into its abdomen, the stench of blood and musk hitting my nose like fire. I coughed and stood upright again, hacking into the side of a manticore as it lunged for me with a jagged slash. I gripped the hilt with both hands and swung in a wide arc, the air smashing the leg off of a timber wolf, sap splattering over my dobuku. I sheath Kokuryu and take out the two needles from my sleeve and tried my hardest to concentrate on the pouncing manticore.

'Quadrupedal felines, engage shoulder distress with collar bone point, then fully disable with shock above the eyelid.'

I held the needles one in each hand, crouching low. I engaged an adrenaline rush to slow time down. I took a deep breath and let my digits do the work. I took a step forward,
stabbing the first meridian point with an outstretched stab, then reeling my body back to stab the point above the eyelid as it jerked and tumbled past me, landing and skidding to an abrupt halt. I cease the excess adrenaline and grasped the hilt of Kokuryu in an Iaijutsu stance, as three timber wolves lunged at the same time.

'Shinigami no Toiki (A Reaper's Sigh)' My injury skewed the slash, causing the blade to stop short, allowing one to slash at my neck. I turned to the side at the last second, the claw grazing against my shoulder, leaving 3 long marks cuts in my dobuku, staining it with blood. I twisted the blade in my hand and pulled it upwards, severing the timberwolf in half midair. Immediately, i took some of the sap and used it as a temporary styptic for the wound. I sprinted back to the barricade, then turned to have my back to the wall.

I hear a loud explosion, sending the Captain through the barricade right onto me. We get up, me nursing my injury with one paw. Griffin looks at me, a scratch above the eye, bleeding.

"Hey, Aoi, I could use some help over here." Griffin points back inside. I hear Knightmare inside, belting out guitar riffs.

"YOU COULD USE SOME HELP!? What about MEEE!?" Knightmare yells at the top of his lungs. I look back at him.

"And I could use a little help out here." I see Griffin's crew regrouping, "Switch?" He had a wide smile.

"You got it," He says as he waves backwards, not looking back, "Try not to die!" I look at him, giving a strained smile.

"Same to you..." I start running towards the stage. Knightmare continuing to play. Knightmare has a pleading look on his face as he spots me.

"Halp?" He gets stabbed by a tendril of magic during the pause, a sickly reddish green splatter of blood coats the stage.

"Easy there. Here let me help." I tear out a piece of my dobuku and wrap it around Knightmare's wound, and batting away a tendril trying to slam down on us with Kokuryu. I pick up his guitar and hand it to him.

"Just keep playing, I'll try to get in close." He nods as he slowly stands up again. My vision starts to distort again, splitting the image of the enemy into gray-scale and colored layers. I shake my head to remove the distortion and redirect a tendril into the ceiling, causing the chandelier above me to fall. I barely dodge out of the way as another tendril heads right for me. I raise Kokuryu in front of me, the blade cleaving through the tendril. I weave out of the way as a flash of purple lightning crashes past me, disintegrating the tendril. I look back to see Knightmare with a debonair smile, winking at me. he strums a riff that sends a fusion of blue and green lightning across the ballroom floor, clashing with another tendril.

"Rock on Knightmare." I hold up the peace sign to him, then make a beeline for the enemy, her instrument clashing with Knighmare's in a musical battle. I rolled to the side to avoid a tendril smashing into the ground. I ducked under one and sliced it off, stopping it as it tried to go for Knightmare. Suddenly the tendrils retract back into the instrument the enemy was holding. She starts to cackle in a familiar voice.

"Enough with the small measures, let's move on to the first movement!" Her voice booms, the tone of the music changes, and she draws her bow across the contorted strings of the bass. The music seemed to summon black torrents of sound along the ground. I jump and land on a table to avoid it, then realize that it wasn't aimed at me. All at once the black torrent rose from the ground as if to intercept Knightmare's music. Slowly I realized that there was a faint electric guitar riff amongst the orchestral measures. Immediate concern turned to shock as I saw the black wall break into a massive tsunami of sound, headed straight to the stunned changeling. She was using his music against him.

"Knightmare!" I call out to him before he was swallowed up in the black wave. No response was given, Knightmare's music completely ceased. I looked at the enemy, who was cackling in triumph. I seized my chance and leaped from table to table, then finally jumping skyward in a surprise attack towards the enemy's instrument. a magical barrier separated from the instrument. I bore down all my weight onto it, and was rewarded when the clash between music and blade resulted in one of the strings breaking on the bass. The music paused for an eight note, enough time to strum a blaring rift from the bowels of darkness. The effect was immediate. Knightmare shown proudly onstage, an entire rainbow storm cloaked the stage in thunder and multicolored lightning, his music pushing back the black torrents. I rebound off of the magical barrier, landing in a low crouch. I look back and see him smile with one of absolute victory.

"You aren't getting any sleep tonight, 'cause I'm your FUCKING NIGHTMARE!!!." His wings beat out a slow glockenspiel introduction before his guitar lashes out riff after window rending riff. The measures are unrelenting, with the enemy having to constantly play just to catch up. The song echoes through the halls, shaking the broken tiles, Knightmare's lyrics screaming out across the ballroom. I take the time to catch my breath, I start to feel my ribs fracture even more inside my chest. I'm brought down to my knees again, now breathing heavily as I feel as if my chest is caving in on my lungs. I brace myself back up to a standing position. I hear a shatter in front of me, watching as the slow distortion of the air slowly melt into clarity, signaling the barrier protecting her now broken. I try to straighten up in order to charge. But then the enemy starts to shout in a booming voice.

"Hehehehhehe... AHHAAHHAAHAHA!!! You've heard nothing yet! BEHOLD MY SOLO, MY SONATA, MY ENVOY, and YOUR DOOM!" She draws the bow across the remaining strings of the bass into a revolting chord, coupling it with high pitched singing. The entire ballroom shakes at the mere chord, refusing to cease its onslaught upon my hearing. Adrenaline starts to pump through my veins, I start to stagger towards her, slowly, but unceasing in my approach. I grit my teeth at every step, my right hand dragging Kokuryu along the ground, cutting deep marks in the marble behind me. I try to turn my ears away from the source of the sound, but the music simply reverberates off the walls back to my ears. The chords torture my balance and equilibrium, only succeeding in making me clench the hilt of my blade tighter. I glare unceasingly, scanning the enemy for a weak spot. My mind, it its twisted, tortured state scrambles to focus on a source of power. I spot the faint aura of magic emanating the enemy's horn like a tainted veil.

'So that's her weak spot.' A loud spike in the chord drives me to my knees again. I stab the blade into the ground and slowly get back up, finally feeling my eardrums pop and ring, blocking out all other sounds. I take Kokuryu in my hands and start a clumsy, scattered sprint towards the her distorted form, finally lunging at her.

"Sairen no yōna anata ga himei! (You screech like a siren!)" I grab her muzzle, clenching it shut between my paws with a vice grip, "DAMARE! (SHUT UP!)" I immediately stab the instrument through the center, viciously tearing it to splinters. I then look into her eyes now filled with one of complete shock. She struggles to break free from my grip. I slowly position Kokuryu under her horn. Like shaving a log of its branches, I sever the horn from her head.

The magical backlash that results launches me backwards through the stage and the barricade on top of Griffin.

"KUSO! (SHIT!)" I struggled to reorient myself, barely knowing which way was even up or down. My ears kept ringing, blocking out all sound. Griffin pushed me off of him. I stab Kokuryu into the ground, using it to prop myself back up. I start to feel blood coming out of my ears, but what hurts more is my head. The ringing slowly subsides to the blurred, rushing return of sound in a fast, loud, screech of shell-shock. I see Griffin trying to say something to me, but only reaching my ears in a muffled groan.

"What?" An explosion causes me to push Griffin out of the way by instinct. I slowly hear the captain remark.

"We are so screwed...." He says as he slowly crab walks away from the hole in the wall, the now hornless mare seething with anger.

"Enough of this! You both have proven to be more trouble than you're worth! I'll dispose of both of you, then the whole world will hear my music, even without my horn!" The instrument reforms in her hooves. Griffin turns to me.

"I thought you said you could handle it! I sure as hell can't!" He started yelling at me, making my ears hurt even more.

"YOU TRY LISTENING TO A FAHKING BANSHEE!" I glanced back at her, then looking back to Griffin, I shove him out of the way of an incoming black bolt that shatters the ground next to us. The enemy then plays the high pitched chord again, once again shattering all sense of hearing. I clutch my ears in pain, curling up on the ground, hoping the infernal music would stop. I hear a familiar voice screaming loudly.

"SHUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!" The voice of Knightmare overpowers the chords, along with a loud thwack. I close my eyes, grabbing my ears tightly shut, hoping that this would end quickly.

"BEGONE FOUL DEMONESS!" I hear the sound of a painful solo, drilling into my brain. To make it worse, he screams out loudly afterward.

"WWWRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" We both yell at him to stop. Then silence... sweet silence. I release the grip from my ears, and roll over onto my back. I breathe a small sigh of relief.

"Owatta... (It's over...)" My muscles ease up to relax, and a dull pain remnant in my chest. I turn towards Griffin.

"Hey Griffin..." I say in almost a whisper.
I feel the murmur of sound blotted out by the clotting in my ears. I look for an expectant answer, he simply nods.

"Do you know any healing spells?" He nods again, pulling gout vials with various liquids inside them and drinking them. He slowly stands up, struggling against fatigue. He points his sword at me and says something, drowned out by the blood in my ears. I feel my wounds healing, the dull pain in my chest vanishing, a sharp pain in my inner ear, a loud pop, and the slow return of sound fading in from the murmur just moments before. I wince at the sudden pain, then relax again. My body felt heavy from fatigue, so I simply lay there. Griffin collapses, laying right next to me. I slowly open my eyes, seeing the azure night sky again.

"I've never had a night like that in 20 years... nor a battle like that in my life... those are the battles, I feel, are the ones that make you want to keep living..." Blackfire, the unknown possessed musician, I wondered what was next.

"I haven't been hurt this bad since before I became a griffin. Yet, I still somehow came out of it okay. Heh. Fuck you death, not today." I start to break out in a strained laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. I wanted to ask him a question.

"Hey, Griffin..." He turns his head slightly.

"Yeah?"

"... Where are you headed next?" He turns his head back to the sky.

"Gem Fido. I gotta get back to rescuing slaves. This vacation was nice, but now, I need a vacation from my vacation." I snicker, then slowly raise my arm, pointing out my thumb in the direction of Gem Fido.

"Mind if I hitch a ride? I'm headed there too..." He matches my thumb in kind, as if giving the a-okay, then lets it fall limp back onto the ground, bursting into laughter again. I tilt my head towards Knightmare, fallen and exhausted.

“Hey, Knightmare... do me a favor..." Octavia shows up and leans over him, then looking at me.

"I don't think he can hear you..." She gives a small smile, leaning over Knightmare, then pulling back up after he snores loudly, “Definitely can't hear you.” I chuckle.

"I'll say it anyway... Never play that loudly in earshot of me again... and thanks, you really shown through. Give him that message for me when he wakes up... Octavia was it?" Suddenly, Knightmare's hand shoots up in a thumbs up.

"Someone call a medic, please..." He says painfully. Griffin groans, then Knightmare lets out a whimper.

"Ugh..... fine." He stands up again, pointing his sword at Knightmare. "Medico. There, now quit your bitching." Octavia turns to me again.

"I think he got it," She holds her hoof out towards me, “Octavia Philharmonica-Scratch, at your service, Sir Myoujin.” I slowly take her hoof in my paw and shake it once.

"Pleasure." I let my arm go limp. She slowly stands and walks back inside.

“I'll go find Princess Celestia and let her know what's happened...” She says while walking away. I give a heavy sigh, catching up with some much needed breaths. I slowly blot out the commotion around me, leaving me alone with the night sky.

Moonlit Sonata
blue glass moon
a frozen night sky

-Aoi Myoujin

'... heh... I was never really good at poetry...' I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake me, a soft, familiar voice calling out to me before I lose consciousness.

"Good night... Blue Stranger..."

Breakfast Conversation [17]

"Aoi... Aoi..." A voice called out to me, unfamiliar to me... "Did you really think you could escape me, Aoi?"

'Escape? What do I need to escape from?' The blur of reality and unconsciousness swept through me like currents of distortion and emotion. 'Is this a dream, or is this real?'

"Whether this is a dream or reality is irrelevant, after all, there's a fine line between real... and your simple imagination..." The voice was cold, almost condescending. Suddenly the blur stabilized, and I found myself in a faded, distorted memory, one almost lost to the sands of time. It was me, when the police found me, and wondered what to do with me. The time lapse blurred forward, merging instances together: becoming an orphan, living at an orphanage, running away, taking sanctuary in the streets, surviving on my own, learning, excelling, killing...

"You should know who I am now..." The images halted to a stop, to my apartment, and an image of my human self manifested in front of me, "It's me, your past..." The image spoke. It turned to the window, pulled out a paintbrush and wrote on the window. Then turned back to me.

"Konnichiwa watashi (Hello, myself)..." It threw the paintbrush at me, I slapped it away, the ink splashing over my paw. I looked at my paw. The ink was a deep crimson that flowed like blood, a whiff revealed it to be exactly that.

"Like I said, no matter what you say or do, I'll always be there. You may be in a place where you don't have to face me, but sooner or later, I always come back..."

I woke up in a jolt, sitting upright immediately in an unfamiliar bed. I looked at my hands, no traces of the dream were there, only etched in my memory. Sunbeams entered through a tinted closed window. My body felt stiff, my lower ribs still numb from the healing magic. I felt the sap on my shoulder cling to my fur. I reached over and slowly peeled back the dried sap to find a fresh budding coat of fur underneath. I tossed the red and amber scab onto the nightstand. The backlash of memories from last night hit me like a train, causing me to fall back into the bed, clutching my temples in pain. The events of last night play back in the back of my mind: drinking, dancing, fighting. The last thing that finally halts my train of thought is the immense feeling of nausea. I stand up and stagger, almost slipping on the marble floor to the window. I push open the glass panes and vomit, watching as the contents on my stomach fall into the moat below.

I stood there for a while, leaning over the window sill, rubbing my temples to ease the thudding and the headache. As the migraine slowly faded away, I looked back into the room to see Eol and Ubi sleeping on the carpeting, both covered in blankets. I took a moment to learn where I was. The interior was a light opal color, curtains hung over in a canopy above the bed. The floor design alternating in a chessboard tessellation fashion. A small dresser stood dormant in the corner, its doors wide open to reveal my dobuku, free from the tears and rips from last night's battle. I look down at my torso to find it bare, my entire upper body stripped of clothing, my lower wearing only my hakama.

I sigh and start to walk slowly to the bathroom, the entrance a mahogany door marked with the letters W.C. I took a towel from the dresser and walked inside. I turned on the faucet and washed my face off, the water feeling refreshing on my fur. I looked in the mirror, out of curiosity closing one eye to reveal the world in bluish-green, then the other to reveal it in full color. When both were open I saw the world in a much "cooler" perspective, cold tones emphasized in their saturation. I dried my fur off with the towel, suddenly hearing a knock on the door. I hurried to the door, hearing a muffled voice, I called out in reply.

"I can hear you just fine..." I turn the door knob, opening the door to find the captain, feathers tussled and wet.

"Sleep well, Griffin?" I say, yawning and leaning on the doorpost.

"Yeah, after that mess, I was out like a light. Gilda didn't seem to happy about me passing out, judging by the way she wanted me to 'come back to bed' this morning," he replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"As for me, just went through the second hangover I've had... although not a stranger to it, it never gets any easier..." Downing 5 shous of poorly brewed sake will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, and almost no memory of what you did last night. Compared to that, this was nothing.

"Lucky you, my head is still pounding from tossing out so many spells last night. At least I didn't fry my brain like last time. Seizures aren't fun. We're heading down for breakfast, you coming?" I looked back at Eol and Ubi, sound asleep.

"Yeah, I'll let Eol and Ubi sleep in a bit, they deserve it..." I point my thumb back at them.

"Should we wait for Knightmare? I have to wait for Gilda to wake up completely anyways." He says with a shrug.

"Yeah, sure..." I hold up a finger before closing the door. I grab my kosode and dobuku from the dresser, along with Kokuryu. I undo my hakama to put on my kosode, then redoing my hakama and obi, then slipping on my dobuku. I look back to the dresser and find another garment there as well. Tied up in ribbon was a folded haori, a small tag on the ribbon said, 'For the Blue Stranger'. I remembered the color of the satin fabric that made up the haori, one of the blue sea, beside which we used to live. A small smile curled up the edge of my lips. I placed the haori in my pack, then reopened the door.

Knightmare moonwalks towards us with a pink bath towel wrapped around him, he does a quick turn and faces us with a flashy smile.

"G'morning, Dudes." He says with a light, cheerful tone.

"Well, You're feeling chipper aren't you?" I point to him, his wings outstretched.

"How can I not? We may not have DONE anything but..." He sighs with an amorous expression, "I slept with the mare of my dreams, had the best sleep I've had in years, and all after THE Party to end all parties! Plus, for the first time in too long, I'm NOT breaking my own knees trying to walk around!" He starts to dance across the marble flooring. "I feel lighter than air!" He finishes, flapping his wings.

"Maybe it's because you have wings?" I say bluntly, causing Griffin to snicker. Knightmare looked at me with a blank stare.

"No..." he deadpanned, "I checked my weight, they've got electronic scales. Shocking, huh? Did you know I only weigh in at forty two pounds now?" He said, flexing. I cracked my neck and stretched my arms.

"The bed's could use some work though..." I never liked it when the beds made my body stiff. Knightmare continued.

"Had ANYONE told me I'd weigh that, say, a month ago? I'd have called them a liar. I weighed, a smidge over two weeks ago, 369 pounds....and ......I see I'm not the only one with someone to cuddle up too." He turns and bows to Gilda, who is currently wrapped around Griffin's shoulders. "Milady, pleased to finally meet you in person." I look to see Gilda scowl at Knightmare.

"Yeah, quit with the high class crap though, it's annoying," She says harshly to Knightmare, taken aback by her tone. Griffin then smirks and jumps in.

"Wait, you were 370 pounds? Hah! Fatty," Griffin said with a wide grin. I shook my head and stood upright again.

"Fine, I'm gonna to get breakfast," Knightmare says as he leaves, his gaze still set on Griffin as he moonwalks out of the hall. I look back at Griffin and Gilda, raising an eyebrow. My train of thought is interrupted when Princess Celestia walks into the hall, apparently overhearing our conversation.

"And what's wrong with being a healthy weight?" She asked, obviously irked by Griffin's remark.

"Healthy for a pony or a griffin maybe, but for a human? You wouldn't walk, you'd roll. There is such a thing as 'too healthy'," Griffin replies. The Princess, somewhat satisfied with his response, leaves the hall, easing the tension. I look back at Griffin and Gilda.

"So, I take it she's your mate then?" I say, glancing at Gilda.

"Yep. That she is," the captain replies. I look at Gilda.

"Quite a catch, isn't he?" I say with a wide grin. She looks at the captain with a slight giggle.

"You have no idea."

Gilda, Griffin and I start down towards the dining room, informed by Twilight and the others, It was actually one of the many dining halls. We were reserved at the dining room for honored guests. As we walked through the halls, I couldn't help but think back on my dream last night. Why it was troubling me so was beyond me, but for now, my body ached for sustenance. The doors to the dining room creaked open, revealing a vast array of tantalizing dishes, some were ones I've never seen before, others I recognized immediately, all laid out before us on the dining room table. Knightmare had a tear in his eye as he spotted a dish he longed for.

"BACON!" He immediately took a seat next to the platter of bacon stacked higher than he was.
"....How...in the world...did you convince your chefs to cook BACON!?" The Princess giggles before answering.

"It's not bacon, it's a high-grade copy made of vegetarian materials. The esteemed head chef managed to create a spice which replicates the flavor through magically transmuted memories I *ahem* borrowed," she answers shyly.

"So...you're saying it's, literally speaking, HAY bacon? ....time to test it!" He grabbed a fork and stuffed a slice of hay bacon into his mouth, chewing carefully, as if he was tasting it like a connoisseur. He swallowed and held two thumbs up. "Tastes like real, apple smoked bacon!" Griffin takes his seat near the end of the table, scanning the table for a certain dish.

"I don't get what the big deal is. It's just bacon. Have any smoked salmon?" Griffin asked Princess Celestia. Knightmare stopped eating for
a second and stared at Griffin in bewilderment.

"But....but....BACON! You can't just say NO to BACON! It's....it's....ah fuck it, more for me!" He gave up and continued eating. I looked around, spotting a massive section of dishes, similar to what restaurants served in the Kanto Prefecture.

"I'm impressed, even down to kaiseki cuisine... But, how did the chefs know how to make all this?" I ask the Princess with a raised eyebrow in curiosity.

"It's a secret," she said coyly before sitting down next to Knightmare and Pinkie Pie.

"Well, no use wondering about it, most of the things in this world don't make much sense anyway..." To make foods from our respective homelands was an astonishment. But would they taste the same? I slowly take a seat where there was a beautiful pair of red cedar chopsticks laid out on a napkin. The wood felt natural between my digits, smooth grain with a warm feel to them. I practiced pinching the two ends of the tips before picking up the napkin by the corner, then letting go of it.

'I guess somethings are never really forgotten, just put out of practice.' I then held them in my paws, looking at the Princess.

"Did you get these from my memory as well?" She simply glanced at me with a grizzly, wicked, expression and ignored my question. Griffin looked around, not finding what he was looking for apparently.

"Seriously though, no fish? Not even shellfish? This sucks," he says with a pout. I then grab a bowl and fill it to the brim with white rice.

"Perhaps next time thou will put a little more thought into thine letters?" Celestia smiled innocently at the captain. I pour what seems to be a light tea with an emerald green hue to it, then some strips of what looked like meat and placing it on the rice, along with a small strip of roasted nori. A humble, refined dish of ochazuke.

"Hey, you said you LIKED my letters. Is it because I haven't been writing any, since we can talk face to face now?" Griffin asked toying with the Princess. I taste the strip of meat hesitantly, finding it actually to be sea bream. Knightmare piles his plate high with bacon and doughnuts, before digging in however, he stops and looks around.

"Should we say a prayer?" Knight asks. I slowly fold my hands together.

"Itadakimasu." I slowly start to eat before Griffin closes his eyes and starts saying a half-assed prayer.

"Lord, thank you for sending me to Equestria where everything is wonderful, except the lack of meat." He opens one eye to stare at Celestia. The Princess only looks at him with a sad, pitying stare.

"Not all good things come at the cost of another's life Griffin..." She said, taking a bite out of a doughnut. Griffin opens the other and looks at her with a deep glare.

"You've CLEARLY never had deep fried fish then." He said with a scoff. I continued to eat, slowly chewing the sea bream. The flavor was the same... but the texture however was off.

'Just as I thought... it may not be the original... but it's close enough...' I was just lying to myself. I lived close to the ocean, so I knew what real sea bream tasted like, I knew a lot of the tastes of the ocean, each taste matched perfectly with the texture it accompanied, and nothing could ever replicate that artificially. I wanted to see if the captain, a stickler for seafood, could tell the difference.

"Griffin, try some of the sea bream." I pointed my chopsticks at the place layered with the fake sea bream. He grabbed some with his talons and ate it cautiously, chewing it, the taste slowly hitting him.

"Well, it tastes kind of like it, but, it's just not the same." I give a slight grin.

'Bingo,' I thought to myself. Celestia paused and turned to the captain.

"You fight a war to liberate the griffons, because you think it is wrong for dragons to use them as a food source despite their lack of other sources. Yet you feast on the bodies of countless innocent creatures for no reason other than it's fun?" She said with a harsh tone.

"Yeah, but FISH and CLAMS aren't SENTIENT," He debated. I continued to eat, popping a small amount of rice wrapped in nori into my mouth.

"I'm quite sure most dragons feel the same way about griffons and diamond dogs," She objected, her voice elevating to a near shout. Knightmare tries to help by intervening.

"The thing is, when you're an omnivore, your body NEEDS things that you simply cannot GET from a purely plant diet. And Let's not get started on CARNIVORES." But Knightmare's reasoning falls on deaf ears as the argument continues.

"Kinda hard to think that when your meal is screaming at you, 'Please! No! I have a wife and family!' While you eat them," He starts yelling back, standing up with his feathers flared.

"Perhaps they scream and you simply think yourself too far above them to hear it?" Celestia says in a scolding tone.

"If that's the case, then you're just as bad with plants. How do you know THEY don't have emotions? In fact, a scientific study has shown that many plants react to stimulus in a conscious way. See that apple? You're eating it ALIVE. You monster," he says in a haughty air. This was getting out of hand. I take a small bite of rice with sea bream.

"Actually, the apple is technically the ovaries of an apple tree..." Knightmare states as a matter of fact.

"Enough!" I shout as I slam the bowl onto the table, Immediately stopping the argument in its tracks. I sigh heavily, "Breakfast isn't a good time to discuss the consciousness of our food now is it? It's disrespectful of both the food and others."

"Agreed," Knightmare chimes in, "I DO NOT WISH TO DISCUSS IF THIS HAY BACON IS SCREAMING AT ME!" He shudders before lowering his volume, "I'm gonna have nightmares because of this discussion, I swear."

I stop for a second, placing the chopsticks on the rim of the bowl, folding my digits together over it, leaning my elbows on the table.

"Once, a person asked me how I could stand to eat meat, knowing I was eating the life of another..." I say with a sincere air. Griffin gave me a questionable stare. "Do you know what I said to him?" Everyone just stares at me while Knightmare answers meekly, 'No?'.

"I kept on eating, at the end, I folded my hands and said, 'Gochisousama'. I asked him what it means..." I looked at each person, one by one, and asked them, "What do you think it means?"

"...Good meal?" Knightmare answers wryly.

"Thank you," Griffin answers with a rather uncomfortable look.

"Thank you for your sacrifice, young soul," Princess Celestia answers confidently. I simply nod in agreement for all three answers.

"It never left my mind that to feed another, a living thing has to die, the best we can do is show our respect, appreciate what sustenance it gives us..." I slowly pick up my chopsticks and grab a single grain of rice between the tips. "... No matter how small it is..." I glance past the grain and see Griffin ball up his fists. He must think I'm a hypocrite, a killer preaching the value of life, I wouldn't blame him.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to imply that one should live to a standard not their own. I merely wished to convey upon Griffin the seriousness with which he should treat a life, even one so small as that of an ant," Celestia states, Griffin's teeth starts to clench.

"Unlike most humans I knew, I never hunted, neither for sport nor for enjoyment. I don't want to ever have to kill another living being unless I absolutely have to..." Knightmare says, teasing the floodgates to the breaking point. Having had enough, Griffin slams his claws onto the table.

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!?" He shouted at me.

"Do you?" Celestia asks, staring at the captain. I sigh.

"I thought you might, but seeing as how you two were fighting about that..." I place the chopsticks back onto the bowl. "I wanted to give a small reminder..."

"Don't you think the faces of those I kill don't HAUNT me in my dreams? Don't you think I regret every single one? Everyone has a family, friends," I wanted to tell him to shut up then and there, "Do you know how many lives I've torn apart, and I'm not talking about the dead." I wouldn't be surprised. Griffin looked at the princess, "Even yesterday, Ember, the dragon who attacked your sister, came and vowed revenge on me because I killed her father, and HE was trying to EAT ME!" He sits back down, his arms fall limp to his sides, head drooping, eyes dilated in despair.

"The weight of our sins will follow us until the end of times, if we do not acknowledge them, we will find ourselves crushed beneath their weight," The princess said grimly. I cocked my head in interest.

'You sound like you know what sin is... What exactly are you hiding?' I place that thought in the back of my mind, then turn back to Griffin.

"No one blames you... I'm not judging you. It's not what I do." He looks back at everyone.

"The point is, for every life I have taken, for every drop of blood spilled, there are those who will curse my name till the day they die, and continue to do so long after," He gripped the feathers on his head in frustration.

"So, What now?" He looks back up at me; I lean back in my chair. "Will you let your past haunt you?" I tilt my head to the side, "Or will you meet it with sword brandished, ready to cut it down and move on?" It was a question I had yet to answer on my own, much less at a breakfast buffet gone awry. He slowly sat up.

"Heh... both," I can't leave it behind, because I can never escape it. Even if I free the griffins and make a new nation, I'll never be able to sleep at night, if not by guilt, then by fear of an assassin, come to take vengeance."

'Just like my dream...' Maybe what he says next will answer my question for me.

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to let it stop me." I knew it wasn't the answer I was looking for, but it was a step in the right direction. I slowly grin.

"That's
the spirit. Take it one step further... What will you do if Ember faces you head on?" I take another bite of rice, slowly sipping the tea from the bowl.

"Well, seeing as how she beat the stuffing out of Luna... if I face her head on..." He gulps. "I'm gonna die." Knightmare shape-shifts into Griffin.

"Give her a kiss and ask for forgiveness!" Knightmare says jokingly, puckering up his lips. Griffin throws an empty plate at Knightmare, then drops his face onto the table. I snicker at Knightmare.

"There's no way in hell that would ever happen..." I say bluntly.

"Yeah," Knightmare admits, shifting back into his former appearance, "but still, one can dream, eh?" I shake my head.

"Knightmare, remember, this is Griffin we're talking about," I say to flash a harsh light of reality on the situation.

"True," Knightmare says, rubbing the back of his head. I look back at the depressed captain.

"If you do die... die knowing you died fighting, and that you died doing what's right by you..."

"That's only if I face her head on. Who said I'd even do that? I'm a pirate. I lie and I cheat. I don't play by the rules. Notice how she didn't have wings, despite being bigger than Shimmer who's starting to grow hers in? She can't fly, and I can. What's to say I don't just run away, or stab her in the back? I'm more mobile than she is, I can avoid her as long as I want. Still, that doesn't change the fact that she's hunting me. I just hope she doesn't find a way to take the upper hand," he rants, then goes back to a depressed state. I kept thinking back to last night's dream. Knightmare takes a long sip from his drink.

"Wait a Minute... This...." Knightmare pauses, shaking uncontrollably, "... THIS IS COFFEE!!!" He starts twitching and then jumps straight through the ceiling, sending down bits of shattered plaster onto the seat where he was just moments ago. Celestia looks down at the chair, then up at the hole in the ceiling.

"I need to remember that he does that..." the Princess said with playful interest. A few moments later, the dining room doors open again, to reveal the captain's crew.

"Hey, Cap'n." One of his crew member's call out while another griffon rolls out a food cart, covered with a white sheet. I finish the rest of the ochazuke in a quiet slurp, then turn my gaze toward the incoming crowd.

"Hey guys," Griffin replies in a flat tone, not removing his face from the table. I spot Ubi and Eol arriving with the crowd as well, Eol still stretching from just waking up. Knightmare re-enters, trying hard to mask the spastic, spontaneous twitching.

"Cheer up grumpy, everyone is fine, Freud fixed Trixie up, and you can't stay upset when I brought your faaaaavorite food," the griffon said in a cheerful tone. Griffin perked up at the mention of his favorite dish.

"You mean..." His mouth started to water.

"Yep! Battered perch, drenched in strained mango juice!" The griffon unveils the food cart, revealing an enormous, deep fried perch with a shimmering orange sauce drizzled over the fish.

"Hmm, looks like someone has a taste for gourmet..." I say as Griffin immediately snatches a plate, heaping a sizable filet onto it. Celestia looks at it with suspicion.

"Please tell me you didn't catch that in the Canterlot Gardens..." Celestia said, grimacing at the sight of the fish.

"It's not koi, so I'm guessing not..." I speculate, picking up a crispy fried spring roll, biting into it with a loud crunch. Celestia looks back at me.

"There's more than koi in Canterlot," she rebutted, looking at me. The griffon who wheeled in the cart spoke up in defense.

"Of course not! We caught it in Kowabunga Lake on Signal Island. We kept it on ice for a special occasion."

"Oh, good," the princess sighs in relief, "I was worried there might be... never mind. Please, enjoy your meal." She waves a hoof towards the plate. I raise an eyebrow and laugh.

"Trashing the castle definitely isn't a special occasion, at least not for me," I say, taking a bite out of some ehomaki, "... But for the best night of our lives, I think it counts."

"Maria, how did you know?" He looked back at the griffon who was currently serving up another bit of food to the crew.

"How indeed," Celestia said with an awkward grin. Maria answered with a smile.

"Well, I know about how you were sticking to fruit and veggies while in Equestria, so your iron levels were already low. Combine that with the blood loss from yesterday, and it's no wonder you passed out. Because of that, Nadene suggested we feed you meat to get your iron levels back up, since you can't get it from pony foods, and since fish is socially acceptable, not to mention you like it so much, I decided to go all out. You need to get your strength back, the sooner you eat up, the sooner you'll stop being so tired and irritable." Maria's words reminded me of how fluctuated my diet has been as of late, I leaned back into my chair and ate a few apricots from the fruit bowl. Eol starts to chow down on the food at our end, eating anything and everything. Ubi looked rather disgusted at the food laying out in front of him.

"Thanks sport," Griffin said to Maria, "This will just about make my day." Griffin continued to eat voraciously.

I ladled a bowl of warm, egg drop soup and started eating that, while Eol snatched up plates of whatever looked edible. Ubi took out a piece of leftover pie from yesterday, smiling. After finishing the soup, I take a small, ceramic plate having sea bream sashimi arranged on it, done kawashimo style. Griffin and his crew finished eating, and were standing up to leave.

"Well, we best be headed back to the ship for some shuteye. We rescheduled the concert to tonight, and I don't want to pass out halfway through," Griffin said with a sigh.

"I thought you got a good night's rest, or was there something that kept you up?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I slept fine," He said bluntly.

"Then how are you going to sleep now?" Knightmare asked, apparently not getting it. Gilda leans into Griffin, stroking his feathers.

"Well," Gilda answers, "Since he's still recovering, he should be fine, but if not, I'm sure we can find SOMETHING to do to burn off all that energy," She says giving Griffin an amorous grin. I snicker at her answer. Knightmare cocks his head to the side, looking confused. He gets it when Gilda wraps her arm around Griffin.

"WHA... NO! HELL NO! Since When?" Knightmare said, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Two... maybe three months ago?" Griffin deadpanned. Knightmare shook his head in disbelief.

"That much hate should NOT be reproducing," Knightmare says, storming out of the dining room, playing music on the way out. I leisurely place a slice of sashimi on my tongue.

"All hands on deck captain..." I say with a large grin. He glares at me with a grin.

"Ha ha, very funny. Are you sure you should be talking like that with Rainbow Dash sitting right across the table?" I look to see Rainbow Dash, completely different from last night: tussled hair, weary eyed, half asleep. She looks at each of us with a raised eyebrow in question, the realization hitting her like a brick.

"Oh..." She said.

"I'm sure she already knows," I say, taking another bite of the sashimi, wrapping it around a small dab of wasabi.

"Well, let's get going," Griffin said, walking towards an open window, then turning back at me before flaring his wings out, "Aoi, be gentle with her alright?" I almost choke on the slice of sashimi. I look back at the captain before he takes off into the sky, laughing loudly. I smile and shake my head, continuing to eat. Silence filled the room before I looked up at Rainbow Dash, staring at me in question.

"Wait, what did he mean by that and since when are you friends with Griffin?" She asked, pointing at the open window. I dip a slice of seabream into a small dish filled with soy sauce.

"Captain Griffin is under the impression that you and I are,..." I take a bite and swallow, "... Somewhat affianced."

"A-Whut now?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. I smile lightly and flow a dab of wasabi into the slice of sea bream.

"Well," I popped the slice in my mouth, chewing lightly, "Interested in each other." I tried to think where he got that notion, then singled out two particular events of last night. The feeling I got when I danced with her last night, a surge of emotion, a wondrous night of carefree dancing in time to the music. I slowly looked up at her, she seemed to hesitantly shy away, but then slowly asked me the question both of us had on our minds at the time. I swallowed.

"Well, he wouldn't be... wrong... would he?"

What Loyalty Dictates [18]

I looked at Rainbow Dash, her eyes solemn. Princess Celestia leaves, smiling. It hit me, she really was interested in me. She blushes. I was wondering what was going through her mind right now. Her friend, the white unicorn, looked at her with an expression of scandalous realization.

"Rainbow Dash, are you saying that you are... INTERESTED in him... as in, ROMANTICALLY?" Her friend gasped. Rainbow Dash glared at her and pouted.

"Um... well, I mean... um..." Rainbow Dash stuttered to find the words to explain her feelings. She stalls in order for me to respond. I hold my hand up and sigh.

"Would you be interested in a dragon slayer, an ex secret agent, and a retired private investigator?" All were dangerous professions. I thought it would turn her off. Instead...

"Well, I mean... YEAH. What's more awesome than that?" She took me by surprise, I didn't expect her to answer positively, especially to the fact that my professions involved killing others at one point or another.

"And if I wasn't all that?" I ask with a quiet tone. She took a while to answer...

"You're still a great... dancer?" she said hesitantly. She was probably thinking of why she was interested in me in the first place.

"I only learned to dance like that as my days as a secret agent. Heh... by now it's not a secret anymore," I say, pouring myself a cup of tea. She had a look like she made a mistake.

"Tell me, Rainbow Dash, what do you look for in a man?" I finish off the last slice of sashimi, taking a long, gingerly sip of the warm tea. She bit her lower lip, nervous about what to say next.

"I... don't know..." she admitted, letting out a heavy sigh. She drops her head on the table, a sad expression on her face now.

"It's okay not to know, but it always helps to be sure of what you really want." She thinks about what I said, her face showing signs of panic and confrontation. She then stands and pushes her plate away.

"Well, he-he, look at the time... I have to... um... water the fish?" She says with an uneasy grin, "SEE YA!" She then flew out the door in a hurry. I sigh and take another sip, looking at the other ponies sitting there, I raise an eyebrow.

"Water the fish?" I ask.

"It's what the French call a 'distraction'," the white unicorn explained, "Rainbow has never been the best at... emotional things..."

'I don't think it was that...' I thought to myself, "I never got your name, Mademoiselle."

"Rarity," she said, holding out a hoof.

"Aoi, as you might have heard," I say, shaking her hoof in kind. Twilight then looks out the door.

"Uughh, I better go find her..." she says, walking out the room to look for Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy looked at me with a nervous expression. As soon as I made eye-contact with her, she hides behind her pink mane. I look back down at my cup, the tea leaves starting to surface.

"About Rainbow Dash..." I look at each of the others, I'm guessing supposed friends, "What was she like when you all met her?" I wanted to know a bit about her. Rarity started first.

"Well, when I first met her, she was rowdy, uncouth of a proper lady, with that messy mane of hers," I take it she wasn't really into fashion.

"Well then, why'd she wear a kimono to the Gala?" It didn't make sense.

"Well..." Rarity seemed embarrassed, and a little guilty. Just then, Pinkie Pie interrupted.

"When I met her, SHE WAS SO MUCH FUN, she loved a good prank," she said before stuffing more donuts into her muzzle.

"Ah met 'er when Ah was haulin' a cartload 'o apples up ta the train station to be sent to Canterlot. Ah tripped in the mud and she had a good laugh 'fore dryin' me off and helpin' me pick up the apples," Apple jack said with pride.

"I... well, um... she saved me from meanies at flight camp..." Fluttershy said meekly. I looked down at my cup, deep in thought. Rainbow Dash must be torn up inside about what I said, I probably shouldn't have pressured her into answering.

"How old is Rainbow Dash?" I ask everyone at the table, to my surprise, Fluttershy speaks up.

"Well... she's... 22..." Just out of her teens, love struck. But there was something about her, something that reminded me of someone I knew.

"Gochisousama," I bow slightly, stand up and walk out the door.

=Rainbow Dash=

"Well, he-he, look at the time... I have to... um... water the fish?" I bolt out the door as fast as I could, so nopony could see the tears coming from my eyes.

'I'm such an idiot. Of course he doesn't like me. And he had to ask all those tough questions. How the hay am I suppose to know?' I fly out towards the morning sky, busting through clouds out of frustration, 'Stupid Aoi!' I kept on flying to get far away from the castle, but crash into a large cumulus. Sick of everything, I flattened out the cumulus into a bed and plopped down onto it, looking up into the sky.

"What did he mean anyway?" I think back to the questions he asked me in order. His words run through my mind, clear as a stream.

'Would you be interested in a dragon-slayer, an ex secret agent, and a retired private investigator?'

'What did that have to do with anything?' I kept thinking and thinking. I put my hoof over my eyes to keep the sunlight out of them. 'I mean, all of those things are AWESOME! What could be cooler than being interested in...' my mind rolled to the next question he asked.

'And if I wasn't all that?' I thought about it.

'I was interested in him before he told me all that stuff, so why did I panic, why didn't I just tell him?' I curled up the silver lining of the cloud like a blanket, 'And why did he dance with me? He didn't know who I was, my reputation for being the best flier in Equestria, but nopony else but him wanted to dance with me. Why did he?' I started to cry again, tears leaving gray stains in the clouds.

'Why doesn't anything make sense?' My head started to hurt, until I thought about his last question.

'Tell me, Rainbow Dash, What do you look for in a man?' I tried to think how that question made any sense at all.

'Why couldn't he just tell me he liked me? What do I look for in a guy? Coolness, Awesomeness, Radicalness.' I thought back to when I was choosing a pet, who needed to have the same qualities. In the end, Tank was the one who came through for me, even though I was looking for something else.

It hit me...

'Aoi's just like Tank. He's not a turtle, but he is kinda awesome. But he wasn't just awesome...' Memories of last night started to play though my mind: us arriving at the Gala, all the stuck up fancy-pants not even noticing, the Wonderbolts being crowded like last year, and me trying too hard to stand out, 'He was the only one who cared...' The tears came out in waterfalls now, turning the entire cloud gray. I started to smile.

"Now I can answer him the right way."

"Answer who?" I looked over the edge of the cloud to see Twilight Sparkle, she looked at me funny, "Have you been... crying?" I slunk back behind the cover of the cloud and wiped away my tears.

"Umm... no, I've been uh... watering the fish! See?" I hopped on the cloud, dumping water into the ocean.

"Right, well are you coming back in to finish breakfast? You left your plate with food still on it," Twilight said.

'Breakfast! I forgot, Maybe I can still catch him in time.' I zoomed past Twilight, making her spin, and flew through the castle hallway until I got to the corridor where Aoi was in. I immediately crept back behind the corner.

'Did he see me?' I sighed, 'Okay Dash, play it cool.' I looked at him, reading the inscription below the stain glass window. Something else came back to my mind.

'... dragon-slayer... man...' Only one other person talks like that.' It suddenly came to me, 'Oh my Gosh!'

=Aoi=

I walked through the halls, various stain glass windows retelling the history of Equestria, each with a small inscription below. One stood out among the rest.

It was a stain glass window of six ponies, all of which looked exactly like the six ponies I met: Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. I look down at the inscription, about how the Elements of harmony defeated Discord, who threatened to plunge Equestria into total chaos. I remember what Griffin said last night about them.

'Those six mares are national heroes,' I guess that why they were invited to the Gala. I read a part of the Inscription out loud.

"Rainbow Dash, wielder of the Element of..."

"Loyalty..." I turn around to see Rainbow Dash standing there. She had been crying, her face wet with tears that she had smeared away. She looked at me with a gaze of shock.

"So, is it true, are you really a h-h-h..." She looked at me, trying to utter the word. From the way she looked at me to the way she was stuttering, she knew.

"... Human? Yes... just like Griffin..." I say with a soft tone. I turn around and lift myself up to sit on the windowsill.

"Although unlike him, I know almost nothing about this world..." She simply continued to stare at me.

"Are all humans idiots?" I glared at her, causing her to tense up. I shake my head and answer.

"Some act like it, others are so smart they're dangerous, and even more are what I would describe as socially inept..." She then trotted till she could look at me face to face.

"Back there... why did you have to answer my question with another question? You should have said no and have been done with it instead of getting my hopes up. I'm not... good with sentimental stuff, and I don't always say the right thing, but dang it... I like you, Aoi! Why did you have to make things so complicated?" She said, tears coming to her eyes. What she said gave me all the information I needed. I sighed and leaned back on the fragile stain glass, the sunlight shining through it, radiating a disoriented rainbow onto the marble flooring.

"I thought we had fun at the gala, and I was at least willing to give it a chance..." I did have fun at the Gala, why would she think that? I only wanted to make sure...

"Because I wanted to make sure... and who said I didn't like you?" The words came out of my mouth before I could take them back. I pursed my lips and heard something slam into the window behind me. I look back to see Knightmare and Princess Celestia stuck onto the glass, slowly sliding down the window. I blink twice, dumbfounded.

'I guess that glass wasn't so fragile at all...' I shake my head and look back at Rainbow Dash, who now had a look of mixed emotion.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?!" Her wings drooped to the ground. I sighed.

'Well, the cat's out of the bag, Aoi...'

"Like I said... I wanted to make sure that... you liked me too... and then I talked to your friends about you after you went to... water the fish..." I said nonchalantly.

"What did they say?" She asked, sniffling.

"You care for your friends, as if they were your family..." I lean back onto the glass window, "... from one who lost his... I respect that..." I looked at her with sincerity. She blushed and sighed.

"You're just being nice..." she said, looking away from me.

"No really, I'm being sincere..." I looked at her with a serious expression. She wasn't buying it. I tapped the back of my head against the window and decided to change the subject. "Rainbow Dash, what is it that you live for?"

"Heh, there you go, asking the tough questions again," she said sarcastically, "The one thing I live for... I used to thing it was my dreams: becoming a Wonderbolt, a start, being famous,, all that attention..." She looked back at me, "... But, a long time ago, on Griffin's ship, he started talking, asking hard questions... just like you are now..." She raised her eyes toward me, looking straight in my eye, with a look of determination, "I realized something back then, if I became a Wonderbolt, I might have to leave my friends behind, and NOTHING was worth doing that. I made a Pinkie Promise to myself that if I ever did reach my dream, I'd MAKE it work. So, if there's one thing I live for, I'd say it's for my friends. Because they mean more than the world to me."

I gave a wide smile, relaxing my expression to one that was more calming.

"What I live for, I still don't know. I think I might be coming close to my answer, but I'm not sure. Did you see those two Diamond dogs that came in there with me?" She nodded at my question.

"The silver one's name is Ubi, the gray one with the spot over his left eye is Eol. They're my family," I changed the subject and continued, "Just like Griffin, we're trying to save those held in slavery by corrupt Alphas and Dragons." She thought about what I said for a few moments before replying.

"What is it with me and falling for you humans?" She asked. I merely gave a slight shrug. "When I met Griffin on board his ship, I was determined. He was a criminal, and I was going to catch him. Then, the dragons attacked. In the blink of an eye, he commanded his entire group, then flew out all alone... well, Trixie was with him too. He beat them like it was nothing. I was watching from the bridge, and when I saw him, all I could do was stare in awe." She chuckled wryly. "I realized later that it was just a stupid crush . After all, him and Gilda are already, affa-affi- what did you call it?"

"Affianced."

"Yeah that. Besides, we already had a bad history from the first time we met in Ponyville." I listened closely as she explained.

"Now, you come along and make me feel... I don't know how to describe it.. You made me feel... UGH, Why is this so HARD? I was having FUN at the stupid Gala. The singing, the dancing, even the way you looked at me... you treated me like somepony special..." Her eyes drooped down towards the floor, "I guess that's why I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, so I'd be somepony special. Last night, you made me feel special." I understood what she meant. She felt unnoticed, wanting to be in the spotlight.

"I see what you're getting at, being a daredevil so you'd get your moment in the spotlight."

"Yeah, always flying higher, faster, more daring, just so somepony would notice me," she said, rubbing her leg shyly, "Then, out of nowhere, you notice me, not when I’m performing, not for when I'm showing off, but when I'm just... being me." She looked at me with a soft gaze. I break out in a warm smile.

"It's ironic really..." I think about all the time complete strangers fawned for my attention, "I don't like attention..." She had a look of confusion, "In fact... I hated it..."

"Well of course you would, secret agents don't go around getting noticed..." I looked at the ceiling, the chandeliers reflecting a warm light across the corridor.

"I don't mean that..." I looked back at her, her head tilting in question. "You see, back in my world, I was a bit of a celebrity..." I lost my smile, my tone turning bitter and sarcastic, "'Heir to the living national treasure, they said, 'The Next Sherlock Holmes' said the police department, some circles even dubbed me 'Sengo Muramasa' even..."

"And you didn't like it?" She asked, drawing closer to me.

"Heh, I fucking hated it..." I looked away, seeing nothing in the corridor except a few cooks and bakers coming out of the kitchen side door. "Remember the song I sang last night?"

"Yeah? It was in some weird language right?"

"Japanese..." I said abruptly, "Well, the meaning behind the song is how the world looks at you... judges you... labels you on what they see on the outside," I turn back to Rainbow Dash, "... Taking no account of your emotions, troubles, or past..." out of the corner of my eye, I see two nobles looking at us, but I pay them no mind.

"The refrain of the song is the turning point, where one whose live his entire life under the scrutiny of others finally asks himself, 'Ore no nedan o dare ga kimeta'. In other words, 'Who was the one who decided what my life is worth?'. People looked at me, judged me by my appearance, and what I did rather than who I really was. I didn't want labels, titles, or honorifics. They were a waste of time. Accepting them basically means you are willing to let others tell you who you really are. One might argue that it's a reward for the good you do, but more than likely, it's just a publicity stunt. Do you understand?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I think I know the feeling. When I was at flight camp, I was just the runt of the litter. Everypony made fun of me for being so small, saying that I'd never amount to anything. When I challenged them to a race to defend Fluttershy, I managed to do something only heard of in legends and suddenly I'm the best flier in Equestria. Everypony wanted to know me after that. But then, when I couldn't do it again..."

"They went back to treating you like a nobody..." I said softly. She nodded, her expression turned teary-eyed.

"They all came to expect it from me, and when I couldn't repeat it, they all just... left. There was so much pressure to perform, to impress, to be the very BEST, only to fail and have it start all over again. Pretty soon, they forgot about it, to the point of even saying that I made the whole thing up, like some kind of phony. Soon, the only people who believed that I could do it were my friends..." Her lip quivered in sadness.

"I trained so hard, every day, just so I could show those bullies up. But when I finally did it again, it wasn't them who mattered anymore. It was the ones who had been there the whole time while I trained, the ones who cheered for me and helped me get better: my friends..." She rubbed her eyes and wiped away her tears, suddenly curling up her lips in a grin, "They were the ones that mattered most. I guess that makes them the ones who decide what my life is really worth then... because they matter to me."

"Exactly, What matters to you decides what your life is worth, and what they are is what makes life worth living." my smile slowly returned. "So now that you see what makes your life worth living, what's next?" She sniffled and looked at me.

"I don't know... I guess that depends on you..." I take a few moments to understand what she meant. I brace my paws on my knees and lean forward, looking deep into her eyes, a bold fuchsia outlining black pearls. Remembering the inscription, I see in her eyes why she was called the element of loyalty. After a few seconds I lean back and pinch my fingers together, as if holding a camera, closing one eye to see Rainbow Dash as if in an old photograph.

'I am the machine that reveals the world to you as only I alone am able to see it.' The world is not simply color or gray-scale, but a fusion of both. What I see can only be seen by me, so my thoughts and opinions are based not only on what I see, but what I think and know. Thus births perception.

"Who I see is one of unwavering loyalty..." I lower my hand and open my other eye again, "It'd be a shame if you proved me otherwise..." I gave her my answer, what she did next was all up to her.

"What? I don't get it..."

"I merely stated what I see in front of me, a loyal person who has found what she lives for and what makes her life worth living. Is it a label, or is it a truth?" Now, the million bit question, "If it is a truth, your own truth based on what you have learned, then What does your loyalty say for you to do?" She pauses for a moment before answering.

"It says..." She closes her eyes, letting her head droop towards the ground. "It says you have your own life to live, and that I cannot go with you. And I can't tear you away from what you're meant to do." A single tear falls from the corner of her eye, slowly traveling down her muzzle before falling off and dripping audibly onto the cold marble floor. I let loose a small sigh.

"As with me as well, now that you've found exactly what you live for, I can't let you tear yourself away
from it..." I smile, reaching over and tilting her chin up, "But what else does your loyalty say?" She started to smile softly, meeting my gaze.

"It says that when you're done, when you've done what you needed you do, that your loyalty will bring you back here." She reaches out her hoof and places it over my heart. I look down at her hoof, then back to her, and soften my gaze.

"And maybe, have another dance?" She slowly eases her hoof into my paw, grabbing it. I slide off the window sill and give a large smile.

"Like no other..." I slowly let go and walk backwards away from her, "'Til then, fly forth in life on wings lined with the silver lining of clouds..." She smiles and lets go...

"'Til then, stay awesome..." She turns around, about to take off back to her friends. I watch her as she lifts off and glides down the corridor, leaving nothing but the wind and small trails of spectral light in her midst.

Nature's Melody [19]

The rest of the day was uneventful, leaving me alone with my thoughts in the empty corridors that the Nobles haven't overridden, mainly the northwest wing: 'The Sun Room' as it was called by some of the castle staff. Adorned with an enormous bay window that covered the entire wall, it overlooked the ocean, an expanse meeting beyond the horizon. The view was coupled with the slight, translucent designs masterfully painted onto the window, showing the time of day according to where the sun was and what angle the sunlight shown in through the window.

I sat there with my back to the window, gazing at my faint shadow on the floor. I had some time to think about last night's dream, a clear mind would lead me straight to the answer I was looking for.

Why did the dream matter? I never thought this much about what I believed was a simple figment of my imagination. If that's the case, then why did the dream seem so... real? The blood, the smell, the memory, all of it. I felt the warmth of the sun on my back, slowly coating the entire room in a golden light. Looking to wards the sky, I see the sun setting, slowly creeping back over the horizon. I look up to see a number of stars peeking out into the view. The nebula's next appear in the sky, accenting the clouds that gather in formation, drifting listfully towards the direction of Gem Fido. I hear a whisper behind me.

"Find the stars of Lupus..." I immediately turn to see no one else in the room besides me. The sun finally creeps below the horizon, bathing the room in a new color, an azure light fills the room, revealing it's counterpart, the Ceiling's vast design of the night sky, stars reflecting the light of the moon that falls across the marble floor.

I leave the room, remembering the concert. I wonder if Knightmare and Griffin will play any tracks by the Beatles. The door closes behind me suddenly, I look back only to see the emblem of the two princesses. I fear things will only get stranger from here on out.

I meet up later with Eol and Ubi, Eol seeming to have a sticky liquid poured all over him, matting his fur. After passing by, the scent of Egg yolk is apparent. I look at him in suspicion.

"Eol, What did you do?" I said in a rough undertone.

"Well... you don't want to know," he said rubbing the back of his head. I shake my head and continue on, the night sky darkening, an assembly of lights shine across the courtyard. We walk towards the makeshift pavillion where the concert was to be held. There I spot the captain from a far gliding down towards the stage. To my dismay, the front of the stage was jam packed with ponies from all over Canterlot.

I look around, trying to find some way to get a better view of the stage. Spotting a group of flags hanging off the archways of the entrance to the courtyard, I motioned for Eol to look up, he grinned and nodded, understanding what I meant. Eol grabs Ubi by one paw and jumps deftly onto each of the flagpoles, one by one, judging height and range perfectly. They soon scale to the roof of the entrance easily. Eol leaned over the edge of the roof, signalling the all clear.

'My turn,' I take a deep breath facing the wall, taking a few steps backwards as I do so. Then I run towards the wall full sprint, then immediately make contact with the wall, scaling the wall with a few wall steps, lunging to grab a high ledge. I hang there for a few seconds before swinging to the left to grab onto a flagpole to my left, pulling myself onto it. I jump from pole to pole, finally leaping and grabbing onto Ubi's outstretched paw, pulling me onto the roof.

From our makeshift balcony, we had the perfect view of the entire stage. We sat there on the edge of the roof, admiring the lights coming from the stage. Griffin and Gilda start to come out on stage, greeting the crowd. Eol waves at him.

"Hey Everyone. Crazy night last night, am I right?" The crowd murmurs amongst itself, some complaining about the dissonance at the Gala.

"Oh Come on," the captain groans, "It wasn't that bad was it? Only two million in property damage. And for once, it's not even my fault!"

=Ubi=

I slowly get up and make my way to the other end of the roof. I jumped off the other end, walking through the gardens, the blades of grass slouching from the evening dew. I didn't like the singing, or how the royalty could actually manage to sing themselves. It wasn't enticing, nor the least bit funny. I tried to find solace in the gardens. Outside of my mom's cave, I never really got to explore the world around me. But even with the serenity of the gardens, I couldn't enjoy myself. The birds and other animals crept away when I came near.

Although the night was cold, I liked it. I don't know why, but it reminded me of home again. This wasn't home, I knew for sure, but at least I knew I was safe. I couldn't help but feel worried, though. Mom never told me about the Lunar Legend.

'Would he keep his promise, not to hurt mom?' I thought to myself as I pulled out the small vial that Aoi gave me. I knew what was inside: dragon's blood. Somehow, I knew it was mom's. I knew she was still alive, somewhere. Maybe I would be able to find her by following Aoi, I wasn't sure. I kept walking until I found an old sycamore tree, where I sat down and turned the vial in my paw.

Mom told me about Blackfire once. A couple thousand years ago, two bloodlines clashed, Blackfire's lineage, and Shadowstar's. Both were vying for control of the Deeps at one point. Sky battles ravaged over Gem Fido, as well as battles on land, scorching many parts of Gem Fido to cinders. In the end, Shadowstar fought Blackfire, a battle spanning several days. By the time it ended, both were grounded from exhaustion. The defining blow was Blackfire's roar, shattering the cliffs they were both on, a claw battle to the ocean below. When the storms died down, Blackfire arose from the shore, victorious. He was a dragon of legend, taken down by another legend, one I seldom knew about. Eol was more knowledgeable about the legend than I was.

I just want to find mom and go home.

Suddenly, I heard music flowing through the gardens. It was that of a violin, coupled with a piano, the music slowly filling the gardens. My ears perked up as I listened to the delicate, harmonious tune. Needless to say, it was beautiful.

I started to follow it to the source, a small clearing, where the animals and the birds flocked to listen, at the very center were two ponies. One was a black stallion on the piano with a white mane slicked back in an, while the other was a white mare sitting on top of the piano, legs crossed, playing the violin with a black curly mane. I stood there, leaning against the tree, hidden by its shadow, simply watching.

As the song slowly drew to a close, both of them noticed me. Strangely, rather than run away or freeze up in shock, they simply look at me.

"Who's there?" The black one asked. I slowly came out from the shadow of the tree, rubbing my elbow nervously. They seemed surprised, but not afraid. The mare got down from the piano, placing the violin on the piano before walking towards me.

"What brings you here?" She said in a claming tone. I slowly backed away.

"Nothing, just want to be alone." I stepped back even further as the white mare approached.

"It's alright, we were just finishing up anyway... what's your name?" The black stallion asked.

"Ubi..."

"I'm Ivory Stradivaari, my partner is Ebony Keys," the white mare says, taking my large paw in her hoof.

"I really should be going now..." I turn around to leave.

"Why not stay for a bit... I think we can play one more song for the night..." I pull my paw away from her hoof.

"No thanks... I must go..." I leave without looking back. In all honesty, I really wanted to stay. Not only was the music they made beautiful, they were ponies that weren't afraid of how I looked. But something inside told me I shouldn't. Maybe it was self-consciousness, I don't know. I've always been alone, never really talking to anyone for more than a few brief sentences. The only people I really talked to were Aoi and Mom. Everyone else, I stayed away from, and everyone else away from me...

I sighed and continued walking through the gardens, occasionally scratching a claw on a tree or two. A habit of mine, dragging my claws against a rough surface. I look back and see the marks on the tree, showing the lighter interior. I sat down and started scratching at the ground, digging lightly. To my surprise, I found a small diamond not too far down. I picked it up between my claws. I placed it in my gem bag, which I saw was running rather low. I hoped that we would be able to get back to Gem Fido, so I could start searching. I think about what I would be doing.

"Good news." I stand up and turn to see Aoi, leaning on a nearby tree, "I found a ride to hitch us to Gem Fido. We'll probably be there in about a week, 4 days if we make good time." He held up his paw. I started to smile, I didn't believe much in the guardian gods that supposedly watch over diamond dogs, but just this once, I believed they heard my thoughts.

"Really?" He simply nods in response.

"Day after the concert, we're leaving with the Captain, the one hosting the concert." I lost my smile. I didn't really much care for the griffin captain, he acted like a melodramatic cloudhead. I suddenly remembered something.

"Aoi..."

"What is it?" he looks back at me, ears perked.

"Do you think... maybe, we could look for my mother, out there in Gem Fido?" He started to smile.

"Of course, after we stop by Eol's former clan to see how they're doing, we'll start looking... I promise." His words meant more to me than anything in the world at that moment. Had I not been taught self control, I would have ran up to him and hugged him right then.

"Thanks..." He sighed and started walking away, looking at the stars.

"Hey... Ubi... do you know the Stars of Lupus?" His question took me by surprise. I knew of them, but how did he?

"Not much, why do you ask?" I knew full well what he was talking about. Among the creatures that dragons fear, it was the Stars of Lupus. He looks at me and shakes his head.

"Out of curiosity..." He seemed worried, even though he tries to hide it. If what he says is true, and he really isn't from this world, then how could he know of the Stars of Lupus? I was afraid.

"Who are you?" The words came out of my mouth before I could think. He looked at me with sad eyes.

"Heh, now there's a question to think on." He looked down at his sword, then walked away, "Come on, we should probably get some sleep."

A Wake Up Call a Mile High [20]

A sleepless night passes by as the sun slowly creeps over the horizon through the bedroom window. I lie there, awake, unable to move from the fatigue of a restless body, leaving me only to stare at the curtains that hang over the bed.

'Today's the day we leave Canterlot, as soon as Griffin's done picking up the new recruits, we can finally go back to Gem Fido.' I slowly tilt my head to the side to find a letter on the nightstand. Slowly reaching for the folded parchment, I notice that Eol and Ubi are nowhere to be found. I curl my digits around the letter and pry the royal seal apart with one of my claws. I roll onto my back again, holding the letter up to my view.

'Dear Aoi,

You, along with Knightmare and Griffin, have been formally selected by the Royal Court of Canterlot to receive the honorable title of Knight of Canterlot for your brave and valiant actions in service to the Royal Family. I personally congratulate you on receiving this monumental gift.

Best regards,

Princess Celestia'

I grasp the corner of the letter with my other paw and take relish on ripping the parchment strip by feathery strip, rolling up the torn pieces in a ball and tossing it into a waste bin. I roll over on my side, away from the morning sunlight, curling up under the comfort of a strange blanket cover. It was just like in Japan all over again. I remember the characters etched in ink when I was invited to be congratulated by the Emperor. I wasn't going to go through that again.

After a few, quiet moments to myself. I slowly got out of bed, thinking of what to do. I wanted to get out of Canterlot as soon as possible. Hopefully, if I tell the captain, he'll share my sentiments in getting out of here in haste. I first had to find Eol and Ubi. I grabbed my pack and Kokuryu, walking out of the bedroom door and heading down the corridor. Eol runs out of an Alcove, turning around frantically to find me. I keep on walking, grabbing his tunic and dragging him along with me to find Ubi.

"Hey what's the rush?" Eol asked, clutching onto his tunic, trying to pry my digits from his sleeve.

"We need to get out of here, now. Where's Ubi?" I stop and turn to Eol, "Where is he?" I hear the door of the W.C. open, Ubi walking drowsily out. I give a quick whistle as a signal for him to come along, and not to ask questions. I let go of Eol's tunic and we continue on towards the tower where Griffin's ship is docked, avoiding eye contact with anyone who might potentially be part of the noble family. We continue until we reach the Possibility, the Emblem shining in the early daylight.

Spotting the window of what appears to be the captain's quarters, I smile and motion for both of them to climb up the mooring lines onto the deck. They scurry up the ropes silently and land on the deck with no problem at all. I bounce on the ball of my feet before grabbing onto the mooring line, detaching it with a slash of my claws and swinging to the rounded window of the captain's quarters. I grab the window and hang onto the edge, feet gripping the mooring line precariously. I tap the window, hearing the rustling of bedsheets. I lean back and flip upside down, tying the mooring line to my ankles, then pulling myself back up and knocking on the window again.

After a few seconds, the Captain groggily opens the window. He jumps in surprise at me outside the window.

"Permission to come aboard?" I deadpan with a salute. He closes his mouth and answers.

"Yeah," he points upwards, "Head up top, I'll be there in a second." He turns around and disappears from view, muttering, "Damn early bird can keep his worm..."

"Thanks," I say, climbing up the rest of the mooring line. As I lift myself over the banister bordering the deck of the ship, I untie the line and drop it down below. I look around, seeing some of the crew still asleep on the deck, and head towards the galley. I step lightly on the old wooden deck, being careful not to wake the other crew members. Griffin walks up the steps onto the main deck.

"Welcome aboard the Possibility, finest airship anywhere," He turns and heads back down, "Make yourself at home, but stay out of the booze. We just restocked and I don't wanna run out of rum before I get any. For some reason, the rum is always gone, but nobody knows who drinks it." He shrugs and walks down the hall.

"I don't drink rum anyway... so that won't be a problem..."

"Well, anyway, let's head down to the mess. Maria is usually up early cooking for us, and if we don't get there before these guys, we'll have to wait for our food." He motioned towards the sleeping crew. I followed along, intent to deliver my message, as well as my intent.

"By the way, you might want to start setting sail..." I say casually.

"Huh? Why's that?" He turns to ask.

"Princess Celestia's insistent on having you attend the knighting ceremony..." His eyes widened in disapproval, "So unless you want another segment added to your long name, better get going." His eyes dilated in an expression equal to that of what Keith deemed the legendary, 'Oh Shit.' look.

"I thought you'd might react that way..." I said with a grin.

"Knighting... there is a ceremony tomorrow morning that you WILL be attending, no excuses..." He mulls under his breath before turning and looking right at me, "OH SHIT! Up and at 'em boys! We have work to do!" He barks at the sleeping crew members. I look behind me to see Eol and Ubi, who are amazed at the technological marvel of the airship.

"Okay, Aoi, here's the deal," he says slightly out of breath, "We gotta pick up our newest volunteers, but we can't let Celestia catch us."

"How do you suggest we do that?" I asked. He thought for a few seconds.

"We show up to the ceremony, so that she knows we're there and is off guard, then bail when she doesn't pay attention. I'll have my crew go through who's joining while we're there."

"Then we go off, grabbing the mooring lines of the ship as she grabs the sword?" I ask. It sounded like something the captain would do. He waves his hand disapprovingly.

"Nah, we'll be in the back room, 'preparing' for out public appearance, then go out the window while she's giving the speech." His plan surprised me, if he had to go on stealth, I'd say he had as much disdain of being knighted as I was, "If we make a public exit, she'll just grab us, magic and all."

"You've got a point there..." I said looking back at a departing Griffin.

"Well, we can't do this on an empty stomach, let's get breakfast first, then we'll get going."

"I'll meet you down there..." I started patting my clothes to find something, then started looking through my pack, finding only some provisions, a couple of daggers, and some miscellaneous supplies we picked up: daggers from the raid safely stowed away, some wire that I would make into a weapon later, and some small round balls in a clear case labeled smoke bombs. I wondered how those got in my bag, but then shook the thought away as I grabbed the case and stuffed them in my dobuku.

"If you don't know the way, just follow the signs. Heaven knows I got lost in here one too many times before I had directions put up," he said before rounding the corner out of sight. I motion Eol and Ubi to come close.

"Eol, Ubi, stay on the ship, help in any way you can, readying the ship, cleaning the deck, whatever. Just when you are doing that, check the edges of the ship for possible exit points. Afterward come down to breakfast," I ordered turning around about to leave.

"Yeah... I'll do that..." Eol said, a bit nauseated. I started down the galley, following the signs labeled with directions and names leading to the mess hall. I stopped momentarily in front of a room that emanated a wave of heat from it.

'Must be the forge...' I thought to myself before continuing on into the crew quarters, noting a few names: Nadene, Steelhorn, Geirmund... Shimmer. Kokuryu hummed when I passed the door with her name. My mind re-winded, recalling the first conversation I had with the captain.

"So... this is the room of the dragon he told me about..." Suddenly I head a voice.

"I smell the blood of an ancient in this room... be wary..." I looked around, trying to find where that sound originated from, looking back at the door as it opened with a slight creak. I look down and find a small blue dragon staring up at me, letting out a small squeak in fear. She had blue shimmering scales, a light shade of yellow adorning the scales along her underside, and a spade tipped tail, gleaming with a gold luster.

"Who are you?" she asked uneasily, obviously afraid at my height. By estimate she was no larger than 4 feet.

"I'm Aoi," I say in a soft tone, calming my expression, which slightly puts her at ease somewhat.

"I'm Shimmer." She started to tap the tips of her claws together, still nervous. "Mister Aoi... you feel weird, but not in a bad way..." Feel weird? She shakes her head to remove the awkward topic she brought up, "It's breakfast time, and the mess hall is this way." She had a slightly coarse tone to her voice, as did all dragons. But her timbre was that of a child.

"Just Aoi is fine," I smile gently, "I think I'll be fine in finding the mess hall..." I turned slowly and walked towards the direction of the mess hall, wondering what that voice meant. As I was about to walk away, I felt a tug on my sleeve, I turn to see Shimmer beaming at me.

"I'll come with you..." She said with a soft smile across her face. She giggled as she walked in front of me to lead the way, slowly humming a tune vaguely familiar to me, although I could not remember where I had heard it. I followed her into the mess hall, finding the center table set up neatly. I take my seat in one of the three empty chairs set up. Ubi entered not long after I had sat down.

"Where's Eol?" I ask Ubi.

"He stayed behind, not feeling well apparently..." He said, resting his muzzle in his paw.

"Oh?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Two crew members took him to the sick bay..."

"Why?"

"He threw up over the side of the ship." He replied, not even glancing back at my direction, instead staring directly at Shimmer. She started to slouch in her chair, nervous again.

"You know, he really ought to just chew on some ginger root. Tastes terrible, but he won't get sick then..." Nadene, the cat, says out of nowhere.

"I'll be sure to tell him that..." Preferably, I find that ginger tea is more effective, and doesn't taste as bad.

"Maybe we'll get him some after we're done eating. Hey Maria, save a plate for our guest, he's not feeling so well and won't be coming to breakfast."

"Here you go," Maria rolls in several plates of glazed rabbit onto the table, steaming hot, "Full of nutrients and cooked to perfection."

"Thank you," I say to the lively griffin, then fold my hands together, "Itadakimasu..."

"Now eat up, doctor's orders. You need to get your strength back." Maria said to both of us. I snicker.

"You don't have to tell me..." I inhale the rich smell of the food before eating, enjoying the tender meat and succulent flavor. To my surprise, Maria finishes her food quickly, soon leaving to go back to cooking in the kitchen.

"Geez, where'd that girl learn how to eat?" Griffin said, unbelieving at the speed at which she ate her food.

"I used to eat the same way," I say, shrugging at Griffin's comment.

"Well, I've already had Cable inform the crew as to what they'll be doing. Gal makes a great comms officer. I've placed her on the bridge so she can work the intercom. She may be a kind mare, but something about her voice demands you listen to it. Probably why she's able to keep Gear under control so well."

"You mean Geirmund?" Griffin stops to take a few meaningful bites of his meal.

"Yeah," he replies, "We just call him Gear though. I'll introduce you to everyone later, when we have more time. Anyways, they all know what they'll be doing, so hopefully they can finish before we need to make our escape. I don't feel like being knighted."

"Ne neither, why do you thing I gave you the courtesy of the warning before hand?"

"I owe you one for that by the way," I looked away, mulling over something, "But since I'm giving you a ride, I guess we'll call it even."

"Fair enough..." I didn't expect any reward anyway. Griffin burped out paper in a flash of green fire. Out of reflex I draw my blade and nearly cut the table in half. After a second I look back at the Captain, "What the Hell?"

"Letter. Hmm, Let's see..." I lower my blade, Griffin scoffs after reading the letter, "Yes Celestia, I know. I'm coming. GEEZ, let me at least finish breakfast." He took out a quill and scribbled hastily onto the parchment before sending it off, "Submito ad Celestia." The parchment shriveled up and floated away by a spontaneous gust of wind. I sheath Kokuryu and sit down.

"A letter from the Princess," I sigh, rubbing my temples, "About the knighting ceremony, no doubt." I lower my hand and lean back in the chair, "But why did you... burp it out?" I tried to hold back a snicker.

"Beats me. Might be because I got dragon blood in me, but then why doesn't Shimmer have the same thing? I don't know..." He shrugs and picks up a fork again, shoving a bite into his mouth before talking, "It's magic, I ain't gotta explain SHIT!" He swallows and waves the fork at me, "And she didn't say it was a knighting ceremony. Probably because she thinks if I know, I'll bail." He takes a long gulp of water, exhaling before continuing with a large smile, "And she's right."

"Oh well," I say shaking my head, thinking about the concept of magic, "You can spend your entire life looking, but you'll never find the answers to everything..."

"Such as how ponies hold things without fingers?" He says with a chuckle.

"I have a few theories," I say thinking about Twilight Sparkle back at the library, "but what would be the point," I finish the last strip of meat on the bone, "... can't prove them..."

"Best to let the scientists worry about that. Way I figure, I don't teach Twilight my magic unless she can answer that one simple question." I guess that's a fair cop... "That's the difference between us I guess. Not knowing doesn't drive me crazy." He stands up to leave, dropping his plate in the wash bin. I look back at Ubi, who's wearing a disappointed look on his face.

'I guess he's looking for a taste as good as Applejack’s pie...' I stand up and push in my chair, washing up my plate as I leave.

I walk back to the deck, the crew working like clockwork: releasing the mooring lines, swabbing the decks, fastening lifelines onto the crew. I turn to the Captain, who's busy making sure everything is going according to plan.

"So, Griffin," I say still watching some of the crew scurry about, "Mind telling me exactly what she said?" He looks at me, clearing his throat and exclaiming in a dramatic flourish of pompous stance.

"Griffin, your presence is required in the throne room immediately." He thrusts out his chest, looking with a smug expression and wings flared, "And don't even try to skip out or I will teleport you there myself." He relaxes again, his tone returning to normal, "Looks like she's not in the mood for any of my shenanigans. Too bad for her, I'm always a step ahead." So he does have a fleshed out plan...

"Do tell..." I say, heading to the edge of the bow, hoping that what we would suggest was foolproof.

"Shadow manipulation and illusionary clones." Taking a page from a common myth, or just a coincidence? "I had Trixie charge a couple of gems with the spell so I can activate them, even when she's burnt out. I'll set two of them, one for each of us, on stage, while we slip out as nothing but shadows." He gives a wide grin, "It really is amazing what you can do with magic and just a little bit of human practicality, although she was actually the one who thought of it." He glances back at the blue pony, "I swear, she may not be all that book smart, but on the field, she's a genius."

In all honesty, for a scratched up plan, it was adequate at best. But I'll play along.

"Brilliant, but will the princess fall for it..." I turn back towards him, taking a few steps back closer and closer to the bow, "Being millenniums old, I'm not sure a simple shadow doppelganger would fool her..."

"Well, it was enough to fool you..." Suddenly the captain disappears, leaving a view of the stairwell as he walks up it. Hmm... this may go better than expected. But I can't trust his plan to the letter though.

"It's that seamless," he says with a smug grin. I seamless plan would have no need for a plan B, which is where I come in. I could think of a dozen ways his plan to go wrong, which is why fate favors the prepared. I turn around and keep inching closer to the bow.

"Timing is everything. It won't last long, which means we need to be gone by the time it wears off. I'll plant them onstage beforehand, then trigger them right before we bail." One of the many ways it CAN go wrong. I turn and lean on the edge of the banister guarding the bow.

"And you think her magic won't debunk it before hand?" I hop onto the banister, turning back towards the captain

"That's the purpose of us showing up of our own free will. If she had to drag me there, she'd be on guard, but if I come of my own volition, and tell her I know it's a knighting ceremony, she won't see any need for the extra measure."

"Hmm..." I inch backwards towards the very end of the bow, "As seamless as it might be, remember that there's always room for a backup plan."

"I ALWAYS have a backup plan," He smirked at me. From his expression, he was bluffing. I hop off the bow in free fall, the others crowding the edge of the banister, trying to find where I was falling. Little did they know I had grabbed a dangling mooring line and swung to the starboard side of the ship, landing lightly on the banister as to not attract attention.

"Oh do you now!?" I shouted at the captain, getting the crew's attention, some looks of amazement on how I managed to 'teleport' to the starboard side. Griffin didn't fall for the shock and awe. I jumped down from the edge of the banister and continued walking towards the captain, then stopping, "No wait, don't tell me... I want it to be a surprise..." I didn't feel like calling him out on it, didn't need to, but his tell further proved my point. I simply smiled at him, a coy grin stretching from ear to ear. He smirked and stretched out his wings, flapping them a couple of times, blowing a coat of wind across the deck.

"Hop on," he said, motioning to his back, "We might as well arrive in style. Plus, if she thinks I'm your ride, that's even less reason to suspect that we'll leave." I tilted my head to the side. Sounds reasonable. "I need to give my wings a strength test anyway, to make sure they're healed properly." I shrug and walk over to him, climbing onto his back. I grip his sides with my legs, my feet too large for the stirrups.

"May as well try to fly--- WHOA!" He takes off without warning into the sky, adrenaline surging as a thought crosses my mind.

'SHIT!'

Tartarus Drop [21]

"HAHAHAA!!! Hold on, and don't touch the wings uless you want to know what a pancake feels like!" Griffin cackled, barrelrolling in the air without a care, "WOOOHOOHOO!!!" He dives downward into a roll, my paws clutching into his feathers for a solid grip, vertigo sets in almost immediately, making me disoriented and nauseous.

"I know you do this every day, but ease up on the tricks." I wanted to yank out his feathers right then and there if it meant him stopping.

"Right... sorry. It's kind of a Griffin thing... actually, it's a pegasus thing too. You just..... need to fly you know? Ever wonder why birds sing, even when they're not looking for a mate?" He continues without giving me a chance to answer, "It's 'cuz they're happy. I mean, if you could fly, wouldn't you be?"

"Well, I don't know about flying..." It was too unstable, too rash, "but whenever I make a great escape, falling from a skyscraper, or simply running across the rooftops..." I pause to think of the countless times that I found myself running, often fleeing the scene, but more often than not for no apparent reason at all, "It feels... liberating..."

"High up, wind in your hair, or in this case, feathers... It's the whole world, right there at your fingertips. To be able to just... go whenever you want. From up here, I can see forever. Can't believe I used to be afraid of heights." I snickered at Griffin's last remark.

"I learned not to be afraid..." I said remembering an old proverb, "If fear is your only option, then you've already lost."

"Well, I guess I wasn't really afraid of being high up as much as I was that someone was going to push me off, seeing as how they've actually tried a couple times," he said uneasily. I gave a deep sigh, remembering a politician I had killed that lied through his teeth about helping others, when behind closed doors he was simply a miser counting all of the money he had embezzled in his penthouse apartment.

"... I always felt a little pleasure, in pushing some people from a great height. The look in their eyes as they realized the irony of them, high and mighty, looking down to others below, now rushing down at great velocity to kiss the ground that they spat on before dying."

"Hmm..." He seemed lost in thought. "Hey Aoi, have you heard of the express elevator to hell?" I assumed by that he meant a long drop.

"I took it a few times, actually," I said, playing along to the metaphor.

"Well I hope you enjoy the Tartarus Drop!"

"Nani?" was all I could say before he flipped over, my grip not holding long upside down. I started to plummet, head first towards the distant ground below. Griffin dove until he was right next to me.

"Not too much fun, is it?" Never expected to trust him in the first place. I'll bite...

"Actually, just like the old days," I said against the G-Force, "Ever try fighting like this?"

"Not in a free fall..." He thought for a second, "I like your style!" I pivoted and drew Kokuryu, clashing against hades, sending a flurry of blue sparks. I skid the blade off of hades edge, giving a smirk before kicking the flat of the blade away from me, saluting before heading into free fall. I grab the edges of my dobuku with my toes, creating a drag chute to slow me down, to a position above Griffin. I let go of the edges and go into a nosedive again, sword straight forward to stab the captain. He rolls over and brings up his sword, the spade like flat causing me to slam into it with a loud, dulled clang. I roll off to the side and go into a skydive position.

'What is he thinking?!' I ponder to myself, wondering why he dropped me off him, 'A test? A prank?' Time to think was cut short by a stab with the large blade, I bring my sword to parry with the boshi of Kokuryu, skimming the tip of the blade along Hades' flat. I give an overbearing kick to Griffin's head, knocking him away. I dive down, then roll towards the sky, holding out Kokuryu to bait him into diving towards me. He dodges as she swoops past me, scraping the flat of Hades against Kokuryu's blade. The ground get's dangerously closer and closer.

'Free fall position, need to create more drag, but where to land?' Griffin starts to fly back up towards me.

"Ground's getting close... need a lift partner?" He asked, mimicking a country accent. I glare at him before spotting the tower below. I found my landing zone.

"Oh yee of little faith!" Was he trying to mock me by pulling this half-brained stunt? I brushed the thought aside as I pulled off my dobuku, spreading its full length across my shoulders. The cloth opens up like a parachute, the sudden drag threatening to rip my arms off. I hold it steady, steering towards the window of the tower.

"I don't wear this just for looks you know..." I said jokingly, concentrating on controlling my drop speed to reach the window at the right moment. At the very last second, I feel a sharp pain shoot up between my legs. I look down to see Griffin catching me on his back again.

'Nuri kabe, Unko no nioi kagu hito, BAKA YAROU! (Plaster faced, shit sniffing, STUPID ASSHOLE!) ,' I thought to myself, reassessing the pain of landing on the captain's back, I groan from the impact, nearly tearing out some of the captain's feathers with a firm grip.

"Well, that's enough, let's get going before Celestia gets pissy. The ship is moving away from the castle as well. That way, it doesn't have as far to go when we make our escape, and it enforces that we're not gonna try and bail." He said through the blur of the wind rushing past us.

"Oww...." I croaked out as we continued onward. The pain slowly recedes as we arrive at the main tower, where the two princesses and the six ponies came to welcome us to the ceremony. I jump off onto the balcony, glad to finally reach solid ground, leaning forward to alleveate the aching in my pelvis. Rainbow Dash trots up to both of us. I stand up straight, the last of the aching fading away.

"What the hay was that all about?" Her remark catches my attention. I share a glance with the captain, the same thought in both our minds.

"It's called falling with style," we answer simultaneously. Fluttershy creeps towards us hesitantly.

"But, it looked so... dangerous..." She whimpered. I glanced in her direction, only to have her flinch and hide her gaze behind her pink mane. I wondered why she was so shy...

"What, THAT? Naw... We do that all the time..." I shot an angry glare at the captain's nonchalant answer.

'Bull... fucking... shit...' I thought to myself, maintaining a bloodcurdling stare at the captain. I sheath my blade as we walk up towards the ponies.

"Y'all are nuts!" The food vendor said to us.

"A lot of people have said that about me..." I deadpan, making her pause for a moment before responding.

"Though, I can't say I dissapprove of your eating habits," she says with a soft chuckle." Griffin leans towards her and whispers something in her ear. I continue on towards the two princesses.

"Griffin, I'm glad you arrived in a timely manner... for once." She turns towards me. "And you brought Aoi with you." I bow slightly.

"I hear you wish to knight us?" I hesitate on the word, a tinge of doubt in my mind. I dismiss the thought, knowing she could read minds. I look past her to see a statue of one of the old royal guards, adorned in Gladiator-esque like armor. I look back at her to see her eyeing me suspiciously. I emptied my mind of all thought, a rather 'innate' psychological habit of mine that came in handy when facing those who were skilled in reading emotion. I couldn't afford to give the plan away. The princess soon dropped her interrogating glare and formed one of utter cheer.

"You are correct. I did not inform Griffin as I assumed he would not come if he knew..." She noted, turning her gaze on the captain. He started to act coy.

"What, and NOT get KNIGHTED?" I resisted the urge to facepaw, "Being knighted is a HUGE honor. It means influence in the courts and everything. I would technically be a noble. As if I'd give that up, manipulator that I am." I shot a glare at him, blinking twice.

'Ease up, you're lighting up brighter than Chichibu Yomatsuri in Saitama.' Thankfully, he get's the message, acting normally again.

"Anyway, the ship is over in the town square of the north section, going through the volunteer paperwork and junk. As soon as we're done here, we'll get on board and head out." Much better.

"You came to the knighting ceremony to get out of paperwork, didn't you?" Luna asked with a flat tone.

"Maaaaaaaaaaybe?" I roll my eyes at his reply, at least it was good enough for them to get them off the subject.

"You're taking Aoi with you?" Celestia asked, looking at me.

"I'm simply hitching a ride with him to Gem Fido..." I change my tone to one of urgency. "It's important we get there as soon as possible."

"I see." I go off to one of the columns adorning the atrium, comparing them to those of Doric structure, yet different due to it's overly gilded capital. Griffin and Celestia dissappear into a nearby room, mumbling about having a private word while the other 6 ponies go into what I assumed was a dressing room, leaving me alone in the room. Or so I thought.

I soon hear hoofbeats along the resounding marble floor. I merely glance over my shoulder to see Princess Luna, the moon princess, approaching me. I turn around and lean on the column, meeting her gaze.

"Princess Luna vi Everfree, I presume?" I spoke softly to avoid the echoes that rebounded off the walls.

"Yes, we are, I mean uh, I am. And you must be Aoi Myoujin, the one I've heard so much about," she spoke rather loudly, in contrast to my own voice.

"Oh? I wasn't aware that I had a reputation that well known."

"Well, my sister has told us all about thy appearance in our fair city of Canterlot. I wanted to give you my thanks for talking with her about... the events from a thousand years ago."

"Don't mention it..." I said bluntly, "I mean it, don't, It's in the past now..." I remembered my outburst in front of the Princess. After an awkward silence she changed the subject.

"Let me congradulate you on your accomplishment. Being knighted is an extremely prestigious honor."

"... like all the rest of the awards you give away freely."

"Excuse me?"

"If you seriously consider a single battle as an eligibility for knighthood, then there must be a multitude of knights in your ranks. We simply just did what comes naturally, a mere whim. Well, for me at least." I scoffed like it was nothing. I wanted to get off this subject immediately, but when dealing with one as old as she was, she didn't let it go.

"Is there something troubling you?" She looked straight at me.

"Yes." She would know if I was lying had I said otherwise. "As a matter of fact there is. In the words of Malvalio of Twelfth Night: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

"I fall under the third clause of that quote. I assume that your sister has already told you, I'm from the same world Griffin is from. What she hasn't told you you can find out from Rainbow Dash, because I'm tired of having to repeat the same story over and over agai-" she held up her hoof to interrupt me.

"I know... I only have one message, remember to keep this message close: Although now you may seem hollow, never let hatred once again fill the void you now have left in your heart again. Trust me on this one." She started to turn around and leave, "You should probably get ready for the ceremony," she reminded me, and left. Another confusing piece to add to an unknown puzzle.

"Alright, that's the last one. Now, just stand with me behind the stage to let the gems read our positions." We stood still at the center of the backstage in a neutral standing position. "Aaaaand, we're good. There, we have a ten minute copy of us that will activate when I snap my claws together. I'll turn it on, then use a spell from my sword to make us appear as shadows, and we'll head out the back. Just have to wait for the right time. They won't move or say anything, they'll just stand there, and anything that touches them will pass through. It's basically a hologram." I thought to myself whether or not this would work. As a precaution, I slipped a hand in my dobuku to make sure the case was still there.

"Alright you two, the bearers and Knightmare are already out there. Just wait back here for the curtains to open, then come forward when I call your name," She whispered under the din of the commotion on the other side of the curtains.

"Got it," Griffin said coyly. As the princess disappeared behind the other side of the curtains, I wondered if she had any idea what we were about to do. The Captain turned to me with an anxious smile, "Are you ready?"

"Ready..." After all, all I had to do was stand still. I held my breath for a few seconds. The captain snapped his fingers. I stepped backwards, feeling a slight tug as I pulled away from a completely identical clone of me. I was distracted for a moment, tilting my head to the side.

'Is that what my hair really looks like from the back?' I shook my head and turned back to Griffin, taking a quadruped stance, flaring out his wings.

"Climb on." I took no hesitation on climbing on, hoping that he wouldn't take off in a blaze of speed. Surprisingly enough, he simply flapped lightly, the gust rolling over the floorboards as we lifted off not even an inch off the stage.

"Umbra." Shadows creeped along the walls, enveloping us in a translucent cloak of magic. "I am one with the shadows." We floated through the backstage exit, my muscles tensed as a few times a pony or two would almost graze us, even more so when someone gave us confused looks, but mainly shook their heads and moved on. A few times, I felt Griffin slack under the weight, probably having trouble maintaining the spell.

A few more yards and we were out onto the courtyard, the sunshine lifting off the cloak of magic cast on us. Griffin felt visibly relieved, but didn't let down his guard as we kept going, crouching under windows and dashing from bush to bush. With some close calls and exhaustion apparent on the weary Griffin, we had the Possibility in full view. He burst into a full soar, dragging me along with him back to the ship's deck; a trip no more than 30 seconds long.

"Okay, let's get moving people, I wanted to be gone 10 minutes ago!" he squawked as we landed on the ship, "Haul loose the mooring line, tighten the jib and all that good stuff." He sweeped the feathers on his crown, clearly relieved. Crew members scrambled to get the ship underway. The ship groaned as the lines were released, the ship bearing a complete turn away from the tower.

"Breeze, you and some of the other griffins on your detail cover our escape, I want our entire ship covered in clouds in ten seconds flat, GO!" The griffin he ordered took no time in taking off, bringing with her several griffins and taking surrounding clouds to cover the ship. The ship becan accelerating into full speed, leaving the castle behind us in a thrust of speed, toppling over some of the crew members. I held onto the banister to prevent me from falling backwards. Griffin adopted a faux carribean accent, swinging his sword forward with a deep cackle.

"Haul your wind and hold your water, BWAHAHAHAHAA!" The only thing he was missing was a plumed hat. I turned around when I heard a familiar, very audible yell coming from the opposite direction. Griffin came down to the deck and laughed as he leaned over the banister.

"Too late princess..." His laughter died down a bit, "For once, FOR FUCKING ONCE! I actually got to stick with plan A!" He turned to me with a smile, "I think you're a good luck charm Aoi, I've never had a plan pan out on the first try." I scoff and look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh really?" I didn't believe him for a second. His response however surprised me.

"Yep. Every plan I've ever made, the first has always failed. I always had to go to plan B or C, and... occasionally plan D. Heh... it's a good thing too, because I didn't have a plan B this time, other than just run our asses off." I laugh, keeping my thoughts to myself. Wow, he calls out his own bullshit. Not the first time it's happened. I turn back towards the castle slowly disappearing over the horizon. I slip my hand into my dobuku, pulling out a few of the smoke bombs form the case, holding them between my fingers and showing them to the captain.

"This was MY plan B." He tilted his head in response, then chuckled.

"Smoke bombs?" I nodded. "Nice, and you said you weren't a ninja, liar," he remarked, turning around to leave.

'Since when did I ever called myself a ninja?'

"Even if I was one, in all technicallity, ninja and samurai are the same thing... and If I WAS to call myself one... I'm just the modern kind." I said with a childish grin.

"Well, anyways it's still WAY too damn early to be up after having such a late night. I'm gonna hit the sack and try to get my sleep schedule somewhat back ot normal. Welcome aboard." He yawned before leaving.

"Pleasure..." I look across the clouds surrounding the ship, the outlines seeming to fade across the ship the further I looked, "Hopefully it'll be smooth sailing from here."

A distant overcast hung black over in the direction of Gem Fido, haunting me of what dangers might arise for everyone once we arrived there. I thought to myself whether I would have the resolve to see this through, or whether I was biting off more than I could chew.

Snarls and Growls [22]

Contrary to the bustling deck, the crew quarters were near deserted. I decided to visit Eol in the sick bay. The room was rather furnished better than the rest of the ship, but didn't smell sterile, I was thankful for that much. Looking around, I found it near empty for a few who had come down with various stomach problems. I took a few steps, the hardwood floor feeling slippery underneath, must have been polished just recently. I glanced at the tables around the nightstands of some of the other patients: pictures, mementos, the occasional vase of flowers. I saw Eol, clutching his stomach like he was about to vomit.

"Hey there, word has it that you're air sick..." He groaned in response.

"SHH..." I look up to see a cat tending to him, one I knew from the Gala, dancing with Eol.

"Aren't you the one who..." She shot me a dense glare to interrupt me. She looked back down at Eol and stroked his fur, calming him down immensely. She picked up a small bowl of amber liquid, with a few slices of ginger root floating just below the surface. She tilted Eol's neck up and slowly poured the liquid into his mouth. A swallow later and Eol soon relaxed. After a silent moment, Eol was out like a light. The cat stood up and tilted her head to a door. I followed and soon we had a private place to-

She drew a knife on me, I pulled up my blade to intercept, the impact making a loud clang on the sheath. I grabbed her wrist and jerked the knife out of her hand, immediately pointing it at her throat.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" I barked, my lips curled back in a snarl. Her eyes were unyielding, hostile and cold. She stayed silent, I leaned in close, pressing the knife against her throat, "I have half a mind to report this insurgence to the captain, give me one good reason why I shouldn't." I lifted the point from her jugular to allow her to breathe.

"You smell just like them..." Like who?

"Like those Putrid, wet nosed Alphas that took my BROTHER!" I threw the knife into the floorboard, slowly turning around.

"So, you think all Alphas are evil then..." I glanced back at her with a cold stare equalling hers. "You better change your attitude, that fallacy will most likely lead you to a course of action you may someday regret."

"What makes you different, huh? Why does the Captain trust you enough to let YOU on our ship."

"Because I'm trying to help... besides... I'm not a Diamond Dog."

"Then why do you smell like one?"

"Still going on about that, are you? I don't know why I smell like one, I just do, Eol said something about wolves having almost the same scent as Alpha-"

"You liar! Wolves have been-"

"-Extinct for centuries, I know... and yet still, I'm here, don't believe me, then look at my paws." I lifted up my arm and pulled back the sleeve of my dobuku to reveal my arm, skinner than that of a diamond dogs, Eol mentioned that wolves had smaller paws. She looked at it in shock, her face changing to that of... fear.

"Get away from me..." she started to cower back from me, "Demon..." I clenched my teeth as I heard those words spoken to me, one I've heard many times before.

"What did you just call me?" I tried my hardest to calm my tone down, she started to cling to the wall, trying to find some way to get out. She found the knob of a door and opened it, swinging the door as wide as she could and slammed it shut on me. I looked down at the knife, and slowly picked it up. I looked at the blade, shining with a blueish tint. From sniffing it, I found it to be laced with poison from a flower, one used for the blow darts of the Diamond-Dogs. After trying the locked door, I went back to Eol's bed.

"Hey there..." I sat there, wondering what words to say to one who's probably asleep by now, "... get well soon." He started mumbling a name.

"Elli, Elli," I heard him whisper. I looked back at the door that the cat slammed, finding a nameplate with the name 'Elli' scratched onto it. Things didn't make sense, I stood up and knocked on the door, only to be met with a harsh yell.

"LEAVE!" I took that as the signal that I was not welcome anymore in the sick bay. I walked back to the entrance, giving a quick 'Get well soon' as I passed the bed. I didn't want to dwell on what she said to me, I had more important things to do.

I went up to the top deck, the crew's actions dying down a bit after the initial take off. By now, the ship's engineer probably has full control now, so there wasn't much for the crew to do except maintainence. Among the other crew members I spotted Ubi up on one of the masts, tightening some of the lines. He was the person I needed to see.

"Ubi," I shouted, "Meet me in the training room when you're done, bring a bow..." He stopped what he was doing and looked down at me in confusion.

"I want to see if your... skills are up to shape..."

A few minutes passed, I was already in the training room, the interior furnished with some red carpet, weapon racks adorning the walls, and an alcove leading to what I guessed were the showers. Ubi came shortly after, carrying a longbow. His face showed a nervous intrigue, one I would hope to banish.

"Stand over there on that side, and ready your bow..." He opened his mouth to object, but I shot him a glare. He shuffled across the rug, seeming to drag his feet.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Notch the bow," I spoke with the words heavy and grave, "... and aim it at my heart..." His eyes widened in shock.

"But..."

"Ubi," I crouched into a low stance... "Do you trust me?..."

=Ubi=

'What was he thinking?' I stood there, not knowing what to do. I looked at the bow in my hand.

'He wasn't really serious was he?' I looked back at him, standing with his hand over his sword, a dead serious gaze on his face. He looked like he meant to kill me.

"Well do you?" he asked again. I didn't know what to do or think, 'Was this some kind of test or what?' I grasped my bow, the one he handed to me during the battle of the bandits. I had kept it since, he never asked for it back. 'What did he have to gain, asking me to shoot him?' He stood upright again.

"In order to continue, I need your absolute trust, I can't have your faith waver simply because of my actions, or my resolve."

My jaw was gaping at his words, how did he know?

"I am not one to lie when it comes to important matters, so you have no means to question my future actions. I see you not as beta or follower, but as family. Therefore I must ask you, do you trust me? Not as Alpha or Superior, but as a brother..." His eyes let out a soft gleam from the reflection of a lamp nearby. Could he really have seen through me, that night, that I still wondered whether or not, if it came down to it... No, don't think about that... I want to trust him, but there's something about him, something that I hate about him.

It was the same thing with Oles... He was the same thing.

TRUST NO ONE!

No... I want to trust him..

He will betray you...

How can I be sure...

Kill him, aim for his HEAD!

No... He... He trusts me...

He thinks NOTHING of you...

No... he'd...

How can you be so sure that he won't end up just... like... Oles...

"Ubi..." I looked up at him when he called me, "If you are not ready, I will not force this on you... but in order to continue with me, I need to know that you trust me... else," he turned around, "When we arrive at Gem Fido, stay on this ship, and don't follow."

"What?"

"You'd have much better luck to find your mother in an airship, and much safer at that. I don't do this of my own accord, but for Eol and everyone else willing to risk their lives to help..." he glanced back, "I'd rather die than see any of you hurt under my arm, or to see you abandon me when I need you the most. If you're not willing to trust me, then it's best we go our separate ways here and now. It's the same thing I told Eol, you're not a slave to me, so you are free to go wherever you will, I will not stop you, nor will I try to bring you back. But do me a favor to save me any hardship or bad feelings in the future, either pass this test, or leave the clan." His words hit me like a cannonball.

Did I really want to leave? I closed my eyes to think about it.

HE LIES!

No... He speaks the TRUTH!

Then PROVE IT!

He said he would help find mom, and I...

... believe him, like you did Oles, spare yourself the betrayal. Just a slip of your aim and you won't have to worry about the-

HE is NOT OLES! He... he's....

'I see you as...'

... family...

I nock the bow and pull back the drawstring, holding my aim true.

'If there's a chance that I can rebuild my family again, I'll follow him to the ends of Equus.' One thing was still sketchy, why would he ask me to shoot an arrow at him as a test of trust?

"So, What is your answer?" My eyes opened to see him still standing there, waiting. Without hesitation I let go of the bowstring, letting the arrow fly. In a split second, all I heard was the shattering of wood and a slight ring in the air. It all made sense then...

=Aoi=

"A wavering heart will always miss its mark, but a strong and steady heart will always hit home." I sheathed Kokuryu with a smile, "This test tries three things, skill--in order to hit the target as well as swing the blade accurately, respect-- when one is willing to lay down their life on the line, and trust-- in the target's skill and the archers, and is also why I asked..."

"... Do I trust you..." he said softly. I spotted Griffin coming in from the stairs.

"Hey guys, I'm up. You haven't been properly introduced to the crew, and I have some newbies to scare the life out of, so, should we get going?"

"Why not?" I shrugged and looked back at Ubi turns around to leave, seeming relieved. I hoped he was ready...

In Lieu of conversation [23]

I listfully went through the tour, occasionally dabbling in a bit of conversation now and then with some of the new recruits, but it was mostly dull. After talking with him at the speech, his battle plan was clear, a guerilla attack on Masonry until he can lay siege to the keep, hopefully having it go on without a hitch, and rake in a payload. I probably wasn't going to stay on the ship until then, so I might as well have heard him out since he seemed tired of the other ponies asking him about his relations with the princess. I couldn't blame him.

We continued onto the tour until he said something that caught my attention.

"... This is where I store all my freaky alien stuff. Yes, I did just say that..." I looked at the captain, wondering what the hell he was thinking.

"I'd like a word with you when this is over..." I said under my breathe, audible only to Griffin and Gilda.

"Yeah, sure."

"What do you mean by alien stuff?" I hear a voice behind me, it was one of the earth ponies that decided to join, still laced up in a suit.

"If it's classified, I'd think it best not to ask questions." I wink at the captain, "Not knowing may be better for your health." He clears his thoat and stands right next to me, bringing his voice to a whisper.

"Aoi, way I figure, they're gonna find out eventually. Besides, if they can't handle seeing that, they they've got no place on this ship. There's a lot of thing more unnerving than an extra-equestrian."

"It better not be anything dangerous though," I warn, "Wouldn't want your crew... incapacitated before you even set out..."

"It won't be dangerous," he objects, "Just a quick look at what 'certain people' really are. Besides, the princesses know, the element bearers know, Lyra knows, the whole crew knows, and eventually, all of Equestria will. The sooner they find out, the sooner they can get used to the idea. I'd rather show them now then have them go crazy with conspiracy theories." He kept walking, leading the crew behind him. I had a rather uneasy feeling about this.

After the tour, he ordered the new members to assemble on the deck.

"Just need to have a private chat for a sec, then I'll meet you all up there soon." He strided over to me, a grin on his face.

"Show time... ready for the big 'REVEAL'?" he asked me, nudging my shoulder. I thought over what he said last. My mind rewinded back to the Gala.

'I MAY just know a spell that can change us back...' My eyes widened in realization to what he meant.

"You mean..."

"Yep. Let's get it out of the way," he turned to head up the stairs to the deck, then looked back at me, "Although, if you don't want to, that's your choice." I thought about it for a bit, wondering what he meant to accomplish. I decided to bite.

"Why not..." I soon would regret those words.

"Last chance to back out, Aoi..."

"Just don't be shocked when you see me..." I wouldn't call myself intimidating, but that would be an understatement. To be honest, I had people flinch whenever I glanced in their direction, ever since I was young that had been the case, constantly.

"Man, I was sent to Equestria, killed dragons, and nearly got eaten by a giant spider. You think you're gonna be a shock to me? You should be worried about them." He motioned towards the crowd. I felt like I was forgetting something.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He merely smiled and took off his amulet, shouting out to the crowd:

"FORMA VERSUS!" A blinding flash erupted from the amulet, changing both of us before our very eyes. I suddenly remembered what harm there would be in changing. Griffin changed into his human form, then immediately fell over, his armor toppling him by its sheer weight.

"Little help here?" He whimpered. I looked down at the struggling Griffin, and picked him up. The sleeve of my dobuku immediately drooped over my wrist, being longer than my arm. After helping the armor off of him, I get a closer look at him: spiky brunette, slightly shorter than me, and rather skinny, even skinnier and he would fall out of his... clothes. He still had his former clothes on.

'Well that's very interesting...' I thought to myself, I reached behind me to find another sheath, next to Kokuryu, Was it?...

"Hey thank... WHOA! You weren't kidding!" He looked me over once or twice, then looked back at himself. "Oh DAMN IT ALL!"

"So," I said, looking at him, "You're the infamous Griffin." His body structure was tall, but less defined, "No more than 20, I'm guessing."

"And you're Aoi." He clanced back at me, his expression rather depressed. "Okay, interesting little fact. In Equestria, humans look like anime characters, and WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HOT?!?!" One of the cats, Nadene, started to approach us, purring in a rather sultry manner. I started to back away, unaware in doing so my dobuku starts sliding off of my shoulders.

The croud gasps, I hear gagging behind me, ponies dropping to the deck, and Griffin's eye twitches, "You even have more scars than I do? Come on!" His words immediately bring my attention to my torso and arms, as well as the scars that ran across them in crosshatches, blotches, and hideous scar tissue. Each and every injury, down to the bullet wound in my hand that healed over in a moon shaped scar. Looking at each one brought back memories, rising to the surface as if they were still fresh in my mind.

"So... they're still there..."

"Yes, they are. Look." he undid his hoodie as well as his undershirt, revealing his abused body, "We got new bodies when we came, but the old ones stayed the same."

"Oh my, I better get you to the infirmiry to, *purr* inspect those wounds." Nadene started to lustfully inch closer to me. When she tried to grab my arm, I jerked it away from her, scrambling to tighten my dobuku.

"Sorry to disappoint, but these scars won't be going away... If modern medicine couldn't take care of these scars, you can do nothing for them..." I said harshly to the cat, her response was a pout and a sigh as she turned her attention to the captain. It was hopeless to try and retighten my clothes, for they simply slid off again. I sighed, trying to turn my gaze away from my body, only to meet the horrified gaze of the other ponies on deck.

'Do you fear me now that you have seen what I've been through?' I thought as I gazed at each and every pony. I looked back at my hand, the scar that forever reminded me of the agonizing bullet that passed through it, nearly robbing me of my ability to hold a sword again. I clenched my fist and grit my teeth.

"Change me back..." I demanded from the captain, my tone growing harsh and cold.

"Aaaaaaaaaand we're done here." He gripped the amulet in hand again, "Reverti." We changed back almost immediately. I was satisfied that I was back to my 'new' body. I slipped on my kosode and dobuku and tightened the obi again, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Are we finally done with the 'tour', Captain?" He nodded in response.

"Well, I'm gonna go store this, you should all go pick a room, because you'll be staying in it. Aoi, come with me. There's a separate living area, and I'm sure you'd like your privacy." I left the deck with him, finally glad to not have to look upon the scars of my past.

I walked down to the private quarters with Griffin, he showed me the way to the room I would be staying in, the wooden halls made for a gloomy, yet warm atmosphere.

"So... you came here a while ago, am I right?" He looked at me with interest.

"Yeah, what about it?" he quipped, stopping for a bit.

"It was only about half a month since I arrived here."

"Really? That's it? I've been here over a year." He chuckled.

"The point is, like you, I never knew exectly what would happen when I took that deal. When I finally got here, I know it sounds cliche, but I finally got a chance to start a new life here. I could finally actually LIVE, for adventure, for exploration, or even to actually meet a friend. Anything to find a new purpose in life. Believe it or not, the gang members in cahoots with the guy I killed bribed the cops to hunt me down my last day on earth... no surprise." I stopped to lean on the wall, "Then someone offers me a chance to go to a whole new world. I took the deal after he finally convinced me he wasn't spouting complete bullshit. So now I'm here."

"Heheh, yeah, who would have thought that me--wimpy, nerdy, loser Griffin-- would be doing THIS? I mean, think of it, guy at the bottom of the social food chain soon becomes the damn sexy pirate Captain with ties to Royalty." I'm actually the second human to come here through, at least I'm pretty sure. The first was brought over by Discord, which I'm guessing opened a little hole between universes that various, non-specific deities and spirits can use to throw their own pawns on the board. I'm still trying to figure out why though." He scratched his head in deep thought.

"If what you're saying is true... We're some experiment... what purpose, I don't know," I huffed, "and quite frankly, I don't care..."

"As for me... I just wanted an out." He kept walking forward through the hallway. "I was so sick and tired of all the pain, all the misery and strife. No matter where I went, I was despised, most often for no reason at all. People would go out of their way to find something to hate about me, just so they could take out their frustrations on me." He turned back, a fire in his eyes, "I wanted to leave so bad, leave it all behind. I found myself wishing I could come here--a place of peace and harmony-- where I wouldn't be blindly hated by everyone." He went over and relit some of the dim lamps with a gem.

"When that guy showed up, I thought it was too good to be true. When I found out it WAS real... well... happiest day of my life." We kept walking until we hit a junction, the main barracks where some cots were hung out, some occupied by weary crew members. Griffin took the liberty of laying down in a hammock before continuing. "Then I find out that it ISN'T all it's cracked up to be, and decided to change that. Well, here I am." He crooked his arms behind his head, "So what if it's an experiment? I'll happily play the lab rat."

"So, we each find this place, not much different on our own, and want to change it." I scratch an itch I had behind my ear before remembering my conversation with the princess, "Tell me, did Celestia by chance ever called you a hero at one point?"

"Probably. If it was to my face, I don't remember, but most definitely behind my back." He stood up and posed overdramatically, "'For great service to Equestria and the protection of the innocent...' something along those lines." I shook my head in response, giving a wry chuckle.

"Heh, figures..." I breathe out deeply, a vapor forming in the surprisingly cool room. "Apparently, now I'm seen as one, like Eol said, 'word's spreading around, that the Lunar Legend is back..." I rub the back of my head, smoothing out my fur, "I don't think others WANT the 'Legend' to come back..." Griffin folded his wings and kept going.

"They don't get a say in the matter, so long as the 'Cursed Bird' is around." He pulled over the covers on a unicorn exhausted from working, "What will the history books say about the hounds' greatest hero and worst enemy as friends? These are interesting times... who knows what will..." He belches loudly, sending a scroll flying into his talons.

"Oh look, the princess sent us a letter!"

"Oh? So, what does she want?"

"Ahem.

Dear Griffin,
You are the third most infuriatingly difficult being I have ever encountered, beaten only by a certain cow with a knack for riddles and Discord himself. Just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise me yet again. I am NOT amused. And Aoi as well? I had thought better of him..... Do you know the embarrassment you caused with your little vanishing act? You have no respect for authority whatsoever, although I suppose I should have expected that from you. Be forewarned, I will be keeping a very close eye on you in the future.

Sincerely, Princess Celestia

Ps: I still win. Check the newspaper tomorrow, I think you'll be surprised. You have much to learn, little troll, before you can take on a master.

Well, maybe she'll tell me what she's planning instead of keeping it a secret." He rolled up the scroll and pointed it at me, "If she's gonna treat me like a child, I may as well act like one," I stare at him with a flat expression, 'You already DO...' "Although I am worried about the 'check the paper tomorrow' thing."

"Hmm, out of all people, I'd have expected the princess to understand why I bailed in the first place... I thought wrong..."

"The only useful information that came from that is that she'll be watching me closely. Yeah, that just SCREAMS spy." He stuffs the letter underneath his armor before blowing out some candles that lined the exit from the barracks, "It wouldn't have been too hard for her to plant one among the recruits..." He glanced at some of the sleeping crew members. I almost felt sorry for them, they haven't even seen the real work yet. Most of the ponies were easy regognizable as noblemares and gentlecolts, not fit for the line of battle.

"I guess that's one more thing to screen for." I yawn and continue on. "I'm tired of having wasted titles piled on me..."

"Same here..." He stretched his arms, prying open a door that was lodged in place that lead into another hallway, back to the galley and the private quarters. "You know what? Let her spy. Show her I have nothing to hide. I mean, I stripped down to my human form right in front of her, making myself helpless, yet she still doesn't trust me, and then expects me to trust her fully and just go along with what she says?" He takes a nearby tin can and oils the hinges, moving the door back and forth to test if it still jammed, then slamming the door shut behind us. "If she's not going to trust me, I'm not going to trust her. Let her spy. I don't even care. But there is going to be a LOT of shenanigans on my part when we DO meet."

"Yeah, have fun with that..." I think that's why she's putting the spy, if ANY, on the ship, knowing Griffin however, he won't get it...

"Hey Griffin..." My mind goes back to the deck, the nagging feeling in the back of my mind.

"Yeah?"

"How many scars do you have exactly?"

"Twelve, and three burns. Some of them have faded and aren't really visible unless you look closely. A couple were from surgery to fix broken ribs." Lucky bastard... "One though, is one that I hate above all else. It's an incision that was made to remove a kidney. I donated, and it went to a guy who used his new chance at life to make mine a living hell."

"Heh, no good deed goes unpunished. Just like no failure unnoticed..." He turns to look at me, and I start listing off the many times I've been injured.

"139 scars, permanent, you've seen them yourself, uncleaned wounds, couple of minor infections, etc. 14 separate accounts of broken ribs, fractured from either impact or simply a 'bad landing'." He winced when I emphasized the landing part. "52 accounts of broken legs and arms, thankfully healed alright according to Wolfe's Law, and 2 cases of near fatal concussion. Coupled with 11 bullet wounds and 31% of my body burned at one point. All in total, full physical and psychological recovery, 14 months. It's nothing short of a miracle that I stand here before you today to retell it."

"Yeah, do you hate your human body as much as I hate mine, even though Nadene seems to like them?"

"I don't hate my body, however I do hate my scars..." I flex my paw, imagining the wound still fresh in my mind, "As well as remembering each and every time I got them. Contrary to modern media, captain, samurai aren't invincible, with only honor fueling our power. After all, samurai are still just human: We get cut, we get shot, we get hurt, we die. Even then, it's often violent, sudden, and more often than not isn't because of an honorable swordfight or duel. As for what fuels me... that's debateable..."

"Oh..." He paused, probably thinking about how he saw himself, "Well I happen to HATE being human-- so WEAK, so PITIFUL." As far as what his standards of an ideal human body was, I wasn't surprised that he would call humans weak. "Sure I was pretty nimble and stealthy, but compared to the benefits that being a griffin brings..." He thought about it for a second before answering, "Well, let's just say I only use my other body for shock-and-awe stuff like what I did back there. I reason it'd probably be better at stealth stuff too, but I haven't had the chance to try." He opened the door to my room, already set and labeled with my name.

"Oh and Dubstep. You've got ears like a diamond dog, avoid nightclubs unless you feel like spilling your guts on the floor like with Octavia." I didn't think her playing was THAT bad...

"Noted..."

"Well, I hope you can do... whatever it is you're planning to do. I've got some interviews to do, and I hope I can get through them before nightfall. See you at dinner."

"See you, and hey..." He looked back before closing the door. "Maybe I can teach you how to not get hurt as much... The only good thing that comes out of scars are to remind you how to avoid them next time."

"I'd like that. After all, It's going to be a fairly long trip, might as well learn a thing or two." He closed the door, leaving me at peace for a while. I looked outside to see the afternoon sun traveling along the horizon. I plopped down onto the bed, having burned out most of my fuel tollerating those aristocratic ponies, escaping from Canterlot, and being attacked by one of Griffin's crew members.

I wondered what other heroes were told about in Eol's storybooks. I looked around the room, a single gem lamp lighting the room, and a very onld newspaper article on top of the nightstand. I flipped it open, bringing over the gem lamp to light up the page.

'Hydras and Changeling Repelled, the Battle of Wethoof Ends'...

Eolus and Elsweyr [23x]

=Eol=

'Oh Gods, I'm gonna hurl!' I grab the bucket next to my bed, throwing up what seems to be half of whatever was left in my stomach. I slowly get up from my bed to find a cup of warm tea, still steaming hot even after what seems like...

'How long has it been?' I look around, my vision finally stabilizing after desyncing ever since we launched off. I looked around to see if I could find Ellie. She wasn't there.

I lifted my legs over the side of the bed, slouching for a bit before getting back up. At least the ground wasn't shaking anymore. I glanced at the other sick patients in the ward: some sleeping peacefully, some snoring loud enough to wake the dead. I took some cotton balls from a jar and plugged them into my ears. I was amazed by how no one was waking up by the loudest one of all, a black colt who apparently had too much to drink last night or something.

'Heh, I hope none of them are married, it'd be a miracle for their mates to get ANY sleep.' I stood up slowly and stretched, loosening up hours of bedridden immobility. Now I get why cats feel so good in the morning whenever THEY stretch. I always thought it was because they were lazy and slept for hours on end. After meeting Elli, however, I found her not to be the case. She was one of the cats in charge of tending to the sick in any way possible: healing magic, bandages, even surgery. She told me she wants to be just like Geirmund, minus all the crazy bits and the mechanical limbs. I had no idea who Geirmund was though.

I walked over down the rows and got to her office. Technically it was Nadene's, since she was the expert on mixing potions and medicines, but other than that, most of the nurses just used her office as another bedroom. I knocked three times on the door.

"Elli? Elli, are you in there?" I shouted to whoever was inside. The door was locked, almost dead bolted. I heard a clanking of unturned locks before the door opened again to reveal her familiar, cream coated face.

"There you are..." I said with a smile. What she did was unexpected to say the least. She pretty much JUMPED on me and gave me a huge hug, she seemed scared out of her mind. After a few seconds she looked up at me.

"Eol, is it true that Aoi is your... Alpha?" she ask, her voice quivering in fear.

"Well, yeah, since by my clan's practice, I was banished from it the moment I left." She simply wept and went over to a chair.

"Elli, what's wrong?" I went over and sat down next to her, comforting her and stroking her fur. She looked back at me and started to explain.

"That... THING is a demon from the stories told in my former clan. Selma would have sensed it as soon as he walked on deck." She rubbed her eyes free of tears.

"What do you mean by Demon, he's the Lunar legend sent to free us from the dragons, that's why I joined his clan to start with..."

"Lunar... Legend?"

"Yes, According to the prophecy, he's suppose to save Gem Fido from the..."

"Then your prophecy is incomplete..."

"What?" I looked at her in complete confusion, "How could it be incomplete?" The prophecies were straight from the grand elders themselves, from the very beginning of our race, told from the Star Beast themselves, how could they be...

"Because they only tell half of the story, the Bast have held the other side of the ancient prophecy through our race as well, just like the Diamond Dog clans." She sighed heavily, "Listen to me..."

"What is it?"

"Your 'Lunar Legend' carries with him a demon, one that lurks inside his soul. Right now that demon is dormant, so he appears cold, am I right?"

"Well, not really, he seemed to have fun at the Gala... but that was only... never mind..." I waved the thought away, "Go on."

"But you've never seen him angry, at all."

"No, but I know he has been..." I think back to when Aoi told me about his other life, "When I met him, he seemed just like me, except more... I don't know..."

"Empty?"

"Yeah, that's it, like he's missing something." She sighed, pulling a small piece of parchment from her robe.

"I fear that it's already begun."

"What's begun?"

"This," she said, unfurling the piece of parchment before my eyes, "'He will soon gain what he lacks, but lose it once more. When he loses that which he had longed for, his fur will be etched with evil black as the night sky, and tear asunder the tallest mountains: A demon manifested from the ancestors of the dogs.' This is one of the pieces of prophecy my clan members bear. Selma, Tiras, and I each carry a piece, but Selma's piece is lost now, along with her." Her eyes drooped, sad at the memory of her lost friend. She tucked the piece of parchment away in her robe. "I fear for you Eol. Who know what will happen if he loses that which he lacks."

"Don't worry Elli, I won't let that happen, I promise. But Aoi's not like that. I mean, sure he kicked my tail in training a few times, that and the murderous gang, but I know him, he's not a demon in disguise waiting to tear the scat out of Gem Fido." She snickered a bit, but still didn't let go of her worried expression, "Hey, if it's any help, in hand to hand combat, I could pin him down maybe once every 40 times, and I like those odds, so if worse comes to worse, I won't let him touch a single tuft of fur on your head. I promise."

"Really?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a gemstone in my OW!" Dammit, I keep on forgetting not to do the last part. She broke out in a light chuckle, her worried expression gone now. After rubbing my eye a few times, I leaned back in the chair.

"So Elli, we never got to talk much at the Gala, tell me about yourself."

"Well, there isn't much to say, I was part of the Witri Tribe, but I was captured by the Diamond Dogs. Griffin saved me, but I had no one left to go home to... so I stayed on the ship and have been here ever since," she said it so casually, like it was nothing. But I knew from firsthand experience that it was more than that.

"What happened to your family if you don't mind me asking?" I asked, half knowing what the answer was. Her mood changed to sadness, ears drooping from their usual perky self.

"In the mines, we were part of the tunneling crew. It happened so fast: people screaming, rocks falling, then the collapse..." She had lost her parents, same as I did. She didn't really have anyone now...

"Well, if you wanted to... maybe... you could join our clan..." She seemed almost insulted when I offered. "Hey, listen, if you get to know Aoi, he's a big softy at heart." She grinned. "No really, I mean, yeah he's rough with the training, but I think it's more that he wants us prepared in order to defend ourselves. I've seen it. He gave me a choice to leave the clan when I first met him, find my own path."

"Well, why didn't you take it?" I had to think about that. I could have gone off, started a new life somewhere, maybe even a respectable job at the... no... no pony would take me in as a librarian's assistant. When I think about it, even that unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, it was a look I had gotten so many times before. Ponies, griffins, basts, everyone looked at me with distrust, like if they had let me stay for more than a night I would slit their throats in their sleep. It was... sickening. Aoi and Ubi, they're family, they trusted me more than my own clan did, and Aoi...

"He's like a father to me, when I thought I would never even SEE my father again, there's something about Aoi, maybe it's the eyes, that there's some remnant, some... spark of my father in him."

"So then why did he ask if you wanted to leave, if you see him as a father? Does he see you as a son?" I never really thought about it. I follow him without question, yet never felt like he was keeping me caged, or like he was simply using me as a tool. He never really talked down to me like I was inferior, like I was a minion, even though he was of way higher class than me. He saw me as an equal.

"I think to him, I'm not a son, but a brother, even though he's much older than me, and stronger, by far, he doesn't really treat me like a little kid. I think Ubi sees him the same way, even though he's older than Aoi." Bit by bit, she started to relax a bit, but I could tell she was still thinking about the prophecy.

"I understand, you've got your place in the captain's crew. You should be happy now, forget I asked..." I stood up to go back to my bed. She grabbed my paw.

"Wait..." I looked back, "I'll... think about it... I'm not much for heights either..." With that she let go... "So what about you, what clan were you from?"

"A rather large clan, The Boneshire Brothers are what we were to outsiders, but the name the other clans knew us by were the Inura. My full name is Eolus Lazuli Inura. I know, a mouthful isn't it. That's why I go by Eol."

"It's beautiful, poetic even..." she started to blush, "my name's Elsweyr vi Witri."

"Wait, vi Witri, then you're..."

"Royalty among my tribe, but now that it's gone, I guess my name doesn't really matter now does it?"

"I guess not." I sat down again. "So what are your plans? Stay on the ship?"

"Actually, I'm thinking of going back to Canterlot when I save enough bits."

"Canterlot? Weren't we just there?"

"Yes, but I'm talking about moving there, settling down with a home and family, and setting up a pharmacy, and that requires a lot of money."

"So I'm guessing you're staying with the captain in hopes for a 'big haul' if I understand it correctly?" She nods.

"I've been keeping the gems he issued for spell-casting, requisitioning more bit by bit. On estimate, I have about 23000 bits in gems saved up."

"So what now, hold out until you go back to Canterlot?"

"That's the plan at least, I just hope I'm alive by then."

"That's silly..." I hold on to her paw, "Of course you'll be alright." I reassured her, staring into her eyes. They had a golden shimmer to them, unlike the harsh yellow some of the other basts had.

"After all, no diamond dog from ANY clan would want to hurt a sweet thing like you..." She giggled.

"For a diamond dog, you sure know how to flatter a cat..." I felt my face go red, my arms felt like jelly, and my vision desyncing again. It felt like my soul was on fire, like it was dancing, like it could leap from my chest at any moment. It was just like the storybooks I had read described, every single feeling, every single living moment. It was all so fast, yet time seemed to slow down. My heart seemed to ram against my chest, wanting to break free. I felt light headed, almost like I was about to faint.

We sat there, just gazing into each other's eyes, smiling, occasionally a small giggle would escape our muzzles. I looked out the window, seeing the sun set.

'Had it really been that long, I mean, how long have we been sitting here for?' I thought the better question to ask myself was, 'Did I even care?'

"I guess you should be heading down to dinner," I stated shyly, "Wouldn't want you to get caught behind the crowd..."

"Right..." I started to get up and head towards the direction of the mess hall... "I'll bring up some food later, I'm pretty sure you can eat solids now..."

We moved up to the stern of the ship to eat under the moon. I snuck the blanket from my bed up there so we could sit on it. It was just like a picnic, except all we had was the main course of the evening: spaghetti and fishballs. Maria took the time to learn how to form little round ball out of ground fish meat. It was really good, a bit chewier than regular meat though.

We ate in silence, only sparing a few glances back and forth at each other before we turned our gaze back at the moonlight. Without even knowing it, Elli leaned on me, licking her fork clean of the tomato paste. I wrapped my arm around her, twirling a wad of spaghetti around mine. We shared one big plate, since the cook was a stickler for seconds, Elli went around that rule by piling her plate high so that there was enough for both of us.

There were only a few stars out that night, along with some strands of stratus clouds and the moon. I don't know why, but our clan always took the night off each month for a night like this, just lounging about under the beams of the full moon. It was one of the few days of the month me and my dad could spend some time together.

I missed him, he would always save a few precious diamonds just so we could have something special to eat on nights like these, it made living in the mines worthwhile if I could just spend even if it was only a night alone with my dad. And now he's gone. he used to tell me that diamond dogs that have passed on from this world are never really gone, but instead their spirits rise into the sky, to find everlasting rest on Sirius, the dog star, so that they could always watch over the ones they left behind. I wondered which star was Sirius, and if my dad made it there all right.

I lifted the wad of spaghetti to my mouth, slurping up a stray strand. The strand seemed to go on forever, so I kept chewing and chewing. Little did I know Elli had somehow grabbed the same spaghetti strand as I did, and our lips touched as we each held on to the strand of spaghetti. Elli wrapped her arms around me, drawing me closer as we shared a long, subtle kiss. She drew away after what seemed like seconds and hours all at once. I finally lapped up the strand dangling from my mouth. Elli giggled before leisurely slipping another fishball into her sauce covered muzzle. I leaned over and licked off the excess sauce from her whiskers, my heart thudding, pumping blood through my veins like thunder.

I felt like it was just me and Elli, floating on air. Heh, maybe it was because we WERE floating on air. After finishing our dinner, Elli laid down her head on my lap. I gently stroked her fur, soft and silky to the touch. A small chilling breeze sent a slight tingle down my spine. I pulled the blanket over Elli, hoping to keep her warm. She purred, the soft sound calming to my ears, soon, she fell asleep, right on my lap.

It wasn't long before I nodded off as well, two unlikely companions on an airship 1000 miles high under the moon, it was like something straight out of a romance novel, except this time...

... I'm a part of it...

Hidden Scars [24]

I closed the newspaper, finished with the article.

"Apparently Knightmare's not the only one keeping tabs on the others here." I said to myself with a smile, tossing the article on the table. Reaching over to the window, I snuffed out a candle to let in the bright moonlight. I always found the soft moonlight more calming to my senses than candles or lamps; must have something to do with how we react to the color spectrum. My gaze lost amongst the clouds, I wondered how Rainbow Dash was doing.

'Heh, not even a day has passed and I already miss her.' I closed my eyes for a bit, letting thoughts and memories swim through the gray recesses of my consciousness. I thought about the irony of how in a single day, I met a few friends, had the time of my life, and a battle to never forget. A stray memory floated along the banks of my river of memories, like a fish swimming against the current.

=2 years ago=

"How about a dance, for old times sake?" She asked playfully, reaching a hand towards me. She was beautiful. No, beautiful didn't even BEGIN to fully describe her: radiant, ravenous, rebellious. She made my soul DANCE. The others teased me a few times, saying things like 'Damn Hotshot, not a year on C Class and you've already got a Charlie's Angel in your lap.'

But tonight was special, she was going away on a mission to Avingnon: Underground Drug Ring. One last night, a last dance, one long, passionate kiss...

=Present=

That was all over now, I shrugged off the memory, bringing me back into the present, back to the light of the glistening moon, back to my new life. I heard a knock on the door, interrupting my small episode of nostalgia.

"Aren't you going to dinner?" The mare asked as she cracked open the door.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." I wouldn't want to wait in line behind the whole crew just to eat anyway. What I much more wished for was a pencil and paper.

As I stepped out into the hallway, I was almost bowled over by the rush of the crew to get to the mess hall as soon as possible, all while the PA was blaring:

"Alright, Whoever wants to eat, come get it, there won't be seconds," announced in the tsundere tone of Maria, the cook. After the initial rush, the crowd thinned out, allowing me safe passage to the main deck. I breathed out a heavy sigh, seeing my breath in condensing wisps in the chilling night air. The deck was completely cleared out, with only a select few members who had brought their food out here.

It was a beautiful night, a relaxing breeze brushed soft, dew like crystals across the deck like sand, tickling the pads of my feet. The clouds still draped the outside of the ship, hugging onto it tightly as if it was a cloak, protecting it from anything and everything. We were this moving, breathing, living fortress, headed to unknown lands afar. It was like something from a children's story, and I was a part of it.

Except my story was one that would rather be shut away from prying eyes. I walked over to the port side of the ship and grazed my paw over the banister, feeling the fluff of the clouds brush past my claws. I wondered what it would be like to sleep on a cloud, aloof from the world. The moon was still full, by my count three nights straight it's been like this. I'm guessing in a world based soley off the machinations of children, some of the laws of nature do not apply: the moon wanes when it's ready, the stars spring across the sky in a dance of golden aura, and the night is merely a curtain for the day. Here, the imaginations of others ruled this world.

I leaned over the banister overlooking the bow, the head of the ship. I extended my arms, feeling the wind rush past me, flapping the sleeves of my dobuku behind me like a flag. The feeling was amazing, a sense of freedom that I loved. But like all good moments, a random thought shatters your moments of euphoria and snap you back to reality in a grand whiplash. I thought to myself if this was permanent or not, or would I soon have to return to the real world.

I let my arms fall to my side and leaned on the banister, resting my chin in my open paw. Glancing back at it, I remembered it was the same paw that once held a scar as a human.

"I guess I should be thankful that I have a new body, at least I don't have to see my scars anymore..." I let my arm hang over the banister, looking down at the expanse of clouds below. Unpleasant memories try to force their way into my mind; an army beating against a fragile wall.

"DAMMIT!" I slam my fist against the banister, "Why can't I stop thinking about what's already GONE?!" Turning back into my human body made me realize that some things still hung on, things that I would never be able to...

'Escape... you can't escape...' I look around, trying to pinpoint the voice I heard. Nothing but the light sweeping noise that the engine made. I heard a pawstep behind me. Might as well make some light conversation to whoever wanted to disturb me.

"I've been on plenty of airplanes before, but there's just something about an airship..." A whiff of the air yielded a familiar, pungent scent, "I don't know how you'd say it... Captain..." I turn around to meet him, beak covered in small flecks of food that he teasingly wiped off with a hankerchief.

"It does have a sense of serenity about it, doesn't it?" he murmured in response, "I thought I'd find you up here..."

"At the very least, I'm not cramped down there with the crew..." I folded my arms and leaned back on the banister. "Finish your meal?"

"Yes, although you seemed to have missed yours."

"I wasn't hungry anyway, that and I almost got trampled in the stampede headed for the soup line." Griffin laughed at my remark.

"Heh, they are a rather enthusiastic bunch when food's on the line."

"Who isn't?" I asked jokingly. The captain walked up and leaned against the banister, the tall mounts of Gem Fido in sight.

"You know, Aoi, this could be more than just, 'Hitching a Ride'. I mean, we've got the same goals, and could use another skilled hand onboard. Besides, I like you, and I don't say that lightly." He looked at me, hoping that I would take his offer. In all honesty, I never really planned out where I was headed, simply a vague direction on a hunch. But to me, that hunch was a strong enough pull to convince me to go there.

"I'll keep that in mind, but I do have a clan to get back to." As soon as I could, I would go head back to the Dominion to check on Eol's former clan to see how there were fairing, "Maybe we'll cross paths again, I'll help you if you need it."

"Fair enough. I figured you for a 'lone wolf' character, if you'll pardon the pun; you'd rather be leading your own pack than joining another." That had something to do with it, but mostly it was farther from the truth.

"That's only part of it. You see, I learned two valuable lessons about working with a team. One, you need to have ABSOLUTE TRUST in them, the second..." One I had to learn the hard way, "... never let them out of your sight..."

"The paranoid are only fools till it pays off, eh?"

"Paranoia has nothing to do with it..." He looks at me with disbelief.

"Of course it does. Look at me. I would have never gotten this far if I hadn't planned for every single situation, and contingency plans as well. Soon as I let my guard down, soon as I stopped worrying? Trixie got shot in the chest. She could have DIED, and it would have been entirely my fault. That's the thing isn't it? In this profession, we CANNOT afford to make mistakes."

"You just don't get it do you," I started to raise my voice at him, "I paid the price for thinking that I had covered everything, every single loophole, thinking we could pull it off without a hitch... The cost was my entire team dead and me in a hospital for over a month..." I slouched, dropping back onto the banister again.

"That's where you're wrong Aoi." He sighed, "After all, we're human, like you said before. Sooner or later, we ALL make mistakes." He looked away, I knew he was holding back something, "And when we do, it hurts. So long as we know we did everything we can, that there's nothing more we could have done, and we did our best, does it really matter?"

The million dollar question, one I heard once before.

"I guess not..." I felt my built slowly fade a bit. "Only move on, knowing not to make the same mistake again..."

"Right-O, Aoi-O. But still, somethings just come suddenly. Take me for example, I was trying to find meaning in my life, so I decided to save that of another. It came back to bite me, and I always hated that fact but...... how was I to know? If I hadn't done what I did, would things have been any different? If so, how would they have changed? I'll never know, and it's pointless to think about it. Every decision we make all lead to where we are now, and thinking back, do you have any regrets?" I thought over his question carefully.

"Only one..." Only one thought came to my mind then.

"And that is?" he asks anxiously. I glance over at him

"... I say that I was helpless... I say that I could have done nothing...." I stand, slowly, unknowingly giving a wide grin. "But I could have tried... at least TRIED to take that bastards knife and drive it straight through his HEART!" I felt my vision go red, remembering the one chance I had that I wouldn't get for 20 years, and I let it slip through my fingers, all because I was afraid... "...But that wouldn't have helped.... It wouldn't have brought my parents back..." I rubbed the blood from my eyes, looking away, "Who knows... I probably wouldn't even be here..."

"Damn straight, and in all odds, you would have died right then and there. But, you had patience, and prepared yourself. Either way, you got your vengeance, this one only took a little longer." His words had a point, but I couldn't leave it at that.

I thought to myself why I didn't do it then, kill or die, at the very least, I wouldn't have had to live through a nightmare, going to sleep only to wake up and find it doesn't change, ever. Now I'm here, now I live. But why?

'Ikiru...' My heart nearly stopped when I heard my mother's voice... 'Ikiru... Aoi... (Live.... Aoi...)'

I felt my legs give out, I stumbled and clutched the banister. I lean over it, letting two small tears fall off the bow of the ship. I knew why I had to live then, why I had to hide, and why I took the path I chose. I wanted to grant her that one last dying request.

I regained my balance, pausing for a long while to regain my thoughts. I had finally had my only regret finally dispersed to the night winds. It felt as if a rope that held me down was cut loose, like I could take off into the air again. As the flood of memories washed over my, I picked out one that I wanted to bury like my regret. Maybe talking to the captain again would put this skeleton to rest.

"Griffin..." I had to ask the captain, right now, while I had the chance, "What do you plan to do about Ember?" I had to hear it from Griffin, while both were still alive.

"Dodge her as long as I can. I know that look in her eye, she's not about to give up just because I keep ahead of her. She'll chase me to the ends of the world and beyond. When she eventually does catch me, I just hope I'll be able to handle her by then. Certainly can't right now, she beat the stuffing out of Luna, and she's way beyond me."

"Dodging may help temporarily, but you have to know whether or not you are ready to face her. I have an idea of what she's going through, after all, I've been through it myself..."

"I have no idea what to say to that. To her, I'm a monster that killed her father. To us, her father was a monster that was trying to kill us. We see each other as evil, something that needs to die. But then, who's right?"

"Neither of you... If you two actually decide to fight, at least without listening to each other first..." I sigh. I let him speak his words, found him begging for mercy at my feet. But there was another... "Little known fact, I've been on both the giving, and receiving end of a vendetta..."

"I'd be willing to listen, but something tells me she won't be so talkative." He sighed, but then perked up as if he had an idea, "Unless..."

"Unless..."

"I find her first. I take the initiative. I track HER down. It should at least throw her off guard long enough for me to get a word in." He was giving me the answer I was looking for, but now he needed to make sure his answer was the right one.

"But what to say..... I don't think she would be in the mood for 20 questions Griffin..."

"I wouldn't need twenty, just one." I grinned as I heard the words I was looking for, "'Why do you want me dead?' I know the answer, but if I can make her explain it fully, I can find holes in her reasoning. There's still no guarantee, and I'll probably wind up dead, but then that would happen anyway, wouldn't it?"

"Well, that depends, do you want her dead? And be completely honest... it's important." His life was riding on it.

"Honestly? No. To me, she seems like a kid who's pissed off that her dad died. I mean, barring me, since I happen to hate mine, who wouldn't be? So of course she'll try to get revenge. I'm not upset with her at all about that. If she tries to kill me, yeah, I'll have to fight back and try to do the same, but I don't want her dead. She's just another person who the game of life said 'fuck you' to and gave a bad hand."

His answer made me feel at peace again. One more strand to cut loose.

"Now, you have nothing to fear." I clapped slowly, "Congradulations, we've just passed step one in dealing with the loose ends in our past." He rolled his eyes at me and continued to look out across the panorama.

"In all seriousness, the worst case scenario, I die, go to Tartarus, and have a few 'words' with the fates. Most of them being 'I can swing my sword-sword'." He swings around an imaginary blade for emphasis, "Best case scenario, I gain a valuable ally to my cause, but I can't hope for too much...."

"Wouldn't hurt to have a dragon onboard." I say with a shrug, my mood on a lighter note now.

"But of course!" He states in a faux French accent before continuing, "After all, they're just part of life as well. They do what they do because they don't want to starve. That's it isn't it? Everyone only looking out for themselves. The dragons don't want to starve, the diamond dogs don't want to starve or be eaten, and the griffins and ponies don't want to be enslaved or eaten. We're all just looking out for ourselves, and that's what let the rest of the world get into this situation. From what I can tell, even as an adolescent, she's far more powerful than most grown dragons. If I can get her, they could be made to listen to reason, and that makes this a whole new ball game. But that all hinges on her being willing to listen, because she DOES want me dead, and she may just see me talking as an attempt to snake out of it."

"Think of it this way, If she was willing to apologize, then something tells me she has a voice of reason."

"Well, she didn't seem too reasonable with Luna," he rebutted. He had a point, which brought to my mind what exactly was going on with her and Luna...

"Infernus." Griffin said as he pulled out a gem. Black flames burst from his hand for a few seconds before quickly dying out as he shouted, "Extinguo!" He looked at me with an out-of-breath expression. "The fires of Tartarus. They burn using magic itself as fuel. "

He put up the gem before continuing, "As a dragon, magic is her lifeblood. It's lethal for any with magic in their veins, so, basically, anyone in this world, but it'll be far more intense on dragons, unicorns, or alicorns due to their massive reserve. I'm restricting it's use to anything princess level or higher. I haven't tested it as a human yet, but I don't really want to. The problem is, it takes a SHITLOAD of magic to use, and maintain, and it spreads faster than wildfire, so it would most likely kill me while I'm at it. After that tiny flame, I'm wiped. And, I gotta actually hit something to pass it, and if I miss with it or run out of time....... well, game over."

"As long as you don't pay too heavy a price for power..." I glance at my paw, flexing it once before dropping it back onto the banister.

"Well, you might as well settle in. We're headed to Masonry, and it's not a long trip, but it would suck to spend it all out on the deck." He stretched and stood back up.

"I might have to... I just can't shake the feeling that something's... out there... that something's calling me..."

"And you expect for it to just float on deck if you wait for it..." He yawned then started to head down to the galley. "I'm gonna get some rest. I put off the interviews today so I could let them settle in and we could all sleep, since I'm still recovering from the gala debacle and they traveled a long way just to get on board. I don't think the shock of seeing us for what we really are has worn off yet either."

"Of course... by the way... Do you happen to have a pen and paper?" I asked the bed-longing captain.

"Not on me. You'll find a room down in the hold with your name on it, and a desk, fully stocked with crap like that."

"Thanks..." He left without another word. The deck soon cleared out of everyone except for me. I looked up towards the constalations.

"Find the Stars of Lupus... Hmm..." I turned and headed back to my quarters... I had a letter to write...

Letters Sent Across the Sky [25]

I open the door to my room, immediately going towards the desk on the right hand wall. Inside I find exactly what I need, quills, parchment, and even wax seals. I pull out a long sheet of lined parchment and a quill, quickly filling up a small ink well with black, viscous ink. I dip the quill in the ink, but find the consistency of the writing ill satisfactory to my tastes. Looking through my pack, I take a few feathers, twist them together and tie them onto a stick found inside the left hand drawer--how it got there, I will never know. With my makeshift caligraphy brush in hand, I start to write quickly in narrow streaks of black ink.

To Rainbow Dash,

I never got to thank you, nor say goodbye. For that I apologize, as well as to say, "Thanks." Back at the Gala...

I paused, the intent was there, but the words failed to come to mind. I was never eloquent in words or expression, the only art I ever took in highschool was oration, but other than that, nothing. I was absolutely horrible at poetry, having choppy haikus with too many or too little katas. I dropped the brush, dragging my paws down my face, my heart raced, but my hand slow.

'Why did I want to write a letter in the first place?' The thought came to mind. I found myself at a loss for words. 'And to Rainbow Dash no less. But why? If anything, I should be writing a letter to the princess stating how she never understood...'

The Motivation to write came again. I picked up the brush and began to write, forgetting why I was writing in the first place. Quite frankly, I didn't give a damn...

... you gave me the best time of my life, one I thought I would never have. When we danced, It reminded me of when I once...

I stopped again, my hand quivering, fearing of writing the letters that would reveal a piece of my past that kept me up, often at night...

'Should I tell her?' My heart was aflutter, my brush shaking over the paper, "It wouldn't matter now..." I stopped and placed the brush on the table, giving a forlorn sigh.

"I just wish I knew what to say..." Is it so difficult, to put to paper how you feel? This was the first time I asked myself this. I could neither deny it, nor beat around the bush. I crumpled up the piece of parchment, throwing it in the wastebin.

The knock on my door startled me. I opened the door to a young colt.

"Uh, ahem, do you happen to have some... paper?" I grabbed a spare bit of parchment and gave it to him. He shut the door, giving a quick thanks as the hoofbeats faded away.

"No problem..." I wobbled over to the desk again, plopping myself into the chair. I lit a candle to light up the desk, the warm colors offsetting the moonlight to my left. I started my letter again, picking up at the last line.

When we danced... It reminded me of when I was human, you gave me a feeling that I haven't felt for years. That night, you weren't the only one who felt... 'special'. I felt it too. It was the closest thing I felt to actually flying. To be honest, I thought it was even better than flying. Did you feel it too? I could have sworn it right there, it was like floating through the clouds, just you and me, in that ballroom. It didn't even feel like anyone was watching us, like in that pure, exhilirating dance, the world was ours to do as we please.

I stopped to wet the brush with ink again, the words now flowing like silver strands of silk.

I realized that night and the day after that it wasn't just some one night of debauchery where we were to never see each other again, and I never admitted it until now. Now that I could finally find the words to tell you. If I were still there, and If we would have the time alone, I would have said it on the spot. Tonight I write to you, the words that I thought that I would never say to anyone else.

I stopped again... I couldn't bring myself to write the words, somewhat unsure as well as a bit embarassed of them...

'You, who've slain thousands of others and destroyed streets of gangs cannot bring yourself to write 4 simple katas...' I thought to myself. I felt pathetic, like I didn't deserve to even see her, much less be allowed to write a letter to her. The words were there, I wanted to write them, but somehow I felt like I couldn't.

'It's too soon, I'm moving too fast.' I never thought I'd hear those words ring in my head. I had almost no idea how relationships worked, much less even to at the very least write what should be a simple letter, and yet somehow, instinct was holding me back on writing what I knew I should say... my paw reached over the page, writing down what came to mind.

I miss you...

Until we meet again,
-Aoi

P.S. I can see why you like flying so much, being up a thousand miles high in the air, looking down at the world, and knowing that you can go anywhere whenever you feel like it... Maybe I might just learn how to fly...

I wanted to write so much more, what I really felt... but it would have to do for now... at least until I was ready... by then, I could say it to her... face to face...

With that I held it in my hands and started to walk over to the captain's quarters. I had seen him send letters before, muttering something in Latin. I creaked open the door, walking silently about the hardwood floor to where the captain and his mate were laying there, fast asleep. I tapped Griffin, responding with a groan.

"Mrrr-Gilda, I think I've had enough rounds for tonight..." He pulled the covers tightly around himself. I tapped him again, whispering:

"How do you send letters?" He fumbled with the nightstand, scratching it with his claws before finding the nob, pulling it outward, then reaching around to get a gem, handing it to me half asleep.

"You know the magic words, figure it out..." I closed the door behind me, trying to remember what he said. After scrolling through the recesses of my mind, I remembered the words the captain said at breakfast before sending off the letter to Celestia.

"Submitto ad Rainbow Dash." A wisp of blue flame burned up the scroll and a mysterious wind blew the ashes away, hopefully to its correct destination.

I sighed, leaning against the walls of the cabin, sinking down to ground level under a dimly lit lamp. I chuckle a bit to myself as a thought plays into my head like the chords of a piano.

'She reminds me so much of Elena..." I fold my arms over my knees, lost in my star-crossed memories...

Loved Nevermore [25x]

Elena. Now that's a name I won't forget anytime soon. Simply calling her beautiful would be a grave understatement. She was magnificent: fiery ginger hair, an amazing figure, and the captivating way that she swayed her hips as she walked; but what caught my eye was her personality.

She was a deadly sniper, with the patience to support her profession. However, many of the the cadets thought of this and tried to use it to their advantage, and ended up facedown on the mat of the training room in rather, questionable contortions. After a few missions with her, I realized that she was as cold and vicious as the bullets she wielded in the field of battle. But when not doing her job, she had a more, carefree lifestyle.

As for me, I was busy in C Class going through the mundane missions, not really paying attention to the other agents. But I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little bit excited when Elena asked me one day to accompany her on a hit mission the higher ups had called: the target was a sleazy ambassador with a less than pristine track record. I looked over the mission file.

"But couldn't you handle this on your own?" I looked at her when I finished reading. The guy rarely had any guards on him. There wouldn't be a need for a contingency plan.

"Sugar, if I wanted to do this alone, I would have." She smirked, sliding off the table she was sitting on, "So what'll it be? Ready for a trip to the city of Paris?" She said it like it was a vacation. I shook my head and tossed the file on a nearby desk.

"Wouldn't it be better if you took the other A Class agents, they're more qualified than me." I was playing coy of course, because I had a hard time believing that she would just ask me of all people. I was nothing special compared to the other C Class agents.

"Let's just say that the other A Classes... well..." She paused for a long while, "Okay, there's no real nice way to say it, but they've got their head up their asses." I snickered a bit and sat down in a folding chair.

"Alright, I'll go, let me get my bags packed and we'll head down to the flight deck. I need to stretch my legs a bit anyway, C Sector's getting a little too crowded..." I cracked a smile before heading down to the armory, loading up a suitcase of my custom built pistol, a G36C, and a Baretta .50 cal, as well as an Armani suit.

"Well ain't you the textbook definition of classy. Are you sure you're not compensating for something?" she said with a playful smile. I shake my head with a smile and head onto the private jet. Throughout the entire flight, we only made light conversation, I got to know a bit about her life.

She was orphaned at 13, parents had died in a car crash just off of I-90, spending her life bouncing from foster family to foster family. She joined the Agency at around 25, working her way up ever since. Standard procedure, all ties cut with any immediate family and personal records kept under lock and key, like our history was so dangerous. To the extent of my knowledge, I never had a file, or a record--My documents were somehow 'lost' when they found me-- like I had never existed.

"So who did you live with?" I asked, wondering how foster parents raised children in the States.

"Well, like I said, I bounced from family to family. But I remember this one couple, in Alabama, they were so nice to me, reminded me of my parents, except they had so many other children to take care of aswell, so it wasn't long before I had to transfer to another state, another family. Never stayed more than a year with a single family." I sighed when she finished, but was caught off guard when she turned her attention to me, "So what about you? I don't see a handsome fellow like you everyday."

In my mind, I envied her.

"I'm nobody special..." I balled up my fists in embarassment. She looked at me with a disbelieving grimace.

"Don't be silly darling, I read over your file." I perked up when she mentioned that I actually had one. "Don't worry, anything concerning you, the officials already cleared for me to tell you." She waved a hand, letting me relax a bit, then leaned back in her chair. "So, guy like you becomes heir to a living national treasure, good with a pistol, and trained in 3 styles of martial arts. Not bad, sug." She stated. She had a light country accent, probably picked it up from her living in the south.

"So be honest, starting with why you keep your hair so long. I mean look at you, I can't even see your eyes." I winced as she brushed back my bangs, revealing my dark crimson irises underneath. "Oh wow... I've never seen..." She paused. I half expected her to be afraid, but what she said really surprised me, "...such beautiful eyes before."

"Beautiful... heh... you must be mistake." I looked away, brushing my bangs back down, "All I've heard half my life was how evil I looked behind them..."

"Aww, now don't be like that..." She pouted "They're like little rubies."

"Tell that to the priests back in Kantou Prefecture, they've looked on them as bad omens." I slouched in my chair, leaning back against the headrest, "Sometimes when I think about how my life's been so far, I wouldn't blame them if it really was a bad omen."

"Come on now, you don't really think that, do you?" She asked, crossing her arms. "If it helps, I'm not really a ginger." I wasn't surprised, people dye their hair all the time, "My hair's actually white. I got picked on sometimes, called granny once or twice. Had to slug them, of course, but it never got me down or kept me from making friends, at least until I moved again."

"Do you still keep in contact with them?"

"Not since I joined the agency..." I decided to drop the conversation at that, staying quiet the rest of the night, looking out the window. I wondered what it would be like to actually be outside the plane, amonst the clouds...

The first night, we decided to actually enter the jazz club, plot the layouts, exit routes, etc. We acted casual, almost like regulars. I let Elena do all the talking since I had never taken the time to learn French. I was impressed, for someone with a country accent, she spoke as fluently as a native. I had to admire her for her adaptability. She passed by me, handing me a drink while whispering in my ear.

"Sleezebag at 2:00, apparently he likes to have a little more than a dance, if you know what I mean." I looked to my right to find the target, openly kissing a waitress with no one on the dance floor seeming to notice. I suddenly felt a tug on my sleeve. Turning, I find it to be Elena, suddenly drawing me close to her.

"Don't look at him too much, you'll draw his attention. I'll keep an eye on him for now." Her harsh expression turned into a shy one just as quickly, "So, how about a dance? It is a jazz club after all, and look, they're even playing my favorite number..."

"Huh, I didn't expect a person like you to have a taste for jazz..." I remarked.

"What, just because I'm a country girl?"

"Yes." I replied bluntly, she snickered a bit.

"Well, I guess I can't call you for a sweet-talker then, now can I?" I shrug lightly and take her hand in mine.

"I was never one to lie..." I said, placing my other hand in the small of her back, "Shall we dance?"

The next night was the last night we'd be staying in Paris, after all, once the shot's out, we have to get our asses out of the country before the borders are locked down. We stationed ourselves on the building across the street, overlooking the top floor of the club. The plan was simple, if Elena missed the shot, I was to take it within a tenth of a second time difference. I pulled open the stand for the rifle, positioned right next to Elena.

"From what I can tell, Mr. Casanova likes to hit it up with one of the waitresses upstairs," Elena explained, "right about... now."

The ambassador came in, amorously hugging the waitress from the night before. I looked through my scope, amplifying the view.

"Elena, we don't want to blow his brains out right in front of her." I felt her going for the trigger, "Wait until she goes to change."

"How did you-"

"Don't think about it, just concentrate on taking the shot." I kept my finger primed above the trigger. The rifle was rather bulky, but at best, it was semi-automatic. We waited 2 minuted before the waitress went to the bathroom. As soon as the knob turned, Elena fired.

The round burst through the window, hitting the ambassador straight through the temple, completely flossing through it with not so much as a spray of blood. The dead ambassador didn't even have time to start falling. I underestimated her skill until now, but now I knew that she was a master of her trade. She immediately got up and looked at me.

"Like I said, If I wanted to go alone, I would have," she stated with a smile. I got up and packed my rifle, starting after her. We jumped across the rooftops back to our hotel, grabbed as much of our belongings as we could, then took an immediate taxi to the private port. The pilot had been there for the full 48 hours, same plane and everything. In the distance, we heard the engines blare, but by that time it was already too late.

We made our great escape.

After many more missions with Elena, I started to grow accustomed to her company. We held an 'office party' to celebrate my promotion to B Class and had a few drinks, Elena out-drinking the all time beer-chugging veteran: Larry, A Class Combat specialist. I kept to as few drinks as possible, with Elena teasing me about how I was a lightweight, but it didn't matter, I was used to it.

More than used to it... I gew fond of her company, and later in the year, we started dating: a few dinners, an opera performance--which we both agreed to never do again-- as well as purchasing some vintage albums of Elena's favorite artists. After one date, however, things ended differently.

"I had a great time, Aoi, thanks again."

"It was my pleasure, Elena." I started to turn around to leave, but she grabbed onto my sleeve, a habit of hers that she did to other people she didn't want to leave just yet. I turned around and was caught by surprise with a full kiss on the mouth, her lip gloss slicking across my mouth. After a few prolonged seconds, she pulled away from me, somewhat embarassed by her advanced. I rubbed my lips, still wondering what exactly happened, then licked my top lip.

"Heh... taste like cherries..." I said with a warm smile. She looked back at me, her embarassment giving way to joy. Under the dim light of the waning moon, we kissed again.

It was the first time, and the last time I had ever kissed a woman. She was called on an assignment to Brazil, one she came back from bandaged from head to toe, barely alive. I stayed at her bedside in the medical wing as she slowly but indefinitely faded from this world. I clasped her hand so tightly, refusing to let go even when the doctors threatened to kick me out, one glare was all it took for them to turn a blind eye. She turned her head towards me, barely able to breathe.

"Aoi..." she wheezed. I looked up, glad that she could finally speak. But also saddened that she may be speaking her last, "I know it, and you know it too... I'm going to die, aren't I..."

I trembled at her question, knowing that it may well be true. I thought to myself if I could stand to tell her...

"Yes..." I wasn't one to grasp at false hope and fantasies... "Yes... you are..." She gave me a cherished smile, a tear tricking down her bandaged face.

"Honest to the end... I loved that about you, Aoi..." Her expression turned to one of regret, "I just wish I could have spent more time with you..." She started to gasp for air, grabbing my arm, "Promise me this, Aoi..." Her voice turned raspy, "Promise me... that you'll make... a new friend..."

"I... I promise..." I vowed, my voice choking with despair.

"Such... beautiful eyes..." She said as she struggled to reach up and wipe away a blob of red from my face, "Don't cry... sug..." My tears stained her bedsheet red, dripping from my face as she let out one last release of sustaining breath. I heard the EKG flatline in a loud whine, my face buried in the blanket that covered her...

I hated the world for taking her away...

Warlord [26]

I didn't get any sleep last night, planning on my next approach. I had no idea where to start or where to go. I felt delusional thinking that my only sense of direction came from a voice in my head to find the Stars of Lupus. I thought to myself whether or not I should just help Griffin at Masonry. I leaned back in my chair, the sun slowly creeping over the horizon from the east. I decided to go over some of the navigational charts held on the ship, but when I finally looked them over, all I saw were too many targets, and I didn't know which ones were in need or were better off left alone.

I scanned over the warrens wistfully, hoping that somehow it would help in getting my sense of direction back on track. What I needed was a plan of action, but so far, I had no starting point, no heading, and no idea what to do once I got it. Maybe I should have gone to sleep. But it was too late for that as the golden dawn heralded a new day in Gem Fido. I sighed and decided to head to the mess hall early. I had to compensate lack of sleep with something, else I wouldn't have any energy to lift a sword, much less fight.

As expected, most of the crew members were still hunkered down in their beds, cots, and hammocks, snoozing through the monotonous humming of the engine, as well as Eol and Ubi, who had to share a bunk bed in one of the guest rooms. I guess the nurses in the sick bay gave the all clear.

The mess hall, devoid of stirring crew members, had a rather homely atmosphere, warm wooden furnishings, cushioned seats, even a vase or two scattered amongst the tables. I took an empty seat, deciding to pass the time by working on a long overdue creation. I pulled out a fist sized diamond and started whittling at it with Kokuryu, down to a clean, lethal point, I bore a hole at the base of the diamond, threading the wire through the hole along with an iron ball to adjust the weight.

The wire itself was around 60 feet long, the iron ball close to a 100 grams. I tested the edge of the diamond by twirling the wire around my finger and letting go in springing release, causing the diamond to fly forward, embedding it into the opposite wall. With a quick tug I brought my fully functional rope dart back into my hands. After giving the bow to Ubi, I thought I would settle for a mid-ranged weapon, a rope dart was the only thing that came to mind given the materials I had.

Hearing footsteps I stowed away the rope dart, looking back towards who else but the captain. Gilda addresses me.

"Well, Well, someone's up early for having such a late night..." she notes with a rather leisurely smile.

"I'm no stranger to insomnia." She giggles before sitting down.

"I figured I would get used to it with this goof," she remarks, nudging Griffin, "Except half the time he sleeps like a rock. Do all humans have such a screwed up way of sleeping?"

I lean my arm on the table, "Only when they're actually trying..." I reach for the glass of water next to me, taking a small sip.

"Fair enough," She brings over a nearby pillow and sits down on it at the table. After getting a second look at Gilda, I notice that she had a fresh sheen to her feathers, it dawns on me what Griffin and Gilda did last night...

"Well, today’s the day. Gotta get through chatting with all the newbies, then I figure you and I can do some training so I learn how to use my sword properly, letting them watch of course, then I teach them some fundamental magic."

"You might want to tell them to stand back..." I warn, "I'm not only teaching 'sword tricks'."

"Of course, same here. Wouldn't want any of the non-combatants getting hurt."

Just then, I hear Maria roll in the food-cart, laden with plates of steaming hot food.

"Well, you're all up early..." She says before pulling down a microphone, "Get your lazy asses up hear, it's time for breakfast!" She turns back to us and places a plate of food in front of each of us, "Enjoy your meal."

Laid out before us was a simple home-cooked meal of roasted sweet potatoes and some smoked salmon.

"Smells delicious." He grabbed the fork and was about to lunge for it, before looking at me and bowed his head in silence before eating. I gave a slight smile, 'I guess he has learned something.'

I couldn't enjoy my meal though, my mind distracted on where I was planning on going next. After finishing, I head up to the deck, finding Ubi and Eol already prepared.

"Are you feeling okay, Eol?"

"Peachy," he said holding an okay sign with his paw.

"Good, cause you'll need to be on full alert for this training session." I brought over a few wooden weapons, as well as some rocks. I would get to the rocks later. "First off, let's work on your individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to turn those weaknesses into a strength." I grab a wooden staff, "For example, Eol, you lack in using weaponry but excel in hand to hand combat, and Ubi, you react very quickly as well as have an eye for marksman ship, yet you lack in lower body power, hence why you seldom kick in hand to hand combat."

"And what about you?" Ubi asked me, "you've told us our weaknesses, what about you?"

"That's what I'll be teaching you. On point analyzation, by the end of a two on one sparring match, you are each to find one flaw in my fighting style, and like always, I won't go easy on either of you." I take a staggered stance, holding up a defensive stance.

"Ready?" They nod.

Combat option: Non lethal intent, use minimal force. Do not attack vital areas or fracture skeletal structure of attackers.

They dash forward in unison, Eol swerving to the left, Ubi crossing over to the right. 'Flanking maneuver, keep vision centered.' Eol attacks first, going for a sweep at my legs. I jump and counter with a crescent kick to his shoulder, bringing him to the ground. Ubi strikes at the advantage, going for me with a mid-air punch. I bring up my right knee to block, stopping him in his tracks, then grab his arm and give a rough twist, flipping him over on his back. I bring back my legs behind my back, dropping onto his abdomen in a knee drop. He gasps, air rushing out from his lungs. I flip over and reform my defensive stance.

"I'm going to pause right here, give you a moment to get back on your feet." I brush off my clothes, "Meanwhile think of what just happened." I sit down on the deck, cross legged, while both of them are still lying on the ground.

"If you're both going to lie there, then I have time to explain. From what I can tell, I don't think many diamond dogs are trained rather well in advanced combat, simply whatever gets the job done. Other than raids, there's not much room for actual combat experience. To get your honest opinion, how easy was it to take down the Black Brothers?" I cock my head to the side, straining my ears for an answer. Eol groans.

"Now that I think about it, they did seem a bit..."

"Disorganized, distraught, and caught completely off-guard. We dealt with about 20 ponies that didn't know anything more than petty assassinations against defenseless ponies." I took a deep breath before continuing, "Child's play to two who've had a modicum of combat experience. Now that you seem to be able to talk and listen coherently, do you know what exactly happened, if so, were either of you able to pinpoint the flaws in my style?"

"It seems airtight to me," Eol answers, rubbing his sore shoulder.

"Oh? And why do you suspect that?"

"Well, because you cut through both of our attacks like nothing."

"You're only half right. Since you got this far, I'll spill." I go over and help Ubi up, "From what I've seen from both of you, Ubi has learned somewhat of my style, even though he might call it something else. Isn't that right?"

"I don't know what to call it, how we fight is just instinct." Ubi strained to stand, nursing his injured abdomen, "Wait, how is how I fight similar to how you fight?"

"I never said it was how I fight, I just said it was my style of fighting, well, one of them at least." They both drop their jaws to the ground.

"I take it you're even more confused?" They nod, I sigh, "Apparently, since this world derives somewhat from our world, it isn't uncommon for some fighting styles like karate to have been derived as well, no matter how diluted in simplicity they become. I noticed that different clans, when you get down to hand to hand combat, have different traditions of fighting, depending mainly on the need of the style as well as body structure of its practitioners." I was starting to lose them, "Simply put, neither of you noticed anything when you attacked?" To my disappointment, both shook their heads.

I rubbed my temples, "First and foremost, the style I used is a slight derivation of the Wushu northern style. I derived its moves for more defensive hand to hand combat, centering it around what you will remember as 'zoning'. Are you with me thus far?" They nod, starting to grasp the concept. "Zoning consists of egging or tricking the opponent of getting into striking distance, combined with a style based on deceptive, fast attacks, it's a highly effective defense tactic. However, each style has flaws. Take a few more moments to think about what I said, and what you've just experienced first hand." After a few minutes of thinking, Eol answers.

"If it's centered around defense, then there can't be much offense." I clap slowly.

"Excellent, you've just learned how to analyze a style by getting hit by it first hand. But on the real field of battle, enemies won't wait for you to figure out their weaknesses or strengths, you have to learn to take them apart, find their weak points, and utilize your new knowledge immediately. Remember, knowledge of the enemy is useless when you're dead." They nod, hanging on to every word I say.

"I'm assigning each of you 2 hours in the training room, you can spar with each other after the lesson is over, remember what I told each of you about your weaknesses and work on them, and most of all, learn from each other. Let's move on to the next lesson. " I pace towards the pile of rocks.

"In battle, you will have to take notice of every single detail in a split second." I notice Griffin coming down onto the deck. "And react accordingly."

"Hey Aoi, there you are." I shot him a glare. He zipped his beak and allowed me to continue.

"As always, things work best with a demonstration and hands on experience." I take my sword out from my obi and place it against the wall near the wooden weapons, "No personal weapons, please." Eol and Ubi follow my directions without further ado.

"You too, Griffin..."

"Aye." He strips off his weapons and his dragon-scale armor, placing them with all the other weapons. I grab a handful of rocks and pass around a pebble to each of them.

"Stand in any formation you'd like around me. Now how this going to work is that you three are going to try and take your best shot at me. But nobody throws until my stone hits the ground, is that clear?" Everyone nodded, a sizable crowd hounding the triangle. I hold the small pebble high into the air, waiting for a bit before dropping it.

*CLAK*

Ubi is the first to throw, the stone racing for my forehead, I swipe down with my open palm, catching it with the very tips of my claws. immediately I turn, swinging my arm just in time to knock Eol's shoulder. I pivot on the ball of my rear paw and throw the stone at Griffin, his stone colliding with mine and falling to the ground in a clatter. I slowly release the breath I was holding. The Captain looks at me with intrigue.

"Hmm... impressive reflexes... I guess I'm next?" he asks casually. Does he really think it's some kind of game? I shake my head and answer.

"If you'd like..." He walks over and picks up all the pebbles, standing where I was. I back away and grab one of the stones he picks up. The crowd starts to back up, hoping not to get hit by a stray throw from the captain. He starts to look at each of us, as if sizing us up. He grins at me with a conniving expression, further confirming my impression.

'If he honestly think he's gonna win this 'game' like that, he should at least cover his damn poker face.' I thought to myself.

"Everyone ready?" He shouts to everyone. I nod, staring at him blankly. He turns around to face Eol, Looking over his shoulder, by now it's no surprise. He quickly turns and sends his stone straight at me. I toss mine into the air, catching his stone with my now free hand. I feign backwards as if I'd been hit, clasping onto Griffin's stone. When I turn, I slingshot the stone over his head, whizzing by his beak by a mere centimeter. I reach under my other arm to catch my stone. Thrusting it forward, I put the force of my thumb under the stone. Stepping forward, I lunge outward, flicking the stone like a bullet towards the unsuspecting captain's forehead. It connects with a sound smack.

As Keith would have put it, "Head shot..." He pauses for a second.

"Heh, Aoi, ya got me. Even if the others HAD hit me, you were the only one to throw your stone after mine hit the ground. Wasn't counting on you catching that and slinging it back at me as a distraction. Good move." I relax and stand back up.

'Ma~a... (Oh well...)' You can teach a child the importance of gold, but you can't expect them to use it. I look back up and see the captain having a rather noticeable stream of red trickling down his face.

"You better get that patched up, I may have hit you too hard..." I rub the back of my head coyly, "Sorry about that..." he reaches for his injured forehead, pulling away a splotch of blood on his talons.

"Nah, it'll be fine on its own." He waves away the matter.

"Well, if you're sure about that, don't come complaining if you get an infection..." I learned even small wounds could be viable to infections.

"Given all the citrus I eat, I'm not at all surprised I haven't caught so much as a cold since coming here." You're joking me... "Hey, it's good for you and tastes damn good, too. No way in hell I'll let there be a case of scurvy on my ship." Scurvy and colds are one thing, but a staph infection and tetanus are whole different things altogether. Shaking my head, i went over to the stash of wooden weapons, grabbing a long wooden staff and a great sword. I toss the great sword over to him.

"You're familiar with this kind of weapon, am I right?" I think it's about time I taught him he should be taking these things seriously. What better way to do that than to teach him more about offense. He swings around the sword, testing the feel and balance of it.

"It's a bit lighter than what I'm used to, but hey, at least we won't kill each other." I bend down and take Kokuryu in hand, shaving off half of the staff, leaving a curved tip at the end.

"Tell me, Griffin, are you familiar with kendo?"

"Not beyond the basics. mostly I evolved my own style by figuring out what works. You know, best techniques passed on by the survivors? I'm lucky enough to still be alive after something doesn't work to find something that does." In that case, he won't notice the difference. I crouch low, my two digits sliding along the edge of the blade, until the back edge rests on my claws as I bring the handle near my eyes in a flat thrust stance.

"I see..." He's more used to unplanned brawls in the street, "But how well can you 'evolve' your style?" He responds by taking a defensive stance. Immediately, I focused on the openings in his defense. after what seemed like barely a second, i was ready.

"Let's find out, shall we?" I took a small breath, letting my shoulders relax.

"Ikuzo (Here I go!)" I dash forward my back paws tapping across the deck in a patter of unbelievable motion. I go for a low thrust, he takes the bait by sweeping upward with the blade, knocking it upwards. I slacken my grip, bringing it easily over the captain's neck. With a savage jerk, I pull the blade forward, the blade slamming into his exposed neck. He back-flips, flaring his wings to regain his footing and crouches low, ready to attack.

I straighten my stance, holding the blade at my side. At the very last second, He goes for a short thrust. I pull the blade up, the flat of my blade skidding against the tip of Griffins. I pull upwards, sliding my sword across his, slamming it into his open beak.

"HUGRK!" He lurches back from the impact, winded and coughing. I stand over him with a disappointed look.

'You're not thinking...' I tap my two digits to my temple, hoping he gets the hint. He rolls over, swinging his sword in a wide angle, giving him leeway to get back on his feet again.

"Hmm..." He pauses for a second in deep thought before making his move. He rushes towards me, veering his body to the left.

'Will he actually get it right this time?' I think to myself as he thrusts his blade forward in another stab, I bring the edge forward to parry, 'I guess not.' He twists the blade, bringing rune to rune and pushes forward with full force, slamming the hilt into my chin. I lean backwards into a back-flip to solid ground. He rushes me, swinging his sword in a sweeping arc. I jump over it, planning on on getting him with a jump attack. A glance at his hand shows his blade gone.

He brings his fist forward, crashing it square into my jaw. I reel backwards, skidding on the deck, I flip backwards into a crouched position, massaging my jaw with a massive grin.

'NOW he's getting it...' I stand up slowly and start clapping. After a few seconds and a few confused looks, the spectators around us start clapping as well.

"Well done, Captain, you pass, so what exactly have you learned?" He cocks his head, scratching his chin.

"Let's see, smaller weapon, designed for getting past defenses... more like a long dagger. In terms of strike speed, so long as I held that thing, I wouldn't be able to hit you." He walks over and picks up his weapon, "Now then... I wonder..."

"Go on..." He takes a reversed grip on the blade, holding it down over his front side. "How would you deal with this kind of defense?" He says smugly. I think for a few seconds.

'I know that stance before...' Chapter 12, section 3 of Siege: Tactics of Medieval Warfare. I bring my stance low, left paw almost touching the ground, my right hand gripping the wooden sword with a reverse grip. I spring forward, using my claws to gain traction on the ground.

Distraction: I throw the blade forward, the sword clacking on his defense.

Bait: He thrusts his blade forward, I jump into the air, clearing the captain and his thrust.

Trap: I grab his wrist as he finishes the lunge, a twist commands his wrist to drop the weapon.

Subdue: I land behind him twisting his arm towards his backside, rendering him incapable of fighting back.

Finish: I bring down my arm, throwing him clear over my head towards the adjacent wall. I grab my blade from the air just as the captain rebounds off the wall from the impact. I mighty spring of my legs thrusts me forward, slamming into Griffin, blade poised at his neck.

"Ow... FUCK... OK, you got me..." I ease my hold on the captain, letting him catch his breath. I glance at Eol and Ubi, what surprises me is I see Ubi trying to hold back a laugh, "Ah, DAMMIT that hurt. I gotta remember that the next time I use that stance." He starts to waddle over to the mast and leans on it, "Takes me a near decapitation and a mouth full of stick to figure out your weaknesses and you figure mine out in four seconds..." He squints, "You really are an assassin aren't you?" I drop the blade on the ground and head over to the weapons.

"That line of work being my bread and butter for a few years, it should stand as no surprise that I learned how to bypass defenses."

"Well, I know what my problem is, I'm just not built to deal with the quick ones." He shuffles towards his sword, "Then again... that's why I have this..." He touches Hades, whispering something, "Accelero." A wisp of blue encircles him, then vanishes, he picks up his sword.

"Besttwooutofthree? Readysetgo!!!" He lunges at me. Adrenaline floods my veins as I duck a swing of his right wing.

"Letseeyoustopthreeattacksatonce." I drop down to the ground, grabbing my sword as he passes over me with the pommel of the sword. Instinct takes over, I reach towards the hilt of my sword, drawing it with sounding fury.

'Hoki no Kiba (Uprising Fang)" The quick-drawn slash cleaves through the great sword like butter, the slash barely missing Griffin's beak by a mere millimeter. He drops his right wing down onto my neck in a body slam, knocking the wind out of my lungs. He gets up, panting from a mix of fear and anger.

"WHAT THE HELL, AOI!!! WOODEN SWORD!" He points down towards the cleanly sliced hilt of the wooden great sword. It hit me, he was just going for a rematch. I glanced around, all the ponies somewhat terrified, Gilda glaring at me with near seething rage.

Social Options: Call him out on a his blunt sneak attack, justifying my attack. Possible argument, Gilda might become hostile towards me, but might establish some common ground with the captain.

Apologize and recognize my actions. Unbelievable at best, but would give a reason to almost killing the captain.

I didn't want to scuffle with his mate, I've had enough for the day, "Sorry... instinct." He scoffed in response.

"That attack was THIS close to cutting me in half. Instinct my ass..." He took a deep breath to recollect himself, "I guess the point is that it didn't. Seriously though, I don't know WHAT the HELL is going on in that head of yours, but you've been distracted since we left Canterlot." I glared at him: he couldn't tell distraction from an honest mistake if it manifested right in front of him. "I can tell you've got something on your mind." He was right about that part, but only by half.

"I suggest you get your shit in order." My nose twitched in irritation.

'Learn YOUR place, CAPTAIN. I try to teach you something and you try to show off and attack me in a rematch.' My thoughts screamed at him into a searing expression. He froze, sensing my gaze at him. He turned around, I wondered if he actually read what I was thinking...

"I think we're done for the day. Now go get some rest. Staying up all night isn't good for you..." Him and Gilda start to walk away after gathering Griffin's weapons. He turns around, "Don't even thing of trying to slip out, or I'll get Nadene to come over, and you do NOT want that," he warns me, shaking a finger in my direction.

I shake my head and sigh, "Do you always threaten your guest like this?" He pauses and turns around.

"When they nearly KILL ME?! YES! I know all about the whole insomnia deal, I've been through it. If you don't get some rest I WILL drug you, so I suggest you lay down. I don't care if you sleep, meditate, whatever the hell it is you do. JUST STAY INSIDE!" He disappears down into he galley, leaving me on the deck with the dumbstruck ponies. I wade past the crowd of ponies to head to the barracks. Before I take another step however, Eol and Ubi return to my side.

"Hey, Aoi, don't take it to heart, it's not that you went wrong in teaching, just a simple mistake. For what it's worth, I learned a lot." Eol grinned, his words giving me some amount of comfort.

"... wish he'd get his head out of the clouds..." Ubi reasoned, walking past with his paws tucked away in his tunic.

"Thanks... but right now, I just want to be alone for a bit." I walked down with them to my room and bade them farewell for the evening.

I spent the rest of the evening trying to gain a heading, there were just too many targets, each of varying defenses. I only had a clan of three. I needed a plan, as well as finding a warren that won't attack us on sight, and hopefully show some inkling of diplomacy. I poured over the reference material that Eol had on the various clans, all of which showed either a danger level of 5 or higher in the guidebook for the surrounding area. I was getting nowhere with this fast, slamming the covers shut and tossing the book aside in frustration.

Here I was, the leader of a clan of three diamond dogs, with not so much as an Idea how to lead them. I couldn't just lead them into a hostile warren expecting to come out alive and unharmed, I needed someone who would listen. It was an amazement that other clans have heard of me, but even then those other dogs that came with Ubi were runaways, deserters of their clan. I highly doubt other clans would be willing to simply line up at my side.

My best option seemed to be to wait on the ship with the Captain until we got back to the Dominion, there we could check on Eol's former clan, maybe grab some re-enforcements. No, what am I thinking, I'm starting to sound like a warlord vying to take over Japanese provinces. What I needed to do was convince the other warrens to help solve the problem, not to start an all out feudal war...

It hit me. Gem Fido was just like the situation of Feudal Japan. The Dragons were the shoguns, vying for resources and territory. The Alphas were their right hand, regulating the peasants for supplies. The dogs who followed the Alpha's were the samurais under them, following their beck and call with unwavering loyalty. This brought some new light to the table. I didn't have to convince the Alpha's, just the dragon's in control of them. I gave a loud laugh at my revelation. I sighed in relief, this was a huge game-changer, now all I had to do was take advantage of it.

By now the sun had set, leaving me in the dark, the moon starting to wane after its streak of full moon nights. I decided to settle down for the night, blowing out my candles, leaving only the faint glow of the gem lamp on my nightstand. I closed my eyes, remembering an old family photo I always kept with me. As I yawned, I thought of my mother singing me to sleep.

"Good night mom..."

Rebound [27]

"It seems you found yourself at an impasse, haven't you, Aoi?" I opened my eyes to a familiar region, a fog laden void with a familiar face. "A rather peculiar Diamond dog came to me, rather, his spirit came to me." The form rose out of the fog, immediately recognized. "How have you been, Aoi?" he said with a welcoming voice.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I clasped my throat, wondering what was keeping me form speaking.

"Oh? It seems you've lost your means to speak to me... perhaps I can help." My reaction asks my mute question at hand. "The spirit left me a message to give to you. You'll find an ancient at a place called the Oblong Tomb, one I remember from my early fledgling years. From there you can start your... campaign, if you can really call it that." Blackfire gave a disgusted grimace, "Hade was mere child's play, a nuisance that I'm glad you gave the cold wing to. However, other more regal dragons might not yield to a simple pup.

They're ignorant of their history, turning a blind eye to many millennial ago, thinking that they've become stronger than what has been lost to time. But I know different."

'How so?' I thought, somehow he heard me.

"Hmm... very interesting," he pondered before continuing, "No matter, as I was saying, the other dragons have started to think that now they rule Gem Fido, ignorant to bliss on the return of their long feared enemy: you." I cocked my head, "That's right, I keep forgetting that you are rather ignorant of the blood that flows through you.

As you may or may not know, the wolves had a rather, special trait. Where dragons had unbelievable reserves of magic, and the star beasts their immense strength, another quality was bestowed to wolves and their kin for generations: unmatched speed. You however have not even breached one millionth the speed you could achieve, and that worries me. But my time is short here, and so I cannot spare anymore time to teach you of your lost threads, you must learn how to tap into your ancient blood.

But before you can even begin, you become stronger than you already are. Killing me was simply a matter of courage, an endearing quality no doubt, but you must hone that quality with power. As I said, go to the Oblong Tomb, and what you find there will lead you to an even larger goal: the Stars of Lupus." My eyes widen. "Ah, so you've heard an inking about it, or should I say, her.

Remember, become stronger than you already are, and you may find what you seek at the Oblong Tomb." he looks off into the distance. "Dawn fast approaches. Now... AWAKEN!"

I woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily, letting loose a heavy sigh afterward. I rubbed my eyes from their weary hold. My body felt heavy as I pulled myself up from the bed. I stretched, loosening my stiff muscles. I looked towards my sword propped up against the wall, thinking of the dream. I grabbed it and headed down to the training room.

I entered determined. Like Griffin said, this was a new body, not like my old one, I had to retrain, rebuild, and rethink everything. I started by putting it through its paces.

First off was Cardiovascular Endurance. The concept was simple: Run as fast as you can for as long as you can. I started pushing myself to the breaking point, running across the entire ship, the other crew members wondering what I was doing, speeding past everyone at how many miles per hour. I finally collapsed back in the training room after about a surprising length of a two hour long sprint, panting like mad, my legs sore enough to hurt by mere movement alone. I crawled over to one of the benches, grabbing a canteen hanging from a rack. After an ice cold shower followed by a warm bath: a routine I picked up to help recover my muscles. After resting for a few hours, I felt famished, having nearly exhausted all my energy stores. I headed down to the mess hall.

"What can I get you?" Maria asked me, noticing sweat glistening off my fur. Strangely enough, even with fur, I still had sweat glands.

"Something with lots of Calories and Protein," I huffed, "Please."

"Alrighty then." She disappeared inside and brought an immeasurable amount of Lean beef, cheese, and yellow fin tuna. Immediately I started digging in, ravaging the entire plethora of food, finishing in a little less than 30 minutes, with Maria wide eyed.

"Wow, you weren't this hungry when you first got on the ship." She stared in amazement, bones picked clean, not even a micro gram of cheese left on the table, "Do you mind me asking what you did this morning to work up an appetite like that?" I sighed, satisfied.

"Well," I thought about it a bit, I had just eaten a little over half my entire body weight in less than about half an hour, far beyond the stomach capacity of a normal creature, with an approximate caloric value of near 300,000. Something was different, very different, "All I can say is I ran all over the entire ship like a maniac for over two hours straight, then became so tired and hungry that I had probably almost exhausted all your supplies of meat. My apologies by the way..." I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

"From what I could tell you needed it, I'm just glad I could help." She said before disappearing back into the kitchen.

I went back to the training room, refreshed. Something wasn't right. Normally it would take a human being more than 2 days to recover from that kind of cardio work out, I know I had to. But here I am, standing, fully functional, in less than 2 hours. Even stranger was the fact that I felt good, surprisingly good. With the sun barely in the sky, I started the second part of my workout, being in fact half a week ahead of schedule.

Weight training was next, after bench pressing a bit to find my limit, I found myself bench pressing close to near 300 pounds. I stared at my paws, wondering how I could be doing this much? Was it my new body, or something else. I took and Iron rod and strung it through ten thirty pound weights. There I swung through all the basic motions of swinging a sword: men-giri, do-giri, etc. After 300 repetitions of each, my arms were ready to fall off. Even still, I felt that inch by inch, I was getting stronger. I decided to rest for a bit, jogging a bit around the ship alone, helping with some of the crew member's chores, and even visiting some of the other crew members for a brief greeting: Geirmund the engineer, Steelhorn who worked the forge, and Tiras who worked the main gun of the ship.

Afterward I went back to the training room, propping up my sword against the wall and grabbing a wooden sword and my new weapon for the last stage of my training regimen: Combat. I recalled what I had learned about using rope-darts and garotte wires. After taking a deep breath I began.

I set up around a few dozen training dummies, each wielding a shield and sword. It would work much better if I had moving targets. I stood poised among the dummies, spinning the wire around my finger. I stepped forward, flinging the diamond over my shoulder in a spin, impaling the dummy in front of me right between the eyes. I took no pause to dash under it, wrapping the wire around its neck, giving a strong pull to sever its head from its stationary position. A quick tug freed the diamond from its hold, I wrapped the wire around my leg, shooting it to the side, striking another dummy just within reach. I released a bit more of a wire, wrapping it around the dummy's waist, a violent jerk brought it in range to my sword. I swung with immense force, managing to tear through the burlap with the wooden blade.

I dislodged the diamond from the second dummy and started to wind the wire around my torso, making two loops around my elbow and finally held the diamond below my foot. I twisted in the air to fling the diamond straight through three at once. bringing them towards me to execute them in a triple decap slash. I swung the wire in a wide arc, wrapping the remaining dummies around various joints. I placed a strand of the wire between my teeth and the wrapped the wire around each of my outstretched claws. I slipped my other claws under the loops and pulled outwards, causing a chain reaction to occur, tightening each of the strands wrapped around the dummies' joints until they severed, false limbs and torsos falling to the ground in unison. With a loose tug, I gathered the wire around my finger and grasped the diamond tightly, stowing it away in my dobuku.

"I thought I'd find you here." I turn around to see the captain enter the training room.

"Heh, I guess I'm getting a bit too predictable." He looked at me with a suspicious gaze.

"I take it you didn't sleep well?" he asked.

"Nightmares..." I placed the wooden short sword on the rack, kicking aside a couple of the ragged dummies.

"Right..." it was obvious he didn't buy it. "Feel like talking?"

"About what?" I take a few moments to cool down, stretching a few muscles.

"Anything, just to take your mind off of stuff..." He pauses before continuing, "Oh... that's right... you're not very good with 'idle chatter' now are you?" I walk over to one of the canteens hanging off the wall and take a long refreshing sip.

"I guess I'll start." He plops down on one of the benches and starts, "What kind of music do you like?"

"I don't listen to music much, pretty much the only stuff I've heard was the songs Keith blared over his sound system..." I sat down right next to him. "That being said, I've never taken a liking to his choice of music: Metallica, Beatles, all the 'classical' rock bands, I didn't really like them. In fact, it only served in keeping me up at night sometimes while he was working on God knows what..." I lean back on the bench, exhausted.

"Personally, I like soft rock, orchestra, and techno. Kind of an odd combination, but then what does that say about me?" he replies, then pointing a finger towards me, "Alright, your go. Ask away."

I thought about it for a bit, I never really had anything I wanted to know about the captain, I might as well indulge him.

"So what did you do back when you were still human?"

"Besides get beaten up and watch a show originally intended for little girls?" He remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah." He lost his smirk immediately, his expression turning into one of deep embarrassment.

"Well... I... danced." Embarrassment immediately turned to shame. "And I sang..." I could tell it was painful for him to admit it.

"What's wrong with that?"

"I..." his head fell into a forlorn expression, "I was the only one... I loved it and everyone else hated me for it. Called me a 'Glee Fag' and used it as just another excuse to hurt me." He sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his head. "And if you have any basic psychology, the negative reinforcement really killed it for me. I guess when I stopped dancing, I stopped smiling... and started dying..." His expression shifted to one of anger. "They took away my joy..." he clenched his fists, grasping the fur on his lap, "And I will NEVER forgive them for that..."

"Them being the bullies that toyed with you?" I saw repression, like there was someone else... "Or was it someone closer to you?"

"Well, my tormentors were a part of it... my parents..." He spat out the word like it was a curse.

"I see..."

"They're the ones who originally put me in 'dance classes' so I'd stop being such a failure and have a little 'dignity and poise'." He slumped down further, "And I liked it, a lot. As soon as I told them that, all of a sudden, we couldn't afford it anymore, dancing suddenly became for queers, and I was worthless for liking it." I felt sorry for him, to have your parents, who were suppose to nurture and care for their children, treat him like dirt.

"I started learning different kinds: Aboriginal ceremonial, African tribal, Salsa, River Dance, Shuffling. Of course, there was music too, which I loved, and eventually lead me to singing as well. Of course, that just got me labeled as one of 'those kids' and made the bullying a lot worse."

"No matter what I did, It was never good enough, for anyone. I started not caring. My grades slipped, and while I got no appreciation for having mid 90's, as soon as they dropped, there was hell to pay for that, too." He hid his face in his talons.

"I stopped eating, just barely enough to get rid of my stomach pains. You saw me: six foot three and a string bean." He let his arms fall, recalling a single ray of hope.

"And then... heh... 'My Little Pony'. At first, I thought it would be lame, but then I finally found myself enjoying something again. I was secretive after that. I couldn't let ANYONE find out. Nobody could know. It was... my secret joy, one that I wouldn't let the world take away from me, like it did everything else."

"Which is why you were so glad when you managed to end up here..." He nodded.

"Can you imagine? Best day of my fucked up life! I wound up in my dream world. A new start, somewhere where it's actually possible to GET a start and then." His fist clenched, claws almost piecing his canvas like skin. "I found out it's not so perfect after all. It might be selfish, it might be egotistical, I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS! This was MY fresh start, MY clean slate, MY second chance at a life that could actually MEAN something... and the world wanted to fuck THAT up, TOO!"

I stepped in right then and there, hoping to calm him down, "Listen, the world is cruel, and so is life, you can't expect anything different than that..." It barely helped though, he still continued on his flaming rant.

"I know damn well it is. So you know what I decided? THE WORLD CAN GO FUCK ITSELF! New body, no rules, world of opportunity, time to take it and make it my own." He stood up, wings flared, "I watched ponies get captured in some nets, right in front of me. Back on Earth? I would have just walked by, after all, you know the saying: 'No good deed goes unpunished.' But here.. Oh, you bet your furry little ass that I stepped in. And guess what? I found out I CAN make a difference. If this world isn't going to me the utopia it's suppose to be, then I'll personally kick the living shit out of it 'til it is!" He turned around in a proud air, "I've got nothing left to lose, a lifetime of anger to vent, and an entire continent of proper outlets for aggression!" His wings fell to his side suddenly, turning around to reveal a captain in despair.

"And then... I changed again."

My ears twitched, "Changed?" He dragged his talons on the bench before sitting back down.

"I found others I care about, people who actually mean something to me: Gilda, Trixie, Nadene, Etch, Growl, Maria, Tiras, and everyone else. They're the family and friends I never had, and I don't want to lose them. When Celestia said that I'll die alone... I got scared. I'm not afraid of dying, I've been prepared for that for a long time. It's the 'alone' part that terrifies me... I... I don't... want... I don't..." He started to sway back and forth.

"Griffin?" He clutched the side of his head in pain, "Are you okay?" I touch him, he starts shivering violently, falling to the ground in a fetal mass. I stand up and rush to the deck, finding two of the people he needed the most.

"Somebody HELP! The Captain's DOWN!" Immediately Gilda and Nadene rushed with me to the training room, and all of us carried his unconscious body to the medical ward. Gilda was near tears, clutching her mate tightly like if she let go, she'd lose him. When we laid him down on the bed, I gave Gilda and him a few moments alone, closing the door behind me. I leaned against the wall, thinking about what he had said.

'Griffin... if you don't want to lose those close to you and die alone. Then you'd better hold on tighter than ever before.' I heaved a deep sigh before sliding down the door to Griffin's ward, 'I know I will...'

Homeward Bound [28]

After Griffin woke up, he started to explain why he passed out unconscious. Apparently emotions tie in closely with magic in this world, bad emotions backlash due to the influx of magic. I wondered what other forms of magic emotion could bring.

When I asked about the Oblong Tomb however, he didn't know, save the advise to ask one of his crew members by the name of Growl, a diamond dog I'm guessing.

I went back to the training room, the silence inside becoming a bit of a niche for me, giving me some time to recover and recollect my thoughts. After a while I could feel my muscles starting to unwind and repair themselves, as if they were stitching themselves back together with even stronger thread. But I knew it would be a while before I could fully utilize my new muscle, until then I would resolve to staying off them for the time being.

I crossed my legs and sat in the very middle, recollecting the new knowledge I had gained in one day. The fact that my biology works differently now, somehow being able to consume massive amounts of calories in a single sitting, my body recovering faster than normal, as well as my endurance increased by one hundred fold. I couldn't help but wonder:

'What's happening to me?' Was it really like Eol and Blackfire said: that I had superior genetics among other creatures simply because of the choice of the creature I chose to be? Or was it something different, something much more important that I haven't even begun to grasp, much less understand to the full extent of my knowledge. It was unsettling to know that two people know more about what I am than me.

Even so, the possibilities that opened up to me could now be explored more intimately. Blackfire mentioned that I was a creature that excelled in speed, but haven't even reached a fraction of my full potential, no, not even a millionth was what he said. I was reaching my max speed for more than an hour, something biologically improbable by modern standards. Regardless, I had to keep an open mind about this. I kept reminding myself of my predicament: I was still, after all, in a world based off of a children's television show. Anything is possible.

I made it one of my goals to find out how far anything extended to. Right now however, I felt relieved. I had a heading, a destination, one I would soon make my way to. I needed to find Growl.

A rustle brought my attention to a shaded alcove nearby, on instinct, I threw a dagger at the corner of the alcove.

"Show yourself..." The figure stepped out from the cover of shadow. He looked taller than Ubi and Eol, tall and sleek, fur spiked at the edge of his muzzle, tufted ears. He looked at me with a firm gaze, but didn't speak. I relaxed my hand and went back to thinking. After a few moments he spoke.

"Do you always throw knives at people?" he asked.

"My apologies, I guess I'm a bit on edge..." I looked back at him, he started to go back to the shadows, "If you don't mean any harm, don't be shy..." He stopped and looked back at me, finally deciding to sit down across from me, whittling a wooden figurine just out of view.

"Does it remind you of home?"

"Yes..." he answers without looking away from his carving." I studied the carving closely, it was of another diamond dog, looking just like him except more muscular.

"I wish I had something to remind me of home..." I didn't have anything, left behind photographs and pictures I used to draw. But I remembered it all the same, down to the very last detail. He glanced at me.

"Where did you live?" He asked before going back to carving.

"It was a small house, in the hither lands, close enough that we could smell the ocean air." I hid my arms within my sleeves, a habit of mine.

"We were poor, not really able to afford any luxuries, but somehow, each day, I knew my parents would be able to make ends meet." I sighed, "It wasn't a castle or even a manor, but to me, it was home..." I closed my eyes, "And you?"

"A small warren. Deep underground, not much to say about it." He paused, claw hovered over the figurine. "It was plain... ugly..." I gave a slight chuckle.

"Same with my old room. When we moved in my dad complained about the crumbling drywall in my room." I laid back onto the ground, an all too familiar wave of nostalgia filling my thoughts, "One day, dad brought home buckets of paint cans and we would spend our free time painting on the bare walls." I remembered the childish designs we painted: barnyard animals, fish in the sea, all to wipe it over with whitewash and start with another design.

"We finally settled on one design, a painting of our family. My dad made a living as a freelance artist, so he would paint all sorts of things, from landscapes to portraits. When we were finished, it looked like a masterpiece." I felt a bit embarrassed, reminded of my amateurish backgrounds stood behind the life-like forms my dad painted. "The next day, I said to my dad that I wanted to do the next wall by myself. Heh, We had to spend the rest of the next day scraping paint off of me, because I had splattered paint all over the wall, trying to imitate how dad did abstract art. I could see why those paintings never really sold very well." I looked back at the diamond dog, he started to hold the figurine tight against his chest.

"I tried to make where we lived beautiful, but... father despised it." His voice turned rash, "He repeatedly scolded me, yelling, 'Any time you waste on these useless sculptures could be served better digging for gems!'" I was taken aback.

"He must have meant well, didn't he?"

"I do not know..." He scraped a few flakes off the statue, "If he did, he never made it apparent." He turned the statue once over in his hand before grasping it tightly, "All was well, 'til eight years ago. Ours was a smaller clan, and our Alpha, my father, was slain by a rival. Etch and I were enslaved for seven years. nine months ago, Griffin slew an entire troupe and struck fear in their hearts. He demanded the release of all slaves, which included us." It made sense.

"So that's why you travel with him..." I sat back up again, "My condolences for losing your father..."

"That is... alright. I have moved past it. I have a new father now, and a new name at that."

"And that is?"

"Growl, I assume it is because my voice is deep and gravely, and to those I speak to, it sounds as though I am growling. Rather fitting." He blew off a few more flakes, "And yours?"

"Aoi Myoujin. In my tongue it means Blue Stranger. Rather arbitrary, isn't it..."

"You are rather strange, I've never seen anydog dressed like you, but unless you are always sad, I do not see how it fits either."

"You're on the money with that one... 20 years, I've felt nothing but hate and sadness all my life, so yeah, I guess you could say I'm 'blue'."

"So it isn't arbitrary..." He squinted a bit to chisel in a minute detail, "Don't worry yourself too much over names. After all, what is a name but what someone else calls you? What matters is what YOU call yourself." He had a knack for the arts, I had to give him that much, "So Aoi... who are you?"

I thought to myself a bit before answering, pondering on who I really was, "I'm many things... Killer, Brother, Assassin, Protector..." I sigh, "Even orphan..."

"Then you have many names... My captain has several, and he seems to add them arbitrarily as well: Pirate, hate-seed, kin of the silent wolf, demon bird, liberator, smooth criminal. Some are given to him by others, and some he made for himself. He rarely uses them all, except when silencing a noble who needs to learn to hold his tongue. The captain can uses as many names as he likes... however..." His expression melts to one of sadness, "The title of orphan that many hold... it is a painful one to bear..."

"Too right," I bring my knees up to my chest, burying my muzzle into my arms, "But the title I'm most concerned about is the title of Lunar Legend." The mention of the name brings a shock to his face.

"Then, you are the one from the prophecy?"

"Surprised? I was when I heard it myself. It was too sudden, too coincidental. I've started to get the feeling that when so many unlikely things happen, you stop believing in coincidence. So tell me... what do you think of the prophecy?"

"I never took much stock in it. The world is what you make of it, waiting for a prophecy to come true is pointless unless one makes it happen themselves."

"Heh, Eol told me that other diamond dogs lost their lives because they thought they were the Lunar Legend, then he told me it was more of a species thing. From his books, I fit the bill down to the anatomical proportions. As far as biology's concerned, I'm now 100% bona fide wolf." I pull down the sleeve of my dobuku to show my undersized paw compared to Diamond Dogs. Growl chuckled.

"Until the captain heard of you, he intended to free the diamond dogs, then simply howl at the moon so the prophecy would be fulfilled, and the stubborn council elders would accept him."

"Council Elders?"

"Council Elders, Prophets, Oracles, call them what you may, they are the oldest living pure bloodline, and they're the ones who scribed the prophecies. Only their descendants can verify the completion or aversion of prophecies to be written into history. Anything not confirmed by them is universally considered blasphemy."

"I see..."

"By now, the elders are probably raising their hackles now that news of your return has reached Gem Fido. Most likely, you will be visited by one of the elders themselves."

"But wait, if the Elders are in control, then why have the clans been in such disrepair."

"I never said that they were in control. They have absolutely no say in clan workings, those are left to the Sirius."

"Sirius?"

"Leader of all the clans, the strongest diamond dog. Only the fool hardy dare challenge him, out of all of us, he has the closest ties with lycan ancestry. However, he's left us in such shambles, some debate whether or not he's even still alive, with the other Alpha's simply covering up his death."

"Hmm... I guess we'll find out soon enough..." I stretch before heading to dinner, "Before I forget though, I wanted to ask about the Oblong Tomb, Griffin says you might have heard of it." His face turned pale as soon as the name left my mouth.

"If you value your life, do not enter the Oblong Tomb."

"Why?" He leaned in close.

"Some clans still hold a strong rumour that the Oblong Tomb is... haunted."

"Haunted?"

"Whispers among the clans tell of Diamond dogs that entered the Tomb, and never came back out. It was said to have been the warren of Varg himself."

"Who is Varg?"

"Varg was the last of the remaining wolves. Legend has it that after his death, his clan fought for supremacy and wiped themselves out. But recently, starting about a hundred years ago, there have been... stirrings around the warren, like a clan was still inside, as if everything was normal. But all attempts to investigate have failed. Some even say that Varg himself rose from the dead."

Ghosts, undead wolves, haunted warrens, I was beginning to think that The Oblong Tomb was hiding more than it let off.

"Thank you for your concern, but I have to go, it's the only lead I have at the moment. Besides, If Varg really has come back from the dead, maybe I could have a one on one chat with him, maybe even get him to help." I stood up to go to dinner.

"It was nice talking to you Growl, maybe we'll meet again sometime."

"May your roads be paved with many gems," he said before disappearing back into his alcove. I waved back.

After dinner, I decided to go to bed early, having spend the entire day strenuously pushing my body to the very limit. But my dreams had other plans for me.

As sleep overtook me, time flowed backwards, reliving events that all swept past me in the blink of an eye. It was like the dream in Canterlot, and I feared what would happen next.

I was relieved to find myself not back in my penthouse apartment, but rather in my old house, the one by the sea. I smelt the warm salty air of the sea breeze rushing through the open windows, heard the slight creaking of the dilapidated oak shutters, felt the smooth woven tatami mats beneath my feet. I was back home, back where I started.

I loved it here, over two decades ago. It was my haven, the place where everything was absolutely perfect. It didn't matter that it wasn't a castle, or a manor, or even a condo. It was a small house, with just us. I wouldn't renovate it for the world. I pulled up a small chair, sitting at the dining room table. Straight across from where I sat was a window, over looking the rest of the hinterlands, spanning all the way to the seascape horizon. The view was magnificent, from where I sat, I could watch the whole world go by, and take it all in bit by bit like drops of paint on a canvas that formed a rich masterpiece, all from a window in a small house, on a small hill, with a small family living inside.

I laid my head down on the table and stroked the grain of the furnished pine. I remembered eating all my favorite dishes here: Shark fin soup, somen, steamed dumplings... even the occasional dessert of tiramasu or danko. I licked my lips, wanting to taste those longed for meals that I used to enjoy with mom and dad.

A plate was placed in front of me, laden with skewers of danko. Surprised by the sudden appearance, I looked up, following the hand that was serving me, to meet my mother's soft gaze and loving smile. I stood up with tears in my eyes, immediately wrapping my arms around her, overjoyed to finally see her again. As soon as I did though, my arms seemed to melt right through her, the entire room collapses around me, wisps of smoke cascading down the dark trenches of my consciousness, tearing me back to reality in a painful reawakening.

I lie there, tightly clutching my blanket, which had started to bear amorphous stains of red. I sighed, pulling the covers closer to my body, but I still felt cold. Wet droplets of blood trickled down my face onto the pillow where my head was resting. I lamented the fact that haunted me when I awoke:

'It was just a dream...'

Fears and Farewells [29]

Several days passed as we were nearing The Oblong Tomb, uneventful at the very least. I found some respite in wandering the ship's corridors, since much of the crew were on deck. I visited the engine room, where a sweating minotaur was working the forge. He patted his face with a towel and placed his hammer on the anvil.

"Be there in just a wee sec," He plunged what he was forging into the well, the steam hissing angrily, "What can I do for you, lad?" He turned around wiping his hands free of soot.

"I was wondering when we would be arriving at the Oblong Tomb." He snorted and headed over to some maps laid out over a table, checking the compass every so often.

"We'll be right over the Oblong Tomb by tomorrow, won't be long now. Now you go get yerself some shut eye, maybe a cold one, It's almost midnight, ya know." Steelhorn yawned plopping into the hammock in the engine room. I looked out the window, seeing the faint shadow of the new moon.

"So it is... Goodnight then." I walked pass the forge back to the entrance.

"Hey Aoi, can I trouble you for a question?" I turn around briefly.

"Go ahead."

"Were you serious about charging the Captain four million bits to simply reforge his sword? Isn't that a bit miserly of you?"

"To charge someone fair price for a fair service, I think not."

"Well, your reforge better be pretty damn good to charge four million. Are you really that good?"

"See for yourself." I take Kokuryu and ask for a diamond, he obliges, handing me one.

"You can't be serious, even with dragon scale it take a mighty-" I start flaking away chip by chip of the diamond, like whittling wood with a stainless steel knife, "Sweet Mother of Bulls, you are serious!" I place the chips of diamond on the table for him to inspect, clean and smooth. He sat there gawking, unbelieving at it.

"If that's all, I'll be going to bed now." I left without another word.

I could not sleep, a strange scratching noise kept me up. I looked around, scanning the room for any signs of what was making the sound. I lit a candle, finding a large, black rat two inches from my face.

I froze, my arm slowly reached for a broom right next to me, careful not to make the slightest noise. I grabbed it, and with one swift motion, I slammed the broom onto the dresser, the sheer force of the swing splintering the dresser into kindling. The rat sprung from the remains of the dresser towards the door.

"RAAAH!!" I swung again, the broom crashing against the floorboards. The rat scurried under the door. I burst through it without hesitation, the chipped door on the other side of the hallway. I swung madly, causing hole after hole to appear in the floorboards. It started to scale the walls. I reeled back as I brought the broom in a heavy swing, smashing it through the wall, I caught a glimpse of Steelhorn out the corner of my eye, but he wasn't the target.

"GET IT, TRAP IT, KILL IT, I DON'T FUCKING CARE! GET THAT RAT!" I grabbed a red hot hammer from the forge and gave it a two handed throw, causing it to spin towards the infernal creature. The hammer missed by mere millimeters, instead it blew through he opposite wall, embedding itself deep into the next hall over.

"STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP!" Steelhorn yelled, wide awake in an oversized nightgown. I ignored him, chasing after the rodent, determined to get it off the ship whatever the cost. I lunged for the rat only to have Steelhorn grab my shoulders.

"Oh NO YOU DON'T! Sit your furry tail down right now!" He threw me over his shoulder to the opposite wall, nearly smashing me through he ships hull.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" I bark at the large minotaur.

"WHAT IN TARTARUS DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, BREAKING MY SHIP TO SMITHEREENS!" He glances at the broom, the hay on the end tattered, "WITH A BUCKING BROOM NO LESS!"

"AND WHAT IN THE BLOOD-SOAKED PROTESTANT HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" Griffin shouted in at both of us.

"Your Guest is tearing up MY SHIP!"

"You've got Rats stowed away in your SHIP!"

"What in the ever loving Fuck?" The Captain tilts his head in confusion.

"Oh THERE you are Whiskers." A pegasus appears from behind Griffin and runs over to where we were, scooping up the rat scurrying out from under me. I flinch and jump on Steelhorn's shoulder. I look at the rat scurrying up the pegasus' body and into her poofy yellow mane. I pause, staring at the rat, then the pegasus, then the captain. Realizing the connection in my head, I go limp, falling off the minotaur's shoulder, the world fading to black.

=Steelhorn=

"Well isn't that something?" I look down at the furry bastard, who's currently foaming at the mouth, passed out like the bad end of a Sunday morning. After the cap'n and I pass glances, we finally get the connection.

"BLAAAHAHAHAHAHHAH!!!!!" We break out in laughter, Griffin doubling over, "The big bad wolf, afraid of a little mousey?" Whiskers starts to crawl over to Griffin, "I mean just look at him, he's diabeetus level adorable!" I had no idea what the captain was talking about, but it must mean cute. I wipe away a tear of laughter.

"Well at least it's over, I'm going back to sleep. By the way, what brings you to these parts, Cap'n?"

"Well I WAS going to see if Aoi was awake so I could tell him we would be reaching the Tomb tomorrow, but seeing as he's... well..." He points a finger at the unconscious wanker, "I think I'll just tell him in the morning."

"Actually Cap'n, I already told him a few hours ago."

"Oh... well that's one less thing to worry about." He rubs his talons along his face, "I think I'll just sleep in tomorrow..." He disappears behind a door, leaving me alone to carry him back to his room. I give a big sigh.

"Well now, talk about a good arm." He tore holes in walls I thought were air-tight, "I'll have to reinforce the walls." I picked him up and carried him back to his room, he was really light for a guy almost as tall as me, soft too. He could make a living selling hugs, or whatever the cap'n said that soft people do. I placed him in his bed and pulled up the covers. Right before I left I took a look at his sword.

"How can a lad like you make a sword sharp enough to chip diamond?" I slid the sword out of its hilt. "Huh, never seen a sword so thin, or curved." I looked down the edge of the blade, surprised when I saw the air around the edge shimmer. "Well I'll be bucked, it cuts air too?" I slid it back into it's sheath and placed it on the dresser.

"Aliens are something aren't they."

=Aoi=

My eyes flashed open as the glare of the mid-morning sun shone through my window. I felt drowsy, my body stiff and unable to move. I slowly got up with an ache in my back. I reached behind my back to pull a few... black... hairs...

"Oh god..." I got up immediately, gathering everything I could: my pack, my supplies, and my sword. I stormed out and stomped down the hall towards Eol and Ubi's room. Ubi walked out from the open doorway, rubbing his eyes. I passed him, grabbing his scruff.

"We need to get off this damn ship, NOW!" I kept advancing towards the medical bay, not finding Eol. "Where the Hell is he?" Ubi pried my claws from his scruff.

"He got released from sick bay three days ago remember?" My memory was muddled, but he was right. We headed toward the deck, calling out to him.

"Eol!!! EOOOOOL! WHERE ARE YOU!!!" I head towards the bow to find him and...

"... the hell?" Right there, before the bow, was Eol and Elli, the cat who tried to kill me, kissing, maw to maw. I spared no time to ask, nor wonder what was going on, "Alright Eol, It's time to go... Where's the damn Captain?"

"Wait, why is it time to go?" He stopped and looked at me in confusion. I stared back, slightly embarrassed.

"It's... complicated, alright? Now have you seen the captain or haven't you!?" Elli points towards the galley. I rush down towards the captain's quarters, Eol and Ubi in tow, and slam my fist against the door. Inside I hear the rustling of sheets. I exhale deeply, reeling my fist back. I punch through the door, splinters flying into the bedroom. Gilda and Griffin raise the covers in shock, thinking me mad.

"The Hell Aoi! I thought Steelhorn explicitly told you to STOP breaking the ship!" I was in no mood for bull shit right now.

"LAND THIS SHIP NOW! I WANT TO GET OFF!"

"You know there are ropes right? Just throw one over the edge and you're off." He pulls the covers over his head, "You can literally leave any time you want..." I go over to the bedside, pulling off the covers.

"This isn't a damn joke Griffin, tell your engineer or whatever to land the ship!"

"Does it look like I'm joking, you CAN climb down, Just go to the deck, grab a rope, and throw it over the edge. It's not that difficult, in fact, I think we're above it right now." Hearing this I immediately run to the deck, catching the eyes of many wondering what the commotion was all about. Looking over the port side, I see the ground in sight, nearing a large stone structure in the distance.

"Well would you look at that," Eol said with a nonchalant air. I grab a rope and tie it to my waist in a hurry.

"What's with the rush, you wake up and drag both of us out here, wanting to jump ship without warning. Is there something wrong?" Ubi ask, concerned.

"I told you it's..." I look back at the two, Eol with a saddened look on his face, Ubi having an impatient expression. I slowly calm down, giving a heavy sigh, "... complicated."

"What could be so complicated about telling us you want to get off the ship?" Ubi asked.

"I guess it can wait. Sorry for being a bit, selfish, but if you need me, I'll be on the ground. If you've got any friends that you've made, now would be a good time to say goodbye." Eol's expression brightens a bit. I give a warm smile before looking past him, spotting the captain and...

"Aww look Aoi, he came just to say goodbye. He must really like you." He gave a wide grin, "Are you sure you won't give him a hug." I draw Kokuryu, pointing it violently at the captain.

"Griffin, just stay back and get that thing away from me..." I warn, lips drawn back in a snarl.

"Aww, ain't that adawable, wittle Aoi afraid of the wittle mousey. I'm afraid I can't do that, I couldn't grab the little scamp if I tried, He'll just go flat again." I grasp the hilt tighter.

"A flick of my wrist, and your head comes clean off, painlessly. I don't think you want to be the person to test me..." I growl, setting the crew on edge. He relents and let's the mouse crawl across his shoulders into the hooves of its owner.

"Yeah yeah, fine, I'm going. Just get outta here before you break anything else..." He turns around with a wave. "Sheesh, and he calls ME a drama queen." I stand down and sheath my sword, grabbing the rope and swinging over the edge.

"Hope you find what you're looking for, and may all the crypts you delve into be spider and rodent free." I secure the line around my waist, looking at Eol and Ubi.

"See you on the ground." With that I start to rappel off the ship towards the ground. Griffin looks over the banister, and I do what comes naturally, give him the middle finger for toying with me. I contemplated bringing a spider with me the next time we met. Then brushed the thought away.

'Trolls will be trolls.' or so the saying goes.

=Eol=

I let loose a small snicker, "So that explains it..." With the few moments I had left on the ship, I walked towards Elli. We spent almost the entire trip together, but I thought fate a bit cruel for making me have to go. I looked into Elsweyr's eyes, shimmering with the beautiful golden irises that I had come to love. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Elli..." With that she gives me a warm embrace, alone was enough to torment me in the fact I had to leave.

"Do you really have to go? With HIM?"

"Elli, you know I have to go... besides... I could never leave him, he's the only family I have left..." She looks deep into my eyes, pleading me not to go. I stare back with a gaze of utter regret. She finally takes off her necklace, placing it in my paw.

"Then keep this with you, always, so that you won't... forget me..." She closes my paw around the crystal necklace. Then finally leaves me with tears in her eyes and a single kiss.

"I won't forget..." I back away a few paces, "Besides... you're family too..." I turn around, grabbing a rope to follow Aoi, tying the necklace around my neck. Before jumping however, I turn and give the captain a two clawed salute.

"Cheers Captain." I bid farewell to him before jumping off the banister of the ship.

=Ubi=

Unlike Eol, I didn't make any 'friends' to say goodbye to, but at least I understood why Aoi wanted to get off this ship so much.

"Well......... I don't really know you, and we never spoke much but, good luck on your travels, and may you find whatever you're looking for, Ubi." Griffin shouted out to me. I guess he did have some form of sentimentality. I might as well return the favor, as I would probably never see him again.

"Captain, I still think you're a melodramatic, slack beaked, cloud-headed idiot...." I said in my calmest voice possible, grabbing ahold of the last rope, "Which is why you're gonna need all the luck you can get... so good luck to you too..." I smiled before heading off after Eol. If he took that much time to remember my name, I might as well wish him luck.

To be honest, I was more worried about his crew. Gem Fido is not known for being kind to it's foreigners, that I knew for a fact, and he was going to be in for a big surprise if he happened on one of the main warrens...

Tombstone [30]

From the air, Gem Fido seemed rather stereotypical, rocky, dotted with a few forests here and there, but mostly mountains and caves spanned the land scape. On the ground however, it had a completely different atmosphere. It was as if the entire land had gone into disrepair, and nature was hanging on by a thread. The bark of the trees had become soft from the various geysers that erupted steam, to the point where we could peel it off, revealing the rotting tree beneath. Although the trees themselves had died, the leaves however were still green. I wondered how.

"Gem Fido's been dead long before the dragons took over," Ubi remarked, as if having read my thoughts, "I should know, this was my home."

"Wait, you were a native to Gem Fido? Then, how come we found you in the Dominion?" Eol asked, curious of Ubi's origin.

"Yes. Our clan turned nomadic after our last warren became completely exhausted, I was 8 at the time. We traveled all the way across the Keaton Range to get to the Dominion." He continued, taking a dagger to cut through some overhanging vines.

"Don't touch the ends, the poison will eat your skin alive." Eol looked at the vine with a look of nervous caution.

"Wow, not even any of my books on Gem Fido mentioned those."

"No one takes the time to explore something that could kill them in an instant." Ubi stated before continuing on. I took his words to heart as we neared the Oblong Tomb.

The structure was enormous, towering at the very least 7 stories high. We stood in awe at the sheer aura emanating from within, it seemed unnatural, evil almost. I signaled for both of them to scout the perimeter for any who might be watching us. Immediately, Ubi fired an arrow at a seemingly inconspicuous bush, rewarded by a scout jumping out from cover to avoid the arrow. Eol was on him in an instant, pinning him to the ground. I drew my sword and pointed it at the scout.

"What have we here?" The scout seemed rather unphased by my blade, a hardened warrior, no doubt. I lowered it.

"Do you mind telling us why you were spying on us?"

"That would be my doing." Our heads turned towards the entrance to the warren, barred by a black figure, tall and sleek, an Alpha no doubt. "My apologies for the rather distasteful welcome, we always have a few scouts on hand in case of a stray intruder. Allow me to welcome you to the Oblong Tomb." He greeted us with a toothy smile, fangs serrated to a lethal point.

"Impossible." Ubi and Eol stood amazed, "You-You're..." Eol stuttered, pointing a shaking claw at the black Alpha.

"Varg of the Oblong Tomb." Ubi finished.

"The one and only," he crossed his arms with pride, "You forgot to mention Underking of Gem Fido."

"Underking?" I look towards Varg with interest, "What's that?" He looked at me, bewildered before remembering something.

"That's right, you're the one that He wanted me to see..." A raise of an eyebrow was all that was needed for him to continue, "I'll explain later, meanwhile, come inside, the guards will let you in." He waved a paw, beckoning us to follow. Growl's words reminded me, it clicked in the other two as well.

"How are you still ALIVE?" To that he merely turned around and laughed.

"Like I said, I'll explain THAT little morsel as well," He replied with a rather devilish grin before disappearing into the warren.

Inside, the warren was lit up vibrantly by various crystals that glistened with a faint magical aura, the ground laden with soft damp moss, the warren itself seemed alive, teeming with vigor. The two guards escorted us down a side tunnel, a faint disharmonious chorus reaching our ears, becoming louder with each passing step. We reached what seemed like a dinning room, diamond dogs, ponies and griffins as well lined the tables, drinking and eating as well as consorting and singing obscene rounds. A closer look at the group revealed many bearing pale complexions, as if they were dead.

"AOI!" I heard a voice behind me, one all too familiar. I turned around to meet none other than Keith, dining a few tables down. I was surprised to see him here of all places, he got up holding a tankard of ale in his hoof, staggering sap happily towards me, he slapped a hoof on my shoulder, swashing the ale back and forth.

"Man it's DAMN fine to see you here *burp*."

"Keith, what are you doing here?"

"Oh aye? Nothin' much, and hey, I'm NOT as think as you drunk I am *hic*." He turned around and started wobbling back to the bench where he sat, plopping down on it with a thud.

"I started prancing around like you said to, met some nice ponies along the way, and somehow stumbled Inna Gem Fidy here." He was clearly plastered, his coat wreaking of alcohol. I gave a welcoming smile.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're doing alright."

"Damn right I AM! I may not be a good *hic* good-looking guy, but I know one thing Bitches will always love."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Bitches LOVE ponies," He started to break into a fit of drunken laughter, "Betcha thought I was gonna say cannons werencha? Well cannons can suck my-- oh there goes my tolerance." He lost consciousness, slowly tipping over, I caught him in the crook of my arm.

"You really had a party didn't you?" I looked around the crowd, all ate and drank from the same plate and cup, none caring that they were different species.

"Admiring our haven aren't you?" Varg asked, standing beside me. I passed a glance between him, Ubi and Eol, who had taken up seats on the bench. "It really is a shame, that we cannot bring this haven to the rest of Gem Fido..." He had look of shame.

"As you might have noticed, we do not belong in this world. We are of the dead, unfit to walk amongst the living, and yet we live once again. I ask you, how might that be?"

"I don't know... magic?"

"Yes... magic that breaks the very bounds of nature, If you want to talk more, Let’s speak in private, for now, I believe your comrades deserve the rest."

We headed down a side corridor to what seemed like a massive throne room, in the very middle was a throne laced with bones from all manners of creatures. He sat down slowly on his throne.

"So, you are the Lunar Legend that has appeared in Equestria." he stated, running his eyes up and down my figure, "I've never seen any with a choice of clothing such as yourself. Tell me... what is it that brings you to Gem Fido?" He gestured to a servant to bring over a chair for me to sit. I thought a bit, composing the list in my head.

"Many things,first and foremost, my heart goes out to those under the oppressive rule of many of the Alphas of Gem Fido, and so I made up my mind to liberate Gem Fido."

"Oh, you and what army?"

"It's just us three," I clenched my fists in embarrassment, "It only recently came to my attention that we had no auxiliary troops to support us. Thankfully I didn't decide to engage in any of the clans."

"And why not?"

"Basic Military Strategy, a trickle of a stream cannot surpass a dam made to block it. I have my doubts on whether I can effectively lead at all." He looked at me sympathetically.

"I see what you mean, it is good that you've made it this far, but I must ask, why come here? From what I can tell, you seek no hostile intent."

"That's the thing, I came here on a whim, all because of a... vision... if you could call it. Before then, I had no sense of direction, no starting point on how I was going to start my campaign. I'm not ready to start a war, no risk the lives of those around me."

"You've gotten this far, and everyone's alive, aren't they?"

"Small skirmishes I can handle on my own, but I'm not strong enough to take on clans with more organization and manpower than I do. Right now I'm just buying time to think."

"You are wise to do so." He shifted on his throne to place his feet on a footrest. "I have seen many Alpha's who have been in your position, who plotted to take Gem Fido from the Sirius, so confident that they soon fell on their own swords, all because they were itching for war. It is nice to see one such as yourself willing to wait until he has gathered his objectives in order."

"I've been meaning to ask, How did Keith get here?"

"Keith?"

"Or Auburn as you might know him..."

"Oh..." He chuckled, "We found him passed out trying to find refuge near our warren. By our code, we swear to give sanctuary to all who seek it." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"If you don't mind me asking, why hasn't the Sirius taken any action to stop the Alphas?" He scoffed.

"He's been fighting for everyone, trying his hardest to settle peace negotiations with the dragons... with no success." Varg slouched on his throne, a look of defeat on his face, "Since the Fall out of the Griffin Dominion, The dragons took advantage, taking the Dominion and Gem Fido in one fell swoop. Alphas are strong, yes, but not even 10 can stand up to a black dragon. Which brings us to you."

"Me?"

"We are the last lunar wolves in existence in Equus, and I'm tired of fighting. I put up my sword centuries ago, hoping that with my position as Underking, I could help spread a message of peace throughout the clans. However, being dead has its disadvantages." He held up his arm to reveal a gaping gash underneath his arm, muscle torn away giving way to a stained white bone.

"But you, you are still alive, whats more, you've shown your resolve by freeing one clan already."

"How do you know that?"

"Heh, with MY information network, word travels like lightning. I remember than clan, and Ensin. Cheeky rat bastard, didn't deserve to have lycan blood in his veins." He shook his head at the mention of the dead Alpha.

"I look upon you and I know I see a warrior, bred for battle, am I right?"

"Not necessarily."

"Don't give me that scat, I can tell. You're forged from the fires of war: assassinations, battles, and many victories. Had you been in my former clan, you'd have stood right at my side as equals." He sighed, reminiscing about things long forgotten, "Those were the days when honor meant something, the days of proud warriors. Now all we have are sniveling remnants, the blood and fire of warriors have thinned out and died down, dwindling with each passing generation. But I can still tell a warrior just by looking at him, and another wolf no less... tell me, have you started gorging yourself lately?"

"Only on the captain's ship, once, after a training exercise." To this he chuckled.

"A word of advice, if your body bids you to run, you run, If your body bids you to fight, you fight, Through this, I guarantee, you'll get stronger."

I paused for a bit, drinking in what he had said, about getting stronger, about the allegiances of the other clans, and about what I could do next.

"Early, you told me that magic defying the laws of nature was keeping you and your clan bound to this world, care to elaborate?"

"Ah yes, that subject." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Believe it or not, I was having a nice time being dead, when something, I'm not sure what, brought me back to life, wounds still fresh except for the last fatal one."

"I see..." I stood up slow. "I thank you for your hospitality, pardon if we have overstayed our welcome in any way."

"Leaving so soon?" I paused, thinking. I had nowhere else to be, no plan in motion, no hurry. I almost forgot why I cam here in the first place.

"Do you have any idea why I'm here?" I looked back.

"An inkling," he answered with a wide grin, "But, if you really want to know, You're going to have to earn it..."

I cocked my head to the side, "How so?"

"It's simple, a traditional clan test of strength and skill... judging by what you've told me so far, arriving here has been your only lead to what to do next. So, what will it be?" he bridged his fingers together, poised with a smug look on his face.

"What kind of test?"

The crowd was cheering for us, both sides had their fans. Varg's clan members roared their support for their leader, while Ubi, Eol, Keith, and some of the others cheered for me. We stood inside a ring traced around us, enough to give us room to maneuver, but not enough to run away.

"First one to have a body part touch outside the ring loses." He explained. Two warriors came and placed thin cloth wrappings over our claws.

"What are these for?"

"Any techniques acceptable, but no claws or blades, this is a duel, not a killing field." He took a strip of cloth and wrapped it around both his fists. An attendant offered to wrap mine, but I declined.

"Looks like we've drawn quite a crowd..." I remark, looking over the audience. The crowd seemed to extend by the hundreds as if we were at the very middle of a coliseum.

"Of course, quite literally, this is a fight for the centuries, there hasn't been a good match between two wolves since, well, I'm sure you know..." He replies, taking off his cape and sash, as well as his royal jacket. I take of my dobuku and shed my kosode off of my shoulders. Many of the females in the crowd give wanton looks at both of our figures, some even giving audible 'wolf-whistles'.

"You are familiar with this sort of sport, are you not?" He asked. I nodded in reply.

"Is something the matter?" I stayed silent, mulling it over in my mind.

"Tell you what, If you win, I'll tell you..."

"I think you mean when I win." He took an offensive stance, fists raised at the ready. I took an empty stance, shifting the weight to my rear leg.

We circled the arena once, sizing up stances, positioning, weight, as well as the leading attack. A flare of light from his eyes gave the signal, and the fight began. He came at me with a low cross, I brought up my elbow to intercept, shifting to my front leg, bringing my knee forward straight into Varg's solar plexus. Without notice, he followed with a hook to my jaw. My mouth snapped shut, almost biting into my tongue. I reeled back, skidding on the dirt ground, nursing my throbbing jaw bone.

'I was sure I hit him.' He stood with his fists posed on his hips, giving a hearty laugh.

"Was that meant to bring me to my knees? I'm sorry, but a single knee to the stomach won't end the fight that easily." I stayed silent, returning to my stance. My turn to take the offensive. I rushed towards him, shifting my weight to the left. He responded with a low sweep to my legs. I Jumped into the air, turning my body to deliver a devastating scissor kick to the side of his head, feeling the crack of bone underneath his fur. Out of nowhere, I felt my leg grabbed by his paws. He twisted my leg midair and tossed me to the ground, face first. I felt my knee give out, twisted in a way it wasn't suppose too, my nose caving in on impact. He saw his advantage, and bore down on my leg, bringing my foot up to my back, pinning me to the ground.

"Picked that move up in Tartarus." He said with a smile. I growled, clenching my teeth for what I was about to do. I flooded my veins with adrenaline, jerking violently at my leg. A sickening crack followed, but I felt the joint in my knee dislocate, I seized my chance, bringing my free foot to slam Varg's smug expression to the ground. His grip loosened, and I slipped free, going into a grounded stance on my knee, panting heavily. He got back up cracking his neck back into place with a spine tingling snap.

"That was unexpected, you dislocated you knee to free yourself, that had to hurt." I grit my teeth and place both paws on my dangling leg. One quick motion locked it back into place with a pop, pain flooded my leg. A loud roar escaping my lips, causing all standing near me to flinch. Although weakened, I could stand on my leg again.

"Let's go..." I shifted to a drop stance, thigh parallel to the ground, rear leg extending.

"Wow, for a young one, you sure do have a lot of tolerance for pain. What's your secret?" It hit me then. He was taking the full force of my attacks without so much as flinching, could he know longer feel any pain, or was he just taking hits?

"Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." I waved my fingers towards me, the universal sign for what Keith calls...

"AWWWWWW SHIEEEET!" Keith yelled from the crowd, "Come at me, BRO!" After all these years, he still hasn't changed.

"With pleasure..." Varg cracked his knuckles and charged with surprising speed.

'Gotcha...' I picked up a rock between my toes and brought it to my paw, grasping it. I shifted to my bow stance again, lunging forward with my paw, shooting the rock with my thumb right between the eyes. He dodges to the left, bringing his fist forward in a swift jab. I counter with an open paw, the two contacting with a loud smack. I pull on his paw past me, bringing my free elbow down onto his occipital ridge. A gasp of air escaped before he fell to the ground. I backed away a few yards, he wasn't down just yet. Sure enough, he got back up to his feet, dazed but still functional.

"So you can feel pain..." I wiped my nose of the blood tricking down it, wincing at the pain. A look in his eyes told all, eyes shaking, a light sway. A hit like that would have knocked out a person instantly. I could tell I wasn't up against a regular person.

"Of course I do, I just do a good job of hiding it," He pointed at me, swaying, "Why are there two of you now?"

I wasn't sure whether he was toying with me or actually delusional. I wouldn't take any chances. I took a deep breath, exhaling deeply, slowing down time.

'Remember what they taught you... nerves control everything, sever the nerve, and the body will fall.' I remembered my claws tied up, but that didn't mean I couldn't still do what I needed. I wiggled my digits, feeling them limber up, ready to strike.

Traumatized solar plexus, fractured right jaw, dazed nervous system, sensory system erratic. I could feel it, each weak point and strike are open to me, all I had to do was execute. Harder than it sounds. One misread could leave me wide open.

"Ikimasu... (Go)" I dash towards him, immediately closing the distance between us in less than a second. He springs his trap, going for a drunken roundhouse. I vault over him, pirouetting to reach his backside. He reads this and brings his back elbow to intercept my jab. I react quickly, releasing my fist and grabbing his arm. I strike with a two fingered stab to his exposed Golgi tendon, feeling the arm go limp. With a solid stance, I bring my arm back, push backwards on my rear leg, reinforcing my uppercut ten fold into his elbow. A deep resounding snap is heard throughout the ring, making many of the spectators cringe and groan, one even vomiting. Varg lets out a pained yowl, yanking his arm away from my grip.

I continue my onslaught, closing the distance again, lunging at his throat, catching him in a vice grip.

"GACK!" I tense my muscles and snap my fingers together, letting go immediately. He clenches his throat with one paw and lunges at me with the other, I block with a back hand and fracture his right jaw with a punishing heel kick. He reels back, I grab his arm and slide my elbow into his jugular, bringing more pain to his throat. I let go and crouch low, curling my wrist backwards to strike with a four fingered stab to the back of his knee, his leg bending forward on impact. I brace one paw on the ground and bring my fist forward in a debilitating blow to the front part of his knee, bending it grotesquely backwards. I slide on the ground to his backside, grabbing one of his arms and corkscrewing it around to his back, with that I deliver a sharp four fingered stab to the brachial plexus, loosening his arms. I step back and drive my palm into his shoulder blade, dislocating his shoulder entirely from its socket as he jerks forward from the impact. I grab his waist and jump back a few feet, then bending backwards into a full suplex, the Underking's head slamming into the ground, kicking up dust in every direction.

Fractured jaw, traumatized solar plexus, shattered knee caps, torn ligaments in the elbow as well as broken humerus, damaged trachea, dislocated shoulder, ripping nerves in 3 anatomical places, and near fatal concussive condition. In short, he'll be lucky to even walk the next morning.

After the rush of adrenaline fades from my system, fatigue hits me like a 50 mph freight train, having used up nearly all the energy I had. I pass out due to sheer mental and physical exhaustion.

I wake up in a bed not my own, shadowed by Ubi, Eol, Keith, and a few female diamond dogs. I look to my left to find Varg in the same state, shadowed my many female diamond dogs, he was covered with various bandages, while I had a splint around my right leg and a bandage wrapping my muzzle.

"Shit bro, looks like you already got some bitches tailin' you." Keith stated, pointing a hoof at the females surrounding my bedside.

"MRF ABF VGR (What about Varg)." My speech muffled through my bandages, having sealed my mouth shut.

"He's fine, relatively speaking, and wanted to give you the message for when you woke up."

"RI CHI (Which is?)"

"You managed to get his ear out of the ring with that last suplex, and might I say, Overkill much?" Keith remarked with a large grin plastered on his face. I glared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nevermind, If you need me, I'll be hitting the booze and hitting the hay. See ya later, Aoi-gater. And YES, that was meant to be a bad pun." Eol and Ubi stared at him. "Right, Sizzle, Losing, Bye..." He bolted out of the room. I unwrapped the bandages from around muzzle, a little sore, but nothing worse for the wear.

"I guess we're staying here for a few days. I'm sorry for delaying us like this." I knew it was my fault, I was too rash in that fight, too unprepared, and now I had a torn knee because of it.

"Well, it's not like we have anything else to do in the meantime, I'm not even sure why we came here in the first place." It hit me that I had won the fight, therefore entitled to why I came here in the first place. I shot up from my bed before a sharp pain shot through my entire body, causing me to fall back into the bed.

"Take it easy, Aoi, I don't know what you did, but it wiped you out pretty bad. Your body was on fire when we brought you in." I remembered what happens when I overly used it.

=1 year ago=

"Okay, Aoi, when your ready, fire her up!" Keith said with vigor, having secured the last biomedical sensor to my body.

"Right, here I go." How Keith told me to do it was to think of it like commanding my body with my thoughts rather than will.

'Release Adrenaline.' I felt my heart rate shoot up rapidly, my muscles tensing to move.

"WHOA AOI TURN IT DOWN!"

'Stop!' After a while my heart rate returned to normal.

"Yeah we are DEFINITELY gonna need to work on that a bit, but so far the adrenaline functionality works, but be careful with it. What I'm guessing is that you should only use it if you are hurt, as more of a sedative and booster. I swear, when you did it, your EKG Shot up to 302 BPM, you almost shot out your heart."

"Strange, I don't feel any- AAAAH!!!!" My heart felt like it was on fire, I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

"AOI!" He rushed over an injected me with something, after a few seconds the burning stop, but I was motionless afterward.

"Well THAT happened. You're lucky I'm here. Okay, so I dosed you with a mild sedative along with a slur of cell repairing enzymes, you should be standing within about 30 minutes, meanwhile, just... don't do anything stupid. You know, like, move..." It wasn't like I really had a choice, I couldn't move anything in my body, not even able to close my mouth.

"Okay, let me think about this for a second." He sat back down in his chair, mulling over the vast amount of papers on his desk, "Let's see, according to the Alpha wave to Beta wave output ratio, complete control... dododobadaba... space..." after a few minutes of shuffling through the notes, he shot up from his chair, "GASP! I've fucking done it!" He looked back at me in jubilation, "According to the results, your Alpha and Beta waves produced the intended result."

'NO SHIT!' I screamed in the back of my mind.

"Analyzing the results, I think it's more of a floodgate kind of thing, if no restrictions are applied, like dosage and amount, your body just assumes to go full throttle, like if you were really in danger." I felt the drool sliding out of my open mouth.

"Right, a vegetable, at least you can hear me. At least, I HOPE that's what you're doing."

'Like I could do anything else...'

"Oh good, you can hear me. So take it easy for a few days, actually, try releasing a small amount of steroid, like say... 10 cc."

'Release 10cc's of steroids.' A pain shot through my chest, bring me to attention immediately, I gasped for air like a fish out of water. After a few deep breaths, I felt my sovereignty over my muscles return.

"Well that worked out swimmingly. So anyway, just take it easy for about a week, that means no 'jobs' doc's orders, even though that's the last thing I said before losing my medical license."

"What?"

"Never mind, Also, you MAY fell a helluva lot tired, depends. Do you consume at least 10,000 calories?"

"T-Ten Thousand Calories?"

"I take it that’s a.... no.... In that case you are definitely gonna be sore in the morning. After all, they do say that the brain is the hungriest muscle in the human body, consuming over 25% of stored energy just for daily function. Now, take that normal energy consumption the brain uses, and instead of spreading that energy consumption over a long period of time, i.e. an entire day, and then overclock the SHIT out of it more than a supercomputer, basically increasing the amount of electrical packets, and what commands they contain, as well as some foreign commands that I added for extra oomph, and do that in in the time span of about a minute, and you've got the energy demands that pretty much mandate that you inhale Triple Whoppers."

"So, now I have to eat more?"

"By how much you work out? You burn that many calories just by breathing due to afterburn. So yeah, better hit the steaks and Mickey D's, bruh." He took a sip out of a Styrofoam cup.

"Also, good thing to know, mind altering drugs act differently, so think twice before reaching for a pep pill, Imma be honest, this whole time I've been throwing science at the wall to see what sticks, so whatever neurological and psychological shit that happens, I'll take full responsibility for, don't worry, I'm pretty sure with the right amount of reconstructive therapy, any negative side effects can be mostly negated."

"Ahem, mostly?"

"When you sobered me up and gave me the funding I needed, I got a cat scan of your brain, also a neuron-wave profile, kind of like a blueprint for your noggin."
'

"When did you do this?"

"Well, you know... when you're, not looking..." I stared at him. "OKAY! I did it when you were asleep one night, damn you've got a stare almost as lethal as Fluttershy's, almost."

=Present=

I took a few breaths and relaxed in my bed, thinking.

'Now's not the time to be doing anything at the moment, for now, take this time and plan. Now, what do we need?' We needed troops, a clan behind us that will give us much needed support. Eol's former clan was in the Dominion, too far away to reach, but we could travel back there if need be.

'That's a start, make that the last thing you need to do, since it would be counter productive to leave Gem Fido when we just arrived, wouldn't want to waste any more time. Now, second, we know that some clans will believe you are the lunar legend, but others will be unwilling, what can we show them as proof.' Growl said that there was a... council that decided prophecy.

'Perfect, if we can convince them to give us a token or seal, something to show to the other clans, that will be our proof. Make that a high priority objective. Now, an optional thing, but important nonetheless, we'll need to communicate not only with the Alpha's, but the dragon 'guardians' as well.' That would be a problem, unless they are as wise as Blackfire, most wouldn't even listen.

'Precisely, more than likely the only route we can take with dragons is intimidation, proof that you're a dragon slayer means nothing when your twenty times shorter than them.' If things did go south, I needed to be ready. I had to work on feats of intimidation, something that would make mighty beasts flinch at the sight of it.

'A challenge, most dragons are proud in nature, condescending. What better way to break down one's pride than by taking them down a notch in a challenge. Now, what are dragons known for?" Fiery breath, prominent voices, hard scales...

'... and you have a blade that can cut dragon scale, forged by yourself, no less." With everything set out, I had to organize it.

'First, hopefully, we can request the aid of some of Varg's clan members, a sort of escort group. With most of them undead, they can take a beating, therefore very useful as combat units.' One thing still bothered me, it was one of the reasons I came to Gem Fido in the first place, the Stars of Lupus, something I knew absolutely nothing about.

"You seem troubled..." A vague familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. I sat up to see a large white and red wolf sitting in front of our beds. I looked to my left to see Varg sitting upright, seeming perfectly healthy.

"Well now, finally up now, Aoi was it? Sorry, I'm terrible at names," He said nonchalantly. I looked back at the Red and white wolf, who seemed rather ethereal in appearance and form.

"This is the one who 'called' you here to Gem Fido," I looked back, trying to make the connection.

"You're the one who told gave Blackfire the message? In all sense, how and why?" I wanted answers.

"If you haven't guessed already, I am the Guardian spirit of all canine species and breeds of these two worlds. I am Inugami, the romanized 'Dog God'. Remember the man who appeared in your apartment building?" It clicked in my mind.

"THAT WAS YOU?!" He merely nodded and walked over to Varg.

"I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm always honor bound to hold up my end of a wager," Varg interrupted, " You won that match fair and square, even though it was only by an ear's length. you won nonetheless. So there you have it, why you are here in the Oblong Tomb, and yes, he's told me that you aren't from this universe." I look around, Eol and Ubi nowhere to be seen. I look back at Inugami.

"How much did you tell him?"

"Just that you aren't from here, and that you are what people say you are, even though you yourself doubt it."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"Prophecy doesn't just happen, someone makes it happen, whether it be god, demon, mortal, or spirit. You are here because I brought you here, and what you do is your own choice. However, I did bring you here because I thought you could fill in the blanks." I stroked my hair, taking it all in. He made a valid point, that prophecy is rather a vague fallacy, only fulfilled by action, not a simple divination. But...

"... Why ME?" The million yen question.

"Who really knows how I came to meet you in the first place, but I chose you because I know you: strong, powerful, uncaring of greed or fame, impartial in judgment, but respectful of any life, be it one taken... or saved. Or maybe it's because over the years, I've developed an affinity to all who have sought revenge." He hesitated on the last part, giving me cause for pressing further.

"What do you mean by saved?" With that, Inugami sat poised, as if a dog to his master.

"I know you personally, having followed you near your entire life."

"If you're a god, aren't you suppose to know?"

"I forget often how mortals are unbeknownst to how things work on the spiritual plane. I'm not a true god, only a god, if you can even call me that, by affliction. I'm not omniscient, but I've known you since you were four, since that day. Believe it or not, we've met before..." At that, his eyes turned sad, dulling to a depressing maroon.

"... a long time ago, you once called me 'Stray'..." The word shot me through the heart like a lead bullet. I only knew one which I called stray...

"Nora?"

The Spirit of Vengeance Part 1 [30x]

With a simple nod in reply to my one worded question, I lept for joy out of my bed onto my remaining leg, hopping towards him, after a stumble I barreled into him, burying my muzzle into his fur, shedding tears that held memories from long ago, faded, but never forgotten. A myriad of emotions swept through me, clashing through my thoughts. I could do nothing but cry into Nora's fur.

"Nora..." My eyes glanced over at the patterns on his fur, they faded from bright red to a soft burgundy, the color of poorly healed scars. I clutched his fur in my paws, "Is it really you? I mean, how..."

"You once told me you wanted to be a detective, didn't you?" He asked with a smile. My eyes widened, speechless at the fact that he was alive. After a few moments of sorting through reoccurring questions I could but utter a single phrase:

"I missed you..."

"I know Aoi," he replied, his voice was soothing, like a father to a hurt child, "I'm sorry..."

=16 years ago=

The sky was dark, a small overcast shed light drizzling rain onto a forgotten forest of Asakusa, where in its ruined domain beheld an abandoned Shinto shrine whose god was said to have deserted and cursed it. A young boy sat on the steps, crying, tending wounds with a dirty towel. He kept his eyes closed as he winced with ever single rub of the damp towel across the ragged, torn, scars.

With every stroke of the towel, more and more pain elicited more and more red tears from his eyes. In his other hand was a rusted and nicked cleaver, the edge slicked with blood that slowly dripped off in the cleansing summer rain. He whimpered as he ran the towel over a brutal gash. After he could take the sting of it no longer, he curled up and lied down onto the steps, letting the rain wash over his skin, the blood running down the aged steps onto the cold soft ground below. After collecting himself, he reached behind his back and started tending to the fresh wounds on it, red and raw from where cord met skin tissue.

He was glad that he was gone, gone from that horrible place. He knew he had a long way to go, but he had finally took a step in the right direction.

A twig snapped, the boy sat up to attention, pointing the cleaver at the source of the disturbance, both hands clutching it shaking.

"Dete oide! (Show yourself!)" He cried out in a trembling voice. A small dog waddled from out behind the tree it used as a hiding place, its white fur matted and gray with dirt and dust. Small markings accompanied the dust that pocked its fur. The boy lowered his hands, placing the cleaver on the steps with a metallic clack. Slowly the dog limped over to the boy, a long gash in its side was made clear. The boy rose to his feet, walking uneasily towards the wounded creature.

The dog tread sluggishly through the dirt, which slowly turned into gritty mud with each passing minute. It soon slumped over and fell down, rasping heavily, looking up at the boy with pleading eyes. Without another word, the boy knelt down, reached a hand over his right arm and tore off his sleeve. He wrapped the gash in the makeshift bandage, taking care not to cause any more pain. He cradled the muddy dog in his arms, carrying him into the temple.

"Anzendesu (You're safe)," the boy said, placing it on a stack of tatami mats. He looked down at the creature, slowly stroking its matted fur. After a few glances around the temple, he spotted a collection box in the middle of the room. He stood up, digging through his pockets, which yielded but a single yen coin. He went over and tossed it into the slot, clasping his hands together in prayer.

'Ikiru, Onegai (Please live.)' With that, he went back to nursing his own wounds, leaning against the wall. Not long after, both had fallen asleep as the rain slowly died down to the soft pitter patter of raindrops on the shingled roof.

Birds called out to herald the damp morning air and the return of sunlight, now shining through the temple windows. The dog woke first, twitching its ears to shake off an imaginary itch. He looked at the boy, after recalling last nights events, started to lick the boy's hand. The waif stirred, groaning as if to deny that the day had come. The dog sat there, contemplating his current situation.

'So, this is my new master now,' he thought to himself, 'One who wields a cleaver coated in blood.' He glanced at the nicked cleaver lying on the ground next to the youth. He took a gentle whiff of the blade, lips furled in a snarl. The blood reeked of malice and hatred. He turned his view back to the curled boy in the corner, who emanated a contrary aura of loneliness and pain.

'What strange force dwells within him?' the dog contemplated, head cocked in cautious curiosity, 'The blood shed by a killer, yet the blade wielded by a victim.' A piercing shock passed through him, making him collapse on the dark, damp mat.

The boy awoke in a jolt to the muffled thud next to him, his eyes shooting to the source. His expression dampened as he wrapped his arms around the paralyzed cur, bringing him back to his resting place.

"Bakage inu wa, anata wa mada kizutsuite imasu. (Silly dog, you're still hurt.)" He patted the bandages, slowly peeling away his hand for any sign of further injury. Satisfied of the merely damp result, he sighed in relief. A drowsy grin crept over his face.

"Sore wa asada... (It's morning...)" His stomach growled angrily. The once drowsy grin faded to anxiety as he sifted through his clothes to find nothing edible. He turned his view towards the cleaver, the blood now caked over in a burgundy hue. He grasped it in his hand, thinking of how to get his next meal. Turning to the sky, he saw nothing but fruitless trees. His stomach growled again, the hunger pangs growing stronger by the minute.

He looked back at the dog, petting him once before heading out into the woods. After about 3 hours scouring the woods for something to eat, he had managed to chance upon a few strawberry bushes. He carried the strawberries in a small strip of clothing, tying it around his side with a small cord. He marked the path back to the temple by breaking a few branches along his left. What surprised him was when the forest thinned out a bit to reveal a patch of watermelons. His jaw dropped in excitement, letting loose a stream of drool.

He crouched low, creeping up to the edge of the patch, hugging close to the grass. he headed to the nearest one and slit the vine with the cleaver. Immediately he bolted back into the forest, carrying the heavy melon in his scrawny arms and the rusted cleaver in his mouth. He rushed passed the broken branches as fast as he could, wayward sprigs scratching his face as he passed.

Right as he was about to make it back to the temple, he lost his footing and started to slide along the muddy ground, out of control until he landed face first into the mud. The water melon rolled along the ground, gaining a thin coat of dirt on it. The boy got back up, waddling over to the melon and picking it back up, aching.

"NGHH!" He dropped down on one knee, his ankle flaming with pain. He looked back and found it twisted from the fall. He forced onward, limping back to the temple before landing at its steps. He spit out the cleaver, breathing heavily with a pained smile at his prize. He brought out the pouch of berries, disappointed with a pink stain leaking out from the pouch. The little boy leaned back against the steps, gritting his teeth as he eased his hand down towards his ankle, finding it already swollen. He massaged it and tried to realign it, resulting in piercing screams. Afterward, he limped over to the pup's resting place and placed the pouch onto the ground next to it, gently untying the cord and revealing the berries inside.

"Sono ni iku (There you go...)" He croaked before tending to his new injury, taking his usual seat against the wall. The pup soon awoke again, bracing himself up on his forelegs and sniffing the pile of mushy strawberries. The sweet smell was tantalizing to his nose; he gladly wolfed down the entire pile, juice and all, staining his muzzle a bright pink. The boy giggled as the pup gorged itself on the red fruit.

"Anata ga hen ni mieru. (You look funny)" He smiled, pointing at the dog's berry covered face. The dog duly replied with a lick of his muzzle and then went back to his resting place, satisfied and faring better, even if it wasn't by much.

"Anata no namae wa? (Do you have a name?)" he asked, leaning over to see if the dog had a collar, "Eri nashi? (No collar?)" He stared at the lack of even a trace of a collar. A stray since birth, born free, the dog never really took to such worries as having a name, his eyes flickered at the boy before starting to drift off.

'I never had a collar, but I did have a name,' the dog picked through his thoughts, 'I can't remember it...'

"Nanashi? (No Name?)" The boy mulled over possible names for the dog before shaking his head. "Sate, anata wa norainudesu... (Well you are a stray dog so...)" He tightened the splint with a wince, sighing afterward, "Dono yō ni Nora wa dōdesu ka? (How about Nora?)" he asked, smiling.

The puppy's ears perked up when he heard it. He looked at the boy, head cocked to the side?

'Stray? Is that what he intends to name me?' he thought it over. 'Nora... it does have a nice ring to it.' He barked in response. The boy smiled even wider, happy that his new friend had accepted the name.

"Watashi wa anata no namae o shitte, naritai jirai o shitte imasu ka? (I know your name, wanna know mine?)" The pup nodded. "Watashi wa Myoujin Aoi."

Over the next several weeks, Aoi and Nora spent their days living in the old abandoned temple. Aoi headed into the city often and borrowed books from the library, bringing them back to read. Many were camping guides. He learned from them, how to hunt, how to make animal traps, how to fish, even how to start a garden. From that he managed to scratch up a meal for both of them. With well nourishment and the occasional replacement of 'bandages' Nora soon recovered from his wounds, a new patch of fur covering the once near fatal wound. Aoi however, wasn't so lucky, his would had healed over into discolored scars.

With the game and fruit he gathered, Aoi would go to trade in the marketplace for a couple hundred yen per batch. A few weeks later, he had enough to afford cooking supplies, making rice dishes, stews, soups, etc. Eventually, Aoi had enough to finally replace his clothes, as well as better bedrolls for him and Nora. Aoi soon started to wear long sleeved clothing to hide his scars, embarrassed at how many people gawked at him for it, even going as far as wrapping his hands in gloves or cloth gauntlets.

It wasn't much to live on, but both Aoi and Nora could call their little abandoned temple out in the middle of the forests of Asakusa home. More and more Aoi brought home books from the library, novels of many kinds, and he would often read aloud to Nora as he slept cradled in Aoi's lap, dozing in the mid morning rays. Some days they would just lay around and do absolutely nothing at all but gaze at the sky as clouds drifted on by. Even in the rain, they would sit either parked under the porch of the temple as the rain slicked off of Aoi's clothes and Nora's fur, or under a heavily bloomed tree as they enjoyed the cooling drops from the leaves. Nora soon became well enough to track and hunt for game with Aoi, and both of them would run through the forest, whether to track down quarry, or simply for fun. However, there were many a days where Aoi would sit alone, scratching the single cleaver he had with a piece of sandstone or flint, removing the blood, rust and dirt that had accumulated on it bit by bit, not seeking any company whatsoever. Those were the days that Nora sensed that violent aura he did back then.

Weeks turned into months, and soon enough, winter had arrived. Aoi had saved enough money to replace the doors of the temple, as well as refurnish a sand bed furnace inside for heating and cooking the stores of crops from the small garden. Much of that winter was spent indoors, cradled around the furnace as Aoi read to his companion. Nora took no interest in the literature, often giving a cute wide yawn from underneath the blankets of the bedroll as Aoi articulated the works of Shakespeare and other works of Western Literature dubbed in Nihongo. During some cold nights whenever it snowed heavily, Nora would often crawl out from his bedroll, crawl into Aoi's and sleep curled up next to or even on top of him in a small white ball of fur.

One calm snowfall, as the sika deer pass through the forest where the two resided, Aoi took solace in the evening frost, a red scarf wrapped around half his face with Nora, who grew out a double coat of white fur mottled with a deep maroon, tail swishing about to left to right. They both sat on the porch, an occasional snowflake tickling their noses. Aoi sighed deeply, clutching his gloved hands together. Nora glanced at him with concern and curiosity.

"Anata mo anata no ryōshin o ketsujō ka, Nora? (Do you miss your parents too, Nora?)" Aoi looked down at him with a saddened gaze. "Karera wa, amarini mo anata kara torare, karera ni nakatta? (They were taken from you too, weren't they?)" Nora's ears drooped as he whimpered in reply.

"Itsuka, watashi wa seigi ni watashi no ryōshin o ubatta mono o jisan suru tsumoridesu. (Someday, I'm going to bring the one who took away my parents to justice.)" Aoi pulled out a novel, Sherlock Holmes. "Watashi wa chōdo Shārokku-yō ni, tanteidearu tsumoridesu. (I'm going to be a detective, just like Sherlock.)" He placed the book down on the porch. Nora looked up at Aoi, pondering.

'A noble cause.' He slipped under Aoi's arm. 'Could you live up to it?' He had doubts that Aoi could do so, eying the cleaver the young boy held so close to him. Aoi smiled at him, scratching the growing hound behind his ears.

"Itsuka watashi wa ie ni kaeru koto ga dekirudeshou. (Maybe someday I'll be able to go back home.)" He turned his gaze back to the soft gray sky. "Īdarou to omou koto. (I think that it would be nice.)" Nora responded by twitching his ears and dozing off.

"Anata wa nani no yumewomiru? (What do you dream of?" he asked. Nora's eyes cracked open. He considered what he really wanted to accomplish. All Nora really knew was that he was alive longer than he'd like to be, but no recollection on how or why. But somehow, being with Aoi seemed right.

'I guess what I'd really like to accomplish is to regain my memory,' he concluded before returning to the dull confines of sleep.

Aoi glanced out across the snow scape, the forest gathering a blanket of snow for a season long rest. His mind wandered to the sea salt breeze of the coast, as well as the apartment. His heart started to ache with longing for brighter days that had long since passed. He reached up and rubbed away the tears coming to his eyes.

"Anata ga natsukashii desu. (I miss you)" He whispered to the cold December air, hoping they would reach their long lost audience.

Four long years passed, and the two became close companions. Although Nora couldn't speak, Aoi could always count on him to listen, even if he did end up falling asleep. Sometimes Aoi would act out scenes from Sherlock Holmes, or even Hamlet, quoting speeches and monologues without fail, while Nora watched intently, wondering what Aoi was even doing.

One night, Aoi and Nora stayed awake to see the lanterns floating down river at Obon. Aoi had saved up to buy a pure white kimono to wear in reverence to the dead. He lit two lanterns, placing them gently in the river as its soft ocean current carried it downstream. Bowing his head, he remembered all the good times and bad that him and his parents had celebrated together. Teardrops followed, and soon they left the river as the small lanterns headed to their final destination, lighting up the entire river in a warm glow as the August moon shown overhead, reflected in the shimmering water.

One summer's evening, Aoi had learned about a program that he could take to go to middle school. He came back to the abandoned temple jumping for joy, holding a small envelope in his hand.

"Nora! Mite! (Nora! Look!)" He slid open the door in such a rush, that Nora jolted out from underneath the sheets and bolted under a table. Aoi laughed, sitting down on his bedroll while pulling out a small piece of paper from the envelope. It was an acceptance letter for him to go to middle school. Beaming, he rushed over to the table Nora peek out from under, grabbing him and flinging him up into the air with joy.

"Suteki da ne? (Isn't it wonderful?)" he cheered, holding Nora up in the air. Nora was absolutely terrified of heights. He scrambled out of Aoi's arms and fell back onto the ground.

"Watashi wa gakkō ni iru toki wa, yoi inu ni naru koto o yakusoku, daijōbudesuka? (Promise that you'll be a good dog when I'm in school, okay?)" Nora's ears flattened when he heard this, turning around to meet Aoi's gaze with sad eyes. Aoi sighed and sat down next to him. He started petting Nora's fluffy white coat. He wished he could bring Nora to school, but they wouldn't allow pets in school.

Over the years, Nora grew more and more.

"Soreijō ni seichō shi, watakushiha yori ōku no shokuryō o sodate hajimenakereba naranaideshou, (Grow any more, and I'll have to start growing more food.)" Aoi joked when he found him one day having grown the size of a Great Pyrenees. From then on Nora had to settle to laying beside him at night.

The more Nora grew however, the more he started to have nightmares. Sudden flashes of images in his mind, scenes from ages past. Nora often tossed and turned in his sleep because of this, whimpering and howling in his sleep. Whenever he did this, Aoi sung him a lullaby that his mother sang to him, every night. But one day, nightmare invaded Nora's mind that night, one that he knew would force him to make an impossible choice.

Many more months passed as Aoi went from home to school and back again, each day traversing 2 miles to get to school. Many of the students never talked to him, a rumor soon spread that Aoi was the offspring of a demon because of his red eyes. Some of the upperclassmen teased him about it. Those that did were met with a deadly glare. On a rare occasion, Aoi came home one day with a bruise on his face. A fight happened in school when a prank went to far and someone jokingly tried to 'exorcise' him. The result was one kid having an arm smashed in a locker door and Aoi's cheek bruised from a brutal punch. He cried that night, quietly sobbing as he spent the night sharpening his cleaver like he always did whenever he felt sad or angry. He stopped however when Nora came up to him that night, nuzzling him. He felt better, wiping away his tears on his uniform. Even so, the next morning, Aoi didn't let him come to school with him. In some ways, he felt he was protecting him. The upperclassmen would only try to hurt Aoi to spite him.

But Nora persisted, whining and begging to go with Aoi to school each and every morning without fail. Eventually, Aoi gave in one day, letting him walk behind Aoi as he traversed the countryside. When they reached the city, everything changed. The cars were busier than usual, the bustle of the streets was suffocating as people pushed past Aoi left and right going about their mundane lives. Stoplight blared on and off as the cars traveled unrelentingly towards their destination.

All the while, a single thought was going through Nora's mind.

'For what is about to happen, I am truly sorry...' A red light snapped to green; Aoi and Nora started to cross the road.

A screech of wheels sounded across the street. Everything blurred together as the order of downtown traffic spiraled out of control. Aoi caught a glimpse of a limo out of the corner of his eye headed straight towards him. He froze in fear as it came, swerving erratically. At the very last second, he felt something push him out of the way. It was Nora, slamming into him with watery beads forming at the corner of his eyes.

Aoi sat there on the ground, staring in horror with blood splattered all over him. A sharp pain came from his side where piece of white shrapnel had pierced him. There he was, Nora, once a pup he had known four years ago, laid there, dead, the color of his eyes fading from view, his once white coat marred with bits of broken glass and his own blood. Aoi started to crawl towards Nora, clutching his side as he did so, blood trailing behind him as he approached the side of his friend. Drops of rain trickled down as the overcast rolled into a storm. Amidst the falling raindrops, tears of blood landed on the creature's gaping muzzle. Nora's eyes looked back at Aoi's as their color faded from them. Aoi buried his face in Nora's red stained fur, gasping and whimpering, hoping that this was just all a bad dream.

It was all real, the shrapnel in his side, the blood on his fingers and face, the tears that fell along with the rain. The city growing quiet as traffic stopped and police sirens blared across the road, quarantining the entire block with yellow tape. All of it. Aoi wailed loudly amidst the silence of the city, crying aloud in sadness as the rain fell on his face, mingling with the tears he alone shed for his fallen friend. The slow tapping of rain on the asphalt could not muffle his cries unto the world.

A car door opened, breaking through the singular noise. It was the driver, clad in a suit and hat. His hand rose to take his cap off, gently whispering the words, "Gomen'nasai (I'm sorry)." Aoi's crying stopped, his gaze rose, eyes wide, flaring red with a scowl of pure rage. He stood slowly, reaching over towards his side. With a tearing yank, he pulled out the piece of white shrapnel: a rib, whether it was his, or Nora's, he didn't care.

"Korosu... (Kill)" He growled. The word echoed throughout the entire street. He held the sharp piece of bone in his hands like a dagger.

"KOROSU!!!" He sprinted towards the driver, who turned and ran in horror. Aoi's footsteps slammed across the asphalt, tearing across the street to catch up to the driver. He lunged in a full tackle, barreling the driver over. He turned the driver over onto his back, who raised his arms over his eyes in sheer terror. Aoi stabbed down, missing the driver's head by a centimeter. He raised the bone into the air again. A dull thud to the back of his head stopped him from stabbing again. He dropped the piece of bone, slowly falling down to the ground, unconscious. An old man helped the driver up. The driver fell to his knees, bowing greatly for saving him.

"Arigatōgozaimashita, Mitsuru-sama. (Thank you, Master Mitsuru.)"

"Jūbun ni, wareware wa byōin ni kono shōnen o toru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Kare wa yatara to shukketsu shite. (Enough, we should take this boy to a hospital. He's bleeding profusely.)" The old man said, leaning on his cane. He looked down at Aoi, considering the thought of apprenticing him.

The crowd soon dispersed, the ambulance carrying Aoi away in a stretcher. As the sirens faded away in the distance, two spirits stood at the scene.

"You've made your choice, Inugami," the first spirit said, opening a small paper umbrella. "Or should I call you 'Nora' from now on?" The second spirit snarled at the first.

"Silence. You and your damn prophecy." Inugami's ears drooped down as he looked down at his corpse.

"It was my prophecy to begin with, but your choice. You've naught but yourself to blame for what happens next." Inugami growled in response.

"My choice. Pheh, you mean punishment. Make me forget who I was, keep me alive in a new body for over a thousand years, all to dangle visions of what was to come so I would make a cruel decision. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED?!" He barked at the spirit.

"What I wanted was you to finally learn your lesson, and from what you chose, I'd say you learned it quite well..." The spirit hovered her umbrella over Inugami. "Of course, you wouldn't have learned it had you remembered why you needed to in the first place."

"You can point the finger at me all you want, Inugami, but in the end, when all is said and done, the only person to blame is you. And from what I can see, Aoi will learn that a lot faster than you did."

===

A/N: The Flashback for this gaiden chapter was written in a third person perspective to convey both characters thoughts juxtapose each other.

What you are [31]

I backed away from Inugami, hurt and confused. My head started to spin, and I dropped back onto the bed.

"You mean, all this time?" His ears drooped low.

"I've been keeping watch over you ever since. But I could only watch and make sure that you stayed alive, nothing more." He sighed. "I couldn't tell you what to do, lead you back to being a detective, not after you joined the agency and found out the truth about the world." Thoughts clashed inside my mind, desperately trying to fit a lost fragment into an already skewed puzzle.

"But, I- I-" I stammered, unable to find any phrase or words that could match what I was feeling. My chest tightened, lungs feeling as if they'd collapse under an unknown pressure in the cavern. "I need some air."

Varg pointed a casted arm towards the mouth of a cavern. I pushed past the both of them, limping towards the exit.

"I brought NOMS!" Keith barged in, holding a bunch of snack foods. I barreled into him, knocking everything onto the ground. I broke into a hobbled run, heading down the long rocky corridors towards the outside world, feeling the tunnel rise and slope, as if I was climbing. Sure enough, I ended up on a plateau overlooking Gem Fido. I was greeted by a somewhat sickly gray night sky, water crashing down from the angry clouds heavy with rain. I was soaked in seconds, but the air was strangely clear and easy to breathe through, the lack of heaviness in the air almost disturbing. I fell to my knees, gasping.

I didn't know what to think anymore, what to feel anymore, whether I should be happy that Nora's alive, angry at the fact that he's been with me all this time and I didn't even know, or sad that I just abandoned everything so suddenly out of a panic. It was like the world was crashing down like thunder and lightning, I couldn't keep anything together anymore. With a thunderclap, everything went black again as I heard a crack against the rock ground.

"So here we are once again, Aoi." A voice called out.

'No... NO!' I opened my eyes to see my human self, grinning from ear to ear as its form stood over me.

"Heavy sleeper, I see." It smirked as it backed away. I found myself in a familiar place, a slight din rising above consciousness. Mahogany booths, a heavy stench of alcohol, an ambiguous liquid coating the planked floor.

"Up and at 'em, I owe you a drink, don't I..."

"What?" My paw clapped against my temples as a searing migraine reached a throbbing peak.

"Feh, from the looks of it, you already look like you had an entire keg's worth. Oh well, some hair of the dog will fix you right up, no pun intended." It grabbed the sleeve of my dobuku and hoisted me up onto a stool. A rugged slide across a greased table brought a mug of a suspicious beverage in front of me. "You just suffered what many people call a mental breakdown of the confessional variety. Stranger comes up, tells you nothing but the truth, but to take a line from a few good men, 'you couldn't handle the truth'." I push the mug away from me, if IT was here, then this must be a nightmare.

"Come on now, we've known each other long enough." How can I know a nightmare when I've only had it once. I grabbed the mug on the table and tossed it at the apparition, it melted right through it's face and smashed on the opposite wall.

"WHAT ARE YOU!" I barked. It merely took a mug in hand, nursing the froth from the rim.

"Slow learner AND a heavy sleeper. Damn, how did you manage to graduate in the first place?" It chuckled and walked right up to me. "I'm your past, remember, we back at your apartment. Heheh, miss me?" As he leaned in close, I drew my blade, slicing 'my past' in half. The upper half slicked off of the lower and fell to the floor.

"Ouch." I turned around, point my blade at the phantom. It grabbed the tip of my blade, making it vanish in thin air. "You can't kill me, Aoi, or even hurt me for that matter. After all, you can't destroy what you can never forget." A striking migraine coursed through my head, my vision blurred like static on a television, images flying paste me until it stopped at a particular place in time. I vomited as my vision went back to normal. After taking a few brief gasps of air, I looked up to find myself in...

"No..." I got up staggering, whirling around to confirm my surroundings, "NO!" But no words of denial could change the memory, one I thought I had put behind me.

"That's right Aoi... that small, little, inconspicuous island just off of Ostrav Novaya Sibk. Where it was you..." it jabbed a finger into my chest, "... who let your entire team die, and you who blew them to smithereens." I looked around me in horror, everything was ablaze once more, the smoke, the snow, the runway, all there. I turned towards an overturned Humvee, and saw myself, bloody and dying, holding the small, standard ordinance pistol that finished the mission, pointed at me.

"Bang."

I woke up gasping for breath, but this time tied to a bed in someplace unfamiliar, with Keith staring down at me.

"Is it just me, or do every time you wake up it's either from a nightmare or-"

"I have to pee..." At this Keith smiled.

"So you do remember." I grimaced. On days when he was bored out of his mind, he would spike one of my drinks with a diuretic, something like ground up caffeine pills. Halfway through the night I would wake up and somehow be tied down to my bed with the urge to go to the bathroom. Bastard always smilled whenever I woke up and refused to let me go until I said...

=9 months ago=

"C'mon, just say it, No one will think of you any less for it," He flashed a wicked grin as I thrashed around in my own bed, this time strapped with jumper cables. How in the world does he manage to do this?

"Keith, let me out this instant, or my foot is going in your ass."

"What's that? It sounded like you said you had to do something. But WHAT?" It was no use struggling, he had me tied down tight, and the urge was near bursting at this point. I sighed and dropped back into bed.

"I..."

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeees?"

"... have to pee."

"Well why didn't you just say so?" The second he cut loose the cables I dashed to my bathroom, granted sweet relief.

=Present=

"Damn that never gets old." Keith chuckled before undoing the belts that held me to the bed.

"Where the hell did you get belts?" He bit his bottom lip smiling smugly.

"I just happen to have belts stashed all over Equestria in case of a belt emergency." I stared at him. "Right, I keep forgetting you're not a brony." I stood up, half expecting the need to relieve myself, but surprisingly, nothing.

"Yeah, about why I had to tie you down," he explained, rubbing the back of his head, "When we found you, you were, well, all over the place, like kind of an unconscious panic attack. Without my devices, or even a properly functioning EKG, I had no idea what the hell was going on. So to be safe and to prevent you from choking on your own tongue, we tied you down and gagged you. after you calmed down, we took out the gag and let you sleep, and even then, you were tossing and turning. Diagnosis: you had one HELLUVA nightmare." He went over to a table and got a few drinks, pouring each of us a glass of what looked like blue wine. To taunt me, he lifted his hoof and flexed it towards me after putting down the bottle, mushing up his face in an expression he described as a "troll" face.

"Betcha kinda wondering how hooves work, dontcha?" I shook my head and took the glass and downed it, coughing at the strong kick behind it.

"Pheh, you're no fun." He downed his shot, giving a mix between a grunt and a sigh. "That's some good shit right there. Down here in the warren, they call it 'ocean fire'. I call it 'One hell of a one night stand on the beach'. So, tell me all about it." I sighed, brushing back my hair with a free paw.

"A mission, back when I was with the Agency."

"Ooh, gettin' into the James Bond shit right here." I flashed him a glare. Taking a glance around, I thought I was in a bar: polished lacquered floors, bar stools, even some ambient lamps to give a warm feel to the place.

"I saw it all again, the mission... 'Off the Record'." He paused right before he was about to pour another shot.

"Shit bro... THAT mission?" I nodded. I had told him about it when we met, it was my last one before I 'retired'. He blew out a low whistle.

"Any ideas why you're having nightmares about it NOW?" I shook my head. Up until now, all I've really had were slight thoughts about it, an occasional pang of regret, but nothing really worth going to a psychiatrist about.

"But ever since recently, that one mission has been nagging at me. It's like I'm suppose to learn something from it or-" I placed the glass back on the slicked bar table, "-or if that might happen again." Keith filled my glass with something different this time, something white. I raised an eyebrow.

"It's milk, paranoid-much." He answered. I took a gulp of it, finding the taste rather soothing. "Dude, there's no nuclear facilities around here harboring planet destroying weapons and shit like that." I clenched my teeth.

"No, there's something worse out there." I pointed a claw at Keith.

"In the past few months, I've learned a few things. One, we're not the only ones who made it here. And two, they can turn out to be just as volatile."

"Whoa, you mean there are other-"

"Humans, Keith. 3 of them I've already met, as well as one possible human turned diamond-dog. Griffin's a teenager with a primed battleship, Knightmare you'd enjoy as he shares your taste in music, and Celt is rather brutish in the way he deals with problems, but logical." I weight each outcome to the latter, taking 'humanity' into account.

"And the fourth one?"

"Echo, the Diamond-Dog." I took out the newspaper clipping that I read on Griffin's ship,
"A reporter by the name of Renee Expose witnessed an exchange of dialogue between Griffin and Echo, including a bit you know well known as 'Do you like bananas?'" At this Keith sat down holding the newspaper in his hooves, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

"Holy tit-nuggets, these guys are bronies!" My ears perked.

"Like you?"

"Exactly, part of the herd." He started to chuckle, "Bitch, we gonna have fun tonight."

"I don't-" I had trouble grasping why Keith was so excited about this.

"With the exception of you, all the humans you and I know of so far are all bronies. Meaning if we can stir up a brony alliance, we can make your job a whole lot easier." At this, I laughed.

"Is that so? From what I can tell, two of these "bronies" hate each other's guts, and one's in control of a battleship wielding the philosophy of, and I quote, "If this world isn't going to be the utopia it's suppose to be, then I'll personally kick the living shit out of it 'til it is." Tell me, Keith, what does that say of the 'brony' code that preaches love and tolerance? But then again, I can't fault you for having that bit of hope. However I can fault you to think that human nature ever changes. Who knows, maybe someday all humans around the world will finally get it in their heads to quit living for themselves and just live. And maybe someday..." I finish my glass. "... I won't have to pick up a sword."

"Being a part of something worth while means that you believe in it with everything you have, not just having a common interest. Interests change, and when another person decides you aren't a part of their agenda anymore, that's when you wind up dead or having lost everything you have." I stood up.

"And I will be honest here, I don't believe I can really BE a leader." I hopped the table and grabbed what looked like a bottle of scotch. I took the cork in my fangs and yanked it out of the bottle, then poured it over a cut above my nose from the fight, the sting confirmed that it was there, not healing properly. I placed the bottle on the table next to Keith.

"All I really wanted was to start something new. When I think about it, I finally got what I wanted, to take out the one target that had haunted me my entire life, but at what cost? I think back and count the bodies of collateral casualties that resulted, and found out something about myself." I felt tears coming to my eyes.

"I'm no leader. I'm not some general fit to lead an army against overwhelming odds to liberate a country. Hell, on terms of troops, all I have are two other diamond dogs. Over these past few months, they've shown more mettle than half of C Class at the Agency. But-" Tears started to flow, just the thought of the two. "They're my family now, and I'd rather die a thousand times over than see them die once." I sighed heavily, wiping my eyes with a sleeve.

"I'm no Sun Tzu, nor Julius Caesar, nor Vladimir Draculea, who lead troops to die with honor without a second thought, never to see their family again. No... I care too much about family to lose them again."

"No... what I am..." I grabbed a glass filled with a burgundy wine, downing it without a second thought. "I am nothing but a murderer."

"The Nightmare was right. I can't escape my past. It's always there. I thought I had faced it when Eol killed Ensin. I thought that seeing him kill Ensin was enough to confirm that I had made the right choice. Now all I realize is that yes, I made the right choice, but everything leading up to that one moment, was all wrong."

"Everything's come full circle now, everything's laid out on the ground. But how do I finally bury it?" I clutched my hair in my paws in frustration.

"Easy," Keith said it so nonchalantly, as if mocking me, "Just do what you wanted to do, finish what you started. After all, you wanted something new, this is it. Sure it may involve killing and all that stuff, but instead it's not just about a target anymore. It's about saving an entire people. I don't know where I got this quote from, and quite frankly, I don't give a shit, but I heard from somewhere that the road to peace is often littered with blood and corpses, and from what human history tells us, that bastard or bitch--can't decide which one--is right in my opinion. And hey, it's something you want that you hoped to get after killing the guy who shivved your parents, right? Some peace?" Suddenly Knightmare's words rang throughout my mind:

'A little peace and happiness where it's needed...' At that a slow smile crept across my face, and I started to laugh. It was small at first, almost a snicker, then a chuckle, then a full and hearty laugh.

"Dude, you really have some issues, first you're all depressed and shit, now you're laughing like someone drunk off of-" He took his glass and sniffed it. "Nevermind..."

"I'm surprised you aren't laughing yourself. Don't you see? All through this whole thing I've been second guessing myself, even third guessing myself on why I've been doing all this, when the answer was right in front of my nose. To start something new, something worthwhile, and to finally get 'a little peace and happiness.'" I got up and reached for a new vintage, this time a nice bottle that looked like the Equestrian equivalent Krug: a favorite vintage of mine.

"So laugh, smile, give a grin that you always do. Let's celebrate." I pop open the cork and pour the crystal tan liquor in a few champagne flutes. "Kanpai!" After uneasily glancing at me, Keith shrugged and grabbed a glass.

"What the hell, we're young, we're used to getting drunk off our asses. Cheers, Bichkas!" This marked the third time I had ever gotten drunk. But I didn't pay it any mind, after all, everything started to make more sense the more I drank, thanks to someone I had thought to be dead.

I hurled into a latrine the moment I woke up the next morning.

"Sure you don't need me to hold you hair ba-"

"BLUAEUGHA!" I emptied my stomach contents into the porcelain throne, coughing viciously afterward.

"... right." He started to pour some boiling water over some ground up black beans. "Thank God for coffee, nature's 'get over alcohol' drink. Sure it's fucking debatable whether it actually helps but WHO GIVES A SHIT! Helps for me, Fuckers!"

After ridding my stomach of any trace of alcohol, I wiped my muzzle clean on a towel, heading towards a seat.

"You want a cup?" I glared at him. I knew to become wary whenever him and any diuretic was involved. "OH COME ON! THOSE DAYS WERE FUN AND YOU KNOW IT!" I glanced around the bar, taking note of two missing personnel.

"Where's Ubi and Eol?" He slapped his forehead with a hoof.

"OH SHIT! I forgot I left them at the practice range!"

"WHAT?!" My ears shot up. If Keith forgets something, I've taken to it usually mean something bad has happened.

Keith led me to a few hallways until we got to what looked like a large training area. In the middle was Eol sparring with Ubi, I sighed in relief.

"Damn, how long have you two been at it?" As soon as he said that, Eol lost focus, leaving him open to Ubi's round house.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Eol swore, "I almost had him, Keith."

"Counts 41 to zero," Ubi remarks with a blank expression. Keith looked back at me.

"Nice family..." I ignored him and looked around at the large expanse of rock, ballistics targets far across the range of a bow and arrow.

"What exactly do you 'practice' here?" I had a very strong hunch where this was going. He cracked a devious grin.

"Well, you see, being given 6 months and about 4000 bits actually goes a long way." He waved for the three of us to follow him to a safe sealed tightly.

"Using that fucked up mistress by the name of 'logistics' I played with the Equestrian stock market, raked in a VERY handsome amount, and was able to afford this high density, nigh indestructible alloy safe to house something very special." He toyed around with the heavily coded lock for about 2 minutes before an audible click was heard. The safe door opened wide to reveal an...

... entire arsenal of human weaponry.

"Keith... what the fuck did you do in six months." Ubi and Eol were confused at what they were looking at. Keith silently went over to a rack that held about 10 handguns, grabbing one and tossing it to me.

"Remember how to use that?" I couldn't believe my eyes, besides a few design details, the gun in my paw was the exact same model of a CZ75, it fit comfortably in my paw. He threw me a clip, instinctively I drew the slide back, slid in the clip, and released the slide to load.

"Modified to hold a 15 round clip, titanium grip, and a special alloy for the body of the pistol, engravings done by a gold engraver, friend of mine in the warrens. Due to your 'unique' anatomy, I took the liberty of loading them with--you guessed it-- 50 caliber rounds, modified the barrel and load to accommodate. And don't think I've forgotten your rep of the olden days, I KNOW you can fucking used that thing, so don't give me any lip about it. Also I took the liberty of using some unicorn magic to embed each weapon we use with a DNA signature spell, so that they can't be fired except by you or me. I've kept this project under wraps for about 6 months, taken every precaution, and even destroyed the blueprints when I was done with them." I was absolutely amazed.

"How did you-"

"Remember when you told me that I would be more of a liability than an asset on your journey? Well, I kinda felt a bit stung, of course, but I took your words to heart. Getting a smithing cutey mark kinda made it dawn on me that there's not going to be many genetics labs in Equestria for me to actually do any experimentation or testing. Think about it, 'why do ponies get their cutie marks? Cause they find something that they were meant to do. The universe wanted me to make stuff. So this is what I made. But, that's just
the tip of the iceberg. Check this out." He went over to a lone case in the middle of the room, clicking open the clasps that held it closed, inside was a small metal hilt. He picked it up and handed it to me.

"Go on," He leaned towards me, whispering loudly, "press the fucking button."

As soon as I did, a blade extended out of the hilt, segmented into parts that locked into place. The design of the blade was reminiscent of a ninjato, but the metal gleamed with a blue tint. The length and balance was equal to that of a wakizashi. I gave it a few swings, the weight was a bit light, but smooth. Keith held out his hoof. I gave it back.
"When I first saw your katana able to put out a fire with just a swing, I had to admit, I was a bit jealous. But this little beauty..." He twirled the sword once around his fetlocks. "...is my magnum opus. Go ahead, try to cut it." I drew Kokuryu and slashed at the blade, the impact staggering Keith.

"Oh shi-" he fell back onto his flank, Eol and Ubi giving a snicker, but after a second of pause, my eyes widened in surprise. Keith's blade had survived, fully intact, with not a dent or even a nick in the blade. With a flick of his wrist, he brought the blade back into the hilt.

"Neat isn't it. But unfortunately it's not as sharp as dragon scale, but its light, compact, and perfect for VERY close quarters. Face it Aoi, you're not going to be able to swing your sword-sword everywhere, especially in tight places like a warren. It may not be as efficient, but I can absolutely guarantee that it will not break. Tested it myself." He tossed it back to me with a smile. "Consider it a LATE AS FUCK Christmas gift. So what do you think, am I 'combat ready'?" It hit me what he was asking. He wanted to come along. He did all this so I would think he was worth it.

And from personal experience, when Keith set his mind to something, he would grab the superglue and stick to it.

"Tell you what, Keith. You can come with me on one condition. You promise that when I say you cannot handle this, that you immediately go back to this warren or Canterlot, I think your efforts can help the princesses with defending Equestria." At this Keith's jaw dropped to the floor, making a miniature crater in the concrete.

"HOLLUP BRUH! The Princesses? You mean-"

"Who else, Princess Celestia and Princess-" He didn't let me finish as he tackled hugged me by surprise.

"TELL ME EVERYTHING. OH MY FUCKING GOD! YOU MET THEM?! I mean, what are they like, are they just like in the show, are they just like in the fan fics? Does Luna really have 'THE ABACUS?'" I immediately regret mentioning the princesses to Keith. But at the current moment, ha trouble breathing. He noticed and set me own on the ground.

"Right... sorry." I coughed and regained a standing position.

"Not sure what you mean by the first two. But the third, and never breath a word of this to either of them, but I did overhear Griffin Blackmailing Luna about an abacus of some sort." Keith took a pair of sunglasses from behind his back, placed them on his face before slowly lowering them.

"Mother of GAAAAAWD!" He perched the shades upon his head before continuing. "Okay, I had my moment, but yeah, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my -AH DAMMIT!" He jammed his hoof in his eye, making me severely doubt him for a second, Eol doubled over, laughing his ass off. I shook my head, snickering.

A muffled explosion reached our ears as the ground started to shake beneath us.

"The fuck was that?" Oh no...

"Ubi, Eol, Get topside, We'll meet you there!" I barked, they saluted and turned to Keith, "Here's your big moment, How many clips can you spare?"

"Dude, we got more ammo than Alucard." I blinked.

"Just take whatever much you need, I'll follow later." I went inside the safe, grabbed 5 clips of Ammunition.

"Also take a clip of the rounds in the small black box." I obliged, opening the glossed over case. Inside was a case of 40 rounds labeled...

"No fucking way..." I gave a low whistle, loading up a clip of 15 of the rounds, giving Keith a raised eyebrow. "... High Explosive Rounds?"

"Like I said, take A CLIP, that shit will fuck fuck up and make shit hit the fan." I grabbed an ammo belt and loaded the clips, holstering the gun at my hip.

"I'll lock up, don't worry about it." I nodded and headed after Eol and Ubi.

"We're under attack!" Just as I feared, the entire warren was shaking more and more. It wasn't long before I found Varg, armed to the teeth in battle armor.

"It was only a matter of time before someone found out." Varg said gravely. "But the question is, WHO is our enemy?"

"No time to think, but what we know is we've got an entire warren filled with ponies, griffins, and diamond dogs alike. How are you holding up?"

"Fine as a fiddle, being undead has it's perks..." He chuckled before grabbing a war trident, swinging it deftly with one paw. "And you?"

"I'll be damned to hell if I let one foreign paw hurt my family," I growled.

"Heh, let's see you put some substance behind those words, pup." He tossed me a small glass monocle. "Take a look, they brought a secret weapon." I cocked my head before bringing the glass to eye level. The rock seemed to peel back to reveal everything on the outside, including...

"A blue dragon?"

"That's not all, look up." I raised my view angle to find a full scale airship, lesser armored than Griffin's but dangerous all the same, canons lining the port bow.

"Shit!" I tossed the monocle back to Varg. "Any ideas?"

"Hmm, we may have something that can take on a dragon, but the airship, that's a whole different story." My mind raced to come up with an idea. The key components of a battleship are it's weapons as well as the crew to fire them. THE CREW!

"We need to lure them down," I explained briefly, "Play bluff, make them come out of their barrier, and take out the crew." Varg smirked.

"Heh, I like your thinking." He looked passed me, "Topaz! Get archers on the top plateau, and tell them..."

"Yes Master?" His lips drew back in a devilish grin.

"... run out the sweeps."

=Keith=

I pour myself a pint of good old froth, shot of One night stand, and hold myself a mini sake bomb. The pints empty by the time the first drop of foam hits the table.

"AAAAhh... DAMN that's the good shit." I pick up a large case from the vault, a suitcase, and close the vault for good measure.

"Note: please do not operate live ordinance while under the influence." I gave a loud cackle, "MILITARY PROTOCOL MY ASS! I'm a better shot when I'm drunk anyway." Oh if only Mordecai were to see my pasty Irish ass right now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, before we head out this evening I would like to make announcement in light of the irony of my final statement for the night..." I sling the case over my shoulder like a boss before making the best one liner a drunk guy could ever make on a potentially suicidal mission.

"INVADERS MUST DIE!!!"

=Aoi=

"Ubi, Eol!" They follow me as I head towards the plateau. "We're going hunting. Bring your long bows and weapons. They disperse and joined up with me at a junction in the warren, armed by the staff. Topaz and her company rush past me holding long wide tubes with a piece of cloth tied to the ends.

"Here's the plan, Varg's focus is going to be on the airship, while we take out the dragon, once the dragon's dead, the troops are going to bail the airship. Ubi, you're on mop up crew, help Topaz with the ground battle. Eol..." His ears flattened.

"You're with me."

"Uh, what?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No, it's, do you really think I'm ready to fight a dragon?"

"Not nearly enough, but I will need your help in pissing it off."

And pissed off he did, literally. More specifically off the side of the mountain. Apparently, according to Diamond dog customs, its a clan wide insult for one of it's members to urinate off of a high area in full view. According to the instantaneous reaction of the dragon diving towards us, its an extremely vulgar and degrading insult as well. As Eol and I finished emptying out the last few drops from our bladders, much to the mixed reactions of the muffled chagrin and laughter of some of Topaz's team, I managed to push Eol out of the way as the dragon careened towards the plateau, taking off a chunk of the cliff in its massive jaws. The second fire team opened a side volley on the dragon's face, ripping back the cords on the tubes to reveal them to be portable cannons.

The flash of the fire gave me leeway to sneak in and dive unto the dragon's muzzle.

"Surprise!" I lifted my blade high and plunged it into the dragons upper maw, the blade sliding past the overlapping scales and meeting tender flesh. The dragon gave an earth shattering roar and struggled, shaking it's head vigorously as it hovered above the cliff. The main fire team started to open fire on the main airship, the port bow returning fire, littering the front part of the plateau with miniature craters. As every volley was fired, the front team retreated to reload as the back team fired the next volley, dodging if enemy fire was headed their way.

I brushed past the smoke emanating from the dragon's nostrils to find Eol, hanging on to a dragon whisker. My jaw dropped as he smacked a fist into an open paw then raised it up high. A mighty slam gave way to the sound of cracking scales as he plunged his bare fist onto the dragon's scaled muzzle, he peeled back the broken bits and pointed a claw at the exposed flesh. I threw him Keith’s blade, and with a deft motion, he stabbed the sword into the dragon's nose, twisting it. I could hear a loud low coughing coming from the dragon, then a gurgling noise. A glaring yellow eye scanned across it's nose and looked dead at me. With the nose partially
still, I yanked out Kokuryu and slashed at its eye, fluid rushing out of the open socket.

"OFF NOW!" I grabbed Eol by the scruff and dragged him into a running jump back onto the plateau before the dragon started to fall. We landed in a roll, a mortar landing two yards away, blowing out my eardrums, I looked down at the falling beast, clutching my ringing ears. Eol's stab forced blood into the dragon's inner nose, causing it to slowly choke on its own blood. I braced a hurdled Eol and brought him towards the inner plateau.

A screaming backlash later brought back the sounds of the battle, as the ship started to come closer towards the mountain. But to my horror the ship was accelerating.

"SHIT! EVERYONE FALL BACK NOW!" I waved my paw towards the inner sanctum of the mountain, Topaz caught on and led her fire team back inside. I motioned for Eol and Ubi to do the same.

"JUST DO IT NOW!" I yelled to them, Ubi brought Eol, paws still clasped over his ears from shell-shock, back inside with the others.

Immediately I ejected the standard clip and loaded the explosive rounds. I pulled back the slide, letting loose the loud rounds that burst from the barrel. Each round impacted with a loud crunch into the steel plating of the ship, making heavy dents, one stray round completely eviscerating one of the enemy crew. I got a closer look at each of the ones at the helm: griffons and ponies all saluting with tears in their eyes. I open fire on the ship, the bullets taking apart masts, balloons, and bow. Closer and closer the ship got until I felt something push me aside.

It was Keith, carrying a long solid case, He broke the clasps holding it shut, bringing forth a gun longer than I was tall, wielding a barrel the width of my arm. He got down on one knee, bringing the gun's sights level with his eyes, loading a large shell into the chamber. With a loud shout breaking through the fire and roaring engines, he laughed triumphantly.

"BITCHES LOVE CANNONS!!!"

The round screamed through the air as it ripped straight through the engine of the mechanical behemoth. The entire ship was a blaze, losing altitude and slowly started to decelerate.

"IT'S GONNA CRASH!" I yelled as Keith loaded another round. I dashed to grab his arm, leading him away from the center towards the east side of the plateau. When the ship was less than 50 yards away from the mountain, Keith turned around one last time at the edge of the Plateau.

"MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS, MUTHAFUCKAS!" he bellowed as he let loose another round, the kickback launching him back into me, knocking us both off the cliff. The round slammed into the ship turning it enough for it to skid across the side of the mountain on impact. I grabbed Keith in one arm, pulling off my dobuku. The air fluffed under the garment, as we sailed across the mountain face.

"KEITH, IF WE MAKE IT OUT ALIVE, I AM PERSONALLY KICKING YOUR ASS!" I screamed in his ear as I tilted the makeshift parachute to make contact with the face. I started to run on the rocky surface, slowing us down until we made it to a smaller plateau leading inside, the impact doing no favors for my newly healed knee.

I laid back onto the hard ground, Keith doing the same, out of breathe, and proud of it.

"You see... this is one of the reasons why I quit the Agency," I huffed, "too many damn explosions."

The relief party found us not long after, and soon we got treatment for minor wounds. Sadly a few griffons and ponies were caught in a few mortar blasts. The official count: 3 dead and 14 wounded, 2 griffons who will never get to fly again, and a unicorn without a horn.

We held a funeral for the three that died, and the entire den of the warren was filled with those who knew the deceased personally, a reception followed, the four of us rather eating sparingly while the related drowned their sorrows in heavy drink. It was especially heavy for the departed's friends, who came with them here as refugees, and who'd been with them for who knows how long. All the while, the thought constantly came back, 'It could have happened to any of us.'

"Makes you grateful that you are living." Ubi said quietly, almost as if he had read my mind. I looked at each of them, reminded of how we first met. Keith, drug crazed man who tried to stab me with a scalpel when we first met. Eol, orphan who lost his father to a greedy leader. Ubi, thought me a potential enemy at first; now, family.

"... especially when you have friends and family to live with," I added, taking a small sip of milk and honey. I stood up and went to Varg's chambers.

When I entered, he ha just finished taking off his war helmet.

"I guess we didn't need that ground force after all." He place the helmet on the armor mannequin and patted me on the shoulder.

"I have to personally extend a word of thanks to you Aoi. By the time I had arrived on the plateau with the troops, the airship was long out of the sky, and the dragon dead at the base of the mountain." He sat down at a chair, pouring himself a pint of mead. "You really do have the makings of a legend."

"Your words flatter me, but I can't take any credit at all. Eol was--in all sense of the word--actually the one who killed the dragon, and Keith the one who saved the mountain."

Varg passed me a glance of surprised disbelief before laughing, "BWAHAAHAHHA! And if it weren't for you, where would such noble acts have come from?" He got up and pressed a mug into my paws. "You see Aoi, it's not what someone calls you or bequeaths you or how many troops died under your command or how many territories you've conquered that defines you as a true leader. No. A true leader is one who inspires the people who believe in him to do great things. It's not about rank or order, it's one thing that is vital to all soldiers, Kings and infantry alike: it's trust. When you give the people you care about the trust they deserve, they can fulfill it tenfold. It's because of that trust that you see each of your clan as not servants or expendable troops, but family. Which is why you're afraid to even think of what happens when they get hurt, and rather take their injuries yourself."

I hold the mug in my paw, taking a small gulp of the crisp mead.

"I was wondering if there were any survivors on the ship." Varg shook his head.

"All were dead." He downed the mead and opened another bottle. "But you know what I found strange? out of the corpses we buried, not one was a diamond dog." My ears perked up.

"All were ponies and griffons?" I placed the pint on a table. He nodded. "It wasn't a clan who attacked us, it was something else. and with no diamond dogs as a part of their crew-" I thought back to that scene, when all the crew stood there, on deck, saluting. It dawned on me. None were ment to survive in the first place. With so many, so many willing to give their lives away. I slowly pieced it together, none were diamond dogs, all attacking an unknown warren. No, to go so far as to plan a massive assault to destroy a single warren period...

"It's a hate group..." He nodded with a smile.

"But with no survivors, we had no way of pressing the crew for info." He corked the bottle of mead, placing it back on the shelf, "Dead men tell no tales, after all... However, we did a little 'digging' and retrieved a number of spare parts from the ship, and guess what?"

"Go on..."

"A pegasus and a griffon identified the parts as those made solely in one place, said to be the airship capital of Equus." He pulled out a gear, turning it thrice in hand. "with the parts on hand as well as one of your friend's ingenuity, we could build an airship for a bit of payback against the ones who called the attack. The question that remains though, is WHO?" I scratched my chin, gears of my own turning inside my head.

"I get what your saying, we find who or whatever called the attack, and we can plan a counterstrike with minimal collateral damage." I knew where this was going. Varg did as well.

"You've done this much for me, Aoi, and I thank you greatly for it. But if you can do one more, then not only will you have the backing of my entire clan with you, a heavy voice with the council, but you'll also have an airship and crew to give an edge to your campaign." He tossed the gear in my direction.

"And hey, I'll even give you Topaz as a mate. She's a fine bitch, has an irresistible sway to her hindquarters." I gave a slight twinge.

"I'll pass on the mate. But I could go for the support, as well as the airship. So you can count me in." I could make a lot of headway with his opportunity. But I wouldn't be telling the whole truth if I didn't admit there was something else behind my motives. This unknown hate group would go so far to the extent of a kamikaze, to destroy so many more lives. Someone had to be behind all this, someone big. "So what's the plan, and where are we going?" I wanted to find out who.

"Check the gear." I looked down at the small gear, covered in axle grease, after wiping it away, I could make out the name of my next destination:

"Bitsburg."

Author's Notes:

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Finally done. So yes, If you remember correctly, Bitsburg is that kick ass steampunk city where Griffin picked up Geirmund. I'll let you debate about what that means for Aoi and the gang in the comment's below.

And yes, Keith is tagging along with, for all those with sunglasses on... well... you know the drill...

Life Choices [32]

"Aoi... AOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIII.... WAKE UP YOU 250 POUND FURBALL!" My eyes opened to...

"What the hell?" I seemed to be back in Ponyville, same colorful atmosphere, the weird gingerbread house that sold pastries, the tree library, and the purple building that doubled as a boutique. I turned around to find.

"GAH!" My jaw dropped to the floor, right there, two feet shorter than me, was a white wolf in a blue kosode.

"Fuck of mother, is this what I look like?" His eyes scanned me up and down, darting from my front to my back.

"Who are you?" Suddenly, Princess Luna opened the door of the boutique with chicken feathers in her mouth, spitting them out with an irritated expression. She met eye contact with me, and her eyes widened with a horrified expression.

"Y-y-you're NOT suppose to be here!" the night princess exclaimed.

"Oro?" It was the white wolf who answered. His expression turned blank with fear. "Oh God... Oh God... this is somewhat potentially life threateningly bad." I blinked once.

"Am I still dreaming?" A thunderbolt roared across the sky, turning the day into an artificial night, what descended from the sky was.

"Luna-sama?" I glanced back at the other Luna, then this one. My eyes widened. The white wolf placed a paw on my shoulder and started to explain.

"Listen, I ain't gotta lotta time to explain, but everything can be summarized into three points. One, I'm YOU, well, the you that would have existed had you decided to kill Mr. Stabby McStabbystab way back, what was it... 20 years ago? Nevemind. Two, I'm alternate UNIVERSE YOU, and the Luna that stepped out of Carousel Boutique just happens to be MY Alternate Universe Luna, as well as my wife. Yeah, for those of you who were wondering, YES we eventually got hitched." I looked in the direction that 'I' was talking to. "And Five, no wait, THREE, is that somehow MY Luna had a bit too much of dat hard cider and so now we're able to somewhat jump dimensions through to all the other Aoi's dreams. Oh yeah, and currently Discord is having a dinner party with Fluttershy. BOOM, Spoiler for Season Three. You're WELCOME!"

"I'm leaving..." I turned around to try and wake up. Maybe if I walked long enough I'll eventually hit a lapse in my dream and wake up.

"Holy FUCK! Is that what my hair would have looked like from the back? Shit man, going for the whole Nurarihyon look aren't ya." I was getting a bit irritated. If he was right, and he was the result of me having taken action, I would have rather waited the 20 years to kill him.

"Now don't be like that. Wait, How did I read your mi-" He looked around, slapping himself with his own paw. "Right, right now I'm in the mind of a serial killer's head, worst part is that serial killer is me, er, you, er... Fuck it. Wait." He grabbed the sleeve of my dobuku. "Do me one favor and stand perfectly still."

"What?" Without realizing it, I was slammed in the face with a punch.

"YES! Discord owes me a hundred bits! Thanks man." He turned around, growing a pair of wings, "Oh and before I go, YES Rule 34, 63 and a combination of both applies to Multiverses as well, Which means that: Yes, in other universes you get shipped with Griffin and Echo and Ember and a gender bent version of yourself and Cthulu (BY GOD! DID YOU MADE IT WORK WITH CTHULU...) and Knightmare and Chelu (Which I will only leave you with a description in the general ballpark of "sucky, sucky, fucky, fucky") and pretty much every single royal family member and YES, even the kitchen sink. God speed, you furry fuck-bucket."

"Get out... NOW!" I pull out my pistol, aiming it at the twisted version of me's head. I pull the trigger to have confetti and streamer with a sign that says "bang" shoot out of the barrel.

"Oh shit... time to bail." He grabs one of the Luna's and pulls out an umbrella. "CIAO!"

I woke up with a start, sitting upright in a bar booth. Rubbing my eyes, I spotted Keith face deep in this world's equivalent of Dom Perignon, bubbles rising to the surface. I sigh. "That's it, Keith, I'm never letting you mix my drinks again."

=Luna=

"Oh my goodness!" I woke up from the strangest dream that I've ever had, the mid morning sun shining overhead. Sis suddenly turned to me, apparently doing some spring cleaning. I didn't know we even did that. "Tia, do you know that young wolf that came to the Grand Galloping Gala earlier this year?"

=Aoi=

'Is this going to be a habit?' I think to myself as I rub the weary sleep from my eyes. I needed to practice a bit more self control. Over the months that I've been here I've gotten drunk more times than I've been in my life, caused more trouble and commotion in two different countries, and have met people possibly more unstable than Keith. I look back at the gurgling pony that was my colleague in the human world.

"I take it back, definitely more stable." He lifts his head out of the bowl.

"Eh?" I shake my head. I stare across the floor, covered in unconscious ponies, griffins, and diamond dog's, with Varg sitting in a booth covered in his harem. I stood up, giving myself a spine tingling stretch. I don't know why, but a bed from a bar booth felt much better than the beds of Canterlot's bourgeoisie. I try to rewind what happened last night.

'That's right, after I talked with Varg, I went back to the dining room, and Keith...' I glanced back at him, who started to sway before landing straight back onto the bar table, nose first. 'Told me to lighten up.' After that we went back to the bar, and here Keith held something called a 'wake'. I sat back down, gazing over the various glasses, mugs, and pints all filled with various amounts of different liquors.

=6 hours ago=

"C'mon Aoi, it'll be fun, better than being all depressed and shiz about something that'll never change." Keith raised his glass, "I personally think it will be a hell of a lot more closure than looking at empty gravestones. So..." He looked across the relatives that joined, "Who's gonna start the first Eulogy?" A couple of griffins rubbed their feathers, nervous. "No one? Alright." He downed his mug, wiping away the froth from his muzzle, stepping down from the table.

"Now I didn't know anyone personally, but I wanted to say a few words. Tragedy just happens. It's not because of the eyes of an angry god, or the spite of fate or time, things just happen across a long chain of events that can never be fully explained or justified. But I can tell you one thing. We all die eventually, and honestly, I find it a bit of a waste of time to cry over it." A few teary eyes glared at him, "Not saying that it isn't justified, after all, it's all part of emotion, but rather than cling to the event itself, I think it's worth so much more-" he pulled out a gemstone "-to remember all the precious times more valuable than these gems that you all spent together. I can say, from dining with each and every one of you these past six months, excluding our new guests, that it was some shit load of good times we had here at the Oblong Tomb. Heh, I for one would be glad for this place to be my grave, but I'm not ready to die just yet. Hell, same should go for all of you, every loved one lost is another life the people they've left behind can live for." He turned to me and winked. "So come on, let's swap some stories now, give the place a grand old shine of tales that would make Cuchulain wet his pants." He sat back down, proud and cocksure of his speech. Sure enough, one by one, the loved ones went over to the memorial tablet in the middle of the room, telling tales of good times and bad: childhoods, adventures, and especially romances that brought a tear to many an eye in the bar.

It struck me that with each story, it slowly and slowly reminded me that I never really did once said a eulogy for my parents. It was a proper funeral and all, but I was too shy to even say a word. Now, after having avenged their death, I still haven't given proper honor to them. I took a swig of black rose wine and went up after the last few had told their tale. I took a deep breath, taking out Keith's blade, and etched the characters for both my parents names in the tablet. After folding it back in its hilt, I turned to address the crowd.

"Back when I was a young boy, my mother told be a bed time story. It was about a young prince, and a lovely geisha. Rather than allowing them to be together, the emperor kept them apart, for the geisha was the daughter of a once hated criminal. Back then in Nippon, reputation spread by bloodline, so any romantic affair between the two was a shame upon the emperor. However, she was madly in love with him, and the prince with her. So what did they do? Heh, they wrote love letters to each other that they never sent. Some had beautiful haikus with elegant katas, some were as simple as a few words to tell how much each one missed the other, some were even laced with rather saucy messages. But with no way for one to get the letters to the other, how do you suppose they would get the letters to each other? Or even if there was any point of writing them at all?" A few children raised their arms. I pointed to one.

"They flew them by pigeon." I shook my head with a smile.

"They met someplace and exchange the letters?"

"Close, but not quite." After a few more replies I told them.

"Each passing year, the letters grew less and less, but their love grew more and more. Each prayed to Inari, a goddess of love where I'm from, that someday they would be able to meet. A few months passed, and each got ready for the Autumn Harvest festival, hoping that the festival would take their mind off of their burning desires. The night came, and the festival cheered with music and dancing, but all the two could think about was each other. As midnight drew, they started to walk on a lonely road strewn with lanterns,
wearing masks so that no one would recognize them. Can you guess what happened?" Everyone shook their heads.

"They walked right past each other, not knowing that they were so close to each other, yet both were oblivious to the other's identity. Inari saw this through one of her servants, a tanuki taking guise as a statue in front of her temple, and took pity on them. She sent a brisk wind throughout the entire festival, strong enough from both east and west to free a single letter that each had carried with them. Both of them turned to chase after them, running back into each other to retrieve their secret letters, until they caught up with them, clasping the other's letter in hand. They still didn't notice each other in their masks, simply nodding, apologizing for the inconvenience, and leaving the festive grounds without another word, the geisha to her humble home, and the prince to the palace. It wasn't until later that night that they pulled out their letters, finding that the seal on each of them wasn't theirs. Simultaneously, they ripped open their letters, to find the same letter addressed to the intended recipient. And on those letters was a single word." It was a word that I couldn't bear to write just yet on my letter, one I felt guilty to exclude, and one that I had said once before.

"Ashiteru (I love you)." Infant cries of 'd'aaaaw' floated throughout the bar.

"Sadly enough, the never met again for 10 long years, even after the emperor had died. The Prince was soon swept up in kingly duties as kings often do, and the geisha moved to another province. But on that eleventh year, the festival came around once again. Remembering that fateful event, they each decided to go once more. When they finally met, they didn't recognize each other as ten years changes a person a lot in appearance, so they only saw each other as complete strangers. They stood in front of the temple of Inari, paying their respects. Suddenly, the prince spoke up.

'Every Day I come to this shrine to thank her for this night.' The geisha looked at him.

'Why is that?' she asked earnestly.

'It was on this night, that I had lost a letter.' The Geisha smiled at him.

'Funny, I lost one as well, but I happened to pick up another letter.' At this the emperor looked at her.

'Who was it from?'

'It was from the man I loved, a prince.' She turned her gaze back to the emperor. 'And on that letter was the word-' Their eyes met once more, and a flood of memories going back to when they first met sparked the same burning passion they felt many years ago. They leaned in to each other, locking eyes, holding hands, and together they said.

'I love you.'" Many of them shed a tear for my story. Supposedly, the story was about my great grandparents that had met several hundred years ago. I didn't believe it, of course, but the story stayed with me all the same.

The rest of the night was much livelier thanks to Keith and Eol: Keith talking with the people who knew the departed, and Eol playing pranks and drinking games, even challenging Varg to an arm wrestling contest in which Eol actually won. It brought back the memory of during the fight against the dragon, Eol punching through solid dragon scale. It didn't add up. I went over to him and motioned a private audience, he followed immediately.

"Eol, I wanted to ask you something. Two things actually. One, is how you got it in your head that you would be able to break dragon scale using only your fists, and bare fisted as well. Two, how did you actually do it?" To this Eol only shrugged.

"To be honest, I don't really know myself, I wasn't sure it would work, but something... something made me want to try. I'm not very good with swords, and you saw what happened in the training room when I went up against Ubi. I felt like I was just being a burden. It was seeing you, you taking on the dragon that ate my father, you going up against the entire Canterlot Zoo, you taking care of those 'Black Whoevers' while flying through the air like it was nothing, and me? I'm nothing, just a beta who reads a lot." His ears drooped.

"Then one day I went through something called 'Anatominy' or something like that, and found out a bit of how diamond dog bodies work, one thing was that our bones get stronger when they break, since our bodies use gems to repair them, not sure how, but it does. They grow back stronger and stronger each time. So when we got to Gem Fido, I figured that I could test this out. When you were bed bound, I tried something I thought was crazy at the time: punching solid rock. I did this over and over again, sure the first few times I broke my knuckles, but every day, they healed back better, and stronger too. Two weeks later, I managed to actually make a crack in the rock walls, and when that crazy pony brought you down here, I could actually break through to other branches of the warren. Just watch." He took out a ruby, bringing his fist into the palm he held the gem in. A loud crack followed, and tiny red pieces and some dust was all that was left.

"It got me to thinking, 'If I could break gems now, could I break dragon scale?' There was only one way to find out, and, well, you know the rest."

"The last thing I wanted to talk to you about was thanks. Although your action was crazy and reckless, in the end, you were a big help, and hey, now you can get the credit come mating season to brag that you managed to kill a dragon. After all, it was you who dealt the killing blow." Eol blushed.

"Nah, I don't stand a chance, not with you around. Heh, actually, you were kind of lucky to be hurt during mating season..."

"Oh? Why's that?"

Eol smiled childishly. "Oh, you'll find out next year."

I gulped. This may have been one of the very few times in my life that I had been genuinely scared.

=Present=

"Well, looks like someone had fun last night," I state, standing over the Underking, Topaz tracing circles on his chest.

"Pup, when you've lived as long as I have, you learn to have whatever fun you can take in times like these." The Old wolf chuckled, nipping at Topaz's ears.

"I wonder, what's being undead like?" With something as unnatural as being yanked back to life, I would think that someone would be disturbed by this.

"Like being alive, I still breathe, still feel pain, still have needs, and its not like this-" he lifted up the same arm he showed me when I first came here, "Isn't leaving, eventually all the wounds heal, but take a long time. The only thing I'm really missing is a pulse."

"And you still don't have any idea who did this to you?" He shook his head.

"I still don't know whether to hate him or like him. On one hand, getting shoved back to life at first hurts like Tartarus's fury, but you get used to it, and see it as a second chance. Thing is, I don't know how to die now. Stab me through the heart, already had stopped to begin with. Cut off my head, put it back on and I'm talking again in a month."

"Heh, I'm guessing that with living forever, you get bored pretty fast."

"You could say that." He stretches, "But when you've got pleasurable company like this, It's worth another go at life, no matter how long or short it is."

Two months had passed since the assault, since then we had made major advancements. Word instantly spread across Gem Fido that the Oblong Tomb wasn't so silent anymore, specially since there was still a crater where the airship landed. Varg decided that it was high time that the Underking of Gem Fido made himself known again. With Keith's help in defense systems, in the few short months that followed, we had the entire warren sanctioned and flying under Varg's Flag, an ancient emblem that the surrounding clans knew not to mess with. When messengers were sent to brief the surrounding clans, the results were rather... mixed. Of the 5 clans that bordered Varg's territory, 3 Immediately declared benign neutrality towards the warren, one alpha by the name of Quaretzel pledged allegiance to Varg and I, and one declared war on us. However, one visit from Eol, Ubi and I, and he immediately went to pieces and surrendered.

The Oblong Tomb soon became a main stronghold of operations, relatively close to Equestrian borders, but still a long way from the Dominion. I talked to Varg about Eol's former clan, and within the next month, we were able to transfer their clan to the Oblong Tomb, where they soon swore fealty to me, having been unable to instate an alpha amongst the bloodline. It was a long ceremony, one that I was accustomed to by now. Now, I was commanding a current force of 132 able bodied warriors, with 16 still in training, and a clan number totaling 312, excluding Eol, Ubi, and I. I took time between planning with Varg on the assault on Bitsburg to train everyone in the best way possible, the same way my teachers taught me, even some of the refugees came to practice, wanting to help out Varg and I any way they could.

But all throughout the months, every night when I retired to my chamber, I could think of nothing except the motive and the person behind the attack. It brought back a feeling that fueled me ever since that fateful day. The desire to hunt them down. Many nights I stayed awake, restless, flicking open and shut Keith's blade, which he had dubbed a Corvat, I rolled my eyes at the seemingly arbitrary bearing for it, but for all it was worth, the name somewhat stuck. I took a moment to admire the edge, polished with a blue tint of silver. To think, a little more than half a year ago, he made rather mediocre crafted weapons for a whim, but now: an entire arsenal of weapons along with a blade that could withstand dragon scale.

"So what do you think?" Keith sat down with a cold draft as I stared out of the window.

"It's interesting, on the outside, it's not much, like a regular mountain, but on the inside, every
different species in this warren managed to furnish this like a castle." Many of the earth ponies had asked some of the diamond dogs to help in hollowing out some of the warren for proper housing years ago, and in a few short months, the southern horn of the mountain was hollowed out for the ponies, an entire inn-like structure as big as an entire town.

"I meant the Corvat."

"I know, just keeping you waiting." He blinked twice before laughing.

"So you do have a sense of humor." He leaned back on a bench, the liquid sloshing around in his bottle, "I managed to swipe a paper from a nearby town, did you hear? Masonry got hit, bad, by a black dragon."

"Masonry?" My mind snapped back to the captain. "What happened there?"

"Surprisingly enough it was a young dragon, no taller than you or me. Somehow she managed to turn the entire mountain into a volcano. The article took a tally, and the death toll's in about the thousands."

"Ember..."

"Whassat?"

I folded the Corvat back into its hilt. "A few months ago, she broke into the Grand Galloping Gala, endangered everyone there, and assaulted Princess Luna, and promised to kill Griffin if she had the chance."

"Wait, back up, she did WHAT to best po- I mean Princess Luna? Oh Heeeeelll naw. Now I'mma hafta smack a bitch up."

"I don't think Varg would appreciate you assaulting his mates, now would he?"

"What?" He took a second to register what I just said, "Oh SHAMEful you." He poked a hoof at me. "But seriously though, put some emphasis behind your sarcasm, else it just sounds like a deadpan."

"I'll keep that in mind. On a previous note, I've seen what Ember can do, and I'm pretty sure not even the cannon you tote around in that black box can stand up to her." Keith gives a low whistle in response.

"Damn, I'm going to have to make some adjustments then."

"Keith..."

"Yeah dawg?"

"Why are you even in my room?"

"Psh, and I thought you had read up on human psychology. We're social animals, we thrive on communication, it gives a closer connection to those we converse with. Be it about drugs, sex, war, puppies... love..." He bit his lower lip. "You should try it sometime with Eol and Ubi, after all, you took them in as family, might as well talk to them like one. And hey." He tossed me a drink. "I know how you feel, the more you distance yourself from them, the more isolated, the safer you think they are. Sooner or later though, you'll have to find the courage to always keep them close. You've heard the saying, "Keep friends close, but enemies closer?" Yeah, complete bullshit. The closest you should keep are those you want to protect. After all, when they're so close, you are always in time to save them, and you always have an eye on them."

I smiled. "How is it that you always have some drop of philosophy to share?"

"What, you think I was just a drug crazed mad scientist, gun otaku, genetics genius, and overall nerd glued to the internet? Wait..." He slapped his head with a hoof, "Shit... I AM all those things, except for the drug crazed part." He sprawled out across the couch. "Thanks again, by the way."

"Well, it was either that, or get stabbed when you were waving that kitchen knife around. How is it that you managed to stay unnoticed this whole time?" It was nagging me how he managed to keep a faux identity with no prior training whatsoever.

"Because I actually retained a large portion of sense, enough to know when to somewhat act casual. I'm also great at impressions. You should see my Morgan Freeman voice."

"Who's Morgan Freeman?"

He deadpanned. "And like that, you've lost me." He got up, placing the bottle on a nearby table. "I'm going down to the construction site to see how they're doing without me. Ciao, baby." I laid my head on the window sill. I flick open the blade once more.

'It really is a fine blade. Sooner or later though, all blades becomes stained.'

One day, Inugami returned, calling me to a rather underused section of the warren. It looked like and old marble arena, with weapon racks nailed to the walls. Varg had been called there as well. When I saw him however, he had taken an anthropomorphic guise, clad in ancient samurai armor. But underneath was the same Nora, red markings across his face.

"Dressed for war?" I didn't like where this was going.

"No, to train." Varg and I looked at each other. "Over a thousand years, I've seen history unfold, and actually been a part of it. Now I intend to pass onto you two what I've learned, after all, you two lack a vital thing that once made the warriors of the Sengoku nigh unstoppable in battle." He shot a piercing gaze at both of us. "I stand here not as your friend, but as a teacher. Attack me." I hesitated. He drew a long blade and was on me in a second. I drew Kokuryu, and our blades clashed. I backed away by two steps, swinging my blade with a narrow slash. Out of nowhere, he grabbed the blade mid slash with bare fingers.

'LEFT!' I brought the Corvat up to shield. But instead was met with crippling knee to my lower abdomen. Varg wielded a battle lance and charged in with a full thrust, Inugami pulled Kokuryu downward to intercept the tip, splitting the lance tip to shaft. I let go of Kokuryu and went for a flying guillotine with the Corvat, jumping over Varg. A flash of white brought the divided remnants of the lance to intercept the Corvat, slowing down the slash to a halt. Varg grabbed Kokuryu and attempted to go for Inugami's legs, met only with a sharp kick to the head. To end the battle, Inugami grabbed the part of the lance above where the blade had stopped, trapping it with a vice, and twisted the blade out of my paw, a followup elbow slamming me into the ground. He dropped the Corvat next to my head.

"Tell me, the both of you, when was the last true war you've seen. I'm not talking about missions or duels, but true battlefield warfare." Varg and I both looked at each other, neither of us could answer.

"Thought so." His body morphed back into a feral form. "War has changed, and from what I've seen, has become a lot softer: the human world having the advancement of weaponry and co-ordinated combat, and this land having not seen war for over 900 years. As we progress in history, knowledge, and advancement, we lose a bit more of our fundamental fighting ability with each passing year."

"And what might that be?" Varg asked, folding his arms, "I may have been dead for about 600 years, but I still remember everything I was taught on terms of combat."

"Exactly, you learn... but you lose equally what you've had all along. Instinct."

"Instinct?" Humans always had instinct, every living creature does, but how does one lose it?

"By the look on your face, Aoi, I can tell you're a bit confused. Let me try and make things a bit clearer. Bird do not think, yet at a moment's notice, they avoid gunshots even though they've never experienced them, flies flee right on time to your hand swatting them, and all animals seem to know when a natural disaster comes. Why? It's not reflexes, nor intellect. It's sheer instinct, one that the lack of danger can wear away over time, even over generations. With more and more combat, you yourself have slowly regained some manner of that instinct. But what is it?" He pauses, giving us time to think.

"Simple. It's that tingling feeling when someone pulls the trigger, that twitch before something falls, that tensing of muscle when you feel someone's presence. Aoi, you called it 'Fight or Flight'. In a pure natural setting, when a single millisecond comes between life and death, the fight or flight response is instant. Now, humans are at the top of the food chain, no need to look behind for what might pounce, a setting of dull peace. Because of this, fight or flight has become dull as well, it takes seconds to react, because thought muddles instinct, you foolishly ask yourself the question 'What do I do?' instead of telling yourself 'Do.' And you Varg, wolves are at the peak of clan life, with no rivals, you hunt down whatever you please, having no need to look up for what pounces, only down to your prey. In this regard, both of you are slow compared to the world which uses nature as a regulating device to pick off those that lag. Do you understand?" We both nod. It made sense, but one thing was unclear, how do we get back what we never knew was lost?

"So was that all you needed to tell me, that I'm slow compared to you?" Varg seemed irritated. I intervened.

"No, it means that because that we are rarely in any true danger, with clans protecting us, we've lost our edge." I fold back the Corvat.

"When I was traveling alone, all I could rely on was myself, no one to watch my back for me. Outside Stalliongrad, I could tell when someone was watching me, now, people take me by surprise too often, because I've had Ubi and Eol." I pointed to Varg. "And you've got an entire fortress, not to mention being nigh indestructible."

"So what do you suggest?" I scratched my chin before settling on an answer.

"Historic wars used to be pure melee combat with only the ranged accompaniment of arrows. The battlefield was always hectic, unless you wore the right colors, you were as much an enemy as an ally, and could be killed by almost anything, a stray sword swing, a loose arrow, moromoro (and all the rest). So what better way to regain that instinct to avoid danger, than to believe the entire world wants you dead?" I hold up a single claw.

"It's Bitsburg versus me." The best way to break a shell is to open it from the inside. "We'll discuss it later." With that, I left, leaving behind the two.

=Varg=

"Did you tell him anything?" The overgrown mutt whispered.

"Just the basics. From the news I've heard, the pup's not far off for thinking that." I swear, that kid's got more gems under his weird robe thing than he lets off, and he's not even
undead.

"Just what exactly did the whelp even go through in this 'other world' of yours?"

"If you manage to see his real form, you won't need to ask." Cheeky son of a bitch. At the very least, I can see some stock in what this guy sees in Aoi.

=Aoi=

"WHAT?" Eol's jaw dropped when I broke the news to him. "No way you're going in there alone!"

"I'm going in solo, but that doesn't mean I'm coming out alone. I'll need everyone's help if we're going to pull this off."

"But why are you going in alone?" Ubi asked, "I'll be easier to get to the bottom of this if we work together, we can cover more ground."

"One, since whoever called the attack is clearly against diamond dogs, you can bet that he or she will be trying their hardest to rid the city of them out of public eyes, but they won't be looking for a non diamond dog, and especially won't try to assassinate a knight of the royal court."

"Wait, since when did you become a knight?" Keith asked, slack jawed.

"I didn't, the captain and I bailed out on the ceremony, but since Bitsburg is in Equestrian borders, any emissary harmed within it's borders will warrant a full investigation regardless of species, so all I would have to do is give the impression that I hold political rank. And even then, it's not the first time I've had to fend off attempts on my life."

"All the more reason we should come along." Eol protested. I glared at him.

"I'm going in alone and that's final." I turned to go to my chambers. "After all, once the signal goes up, I'm going to need all the help I can get to get out of there. I need to know I can count on you guys." With that I closed the door, alone with my thoughts once more. I went to a dresser to fish out a small rectangular comb.

Two weeks before Keith gave me the comb, said to do him a favor and brush my fur, any fur that fell out to give to him. I didn't know what he wanted with old fur, and I didn't want to know, but at the very least I thanked him for it. After a few weeks of grooming, I found that a lot of my fur had already started to cling to the new coat underneath, and grooming in the summertime became a regular routine. Looking in the mirror, I saw my fur had changed over the months from a slight amber hue into a softer moonlight silver.

'We have a few coats that change across the seasons,' Varg's aside played back in my head, 'wiry and a bit dirty in the spring, silky and thin in summer, coarse and standing in fall, and a thick double coat in winter.'

"I guess this is the silky fur." I pressed a paw against the smooth texture. "I'll never get used to not feeling skin anymore." Fur itself was more like wearing a constant coat that only changed in thickness every so often. I couldn't really feel any of the clothes on me, just the fabric pressing the fur closer. I took off my black dobuku and rustled through my pack to pull out the lagoon haori that Rarity and Princess Luna made for me. The design brought back a few fond memories, of visiting the countryside, thatch roofs, and a warm summer's day. I slipped it on over my kosode, the silk hanging loose in folds.

I pulled open the dresser and pulled out a small scroll rolled up. I had gotten the letter a few days ago, hiding it from Keith when I saw who it was from. Knowing him... on second thought, I don't really know what he would do. I gently broke the wax seal keeping the letter rolled up, scanning the page for the first few words that read, 'Dear Aoi.'

'I regret to inform you that Rainbow Dash has been feeling under the weather lately, unable to reply to your letter. After I had re Talked to her about the letter, I decided to write back in her stead. She has a soft spot for you, you know. Before she had taken ill with Feather Flu, she talked about you rather haphazardly. (But a lady always knows when one puts on a 'hard-to-get' facade) She started spinning in circles trying to spot you when I mentioned your name. So please be a dear and write back to her. Hopefully it would bring up her spirits and aid in her recovery.

Glamorously yours,
Rarity

P.S. I know that feeling of not being able to tell her, painfully so, in fact.'

I didn't waste a second grabbing a brush and parchment. I scrambled to fill and ink well and got to writing. After scribbling like a madman, I slapped a wax seal and rushed downstairs to the council chambers, spotting the maildog.

"Excuse me, could you deliver this to the Equestian Postal Service please?" The dog turned to me and froze dead in place. "Please, it's very important."

"Oh, um-um yes, I deliver to 'Questria." He grabbed the letter and went on his way. I sighed, hoping that everything was alright in Ponyville.

"No wonder you won't take a mate." I heard a chuckle behind me. "Looks like you already have someone special." I cleared my throat and turned around to find Varg with a sly look on his face.

"Since when have you known?"

"What do you take me for? I may be old as a marrow-less bone, but I can tell when someone's maw-over-hinds for someone when they rush that fast to deliver a letter. You left ink marks behind." He pointed to a trail of slowly dispersing botches of wet ink. I forgot that I had taken the brush with me.

"So who's the lucky one?" He wore a cocky grin.

"I'm fairly certain it's none of your business, Varg." I walked past him, "You already have enough of your own as is."

"Come now, don't tell me that the Lunar Legend is embarrassed about talking of his courting partner." I shot a burning glare at the Underking.

"We're not 'courting', I'm just a bit concerned for her safety that's all."

"Cur shit, you're blushing so much your fur's turned pink." I reached a paw to my muzzle and found it flushing warm. Varg bit his lower lip to keep himself from bursting into laughter.

"It's okay, pup, we all get a bit tense during this span of life. Hey, at least in another 8 months, you'll feel a bit better with some 'pleasurable company'." With a snicker he turned to leave. "Also, before I forget, I sent a letter to the princess prior asking about the policies of foreign affairs in Equestria. Apparently, it still stands that you have near full immunity in Equestria, barring of course theft and murder, and that can easily be overlooked with the right writ."

"Writ?"

"Warrant of assassination. A warrant for someone's death. There used to be a few 'black' clans that were hired to carry out writs back when the Griffon Dominion was still under Igor. Even he had a few writs circulating for his head on a silver platter. Basically, a writ is respected by any government, a blood pact held by very ancient magic, a death waver for both assassin and target. You could call it a duel contract, winner gets off with murder scott-free, loser is dead with no complaints, unless there's a draw of course. The magic has been long lost, but if it ever becomes active again, be on the lookout, anyone can be marked, and anyone can hunt. A funny little note though is that if one survives being marked and wins, they can't be marked by another writ, and I know of only 6 who are actually immune, one involving your dear Princess Celestia."

"You mean-"

"Even the nicest of people can hide secrets. Well, as you've said before, I've got business to attend to, negotiations to sanction an entire town are troublesome."

I thought about what Varg said about writs. 'A magically binding contract of a duel, one that not even kings can override.'

Keith stopped by my chambers again, striking up conversation as usual.

"I wonder why ponies don't have belly buttons?" I spit out a drink that Keith handed me as he started to go off tangent.

"What?" I choke out.

"Seriously, we don't have bellybuttons! Either that or they're just too small or concealed to noticed. Hey, take off your clothes and let me see if you have one under all that fur."

"What? NO!"

"If you're afraid of getting naked, let me give you a news flash, I've been naked this entire time, and so far, I don't give a shit for some inexplicable reason. Although when I get a boner during a conversation, it's super awkward."

"I'm not taking off my clothes just so you can satisfy your curiosity."

"Oh maaaaiii...." Keith croaked in a low voice. I just stare at him, "Well you're no fun."

I get up to retire to my bed, "If you don't mind, I'll be heading off to sleep, I've got a training regimen in the morning."

"Right, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"You say that like I have a choice..."

"C'mon, you know you kinda sorta maybe even just a microscopic smidgen like our talks."

"Good night, Keith."

"I didn't hear a 'no'. *Slam*" I didn't let him finish as I shut the door in his face.

I failed miserably on training the new recruits the next morning. We started off on a light jog around the mountain.

"You call this a 'light jog'?" Keith panted as he trailed behind us near the rear of the group with the paint-fresh trainees. I overestimated a bit and gave everyone 75 kilogram packs to carry. I went over to him, jogging in place.

"It's good for building up stamina."

"How much are in these things?" Keith blubbered.

I smiled. "If I told you now, it would feel less rewarding when you finished." Secretly I was getting back at him for all the times he supplemented the diuretic with laxative.

"Come on, if you take anymore time, the sun will hit high noon, and in this part of Gem Fido, it'll be even harder with the entire place heated like a sauna." I waved for him to follow. He banged his two forelegs together as an insult and trotted on all fours with us.

"I don't know why I didn't think of this before."

"I don't know, why didn't you?" I asked with a coy smile.

"Aoi... did you just pull a troll face on me?" I didn't answer as I headed back to the front of the pack again, Eol and Ubi to my left and right. The jog continued for 3 more laps, a total of about 5 miles, we slowed down to
a walking pace to take in the scenery, at least the decent portion of it. The land around the base of the mountain contrasted greatly to the land beyond, having loamy soil brought from the run-off of the mountain when it rained, with common, more green flora than the deadwood we encountered at first in Gem Fido.

"Mountains are usually where life is, elsewhere is too hot or cold for all but the toughest trees." Ubi mumbled.

"I see what you mean, it's decent in the summer time." I breathed in a nice fresh scent. When we explored outward from the base, the wildlife seemed to reach about 100 yards in each direction, but then fused with the harsh geysers and poison vine trees.

"I wonder what caused all this, what caused all the trees and geysers."

"Some say the gods cursed this place, after greedy alphas came here to seek gems hordes rumored to be buried underneath. Some say that it was something foreign. The water used to be cool to drink, now, it's hotter than dragon's breath." As he said that a geyser erupted, shooting out a yellowish mist.

"I think it's something to do with Geotherma-whatsit called." Eol added, "I read about it in that purple librarian's book.

"It's geothermal energy, and... wait..." Keith rushed up to Eol, "Purple librarian?"

"Yeah, she was a unicorn that let me borrow her bo-"

"ERMAGERD! YOU MEAN YOU ACTUALLY MET TWILIGHT SPARKLE?!" Keith shook Eol so hard that he started to foam at the mouth. "From now on, we iz buddehz..." I shook my head with a smirk, taking note of the noonday sun.

"Alright, we should be heading inside now." Every single person breathed a heavy sigh of relief as we went inside the main cave, many plopping down onto the cool ground as soon as they reached shade. A soft breeze whistled in from the outside, giving some relief. I wiped my brow of sweat before announcing, "Congratulations everyone, you've just finished our warmup!" Everyone shot up with shocked expressions before dropping back down, some actually fainting.

"I was only joking." Keith's eye twitched.

"Do us all a favor and never joke about things like that again, you'll scare more than make them laugh, unless you're a sadistic P.E. teacher." He shuddered before taking off his pack.

"Oh DAYUM! That feels good. So, how much was in that pack?" He asked, giving a spine crackling stretch.

"About 75 kilos." I say bluntly, Keith's jaw dropped.

"No WONDER I felt like I was carrying a tank, that weighs more than my rifle!"

I roll my neck, shuddering in relief as I took off my pack. "Well you can always quit whenever you want, after all, you're the one who was insistent on following me in the first place." I turn to Eol and Ubi, "How are you two holding up." Eol took off his pack throwing a few air punches.

"I feel great, so what's next?"

"I'm going for some lunch."

"Lunch seems good right about now, that is, if everyone else can still make it to the dining hall." I sighed, "Tomorrow, the real work begins."

"Oh God, you weren't kidding when you said that was the warm up, were you?"

"A little from column A, a little from column B. This was just to gauge everyone." I took a mental note of everyone's physical advantages, including Eol's endurance.

'He really does want to prove himself doesn't he?'

At lunch, we sat down to a miniature feast of various homely foods: Keith with a fruit salad, Eol with a few legs of hare, Ubi with diamonds of assorted carats, and me with an entire blue fin tuna.

"Holy shit man, you're going to eat all that?" Keith stared at the enormous fish.

"Of course, after all, wasn't it YOU that said that I needed to consume at least ten thousand calories a day?"

"Point taken," Keith looked at his bowl, "I'm still kinda jelly though, you still get to enjoy bacon. Furry bastard..."

"If you ever visit Canterlot, we can stop by the castle. The Princesses' R&D chefs developed a seasoning that mimics many of our foods, along with a vegetarian substitute. I believe Knightmare called one of the dishes, 'Hay bacon'."

"No fucking way... Hay bacon that actually TASTES like bacon?" He threw his napkin in the air, "Fuck this thread, I'm out." He was about to leave before his stomach growled. "On second thought, I'll say for the food, THEN forsake the thread."

"You do know that most people still have no idea what you're on about..." I remind him, cutting into a cut of otoro.

"Yeah, the entire world is oblivious to the internet." He shoved a fork of mango into his mouth. I turned to Ubi, still eating his gems.

"Still haven't found an equal to that apple pie, have you?" Ubi shook his head. "Is it really that bad to eat regular food?" Ubi grimaced.

"Everything else makes me vomit." Ubi said bluntly before crunching a low carat diamond under his fangs.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so picky, you'd start to enjoy a lot of other foods." Eol tore into a roasted leg, smacking noisily.

"I am not picky, nothing has taste," Ubi murmured, rolling the blue-silver gem under a digit.

Keith held up his hooves, "Hold up, bruh, you mean to say that you can't taste anything other than gems?" Ubi nodded.

"Every other gem tastes bad. Diamonds are the only good gem."

"Now we know you're just picky," Eol remarked, shaking a shredded drumstick at Ubi, "Quartz tastes just like candy!" He swiveled to me. "Hey, Aoi, I've been meaning to ask, why is it that you can't eat gems?" I stared blankly at him, taking one of the gems from Ubi's plate and biting down hard on it, pulling it back out without a single scratch.

"I think it might be a dynamic branch off in your genetic line, that's my guess anyway." Keith chewed on a few nuts in his salad. "After all, Aoi's tall as a Captain Komamura, and the tallest I've seen on terms of height is Varg--he's about 10 feet-ish--and you two are about two feet shorter than Aoi." He waved the fork around, eye-ball measuring each of us.

"Silver lining, you two don't have to worry about banging your heads against the doors." He finishes and gets up. "Well, I'm headed back to engineering. Airships don't build themse- okay, screw conventional lines, I'MMA BUILD STUFF!"

After about 4 minutes of silence, Ubi finally spoke up.

"Is he-"

"Same world." It rather frightens me who else made it here. I've yet to meet this 'Echo' I read about.

=Daring Do=

"Like I said, I never get lost... We're just like taking the scenic route every so often." Don't think it, just don't think it.

"We're lost, aren't we?" He had 'I told you so' plastered all over his face.

"I didn't hear you complaining when it was just me and you 'lost in the woods' now did I?" He blushed and bit his lower lip with a goofy smile.

"Who said I was complaining?" He earned a hoof upside his head for that one.

=Aoi=

"After the Gala, I'm not sure what to expect."

Fall soon came, and with it came many new things. Keith called me down to engineering, said he wanted to show me something. I walked into the 'hangar' the entire ship covered.

"Ahp, no sneek peeks." He went under the tarp and came out a few seconds later, carrying a large suitcase. "You're gonna love this. Remember when I asked you to save all your fur?" He clicked open the clasps, opening to reveal what looked like a coat.

"Well, I thought about it, and decided that you're not going to fit in with a get-up like what you're wearing right now. After all, you're headed to the steam punk capital of Equestria. At first, I was thinking Victorian, but then I was like, 'Fuck it, you need something more badass'. So I commissioned a tailor to make you this." When he pulled out the coat, I saw it to be intricately designed with a faint silvery lace pattern, the inner lining of the coat having a familiar textured fur dyed black.

"You shed like a mofo, if you didn't notice, Enough to actually MAKE a coat. I think the tailor said there was still some left over. So I sold it to her for a nice amount. FYI, well maintained fur sells a bitching amount of bits."

"Thanks." I slid my arms through the loose sleeves. The coat overall looked pretty good, and felt surprisingly light.

"Oh you'll thank me even more when you head into the city itself. I swear that place is a gear head aficionado’s wet dream, everyone looks like something from the industrial era: lace, top hats, the whole nine yards, there used to be an engineer there, but rumor had it he was kinda a blackjack doctor as well."

"Did his name happen to be Geirmund?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Just one of the many colorful character's on the captain's ship, he's the ship's surgeon and works with Steelhorn in engineering."

"Dayum, sooner or later you need to introduce me to your friends, they seem pretty badass."

"I guess you could call them friends." I took a few leisurely looks at the quality of the stitching on the coat, it reminded me of Knightmare's outfit. "I think you'd get along with Knightmare especially, he has almost the same taste in music as you do, not sure if he likes 'the classics'."

"Jamming, well, as you can see, the airships finished, so we'll be able to unveil tomorrow. I gotta hand it to myself, I honestly didn't think it would go as smoothly as I first expected."

"What did you expect, the entire ship to spontaneously combust?" At this Keith chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "That happened, didn't it?" I query in a impassive tone.

"Eh, only once or twice," he confessed, "and I at least know the cause of one of them."

"Only one?" I would be lying if I said I didn't see that coming.

"Well we fixed it now, so there shouldn't be any more problems whatsoever."

The next day, we got to see the ship in all it's glory. I gave a low whistle as I scanned the machine. The design was unique to say the least, a mix between an actual ship with a wing design similar to the structure of a
747. Make no mistake, this was indeed a war ship, armed to the teeth with anti-aircraft weaponry: cannons, flak-guns re-engineered, and mortars for air support for ground troops.

"Gentlemen, I give you, the Pillar of AWESOME!" Eol, Ubi and I slapped our paws against our face at the mention of the name.

"What? It's simple, it's memorable, and an homage to the greatest ship ever to be piloted in the UNSC." We stared at Keith.

"I don't get it." I deadpanned. Keith groaned.

"Fine, what are YOUR ideas?"

"Metallic Thunder!" Eol yapped.

"Dzemel," Ubi suggested.

"Dzemel?"

"Ancient dragon tongue for "strong-hearted"." Keith immediately plastered a puzzled look on his face, leaning in towards me.

"How the Fuck does Ubi know about ancient dragon tongue?"

"My Mother's a dragon." Ubi growled. Immediately Keith's expression snapped to an impassive stare.

=Keith=

'Mother of fuck, he's Dovahkiin.'

=Aoi=

"Does he happen to, you know... shout?" Keith questioned with a nudge.

"You'd be lucky to get him to talk above a whisper." Keith smacked his forehead with his hoof.

"RIIIGHT, forgot that you don't play video games either. My GOD, Aoi, how DID you pass the time?" I flashed him a peeved glance before turning my attention back to the ship.

"So what's you're idea for the ship name?"

"Honestly, I don't really care, but I know for certain that one of the titles of the bands you listen to fits better than something cheesy like the Pillar of Awesome."

"Hmm, you may have a point there..." Keith rubbed his chin with an open fetlock. "Alright, how about... Rolling Thunder?"

"Seems fine to me."

=Keith=

'Sucker...'

=Aoi=

His wide grin was rather unsettling, but I left it aside.

"Alright then, let's meet the crew." We went aboard the ship, taking with us a few troops that I had gotten to know over the past few months. "We've got Radiohead on comms, Sous on the mess hall, Blunderbus's team on the main cannons, Buckle and Swash's group on deck maintenance, Gearbox in engineering, and Bungie on ropes, tethers, and the like."

The ponies manned much of the machinery on the ship, while griffin's were nested near the crow's nest or engineering, anything to help fly the ship directly. The entire ship shined with polished decks and the outer plating, giving the vessel a deep amber color.

"She's a beaut. Be honest now, you didn't think I was going to finish this in a few months were you?" He nudged me waiting for an answer.

"Genetic Scientist, Weapon's specialist, and architect? I definitely didn't see the last one in the resume."

"That's because I suck at architecture, the actual ship design was from a resident of Bitsburg... Well, ex-resident." We came to a door labeled the Captain's Room. "Aoi, meet the captain." He opened the door to reveal a tall stallion, well dressed in what looked like Victorian era clothing.

"Count Valvette." The Stallion propped a monocle onto one eye.

"Please, Valve is plenty formal enough," he greeted, extending a hoof to meet my paw.

"We're ready to go, Varg's already on board in the meeting chamber, but first, a tour." Keith and Valve led us through the various structures on the inside. The ship had basic necessities: a bridge, a galley, a mess hall, various maintenance areas, and dining quarters, but what concerned me were the other areas he had. The Training rooms and rec rooms are understandable, but there were some that I didn't know what purpose they were: one room had various beds and tools, one was completely soundproof and had only a large table in there with belts hanging off of the sides, and one looked like a workshop of sorts, with gears, pipes and other assorted what-nots, but one room struck me as downright out of place: a room with naught but a single organ inside it.

"Keith, how did you manage to fit an entire organ into a ship like this?"

"Aoi, shame on you, you've been here how long and have forgot rule 315 of cartoon physics: shit's bigger on the inside." He did have a point, all the structures I've seen had interiors highly disproportionate to the exterior, but was it really just due to 'cartoon physics?'.

"Okay, so it may just be an enchantment on the ship, but who really gives a shit anymore, it's here, it's queer, get used to it." I scoffed and continued.

When we were finally finished with the tour, we met up at the bridge, and I asked a burning question that was on my mind.

"Two things. One, when can we set sail? Two, how are we going to get this entire ship out of the mountain?" At this Keith laughed.

"Don't you worry your fluffy little face, Uncle Keith's got it all under control," he professed, rubbing my hair before heading to the main control deck.

"I'm a few months older than you, in case you've forgotten." He ignored me and pressed a button on one of the panels.

"Okay, we're ready to get this tin can soaring, Unicorn team 5, 6, and 7, ready the teleportation spell!" We rushed on the top deck to see about a hundred unicorns take position around the ship. The air shimmered and filled with a wispy hue as the ship slowly levitated off of the ground.

"Transport in 3... NOW!" The world swirled around us as I felt everything move violently for a moment until the spinning stopped. I was still on the ship, but now under the gray sky of Gem Fido.

"SHITSHITSHIT!" The ship groaned with a loud impact form below, shaking everyone on board.

"What the hell was that?" I barked towards the direction of the bridge.

"I forgot to turn on the engines." All throughout the ship, I heard the simultaneous smack of about a thousand hooves, claws, and paws hitting foreheads, including my own.

I feared for all of us aboard the ship...

Author's Notes:

I wanted to write a lighter chapter, and get all the filler in, yes I admit it's filler, but at least it actually reads a bit like stuff actually happened in the span of 5 or 6 months. At least I hope it did. Also, I'm actually surprised that I was able to write this much after a break from so long, breaking 10k really is an accomplishment for me, since I have the attention span of a ferret on crack actually. Hope you enjoyed BSRC on a lighter note, because next chapter, sh*yay*t gets real.

Also, yes to those wondering, The Aoi in the Dream Sequence is Agent of Chaos Aoi, seen here: /story/28510/aoi-agent-of-chaos , and was just there because I was bored and wanted a bit of a crossover, not really much significance, but when I wrote it, it was 3 in the morning and It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Interim: Letters Written with a Cyan Quill

The town of Ponyville stirred as a slow summer day passed by, a few clouds dotting here and there as Cloud Kicker zipped back and fourth between them, picking up the slack for Rainbow Dash.

"Ugh, where is she?" the purple pegasus grumbled as she broke through a leftover nimbostratus from yesterday's shower, thinning out the cloud. Cloud Chaser came up from the rear.

"I hear that she just got over a bad case of Feather Flu, but I don't know what's taking her so long."

"She better not be sleeping in again. You'd think that calling herself the 'Faster Flier in Equestria' also means that she gets to work on time, but noooo, she always clocks in late to bring in the..." Cloud Chaser blotted out her sister's rambling as she worked on sweeping up the last of the remaining clouds.

As she was about to clear the last one, a flash of colors zipped by, cleaving the cloud in half. Cloud Chaser was dumbfounded that she witnessed the legend's speed before her very eyes. Rainbow Dash hovered in front of the weather pony, who's jaw was currently plummeting to the ground.

"Whoops, Sorry about that, I was just trying out a new routine, gotta keep things fresh, you know," she explained, polishing her hoof on her chest.

"About time you showed up." Cloud Kicker caught up with her sister. "We cleared up the sector, no thanks to you. You know if you spent less time sleeping and more time helping we would have had this place done in time, what was it you always said, 'Sky cleared in ten seconds flat?' Yeah, right after ten hours of snoozing the day away, no wonder you never got into the Wonderbolts, the last time I checked, they require discipline, not just fancy tricks." This struck a nerve in the quick-winged pegasus, and immediately she fought back with a vicious retort.

"For your information, Kicker, I not only saved the Wonderbolts, but I've met people way cooler than them at the Grand Galloping Gala, and the last time I checked, you've never even met the Wonderbolts. So top that!" She took off, leaving the two sisters behind in a blast of full spectrum contrail. She headed back home, suddenly feeling tired, and plopped down onto her mattress, her mind reeling back to a person she missed dearly. Just then, a letter formed in front of her in a whisp of blue fire. She shot her hoof forward, catching the scroll immediately.

'That's funny, I wasn't expecting any letters today.' She took a hard look at the seal keeping the scroll coiled. 'It's not from the princess, and if it's not from them then...' She gasped, immediately breaking the seal and unfurling the scroll quickly, then stopping at the greeting. If this really was from him, she wanted to take time and savor it. Just then, she felt a pang of guilt as she remembered the last letter he sent the week she was sick. She never got to reply personally and wondered what happened to the letter. Gaining the courage to overcome her embarrassment, she slowly unfurled the letter and started to read.

I'm sorry. I should have replied as soon as I received your letter. How are you feeling? Rarity told me that you had been ill with the flu. As for what I have been doing, negotiations with the other clans have gone well for us, however, not everything has gone according to plan. We were attacked a few weeks ago when an airship from the city of Bitsburg attacked us. I'm sorry to have to say this, but promise me you will stay away from Bitsburg for the next few weeks. Yes, this means that I'll be visiting Equestria again, but only for this important matter. If all goes well, I hope to see you again. By autumn, I want you to be there with me on our new airship, and we can sail the clouds together, even if it's just for a day or two.

Please, take care of yourself,
Aoi

Her jaw dropped when she finished reading.

"OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygoshOhmy-" She clampled her mouth shut and started zooming about the room in a flurry of excitement.

'Aoi, Coming here? In an Airship?' she thought to herself. Her mind instantly conjured the tall wolf with captain's effects and a tricorn hat complete with a plume, and couldn't help but stifle a laugh. She held the letter close to her chest and drifted down back onto her mattress, utterly starstruck. She counted back the months ever since the Gala. How long has it been since she last saw him? Five months? Ten? She rolled off of the bed and trotted towards her dresser. Twilight had bought the ancient thing for her as a gift, but having no use for it, the wooden box sat at the edge of the room, gathering dust. With a quick flap of her wings, the dust cleared off of the table in an instant. She got out a quill and inkwell and started to write a reply...

...but stopped. It occurred to her that she had never really written a letter to anypony in particular, and Aoi was... special in her eyes. How hard could it be, to write a simple reply letter back?

Ten hours had passed, thousands of crumpled balls of parchment were splayed out all over the floor of her cloud house. She had long since resigned to smacking her head against the dresser repeatedly in hopes inspiration would come, if not brain damage first. Night had fallen, and with it a new moon, leaving the stars to their chance to shine.

After finally giving up, she flew out the door into town, hoping to avoid all contact with anypony out late...

... which was everypony. Tonight was the annual Nighting Gale festival, which was one of the new holidays Princess Luna had decreed to align with the return of the scented winds from the far east, carrying with them the hallowed aromas of unknown origin.

"BUCK!" She shouted before slapping her hooves over her mouth, stealing away into the shadows, what little there were. Across the way, a parade of ponies were gathered in town square as Pinkie Pie was giving out the latest addition to the bakery: Moon cakes. As hungry as the cyan flier was, she couldn't stop, as this was more urgent than her rumbling stomach. She flew as far as White Tail Woods, reflecting on her thoughts at the lake.

'Am I really that nervous that I can't even write back?' She rolled a pebble back and forth on the ground as her thoughts lined up with questions. 'I mean, it's just Aoi, why am I making such a big deal about this?' Her thoughts went back to the Gala, an event that she had went to for the past few years, and nothing was really special about it, until the last one.

She sighed, 'It's not just Aoi, it's Aoi. It's alright to be nervous, I mean, he's one of the coolest people I've met, right on tier with Griffin and the Wonderbolts.' Dash tossed the pebble across the lake, the smooth stone skipping across the water like galloping hooves. 'and he wants to see me.'

Her mind painted a picture of Aoi and her on his airship, dancing. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to feel the way she did several months ago, the way Aoi made her feel, she wanted to feel... special. She took out the last piece of crumpled parchment, the ink smeared in the words "Dear Aoi". She crunched it between her front hooves and threw it in the lake before opening her wings and taking off into the night sky.

The moon slowly rose to its apex, liquid curtains of pearly white comforting the land in a blanket like glow, and above it all hovered Rainbow Dash. She took a whiff of the scented air, detecting something familiar about it. It smelt just like Aoi's letters, like Aoi himself. Her wings extended to their full span and she soared through the sky, towards Bitsburg, towards Aoi...

... towards west.

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry I couldn't really publish a long chapter this month, as things have been getting pretty hectic at home.

Silent Mayhem [33]

After the first few minutes of takeoff, Keith and Captain Valve slowed the ship down to cruising speeds. I went up to the bridge at that time to talk to Keith, who was leaned back in his chair. He swiveled around to meet me with a wide grin.

"So you do like my company." He pulled out what looked like a roughly rolled cigar and lit it with a match. "What can I do you for?"

"I wanted to ask you something about how my brain works now." I took a seat opposite him, folding my hands. "What have you studied on the subject of human instinct?" Keith lowered the sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose and folded them.

"Well that's something unexpected. Give me a second." He scratched his chin to try and recall his earlier studies. "Okay, Neurophysiology, semester 2, lucky I did a thesis project on this type of shit. So basically, how I rewired your brain is giving you willing control of half of your instinctive functions, which is active at maximum output in a natural phenomenon known as the theta state (Not to be confused with theta rhythm). It occurs when our basic needs are threatened, e.g. our lives. Instinct in it's basic form is your body's ability to just 'do' things, like how bird's build a nest, and how wolves know how to go for the jugular in a killing bite. The reason being is in theta state, the natural motions associated with such a state are called fixed action patterns (Abbreviated FAP ehheheh).

"Now over the course of human evolution, and modernization, this essential state of mind became somewhat less significant, with it now only being a bit more active than average in say war-like situations, say when you know just that right moment to duck so that a bullet nearly misses your head due to FAPs being associated with reflex arcs. It's because we developed the concepts known as 'will' and 'thought' which in practice overrides instinct, why we don't kill each other immediately for a scrap of meat. You don't really know half the shit I'm saying to you, do you?"

"Somewhat, I don't really know much about brain output or anything like that, but I get where your saying on how we've lost the ability to react on instinct. Inugami said the same thing."

"Who the hell's Inugami?"

"Wolf, about as tall as you, red markings."

"Oh THAT guy, right, I just called him big fluffy." I blinked twice in response. "Dude, you're a fucking liar if you say you've never hugged that big-ass puppy and 'fluffy' wasn't the first thing that came to your mind."

I shook my head and got back to the main topic, "Regardless, so your saying that my instinct is better?"

"Oh hell no, how you got that is way out of the ballpark. I'm saying that you are more in tune to it than most, having a true military background, as well as the virus, which let's you control many subconscious instinctive functions, but not all. Those functions are something that no amount of mental tinkering can do. The fight or flight response is the closest to pure natural instinct I could get you to. Even that, because of our mental processing, has been dumbed down considerably over generations of 'civilized' lifestyle. I bet Inugami used this analogy, when you hear a bullet, you don't do, you think instead 'It's a bullet, where did it come from, and who's it for?' by that time you're probably already dead. But animals, the first thing that comes to mind once they hear the sound is 'GET THE FUCK OUTTA THERE!'"

"So, how do I supposedly 're-enter' the theta state."

"Hell if I know, but once you achieve it, you kinda have a sixth sense for danger then. Personal experiment I'm theorizing, do that meditation shit you do sometimes in your room, then have someone fire arrows at random intervals at you, and you're not allowed to use your bullet time, even though imitating Max Payne is fucking awesome. You'll know when you've hit it when instead of thinking 'dodge', the first thing you do is actually dodge when you hear the bowstring snap. Either that or just fight a 24 hour war, see how that feels."

"All cynical theories aside, I think you might have something there." I stand back up. "I'll try that sometime."

"Cynical? I was actually being serious (for once). Welp, I'm going to drop in some R&R time. Imma be honest, working on this ship has made me pull more all-nighters than junior-year in college." He swiveled his chair around to the controls, putting his rear hooves on the panels.

"Before I go though, i wanted to ask about one of the rooms: the one with the tools and the beds."

"Oh that one?" He craned his head back. "That one's the surgical ward."

"We have a surgeon on board?"

He nodded. "Yep, his name's Stitch, creepy ass mo-fo, doesn't talk much, but insisted we build a surgical ward, he always keeps it clean, and is an excellent doctor. Problem is..."

"...Go on."

"He lost his medical license."

"Like you did?"

Keith sighed, "Yep, no one knows why, and I give the colt his privacy to not tell. We actually talk a bit sometimes. Hell, I'm the only one he actually talks to, like how only Ubi really talks to you."

"Right." I left after that, hoping that I could make some headway of finding Ubi's mother soon.

We met with Captain Valvette later for lunch swapping various misadventures over the decades.

"Oh yes, you've yet to meet my brother."

"Brother?" I queried.

"Yes." He leaned in close, "Although he's kind of a hermit, he is, keeps himself locked up in his room."

"What's his name?"

"Steamson, Steam for short." At this Keith sprayed his mouthful of brew all over the captain.

"You gotta be shittin' me." With a sour face, the Captain pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face of tea leaves before answering.

"I'm quite serious, and please do be mindful, you are drinking a 3200 bit blend, imported from Germaney," he quipped. In all honesty, I preferred Gyokuro to Chamomile, but I smiled politely and sipped the flowery blend.

"Do you think we could meet him sometime?" I requested.

"I'm afraid not, he doesn't take too kindly to strangers, especially diamond dogs like yourself."

"Pardon me for correction, but I'm not a diamond dog, I'm a wolf."

"Oh, a wolf you say? Why, you're not at all what ponies make your kind out to be."

"Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Why yes, there were rumors of a wolf, a changeling, a dragon, and a griffon completely making the Grand Galloping Gala into a rambunctious hoopla, completely devoid of class and grace." I blinked twice. Keith poorly withheld a laugh, biting his lower lip. "Whereas you, sir, have been very well mannered thus far." I stole a glance at Keith, who bore an enormous grin as if to say...

=Keith=

'Come on man, I'M FUCKING DYING OVER HERE!!!'

=Aoi=

"I'm ashamed to here that." I finished my tea with a long sip. "Not to be intrusive, but what exactly does your brother do in his room."

"Well, I've only peeked in there once or twice, he seems to be building some clockwork device from parts he managed to save." As curious as I was, I opted to leave the matter aside.

When we were just a few miles from Bitsburg, everyone met on the bridge to go over the plans. In my room, I slipped on the coat that Keith had commissioned for me. The embroidery flashed in the dim lighting, the silver blue embroidery gleaming their patterns.

"The plan's going to be straight recon at first," I briefed, "I go in alone, carrying the flare that Keith made in case things go bed and I need backup, once the flare goes, Varg will rendezvous with Keith and form an assault force to storm the city. Keith, what have you got on terms of communications?"

"We got cups." Everyone went dead silent. "No seriously, Loose Hobby managed to rig a spell to link two ordinary cups with some kinda thread that extends and retracts infinitely (Zeno would be turning in his grave).It's crystal clear (as clear as cup radios get), and you can hide it with no problems."

"Varg, Are your troops in position?"

"I've got my dogs stationed near Clovenhoof Pass, ready to strike with the signal." Varg pulled out a letter. "Also, this came in for you, from Celestia."

"What?" I grabbed the letter and read it:

"To whom it may concern:

I took the liberty of going over inter-region sanctions, and you are cleared to engage if any derelicts of the city attack first. After all, it IS a criminal offense to attack an Equestrian Knight..."

"Wat..." Everyone deadpanned in that instant. From my recollection, Griffin and I bailed on that ceremony several months ago. I continued to read aloud:

"Sir Aoi Windclaw. You have my authority to arrest any citizen who means you or your companions harm, as well as defend yourself... by any means."

Keith burst into laughter. "LIKE A SIR! *OW*" I smacked him on the back of the head for that one. My mind reeled back to how she was able to name me knight in the first-

The Newspaper, Griffin declaring Celestia as best Pony, Knightmare's ability to change...

"That... little... bastard..." I growled. If I ever saw him cross my path again I was going to...

"Dude, you okay?"

"I'm fine." I rolled up the scroll. "The plan doesn't change, if anything it gives us a bit more leeway legally. But for future reference, anyone who references me with a 'Sir' will get a face full of my fist, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" A measure of smacks filled the room.

"Continuing onward, stick with the plan. I go in alone, see what we're dealing with and find out who or what planned the assault. If all goes well, I can contact the princess to make the arrest, no loss of life. Eol, Ubi, it's important that you stay with Keith on the ship and organize the airstrike. It's not that I don't think you can handle yourselves. From what I can tell, we have an entire city against us."

Eol objected. "Are you sure? What if everyone in the city attacks you? You can't take on a city by yourself."

"You're right, I can't, but I can hide in the shadows until I get a shot open with the flare. From there, you have to be ready at a moment's notice." I place a paw on Eol's shoulder. "Remember we're not here to start a war. We're just here to make sure that what happened to us won't happen again. Let's just hope worst doesn't come to worse." I turned to Keith. "Keith..."

"Yes?"

"Try not to do anything stupid." A couple of snickers were scattered across the group.

I went back to my room, loading up a few magazines for the pistol. The crow's nest reported that we had arrived at Bitsburg. I flipped up my hood and walked on deck.

The city shimmered in luscious opulence, buildings towered high in a warm bronze and silver tone. The hiss of steam was audible in span, traveling through the city as its lifeblood. The city itself seemed to beat with a metallic pulse. Its creaks and groans and stuttering clanks gave the indomitable aura of a ponderous giant. The airship began to cruise into the wet-dock of the city, the opaque water reflecting brass sparkles. Keith and Captain Valvette took care of the customs, identifying us as an emissary priority airship, and I was the emissary.

Ships departed and arrived in steady waves, the water inside the massive docks drained and rose to allow safe takeoff into the air. Passengers came from all over Equestria: a diplomat form Saddle Arabia, performers and DJ's from Las Pegasus, and even a few ponies I had recognized from Sri Flanka. We greeted them warmly.

"Auburn, how's has it been?" One guard pony said, dressed in full metallic armor. Keith switched accents and returned the greeting.

"Not too bad, I'm traveling with a crew now."

"So I see, got bored of the quiet life, did you? Could've at least said good-bye, what with you and that fella saving the town and all."

It had already seemed like a distant memory, Sri Flanka. I first reunited with Keith, and he had this whole back story planned out about how he wanted to be in the guards. I played along.

"And how is your city fairing, by the by?" I questioned. He went wide eyed when he saw me.

"Sweet Celestia, It's you again!" He went up to me and placed a bag of bits into my paw. "Courtesy of the town. You really saved our flanks way back when, I mean seriously. Thanks to you, strangely enough our town became a hotspot for diamond dogs, one of their alpha's or something deemed the town a holy place after hearing you were there. Dunno what that was all about, but boy did it bring in the tourists. We're actually somewhere on the map now. On behalf of the mayor of Sri Flanka, I want to thank you and Auburn for all we've done." I responded by returning the bag to the guard.

"I'm glad you are doing well, but I can't accept this." After all, the only thing I really did was defend myself, nothing worthy of a reward. Keith and I left the guard and his entourage to their business with a curt nod and a farewell.

Keith handed me the cup and gave me instructions on how to use it. "Just put the cup up to your ear to listen, and just speak into it, simple really."

"I'll meet you at the ship when I've dug up what I need." Keith was silent for a second. "What?"

"Nothing... Nothing at all." He shirked aside with a stupid grin on his face. I shrugged and went towards customs.

"Name please?"

"Aoi Myoujin."

"Business?"

"Investigations on behalf of Gem Fido and Princess Celestia." The customs guard's ears perked up when I mentioned the princess.

"You know the Princess?"

"Of course, what of it?" He changed his bored expression to a facade of reverence.

"Right this way, si-"

"You won't get any favors trying to spoon feed that polite bullshit with me. If you don't mind, I'll be on my way." His jaw dropped when I saw right through his act. Here was where my investigation began...

The Airship docks had an appearance like oversized train stations, the walls made of a mix of mortar and cement, giving a rustic feel to them. Pipes ran along their face to feed the wet-docks with the necessary amount of water, the metallic tubes pumping hundreds of gallons a second. Through the heavy steam I could detect the faint hint of salty air, accompanied by the loud squalls of seagulls echoing through the docks. They must have flown in through a window, unable to find their way back out again. Sure enough I saw one frantically circling the rafters of the monstropolous building.

I whistled to the poor thing and headed to the double doors that lead to the main city. The sea fowl swooped down just as I had cracked open the large doors. Free at last, It flew across the pale yellow panorama composed of the bulk of the breathing city and it's jagged skyline. The air was warm and humid with the billowing exhaust emanating from broken pipes to chimneys, dancing through various exposed gears. A clock at the very center of the city chimed once, twice, three times, and then went silent. From a few locals, I heard the tower was named Big Basque, or Bass for simplicity.

I took to the streets. The local ponies wore Victorian era attire: haughty frills, brass watches tucked away in their coat pockets, medium loose vests. Some wore stereotypical monocles, others wore obscene headgear like magnifying glasses attached in three scope groups, metallic feathers in top hats, and complex arrays of opaque goggles, complete with a blueish-gold hue. Even more ponies had extravagant displays of machinery attached: Sharp and piercing wing braces, geared to the joint prostheses that ran like clockwork, and piecing arrangements of brass bracelets and gauntlets galore. It was like the cities citizens were drenched in a rustic golden aura, clinging to something new and something old all at the same time, unable to choose between the two.

Even my coat's design changed in hue from the black and blue to a sleek dark brown and swimming silver. Many ponies looked at my appearance, some with curiosity, others with the unsurprising disdain. I pulled the hood over my face, hiding my eyes. Courses of action were laid out before me.

The rules of societies often take their precedence from history. The Grandiose high class is built from the oppressed foundation of poverty and perversion. Although the bourgeoisie attempt to hide the blood of its downtrodden, those who know what lies underneath the rug can smell it's festering odor and shrieking cries. The Victorian age was no exception, with the rich indulging in succulent pleasures while the poor languished in their pitied existence.

It didn't take but one glance down a darkened alleyway between the towering heights to see that the era matched perfectly with the city. But would the others look as well and take notice of what went right on beneath their levels of awareness? I doubt it.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me where the mayor's office is?" I ask a well dressed mare. She takes a single look at me and scoffs with disgust.

"Just came from there," she sassed. "Though I don't see what riff-raff like you would want with someone so prestigious as the mayor." She batted her eyes with scorn and continued, leaving behind a trail of heavy perfume. It stung my nose, sickeningly sweet.

The persona of those high in class are too predictable for their own good. Their gain attention merely by dropping information to catch an ear who takes the bait. She had already given me what I needed. I followed the scent down the road, careful not to breath too deeply from the noxious odor of the perfume.

Of all political leaders in a society, it is the lower tiered who seek means to go higher. How is varied upon morals and motives, some use direct force, but others simply use less direct methods. Mayors, for one, aren't usually brawny, but they manage to have the entire town under their thumb.

And how do people of political statue retain their hold in times of bread and circuses?

"I'm afraid the mayor's office is closed to the public without an appointment." Guards stopped me at the entrance to the manor, the red bricks forming Gothic architecture, complete with the eerie watching presence of gargoyles.

"I'm here to discuss an important matter dealing with an international attack between a radical group from Bitsburg and Gem Fido with the mayor." The two guards shared brief glances before answering.

"Name?"

"Aoi." I met their imposing gaze with one of my own. "Sir Aoi 'Windclaw' Myoujin. Knight of the Royal Family of Equestria." The words were hard to say, my tongue almost gagged on the syllables. The guards suddenly stood straighter. Well trained, knew their place.

"Right, sir, go on ahead," they permitted without hesitation. I walked pasted them through the doors to see the door across the room opened, revealing the mayor at her desk.

The mare possessed a thin figure, with half moon glasses perched atop her pallid, stern muzzle. She glanced up at me before looking back down at a form she was filing.

"I thought I told my guards not to let anypony into my office when I'm working," she mumbled.

"I'm not a pony," I corrected. "Your guards gave me the courtesy of letting me in so I can discuss the-"

"-The rogue ponies that attacked Gem Fido. What about it?" I took a moment to glance around the room. Book shelves to imply a cultivated mind, a globe to imply her interest in travel, and a plethora of hoof carved mahogany furniture to imply wealth.

"First off, how much do you know?"

"Beyond the event that happened, not much." She flicked her pen of excess ink. A manipulator. "I was wondering when some dog would come asking, not that I care." A few flicks of my eyes found what I was looking for, a tilted painting on the side.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"I'm not responsible for it, and hay, no one in Bitsburg even batted an eyelash over it. So no, I don't have any information for you, mutt."

"You seem pretty poorly-disposed to diamond dogs, mind telling me why?" I pressed. She took off her glasses and folded them.

"Seeming that it does involve your business, I'll oblige." She pushed back from her chair and went to the window. Cue monologue.

"About a decade back, diamond dogs took some ponies hostage, demanding all the minerals we've mined in the past year for their release. The previous council of the city, being the sentimental old fools they were, gave in and paid the ransom, leaving the city almost bankrupt." She brushed her hoof across the painting, tilting it back to a righted position before continuing. "The dogs killed the hostages anyway. We were at the edge of collapse, the city was up for the highest bidder. I took control and brought the city back to it's glory, even though I had not a bit to my name. We did away with the council, fearing the same thing happening again.

"In this city, my word is Law. Now my question is this: You, a diamond dog, are in my domain, which is against the law. How are you even here?" she finished, leaning against the bookshelf. I faced her and pulled down my hood.

"Because, madam, I am not a diamond dog. I am a wolf by the name of Aoi Myoujin. You could say I'm an ambassador of sorts between Gem Fido and Equestria. According to the Princess herself, I have free reign in this city until the matter of the attack is solved, or do you claim to have higher authority than her?" She glared at me with immense scorn.

"Like I said before, you'll find no information from me, feel free to play Fetlock Holmes and ask you like, but I'm afraid you've hit a dead end here."

"Shame. Feel free to decline, but I must ask how you manage to take back control of the city?"

"You'd be surprised how you can quell a rebellion with the simplest things." I had her.

"Like something valuable, something powerful, something incriminating?"

"What what are you suggesting?"

"Blackmail, Miss Mayor." She let loose a slight gasp. I walked toward the painting.

"What do you mean?" She was fuming, yet the slight twinge in her muscles told all, she knew I was right.

"How do you keep an entire city under your hoof, with rarely any defense whatsoever?" I ran a digit across the inconspicuous framing of the painting. "Well there are two ways off the top of my head. One, by sheer force of numbers to quell the city. Direct force, in other words. The Second, according to the events you had described, would be to become the highest bidder. Like you said, you had naught a bit to your name." Each opening her testimony was visibly exposed, striking her at her ego. "But you had something more valuable than gold.

"Probably unrelated, but where did you get this exquisite painting?" She swallowed.

"Oh, that, that's nothing, just a sentimental gift from an admirer."

"Ah." I take out Kokuryu. "Since you are an admirer of art, let me show you a piece of my own." I draw the blade from its sheathe. "This is Kokuryu no Saishu-bin, a blade I made myself, made of pure black dragon scale." I swing the blade down, the air rending the feeble carpet underneath its razor claws. "Its blade is sharp enough to pierce through any common metal as if it were butter, regardless of density." She smirked.

"You think flashy tricks are going to intimidate me? GUARDS!"

"Before you call for them, might I remind you that this piece is of sentimental value to you, shame to see it destroyed."

"Why would I care about a stupid painting?" I smiled as the guards came in.

"Wonderful. The reason why you would care isn't the painting itself, it's this." To her horror, I bring the blade back and thrust the tip through the painting, a loud screech emanating of scale against metal. I tear down with the blade and flick away the two halves of the painting to reveal the safe hidden behind it, the peeled back door of which revealed hundreds of pieces of parchment. I shove my paw into the safe and pull out a few. Just as I thought, thousands of pieces of evidence against hundreds of the richest denizens of the city. The guards' horns glowed with a hostile aura.

"Now mayor, you both know that right now, you are on the losing end of the situation. I want information now, or your little safety net goes in tatters, and you can bet that the names on these pieces will know your hold on them will be gone." The mayor gave a few glances to the guards, giving me precious seconds to change my pistols holster to my sleeve.

Deadlock, two sides could not act until one gives.

"Alright, I'll play your little game." She huffed. "There's a group, in the city, rumors of vigilantes hunting diamond dog clans. Rumors are that they're somewhere in the old residential district. That's all I know. Now put the papers down, or I have my guards send you straight to the moon." I set down the papers back into the safe. She smirked as if she had won a grand deal. "Now you're coming with me, after all, you destroyed my property, which is against the law."

I snickered into a full laugh. "How about no?!" At this I bashed the papers into the three unsuspecting faces and whipped out the pistol, loaded it with explosive ammo, and sent a chambered cartridge straight into the safe. The round detonated with a resounding boom, shell-shocking everyone. The spells went off, bursting through the window behind me. In the confusion, I dove out the broken window, pieces of paper going off in flames. I stood up in the courtyard of the manor, recovering from the violent ringing in my ears. I batted away four bolts of fire from the inside, the singing balls deflecting off of the flat of Kokuryu.

The Rules of engagement had changed, lethal force had been applied with lethal intent, course of action: return in kind. I changed magazines and sent two rounds into the guards horns, the rounds slicing through the bony appendages. They screamed in agony as blood spurted from the stumps. I pointed my pistol at the mayor, who was slowly beginning to stand up.

"And you are under arrest for the assault of a member of the Equestrian court, not to mention embezzlement, coercing with known criminals, and the suspected murder of over 300 ponies and griffins. Consider yourself a prime suspect of the investigation, Madam." I took out the cup and barked my orders. "Keith, get a letter to Princess Celestia for me, tell her we got a suspect. I repeat, a SUSPECT, this shit's far from over."

"Loud and Clear, wait WHAT! You want me to send a friendship letter?"

"No, a request for an arrest warrant!" Suddenly an alarm went off, followed by thousands more across the city.

"DAMN, AOI! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!?" Keith blared in my ears.

"I'll brief you later. As you would say..." I pull up the hood back over my head. Up above, I saw small airships taking off, waving colors of red, white, black, and blue. "Shit gets real."

"This is the Bitsburg Guard! We have an assailant on the loose, If you see any suspicious figure, report to the nearest guard immediately. Threat is deemed code black, all ponies are to remain indoors."

"Shit! You got the popo on your ass?"

"Not helping Keith." I point the gun at the Mayor's legs and send a round smashing through her left shin, pinning her in place before making my way across the courtyard.

"You... won't... get... away!" I heard the mayor faintly breath before a click followed, almost like the click of a-

DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

'Shit.' The ground erupted from under me as two shrieking behemoths split the ground, bringing fourth hissing steam and bellowing gears. I turned to behold them: they were giant machines in the form of ponies, complete with jagged teeth and the trademark insignia of the city. The mayor stumbled out from the window with her gray mane frazzled and a single frame remaining in her half moon glasses. She was bleeding profusely.

"Hahaha, you thought you could get away, didn't you?" She held a control panel of sorts in her hoof. "State of the art PON-Mechs, made by the best engineers."

I holstered the pistol and brought out the Corvat, the blade unfolding seamlessly. "I was hoping that you would take it as a sign of me letting you live. But since you seem so insistent on bringing out the big guns, I guess I'll have to do the same."

"You're joking..." She gasped. "Two swords against war machines?"

I corrected, "No, me against your mechs."

She cackled, "Oh I'm going to enjoy parading your furry pelt across the city. You'd make a nice coat." The mechs armed and fired harpoons stationed on their shoulders. I sliced through both with a cross slash, the spears sticking cleanly into the dirt. The mechanical ponies creaked as they reloaded for another salvo. I took my chance and dashed forward, my paws dancing weightless across the grass, closing the distance between me and the mayor. She flicked another switch and the farther mech brought out a buzz saw from it's back with out warning. I dove to the side, the circular saw grinding the dirt to my left into mulch. A swift flick of my wrist amputated the arm that held the blade, wires and sparks flashing across the grass.

I pulled out my pistol and delivered three rounds into the harpoon's firing mechanism, clogging the chamber. The turret combusted, sending shrapnel careening past my face. I reduced the distance between me and the first metal pony and dove upwards, delivering a severing slash straight through it's warm metallic body. The mayor's jaw dropped as I turned to her, pulling out my pistol and training the sights at her head.

I was interrupted by a piercing screech ripping through the air as the second mech send a cannon ball at me. I sheathed my sword, then cleaved the ball with an air rending iaigiri, the two halves of the lumbering mortar crashing into the ground. I dropped the current magazine and loaded explosive rounds into the gun. The trigger was pulled once, twice, thrice in rapid succession, each heavy calibered round pounding against the groaning giant's gleaming armor. I sprinted towards the swaying mass, bringing out the rope dart.

The wire wound tight around the mech's legs as I swung it wide. I stamped my paw into the ground and reel back, pulling the leg towards me. The Corvat carved through the metal joints like a scissor through chase silk, crippling the artificial mammoth as it toppled to the ground, the collapse bringing up dirt and dust.

"No... way..." She gasped, dropping the control panel. The dust cleared with me walking through with only a few scratches where the shrapnel scraped me. "What the hay are you?!" She was helpless across the courtyard, back against the wall, crumpled in a pitiful heap.

"I told you already, you're just too arrogant to listen." I pointed my pistol at her.

"NO! Stay Back!"

"And let you ambush me again? No thanks." She started to cry. "What happened to parading my pelt through the city?" I fire a shot, the bullet skims her mane and explodes in the burning room behind her. "You speak with lofty, proud words when you have the means to crush people under your hoof. Strip that all away, and you're weak, just another pony."

I kneel down to meet her at eye level. "Here's what you're going to do: You're going to use those pompous frills of yours to dress that wound--wouldn't want you to die of infection now, would we? Then you're going to sit here and wait until either Celestia's Guards or my Men come and take you into custody. While in your cell, you will contemplate the meaning of 'silent as the grave'. But before all that, you are going to let me continue with my investigation and forget that I was ever here. Do I make myself clear?" She nods. From this close, she reeked of fear.

I left her there, her manor ablaze, her property in ruins, and her shin broken and mangled. It was all the same, in the end. People find means to use the backs of others to ascend, instead of using the sweat from their own. They exploit, they feed, they grow. They multiply in numbers, yet keep their numbers small. They are the pyramid's apex in worldly power, they are the ones who oversee through bulletproof glass, they are the ones who live off of the land without having to lift a finger. Occasionally, it's required to remind those at the top why they need the bottom.

I made my way back through the city, headed towards the southern side, through the various districts of the city. The airships were still scanning the streets for me. I weighed my options: take down the airships, or go static. I slipped into the alleyways, taking to the shadows. An abrupt thundering of hooves brought my attention to a group of policemen rushing past the alley. Worst comes to worst, I go loud.

I darted from alley to alley, avoiding the occasional patrol. The city had gone from pedestrian jammed streets to complete lock-down. The rhythmic hoof-beats marked every squads' location. I took swift, weightless steps, keeping to cover as much as possible until I made it to the old residential district.

Here was where the city kept the dirt it swept under the rug, derelict apartments condemned became shelters for the poverty stricken. It sickened me how all this would go unnoticed. From here I scaled the ladders onto the roofs. My target became one of the apartments. If I could find a well fortified one, I could hold out there for the night.

Hot steam soon grew to a violent torrent, gears turned faster and faster. The city was in full panic, full scale disarray. I kept a level head, making my way from roof to roof, the sun beamed a wary orange color as it was lowering down into the horizon. My eyes widened as I saw an airship directly in front of me. I made a long jump through a window, startling the ponies inside. A few seconds reprieve gave me some cover to speak.

"Keith, What's the status on the letter?"

"Sent, reply hasn't come yet. Where's the signal?"

"I'm holding off, this is police we're dealing with, not our targets. Do NOT Send anyone into the city."

"Like we could, they closed off the docks, we're stranded at customs."

"Shit!" I cursed. "We've got a lead, apparently we're dealing with a vigilante group, stationed in the old residential district of the city. I'm right there now." The sun sank into the sea horizon, and I entered night's dominion. The ponies now seemed terrified of me. I looked around, seeing their squalor.

"Y-Y-You're the one they want aren't you?" A colt asked. Unknowingly, I had just barged in on a family of three, their coats dirty and matted.

"I'm just passing through, need someplace to catch my breath." They had a young filly cradled between them. I sifted a paw through my cloak and took out a few gems I was hoping to use as payment for information. I tossed them a high quality diamond.

"This should help." The colt hesitantly took the diamond in his hoof. "You stole this from the bank didn't you? That's why their chasing you?"

"No, that gem's completely legal. As for me however." I stood up. "I'm not, so I best be leaving. If anyone asks, you never saw me. The glass is broken because a rock fell through it, understand?" They nodded. I left through the bottom floor.

=Eol=

I paced back and forth, back and forth, edgy. Aoi's friend, Keef or something, came out of the bridge.

"Any word from Aoi?" I almost barrel over the poor stallion.

"He says he's got a lead, but the city's on lock-down."

"Lock-down?" Ubi asks.

"Where they lock up the city. No one gets in or out. Aoi's alone out there." My ears shot up.

"Well we gotta do something!" I bark. "We can't just sit on our paws doing nothing!" Keef just gave us a sigh and rubbed his temples.

"The fluffball said to sit tight, stick to the plan, and wait for the signal." I smash a punch through his head that sends him flying into the far wall, a large imprint of his pose indented in the metal.

"Listen, KEEF, or whatever your name is, Friend or not, you do NOT, I repeat do NOT refer to Aoi as a 'fluffball'." I think I broke him. Keef cracks his neck and rearranges his nose with a snap.

"Dayum, son, you punch like a motherfucking freight train!" Ubi whispered something into Keef's ear.

=Ubi=

"For the record, calling us 'fluffballs' means the same as calling us lazy cowards. It might mean something different to you, so I'll let it slide, once. But if I ever hear that again from you, I will stitch your eyelids to your forehead while you sleep."

=Keith=

These people scare me...

=Eol=

I was torn between following orders and making sure Aoi was alright. Was it something he was trying to prove? If so, what was it? The only thing he was proving was that he's biting off more than he could chew with this stunt. Or maybe he did just want to make sure that we were safe? Ubi put his paw on my shoulder.

"If Aoi says to stay put, then we stay put."

I snarl, "Easy for you to say, all you really care about is finding your mom. I bet you don't even give two SCATS What happens to Aoi, do you?!" I shrug off Ubi's paw and go topside. Night time was high above us, small stars twinkling in the smoggy air.

We were in a giant box, the roof was gone, letting in what little light there was. in front of the ship was a set of doors leading to... customs, was it? Never had to go through all this weird pony things just to get inside a warren. I propped myself on a banister and sighed. A group of guards stood guarding the doorway, holding heavy spears and wearing armor. I hopped off the boat onto the dock and went up to them.

"What's going on?"

"Bitsburg's on lock-down, no pony allowed beyond customs. We're trying to catch a criminal who assaulted the mayor." I knew it, Aoi was planning on taking the city alone.

'Now hold up. Who knows if that really is Aoi? Maybe something else happened that involved a criminal inside. That still leaves a criminal with Aoi. He can handle one person, can't he?'

"Thanks for the news," I said before getting back on the ship. I sat down, back against the bow front banister, my mind changing course from worrying about Aoi to worrying about Ellie.

I wondered what she was doing. Traveling with that griffin captain we met a few moons back, I bet. I took out her jeweled necklace, the one she gave me before we left the airship. It gave off a small glow, like a blue firefly. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss her. I missed her, only slightly less than I missed dad. Is this what it's like to be lovesick? To want to be with someone so bad you feel a pain in your chest so bad it hurts to breathe, and yet you don't want to take any medicine to fix it?

If so, I was lovesick, right now. It all comes so suddenly. Even though I had only known her for a few short weeks, it's like they were years and seconds with us together. Even so, I felt kind of ashamed of it all. No one really had any relationships for love, only single matings to whoever the males could find. Anything to relieve the tension and monotony of life in the mines. I never took a mate before, never had a reason to. I always found my nose in a book, reading about the blooming romances between two ponies, or two griffins. There weren't any books on Diamond Dog romances, not that anyone would even write about us.

But what would they write? They being whoever actually decided to take an interest in our kind and write about our stories. What would they say about us? I know we aren't the most beautiful species on the planet, or the most heroic, but still. We have stories too. We could be heroes, we could be lovers. It's unlikely, but we could be. Even then though, would anyone write about a romance between two different species? Would anyone take the time, take a chance, and write about something never heard of before?

I still felt a bit ashamed of it. It felt so nice, having someone to share a story with, to share your past with, to share your feelings with. At the same time though, it felt... a bit wrong. Am I suppose
to be falling for someone completely different than me, someone with a completely different lifestyle, different anatomy, even a different origin.

I didn't think about all this before. I didn't think about what Elli looked like. Neither paws nor snout, nor whiskers, nor tails different between us were what I was thinking about when we first talked. At the gala, we just danced, having no other partners to dance with.

I remembered it being a waning moon, crescent, when what would pass as love in the warrens was at its prime. It was... nice dancing with a complete stranger. We got to know glimpses of each other just through a single song playing in the background. Then one, two, and three songs later, the night was over. We went to our beds, and we didn't see each other again until Aoi told us we were hitching a ride with the crazy griffin. That was when I got airsick.

Now, it's been entire moons. I wondered if she still remembered me, if she still remembered our dance at the gala, our picnic on the airship, our... last... kiss...

"There you are." It was Ubi, stepping onto the deck.

"What do you want?"

"I want an apology," he said flatly.

"For what?"

"You were wrong in saying I don't care about Aoi."

"Then why are we just sitting here?"

"Because Aoi said so," Ubi reasoned. "And because I trust Aoi. If he says he wants us to stay put, he's probably doing it so he won't have to worry about us in the way."

"So he thinks we're a burden?"

"Yes and no. You've spent so much time reading books that you forget the lessons your superiors taught you in fighting. In stealth, anyone with you is a liability." He sat down across from me, cross legged. "Aoi's been trying to tell you that this entire time. But you wouldn't listen, would you?" His words stung. "You just wanted to be on the front lines. For that, I think you owe me an apology for saying that I don't care."

"... Alright, I'm sorry." Ubi nodded and then left for the galley. I thought about what he said.

He was still wrong.

The coming dawn bore a crown of fire as ships sailed at a distance towards patient horizons. See how the world fascinates even the youngest minds with something so simple and pure as the vermillion sunrise from the east. Even while knowing that the skyward entity is commanded by a known, living, breathing entity, the scheduled miracle never ceases to amaze to those who still retain an inkling of wonder within them.

It was next to the face of Big Bass, the clock tower, where I fixed my weary eyes upon the warmth of the yawning sunlight. The airships gave up their search, but the troops remained, storming the cobblestone grounds below. I heaved a sigh of shallow depth; the air swaying and hissing with the drowsy steam of the city. The breeze settled down amongst the rooftops, bringing in the salty sea air, tasting of the delicacies of the ocean.

All throughout the night, I had been scanning the city from my ticking vantage point. Whispers and hushed voices were scattered from building to building, pipes acted as verbose speakers. But all in all, I could find nothing to further advance my investigation. The 'deadzone' was what some inspectors called it at the precinct, a period in which everything ground to a stop: leads ran dry, forensics found all to discover, and interrogations became fruitless. All there was to do at this point was one of two things: call the big guns, or wait for a deus ex machina.

I was here, the boundary line between the old and the new, the rich and the poor, the past and the future. Here was a completely demilitarized zone in which north met south, none able to make a move, none able to speak a word. The city needed an outside force to break the ice.

I took the peace I could get from the morning and resorted the magazines. I counted a total of 42 rounds standard and 6 explosive. I had laced the entire rooftop of the clock tower with the wire from the rope dart, tying the end of which to my finger. Anything that came on the roof, I would know in an instant.

“A bit early for a morning stroll, isn't it?” I direct towards a gang of four colts, bandanas wrapped around their faces. Typical thugs.

“And if it is?” one remarked with a heavy accent, “S'not like we're out disturbin' anyone. You on the other hoof—hehe—have been causing quite a lotta trouble.” He clapped his front hooves twice. “I gotta hoof it to you, mate. Takin' out the mayor's manor, that's gotta take some big apples.”

I stood, loading a fresh magazine into my gun. “To whom do I owe the pleasure?”

“Ready Set, fastest draw in the west.” He pulled out a composite crossbow, his lackies following suit. “And you?”

“Aoi Myoujin. I think you've already heard of me.” I paused a second to think about how the mayor knew neither hide nor hair of me. “But then again, maybe not.”

“Mongrel like you? Hay no! Right now, you got two options: one is to give us all the bits on your person that you stole from the manor and come with us, or die. Take your pick.”

“I choose option three. Reasons being one, I didn't steal anything, and two, option three being the one that leaves me alive and free.”

He chuckled. “Oh yeah? Take him out.”

A set of four simultaneous snaps gave me the cue to raise my paw to intercept each bolt, the pointed tips sliding to a stop between my digits. Their jaws dropped, smashing against the tile.

“I think I'm getting the hang of the whole instinct thing.” Rules of engagement, lethal force with lethal intent; fight to kill. “My turn.”

“Wait... wait me and my boys didn't mean no ha-” I sent the bolt back through his neck.

“Speak.” The second fell with a gurgling choke. “With.” The third half-blinded with a bolt through his eye. “The.” Fourth was downed when he attempted to run, the bolt sent through the back of his head. “Dead.”

It was crystal clear that the city had declared war on me from when I first stepped through its brass gates. I had learned a long time ago that only fools trust their necks with backstabbers, and I could no longer afford war's precious luxury of mercy.

This was a war I refused to fight in the first place, but declarations know not the voice of neutrality, they only know the voice of battle cries. So let the generals send their troops by the hundreds, the thousands, even the millions to strike, I will cut them down in defense. But I will not raise a hand of offense until I find my sure target. In that iron-clad rule of warfare, that condition of arms, I stand proud to admit...

War is kind.

I recalled my defensive wire, and searched the bodies one by one, taking the crossbows in possession for Keith to re-purpose and do what he wills with them. It was from them I found a pilfered wallet, one made of crusted and dirty cloth. Inside was a small card, a membership card reading “The Freepony Society”.

'Freepony society?' A slough of items ran through my memory and made an unlikely connection to the Freemason Society. Considering how our two worlds share parallel aspects, this was the best lead I had found.

But the city was still too hot to travel freely, and so I snuck from roof top to rooftop of the boundary line, using the vents as sidewalks, using every inch of shadow for cover. I had to thank Keith later for ordering my coat in black as the warm dark threads blended into the walls with a chameleon-like quality.

The alleys provided welcoming shade, away from the morning light. As the hours went on, the guard thinned out, platoons one by one giving up on the search. A lowly atmosphere silenced the town, the patrols growing more and more weary, easier to slip past as I switched hiding places.

Tourists left town maps fluttering in the damp streets. I grabbed one and perused the small pamphlet to locate myself and the nearest pub.

“The Rusty Cog.” I murmured.

It was a few blocks down the main street, the establishment bearing diamond stained glass windows, and a cracked wooden overhanging sign. The inside was barren except from a few stragglers that hiccuped foul breaths.

“What can I get you?” The barpony asked, wiping a mug clean with a muddied rag.

“Information and a dram of milk.” His ears perked up, small round glasses sat on top of his nose.

“Well, I've got some juicy bits, for the right price.” He leaned on the table.

“How much to warrant a full rundown on this-” I hand him the card. “-The Freepony Society.”

He gnawed on his upper lip, speculating the price for info. “Not much info there, but I've got some inklings. I'd say 5000 bits would cover it.” I take a large ruby and place it on the table.

“That should cover it.” I bargained. He deftly swept the gem under the towel and brought his voice to a hush whisper, head near level to the table. I strained my ear to listen.

“The Burg calls 'em the society for short. They've been here ever since ponies from all across the realms started disappearing. They say they're a rescue group, wanting to find missing ponies. Hoof to heart though, recently, they've been getting more and more shady. They've been bringing in shipments of Celestia know what.”

“Anybody know their headquarters?”

“Hay if I know, from there it's rust and rumors.” He shuffled through his shelves and brought out a bottle of cider.

“Thank you for your time.”

“Much obliged,” he returned, “Oh, and one more thing, you didn't hear it from me.” I make a pinching motion across my lips.

“AOI! WE GOT A PROBLEM!”

=Keith=

We woke up the next morning in the Cap'n's room. I slept on the sofa, Valve at the helm. Poor guy, pulled a five night shift once. How you even do that without lapsing into dementia I'll never know. I tapped him and he woke up still dreaming about something.

“Oh my, how long have I been asleep?”

“'Bout 15 hours.” Suddenly the far door opened. We turned our necks to see the door that had been closed this entire flight here.

“It's nice to see you up and about, Steam.” Valve noted as his brother finally creaked open his door. The guy looked emo to say the least: dark circles under his eyes, hair in a fringe, a look halfway between a glare and a straight up 'fuck you'. “Did you manage to finish whatever it was you were working on?”

The kid stayed silent, he kinda looked about the size of one of the Crusaders, pint sized filly carrying a...

...a...

… Oh shit...

“Steam...” Okay, don't panic, whatever it is, do not panic. “Is that... what I think it is?”

I knew what it damn well was, what I want to know is:

“Steam, what the hell are you doing with a bomb?” It was TICKING.

“Steam, what on Equus were you-”

“Stay back...” he pointed at me. “You there, with the goggles, where's the engine room?”

“Hey now, let's just take to seconds and chill.” I take a step forward.

“STAY BACK OR EVERYPONY DIES!” I looked at Captain Valve, absolute shock on his face. Guy must be going through all kinds of mind fuck right about now.

“Steam... why?”

“YOU! Engine room, NOW!” he shouted, oblivious to his big brother. In all my years of working with Aoi, this was literally the first time I had to legitimately ask:

“What... the... fuck...”

“Can't we talk about this?” Valve pleaded.

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“Brother...”

“DON'T CALL ME THAT!” he yelled. “You stopped being my brother the moment you started to work with those... monsters...” It hit me... the kid was one of them.

“No fucking way...” Brain please, If there's anytime where I wanted you to work coherently, throughout all the liquor, now would be a good time.

“Take me to the engine room, or I blow this place out of the sky.” He demanded with a halting tone. We could hear it. He was scared.

Now, brain... nothing, dead silent. My mind was drawing a complete blank. I was being held hostage by a who knows how young year old with a bomb in his hooves. I'm gonna die... again...

We got there, and the kid went to work with the screw driver, placing the bomb on the ground.

“Steam... Why are you doing this?” The kid paused.

“Of all the ponies to ask, it's you? Have you forgotten all the things they made us go through in those mines, Valve?!” He turned around. “These dogs are a threat to us. We have to take a stand.”

“And what about Varg? He helped us escape, have you forgotten all he's done for us?”

“He's a liar! The Mare told me so. Soon he's going to turn on us, and we'll all be in chains again. We need to take him out right now!” At that moment, I remembered something.

Last night I asked Varg to head out to see if the troops were all ready. He's not on the airship.

“Steam, you're making a mistake. Listen, Varg's-”

“NO! I won't listen to your lies!” he snapped. “We'll be free, Valve. We'll be free. Don't you want that?”

“We're already free, brother.”

“No... not while these monsters are still on this planet.” He started to screw the bomb to one of the exhaust manifolds. OH NO FUCKING WAY!

“Not like this, we are not going out like this...” Shit shit shit gotta think. Gotta think. VALVE BUY ME SOME TIME HERE! If I can only get to that bomb.

“Steam, what would mother and father think?” For activating your trap card, I thank you Cap'n. Steam turned and looked at us, tears in his eyes.

“What would they think of you, doing this, huh?” Valve slowly leaned towards him. “This isn't the way mother and father raised us to be. This isn't the way they raised you-”

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! I loved them more than you did, and what did they do, they showered you with attention! Now I can make them proud, by wiping out every bucking mutt on this-”

Shlick.

“-ship...” Everyone froze. Steam had a long gash going over his neck. He started to gurgle before falling to the ground, gasping and wheezing. It was dark in the engine room, the light only able to show what was right in front of the open doorway. The bastard was hiding in the shadows.

It was a cold silence, like all the air had been sucked out in a single second. We held our breaths. I finally got enough sense back into my head to get the screw driver and focus on disarming the bomb. Perfect timing, brain.

Then came the stereotypical bomb scene, cut one wire to save every... FUCK!

Steam apparently had more sense and wired the thing with ten different fuses. I looked down at the bomb hanging off part of the hinge. The small clock on it read about a minute and thirty seconds.

There goes my hero moment... It was nice knowing you all: Aoi, Ubi, Eol, the dog with the funny tongue thing, the guys at the academy, mom, dad, Susan, Katherine, Jezzebelle, Delilah, Soi Fong, wait... Sui Feng—there we go—and all those at Madam Butterfly's palace, the biker chick who brought me here, Amy Winehouse, Chuck Testa, Chuck Norris, and lastly Demoman. I had a good run, two in fact. At the very least, I get to die with a raging-

Wait, what happened to the ticking. I looked down at the bomb again and the timer stopped right at 3 seconds. I looked at the wires and saw that all of them had been cut, the hoof holding the shears was non other than the Captain's.

“Captain,” I admitted with manly tears of relief in my eyes, “If I were a mare right now, I'd totally suck your dick.” Yeah, not the best words I could say at that moment, but when you've just survived almost getting blown up, you tend to blurt out the first thing that passes as gratitude.

We sat down over some tea—which I threw out and replaced with some brewskis—and got our shit together. Valve was still crying over losing his brother. After the waterworks, he finally took a chill pill and could talk without slobbering all over me.

“I never thought that my own brother would do something like this.” Eol and Ubi came in.

“Where were you guys?”

“Lunch,” Ubi said bluntly. How in the blood-soaked, protestant hell does he do that? Eol however had something in his paw.

“I found his journal.” Eol handed it to us. “Saw his door open and went in. You're not gonna like it...”

We read through the entire thing, uncovering runaways, dogmas, everything, finally ending up to a secret, anti-diamond dog group known as the Freepony Society. It was horrible, like the Nazi's all over again, and Steam was caught up in the youth group of it. Pieces of information were all over the place: names, locations, everything.

By the end, Captain Valve couldn't take it, one of the final entries being one that broke the poor guy's heart.

Valve's not my family anymore. He wants to play with those mutts and be friends with them, fine, he's not my brother anymore... I have a new family now.

He was a broken gentlecolt after that, outside and in. Later he said that he felt horrible, torn between wanting to catch the untimely murderer and thanking him. Damn. No guy should ever have to go through their own family hating them.

The bright side of the situation was that we managed to piece together the information from the journal, at least what we needed, where these sons of bitches were located. I wanted to get Eol down here, after all, he found the journal, he should be the one to tell him.

“Eol, could you please report to the bridge?” We waited ten minutes. “Eol?” Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. An entire hour. Not one sign of him.

Ubi came up to the bridge instead, holding a note. “He's gone,” he deadpanned.

I'm going out to help him, he's up against an army who hates us. Screw the signal, I'll take the barking lecture when I get back, but I'm NOT leaving him out there alone. And that was it.

“Oh shit...” I plucked the cup from the comm's table and broke the bad news to Aoi. “Aoi! We got a problem here!”

=Aoi=

“No need to tell me, he's already here.” There he stood, barring the door with his entire body, his massive paws stretching from door post to door post, chest heaving up and down to catch his breath.

“Whoa, fella, you look down right terrible,” the bartender stated.

“Aoi, I know where they are!”

“Are you insane?” I barked, grabbing him by the collar. “I told you to wait for the flare! Why didn't you stay put?!”

Eol whimpered. “I wasn't going to leave you alone out here, not with the Freepony Society after you!” I recomposed myself, letting him go. I couldn't blame him for wanting to see me safe, nor fault him on being able to get here.

“Right.” My mind rewound to when he first came in. “Wait, you know where the Freepony Society Headquarters is?”

Eol nodded proudly. “It's right across from Big Bass!” A gong played off in my head. It was right in front of my nose, and I didn't even notice. How did I not even notice? No signs, no activity, nothing, how could I even let it slip by me?!

“We have to move.” I was about to go through the door before Eol barred it again.

“Well, about that...”

“This is the Bitsburg Guard, come out with your paws up!”

“Wait, you're wanted?” The barkeep panicked.

“Yes,” I reply, blunt as a club. “Eol, on three, punch the door. THREE!” I sliced through the hinges of the bar door, Eol punching it with massive force. The wooden door slammed into the middle of the bulk of the guards waiting. We scattered and headed for the building across the way. I shot a hinge to drop down a ladder. Onto the rooftops we went, back tracking to the large clock tower.

There it was: a tall six story building with an inconspicuous presence, opaque windows, no outlying features. No wonder no one noticed, there was nothing to notice. I turned towards Eol, who was anxiously cracking his knuckles—each joint producing a satisfying pop—and eying the building.

“Are you sure this is the right building?” I asked.

“Building beside Big Bass, of course.”

I hesitated for a bit. This seemed all too easy. No outer defenses, relying only on disguise.

“Eol, can you see if there's anything in there?” Eol closed his bad eye.

“Two vibrations inside, as well as a strong scent marker, but that's about it.” Why would there be a scent marker? “Not anything I recognize.”

“Where are the two vibrations?”

“One grouping on the top floor, and one near the second.”

I mulled over point of entry. “We could probably enter in through the third floor window, give them some room so we can secure our escape route, then-” A faint twang echoed off in the distance. “Eol, look out!” I lunged my arm in front of Eol's chest, a crossbow bolt stabbing into my flesh.

“Aoi!”

“Snipers, to the north!” I snarled and brought out my pistol. “Eol, can you see them?”

“Got 'em, one a few buildings to your right.” Eol swatted a salvo away with his metal gauntlets. I brought the barrel over his shoulder and lined up my shot.

“Cover your ears.” He plugged them and the round went careening across the way, my aim rewarded with a puff of red on the rooftop. I shifted the barrel under my arm and drew Kokuryu. “Try and spot the next one.” I smashed through a few bolts, the tips splintering into fragments.

“Two more to your right!” The air exploded with two bangs as the slide ejected two more shells, the barrage from my targets ceased immediately.

“Take this and give me some cover fire,” I tossed him a crossbow. “Get behind the clock!” We shoved our backs against the tower, bolts peppering our position. Eol returned fire and took out a few on the west side.

The clock sounded with a loud bong as the hands aligned to one 'o clock.

“Bloody murr! I can't aim, too many vibrations!” Eol shouted over the noise of the bell. I holstered the pistol and held the bolt near the wound. This was gonna hurt.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!” I growled as my arm seared with pain as the metal grated against muscle, sliding out inch by inch until it was free. I dropped the soaked bolt on the ground and held my arm close to my body, the blood slowly spreading through the coat. I grit my teeth and took a bandage I had looted earlier in paw and wrapped it tight around my arm. I held the sleeve in my teeth in lieu of a sling and peeked from behind cover and took out three more.

I had to hand it to them, catching us off guard, but now wasn't the time for friendly congratulations. I pumped a few CCs of adrenaline through my bloodstream, as well as a coagulating agent.

“Aoi, you alright?” Eol yelled as the bell stopped its rapacious tolling.

“I'm fine,” I lied. “How many are left?”

“Four,” he reported. “They're all on the same building. Too far for me to reach.” A bolt broke a shingle two inches from my foot.

I took a deep breath, I counted three more rounds in the magazine. I wasn't going to risk the reload. I looked around for a source of cover. The bodies from this morning were still there.

“Eol, grab on of those bodies up there and cover me, we're making a jump.” The meat shields would suffice, but only for a moment.

“You got it.” He nodded and grabbed one of the corpses, spanning the limbs out in a wide meat-shield.

“Let's move!” I got up and started towards the ledge in a full sprint, Eol to my left providing cover. At the last moment, we made a leap of faith towards the target building.

We broke through the windows, landing on the second floor. I took a few precious seconds and drew my sword and wrapped my fist in gauze, holding the sword in place. My grip was near dead in my injured arm, but at least I could still move it from the forearm up.

I looked up to see the entire floor empty, no guards.

“Are you sure you saw vibrations in here?” I asked.

“Yep, and they're right in front of us.” I froze. What made the movements weren't guards. They were wires. Near invisible oscillating wires that could cut flesh with a single touch. Had we made our move, we would have been dead.

“Shit,” I cursed under my breath. To even see them, my eyes had to be two inches away from the deadly thin wire. “How many?”

He paused as he counted. We shifted our backs to the wall, aware of the snipers still after us.

“54.” That meant 54 traps to disarm and pass, and considering that they already know we're here, we were already pressed for time. We needed to get them all at once.

“Eol, how deep did you say your punches could go?”

“About four yards through solid rock, Why?”

“Think you can break down the wall?” At this he smiled.

“Count on it.” He pounded his fist into an open paw and shifted towards the wall next to me. He reeled his arm back and blew a humongous crater in the wall. Faults through the wall traveled along the the face, disconnecting the wires at their source, each consecutive string snapping into the other wall. After the last wire was disarmed, Eol turned to me.

“All clear.”

We made our way to the sixth floor, the end of the hall terminating with a pair of double doors. Eol gave a status report.

“Scent marker's in here, nine heartbeats, regular.” Either they still didn't notice us, or they were lying in wait. I took this time to empty the magazine and reload, taking the gun in my teeth and pressing the release with my canines. The clip slid out gently, allowing me to load a new one silently. We took cover on each side of the double doors. I made a call motion with my paw. Eol nodded.

His paw ran over the door knob and turned it slightly. The frosted glass shattered immediately as one of the hostiles inside sent a steel arrow through the door, the shaft embedding itself into the far wall. Inside we heard a string pulled back taut.

Eol took out the crossbow, sticking a bolt into the string, claw poised over the trigger. The weapon looked like a toy in his enormous paw. I pulled back the slide and motioned for him to open the door.

He kicked it down, we went in. Boom! In went an explosive round, kicking up smoke and dust. I dove in low and eliminated five, cleaning house with precise slashes with Kokuryu. Eol let loose a few bolts—his senses giving his eyes the advantage through the cloud—and made light work of the remainder. I heard a bark of pain accompanied by a stabbing sound.

“Eol!”

“RAAAH!” A splattering crack emanated from his direction. The clap of a hoof brought my pistol to an unknown direction. The dust cleared, leaving a single pony, stationed in a seat across the room. I glanced at Eol, his knee pierced with a stray arrow. The brains of the pony who fired it were scrambled in a gory pool on the green matte carpet. My eyes shifted back at the pony in the chair.

He wore an iron mask, eyes hiding behind tinted glass, ears tucked in molded metal. He clapped.

“Congratulations, scum. You finally won. You get to be the villain who finally defeats the hero.” He wheeze through the muffling mask. He said it so casually, as if what he had done was part of a game.

“You still think yourself a hero, after all you've done?”

He laughed, “I've saved ponies from your greedy paws, kept them from spreading. What have you done? All your kind has done is spread pain and misery.”

My claw tensed over the trigger. “Me? All I've done is kill condescending, pretentious jack-asses, like the one sitting in front of me right now. Since I'm a tolerable man, I'm going to ask you something: are you coming quietly, or am I going to have to drag you kicking and screaming?”

“Heh, you think you've won haven't you, think that this will all end with me? No, somepony else will take my place, take my role and wipe-”

SCHLOSH! A single shot separated his leg from its socket.

“Urusai,” I shouted in an attempt to drown out the cries of pain coming from him. I walked over to the window and slammed the butt of my pistol through the window. Unloading the magazine, I switched the top round with the flare, replaced the clip, and shot the flare into the sky, a red trail following it into the distance. I pulled the cup to my muzzle.

“Keith, we got him, get a team to meet us at Big Bass. Flare's up, Varg's taking over now.”

“Dude, I heard a whole shitload of stuff on your end, what in the literal fuck happened?”

“We're wounded right now,” I said. “Snipers with crossbows got us on the roof of Big Bass, I took a bolt to the arm. Eol's immobilized at the moment.”

“What happened to him?”

“He...” I paused, looking at Eol's pained expression and the debilitating injury. “...took an arrow to the knee.”

=Keith=

I dropped my fifth of vodka, the glass shattered as it hit the ground.

“God... dammit...”

Part 3

=Aoi=

The team cut through behind us like a hot knife through butter. Varg bypassed customs and his troops went right in, bringing the city under Gem Fido's jurisdiction. The entire city feared it was another invasion, many scattered pockets of FPS members engaged Varg's entry team. Needless to say, they were quickly suppressed. After all, not many stood against an army of the undead, much less a division of twenty.

Keith and the relief team personally took Eol by stretcher back to the airship, and after arresting every member of the Freepony Society we could find, the Royal Guards from Canterlot took over and brought the mayor of Bitsburg into custody. According to a few military bylaws, mechanical constructs built for war were illegal to possess in residential cities. It seemed like everything was going well, until...

“Aoi, Keef, stop for a second,” Eol murmured painfully as we were passing Big Bass. “There's something wrong.”

“What is it?”

“Vibrations... heartbeats... fear marks... tons of them... inside...” he strained. He lifted his paw and pointed at the building. We looked at the building, a citizen helping with the evacuation heard this and remarked.

“That's impossible, The Basque had been abandoned for years.”

Abandoned? Heartbeats? I ran towards the gates of the clock tower, Keith and the evac team followed. Varg stayed at a distance, keeping an eye on the masked pony.

I strained to open the magnificent doors to reveal a horror before the city. Inside were hundreds of diamond dogs, gagged and tied, crying. Males, females, betas through omegas, and even pups. They looked like they had been here for days, their figures lanky and starving. The giant room was in disrepair, the rafters reaching high. Abandoned was right, but empty... no.

Everyone's eyes were focused on was a large gray container in the very middle, wires and gear coiled around it. Keith paled at the site of the wires. The object's identity was unmistakable. It was a bomb, and the hands ticked from 3...2...1...0...

Contrary to the stereotypes painted by modern media, samurai aren't indestructible. We don't live on honor and loyalty. We don't survive by the will of our masters. We aren't bulletproof or fireproof. We eat, we drink, we live, we die. We aren't always heroes, and we aren't always villains. We live by the way of the sword, to kill for what we believe is worth fighting for. Be it something as intangible and unrewarding as honor, or as irresistible and irreplaceable as true love. The difference between us and the rest of society is that we live to kill. We are murderers. Do we enjoy it? Out of vengeance, yes. Out of necessity, hardly. But we are not madmen, we do not enjoy blood lust, we do not revel on corpses piled high, we do not believe that every notch on our hilt is a symbol of power and greatness. We duel, we wage war, we defend ourselves, be it for our masters, or ourselves. We are not the politician who builds his image on lies and deceit. We are not the rapist who defiles others to slake his lust for power. We are not the noble that lives and dies by his gold. We are but blades.

We are blades, we are killers, we are warriors, we are people. We don't ask for mercy, because we know we do not deserve it. We offer our heads to the guillotine, or fight until our blade breaks under the clashing brawls of battle. We will do with our own lives as we see fit, because with the strength of our own arms and the razor edge of our katanas we carve our own destinies in life, and thus, we are free.

But what about all the others? Those who cannot hold a sword, those who cannot defend themselves, those who have nothing to shield their hearts, their heads, their face from the cruel onslaught of the world. What of them? Do they not also deserve the right to life, do they not also deserve a chance to glimpse the sunlight from the mud they rise from, do they not also have the right to bear witness to the rest of their own lives as they see fit? Of course they do!

Each and every day, they fight not with swords or guns or weapons of mass destruction, but with their fangs and fists. They fight by living, they fight with each and every individual cell of their existence. But against the world, they are doomed to fail.

So to help even the playing field, we took it upon ourselves to swear our blades not to our masters, but to ourselves, to use them as we see fit, to help defend who we deem is worth defending, and kill those who we deem aren't worth sparing.

Even then, does it make us noble? Does it make us heroes? Does it make us better than those we kill? No. Because if we were heroes, then we would always triumph over evil, able to save any and all who ask for help in danger, be they friend or foe. If we were heroes, we would be able to play God and decide who lives and who dies, and our decisions would always be right.

We are not gods, we are killers. At the end of the day, at the end of a battle, as the blood red sky pulls its tainted shroud around the earth to comfort it to sleep, we kneel, wounded and contrite, content to face the undertaker with the undeniable truth of our mortality. It is because we are mortal...

… that we are allowed to fail...

The masked pony laughed when the bomb went off, then finally fainted from blood loss. We cauterized his wound and sent him to the airship on a stretcher. Keith and I avoided the explosion by diving into the moat, but everyone inside the building was either atomized by the blast or died soon afterward from burns or shock trauma. There were no survivors.

I walked in silence back towards the airship, my arm hung limp at my side. The bleeding had stopped, but I needed medical attention as soon as possible. Keith, Ubi, Varg and I escorted Eol's stretcher to the airship. I looked down at Eol, he had fallen asleep. I guessed it was either from the pain or just exhaustion. As much as I scorned him for leaving the safety of the airship, I admired him for wanting to get the news to me immediately. I had only wish he could have gotten here sooner.

Over 50 wooden coffins were built on site to house the remains of the victims. The majority of Varg's entourage now acted as pallbearers for the shabby coffins. Ironic, really, the undead carrying the dead themselves. The city had ground to a complete standstill, only residual puffs of steam leaked out now and then, but the gears themselves stopped turning. The city that ran like clockwork now paused its bungling motion in respect.

I retired immediately to my chambers, the surgeon coming in for my examination. I had some tearing in my muscles, some damaged tissue, but nothing too worse for the wear.

“Give your arm a few weeks to rest. Don't flex,” he ordered. The surgeon had a few unusual scars, skin graphs on his face, and a snout that knew the violent companionship of a fire. “Anything you need?”

“A newspaper,” I requested. He pulled one out of his coat and tossed it onto my chest, then left me be for the night.

I browsed through the newspaper's articles, not many new developments occurring as the autumn season was readying its transition to winter. I had gotten out of my coat—sent back to the tailor for repairs—and undressed down to my kosode, the right sleeve of which still bore splotches of red on the white fabric.

Many of my clan came to congratulate me on the capture of who they called the “Mare in the Iron Mask”. It somewhat shocked me to find out that the he was actually a she, due to the mask distorting the voice. It didn't change the fact that she was responsible for the deaths of possibly hundreds of diamond dogs.

Many briefed me on how the Mare was to be judged. Since Gem Fido has rightful claim to her as her crimes involved its citizens, she was to be judged by Varg's clan as soon as we got back to the warren. Some even said that they hoped she would get the death penalty, and that I should be the one to carry it out.

“That monster doesn't deserve to even eat our scat,” one dog colorfully described. Rumors were spreading about that I might be chosen as one of the judges to decide the mare's fate. Keith came in later and told me Eol's condition, he'd be walking again in a few months, but until then, he's bedridden. After that, I delved into a lapse of should-haves and would-haves before resolving to put aside the guilt for now.

After visiting hours were done with, I continued to peruse the paper until I stumbled across what passed as the classified ads of the newspaper. New toothbrush, old clippings, and a copy of Fifty Shades of Hay.

I must have been desperate to entertain myself with reading advertisements as I soon tossed the paper aside and closed my eyes to rest. Underneath the dark cover of sleep, memories came flooding back, pounding at my skull, toying with every strand of misguided guilt, ripping at every single mistake. Every preventable casualty, every life lost because of my misguided action, and the weight of an undeniable reality hanging by a thread like the sword of Damocles, all to scream in my face that I could not rewrite what has been done. I woke up in an irritable frenzy, the garish emotion of helplessness mixed with anger. Part of me forced myself to cry, just to let something out.

The scars, it all came back to the scars. A new body, Griffin said, but I still felt them. “Failure,” they reminded, taunts and jeers every time I set eyes on one that was suppose to be there, but gone. “Move on,” he said, “try not to make the same mistake.”

“BULL FUCKING SHIT!” I screamed. “Tried that, didn't work! PEOPLE! STILL! DIED!” I cradled into a small ball on my bed, a soft hum in the engines chimed throughout my room. “People still got hurt...” On instinct, I started to lick the bandages. “Part of my team got hurt, and I'm still in the hospital...” Not sure if it was because of my new body or what, but licking my wounds felt calming. Tears came soft and slow, welling up at the corners of my eyes before bursting into a small stream.

The memories that help us the most prey on us when we least expect them to, we despise them dearly, but love them so. We never forget them, no matter how long it's been. They lace the walls of your psyche, like aged photographs, and occasionally your gaze locks onto one. All it takes is that single, subconscious glance that brings back everything related to that photograph. The memories branch out, until it reaches that right graft, something you think is completely unrelated, yet somehow, it fits.

Elena used to always kiss the bandages on me whenever we got back from a mission and had our moments of solitude.

“Now, shug, how is it gonna get better if no one kisses it for you?” she teased whenever I would shy away due to an especially sensitive injury. She would always manage to sneak it in before we went our separate ways for the night. I thought it rather childish, no real scientific reasoning behind it. Yet I could never bring myself to outright say “no” whenever she did. Her lips felt soft to the touch, smooth and sublime, always lit up in their crimson blush.

There was one time when we came back from a particular rough mission, and I had shrapnel scarring my back when a car exploded and I rushed to shield her from the glass and stray metal. Instead of kissing each and every scar, she just kissed me on the forehead.

“For thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness,” she said. The scars on my back were the ones I never really got bandaged, nor really hated for that matter.

Now, though, I felt no enmity towards my new war wound. I stare at the blot of blood through the bandages and loomed on the thought that maybe I was somewhat proud of this. Maybe instead of scorning it as a failure, I could actually deem it a success. Why not? An injury gained to save a live in my mind rang a much sweeter tone rather than the ones of regret that my old ones tolled.

Kindness's brevity stays but a moment for a small greeting and a farewell, but in those luxurious indulgences of time, we dare to see the world through Kindness's bright, blooming view. Through fields of delicate sakura blossoms and rich golden chrysanthemums, we transverse all secular sorrows and return to the wondrous sanctuary—that eternal domain that comforts all the injustices brought against us by the punishing day—in our hearts as we tuck ourselves in and kiss ourselves goodnight that we can forevermore call...

...home.

Author's Notes:

Ass kicking, world-building, and ending with a tender moment. I guess that kinda covers it. Also for some terms I bet you didn't know:

Gyokuro - Japan's highest grade of tea, having a sweet but medium bodied taste and a nice green color to it.
Iaigiri - Noted as a quick-drawn slash. The sword is drawn into a slash, using the power of the body to amplify the strike, then resheathed.
Urusai - Meaning: Shut up.

P.S. Don't tell me you didn't expect the Hyperion music to play with that much bad-assery just sitting there in the steam punk capital of Equestria.

=Science and Fighting with Keith and Aoi=

Today, we're going to talk about how in this crazy world that defies physics and logic, Aoi's sword abilities are rather... rational. Weird huh...

First off, let's talk about Aoi's sword, Korokuryu no whatsit. It's a sword that slashes through anything it touches, but really? Anything? Let's take a closer look.

Provided by some microscopes procured through unorthodox means, Kokuryu's sword isn't all that "sharp", if by sharpness you're going for the width of Aoi's blade at it's finest point. See, sharpening a blade can only go so far via the ancient polishing methods that Aoi uses. To put this in comparison, Stitch's scalpels have an edge of 3 nanometers, while Aoi's katana and the Corvat have edge widths nowhere near that. Granted that I made the Corvat for durability, not insane sharpness.

So how does Aoi's sword cut through tables without having the blade even touch them? Well as you might have guessed, the composition of Aoi's blade is what does it. And I'm not talking about just the dragon scale, although that does play a part. Dragon scale accounts for the sheer toughness to withstand impacts that would otherwise bend or chip other swords. However, Eol's punches have been shown to even shatter dragon scale, which I'll cover a lot about much later. I'll let Aoi explain the fine details of smithing.

As with all katanas, the dual material used in the blade provides for its strength and sharpness, durable steel of hochu-tetsu with the scale keratin increases its durability, and the dragon scale edge with tamahagane gives the blade a different kind of sharpness.

You see, actual sharpness of cutting ability in knives and other sharp objects depend on the geometry of the blade and the materials' coefficient of friction. Aoi's smithing style bases itself on sharpness versus durability, which he must compensate with by extending the depth of the slope of the blade, in order to still utilize the full width of the blade for the lo-carbon, durable metal. Thus, as you might have noticed in some photos, the depth of Aoi's blades tends to increase to the very edges of the hilt, here as most katana's blade depths are 3/4 the depth of the hilt.

Photos?

Nevermind that. Here's the interesting point, dragon scale has a very VERY low coefficient of friction at the edges. about 0.049, which has slightly less friction than Diamond-like Carbon. In Aoi's perspective, the scales themselves were rough compared to the edges, like polished wood. thus why only the very edge of the dragon scale is exposed on Aoi's sword, and the other part of the scale exposed is part of the hamon. (See I know my otaku lingo for swords) With this level of sharpness, it's no surprise that Kokakarrot-cake can chip away fucking diamonds.

But that's not even the best part. According to Griffin, Aoi's sword looked as if the air around it was vibrating quickly. It might be due to the weird magic aspect, but here's some fancy sciency stuff. We did a test to observe the effects of Aoi's sword with interaction to other particles by soaking it in water-

Which is poor sword maintenance for those researching on proper cleaning methods.

Yeah yeah, we'll get to that later. Back to the test, a very strange phenomenon happened. The water in contact with the edges of Aoi's sword oscillated to a fine degree, like a chainsaw or a fine frequency power tool. The oscillation was so fine that to the human eye, no ripples would be present, but on the microscopic level, the water was vibrating at around 14 GHz, or 14 billion cycles per second. TL;DR, Kokaburo is a motherfucking atomic chainsaw.

Now the interesting thing of this is that it leads to the next phenomemon of Aoi's sword: the vacuum slash. For starters, let's start with Aoi's average swing. When we measured it, it clocked in at around 180 mph, which, as you might have expected, is a fair bit more than the average human, but then again, most people here, aren't human. On terms of speed, it has nothing to do with the next part, the important part is the acceleration, with fancy mathematics:

a= vf - vi /t

Now the average swing time is about 0.13 seconds, so

80 m/s - 0 m/s / 0.13 = A whopping 615 m/s^2

In comparison, the acceleration of a rifle round is around 21,100 m/s^2. Alright, you might know where I'm going with this. As it stands, Aoi's blade is 9 kilograms and has a length of 78 inches. Really though, you could classify Aoi's blade as a Nodachi if you were comparing it to a human being, but that's beside the point. Now the reason its rather heavy compared to a regular Nodachi is... Why is it so damn heavy?

Well, it needs to be heavy to... balance out the blade.

Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that. But yeah, when you figure in the mass, you get a swing Force of:

F=ma
9 kg * 615m/s^2 = Holy shit! 5535 Neutons

Now here's where the freaky shit comes in. The movement of Aoi's air-chainsaw (shut up, that's what I'm calling it now) causes supercavitation, which is a phenomenon found mostly in water due to it not really being able to happen in the air normally. This happens at a rather minuscule level throughout the entire edge of the blade, and the displacement of the air afterwards. The reason this is freaky is that this shouldn't really happen as the force of Aoi's swing, although great, isn't enough to create a vacuum, and it's not. But it does reduce the air pressure of the air inside the swing arc so much, that it gets to near vacuum conditions, and when that pressure bubble collapses, it collapses hard, generating a shock wave that acts like an extended blade, effectively extending the range of Aoi's blade.

I'm mainly speculating that the ability of making a vacuum in air is cause by all the weird magic stuff happening with Aoi's blade, because according to established physics, cavitation to that degree happens only in water and plants in our natural world, what with animals like the pistol or mantis shrimp being able to execute this due to water being easier to create extreme near instantaneous pressure differences in their environment. Though there have been accidents on submarines that have caused cavitation incidents due to a sudden drop in pressure in one of the compartments. However, cavitations to lesser degrees happen all the time with things like propellers and in cases like aerodynamics.

Alright let's recap. Aoi's sword is a katana that acts like an air-chainsaw. It's not necessarily the sharpest sword on terms of its edge, though it is sharper than most blades except for a few such as Excalibur--said to have a cutting edge of one atom's width--it's sharpness is not its main highlight. It's main highlight is the blade's weird way of oscillating atoms that it comes into contact with in order to cut, while the low coefficient of friction and geometry of the edge makes cuts super clean.

Next time, We'll cover how the fuck Eol can punch through a dragon's scales.

You said we'd get back to sword cleaning techniques.

Oooo... sorry about that, but that's all the time we have for today. I'm Dr. Keith MacGrath, and until next time, don't get eaten by dragons.

I thought you said you lost your medical license.

Shh.......

Author's Notes:

I had this idea for a while, and considering I'm in an AP Physic's class (fuck you AP requirements) I decided to do a spin-off chapter all on the science and magic that goes into the stuff in BSRC to tide you all over until the big update. Science, Motherfuckers, Science!!!

Interim: Knights and Princesses

=Luna=

"If there's one thing I don't miss about being a princess, It's the inequine amount of paperwork." I was still sorting through all of the policies from the past 524 years about tidal patterns, astronomical alignments, and all the rest. However, there was still a slight pinprick of a thought still nagging me.

Sir Aoi, as we dubbed him, had a very peculiar dream that I could not shake from my memory. It sometimes interrupted my work whenever I thought about it, could there actually be more than one... well me, out there in unknown regions of worlds beyond our understanding?

After sealing the last document of the Capricorn-Cancer anomaly, I retired to my chambers as Tia raised the sun over the mountains. I sat there thinking about the implications of being able to meet another version of me.

'Help with the paperwork, that's for sure.' I giggled to myself, wondering what vast branches of universes lie just beyond our cosmological grasp.

Agent of Chaos Universe

I wasn't going to lose this time, no matter what that little fluffball says.

"Oh give it up, Woona, you're going against the Stare Master two centuries running," Discord taunted, his bushy eyebrows twitching.

Unsurprisingly, Aoi was cheering for me, although it wasn't helping. "Woona! Woona! Woona! 2000!" I hated that name.

Sweat was dripping off of each of our brows, our eyes had turned red from sheer irritation, and everypony was surrounding us, cake and chocolate milk in hoof for sustenance. This was the battle for the centuries, nay, for the EONS!

"Hang on for a second, my iPone's ringing." No. NO. NO! I will NOT break eye contact!

=Aoi=

"Hello? Shtik, baby, I told you it was an accident! Weird stuff happened and it's not possibly my fault!" One of the few times it actually ISN'T.

"Well if it's not yours, then its Luna's Fault. She shouldn't be drinking while dreaming, and because of that, the universes have a crack in them." Motherfucker needs to calm his motherfuck down, I could hear him from east city. Every other pony was still engrossed in the current staring contest taking place and... oh god is that a thundercloud?

"Wait, shweet innocent Woona?" Veins started to appear on Luna's temples.

"She's the one who dragged your ass all around people's dreams did she not?"

"Well it's not like she could do anything about it, how the hell were we suppose to know that Luna + Cider = Inception x Multiverse?!" The receiver cracker with feedback to spare as a slap unmistakable as the sound of a facepalm replied.

"Ugh. In any case, now the universes are starting to collide due to all the cracks you blew in everywhere." NOT GOOD! "And I am NOT your baby."

"That's not what you said last night." Did I just screw myself over?

"..." Oh god... "You must of been hallucinating." OH GOD! The absence of a raging rebuttal disturbed me.

"I can asure you that I have not been eating any suspicious mushrooms whose name rhymes with 'phylobin', cupcakes on the other hand..." I trailed off.

"Have you forgotten that you just went on an Inception mind trip?" Didn't I just answer that a couple of seconds ago?

"Right. Okay, so... universes, cracks, and collisions. Wait, aren't you the guy that's suppose to fix that stuff? And how the hell do I know that?"

Schick Cuatro growls on the end of his mic. I can sense his urge to kill rising. "I... kinda need your help. You see, one of the cracks 'landed' near Celestia. Now because of an... 'incident' several missions ago, my presence literally causes her to go Nightmare and try to eat me. Happened three times already."

"No... Fucking... Way..." YOU MUST RESIST THE URGE! "So lemme get this straight, Celestia will literally nom your face in if you enter her proximity?" ... giggity...

"Well, she first starts growing black splotches on her skin, then progressively gets stronger. I can remember Nightmare Sol, Fusion, and Super Nova. The main reason I'm still here talking to you is because I had backup hiding in the shadows and-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, details and shiz. Alright, I'll help you on one condition." Which I know any logical person, sane or insane, would not accept.

He sighs, "What?"

"I get 'til the end of the day to use the crack however I please. Also some chocolate mousse would be nice."

"Which day are you referring to? I can use Jupiter's day to night cycle, which would imply a ten hour window."

"Perfect." I only needed ten minutes max, but I had to get a bit more information out of him.

"Ehh... sure." I heard some clicks coming from his end. "Whatever. Get things done first."

"Not so fast. How am I suppose to use a crack if it's fixed?"

"Those are unstable doorways, like a wet piece of paper under stress which then gets a whole torn through. I can set up a 'legal' doorway, which is more like surgery. Wait. What are you even going to do with this? You might even cause more problems."

"Gurl, you know me too well." Now for some shits and giggles. I hit the loudspeaker button on the iPone. "Okay, I'll fix it... or I could just leave it open and see what happens..." Dammit, Luna's getting tired, I need to change the tides. "What would happen anyway?" I hold the iPone near Discord's ear.

"Things start merging. The place the other you is at is already unstable from having multiple *coughauthorscough* writing the same universe. Different versions, like two contracters wanting to build the same thing only slightly different. When two versions of a universe collide... really weird things start happening. Like two houses smashing into each other in slow motion." At this Discord's lower left eyelid twinges. He always had a tell for when someone was mentioning something... chaotic.

"Ooo... that's bad isn't it. Woona that's bad right?"

"DON'T CALL ME WOONA!!!"

"Thank you, Woona." I turn off the loudspeaker and wander off to the side. "So what's the plan? And which universe exactly did you say the crack is connected to?"

"Yours and the Aoi you saw when you two went 'deeper', this dog, the "normal" pony universe, and this thing with shoes. I take care of the shoes." Okay, so one in five chance this will work. "And I know I'm going to regret this, but I'm going to have to give you some extra-universal abilities that I've concocted."

=Shtik=

Like hell I'm going to give some guy ten hours to do whatever the hell he wants with space time. I'll probably have to erase parts of his memories at some point. But... dammit.

"Fuck yeah! What are they?" It's a long shot but...

"Initially, you get Magic Tape, some random crap I have laying around in my armory." The Cricket, maybe. "and some basic energy manipulation...."

"That sounds awesome! *Chomp* BLEEEH! IT TASTES NOTHING LIKE WHAT YOU JUST SAID!" What?

"What did you just eat? I didn't give you anything..."

"Really? Oh shit..." I heard some ripping noises in the background. "Call you back... WAIT! Schick!-"

"Shtik-"

"Whatever... you know that couch that you love so much?"

"What."

"It grew teeth." The line went dead. I sighed and pulled out a rocket launcher, my third finest.

=Aoi=

And he fucking bought it.

=Luna=

A snap of the iPone and Aoi suddenly started to leave.

"Right, well I'm gonna be at Twilight's place if anyone needs me, shit needs messing up, and only three people in this entire universe has the furry balls to fix it." Did he just refer to his genit- NO, absolute concentration.

=Aoi=

I know what you might be thinking. What could little old me be doing in as an aside of a fic about another version of me who's currently coping with issues of letting people get hurt under his watch? Well, to be honest, I have not the single foggiest idea where this is headed. All I know is that the maintenance guy whose suppose to be in charge of this whole multiversal deal just fucked up. So what in the ever-loving, pie-sucking, molestia-raping, bass-dropping fuck am I doing?

Abusing the shit out of it.

Ah, Golden Oaks Library, now there's a book store. Let me ask you something, who has the package to make a library in a tree? Unicorns...

...Unicorns have it down, man....

"No..." I didn't even open my mouth, woman! There she sat, scribbling away note as I walked in.

"Relax, I just need to borrow a quill and paper."

"Why?" Shameful you, all these months and you still don't trust me. We were like pals, compadres, siblings in arms even though I almost tried to catch you with a pokeball...

"Oh it's nothing really, I just need to write a really quick, absolutely insignificant..."

=Twilight Sparkle=

...Buck...

=Aoi=

"... friendship letter."

BSRC Universe

=Luna=

"Sister, I fear for our universe..."

Author's Notes:

... next chapter...

Shit...

Gets...

Real...

Also the Character Shtik belongs to AppleTank: http://www.fimfiction.net/user/AppleTank

Innocence... [34]

Midnight reigned as I found the strength to wake up, its sky black as tar with a few defects of gray negative clouds. The stars hid their shy faces underneath ethereal blankets, and the massive white satellite rose to its nightly apex. The hue of my room took a stale, neutral gray, not an ounce of saturation to be had.

The restless balance was irritating to sit through. The absolute stillness of the air and stagnation of temperature are what drives the sleepless to insanity. I bolted upright and started to take a walk through the ship, agitated legs yearning for movement.

Silence allowed for me to plan and sort out some loose ends. One of those being the Stars of Lupus. I had talked to Varg about them back at the warren, but not even he had any knowledge what they were. I decided to put that thought on the back burner for the moment. The more pressing one was locating Ubi's mother.

Again, no immediate leads sprung to mind, so I went over the details. According to Ubi, his mother was last seen at their former home, a hole in the ground that had an entire trove of diamonds. Both gone without a trace. God knows what Ubi must be feeling.

I went out onto the deck of the ship, the skinny crescent still slouching over the horizon. Off in the distance I could see the Oblong Tomb, still carrying its eerie shroud.

Eol mentioned that Ubi liked to hang about in the crow's nest. Sure enough, that's where I found him, perched a top the rounded platform with arms hung over the banister. It took me a bit more effort to climb up, but got there all the same.

“Hey Ubi.” He turned to notice me, then went back to staring at the clouds. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about when you last saw your mother?”

“Sure,” he murmured. A forlorn expression held a bit of guilt within his voice.

“I know it might be hard for you to think back, but do you think you could tell me a bit about what exactly happened when... you know.”

He twitched his ears and replied. “It was all sudden, but I remember enough. I remember the dragon that fought mom, but...”

“But...”

“I shouldn't have left her, I should have protected her. At the very least I could have-”

“Done something.” His words plucked an all too familiar tune. “Just like I could have. It's funny really, how just one thing you could have done leads up to something that could have been.” The dream I had came back to me, and I questioned its specious notion.

“There's just too many choices, and no idea which one leads to which. When everything has been said and done though, there's somethings that you don't want to change.”

“Really?”

I nodded. “For example, I would never want to change the people I've met, like you and Eol. I'd be a damn liar if I said that I didn't want to change anything, but after having some time to talk about it, I find it better to think of things that I wouldn't change, not for the whole world.”

“Hmm.” Something was clouding his mind, preoccupying his thoughts. I looked down at the sword he always kept. It looked like an elongated cleaver with a strange glyph near the base and a spike jutting from the back end of the blade.

“Is that the sword you've kept with you all this time?” I asked. “The one that belonged to Oles?”

He nodded, his paw ran across the hilt. “The mark on was the symbol for my clan.”

“And what clan was that?” I pressed.

“Doesn't matter.” He turned to me. “I'm part of a much better clan now.” He reminded me of the fact that we never really came up with a name for ourselves. Varg's clan was the clan of McGruff, but other clans still had even stranger names. I knew Eol's was known as the Inura, but they gave it up when I became their alpha.

“So, what do you think we should be called?” I asked.

“I don't really care.”

“To be honest, not many names really come to mind at the moment, so how about for now we'll be clan Nanashi?”

“Nanashi?”

“It means 'Nameless'. It's just a placeholder for now. So... about that sword...”

He drew it slowly, the straight edge gleaming in what little moonlight there was. “We used swords for training back at the warrens. We didn't have a dragon protector or anything like that, but with our alpha, we didn't need one.”

I scoffed. “This the same alpha that condemned you to death?”

“No, his son: Arian. When our alpha went to attend to some business, Arian got his chance and branded me an abomination of the clan. He was weak, but more slick than oil.”

I thought about my next question. “Have you ever met your father?” Ubi shook his head.

“What about you? Did you have a clan?” He asked me.

“No, but in the world I come from, there used to be a whole bunch of clans, but they weren't like a pack. They were like armies, all vying for control over a spot of land no bigger than... well I'm still not sure how big some of these places are.”

“Mom used to tell me about when dragon's fought over the land of Gem Fido. She said for about a century the skies were a battleground.” Ubi pointed at the sky. “Every night, you wouldn't be able to see the stars because of the fire.”

“When you think about it, very little really differentiates the worlds we live in. This world's just a few steps behind technologically. Everything I've seen here I've seen back on Earth: slavery, crime, hierarchy, corruption, and desperation. Broken families and fragile dreams.” I leaned over the banister and sighed, same scene as the last, just a different conversation. I looked across the frail yet harsh landscape of Gem Fido.

“Maybe we could fix it...”

“Fix what?”

“Research magic to help bring back the old Gem Fido.”

Ubi scoffed in disbelief. “You can't raise the dead, not when they're right over Tartarus. Your friend was right about the whole geo...”

“Geothermal energy.”

“The land is just too hot. All we can do is pick through the underground, and hope we don't burn.” When he mentioned it, somethings didn't really make sense. The Oblong Tomb was potentially a mile deep, and yet we haven't even felt a rise in temperature. Why was it that the Oblong Tomb was unaffected by the geothermal energy?

I started to grow weary and finally decided to go back to bed.

“Goodnight, Ubi. I hope we can make headway on finding your mom.” Ubi looked back and smiled slightly.

As I traveled back downstairs, the air felt a bit calmer, as if something had finally been laid to rest. The cabin was quiet, save for a few snores and sniffles coming from bunkers. I made it to my own room soon enough and dropped onto the bed.

It was then that I heard a loud ripping noise and something slammed down onto my face. I scrambled to my feet and grabbed what had landed on me. To my surprise, it was a scroll wrapped tightly. I sat down at the edge of my bed and opened the seal on the scroll, unfurling it. It read as such:

Dear person who gets this letter whom I shall dub as 'Ben',

I have just written this to inform you of your imminent demise... Wait, wrong message. What I meant to write was that I've written this to add a bit of interest to this thing-a-ma-whazit. As I have actually no idea what will result in my doing this, just know that I will be watching you very closely for the hilarity that will ensue.

Hugs and Kisses,

An Agent of Chaos

P.S. Follow me on Twitter @DatFluffyPup

A few motes of dust fell into my nose from the letter. After a fit of sneezing, I sniffled and crumpled up the scroll, tossing it into the trashcan. Keith told me about spam mail a while ago, but I never expected it to appear here of all places. I rolled over in my bed and went to sleep.

The rest of the night was dreamless, subconscious flickering in and out of a sleeping state, my body felt like it was changing as it got lighter and heavier at alternating intervals, like someone had moved my body into an elevator, and then suddenly morning came.

My eyelids slowly slid open as the morrow salutations woke me from an unstable slumber. I yawned and stretched, flinging off the covers and heading towards the latrine to relieve myself. I pulled up my hakama and let loose the pressure that had built up overnight and sighed, the trickling of urine against the porcelain bowl somewhat mundane but soothing nonetheless.

It wasn't until I reached a paw down to shake that I realized...

… there was nothing there to shake.

Where my manhood should have been was replaced by two fleshy vertical flaps that led to an opening resembling an... Oh God...

I dashed to the mirror and stared at my reflection, completely altered. My muzzle was shorter, long black lashes fanned out from my eyelids, and I looked down towards my chest...

=Eol=

I had stayed up last night, thinking of all the warnings that Aoi and Ubi gave me before we got to Bitsburg.

'Why didn't I listen?' I asked myself. 'Why? Did I think I could help?' The question turned over and over in my head.

'Aoi's hurt because of me, it's all my fault.' If only I had stayed behind, I wouldn't be in bed, and Aoi wouldn't have gotten injured trying to save me.

'I didn't even apologize for disobeying orders, I was too busy trying to make myself look good.' Maybe Ubi was right, maybe I am just a bur-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” My ears turned to the point of the screaming; the voice was muffled, but undeniably female.

“Doctor!” I shouted. The surgeon woke up with a snort. “Get help! Someone's in trouble!” The doctor pulled down a call horn to his muzzle.

“Keith, you there?”

“Yeah, you hear that screaming too?” Keef garbled.

“It sounded like it came from the wing where Aoi's in,” I added. “Can you send someone down there?”

=Keith=

“I'll go see what's going on.” I got up and took a shot of double espresso. As I was about to leave my room, something came to my mind.

'The wing Aoi's in didn't even have any women in there, most were moved to the other side of the ship. So who-'

My train of thought crashed as I head a rapid pounding of steps headed towards my door.

“Oh God in heaven, please just let that be the bass about to drop...”

=Aoi=

“Kono yarou!!! (You SHIT!)” I screamed, bringing my paw back.

My fist smashed through the door to Keith's room, shattering the frail barrier and colliding cleanly with Keith's face. I felt part of the cartilage in his nose give, as well as a few teeth dislodge themselves from his gums under my fist. The air around my fist warped and expanded outward, followed by a screeching whistle as the impact sent Keith flying back into the far wall, his body making a clean indentation in it.

Steam hissed from Keith's unconscious body. Part of his face was caved in as the broken teeth slowly dropped out of his mouth.

I tied him up and waited until he regained consciousness before beginning my interrogation. He groaned, a busted lip sealed with dried blood.

“Alright, Keith, now, I'm going to give you two minutes to explain to me what the hell you did to me.”

He regained a bit of cognitive focus before answering. “Ah... Aoi? Is that you?”

“Of course it's me, shithead! Now what the fuck did you do?!” He coughed meekly and returned my searing gaze with a weak, glazed expression.

“Man, I didn't do shit.” I pulled out the letter from last night.

“Then what the hell is this...” I held it up to his face, his head turned slowly, reading the words.

“What the hell? Dude, you must have gotten some weird pills or something, because one that's not my damn handwriting, and two the Twitter name is DatFluffehPup, do I look fluffy to you?”

“Then who sent it?”

“The hell should I know? Listen man, either apologize or get me a bottle of jack, cause right now, it seems you're in the wrong for punching me almost as hard as Chuck Norris's chin fist.” Rather unsatisfied with his reasoning, I untied him and grabbed a bottle of hard liquor to hand to him. He uncorked the bottle and splashed his face with it, then got a good look at me.

“HOLY SHIT!” He dropped the bottle, pointing a shaking hoof at me. “Are you... I mean... did you... I mean... YOU HAVE TITS!” He flinched when I raised a fist. Ubi and Eol came in shortly after, drawing their weapons.

“Who are you?” I turned around to face them. Their jaws and weapons dropped to the floor immediately as they saw my changed appearance.

I pulled up a chair and sat down, rubbing my temples with now slender digits. My clothes barely fit, and the bandages on my arm hung loose. I had to constantly shrug to keep my haori over my shoulders. I got a glance at Eol, having rolled in here on a wheelchair. It was nice to know they cared.

“It's me, guys.”

We all sat down to breakfast. Stitch gave the courtesy of redoing my bandages and fixing Keith's face.

“I'll try and fit you in to get you some replacement teeth, Keith,” Stitch commented before leaving us.

I briefed everyone on the matter of my sudden change in anatomy.

“So, the letter is the only clue you have?” Eol asked.

“That's right. I don't know what it was, but when I opened it, some dust or something fell into my nose. I thought it was just old parchment at first, but the dust seemed packaged in here.”

“Do you mind if we see the letter?”

“You can look but don't touch, it might still contain traces, and I don't want anyone else getting... you know.”

“Rule 63'd?” Keith blurted.

“What?” We all asked.

“Rule 63 of the internet, for every character in a world, there will be either the genderbent version of that same character, or an instance of that character becoming genderbent. Apparently, you got the latter case.”

“Oh.” I folded up the letter. “In any case, we need someone who can analyze this, and find out what exactly happened.”

Keith covered his mouth with a hoof, stifling a giggle. “Hey, not to be 'inconsiderate' but do you think it's perma-”

“IT'S NOT PERMANENT!” I shouted. A snicker escaped Eol's lips before he slapped his maw shut with his paw. Ubi remained composed, but a bit uncomfortable. One of the cooks brought in our breakfast: eggs, hash browns, and a strange pastry.

We ate our breakfast in silence, Eol and Keith exchanging some looks as if making unspoken jokes at my expense. I didn't see what was funny about me completely changing into the opposite sex. Right when I was about to finish the last of my breakfast, Keith opened his mouth to ask:

“So *ahem* Aoi, it seems you're now a mmmmbeyetch that likes mmmbana-OW! GODDAMMIT!” I stabbed his forehead with a fork before leaving in a huff.

I confined myself to my quarters for the rest of the flight back to Gem Fido. Ubi brought over some clothes to fit me, a traditional robe that looked like a blue silk kimono, as well as a finely ornate sash.

“Where did you get these?” I asked.

“There was a couple on board who heard about your... problem, and donated some souvenirs that they had brought with them. The clothes are straight from a land from the east, across the ocean.” The stitching and patterns were too precise and too similar to just be a mere export.

“Did you happen to catch the name of where they vacationed?”

“Didn't ask.” With that he left, ever blunt, ever silent.

For hours I scanned the letter sent, trying to pick up little nuances and the like within the seemingly haphazard text, but found nothing. Reasoning led me to believe that another human wrote it from the way Keith mentioned something about Twitter, what I learned later was a social networking website.

There were the few hours that I also spent coping with the new situation, sorting past frantic panicking of negative hypotheticals, reaffirming reality with checks to make sure this wasn't some cruel nightmare, and cradling myself to a tiring rest after a breakdown after the reality checks passed.

The Oblong Tomb was in an absolute uproar when we arrived. One part because of the capture of the Mare in the Iron Mask, 99 parts because of my new status. My new anatomy was rather awkward to get used to: I had less muscle, more “hip”, and a strange gait to my usual pattern of walking.

We met with Varg, who unsympathetically roared with laughter. “Well, I can certainly say you've taken me by surprise, Aoi. You look a lot more... 'feisty'.”

“Insult me again and I'll neuter you in a heartbeat,” I growled.

“Relax a bit, after all we're here to celebrate. You've done a good thing for the clan, Aoi. As promised, you can have a pick of some of my finest men to join your clan.”

“Keep your men, the way you put it sounds like you're trafficking slaves.”

“Oh? Well in that case, allow me the courtesy of officially housing you and your clan until you decide to finally found a warren of your very own, without any fear of overstaying your welcome.”

“Very well then.”

“Oh yes, and I'd be happy to provide some more useful information, as well. Such as this.” He tossed me a rolled up newspaper. The newsprint was black with white text, and in one of the pages was something that was in fact priceless information.

Wanting to see the Spectacle of the Century? Come to Fowl Weather Cove for the money match of a lifetime. Place some bets as the legendary dragon slayer 'Griffin the Griffin' takes on this month's victim. A vicious white dragon from the volatile lands of Gem Fido...

A grin of excitement filed across my lips. I looked up at him.

“You're not the only one who can get information, after all, our clan's of the very earth of Gem Fido, we hear every sound that breaches our land,” he proclaimed with a smug look. “I must be heading off now, we still have a criminal to judge. I'd appreciate it if you were to be part of the tribunal, after all, you were injured by those mules, too.”

“I'll think about it, and thanks for this.”

“Think nothing of it.”

I met with Ubi in his room. He was polishing his sword, a crestfallen expression on his face. He looked up for a brief moment before training his eyes back onto his blade.

“What's with the smile?” He asked in his graven tone.

“What's not to smile about? The sun's nice, everything's going well-” I walked past his bed to the window “-and we just found your mother.”

He paused right then and there, whetting stone dropped to the floor. He looked at me with a face of half excited and half doubtful. I pulled out the newspaper, turning to the article.

“This is her right?” It must have been painful for him to see the picture of his mother, bound in chains, wounds adorning her captured form. He clutched it with shaking paws, slowly going over the article word by word, his face—once impassive and cold at times—now evolved to one of rage and irrationality.

“That... that... slack-beaked piece of dog shit was behind all this the entire TIME?!”

“I don't think so, the date on this newspaper was quite recently, and this paper right here-” I took out the newsprint I had read over the night before my grand transformation “-says that Captain Griffin has been in a mental hospital for the past few months now. Now unless a bird can be in two places at once, we have an imposter.” I turned to him, his pupils now in livid slits, his paws threatening to tear the article into pieces. “After we get settled, I reload, and my arm gets back to functional level—should be another day or so—we go immediately.”

His arms stopped, his rage was slightly quelled, and he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. “Aoi, thank yo-”

I held up my hand. “You can thank me when we've rescued her, but now we have some planning to do. After all, with my wounded arm, and Eol out of commission for the next few weeks, we need a more coordinated effort. We can't have anymore loose variables.” I stared out of his window, to the now familiar landscape of Gem Fido. “I'm seeing this through. After all, I promised, didn't I?”

I turned and was met with a soft hug from Ubi, who wrapped his arms around me like a lonely child does his mother. Small tears dropped from his eyes onto my fur, as he buried his face into my chest. Even with the dramatic change in anatomy, I still towered over Ubi by about a foot. After a few seconds, he broke away as if somewhat ashamed.

“I-I'm sorry.”

“Don't worry about it.” I left both newspapers on the bed and left.

No matter how violent or cruel the world may seem to someone, there remains the subtle, delicate miracle of a random act of kindness. Be it charity, compassion, or simply good news shared, that miracle can be felt long after the moment passes. Even with ten thousand sorrowful memories, with that single, seemingly infinitesimal miracle of a smile, the world seems less cruel, less violent, and less desperate.

=Ubi=

I couldn't believe I just did that. I-I just didn't know what got into me when I-

He didn't seem offended by it or anything, but- I'm not even sure I should still call her 'he' now or what. She seemed okay with it, but I shouldn't have done that. She sounded just like mother. Whenever she would talk in that soft voice, it seemed everything was alright, that nothing bad could ever happen.

It was shameful of me to even do that. We were taught never to approach an alpha so casually like that. What was I thinking?

It shouldn't matter anymore. What matters is that she kept her promise.

I picked up the piece of newspaper off of the bed and looked at her picture. They had her in chains, in iron. Those griffins in the picture were taking advantage of her. She would never hurt a fly if she didn't have to. But they hurt her, she didn't do anything to them. Nothing. Why were they hurting her?

Stop them.

They were hurting mother. They were hurting her. They're trying to kill her.

Slaughter them all.

=Aoi=

I went to visit Eol at the medical wing of the warren. He was in bed number nine. I sat down next to him to talk.

I sighed, wanting to clear the air. “Listen, I'm so-”

“No... don't... It was my fault,” he confessed. “Ubi was right, even though he's a bit of a flea itch sometimes. I should've just stayed at the ship, like you said. If I'd done that, you wouldn't have almost lost your arm trying to save me, and I wouldn't have gotten hurt. If anyone needs to be sorry, it's me... So, I'm sorry.”

I smiled lightly. “Actually, had you stayed behind, I would've died. If you didn't see the razor wire on the second floor, I would've gone right through.” I paused before continuing. “We could go through a whole lists of apologies and 'what-ifs', but it it wouldn't equate to anything. What's done is done, and what matters is now. So how are you feeling?”

“Well, leg still hurts like a parasprite chewing on it, but at least it's not getting worse,” he chuckled. “You're not looking too bad yourself. In fact, you look better than when you were a male.” I punched him lightly for that remark.

“Bark! That reminds me.” He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. “Ah, biscuits, I lost it again. It'll come to me sooner or later. It's something important, although I can't remember what.” I shook my head and retired to my chambers.

Evening came, morning followed, and I had gotten a decent rest. When I had woken up, I had a blanket tucked over me. I was wondering who performed the gesture and why before I remembered that winter was almost here. With another day having passed, Stitch finally cleared me to remove the bandages. There was a sizable scab that had clotted over the wound. He redressed the wound with a smaller set of bandages that fit tight around my arm. I could finally move it, but was limited to basic functions, lest I open up the wound again.

During breakfast, Ubi, Keith and I discussed how exactly we were going to find Ubi's mother.

“Okay, so from what I've heard from some of the ponies and griffins from the Dominion is that Fowl Weather Cove is suppose to be—and you're not gonna like this—the largest criminal outpost in the Dominion, so out of control that not even diplomacy, much less law enforcement even reaches there,” Keith briefed.

“So, we're going into the lion's den then? Easy enough.” Ubi looked at me in disbelief.

“Easy?”

“No different than yakuza. But just because it looks easy doesn't mean we're not going to need help. Keith.”

“Yeah?”

“Load up, you're coming with.”

At this he smiled with an proud air. “What happened to me not being able to handle you guys?”

I paused to consider it. “That was before you finally got into the mindset that this is a lot bigger than just you. Consider this your time to shine. We move out after breakfast.” As I finished my food and left the table, I could almost catch a glimpse of a smile curling Ubi's lips.

Back in my room, I was debating amongst myself on how I was going to bring my equipment. Kokuryu would be the easiest as well as the Corvat, but the rope dart and the gun would be difficult. I couldn't really keep the pistol in place with a silk obi.

“Why not just fit it into your- *THWACK* HOLY SHIT!” Keith shouted as I threw a dagger at him, missing his face by a millimeter. His knees were shaking and he had just wet himself all over the floor.

“How many times do I have to tell you?” I scold. “If you don't knock, I think you're an assassin.”

“Right. Gulp. I-I-I think I'll just... leave this here.” he placed a leather belt on my dresser and left with a waddle. The belt was actually a holster, two pockets for two spare clips and a sleeve for the main gun. I was starting to wonder where everyone gets all these things, first a kimono from a couple, then a holster when I need it the most. It felt too convenient. For now, though, I slipped on the belt, tucked in the gun inside the holster, and redid the obi over it.

The thought however, remained plastered in my mind, bringing back a small conversation.

=2 years ago=

“Hey man, do you ever believe in karma?” Keith asked while tinkering through a few lines of coding.

“What?” I was doing morning exercises.

“You know, do good things and good things happen to you?”

“Complete bullshit,” I rebuked. “If Karma existed, you and I would be six feet under.”

“Hmm, still as pessimistic as ever, I see. Let me pitch something, what about universal karma?”

“I'm not following.”

“Like for example, the universe has a way with balancing itself out, for every tragedy that happens, a miracle takes place. For every period of good fortune, there's a crisis just around the corner.”

I looked at him dubiously. “So, for example, me losing my parents—according to karma—made someone super rich?... you've been working too long. Take a break, get some rest, I'll call you when I need you.”

“Hear me out here. Have you ever felt the feeling that the world was somewhat making up for bad things that have happened...” He paused to think over the events I told him about my life.

“Right, your life has only gone from bad to worse.”

“Is this one of your excuses to try and make me think things get better or some shit like that? Because if it is, you're doing a piss poor job of it.”

“Gotta hold on to something.”

=Present=

At first, I had the notion that things were looking up for me, that this world was somewhat rooting for me, cheering me on as a fan does for his favorite football team. I waved it away though, consistent to the reality that karma wasn't real.

After loading up, I took a towel and wiped off Keith's piss and tossed it into what seemed familiar as a laundry basket. From there, Keith, Ubi and I assembled at the dock of the airship.

“Leaving so soon?” Varg asked.

“Of course, we're off to the Dominion. I don't like to leave promises long standing, lest I renege them.”

“Fair enough, happy trails.” We boarded the HMS Rolling Thunder and met once again with a now somber looking Captain Valve. I had heard the news from Eol that someone murdered his brother on the ship, essentially saving the crew.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Hmm, what? Oh Um... yes... I'm fine,” he lied. The emotion that's hardest to hide is sadness, because even when you think you've stolen your heart from the world, as long as sadness is there, it still manages to show.

“If you need to talk to someone, feel free to let me know. I'm no therapist in the sense of the word, but I do know what it's like to lose family, and so do Ubi and Eol. Better to talk with people who know what you're going through than to those who only think they do.”

I left him as he headed towards the bridge. He trotted along the starboard side of the ship, running a hoof along the brazen banisters. It made me remember that Valve played a major part in building this ship, most likely along with his brother. I could see it in his crestfallen visage, hours spent with a brother who treated him dejectedly, building a war machine that would soon become the younger's grave.

Keith told me that they took Steam's body and cremated it in the engine room. The idea of cremation was crass, yet somewhat fair. A life, that had its own personality, its own soul, its own thoughts and ideas that from them would be chosen to become actions that affected the world in a miniscule and monumental scale, was rendered to ashes. When I had conferred this to Keith, he quoted a verse from Genesis: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust thou shalt return.” He was right in a sense: at the microscopic level, we're just made of base elements.

“It's the soul that's important,” he said. “Bodies live, grow and decay, but a soul lives forever. We burn the body, return it to nature, but it's the soul we mourn for. When a person dies, we can no longer hear it, no longer speak with it, and in a sense, it becomes isolated, cut off from the world it has spent so much time in becoming what it is. It shouldn't really matter whether we burn it, eat it, or throw it off the edge of a fucking cliff; a body's a body. We don't remember a body—unless you're a secular ass-hole—we remember the soul.”

So it goes.

On the terms of the politics of invasion of the Dominion, there were no politics. The Dominion had fallen into a state of complete anarchy, Princess Celestia having dissolved their government long ago. It was a feudal country: various criminals sects vying for power, and no shortage of criminal activity to fund the illegitimate campaigns. Since the Griffin came along, it now became more mainstream for pirates to raid villages, most headed by none other than-

“We're under attack!”

My head whipped towards bow of the ship. Ten bogeys headed towards us at top speed. The first of the group touched down on deck, drawing a bow.

“NOPONY MOVE!” I reached down for my rope dart before an arrow arched over my head and skewered the griffin's head straight through.

“What the-” A flash of silver bounded over my head as Ubi came to the front, bow drawn back with three arrows notched at once. He sent all three into three more bandits just as they landed.

He bought the crew enough time to regain their senses and spring into action. Soldiers sprang up from the galley, wielding bows of their own to return fire, but the arrows fell short as the remainder of the group broke formation and banked from the line of fire. I brought out my rope dart and wound it tight around my shoulder.

“Aoi! Under the ship, left side!” Increasing the tension on the wire, I sent it flying across the deck as one of the bandits rose just above the banister, nailing him in the eye. A brief memory flashed in my mind, back to those silly 'memes' Keith was going on about.

“Aoi, if you ever find yourself in a position where you're able to drag someone towards you, please, just once, say-”

“GET OVER HERE!” I shouted as I yanked on the wire, making the griffin barrel over the banister as he screamed. Ubi vaulted over the wire and brought back his drawn blade with a battle cry. The hooked end of his blade ran through the bottom of the griffin's chin, yanking the entire head from his spine.

I pulled back the rope dart and whirled it around my elbow, and with a twist sent it in a wide arc as another tried to blindside me, the sharpened edge slicing through his throat. I grabbed his leg as he grasped for his bleeding neck and twisted the furry limb, slamming him down on the deck.

“Aoi MOVE!” I sidestepped just as Ubi sent an arrow grazing past my ear to take out another just behind the one I brought to the floor. Three remained.

The air grew quite, I held my paw up to halt all the motion on the ship. I loosened the wire on the rope dart and spun it slowly in a loose cradle between my digits. A flap! I released the cradle into the air as three arrows headed straight towards me. I pulled forward on the end of the wire, drawing the airborne cradle tight as a noose. Arrows shattered before they reached me. The crew retaliated with a barrage of arrows that killed two and injured the third.

I nodded my head to one of our griffins on board to retrieve the falling survivor. Within a minute, we had our prisoner.

We dropped him down on deck, arrow protruding from his wing near the base. I pinned him down with my foot. It was then that I had gotten a good look at him.

“Griffin?” On closer inspection, he just had dyed feathers. The markings on his chest and face were completely different. Ubi dragged one of the bodies to me.

“They all look like that puffy idiot,” he stated. Every single one of them had done their feathers in the same hairstyle as Griffin, with feathers died the same shade of red.

“This'll be the story to tell the captain. He's got a fan club now, the bad kind.” I pressed down hard on the griffin's chest. “Now, what to do with you?”

“You might as well just kill me,” he coughed. “Heheh, We've got the real Captain Griffin on our side.”

I blinked, then laughed. “I know for a damn fact that that's complete SHIT! But I'll humor you, where's your captain?”

“Up yours, BITCH!” The diamond dog portion of the crew gasped, many wanted to slit the griffin's throat right then and there. Ubi in particular had a fiery anger within his eyes. With a bitter silence he squatted down close next to the griffin, pulled of his comrade's head from his blade, and let the spinal fluid drip into the griffin's eyes. Immediately, cries of intense pain rang out across the ship: a shrieking mix between a caw and the cry of a banshee. Everyone grit their teeth and plugged their ears from the screeching sound, save for Ubi, who seemed unphased even though he was closest to the source.

“Where... *drip* is... *drip* Griffin...” he whispered in a rasping tone. The griffin continued to scream and writhe underneath my foot. “Answer... *drip* me... *drip* now...”

“KILL ME!!! KILL ME!!! PLEEEAAAAASE, JUST KILL ME NOW!!!” At this Ubi turned the head in his paw and jammed the beak into the griffin's eye, blood spurting everywhere. After a few seconds of wriggling, the bandit's movement slowed to a twitch and screaming quieted to gurgling. Then... silence. Many of the crew members nearly vomited from the spectacle, some succeeded in doing so.

Stitch came up on deck with a bucket and a large wooden box. He signaled to me that he wanted the deck clear.

“Alright, everyone, nothing to see here, just... head on down to the galley, I think it's almost lunch time.” Those who didn't already throw up did so now over the banister. It seems the only ones that kept their mettle were those from Varg's clan.

We cleared out the main deck in ten minutes, and Stitch pulled his untold duty of being the undertaker. He dissected the corpses on the ship for organs, placing them in a box filled with ice. Ubi and I spent this time wiping the blood off of ourselves. After harvesting salvageable parts, Stitch tossed the bodies overboard and started mopping the deck. Adopting a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, we left him alone for the clean up.

Keith rushed down towards where we were and intercepted us as we headed down towards our quarters.

“Dude! That was... that was...” he had trouble finishing it.

“What, just like one of your video games?”

“No... BRUTAL! I mean, you just... and Ubi just... How the fuck do you even DO Shit like that?”

“You've experienced violence before haven't you? In those realistic fantasy games you always play, couped up in your room, shouting random shit whenever you decapitate an elf or something.”

“Yeah, but those are VIDEO GAMES! They're not real!” That's right... Keith never really did see me on a job before, he was just on the sidelines, all the way. The most he's ever scene of violence was on the news, from a distance. “But you... I mean... those niggas-”

“-Were trying to kill us, rob us blind. THIS was why I didn't want you coming with me.” I sighed. “You thought that all you'd ever see of war was honorable shoot outs and shaking hands, and you were lucky enough that all you tasted was an honorable shoot out... but it's never just that. Once you've gotten blood on your hands, not metaphorically, but actual blood on your hands, and you really see how cruel the world can be in war.” I placed a paw on his shoulder.

“Consider this lesson one of traveling with killers: we're monsters that think.” I walked passed him.

That's right... that's right... poor Keith didn't know what he was getting into. All these years, he thought I was the secret agent from a movie, that he was a sidekick helping, and that no one really dies who doesn't deserve it. He thought he wouldn't have to see the bloodbath outside, that he could simply just work from a room behind the scenes, or take little action in the field that would make him a badass. Even when he died, he thought he died like a hero, defending himself like a champion, and eliminating targets. The trauma of war is one part killing, and nine parts the reality of it. Not all deaths are meant to be nice and involving the least amount of blood possible. Sometimes they look cruel, sometimes they make the victim as unrecognizable as possible, and sometimes they cause you to get blood on your hands.

People have often asked me how I could live with killing so heartlessly and so cruelly, with the many skulls that have lined my wall, the many casualties that I can hardly call trophies. I reply to them: why don't animals hold funerals? Speculation taught me that they've already given the respect the victims deserve by making their death mean something. A soldier's death is given meaning by his cause, an animal's death is given meaning by the nourishment its corpse provides, and an innocent's death is given meaning by the warning and reminder it leaves behind, so that it never happens again. Why don't animals hold funerals? Because there's no point in burying dust...

So it goes.

I write a letter to the captain, explaining about the recent development of things in the Dominion, how he's managed to indirectly bring up radicals that idolize him so. I roll up the scroll, seal it with wax, and give the scroll to a young unicorn to send to him. She sends the letter with a twinkle of her horn, and off it goes with a flash. The unicorn's name was Aftermath, and she said her special talent was tying up loose ends.

“Loose ends in what?” I asked her once.

“Well, anything really. When somethings not quite finished, I can finish it. I was the one who made sure the everyone in Ponyville had their stuff replaced when the parasprites attacked.”

I spent the rest of the day, contemplating on the fact that I was a female. Many things were rather foreign to me, such as the thin build my arms possessed, the extra “fluff” that adorned my chest, and the psychologically daunting emptiness of not having all of my “equipment”. Besides the obvious differences, I had a shorter length of hair, by about two and a half feet, my tail had become extremely bushy, like having a plume that followed you as it swished back and forth.

The brisk evening led to a cold night as the sun dipped below the horizon. Keith had informed us that we would be arriving near Fowl Weather Cove in the morning.

“Wait, near?” I asked earlier.

“Yeah, it's a cove not a dock. The area's a sort of an abandoned infrastructure, with places to hide out in, part of the 'city' is in-laden into the nearby mountains, so it's kind of like a warren, except each cave houses one person. Outside the mountain side, there's a whole web of rope bridges, and entire terraces stationed on poles like watch towers. TL;DR, there's nowhere to park the damn thing. You and whoever you're bringing with will have to walk.”

“You're not coming with?”

He shook his head. “I thought about what you said earlier, Aoi. I think it would be best for me to stay out of the fighting. Here.” He gave me another flare gun “Just like last time, you need evac stat, send it high, I'll come faster than you can ship your pants at K-mart.”

“O...kay?” Most of the time, I had no idea what Keith was talking about. Regardless, him staying was a double edge: no heavy fire support, but he's less of a liability this way. At the very least though, he's starting to get it into his head that following me ISN'T worth it.

I went over the plans in my head. From the intel we had gathered, someone was impersonating the captain. This Griffin would most likely be the leader behind this whole thing. I had a hunch where to go to first for information, maybe even lead me to the source.

For every den of sin, therein lies at least three of its roots: greed, a gambling joint of some sorts, where money changes hands constantly; envy, the homes of those living in it, buried in wealth, yet having want of more; and lust, a brothel, where love is for the highest bidder, and plenty of it to go around. The gambling joint would most likely be the Colosseum, where Ubi's mother is held, however, we have no idea where it is, which leaves the other two. Individual nests of envy, or cesspools of lust and money?

Little did I know, I had cried myself to sleep last night, but from what I could not remember. All I knew was I had red stains on my pillow the next morning. I performed my morning routine, went to the mess hall, and dined with Ubi, Keith, and Captain Valve.

“Before we land, Aoi, would you allow me a brief word with you?” He asked courteously.

“Sure.” After breakfast, Valve and I talked in the Captain's quarters.

He was straightforward with his approach. “Pardon me for asking, but who did you lose?”

“My parents.” The question was so commonplace for me that I could answer it now without batting an eye, it still stung though.

He sighed a guilty air. “Can I be honest with you? I'm... somewhat glad that whoever killed Steam did so. I KNOW I shouldn't, but seeing him like that, seeing him act the way he did, I felt that I had lost him long before he died.” He pulled out a photograph of him and Steam together; the picture taken was a haphazard one arm camera shot of the two. Both of them were smiling.

“I should have seen the signs: shutting himself out from the world, the way he stopped smiling. I had... inklings but never full conviction. I thought it was just a phase, like all colts sometimes go through. I didn't know that he had been tormented by those lies that that iron pony or whatever her name is fed him.”

He started to crumple the photograph with his hooves.

“Don't...” I said. “You're going to need a happy memory.”

“Please... Aoi... When we get back to the warren, could you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“If the iron mare gets the death penalty, would you be the one to carry it out?”

“What?”

“Your friend told me that you're quite the avenger. Please, it would mean a lot to me if I knew someone like you-”

“No,” I interrupted. “Don't take it personally, but asking me to carry out your vengeance is complete cowardice. Besides, wouldn't it be more satisfying to run her through yourself?”

He tapped his hooves together nervously. “Well, you see...”

“Hahaha! Don't tell me, you think that by getting me to do it, you don't get blood on your hands? Pheh, bourgeoisie never change,” I sneered. “Tell you what, take this knife. You're coming with us.”

“M-Me?”

“You bet your frilly ass, you're coming with us. Don't worry about a thing, we've got you covered. Now, if you can manage to finish off just one person with this knife by the time we get this mission over, then I swear on pain of death, I will carry out the execution of the Mare in the Iron Mask myself.” I spit on my paw and offer it in a pawshake. “Do we have a deal?”

Long minutes passed before Valve finally made a decision. He place the knife back in my paw with a regretful look.

“No deal.” I smile warmly in response.

“So you get it now?” I put away the dagger and crossed my arms.

“Fairly so, it's not what mother and father would have wanted anyway.” What he said struck a sour chord with me.

“I guess they taught you to be kind?”

He nodded. “Even if they burned your entire house down, you should always courteously greet them with a smile. Sadly, Steam wasn't born yet to hear their dictum. Heh, how foolish of me to even suggest something so atrocious to you.” He started to laugh uneasily before he sat down.

“They gave you a precious gift, Captain,” I snickered. “I'm glad you decided not to lose it.”

“Indeed. I never expected to hear such wise words from someone such as-” He stopped himself. “Erm, sorry.”

“I'm used to it.” A bird flew by the window before disappearing behind the turbulence. With a land full of mythical creatures, I wondered if they could understand what we were saying. “I should probably go and prep for the landing. I trust you'll be able to get us down smoothly?”

He perked up when he heard my challenge. “Why of course! After all, I built this ship, didn't I?”

“Then I'll let you get to it,” I said before taking my leave.

Our landing zone was a small brush of wood that would clear out into the cove and the beach it resided on. The rising night time gave us enough cover to move in unnoticed. Soon we entered into the Dominion's underworld, blending in with the locals participating in every manner of frivolity, debauchery, and depravity.

I lowered my voice to a whisper, “Remember Ubi, we're not locals here, DON'T ask for directions, else you're going to draw all kinds of suspicion.” I messed up his hair for good measure, giving him a rugged look. A drunken zebra came up and slapped a pamphlet into our chest, advertising the coming fight taking place at the Colosseum. I could feel Ubi tense up beside me.

The populace of the nightlife consisted of over what seemed like hundreds of griffins, some posers of the captain, a lesser part of diamond dogs, and what seemed like a few trashy gangs of zebra rouges. One of them was waving a fan around while telling a dirty joke. I snatched the fan from him and brought it up to my face.

“Ubi, you must never speak of this again, but for this night only...” The next words I would never live down. “Act like you own me.”

“What?”

“Like I'm a geisha.”

“What's a geisha?”

“A... prostitute.”

“What's a prostitute.” I stopped in my tracks. It hit me that Ubi knew nothing of the underworld.

“Just follow my lead.” Right then a slurry diamond dog came up to me, breath reeking of alcohol.

“Hey there, bitch, feel like howling tonight.”

I threw on a seductive timbre and replied. “Sorry, puppy, I don't do handouts.” I winked at Ubi.

“Oh um, yeah, you want her, you go through me.” Ubi poked the dog as an intimidation tactic. I slapped my paw against my forehead.

“Oh yeah? Barking Gamma!” The drunk dog pulled his fist back. Ubi dodged effortlessly and grabbed his leg, flipping him over onto his face. The crowd roared with laughter. Amidst the laughter was a single set of hooves clapping. It belonged to a griffin, clad in a dressy outfit and top hat.

“That's some handler you got, miss.” He scanned my body up and down with a lecherous gaze. “How'd you like a gig?” he asked, wrapping his arm around my neck.

“First off, talons OFF!” I lowered my voice, adding a viciousness to my tone. “Or would you like your beak broken?” He backed off at once. “Second, is it worth my time?”

“Of course! I'm a connoisseur of sorts, Captain Griffin himself hired me to find the most exotic women to entertain him.”

I passed a warning glance at Ubi as he started to lunge for the griffin.

'Keep calm, this is our chance.'

“How much?”

“Hmm, I've never seen a dog like you before, how about 600,000 bits?”

“Please, I've had kings fawn over me with gems worth ten times that.” I needed to sound convincing, and the best way to do that is speak the only words of reason the underworld denizens speak: haggling.

“Hmm, you drive a hard bargain.” he sniffed me. “Hmm, flowery scent, not too strong.” My eye twitched as he was sizing me up. I wanted to kill him right there. “Excellent posture, and form as well. No hint of anise. You like to keep clean don't you?”

“A fragrant scent just makes the experience much more enjoyable.” I spread out the fan and flapped it a few times. A few others caught scent of it, namely other diamond dogs and started tapping their feet on the ground. I looked at Ubi, who also seemed a bit embarrassed actually.

“Very well. I think I can cut a deal. One million up front, and two million after you've 'entertained' Captain Griffin.”

“Captain Griffin? Is that the Griffin who's been causing such a ruckus across Equestria?”

“The same.”

“Very well then, as meager a sum it is, at least I'll get to have some fun. I've never had the company of a griffin before. Where is he?” He was our main person of interrogation, the sooner we got to him the better.

“Oh, don't think you're getting off that easily. He's a very picky griffin. You've gotta pass a screening test.”

“Screening test?”

'If I ever see that griffin again, I will dunk him in tar and wring him out, then tear his feathers out one by-'

“Aoi, you don't have to do this,” Ubi begged.

The screening test was a dance on the runway with many more “candidates”. The more the crowd went wild with each of their performances, the better the chance they got at the “big prize”. It sickened me to no end.

I've known the events that occurred behind rosey red curtains, and the shameful acts of those involved...

=3 years ago=

It was a job working with the police. The incident was of course 'off-the-record' for the obvious reason that I was in fact a civilian. The job was in Japan's most yakuza heavy neighborhood: Kabukicho.

I was set and ready for this job, dealing with dragon-heads was my forte at this point, as the underworld was well aware of me. It was because of this that the police picked me specifically. They offered me a hefty sum of some 12 million yen, enough to pad my expenses for a while.

Ever since the crackdown of Kabukicho, there had been a lull in yakuza activity. However, that didn't stop crime, as somehow drugs managed to get into the country, and the police believed that little old Kabukicho was behind it all, apparently by a man they suspected as one of the most dangerous ringleaders, known as “Big Daddy”.

The investigation was easy, not that difficult for crime leaders to reveal themselves when everyone on the darker side of the streets wants you dead. All it took was me to walk into the right bar at the wrong time of night.

“Tanoshi desu ka? (Having fun?)” I greet in a nightclub containing suited mooks, scantily clad women, and the overwhelming stench of bad sake. And here I was, little old me in nothing more than a black dobuku and white hakama, on the wrong side of town. Sure enough, everyone inside drew their guns pointed right at my head. But all it took was a press of a button and the police force came storming in. The place was cleared out in less than a minute.

What shocked me though was the back room that was just behind the bar table, leading to what was the most-

=Present=

“Aoi, are you alright?”

“Huh? Yes, I'm just fine.” My turn was coming up, right after a female griffin that looked a bit like Gilda, down to the markings. She seemed scared, afraid even. The griffin in the tophat, known as “The Showgriff”, tapped me on the shoulder.

“You're on in two minutes, darling,” He said in a tone that could be described as lusty.

“Remember, Look Sexy!”

Two minutes was actually ten seconds as I was suddenly pushed by a few stage hands through the curtains onto a runway, floodlights almost blinding me immediately. I whipped out the fan I had to shield my eyes.

I had the immeasurable displeasure of having Keith bringing home smut magazines that had things such as swimsuit models and the like. The only pleasure being that I burned them every week to make rich fertilizer for the plants I kept in the apartment.

“HEY! You could learn a lot from these magazines!” Keith protested once.

“Like what?” I pressed, a Victoria Secret magazine bursting like kindling above my lighter.

“Posture for one, real women glide across the floor, they don't walk.”

“I'M NOT A WOMAN, YOU ASSHAT!”

“Yeesh don't get so defensive. So I like to look at girls, don't tell me you haven't peeped at panties before.”

“As a matter of fact, Keith, I haven't, and I don't want to start now.” My mind went back to the present as eager faces were staring at me to make an impression.

'Glide, don't walk.' After a few steps, it was all getting into the mentality of what men liked. I slowly lowered the fan as my eyes got used to the sudden brightness of the stage, each step a tip that Keith always ran on about came across my mind, adding to the list of instructions.

'Men love a good tease.' I brush back the lower part of my kimono to reveal a brief flash of my thighs. The crowd went absolutely mad: howling, barking, wolf-whistling. After looking at the audience, the griffin portion was only mildly impressed.

'Nothing says, 'take me I'm yours' like some loose clothing.' I tightened my shoulders close to my torso to let the left part of my sleeve slide down just below the shoulder. THAT got the griffin's attention. I could hear a loud harmony of panting as the dogs caught sight the display, and suddenly everyone in the room was at the edge of their seat. However, the griffins weren't fully impressed, that much I could tell.

I meanwhile scanned the audience for the “real” Griffin. Right there, back center, sitting in the house seat. At once I could tell he wasn't the real one. He had a more bulkier build, the only real defining difference was the markings on his face and chest; where Captain Griffin had a V shape, the imposter's was more of a curled goats horns at the ends.

My sleeve was coming a bit to far now, so I pulled it back up over the shoulder. That was the clincher. Every single person in the room suddenly went in a huge, massive, lust filled uproar. The scent of hormones hit me dead in the face. It almost scared me for a second.

After frantic wondering on what the hell was going on that suddenly made me a lot more attractive, it hit me.

'Is it more attractive to put clothes ON?” I tested this by tightening my kimono over my chest. The roaring applause grew to deafening levels, and I saw what I was looking for: the fake captain was impressed. This was my chance.

At the very middle of the room was a single pole for the contestant to give a two scene dance for the audience. At once a somewhat strange bit that flashed across my mind was a line that Keith shouted at the top of his lungs one night when I was trying to sleep.

“GET ON THE FUCKING POLE!”

I straddled the pole with one leg, slowly sliding down it with a sultry expression on my face. I spun around it like I had seen a girl do once in a night club and ended with one arm reaching out to the audience, a lone finger beckoning right at the “captain”. The floodlights were designed to make the contestants sweat, and the lap dance to give the audience a bit of a pheromone high. Little did I know, many diamond dogs had their vests held up high to catch even the slightest drop, then bring it to their nose and huff the scent like a bong hit. Think a couple even fainted. I spun back around and was about to make my way back stage when all of a sudden everyone shouted simultaneously:

“MORE! MORE!” Hook. Line. Sinker.

I paused at the curtain before turning around and announcing in my best regretful impression, “I'm afraid that's all for tonight, boys. However, It'd be a shame if I didn't get to have fun with at least ONE person tonight. I can think of a certain Captain that's in need of a bit of some pleasurable company. Am I right, Captain Griffin?”

He stood up, holding his arms out to silence the crowd.

“I could use a bed warmer for the night before I take on a dragon,” the imposter said with a tone a pitch lower than the actual Griffin.

“Shall I meet you backstage then?”

“Let's skip the pleasantries, I'll see you in my personal abode in say, an hour?”

I give him a wink behind my fan. “Count on it.”

Back behind the curtain, I almost wretched at having done the spectacle. The rest of the girls had gone with other mates as second hand choices. Ubi was busy taking a drink of water from a dish they kept out as refreshments. He looked up and saw me, wiping his muzzle.

“So how'd it go?” I responded by grabbing a nearby trashcan and throwing up into it. After emptying what little I had in my stomach, I grabbed a towel and wiped my face.

“We got him,” I groaned. The griffin with the top hat came.

“Excellent show, I must say. I never saw the crowd this riled up before.”

“Good.” I nodded to Ubi, who grabbed the griffin in a choke hold. “Cause you're never going to see it again.” Ubi took his sword and slit the griffin's throat cleanly. I sidestepped to avoid the blood and shoved the towel into the griffin's neck.

“Connoisseur my ass,” I say, leaving the griffin to choke on his own blood. Ubi and I make our way to the supposed love-nest.

We found the place: an oak door with lavish decoration etched on the post. The place was a large cabin like structure with a porch. Ubi and I take breach positions on either side of the door. I take out my pistol and knock on the door. The door opens slowly. The imposter walks out. I hit him with the butt of my pistol...

...he doesn't flinch,

Immediately I'm hit with a fist to the abdomen, winding me. He twists my arm and brings me to my knees, wrenching the pistol out of my paw, the gun slides just out of reach.

“Well well well, look what we have here?” Ubi comes from behind with a punch, but it lacks in power and barely causes any damage. The griffin turns around and grabs Ubi by the neck and lifts him up into the air, slamming his head on the low ceiling and knocking him out. I turn my neck a bite savagely into his wrists, he lets go of my arm in pain and grabs Ubi's sword from it's sheath. I roll pull out my rope dart, wrapping the wire around his legs and trip him. He manages to graze the sword across my chest. I snarl from the pain. I scramble away with the gun in hand.

All of a sudden, he stretches his legs apart, snapping through the wire like it's cheap string. He grabs me and lifts me up against the post, talons tight against my throat. He stares at me with eyes permeated with rage and triumph.

“Heheheh, you think I'm an idiot, don't you? You don't think I know the dozen something clans that have have it in for Griffin the Griffin? But you did have me surprised though, I didn't expect the to send a female after me.” He leans in close and sniffs my hair. “And such a fine one at that.” I send a kick into his abdomen with a large fraction of my slowly draining strength, he doesn't even break eye contact.

“Sorry, bitch, but I've got abs of steel, A beam could break on me and I would think it was a mosquito bite. Such a feisty one though.” He starts to run his free hand over my shoulder.

“Let's take this off, shall we?” With a single stroke, he tears off the left half of my kimono. “Mmm, some fine haunches.” Ubi groans as he lapses in an out of consciousness. He turns to look at him.

“Huh, still awake? Well then you can just sit there and watch.” He turns back to me, licking his beak. “Since I'm a nice birdy, I'll start off slow.” He presses up against me, I can smell the hormones fuming off of him. “Where do you like it?”

Sensing full desperation, my neural system kicks into overdrive, adrenaline floods my veins, my arms surge with lightning. At once, my claws extend and I dig them into his wrists in reverse. Bracing my hind legs against the post, I push forward, the claws ripping off feathers and flesh off of his forearms. I pull back my legs and deliver a thunderous kick to his chest, pushing him back into the wall of the cabin. I reach behind my back and draw Kokuryu, the blade glistening blood red.

He slowly gets back up, seething in pain.

“Where the cluck did that come from?”

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!” I bring my blade down, wind screeching around me, and cleave it without mercy, the resulting glaive of air slicing the house, and the griffin's uninjured arm, cleanly in two.

I grab the gun off of the ground and take no time in aiming, sending the entire clip into each of his remaining limbs, effectively severing them from his body. I drop the magazine and load a fresh one, and aim it at his head now. The griffin was crying now, in absolute pain. The section of the house that I had slashed caved in, kicking up dust everywhere. I heard Ubi get back up.

“A-Aoi?” I paid him no mind, but his voice was enough to bring me back somewhat to my senses.

“Where's the dragon held?” I ask the griffin.

“I... you... what?” I aim low and shoot off one of his testicles, sending a new wave of torture through his body.

“WHERE IS SHE!!!” He coughs through his tears before whimpering his response.

“She... She's underground... cave... behind the hut... That... that's where the Colosseum is.” I let loose another round into his other testicle. He screams in excruciation for mercy, which I gladly provide by sending a round into his eye. And yet he still survives. I decide to leave his bloody, scrotum-less shell on the porch.

“Finish him off, Ubi,” I order. Without hesitation, he takes his sword of the ground and drives it through the griffin's skull. “This show's over.”

We're long gone by the time the crowd comes to investigate the body, down into the depths towards the Colosseum. Ubi and I marched through the cold cavern. Ubi didn't ask about my kimono. At this point, I didn't care. I had taken out the Corvat from the remaining half of my kimono and stuck it between my teeth. Tears were streaming down my face in torrents now. My lips were drawn back into a feral snarl.

Ubi walked along side me, his blade in one paw, a few daggers at the ready in the other. He had enough sense and respect to not speak. Occasionally, he would take a glimpse at me for a few moments, but turned his attention back to the direction we were walking in. The air seemed to die down in front of us, like the calm before a storm, forming a warpath for us to take.

We came to two guards protecting the entrance to the Colosseum.

“Stop right where you- *BANG*!” Dead. The other drew his sword, but was perforated in two before he could make a stance. Dead.

We broke down the door to an empty Colosseum. Audience members a day early, we had no match to spectate. The sand of the arena was still, neatly paved. The area had a heavy pressure, an emptiness that intimidated simply by existing. The pit was modeled just like the Roman Colosseum. But today, no lions would be tamed, no gladiators would be fought, no naval battles reenacted. Today, a family would be reunited.

There she was, chained up in a pitiful state, curled up in a sleeping ball, scales having slowly lost their brightness, her figure ebbing down to near skeleton proportions. Ubi ran as fast as he could towards her, dropping his sword and bringing out his bag of diamonds that he kept with him.

“MAMAAAAA!!!” he shouted. “MAMAAAAAAAAA!!!” The dragon slowly opened her eyes, almost having lost all hope.

“U... U-bi?” she hissed weakly. Ubi squeezed through the bars and went up to her.

“It's me, Mama! It's me!” He untied the bag and held up a diamond the size of his massive palm. Unlike the other diamonds he usually carried, this one had a slight luminescence to it. “I brought food!”

She could barely open her mouth to speak. At once, Ubi went up to her muzzle and desperately pulled up her scaly lips. He managed to lift up her mouth enough to stick the gem gently onto her tongue.

“Swallow!” She was so weak, she could barely move the muscles in her neck to swallow. So Ubi massaged her neck to force the gem bit by bit down her throat. At once, she seemed to slowly regain her strength. At this, Ubi did what I had never seen him do.

For as long as I had known him, his expression almost never fluctuated, barely revealing sadness, anger, or even joy. Now, with his family again, his face was wet with tears of joy, lips curled upward in a smile ripe with jubilation. I made my way over to the wall next to the bars that contained her—picking up Ubi's sword along the way—and pulled the lever to release her.

The wall behind her slowly shifted and moved in layers, first brick then entire stone carapaces, until after what was about 70 meters deep of solid rock peeled back, moonlight shined in from the exit cave. I walked with them to the outside world, beyond the barriers of the cove, past the mountains, and pulled out the flare cartridge from my holster, firing it into the air.

The relief crew had brought a large amount of diamonds from the warren, donated from Varg's personal stash. After tending to Ubi's mother for a few hours, we were able to nurse her back to flying capabilities. Keith and Stitch met us down by the beach where we were holding off.

“Hot damn, you made-” He looked at my torn clothes and bleeding chest. “...it.”

“Just... in... time...” I gasped before blacking out.

=Ubi=

“It... it's been so long...” I cried. “I missed you.” I hugged her, tighter and tighter.

She really did keep her promise

It was just like old times, I remembered every single detail, the cave, the diamonds, just me and her. We had so much to catch up on. Thanks to everyone who brought diamonds for us, mom got better in no time, and we were able to go back to the warren.

“Ready to go?” Keef asked. I nodded.

“Ubi, why don't you ride with me.” My eyes widened. I had never really ridden anything before.

“Um... a-are you sure?”

“Don't worry, I won't let you fall.” Her voice was all the convincing I needed. It was back to that voice, always back to that voice. It was a voice that made you feel like you were floating on air, that nothing could ever go wrong. She leaner her head low and I climbed on top, the scales on her neck becoming soft.

“Now hold on tight.” And she took off, into the air. She hovered in place for a bit. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” Really, I was scared out of my mind. But somehow, in the air, it just felt right. Not on an airship, where it just feels like wind, but actually moving with it. It's not like old times, not like the past at all. Instead, it's something new. Something new and strange and scary and exciting.

“Alright, We've got Aoi on board, let's take off.” I got a look at Aoi when they carried her on board. She looked happy, lying there on the stretcher. Her clothes were torn, and she was still bleeding, but she looked happy.

I felt kinda bad, seeing her like that. She went through all that for me and mom. I could have done better. I could have. Why didn't I? I let myself get caught by that overgrown feather head and left Aoi completely defenseless.

“Is there something wrong Ubi?” Her voice didn't force it from me, but I couldn't bear to hide it from her.

“Yeah. See that wolf down there on that weird carry bed?”

“Yes?”

“She was the one that helped save you.”

“Oh? We should thank her later.”

“It's not that,” I muttered. “She did almost everything: found where you were, got rid of the bad people, everything. Even when I tried to help... all I managed to do was screw up. At least Eol did something.”

“Is this 'Eol' your friend too?”

I nodded. “Yeah, he was with her from the very beginning.”

“I see.” The air became nice and soft, like a pillow, or maybe even those little marshmallow snacks at the castle. I wondered if mom made the air soft like this. “Don't worry, we all have our chance to shine, sooner or later.”

“It's not that either. It's... ever since we met, she's been nothing by nice to us, teaching us how to be stronger and better, and even talking with us whenever we were sad or angry. I didn't even have the courage to trust her, at first.”

“You felt guilty?”

I nodded. “Even though I never really say Aoi as one, she's always thought of me as a brother.”

Mom thought about it for a second, then came up with an idea.

“How about this,” she started. “Since she talks to you sometimes, maybe you should try talking to her.”

“Like what?”

“Things you've told me over the years.” It was worth a try. I could thank her, if nothing else.

I thought about it more and more. More memories swimming in my head. When Aoi and I first fought, when we saved the Gala, when Eol got Aoi drunk at the Gala, when Aoi tested my loyalty. A memory came back, one where Aoi told me something.

'She's your mother, and by extension, mine as well... I see you as family... I'd rather die than see any of you hurt under my arm, or to see you abandon me when I need you the most.'

I finally saw it. I finally saw it. Why Aoi went to go to such lengths just to help mom, even after going through all that. I felt even more guilty. All this time, I was afraid that Aoi would end up like Oles, when he's been the exact opposite this entire time. He really did put himself in danger for us, going so far as to keep us away from danger whenever he could.

It's about time I trusted him. This time, as family.

=Aoi=

My eyes flickered as I woke up once again in a hospital bed.

“Is this going to become a regular thing?” I croaked. I slowly lifted my head up, but could not find the strength to keep it up for more than two seconds. I've found myself in hospital beds often, some for stays of less than an hour, some for entire months at a time. Even then, I've never gotten truly used to the smell of a completely sterile environment. The artificial cleanliness just smells wrong, like something was sacrificed to achieve such close-to-godliness of a single room.

It was unsettling, but not unfamiliar, to have no one at your bedside when you wake up. The moment feels like you've woken up to the end of the world where no one survived but you, and because you're bed-ridden and hospital-bound, you can do nothing except wait for either fate to commence or you to recover, whichever comes first.

I had lost track of time, my body ached for nutrients to repair itself. As for the cut on my chest, the wound was shallow, but still hurt like all hell. I could feel its length, from below the 5th rib to right above my liver. I couldn't move, my arms felt like pudding, bones rattling in place.

With what little energy stores I had left, I slightly increased my production of blood platelets, just enough to scab the wound a bit more. It felt like I was still bleeding out, every breath was painful, amplified by my exhaustion. What relief I could draw was the fact that we were able to save Ubi's mother. Mission Successful.

Back to my memories I went, delving into its warm familiarity. The memory rebuilt China from the ground up, starting with the airport. It was there where I had finished my overseas studies, as well acquiring a taste for the local cuisine. Two chefs had set up their cooking stations near the gate, creating artful displays of skill with wielding knives, searing ingredients, boiling broths, everything that wowed the crowd with delicious scents and sights.

Out of kindness, one of the chefs offered me a bowl. The broth smelled of rich fat and lovely herbs. Steam rose into twirling wisps of vapor. I took the pair of chopsticks the chef gave me and lifted a large wad of noodles high above the bowl, the yellow strands dangling helpless about the soup. I lifted the noodles towards my mouth, hungry from a long day of traveling through customs when suddenly-

“Hey AOOOOOOOIIIIIII!” Goddammit. “We got you get-well gifts and stuff.” Keith and a large portion of the crew came in with presents wrapped in cheap paper. Any sense of rest was soon thrown out the window with the arrival of a man who could not bear to keep his mouth shut long enough for me to have a good night's sleep.

“Well, technically they're not from us, they're actually from someone else. Mister Ram Stein or whatever the hell this guy's called. Aftermath, do you mind?” The pony I had met a while ago lifted the letter above my face and unfurled it, allowing me to read its contents.

“Dear Sir Myoujin,

One of our agents heard your voice at the Gala and thought that you'd be the perfect member of our band and-”

“Toss it out.” I groaned weakly. “I'm not dealing with this shit today.” They took my impatience as their cue to leave as they left the boxes at the foot of my bed and left. Only Aftermath stayed.

“So what do you want?”

“Just tying up a loose end. Here, another letter came in for you.” This letter I opened myself and read it, from Griffin:

"Dammit... I do NOT need some crazy wannabe's going around and ruining my good name. I do things MY way. If they wanna join, tell em to head to Signal. If not... I trust you'll use proper judgment. Meaning, if they're just misguided, 'guide' them to a correctional facility, and if they're assholes looking to cause trouble, exterminate with extreme prejudice."

“A bit late, don't you think, captain?”

=Rainbow Dash=

When I got to Bitsburg, there was so much going on I couldn't even tell who's who. It seemed everyone was waiting in line for the same train, but didn't know which train was coming. I tried to look over the crowd but got swept up in it. I didn't want to do it, but right now, Bitsburg wasn't leaving me any choice.

I went up to what looked like a ticket booth and asked the pony inside for... help. “Have you seen a tall wolf anywhere?”

“Came and went, friend of yours?”

My ears drooped down. “Yeah.” I turned around and slowly made my way back to Ponyville, the few times I EVER go slow.

=Aoi=

I thought of Rainbow Dash, wondering when she would write back. It had been about a month and a half since I had last sent the letter. Had it gotten backlogged or lost in the mail, I didn't know. But what I did know that now that we had a few alliances to both of our clans, Varg and I could rest easy for a while. At the very least I could recover.

Once I had gotten better, I could write her to schedule a visit to her in Ponyville. Unfortunately though, I've had no time at all to analyze the letter that turned me into a female. I'd hate to wonder what would happen if she saw me like this.

Eol visited me sometimes in his wheelchair. Another week, he said, and he'd be out of the hospital wing and onto the training grounds.

“I'm not gonna let what happened last time happen again,” he resolved. “Only way to do that is to get even stronger.”

“Strength isn't everything, Eol, just keep that in mind,” I warned. He had overwhelming strength at his command, and skill as well, but he poorly lacked judgment. But I couldn't fault him for wanting to be better.

It seemed like every day, I see a bit more of my younger self in Eol: wanting to better myself, wanting to know all about the world through books. But now, with Ensin gone, what dreams lie in that adolescent mind of his? What fantasies and goals motivate him to keep on living? What does he seek to achieve by staying with me?

Maybe... just maybe... he's striving for the same thing I am.

An attendant was able to provide me with an ink brush and some parchment. With a lot of force feeding—much to my chagrin of having Keith shove an entire cake down my throat at one point—I had regained a bit of movement in my arms. Stitch told me that I'd have to take it easy for a few more weeks, that I'd be up by the middle of winter. I took this time to recuperate and build back a bit of muscle movement by painting some small, sumi-e paintings.

I was not a very good artist, but it did help me with focusing on small details, making sure each contour was perfect, balancing symmetry and asymmetry, and picturing in my mind landscapes to prevent dead space within the painting. It was a form of active meditation that I had learned training with Master Mitsuru, one part to build a conscious level of precision and care, the other part to culture a sense of beauty within yourself. Some of the students did this with painting; others, poetry.

The first ink piece I painted was a small zen garden, populated with Sakura trees and some various blossoms. Contours done in black ink while the color overlaid the lines with transparent watercolors, the blotting effects slowly traveling out in capillary waves to form flowering blossoms. I was somewhat proud of this effect that I achieved with the paint. It stood to highlight the reaction of a single disturbance, the chaining consequences of a minute event, and the change of an overall whole over time from a defiance of an individualistic piece.

Another of my visitors was Ubi, who visited me almost every day. Sometimes to talk, other times to thank me again and again.

“Ubi, you've already thanked me enough, I think the count's nearing a hundred now.”

“Because this meant the world to me,” Ubi admitted. I had to admit, having his mother back did wonders for his personality.

The clan had been overjoyed with having a new dragon protector, one with benevolence rather than greed. Ubi had apparently inherited his taste from his mother, who would eat only diamonds. This was somewhat beneficial, since this left the rest to go to every other diamond dogs. Ubi would spend long days with his mother in the construction bay where the airship used to be.

Ubi filled me in on the details.

“At first, we had no idea how we were going to fit mom through the caves, but when she heard that, she said it was no problem. All of a sudden, she... well... shrank just enough to fit inside. Then grew back again when we got to the docking bay.”

“Shrank?” I asked dubiously.

“Yes, shrank, some of her scales came off and she just got smaller. No one had any idea how she did that. All she said was magic.”

It made sense, except for a vital detail. “Didn't you say they all lost the ability to use magic except for fire breath?”

“Yeah, but some managed to keep something called 'inherent' magic, something unique that they could do with what little control of it they had. Every dragon can breathe fire, but every dragon has a small thing that they can do extra, something not taught.”

“Instinctive magic?”

“I think so.” He lifted up his paw and breathed on it. “Do you think I'd be able to breathe fire someday?” He had a hopeful look like that of a child.

“We're in a world of multicolored talking ponies, dragons, griffins, and everything else mythological on the west side, after experiencing all this, I've come to believe anything is possible.” It was starting to come a sort of meme of mine. But his question did bring about the feeling of wanting to see how deep the rabbit hole really goes, to see what is possible now with magic and the skewed disregard for actual physics.

He was like a new person, Ubi. At first, it was a cold exterior filled with occasional contempt for everyone but himself, but after the rescue, he was more open, more trusting, and above all else, happy. I fulfilled my promise, and I didn't want to see it broken.

“You're really happy that you've got your mother back, don't you?” I asked with a gentle smile to my face.

He nodded gleefully.

“You know, you could stay here you know. Varg gave us a permanent guest room here. Here, you're safe, you could catch up on a lot of memories with your mother, and make many more.”

“Aoi, what are you saying?” He started to catch on, but his voice crept with distress.

“Like I said before, you never had to come with me at all, but you did, I'm guessing most likely to find your mother, am I right?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“And now you've got her back. You don't have to follow me anymore if you don 't want to. What matters to me is that you're safe.” I wanted to get Ubi and Eol out of this. Eol would leave whenever he was done with following me, if he ever did get tired. But Ubi, he hated killing anyway, what made his paw not hesitate was the sheer fact that he would let nothing stand in his way. I didn't want to expose him to that anymore.

I could see it from when we first met. He was two years my senior, yet he had the innocence of a child, and the tragedy of being uncared for. Deep inside, he never really grew up. Something else was growing up for him, what made him cold, what made him mechanical. What it was, I do not know, but it was slowly trying to shut him out, or make him face reality. What he needed, all this time, was nurturing. I could never provide that for him. Only a parent could. Now that he's gotten his innocence back and shed that automaton that had been living his life, I don't have anything left to do for him.

He's a child again, gone back in time to those days when he was back in the cave with his mother, except me and Eol are with him now. He could forget about us, and we would have no hard feelings if he left. He could do what he wanted until he chose to face reality on his own terms, and then maybe grow up to be a hero one day, maybe find us once more.

For now though, I wanted for him what I wanted for Eol, to play in the backyards of the world, have his knees scraped from falling down, have his mother comfort him, have his entire childhood experienced from square one when it was yanked from him by those bastards who wanted him dead.

Eol has already tasted reality, tasted its cruelty and chose to finally play its game. For that, all I can provide for him is the open door to walk away whenever he felt like it, but Ubi, Ubi can still cloister himself back into what he calls the old times with his real family: a mother who can teach him the ways of the world, its rights and wrongs, its cruelties and beauties and then finally, when the time is right, release him into the world armed an prepared to take it head on.

Yes... in Ubi, I saw myself when I was young, when I had the cruelty of the world forced upon me, and how I had neither savior nor guardian angel to lead me back home. When I was unable to take back my childhood and instead skipped the milestone of adolescence and was forced to become a man at an age where children were suppose to be learning their very first kanji's in school.

In my contemplation, I didn't realize that Ubi had started to cry.

“Aoi, what are you saying?”

“I'm saying ask yourself if you really want to stay with me. You don't have any reason to anymore, do you?” At this he lunged at me and squeezed me tight.

“I DO,” he sniffled. “You mean as much to me as mom does. You're my family too! I'm not leaving either of you!”

At that point I realized the one thing about innocence is it's naivety. It's the truth that children listen to emotion rather than reason, and that there's no use talking sense to them. It was also at that point where I could no longer breathe.

“U-Ubi. C-could you let go? I... can't... breathe!” He realized it too and let go. I gasped and inhaled two lungs full of air once more.

“I guess it can't be helped then.”

More and more I painted, each piece I asked the nurse to hang up and dry, then squirrel them away in a case for safe keeping in a small portfolio of leather, bound together with string. More and more, Ubi visited, as Eol stayed in the training rooms going through a rehab program. I, meanwhile, was still recuperating in the hospital. By this point, I had regained some limited movement in my legs again, but the movement was slow and nonsupporting.

When he visited, we usually talked for long whiles, but sometimes we didn't talk at all. I would paint, he would sit there watching me paint. One day, when I was painting a small seaside, I asked him.

“What's your mother's name?” The question came suddenly, vaguely from a sense of nostalgia.

“White Dust,” he answered. “What about your mom?”

“Midori.” She had lovely green eyes, a shade slightly paler than Elena's. My mind wandered to the realm of what could have been, imagining what it would be like had Elena and I married, with mom and dad at our wedding. I placed down the finished seaside piece to dry and started on another. “Do you remember the cave where you and your mother used to live in?”

“It was small, just tall enough for mom and me, we had a small hoard packed as a bed, and the rest against the wall in a ring around us. The mountain it was in was a bit larger, more like a small hill really.” Unbeknownst to him, I had started painting in his home, skipping the ink and going straight to color.

“Go on.”

“I remember the area around it kind of like the grass around the Oblong Tomb, except more of a light blue than green. I always wondered why it as like that though. I used to pick flowers down by the stream and plant them back in the cave. They didn't last though.” I kept on painting, the detailing on flowers were hard to replicate, but I made do with a few brush blots. “You?”

Without skipping a beat, I picked up the drying painting of the seaside and handed to him. “I still remember the address. The number, but not the exact street. 2412. The beach there had a nice, loamy sand that felt good between your toes, like grainy carpeting. It felt amazing when the sun would heat up the beach during the day and in the evening, my parents and I would take a small stroll along the shoreline.”

After a bit of silence, another question came to my head. “Tell me, why were you so embarrassed when you hugged me before we left for Fowl Weather Cove?”

“Well,” he mumbled, “We were taught never to approach a superior in indecent ways.”

“Heh, Well for one, I'm not your superior, and two, hugging's not indecent.” I paused to carefully fill in the lines for the entrance to the cave. “In fact, a hug's the most special form of contact I know, borderline a kiss. It shows that you truly care about someone.” I handed him the painting when I was finished. “Does this look right to you?”

He held it in his paws, a tear started to come to his eye. “Can I.. keep it?”

“All yours,” I granted with a smile.

The recovery had taken several months or so, with keith warning me never to overuse the rush again.

"Aoi, you barely had enough energy to even wake up, we had to pump you with full of glucose just to make you wake up, that's basically injecting cake into your bloodstream."

"Relax, it's only been a few months right?" Keith rubbed his head. "Right?"

"Actually, you'be been sleeping in increments of weeks or more." My eyes widened. "I'm dead fucking serious, in a single day you used about close to 500,000 calories. You don't just recover from that."

"So you're saying, every 'day' that I've been in this hospital-"

"Has been every week, to be exact, every week for the past 6 months," Keith admitted solemnly. To think, I had spent most of my recovery actually sleeping for days on end. However, Instead of lashing out on why they didn't tell me before, I just went silent, and dismissed them.

What the hell had happened in those days where I had been asleep? It took a stern glare at both Ubi and Eol to spill the game. Varg had actually been pulling some strings in my stead, what with Ubi's mother agreeing to be the warren's dragon protector, he still owed me. So whenever someone was wanting to see me, Varg just gave the old "away on business excuse". No one was going to challenge an undead wolf, unless another dragon showed up. Thankfully there wasn't. They also revealed the over 50 letters that Rainbow Dash had sent, and me, being thought comatose, was unable to answer them. So...

"YOU DID WHAT?!" I yelled.

"We... kinda answered them for you?" GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!

"Just bring me the letters..." I snarled, visibly steaming under the hospital bed sheets.

For those that had been already answered, I forwarded a reply to explain their shenanigans, but for those yet left unanswered, I decided to write back new ones, to make up for lost time.

It took a lot of effort, as well as about 2 more months of rehabilitation--including learning how to walk on my own legs again--but soon I was able to move on my own again. Stitch finally discharged me from the hospital with the green light. At once, I started to make my way through the warren to its entrance into the glistening landscape. It had started to snow on the Oblong Tomb. I had forgotten that winter had come, hadn't even noticed that my winter coat had come in, once again giving my appearance an acute tint of light blue. The sky took its traditional shade of gray, the air contained a chilled breeze that nudged the falling snow aside at a steep angle. I closed my eyes, breathed in the nostalgic scent of crisp vapor and felt the cold bite of packed snow beneath my paws. Just like the winters in Asakusa.

But with that nostalgic scent came a new feeling, a feeling unlike anything I've ever felt before. I burning heat that warmed me from the inside despite the cold.

At first, I thought it to be a fever. But then I started to become... irritable. This was coupled by strange longing that I knew nothing about. After a few more moments in the snow, I retreated back to my room. Along the way, I walked past many diamond dogs who suddenly started to take more of an interest in me, their eyes trailing my every movement. I started to become uneasy. Was it just paranoia, or were those diamond dogs ogling me?

A few weeks in a bed makes you stagnant, sluggish, and lazy. I went down to the local training room, as I had heard from Keith that Eol was using the range, and started sparring staves with some of the locals to rebuild a bit of my muscle. Many were somewhat hesitant, I took no mind though as I started to trounce competitors left and right. But something felt off about my movements. I felt more aggressive, more dominant, and more violent.

“Alright, who's next?” I challenged, but none of the males would step forward. Odd. I breathed a sigh of light exhaustion and replaced the staff on the weapons rack. Little did I know, Varg was waiting outside, with a snickering grin.

“You have no idea what's going on do you?”

“Should I?” I growled.

“For your health, I hope so. But here's too public.” And so we moved to a rather quint little cavern. With no one in earshot, he burst into laughter.

“What... the... fuck?” he wiped away a tear of enjoyment.

“I don't know what happened to you, but I'm actually even more astonished by how little you really know of our kind.” I didn't find it funny at all.

“Ahem. Considering you're not familiar with our customs, allow me to explain, and bluntly while I'm at it: You're in heat.” It hit like a bombshell. I was utterly confused.

“What?”

“The reason everyone's so afraid to go near you is because you are... we call it bold. You've got so much stuff, you could pick any single one of the dogs here to be your mate and all we could say is, 'Sirius guide you'.”

“Mate?! Oh no, you have got to be kidding me. You're saying that I'm ready to mate?” This had to be some kind of a prank.

“If you don't believe me, check with the doctor,” he chuckled. “Also, be careful who you pick, because right now, being a female wolf, it's how you would say... 'Ladies Choice'. Once day two or three rolls around, every single Alpha, Beta, and Gamma in this warren—maybe even in some of the others nearby—are going to go crazy trying to impress or please you, or even just to get a good whiff of you.”

Sadly enough, a check in with Stitch confirmed it.

“By the swollen vulva you have, it's clear that you're in estrus,” he stated bluntly. Keith and Eol were nearby when he said this.

“BWAHAHAHAHAH! You? In heat? It's just.. no... I'm not gonna say it...” Keith was rolling on the floor, laughing.

“THAT'S what I've been meaning to tell you!” Eol remembered. “I needed to tell you that wolves have their estrus cycle a few months before our season so that you could prepar-OW!”

“WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS BEFORE?!”

“I tried to, but then I forgot.”

“Moreover, why aren't you affected by the pheromones or whatever?”

“I'm eighteen,” he deadpanned.

“And?” It took me a few seconds before I realized. “Wait, what age do diamond dogs mature exactly?”

“Around twenty,” Eol answered. No wonder.

“So how exactly would we have prepared for this?” I ask.

“We could've stocked on Aniseed.”

“What's that?”

Keith spat out in a fit of laughter. “It's opium for dogs.”

“HOW THE FUCK IS OPIUM SUPPOSE TO HELP?” I yell.

Keith explained, “Well, think of it this way, you know how many people take drugs on occasion to help 'take the edge' off of something? It's kind of the same way with urges. Tension builds up in that 'edginess' and drugs help relieve it... somewhat.”

“I think I have some stores of Aniseed somewhere.”

“Don't bother. I'm not about to get addicted to something just to stave an urge.” At the moment it didn't seem that bad, just a few tingling sensations here and there. “How long does it last anyway?”

Everyone answered, “About two weeks.”

Two weeks, I could handle that.

“Where's Ubi?” I ask. He was absent for my examination.

“Well he's right outside, but we couldn't let him in,” Eol replied. “He's twenty-six you know.” I wondered if he heard everything that was going on in this room.

Keith added one little aside. “Hey, little advice, if it does happen to get a little to much for you, you know you can always... you know.”

“What?”

“*coughclopcough*”

“What are you...” I looked down as he was doing a stroking motion with his left hoof.

“NO! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!”

“Hey, I'm just saying, as long as you cry afterward, it's perfectly alright.” I had no idea what moral standards Keith went by, and I don't even want to know. In the meantime, I had my own anatomy to cope with.

At first, it was manageable, twitches ignored or forgotten, heat easily subsided with an extra cold shower or two. But the week soon dragged on, and the estrus exponentially grew to unbearable levels. I started to take notice of the others, those leering eyes wanting me, directed right at me as I made my rounds through the warren. Dogs started to go at odds with each other, sometimes picking fights for my attention, sometimes working harder, some even going to far as to discreetly flex to make themselves seem stronger and more attractive. The other end of the warren's attention was also directed at me, but this end was more composed of the looks of jealousy and contempt.

It hadn't even been past three days, and I was starting to feel the drive clouding my judgment. Hints of lewd thoughts often flashed across my mind. By the fourth I stopped making the rounds and exercising and was simply content with keeping to my quarters, fanning myself or opening the window to let in a breeze to cool me down.

But that didn't stop it, by the end of the fourth, there had been over a thousand gifts to me of gems of every kind, etched with various names that I couldn't even read. Thankfully, I had Eol, Ubi and Keith to keep me company. During the visits though, I could see Ubi blush whenever he set eyes upon me, but didn't speak about his feelings or even trying to make advances on me. I wondered if he was aware of the predicament.

“Listen Aoi, you're going to drive yourself nuts over this whole thing, just get down with a session of Play-colt or Play-wolf or whatever the hell passes for a porn mag these days and let loose.” Sadly enough, though, most of the conversations revolved around my current drama.

“I don't 'let loose', Keith. If you had any sense of discipline, you'd quit suggesting that I 'let loose'.”

“Hey, I've got discipline, but I also know that there's no Commandment that says 'Thou shalt not fap.”

“I think we should stop talking about this.”

“Alright, Jeez, you're wound up tighter than DNA.” Both Eol and Keith started to leave, leaving Ubi to ask:

“Is there anything I can do to help? Can I get you anything?”

“Some soup or something and a big towel.” In my delusional state, I had just asked for remedies to cure the cold. Might as well have been a cold.

He came up later in a few minutes with hot soup and an extra large towel, just as ordered. “Anything else?” I shook my head 'no' and he closed the door.

The soup only helped in settling my empty stomach, while trying to wet sauna myself with the towel only drove the tingling to be more sporadic. I kept telling myself that if I could just hold out for a few more days, then the worst would be over.

=Ubi=

I went back to Sanctuary—Air Dock Zero Keef called it—and sat down with mom on the hoarde. It seemed like Aoi was hurting, bad. I had no idea what was happening to him. I decided to ask mom.

“Hey mom?”

“Yes dear?”

“Did you ever have a friend, who looked like she was sick, but you didn't know what was happening to her?”

“Depends on what the symptoms were.”

“Well, she's been kind of moody lately, and it looks like she has a fever, and I don't know why, but she smells... really nice.”

“Oooh, I see. Well you have nothing to worry about. After all, I went through the same thing when I met your father.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It's just a little thing that all females go through once a year. It's called estrus.”

“Estrus? How do you cure it?”

She chuckled. “You don't cure it, but it does take a special someone to help take care of it. For me, that special someone was your father.”

“Really? Do you think if I do what he did, it'll help A-I mean my friend?” I didn't want her to know.

“Of course it will. Tell me Ubi, is this someone you truly care about?”

I thought it was a strange question to ask. “Of course I do.”

“And does she care about you?”

I nodded. “Otherwise she wouldn't of done all the things she did.”

“Then here's what you do.” She whispered in my ear every single detail, and I remembered every single word. Although, some words were strange, like 'mating'.

“What's that?”

“Mating comes after all that I told you, but only when both of you think you're ready for it.”

“And dad did this too?”

“Of course. One of the reasons why I fell in love with him was that he did it so well.”

“And this will help my friend with her Estrus?” Mom nodded. I got up and thanked her, then made my way back to Aoi's room.

=Aoi=

Another day, another sunset, and another rise to my already high-strung irritability. Ubi came in to my room with a slow creak of my door, slightly blushing, clasping his paws together. I was busy sharpening the Corvat with a whetting stone. I glared at him with half angst but half relief.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked warily.

“Like I said before, it's nothing I can't handle,” I fibbed. In reality, it was only day five and I had become at odds with my own anatomy, my psyche pushed to the limit with this Estrus. My legs were tingling, my paws were clenching air, my tail was flagging back and forth wildly. It hadn't even been a single week yet and my body seemed to be at its breaking point.

I could tell Ubi was a bit nervous as well. At first, he tried avoiding eye contact with me. I knew full well, though, that even though his mind didn't know what he was feeling, his body sure did: excitement and intimidation all at once. I could sense it from his cautious approach.

“A-Are you sure you're okay?” he questioned. The pressure I exuded was almost enough to make him leave... almost.

“I just need a cold shower, nothing to worry about,” I chuckled wryly. No length of shower, no matter how cold, could even provide the tiniest bit of relief now. The insides of my legs were burning furiously. I breathed out a harsh air, the whetting stone was failing to do its job of sharpening the blade. Keith must have made it out of some memory metal or something.

“If you want me to help with your *gulp* Estrus, I could try something that might work. It's the least I can do.”

I almost yelled at him for even thinking of such a thing, and I knew what exactly he was suggesting to try, but I stopped with an exasperated expression and a gaping mouth. I couldn't bring myself to raise my voice at him. It was only natural for him to want to care about my well-being, considering how strangely I had acted this week. Nevertheless, I tried to send him away.

“I can handle this on my own, but-” I was too late to stop myself. “-maybe you could keep me company?” He quietly took a window seat near where I was.

My lungs felt heavier with each passing hour, the deprivation was getting worse, my muscles felt like turning to jelly. I started to pant.

He stayed silent at first, alternating from watching me work to staring out the window, but as the hours grew longer and longer into the night, he could see me growing more and more desperate. I tried my best to keep my composure, but the bombardment of aches and spasms deteriorated my posture. Gradually, a new scent emerged in the room, tense but inviting. I inhaled this new fragrance, my eyes aflutter. I shuddered slightly, feeling a brief relief wash over me before the desperation came back a hundred fold.

I gave a skirting glance up at Ubi, who was now looking out onto the panorama that the window view provided, his muzzle imbued with a light but noticeable flush of pink. He darted his eyes towards me for but a moment, prompting mine back to the whetting stone. Although the metallic grinding of the stone did absolutely nothing to improve the condition of the Corvat, it did help distract me from the smoldering urge building within the pit of my stomach.

Butterflies turned within, the muscles in my abdomen contracted, and the tingling feeling throughout my entire body became more vigorous, seconds ticking by slowly. The foreign scent in the room soon grew into a powerful, invigorating aroma.

I stopped sharpening to rub my eyes from the sweat pouring down my face.

“Is something wrong?” Ubi asked, worried.

“Just something in my eye.” A clear look at him was enough for me to put two-and-two together. It did relax me somewhat to have him with me, but inadvertently I had transferred my instinctive urges along to him. His fur had turned to flamingo pink, and he had a pleading look in his eyes as if to say, “Let me help you.”

I focused more and more on working with the Corvat. I moved from slouching over the edge of my bed to propping my leg on the bed in an arch and posting the back of the blade on the bedpost. I heard a long sniff and a bit of a low squeak. I looked over to see Ubi covering his muzzle with his paws. It dawned on me that lifting my leg had released an assaulting wave of my own scent into the room. I lowered my leg and continued working.

The hours grew late, towards midnight. The atmosphere became thick and heavy. I was grateful for Ubi having thought of opening the window to vent out the scorching air. Bit by bit, the air became cleaner and more crisp. It eased my tension to have the temperature drop slightly. For the moment, the cooling air seemed like a godsend.

Until a winter breeze came in. That was the breaking point. The sudden wind skirted across my lap, lifting up my kimono, gaseous ice gently kissing between my legs.

*CRACK*

With unimaginable vigor, my fist closed tight around the whetting stone, pulverizing it to mere pebbles. Ubi took this cue and shut the window immediately. I let out heated gasps from a breath I had unknowingly held.

“I'm sorry!” Ubi said meekly. I dropped the ruins of the whetting stone. My heart was thudding inside my chest. I could take no more torment. I got up, folded the Corvat, and locked the door. My arms trembled as they moved.

“Ubi... do you really think you can help me?” I creaked.

He nodded. Blood all of a sudden rushed to my thighs, warming them to a temperature exceeding that of my pelvis. I approached him, instinct firing all manners of driving chemicals through my system, a second mind grew to clash with my weakening resolve, thoughts spewing forth to reason with my increasingly yielding will.

'You need this,' the second voice seduced. 'Let him take you.'

My will brought forth an equal argument, 'No, you're strong, you can get through this, don't debase yourself like this.'

'It's not like a stranger's handing this to you,' the voice cooed. 'It's Ubi, you trust him. It's only a love tap, something to take the edge off, nothing more... Unless you want it to me more...'

I started to lose control, my paws moved on their own and gently pulled Ubi to a standing position. I could feel his heat next to mine. I felt myself melting as he embraced me.

Every neuron fired off endorphins on a massive scale, my lower body shivered with anticipation.

'Yes,' the voice whispered, 'let him set you free.'

He held me for what felt like hours, standing there, his chest pressed firmly to mine. He placed his nose to my neck, inhaling deeply.

I could imagine what he was thinking, but only as a faint whisper that I could not hear, though it rang loud and clear when he drew his long, black tongue across my neck, sliding upwards tenderly along the bottom of my muzzle until finally snapping at the end with a flick. Inside, the voice was cheering. I shuddered intensely, warm with excitement, yet cold at his touch. His heart beat at a slightly faster pace, responding to my pulse. I looked down into his eyes, their friendly irises swimming with euphoria, their color of a liquid sky.

He reached up and began to slide my kimono off of my shoulders, my arms able to feel his restraint.

'Look at him, so shy, so... innocent...'

I turned around, letting my sleeves fall to my wrists. He undid my silk obi, the red fabric gliding at his command out of its knot and cascading onto the floor. He took another drag of the pheromones residing in my hair, holding it in, my odour seemingly intoxicating him. He grasped one arm across my waist and let the other arm skate down my thigh.

I reached an arm back, cradling his head next to mine, and gave him a soft, loving lick. He held me tighter at this, securing me in place. I eased a digit down the length of his face, his fur feeling like chaste satin on my paw pads. With my other paw, I reached down and lifted the bottom part of my kimono to the side. I felt something prod into my backside, but I dispatched it to the back of my mind. I waited, anxiously for this moment. Every strand of fur on my neck stood on end. I bit my lower lip as he ran a large digit across my thigh, the cold touch inching closer and closer before it caressed the full length of my-

'DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT INNOCENCE AWAY?!' My will shot through me, and at that moment I cried:

“I CAN'T DO IT!” I pushed out of his embrace. He fell to the floor, surprised and worried.

“Did I do something wrong?” I scrambled to put on my clothes. My morality regained the advantage against my instincts. I rushed to widen the distance between me and Ubi. I hugged myself as tears and shame overwhelmed me, blotting out instinct, barely holding up the fragile wall that kept it out of my conscious for the time being.

“Did I hurt you?” He asked, curled up in a ball on the floor, tail held between his pars in fear.

“N-No, I, you, this...” I sobbed. “Please... just leave me alone...”

“Please, tell me what's wrong?” He got up, reaching a paw towards me. I swerved right and left him to grasp air.

“Was it something I did?” He whimpered, now shamed himself. He tucked his tail between his legs ad lowered his ears. “You're not mad at me are you?”

“N-No...” I cried, averting my eyes. “I need to be alone...” I didn't want to tell him... I couldn't. I slid under the sheets of my bed, curled up facing away from him. All the while, I was patronizing myself. It was wrong of my to ask Ubi to do such a thing.

He refused to leave, and in silent protest sat at my bedside. He ran his claws through my hair while I lay there, guilt and shame and self-loathing amplifying the weight of the blankets. I couldn't help but cry and cry, holding pillows up to my eyes to sop up the blood. All the while, Ubi stroked my hair, once or twice scratching me behind the ears, soothing me.

After a while, the crying stopped, leaving only the tears. It was then that Ubi had worked up the courage to ask:

“Aoi, are you... afraid of mating?” He had hit it dead on the nail, and I was still for several seconds before regretfully nodding, holding my eyes shut.

“Why?”

“Please... please don't ask me why,” I whimpered under the blankets.

“If you tell me, maybe I can help...” He couldn't leave it at that.

“No... No one can help,” I sniffled.

“Just maybe-”

“I SAID NO ONE!” I screamed.

“Why not?” There was a long silence in the room, one that I refused to break. I couldn't bear to expose him to any more of it, any more of the unclean actions of my past. But I felt it, those liquid sky eyes beaming an expression of pleading and worry. I tried to steel myself, shut out his gaze with the rest of the world. I held the pillow even tighter. I was curled up into a small, vulnerable ball of fur, wanting nothing more than to be alone again. But he would not cease that pure expression of simply wanting to help, and so I yielded.

“Because it happened when I was little..." I murmured. "… because it happened when I was raped.”

Author's Notes:

I know that you guys think this might be coming out of left field, I blame myself for not writing it to have seemed more apparent before. However, think of this as a whole rather than a singular isolation. Ask yourself: why does Aoi acts the way he does, why has he reacted to certain things that people did or said concerning this, and what sort of mentality led him up to this moment. I'm not introducing this just to add cheap drama or to ring up sympathy, I'm introducing this because it is and always will be part of what defines Aoi's character.

Innocence Lost [34x]

I was four at the time, right when my parents were killed, the police found me and I became a ward for a young lady, her name had too many katas to remember at the time, so she just said that I could call her Miss Oti. But I'll be dead and in the ground before I EVER forget her face. She was a bit too young, looking about 26 or so. Her eyes were brown and hair a rather strange blonde, with dabs of freckles on her face that made her look older.

Her "orphanage" as she called it was just her house, a small four room flat. There were no other kids there, save for me. I was a bit shy at first. After all, how could I trust someone I never even knew? But, she was nice at first. A little negligent at times, leaving the oven on sometimes, forgetting to turn off the faucet in the bathroom, but she eventually remembered to the smell of burning food and the sound of running water. After a bit of cursing under her breath she would then pick up the phone and order fast food.

She often spoke something that wasn't even Japanese. It all sounded like high-paced gibberish. A usual day was that she'd sit in her room, typing on some kind of keyboard, humming and cursing to herself. Then she'd attempt to make breakfast by cracking eggs in a pan and waited for the goopy clear ooze to turn white, then burn when the phone rang and she'd pick it up in a heartbeat, then yelling and cursing into the receiver, alternating to a hushed tone every now and again.

She had good intentions, bringing home some books from the library and trying to teach me something. But my attention span was rather average, what went in one ear went straight through the other, so the saying goes. The only times when she seemed like a mother, though, were whenever she read to me at bed time, in somewhat broken Japanese at times for more lengthy storybooks. Her voice was rather comforting, a far cry from my mother's aria-like timbre, but all the same, story time was one of the few things I treasured, so much so that sometimes I would disdainfully finish the greasy food she brought home in order to skip straight to story time.

She caught onto this of course, then scolded me saying things like, "Now how are you going to be a big strong boy if you don't eat your food?" which often was a large burger that I could barely fit my mouth over. However, I was willing to force through a childish gag reflex of oily food just to retire to the bed she had for me.

Every night, she'd crack open a new storybook that was never the same thing. Sometimes it was something like Huckleberry Finn, other times it was the story of one thousand cranes. But it wasn't the stories or the merry fairy tale fantasies of things that could never exist, be it goblins who spun gold in exchange for children or godmothers taking pity on orphans. No, what always kept me wanting story time at night as a warm amber lampshade contrasted with the moonbeams drawn in from an open window was the real, tangible moments of not being alone anymore.

Maybe Cinderella did manage to fit her unique foot into that glass slipper, and maybe she did happen to meet her prince, and maybe they did manage to live happily ever after. But if that godmother was all powerful, why the fuck didn't she bring Cinderella's parents back? Well, maybe she was written to fill a greater role than an easy life as a duke's daughter, and maybe I thought myself as Cinderella once: an orphan who's meant for greater things. Maybe, just maybe, a fairy godmother would come to me, whisk me away to a castle and I could find something I could call a family again.

But for now, I had someone to care for me, someone to chide away the loneliness of those nights where I would silently cry myself to sleep wanting of those days back where I could still say "Hello mom," or "Hello dad." I could never ring myself up to call Miss Oti my "mom" because I knew that she wasn't my mom. She wasn't the woman who would sing about the warrior in the woods to me every night. She wasn't the woman who could brew such tantalizing delicacies that brought me up from the depths of despair even on days when the clouds seemed to never ever regain their color. She wasn't the woman who would never scold me for any injustice I did to her, only correct me in that sweet effervescent tone that made my own guilt know that what I did was wrong.

This woman was not my mother, she wasn't by a long shot. But if a woman can have that bit of maternal instinct in order to have the decency to tuck me in at night with a bedtime story, then it couldn't have been all bad. Right?

I turned five and grew a little wiser, reminded her to turn off the burning stove and running faucet, and she smiled and said, "Thank you, Aoi." and that was the first time she had ever said it without it sounding like a burden to her, and that was the first time in a long time that I had felt that giddy, almost happy feeling of helping someone. With the stove less burnt and the water halting its run, she started to cook at home more and more. We ate less greasy food and more of what I remembered of gochiso cooking. After a few constant days of cooking the same thing I asked her why and she said, "Because I don't know how to cook anything else," and laughed strangely at her own incompetence.

It was when I had turned seven when things started to change. She started talking on the phone again, but this time more passionately. Often these phone conversations dragged on long into the night. I would tap her knee sometimes with story book in hand to try and coax her to come to bed, but she waved me off like a fly.

She left the house more often as well, going out with a skip and a step, and coming home with more fast food, but it wasn't the kind she normally brought. They were left overs from what seemed to be fancy restaurants that served to-go sushi in Styrofoam boxes.

I was left alone again, tossed into the background like the scenery of a grade school play. There were times when she would try to redeem herself, bringing home sweets and candies and things like that, but the only candies I ate were the salt water taffies that came in the assorted bunch, not that I hated the other kinds, but it was those candies that I loved the most, always reminding me of what I used to know: that apartment by the sea. At the very least, she noticed that I liked those kinds the most and bought more of the salt water taffy along with some other sparingly present candies.

Whenever she wasn't yammering on the phone or off somewhere, she stayed at home talking to me about her day, which involved her describing someone, hugging my pillow and rolling around on my bed with a dreamy look in her eyes as I stared out the window, sucking on my salty sweet delicacies.

Little by little, I started to trust her, more and more. We talked about nonsensical things, like if Cinderella was ever real.

"If I was Cinderella," she mused, "Then I've already found my Prince Charming. All I need is for him to bend down and offer me a ring and I would say yes in a heartbeat."

"Do you think I have a fairy godmother?" I asked her.

"Well, I may not be a fairy godmother, but at least I'm not the evil stepmother."

"Promise?" I asked. She had recited that story so many times that it had become a favorite of mine, and I half believed it to be real more often than not.

"I promise." She looked at me with a rather new expression. "You know, you've got very cute eyes, almost like a little doll. I know you'll grow up one day to be just like a prince."

For a while, I thought she was my fairy godmother, sent to me by whoever to lead me to a new life, someone to help me forget all my longings and help me find a little shimmer of heaven.

One day, when I had finally ran out of salt water taffy, Miss Oti came home, eyes tearing up, angry. She slammed the door and looked at me with complete hatred. It wasn't just hatred though, it was bitterness, sadness, and a dram of insanity.

And I made the mistake of asking her what was wrong.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S WHAT'S WRONG, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" She yelled, "It had been going SO FUCKING WELL until I mentioned you, and you know what he said to me? 'I DON'T DO MOTHERS!'"

Then she had this glint in her eye, blotted mascara running down her face, and her tone changed to one of predatory malice.

"You know, I haven't been teaching you much, have I?" She took my arm and dragged me to my bedroom, locking the door. "I should probably teach you how to be a man!"

She stripped off my clothes, pinned me to the bed, beat me, scarred me, and...

... and...

...please... don't make me say it...

I won't...

She kept on hissing through clenched teeth, "This is your fault. You have no one to blame but yourself." Not once did she show remorse, did she hold back. All I could do was cry and feel it as it happened, feeling her bearing down on me. I broke down, felt shame beyond any crime I had ever committed, felt guilt that haunts me every time I picture her face in my memory. I trusted her, and even now, when I know what she did was beyond all sense of redemption. I... I...

I couldn't help but feel the guilt of what she did... feel that deep inside, somehow it was MY FAULT.

When she was finished, she dared to ask me, "Do you feel like a fucking prince yet?" All I could do was sob face down on my bed and shake my head no.

"Then we'll just have to try again tomorrow," she cackled before walking out and slamming the door. I felt emotion far worse than loneliness bearing down on me that night, and the only story that was told, that I would carry for the rest of my fucking life, was that I had lost my innocence that day, and from that story came its twisted moral:

The world is too Goddamn cruel to let things like fairy godmothers exist.

Hours I stayed up, my violated form laying bare on my mattress. With all pretense of purity gone, wrathful sin could take precedence. I would not let this happen a second time. I picked up what semblance of my own self I could, redid my clothes, and crept out to the kitchen, and grabbed a cleaver...

She had become the evil stepmother. But unlike the book, I wasn't about to become her slave. She had slept soundly in the luxury of pleasure. I decided to let her keep that one delicacy of her crime straight to hell. One drop of my arm and she breathed no more.

I knew I didn't have long, a criminal now, I stole away into the night, carrying the evidence with me. I ran through the shadowed streets in the rain, leaving a trail of blood from the scars she had left on me. I didn't dare stop, chocking back tears that came with the rain, seething through my clenched teeth like a dam holding back millions of gallons of tumultuous floodwaters, carrying that lasting guilt like a soldier carries his pack of supplies through unforgiving weather...

...All the way to a dilapidated shrine in Asakusa.

I've tried to forget, tried to get over it like so many hurdles in a race that I can never finish until I finally drop dead at the finish line. Tried to brush it off, belittle it with a weak facade of puns whenever the issue comes up, but it still comes up just the same. Every time, I see a happy couple like Gilda and Griffin I can no longer think of what is instinctive to all animals as NATURAL anymore. In fact, it sickens me to think that they do that behind locked doors and under linen sheets, that every single act of procreation I can only see as some immoral sin and that NEVER GOES AWAY!!!

... It never goes away.

At times when social sense keeps my tongue still part of me wants to ring it as loud as church bells and ask HOW THE FUCK CAN THEY LIVE WITH THEMSELVES LIKE THAT?! When I walk into every brothel it takes every single discipline I've learned to not blow every single "clients'" brains out.

I vowed NEVER to subject myself to that ever again, nor to subject it to anyone else. I almost broke that vow due to this Estrus, when I almost lost myself to desire. If it weren't for that last bit of decency reminding me that I was not in my right mind, I would have cause you to lose what I had lost all those years ago. And for that...

... I'm sorry...

Author's Notes:

Decide to reign in the backstory a bit to PG-13 because just making it NSFW would only cloud the issue.

Also, brace yourselves....

... d'aaw is coming...

Gochiso Cooking - Taken from the Japanese term meaning "to rush" its a type of cooking that leans more towards simple pleasures of home cooked meals, like rice with fried fish or miso soup.

Casefiles: Rena Autila

=Begin File=

Name: Rena Autila
DOB: November 21 [REDACTED]
Country of Origin: [REDACTED]
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 142 lbs.
Bloodtype: AB+

Wanted for: Vagrancy, Illegal immigration, multiple accounts of child molestation

Rena Autila, known by various aliases, such as [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and Miss Oti, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for multiple accounts of abuse against [WITHHELD FOR PRIVACY]. When questioned on the witness stand, [WITHHELD] testified that she had been sexually abused when Ms. Autila's mother had disowned her.

The psychiatric analysis by Dr. Warthol reviewed as such:

It has come to my attention that the subject attempts to cope with events that she feels she has no control over by asserting dominance over those whom she can control. She has not yet revealed if this had happened before. However, an interview with the subject's mother revealed that when she was a child she had often mutilated her pets whenever some complication arose in her environment, examples include a bad test score and when her mother had divorced her father.

Over the course of time, this habit soon grew to more drastic actions. When in a state of complete stability, she behaves normally, although a bit immaturely for her age. However, when events occur that upset this stability, the subject misplaces her emotions and redirects them through violent acts of establishing dominance, as if trying to regain control of that stability by "conquering" another living creature, be it through physical or psychological abuse. A sort of tantrum taken to extreme measures.

I am prescribing some sedatives that will hopefully alleviate her sense of instability as well as some mood modifiers to prevent further fluctuation in her currently tempermen---

Rena Autila escaped the mental institution where she was designated and has fled to some unknown location, possibly another country. A notice has been filed across international jurisdictions of her wanted capture. Any civilian who knows anything of her whereabouts are to report to the nearest police station or establishment of similar purpose. Civilians must not, under any circumstances, engage her directly, she may be armed and in a hostile state.

=End Files=

Author's Notes:

Kind of a Gaiden Chapter to a Gaiden Chapter, Casefiles give a bit of information on very minor/major characters of Aoi's Past.

I might do one of either Elena or Aoi's Kendo Teacher, let me know in the comments section which one you'd like to read.

Interrim: The Letters They Sent

For Rainbow Dash, it had been an agonizing month since the last letter "Aoi" had sent, and with the Gala coming up soon, she wouldn't be able to get it until the week afterwards. She scanned her letterbox every hour, sometimes the visits to the post cut into her nap time, which she treasured highly.

She became more and more worried. Why did he have his friends send the letters instead of writing them himself? Moreover, why did they have weird messages? One such read, "Aoi gives you hugs and kisses." She nearly gagged at that one. She knew Aoi, or so she thought, and he wasn't one for giving brief messages. She had once written a letter, wanting to know where they were so she could fly over and visit, but the reply came much later with the message, "No visit, please, Aoi has the feather flu". Aoi wasn't even a pegasus, not to mention not having wings, so how would he even catch feather flu?

She started to think that maybe... Aoi might have lost interest in her and maybe even see her as an annoyance with all the letters she had been sending. So, she decided to stop writing, and continue life like normal: doze off, manage the weather, maybe see what egghead stuff Twilight was doing occasionally.

It was all going well, with a growing thought asking why she had been obsessed with Aoi in the first place. It had been so long since the gala, she was having a hard time remembering what he even looked like. What did he even look like? As much as she hated to admit it, she needed some... advice.

She trotted over to Rarity's boutique, the place utterly teeming with business and the mare running it frazzled with orders stacking up left and right.

"Be right with you, darling," she called across the crowd. "What? Oh yes, so that's a few few of the 'Lagoon Warrior' for you sir, and a 'Red Geisha' for you, madam..." It took a bit over a half hour before the customer's emptied with ticket stubs in hoof. Rarity plopped into her "working chair", mane drooping in unsightly waves, and sighed.

"I must say, with the Gala coming up again I've been getting orders left and right for the same outfits you and that Aoi fellow wore to the Gala. In fact I've even gotten some orders from Gem Fido about Aoi's clothes. What on Equus did you two do to rack up so much attention?"

"I 'unno," Dash mumbled. It was a bit of a lie to both Rarity and herself. She knew damn well that Aoi still meant something to her, but after so long though, she was beginning to forget what. Time changes people; she knew this fact very well.

"Now then," Rarity huffed, pushing her clipboard of orders into a drawer. "I take it you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Oh uh, well um," She stammered.

"Oh please don't tell me that you are looking for a dress as well. Not that I mind giving you a new look, but I've been completely overstretched with all these orders." She glanced at Rainbow, thinking over designs and curls and ribbons that would match her scheme perfectly.

"You'll be happy to know I don't need one of your fancy shmancy dresses. It's kinda... personal." Dash shifted her eyes. "We're alone aren't we?"

"I can leave if you want." A call is heard from upstairs, the voice reminiscent of a feathery Captain she once ogled over.

"Very much, Please," Rarity shouted with a slightly irritated tone.

"Kay, I'll be around." A flap of wings is heard before silence blanketed the room.

"So, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about, dear?"

"Well, it's about Aoi."

"Oh?"

"I kinda get the feeling... he's not interested in me anymore." To this Rarity tried to hide a twinkling in her eyes.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, it's been a few months since his last letter back, and I've been sending a lot of letters."

"Maybe he's been afflicted with something."

"You don't get afflicted with something for 8 months... do you?"

"Now I'm not a Medical Mare, but think about it this way, with Griffin here, Aoi's probably busy, working his tail off."

"Even then... why have his friends lie about it?"

"Tsk Tsk Tsk. Fighting gruesome battles probably has him muddied up more than one of Apple Jack's pig sties. A wolf as refined as he must be absolutely ashamed to show his face." Rainbow Dash held back a snicker.

"As 'refined' as he is, I don't think he's not writing because he's messy." The pegasus trotted towards the window to look towards the far mountains. "Hay, I'd visit him myself if I knew where he lived."

"The real question is: 'Do I really want to?'"

Rarity sighed. "That's always the problem with long distance relation ships: there's so little contact between you two that it's near impossible to keep things... well... fresh."

"Fresh?"

"You two need a get together. Something to... rekindle your interests."

"Like what?"

"Well, you two met at the Grand Galloping Gala right?"

"Yeah... but that was about two months go."

"Ah, right you are..." Rarity frowned, looking away, thinking of an idea. "Hold on for a second, I may have an idea." Immediately Rarity went into her mysterious "back room". There were a few hisses, a few strange sounds, the cutting noise of a buzz saw, a loud crash, and then...

"AHA! I knew I had it around here somewhere," exclaimed Rarity as she emerged from the back room holding two small slips of paper in her hooves. "Two free vouchers to Maresu Japonese Spa. I do believe he might be from Japony, so this might be the perfect thing for him."

"Well actually..." Rainbow Dash remembered when Aoi spoke of his origin.

"Yes?" She wasn't sure he would be into this kind of silly stuff. At the very least, though, it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Well of course it's not a bad idea, it's a brilliant idea. Besides, if anything else, it'll be a nice vacation for you. A nice bout of relaxation away from your... usual... bout of relaxation," Rarity finished meekly.

Dash gave a raised eyebrow at her friend before taking the two vouchers in hoof. "Thanks, I guess."

"That's what friends are for. Oh, and if he does happen to be interested in being a model for me, you know for taking measurements and trying out new design ideas for other species, could you be a dear and give him my address?"

A stern face from Dash was enough to tell her off.

"That is, if it isn't inappropriate for you."

Dash was sprawled over her bed sheets, thinking of Aoi, racking up various reasons as to why he wouldn't even take the time to write back himself. Such theories became warped and twisted, some humorously, some morbidly.

She imagined Aoi hung upside down on a pirate's plank somewhere, the captain interrogating him on the location of his non-existent treasure, fondling his photograph of her.

"You'll never get away with this Captain Scourge!" she imagined Aoi defiantly shouting,

"Too cliche," she admitted. "I don't think I even gave him a photo." Her mind forged another theory where Aoi had lost all memories pertaining to her in some freak amnesic incident.

"Rainbow Dash who?" he would question.

"Nah, too sappy, besides, I don't think Forget-Me Flowers actually grow where dragons live, or do they?" She imagined him going off with a she-wolf, getting married and already having kids.

"But what about Rainbow Dash?" The she wolf would ask.

"Rainbow Dash who?"

"ARARRRRGH!" She yelled, attracting the attention of the other weather ponies outside. Just as she screamed, she heard a knock on her door. She opened the door to reveal a tall pegasus who stared at her with an uneasy expression.

"Mail Call?" He said, handing her a letter before nervously tipping his hat and leaving. She closed the door and took a glance at the letter.

"Who could be sending me letters at-" One look at the sender's address told all. She grabbed the envelope in her teeth, ripped off the outside and unfolded the letter inside.

"Dear Rainbow Dash,

I apologize for my friends' "attempts" at replying to your letters, they're not the most eloquent bunch, but they meant well. As for my status, I was in the hospital for an extended amount of time, but thanks to a long rehab period, I'm doing all right now. I know you might be wondering why I didn't visit, and I won't lie to you as to why. Something rather embarrassing happened to me, as such had been kept under wraps for a while. However, that does not excuse me for not visiting. So, without further ado, let me make up for that:

I know it's just a trifle, but it would mean a lot if I could see you again. There's a lot I want to talk to you about, and with all the time I've missed, never got to talk about through letters. Besides, some things I would rather say in person. There's also some things I would like to show in person as well. The reason I'm holding this is well...

... I promised you another dance... didn't I?"

By now, Dash's eyes were welling up, and right when she thought she could read no more, her eyes fell to the bottom of the letter:

"If you look on the back side, there's something for you, just to say..."

She stopped there and flipped the letter over finding a parchment with a painting. It had blotches of what looked like ink and watercolor, and some brush strokes at the bottom left corner...

It was a painting of her. She looked at it for a few minutes, taking in the fact that he painted this for her. It might not have been particularly well done, a far cry from Ponycaso or Rembrand, but it was made for her, and only her. When she finally turned her eyes back to the letter, she finally read the last line in its entirety:

"If you look on the back side, there's something for you, just to say that even after a year apart...

... I still remember how beautiful you are."

A Slice of New Life [35]

=Ubi=

I had no idea what she meant, or why she was apologizing, so all I could do was say, “It's okay.” She didn't reply, all she could do was cry into her pillow. I thought about it for a second, then remembered when I had nightmares or when something bad happened to me, mom sang a lullaby to me. Maybe lullabies exist where Aoi came from too. It couldn't hurt to try.

I tucked her into bed and doused the lamps, leaving the moon to light the room. Just a few more weeks and it would be December. With it would come Hearth's Warming Eve. I wondered what I would get everyone as a present. Keef seemed to like liquor, and Eol books, but what about Aoi? I didn't know what interested someone like Aoi.

She was strong, honorable, and honest, what do you get for a person like that? What do you get for a person who's not even from this world? What do you get for someone who you didn't even have the courage to believe? I didn't know, still don't but for now, I'll do what I can to help. A pony came into the room, and I rose a finger to cue her silence as she brought a pot of tea. She left without a word, leaving me alone with Aoi again. It's been a long time since I even sang, but for Aoi, I could try.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiD4uDEkmO8

It was quiet, Aoi wasn't crying anymore, but sleeping. Her soft breaths turned to vapor in the cold air. I tossed another blanket on top of her for good measure and looked through my tunic. No vials. It hit me that Eol was always the ones that kept the chemicals on him. I got up and headed towards the bar. Believe it or not, Eol got real friendly with Keef fast. They always spent time in the bar talking about weird things. I stayed far away because Keef gave Eol something weird and Eol hadn't slept since.

I skipped knocking on the door and was met with a face full of bug-eyed husky.

“SUP!” He yelled as he tackled me to the floor. “Whatchadoingoutsolate, huh Ubi, huhuhuh?!”

“I just came to see if you had some 'hazy blues'.” I looked over at Eol's "chemistry set" lined with various potions, powders, and the occasional cluster of knock-out gas.

“OOO, whatchaneeditfor, huh? Gonnaknockoutafemaleorsomething? Howmuchyouneed? *GASP* PIE!" His face slammed into a pie sitting on the counter.

“Just enough 'blue' to forget one night.”

“KAY!” He zoomed off behind the main bar table and pulled out a small piece of paper with the powder on it. He rolled it up and gave it to me before twisting around and smashing through the window. He'll be fine.

I went back to Aoi's room and took a bit of the blue powder in my paw. Just a sprinkle in the ear and this whole night's just a bad dream, just like we did at the Gala.

I looked over at the table, seeing Aoi's sword. I remember when I touched the blade, the glimpes I saw: Blackfire's battle with Aoi, his resignation to his death, his essence being locked into the blade. I wondered if there was more. I went over and grabbed it then went down to the Sanctuary, maybe mom could tell me a bit more about Blackfire.

=Aoi=

“RISE AN' SHINE!” Keith shouted as he burst through the door with a tray in his arms. I groaned as the loud noise pounded in my eardrums. I pulled the covers over my head.

“C'mon, we've been through this before.” I flinched as he yanked off the blanket to let sunlight assault my eyes.

I mumbled “fuck you” as I rose from my slumber, head feeling a few notches below “jackhammer to my temples” but way above “searing headache”.

Eol skipped in with bits of broken glass embedded into his nozzle. He had an overtly bright expression on his face, despite drops of blood sliding down his face. It scared me.

“The hell happened to you?”

“What?” He yapped as if he couldn't hear me.

“Nevermind him. Let's get some food in you.”

“Bullshit, no one gets glass in their face and shrugs it off like-*MRPHRPMMM*” Keith shoved something in my mouth before I could finish.

"What's that, I can't hear you over the sound of you eating?!" Keith shouted coyly as he pulled and pushed my jaws up and down to coerce the food down my throat. I relented and just chewed away at the anonymous morsel that was forced into my mouth. It tasted like honey with a texture of thick jello mixed with rock candy. Whatever it was helped with the headache. After swallowing the last of my ambiguous breakfast, I finally had a chance to talk.

"So what the fuck is up with Eol?" I ask, staring at Eol who had now started to chew on the doorpost.

"Well..."

=Eol, two nights ago=

"Okay so, what's this?" Keef was mixing up black liquid by pouring hot water across some black beans.

"This, my furry friend, is the secret to passing college, 100% Arabica Beans, taken straight black." He took a deep breath of the steam coming out of the mug and shuddered. "Hhhhhhooooohhhhh yeah, that's the stuff."

"Can I try?"

"No!" He smacked my nose with a stirring spoon still wet with the black stuff. "Sorry, but coffee's toxic to dogs, but then again, so is alcohol, if so then how the hell is Aoi still alive?" Keef looked at me with a suspicious expression. I was immediately regretting asking him.

"On second thought, most allergies in this world don't really apply, hell, daisy and daffodils are supposedly toxic to ponies, if so then do other allergies exist? Hell, am I still allergic to peanuts? if so then-" I clamped his muzzle shut before he could ramble.

"Off the subject."

"Heheh, right." Keef tended to get off tangent a lot, and "a lot" is just an understatement. Heck, he once mumbled some fancy mathematic formula involving a chicken and cupcakes in his sleep.

"Well, now that allergies actually somewhat don't come into play, let's try it." He poured a small splash of "coffee" and then added a lot of milk and slid the mug over to me. The scent was nice, like something burnt if burnt smelled decent. I brought the mug to my lips and-

"BLEEERGH!" -even with the milk, it tasted like chalk. How in the world could anybody drink this stuff? I took another sip.

"I know, at first it tastes like indescribable slur, but the caffeine works wonders when you have an entire thesis paper due in a single night," Keef said. "The taste doesn't grow on you, but the caffeine does. I didn't think it would hit you that fast."

I had no idea what he was talking about, all I could think about was tasting chalk in my mouth: spitting out one sip but then swallowing the next. Was this some kind of magic?

"So why drink this?"

"The better question to ask is why the hell are you still drinking it?" It wasn't long before I drained the cup of its contents.

"I don't know." I didn't feel anything at first, just a little nauseated.

Keef started to have a wide grin on his face. "It'll kick in eventually, until then though, could you help me with something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"We're going to go try and find a dragon."

"WHAT?!"

Before you say anything, we're not going to kill it." Keef brought out "Dr. Crittercolt's Encyclopedia for Dragons" and slapped it down on the table, flipping to a certain page. "More specifically, we need to make one throw up."

"What the-" I hadn't read much on dragon anatomy, what I had read didn't mention anything about dragons ever vomiting.

"Look we need something special that comes from a dragon's stomach. Are you familiar with ambergris?"

"You mean the stuff that comes from whales?" I was slowly seeing where Keef was getting at.

"Bingo, apparently dragon's have their own version, which is how they manage to digest gems. Said to be very valuable on the black market."

"Why exactly do we need this?"

"We're giving it to Aoi."

"Wait what do you mean by..." I remembered a book on fine Equestrian delicacies. "PFFFFFFFFFFFFT!" After laughing my tail off I wiped away a tear and asked, "So what do you need me-"

I stopped mid sentence. Suddenly my heart started racing, muscles exploded with power, and the room drew back until- OH MY GODS! I CAN SEE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

=Aoi, present=

By the time Keith finished explaining Eol's situation, Eol himself was inexplicably traversing the carpet on my floor by... vibrating?

"What... the... hell are you doing?"

"DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR," was all that Eol said. I wasn't even sure that it was him speaking.

After swallowing the last of whatever Keith gave me, I got up and stretched. I wanted to recall my long term goals, but for the life of me. Another thing that escaped me was:

"What exactly happened last night?"

Keith shrugged while Eol belly flopped my bed. Considering the headache I had, I must have been drunk or something. I walked a few steps until my legs suddenly buckled and gave out from beneath me.

"Yeah I think it's probably for the best you stay in bed for the time being," Keith advised, going to my bed and grabbing Eol by the scruff.

"Meanwhile, I'm going to try and detox the hyper outta this guy. BTW, before I forget, someone sent you a pack of lollipops."

=Ubi=

"Hey mom." She was smaller now, helping some of the betas clear out some rubble.

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you remember telling me about Blackfire?"

She snickered. "I know it's been long, but it hasn't been THAT long, of course I remember. What about him?"

"Um... uh... Well, Aoi told me that there was a dragon she killed and-"

"Aoi killed Blackfire?" She looked curious for a moment as she caught a glimpse of what I had in my arms. "What's that?"

"Aoi's sword, I'm... borrowing it." At this, mom left her work with the others and crawled back onto her horde.

"Well, so long as you give it back, I don't see any harm in it." She picked up a diamond and tossed it my way. "You must be hungry. Go on, eat up." I joined her on the horde and started eating breakfast. I don't think Aoi would notice it missing, at least for the time being.

=Aoi=

Bed rest was the last thing I needed right now. I needed to make preparations, send invites, find a caterer, come up with a tasteful theme.

'Dances usually have themes, right?' Shameful to say, I was fretting more than a housewife about her chores. I didn't normally act like this. In any other situation, I would have probably said "fuck all", hired a musician, went straight to her house and stammer for five minutes uncomfortably before going all out with it. I blushed when I remembered when Elena tried her best to dig me out of the hole I had made deeper. Ten minutes and nineteen seconds of me embarrassing myself, two of which was blubbering out half-assed poetry.

"Damn you HAVE got it bad!" I pulled the gun from under my pillow and aimed at the source of the voice: a mirror?

To my horror, that same damn wolf from months back appeared in the mirror, the one from my dream claiming to be me.

"No... damn... way..."

"WHUZ GUUUUD N◯◯◯◯◯H?!" He yelled with puckered lips and an aged expression. I undid the safety. I was either still drunk, or dreaming.

"You better tell me what the FUCK is going on, or I swear I will find a way to reach through this goddamn mirror and beat the shit out of your furry ass!"

His form shifted to him wearing a suit with an English top hat and monocle. "Oh such vehement vocabulary coming from such a visage that you vexingly voice your violence verily from. I dare say, what I had greeted you with was...

WHUZ RAELLY GUUD?!"

*BANG BANG BANG*

The sound of my gunshots prompted a group of five or six bursting through my door to see what was wrong. I stared at the onlookers, wide eyed, gun shaking in my paws.

"VOICE! MIRROR!"

A mare, scared out of her wits, went over and picked up a shard, she held it slowly up to my line of sight. I looked into it to find my washed out expression staring back at me, hair clumped over wet with cold sweat. I turned the dial of the safety back to it's original state and dropped it.

"Everyone out..." They hesitated. "NOW!"

*SLAM*

And that was it.

=Eol=

"FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!"

=Keith=

"I KNOW YOU DON'T WEAR PANTS, BUT PUT ON SOMETHING!!!"

=Aoi=

I sat down on the bed, wondering if I had really done it. If I had gone completely mad. Here I was, a female wolf in heat, in a room furnished just on the side of a mountain, fretting about shit I've never even thought about doing before, shouting death threats at a figment of my imagination, and shooting out mirrors.

I got up and opened the windows.

"FUCK!" I bore with the shock of the below freezing wind now invading my room, full front lines of cold bursting through me. Not dreaming.

I shut the window, with my bedroom having dropped at least ten degrees, I found everything to be very real, very substantial: I had still broken the mirror, I was still a woman, and it was still about two months before New Years. I plopped face down onto my bed, recapping how deep I had gotten myself into everything.

"Okay, let's take it from the top."

We came to Gem Fido to find out why there was a voice calling me to Gem Fido, and it turns out to be my dead dog, Nora, who just so happens to be a vengeful dog spirit. After that, I formed a plan of action for a campaign, one I had near completely forgot about. Then Keith armed us to the teeth, we get attacked by the Freepony Society, then counterattack and find the Mare in the Iron Mask. What the hell even happened to her? It's been like eight months since we infiltrated Bitsburg. After that, We found Ubi's mother, I was in a semi-coma for about six or something months, and now I'm sweating off Estrus because I turned into a female wolf and have no idea how to change back, and somehow I got it in my head to host a New Years Masquerade.

I flipped over and blew of a few bangs from my face. I looked over to find the lollipops Keith was talking about on my dresser, each one different colors and pack neatly into plastic wrappers. "It's too hot in here..."

An idea came to me to travel into the cold to hopefully blow off some steam. I rallied a few random clan members as an escort squad so that I could visit a few of the clans that surrendered. If I remembered correctly, there was a branch of our clan who wanted an audience with me while I was in the hospital. It was about time that I paid him a visit.

Quaretzel's warren was a good ways west from Gem Fido, and the surrounding area around it wasn't as lush. When Quaretzel first visited the warren, I couldn't get a good look at his face, as he wore a hood shrouding it. Ubi told me that some warrens of Gem Fido are naught but little hills jutting out of the surface, with a single visible entrance way. But with this, it was a completely sunken in prairie, dry grass coating mounds barely taller than I was. Surrounding the prairie was a marked perimeter of trees and ropes tied between them, with bells tied onto them.

I went up to the ropes, slid a paw over the hand spun chords, and pulled one. A massive chain reaction between the ropes rung every single bell almost simultaneously. It wasn't long before a few Gatas popped up to the surface, weapons drawn.

"Who goes thiar?" One of them hissed.

"I'm Aoi Myoujin, and I would like to speak with Quaretzel, your Alpha." Unsurprisingly, every beta seemed dumbfounded.

"Lunar Legend not female. You lie!" I tensed and reached for my sword... not at my hilt. I had forgotten Kokuryu back at the Tomb. This could turn ugl-

"Stupid Gatas," A unit from my ranks spat. "Know you not the prophecy? I should flay you for your ignorance!"

I held an arm up to bar him. "Let's not be hasty, after all, they're right to be a bit precautious: I don't exactly look like myself at the moment. Nevertheless, I think we might be at an impasse. I propose that we could do one of two things: one, I can prove my strength by taking all of you on in hand to hand combat; two-" I walked up to one of the Gatas who looked like the lead, straightened his helmet, then turned, lifting my tail just enough for his nose to get in range, and went back to the head of my escort group. "-you can be good dogs and notify your alpha that I'm here, and I will be sure to give him my highest recommendations for such upstanding guards as yourselves. What say you?"

I looked back to see that the lead of the regiment had melted into amorous putty, hearts swirling around his head. He shook his head and barked to his squad, "What'er you waiting for? Call Alpha!" The whole regiment were on their hinds in an instant, digging back down into the ground.

Glancing back at my group, I could tell that they were blushing from my display, despite holding scarves up to their muzzles to hide it. I took a lollipop out of my kimono, unwrapped it, and stuck the colorful candy underneath my tongue. A rich flavor of butterscotch ran across my palate, the sweet flavors easing a bit of the low, electrifying feeling of estrus.

"In my country," I said to my escorts, "We call that 'fanservice'."

A team of ten brought Quaretzel to the surface, donned in a different robe with a hood still covering his eyes. Before, There were so many people I didn't notice, but now, I saw him bracing against one of the gatas for support.

"By the Gods," Quaretzel exclaimed when he saw me. "Is that really you?"

I nodded. "I assume Varg told you I was 'away on business'?"

"Yes... yes he did... but..." I could tell he was looking at me from under his hood. "How?"

"A prank of unknown origin, some kind of dust that made me turn into a female. So, what is this 'issue' you wanted me to speak of?"

"Huh? Oh! Right, yes. Come this way." The team widened the entry and allowed us to head to the main warren. Strangely enough, there was no sound of work, no mining, no digging, if you weren't listening for it, you wouldn't even hear the life within the warren. My hand tensed over my belt.

"You've got nothing to worry about here, Aoi, I'm not in the mood to wage any wars any time soon," He said. More and more his voice gave way to a touch of weariness.

"We're prairie dogs, dogs who have long since lost their dragon protector long ago. As long as we stay hidden, we stay safe. Alas, it does mean that everything we do can cause danger to the clan." A family of four crawled past, warm smiles on their faces. It took me three steps to realize what I didn't hear.

"So you're not one to make waves, so to speak?" I asked as we came to a junction. One by one, my escorts were realizing it too, and we were beginning to feel it.

"In a way, yes. Our clan name used to be famous, feared even. But now, with wars giving way to eras of lull, we became... ghosts."

I gulped as we walked, I could smell that my comrades themselves were at the bring of snapping with paranoia, their arms shaking at the hilt of their swords. I couldn't help but feel impressed. Noted that my escorts were not the best of the best, but still warriors, being rendered by a simple fear, instinctive, and rightly so.

"There's two issues in fact that I was wanting to speak with you about. A favor. Don't worry, I'm not going to hold you against it if you refuse, but in doing so, We could make a comeback against them."

"Of course, we could use all the help against the dragons."

"Dragons?" Quaretzel wondered. "Heh, dragons aren't the only threat in Gem Fido. You saw it yourself, the world is changing exponentially, and you are one of the causes of these vectors. There are many who see you as savior, others, a challenge. No, I'm not talking about Dragons, I'm talking about Alphas. There have long since been stirrings of a rebellion, one against the very symbol that binds all the clans together. You may have heard the term Sirius."

"A few mentions here and there."

"Well, take it from one who gets contacts from both sides, but the Sirius is being targeted, as well as key figures in this unspoken war."

"War?"

"Heh, Gem Fido is in a constant state of it, though unseen and unheard, clans change hands like gems through Marble Pillar's market. Don't believe me? I wouldn't be surprised, you would have had to have been here to even take an ounce of what I said as truth. So let me shed some light on the situation. You know of the 'demon bird'?"

"Yes, I call him Captain Griffin."

"Heheh, not for long. He's made enemies, you can bet, and soon, his wings shall be clipped. How and when, I do not know, but you can stake a million diamonds that the mad blood of alphas plot his demise."

"So what makes you so sure that they'll succeed."

"Because we are not cattle for slaughter as the world has made us out to be. We have our own traditions of warfare, and with the way things are now, had we decided to unite, we would have taken Equestria for ourselves. But dogs are loyal to their masters, and our masters are those stronger than us."

"I see..." I finally decide to give in and ask, "So how do you play in on all of this?"

Quaretzel smiled. "As I had mentioned before, we're ghosts now. We only haunt when our graves are disturbed and aid those who guarantee our rest. And you, well... this is where the favor comes in.

"I want you to start your war, but do it with this." He pulls out three black daggers with a note under them it. "Inscribed are the names of three alphas, all with conspiracies tied to their name. Send them a message that like the Oblong Tomb, the Ghosts of the Tomb have returned, and we are angry. Kill them anyway you wish, or if you prefer, seek a reason first. Either way, leave the daggers, one for each body. In return..." he takes out a sword, thrust silently into the ground like a cat's footstep. "...our blades are yours."

The thought interested me. My force was already combat sufficient, but these... All it took were Quaretzel's subtle display to show the value him and his men had to my clan.

"Consider it done." I hid the daggers inside my kimono for the time being. Now, for the other issue you were speaking about?"

"Ah yes. There was a fox looking for you." We started walking through the main branch of the warren, the interior looking a bit like an old-western gold mine. "Claimed to be your brother."

Everyone in my group stopped and sported a disbelieving look. "BROTHER?"

"Yes, brother, We didn't know what do do with him, so for the past month or so we've been taking care of him. Showed up to the entrance to our den holding a picture of you." He continued to explain until we got to a junction. "He was talking in broken Equestrian a bit, coupled with gibberish. He was a bit of a hassle though, kept making noise saying 'I want Onissun, I want Onissun'. I had no idea what he was talking about."

I didn't know what to think. I didn't even have a brother in the other world. From all that I can remember, I was an only child, no brother or anything of that sort. If I did have a brother, wouldn't he be a wolf as well?

"So where is he?" I asked as we stopped in front of a door. He knocked thrice on the door, in an instant, there was a loud clamor coming from the inside.

"Right in here..." Quaretzel cracked open the door. It all happened in an instant, the door swung blinding fast and I felt something slam into my abdomen, accompanied by a happy yip sounding like:

"ONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!" For the first few seconds of the after shock, it felt like I had been hit with a cannon ball, after that I remember not being able to breathe with the air literally squeezed out of my lungs. My escorts had to pry whatever assaulted me.

I gasped for air the first chance I got, and looked up to see the biggest pair of ocean blue eyes on a white fox face, staring right at me, its tongue lolling out in happiness.

"Onii-chan?" It asked, cocking its head to the left, "Why do you have oppai (boobs)?"

Author's Notes:

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading, liking, and favoriting The Blue Stranger, The Red Curtain. I'm going to be honest, when I first wrote this, I seriously had mixed feelings on what your reactions would be, ranging from the worst being "This is just some tragic Gary Stu bullshit" to "Not bad, will continue". I never expected that this would be hugely popular, even to warrant a few features on the front page.

I want to thank everyone in the CGoTG group for being there since the beginning, the guys on dA for helping me nurture my skills as an artist, and a big thank you to BlackWing, even though I've probably thanked you like 20 times already, here's one more. You and Rust have been a huge inspiration to a lot of us on FimFiction, and here's hoping that when our stories do have to come to an end, we'll all end it with the biggest sendoff that words can describe.

As you might have noticed, to commemorate BSRC hitting 400+ Likes on FimFiction, I've drawn some new cover art. You can pick up a High-Res Print of it from my Deviant Art page, if you want to show even more support.

Heh, to think that a year went by so fast, and I remember my first coverart was just a scanned in pencil sketch with Photoshop edits, and my grammar and syntax was absolutely horrible. We grow up so damn fast, in skill and experience, as well as in friendship and camaraderie.

Now I know I promised a 40,000 word chapter, but after pondering it a bit, I think that a nice teaser release is best, like an appetizer before the main course.

"NIGGAH, I WANTED TO READ 40k biatch!!!" I know. I know, but after talking with the guys on IRC a bit, they suggested I break it down into smaller portions, so if you want to blame someone.

You can ACTUALLY blame Mango and Zeta (Cloud_Surfer and Fordregha). That's right, we can actually blame Mango for this.

But this is still lacking for having had you all hyped up, and sadly with my senior year kicking my ass even more, I'm ashamed to say that the next update won't be until--and you are going to be reading this right--fucking December. But I'll be surprised buttsexed by Molestia if I don't deliver something that I can truly say is fucking beautiful.

Until next update, stay awesome.

From Bad to Worse [36]

I would have explained to the others how a fox was now present at the warren, but strangely enough, Eol, Ubi, and even Keith were absent from their usual posts, leaving me alone with what had his arms currently fastened to my back. After bringing him up to my room, and fastening the locks, I pried his arms off of my neck and gently set him down on a stool right across from the bed where I sat.

I stared for a long while, not knowing what to make of the situation, while the little fox stared back with big blue eyes and a childish grin, and four tails wagging behind him. I was never in this situation before, utterly helpless on what to do or say. He just stared, cocking his head to one side, black bangs swishing across his eyes. I pulled out the small case of my candy and asked him. “Do you want a lollipop, little cub?”

He fell off the stool abruptly. "BAKA! (Idiot!)" He yelled. <<I thought you'd know by now...>>

I blinked twice. <<Forgive me, but I don't think I know you. You see, I never had a brother.>>

“Hidoi! (How mean!)” He pouted. <<I'm So-ji-ro My-yo-o-jin! You're my brother!>>

I sighed. I decided to humor him. <<Alright then. What was our mother's real name?>>

He took a deep breath, and shouted, “Koyahayami Midoriino Senshuri Hanaza Myoujin!!!” I froze.

At first I thought it was a coincidence that this little fox had the same last name, even more so that he spoke japanese, or Neighongo in this universe. But only our family knew my mother's full name. But still, how could he be my brother?

<<How is this even possible?>>

His face turned solemn. <<*Sniff* You don't know me, because... I was never alive...>>

It was then that I remembered, years back, before that day. My mother and father had told me that I was in for a surprise, with mother making my favorite dish. I remembered that mother looked a bit different, and my father had said to me, with his signature carefree smile:

<<Soon, we're going to have another one in the family.>>

It was starting to make sense. But why now? I need to talk to Nora about this.

“Talk to me about what?” I nearly fell out of my seat with his appearance. Suddenly, Sojiro's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

“WAN-WAN-KUN! (Doggy)!!!” With a burst of speed, the little fox slammed into Nora.

“Him.” I said on the ground, having dodged the furry missile aimed at Nora. “You brought him back to life just to throw him into a dangerous world? How could you!”

He looked exasperated at my accusation. “The only one I had brought over was you, and that already took an immense toll on my power.” He looked uncomfortably at Sojiro nuzzling into him.

“Kawaii desu, (He's sooo cute!)” Sojiro cooed, muffled by Nora's fur. I couldn't help but smile, he reminded me of when I was a child and would do the same thing. All of a sudden, Nora grit his fangs, filled with an ungodly anger.

“I think I have an idea of who did this,” he growled. “If I can preserve my strength for a while, I can bring him back to his natural domain.”

Sojiro's ear perked up and then he barreled into me now. <<NO! I don't want to go! I wanna stay with my brother!>> He looked up at me with endearing eyes, wide and teary. My heart melted. I picked him up in a warm loving hug.

“It's okay, you can stay for a bit. I'll protect you...” Just then I felt a squeeze in my chest, I looked down to see him squishing my breasts.

<<Heehee, you're squishy, like marshmallows.>> My mind went completely blank. The door opened with Ubi and Keith walking in, my gaze snapped to them.

"And that, Ubi, is how you pick a-" Their jaws dropped, smashing through the ground.

“I... he... you... boobs... what?” Keith stuttered. Ubi fainted with blood gushing from his nose.

The room was still for several seconds, until I cleared my throat. “Ahem, this is Sojiro... my brother.”

Keith reached down to pick up his jaw from the floor and snapped it back in place. “Okay, and why is he grabbing your tits?”

“I-um-well... I don't know.” By definition, I would consider this an awkward moment. I suddenly heard a snore below my chin and lo and behold, the poor fox fell asleep with his little black nose right between my breasts.

Keith snickered. “Dude, if that isn't the cutest motorboat I've ever seen, I don't know what is.”

I gave a sharp glaze to Keith before setting Sojiro down on my bed, pulling the covers over him, and tucking him in. I slumped down into a chair at the other end of the room, rubbing my temples.

“There's a fox in my room who is apparently my brother, Ubi's unconscious, and Eol is nowhere to be seen. It seems that everytime I get my priorities straightened out something just happens to pop up...”

Keith looked at me with an embarrassed grimace.

“Something else just popped up, didn't it,” I asked bluntly.

Keith nodded sheepishly. “Shit happens in a week. And, ahem, I just got a letter in the mail... and... well...”

“No... don't tell me...”

He gulped. “It's from Rainbow Dash. For some reason, she's coming here, like now.” The world sped up around me at light speed, the room started to swirl, and I felt my entire life going down the shitter at that very moment, that against all restraint I couldn't help but utter:

“... Fuck...”

I had planned to find a cure for this, research this in time for the ball, being able to turn back to normal, been able to prepare to see her again, but GOD-FUCKING DAMMIT! WHY NOW?!

I slid out of the chair in hopelessness, contemplating confronting her looking like this.

“Damn, that bad huh...” He said, barely audible as I felt the weight of the world pressing me down into the ground.

I could bear having half of Gem Fido ogle me out of instinct, I could bear the sexist puns that Varg made every so often, I could even bear the wolf whistles that rang out every time my hips swayed in the caverns, but for her to see me like this...

Words and phrases rang through my mind of what she would say if she saw me. “Cross dresser, tranny, Oiran (she doesn't even know what that means), Weirdo.” Even worse, would she even recognize me? “Oh you must be Aoi's sister. Wait, does he even have a sister?” Welp there goes the farm, finished, my life was over, headlines ring out that Rainbow Dash is now dating a transgender wolf.

“Dude, it's not the end of the world. Take a chill pill. Heck why are you even so worried that Rainbow Dash is coming?”

“How about you get your gender changed suddenly, see how you feel.” He thought about it for three seconds then looked up in horror.

“OH GOD THE SHIPPING!!!” He clutched his head with his hooves and crumpled down on the floor. “WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GET THAT IMAGE INTO MY HEAD!!! MIND SOAP! MIND SOAP!!!”

This had to all be a dream, a nightmare, soon I was going to wake up, be back in my bed with a weird ass copy of me in the mirror and my gun in hand. Or I was delusional, that's right, delusional, and I'm really in a mental asylum for having broken down from the Bitsburg incident. (Hee Hee, tick tock goes the clock, Aoi's had his block knocked off) Or maybe this is just some cruel prank, and sooner or later Eol's going to pop in saying “Gotcha” with a camera or something.

“YEE-HAW!” I heard before the door busted down, with an orange mare with a cowboy hat, a lasso tied around Eol's muzzle, Eol himself bucking around like a rodeo horse. This whole world was going to shit before my eyes, and I was the conductor of the poop train.

The mare hopped off, and Eol stood up to take the lasso off his muzzle, panting and sweating before slumping to the ground in a crash. Her golden ponytail flicked back before she coyly greeted, “Howdy partner?”

Ubi took a sniff of the air from the ground and shot up, drooling. “I smell pie...” He hounded the mare, sniffing her from maw to tail. “*gasp* You're that mare from the Gala!” He cheered hopping up and down like an excited child.

“Apple Jack?!” Keith cried in surprise. “Mother of..." He pulled off his goggles in a dramatic manner, "... GOD...”

I looked up silently at the ceiling, contemplating suicide to save me from this madness. I might as well have, for the next voice I heard stabbed me straight through the heart.

“How's it going?”

Kill me now...

“Wow, this place is messier then hay in a tornado,” Apple Jack remarked. Rainbow Dash looked around, then finally spotted me. I shut my eyes, wanting to make the whole world go away. She finally trotted up to me and said:

“Hey, you must be Aoi's sister.”

Please... just kill me now...

“Nope,” I manage to squeak out. “It's me...”

“Abagaha-whaaa?” She gawked.

The room went silent again. A giant dog spirit, a sleeping fox, an apple farmer, two diamond dogs, a crazed gunman from the grassy knoll, a stunt mare, and a female anthropomorphic wolf all in a single bedroom. If you had told me these things could exist in a single nexus prior to me coming here, I would have thought you insane, but now I'm wondering if my mental health was as solid as I thought. But sadly, in a world where Murphy's law becomes a cornerstone of reality, it did get stranger and stranger from here.

"Well, I mean, you're... you..." Rainbow Dash blushed. "You do kinda look cute like this."

"Wat..." Everyone besides Sojiro deadpanned, who was still snoring underneath his blanket.

"I mean, not that I'm into that kinda stuff, I mean, um... Wow... You look great!"

=Keith=

Fanfic writers, START YOUR ENGINES!

=Rainbow Dash=

Smooth, Dash, dig your own hole deeper, why dontcha?

=Aoi=

I had no idea how I felt about this.

"Well heh, this sure does explain a lot now, doesn't it?" she mewled, rubbing her shoulder with a hoof.

"Boy howdy, you musta been through somethin' fierce if you got a hole where yer hood was."

"WHOA.... duuuude!" Keith bit his hoof. "I can't believe I just heard that from Apple Jack."

"Eh? An why not? Fer the record spinning, how d'you know my name?" Dash pulled the farmer's ear close and whispered something.

"Ooohhhhhhh... yer wunna them alien folk, arentcha?"

"Alien?" Keith scratched his mane. "I have no idea what your on about?"

"She means human, Keith," I said from my flat-backed state. He went wide eyed.

"You mean, they know about us already?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to miss a certain profanity spewing captain making headlines before the Gala," Dash retorted, pulling out a newspaper from last year.

"Um, Rainbow, where exactly have you been keepin' that newspaper?" At once, she looked down at her sides and, realizing that she had no saddlebags on, collapsed with her hooves grasping at air.

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMO-HO-HO-RE!!!" she cried.

"Damn, just about half the known fanfics in the world just got shot in the dark right there. Humans are the norm, ponies know that their logic doesn't make sense, Dashie's a potential bi, next you'll be telling me that you two were in a long distance relationshi-" A tap on Keith's shoulder halted him as Apple Jack flipped to another newspaper with me and Rainbow Dash at the Gala dancing.

Keith stared with a poker-faced look. "Well fuck me sideways." Keith pulled out a bottle of liquor and popped the cork. "That explains the panic."

Awkward silence filled the room, small sounds eked out from the gurgle of bourbon to Ubi constantly sniffing Apple Jack. It was the moment when you are unsure of what to talk about, yet you contemplate ending a conversation due to the immense amount of eventful circumstance that preceded a seemingly casual conversation. None had any words to say. A dog spirit was sitting on my bed, my brother sleeping just at his feet, my colleague drinking away the enormous amount of 'what the hell just happened', my other brother retrograding into feral behavior, my third brother exhausted on the floor, an apple farmer increasing in discomfort, and my close friend beginning to question her sexual promiscuity. Horror is a description saved for utterly grotesque situations, Disgust is saved for unsavory situations. Polarization of current reality? Overwhelming discord? No, none quite describe this moment more accurately than simply the word "awkward".

Keith had told me about these kinds of moments, and it was one of the few things he actually taught me. They are the moments where everything, social matters, life circumstances, personal aggressions, all come to a complete halt. One where everyone, regardless of status or state of being is at an almost unresolveable stalemate. The only noises come from small creaks and groans and sniffs and coughs and all other minute disturbances that refuse to allow complete silence, further attributing to this awkward moment. It is the ultimate vacuum that follows an explosion of unreasonable, unpredictable, and unfathomable events, that halts everything so that the world slows down to a crawl simply to register the fact that "Well, that happened". The panacea to such moments stems from something bold, something sudden, something to send a voltage o life back into the dissonance that preceded the moment. With Keith's mouth filled, Eol passed out, Ubi sniffing Apple Jack, Dash and Apple Jack clearing throats, Nora staring aloof, meditating on the paragon of the world, and Sojiro sleeping, the task fell to me.

.......

......

......

"You know what?" I began.

"I'd fuck me."

Everyone cleared the room except for Sojiro, Rainbow Dash, and I, my sudden outburst cued the group that the party was over. I clasped my digits together, staring at the ceiling. Rainbow Dash, whether spent from the journey here, or simply wanting to join me, flopped down right next to me, wings outspread on the floor.

"You know, I'm starting to think that you humans are more random than even Pinkie Pie, and that's saying something. Then again, I'm not really sure what I expected from aliens."

"Funny you should say that. I've been through the ringer of unforeseeable instances, yet I'm absolutely dumbfounded by this strange world of talking horses. I've fought a dragon, got drunk, got turned into a woman, met a crazy griffin hell bent on making this world his utopia, a secret agent changeling, fought an undead wolf and somehow won, pole danced, fought giant pony mechs, and is currently about to attempt diplomacy with the largest creatures on this planet. To not be sure what to expect of a universe based on a childish cartoon is a gross understatement."

Talking things out, things suddenly didn't seem so bad, now that the worst--at least of this issue--was passed, there was a feeling of inexplicable relief. I reached over with my paw and grasped her hoof as we looked at the ceiling, a surface which, for the longest time, I never noticed to be speckled with such awe-inducing gems that stirred the light passing through them and formed something akin to an entire cosmos before our eyes. Dark rocks took the emptiness of space, the gems became galaxies, and rainbow hued nebulas splashed across the textured stones. I imagined one of the millions of particles was earth, seeming so distant now as if just a fond memory.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to fly into space," she mentioned. "In my friendship letters to Princess Celestia, I added one or two letters to Princess Luna, asking what it was like to be part of the night sky. I never got one back, though."

"I've never been either, but some other humans have."

"Really? Heh, you humans get to do all the cool stuff."

"You may think that, but space has no oxygen, you'd have to go up there in a tiny craft called a spaceship that was very complicated, and compressed. One small slip up in the materials and boom: no more spaceship." I made a small ring with my thumb and foredigit.

"A failure in a part this small caused the space shuttle 'Challenger' to disintegrate before it even got out into space."

"Wow, now that I think about it, some of the things you make are pretty dangerous."

I nodded, "Guns, swords, weapons, nuclear warheads, scary stuff to deal with, even scarier up close. Heck the paranoia of the '60's had people fearing satellites because of people thought they'd be used to fire missiles from space. But there are some things that can be really helpful, like vaccines to help your body fight off viruses, or cellphones to provide immediate communication. Keith and I got close though with these cups." I took out my cup and showed it to her.

"We cut the magic thread with scissors if we need to cut communication for some reason, and to regain it, we tap the bottom of the cups together. Keith's interested in wondering how magic works in this world. For me, though it may be something useful, it shouldn't be something to depend on."

She snickered. "Yeah, I can see what you mean. Twilight and her egghead stuff going on, she barely ever goes outside, okay maybe not barely, but still, she's got her face crammed in a book most of the time learning some new spell or something." She looked to the side and spotted Sojiro.

"So who's the shrimp?"

"That 'shrimp' is my brother."

"Oh, oops."

I sighed. "I just met him not long ago actually, came to Gem Fido looking around for me. I meet him and he claims he's my brother. Weird circumstances I know, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to just put him in another person's care."

She looked at him more and more, thoughts churning in her head before she looked back up at the ceiling.

"I never had any siblings, it was just me, my mom and my dad. Dad took care of me mostly, but mom. She often went up and left sometimes, here, there, gone, back. My dad said She was special, the fastest pegasus there ever was, but she'd always have to go away for some reason. One day I caught a glimpse of how fast she really was. I woke up one night and looked out my window, and saw her, flying through the air, then, she looked like she was about to do a sonic rainboom, but then. *whumph* gone, no trail, no boom, no nothing, just the air going *whumph* like kicking a cloud, except 2000% louder, and gone. The next second later, she was right behind me.

'What's got you up so late at night?' she said. I couldn't believe my eyes, she was so fast, she could flash right behind me without even knowing it. She was so awesome. Then one day, she went flying, and never came back. I saw her again a few times when I moved to Ponyville, chased after her twice, but every time I tried, there would be the *whumph* again, and she'd vanish into thin air. I felt that air once, when I was right behind her, then *whumph* but this time something hit me so hard I spun for a whole minute. It was like a force of a sonic rainboom in something as thin as a toothpick. That's why I want to be faster, faster than I had ever been my whole life, so that one day, I could catch up to her before she goes *whumph* and I lose her again. And when I finally catch up to her, I want to ask her one thing: 'Why did you leave?'." She sniffled. "Sorry about that, I guess it must be more of that sentimental stuff."

I smiled. "I think you can do it."

"Really?" She beamed.

"No... I KNOW you can," I asserted. I envied her. She had a dream, something that drove her fiercely to achieve something just out of reach. With enough motivation, a single man could dig through a mountain as long as he wanted what was on the other side. She had something I lacked. To be honest, I was content with living out the rest of my days here at the Oblong Tomb, with each passing day, I disliked the notion of war based on an ideological standard of me that stemmed from a legend. With each passing day, I could settle with simply doing errands, Varg offered to house me as long as I needed to. I could see it in everyone else as well: Ubi had found his mother, Eol avenged his father, Keith is content with inventing things and experimenting like old times, Sojiro--whom I just met--seemed oddly content with just having found me, and I...

... Well, I had a family again. It was weird, it was chaotic, it was even annoying at times, but at the end of the day, it was caring, it was loved, and it was mine.

It was something I had always wanted, aside from vengeance, it was what had dreamed of having once again. It was those dinners where we talked about our days, swapped stories, ate wholesome meals. It was those days at the beach, where we would collect seashells, except now it was mile long laps turned into casual strolls through the forest around the mountain's base. It was getting drunk off of wine and camaraderie, then waking up with the worst headache you've ever had, but the night before was so damn worth it. It was feeling the embrace of people who you knew you were safe with them, and you held them tighter to make them promise that they would never leave you. It was painting the ones you loved in Sumi-e and even though it wasn't perfect it was still beautiful. It was taking that long breath of cold winter air with someone beside you who was willing to suffer with you as you were going to burning sensations that made you want to tear your skin off. It was finding someone who you didn't know but didn't care because they were alone and didn't want to be alone anymore.

Yes, it was a family. It was my family, and her family was my family as well. So for me, it wasn't that far of a stretch to believe that Rainbow Dash could fly fast enough to catch up to her mother, if only to hug her, hold her, love her, talk to her, kiss her, cry on her shoulder, do everything that daughters do with their mothers because mothers should be there for their daughters.

One thing that I know as an absolute truth: If a god stole a child's mother and father away, she would wage war against heaven itself to get them back. Why? Because that's what love is.

In some ways, she reminded me of Elena, how she wanted her family, craved it, desired it, yet even when she couldn't have it, she made the best of it to make what she did have into a home. Rainbow Dash couldn't have her mother, and chased it every chance she got, but even if she fell just a breadth of a hair short, she still had something waiting for her, her friends: Apple Jack and Pinkie Pie and Rarity and Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle.

Even if she didn't have all of them, she'd still have me.

"Aoi?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still... like me?"

"Of course I do... do you still like me?"

She nodded. We turned to each other, looked in each other's eyes; Hers was cerise, velvet irises filled with a glistening soul. I wondered what she saw in mine.

"Rainbow Dash?"

"What is it?"

"There's something that I've always wanted to tell you." I could say it now. Not through letter written on a piece of parchment, but through actual words.

"Well if you want to say it then say it," she giggled.

"For a long time now, I've written all these letters, but they never quite told you how I really feel about you. Rainbow-"

"Heh, you can call me Dashie if you want to."

A light grin stretched across my face. "Dashie, I don't remember when the Gala was, but I still remember how we danced, tangoed, slow danced, and made the crowd go wild. But they didn't matter, only you mattered right then. I should have stolen one right then and there."

"Stolen what?"

"A-" I looked up and saw Sojiro wide awake, looking right at us.

<<Is she your girlfriend?>> My face went strawberry red.

<<Y-You...>>

Rainbow Dash turned her attention to Sojiro, her face turning equally red. "Oh-Um-I-Uh..."

<<Heehee... you two look like strawberries.>>

We sat up and tried to explain the situation, though we didn't really know what to explain or how to explain it.

<<Um... How much did you actually hear?>> I asked cautiously.

He put is chin on his hands, with a smug grin. <<Enough to know. When are you two getting married?>>

My jaw hit the floor.

"Um, what did he say?"

"Um, er, he said, um, that... *Ahem* Nothing... really."

Rainbow Dash started to giggle, "Haha, at times like these, you're a terrible liar."

I turned my ears up, looking around. "Oh, Uh, did you hear that? It's the, uh, lunch bell. Mmm, I'm starving, let's get something to eat." I grabbed Rainbow Dash by the hoof and zoomed out of my room as fast as I could.

"Wait, since when did you have a brother?"

"Since about two days ago apparently," I answered.

"I... guess that explains it?" Suddenly the actual lunch bell rang.

*SLAM*

The door slammed into the wall as Sojiro zipped out of the room yelling, "MESHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! (FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!)"

The door creaked sluggishly back to its resting place, Rainbow Dash and I flattened against the wall.

"He's a bit hyperactive..."

"Yeah," she mumbled, "I noticed." She pulled her nose back out to it's regular length and we walked towards the dining hall.

I looked over at her, worry pinched her brow together. I guess she was a bit uneasy, seeing this many Diamond Dogs. I reflected on their image on Equestrians. Here were suppose to be rampant slave traders, dogs who would kidnap without a second thought, but from my time knowing the other side of the story, I felt for both sides.

"I trust you were well welcomed?"

She snapped out of it and answered. "Oh um, yeah. I was just wondering about some things. One is well... you."

"Oh? What about me?"

"Well, kinda about how did you get a mountain this... fancy."

"It's not mine, per say, technically Varg's hosting me and my clan for the time being. Him and his clan carved out this entire mountain's interior, with the help of some of the refugees."

"Refugees?"

I nodded. "Refugees are rescued from select guerrilla operations. Whenever they get a chance to rescue, they'll take it. Griffins, ponies, even other diamond dogs have made their way here. I don't know what goes on in Varg's head, but he stuck to guerrilla operations until now. I'm not one to infer too much, but I think Varg's ready for an all out war?"

Her eyes widened. "War?"

"I'm afraid so. Delegations have been going well with some other dragons, and so far, 6 or so clans have joined our side or stayed neutral. Quaretzel's one who's neutral at the moment, though he is joining our side if we do spark a war with the other clans."

"Do you have to go to war?"

"I'm not, for the most part, but Varg's a bit battle hungry, he's even gone on some guerrilla missions just to be behind enemy lines. Not that I looked, but I think he gets a hard-on for war, he's just too 'noble' I should say to admit it."

"Who's Varg?"

"The owner of this mountain, he's the big undead wolf you may or may not have met; he's the Underking, the other clans call him. Now my turn to ask some questions. How and why did you and Apple Jack come here?"

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head. "You know, the funniest thing happened, Apple Jack got an order straight from Gem Fido for about 4000 apple pies."

The smack on my forehead brought a few eyes upon us.

"Huh?"

"I think I know who place the order."

"Really? Who?"

"Nevermind that, I'll deal with it later." Although it was a major risk for her to come here during such time of discord, but part of me was glad she was here. Irresponsible of me, I know, I should have escorted her back immediately, but... I felt she was much safer here.

"When you you have to leave for Ponyville again?"

"Well, technically once Apple Jack's finished unloading the pies, but I don't see the problem in staying the night." She strafed closer to me, I could smell the scent of Equestria on her: free flowing wind draped across her wings, carrying from all directions the scents of tart apples, sweet cotton candy, earthy black birch, haute parfum, and slightly saline ink. I breathed in slow, allowing the aromas to fill my nostrils to their limit, and nostalgia grips me of the first time I went to Ponyville, and heh, Eol borrowing all those books from Twilight, the overdue fines must be off the charts by now.

God, how I'm taken back by such short but fond memories, and I can feel the joy in having visited such a happy and peaceful place. This mountain has it's share of happy times, though I can feel the tension bound sometimes in the opposition between these species that live with a rock over their heads. I can see that some ponies long for the open pastures of Equestria once more, and the griffin's aching to fly out in the open again. I wonder how long some of the refugees have been here. I know that some even had children here once or twice, their midwives being those of other species that at one time or another would have never given a damn about those different than them, but here it seems, as more and more years pass, the refugees here are torn between wanting to go back to their homelands, or to stay here with a family extended beyond appearances and genetics. We've come to trust each other more and more, who can see eye to eye on things. One person's random act of kindness to another has been the foundations on which the Tomb has survived all these years.

A pony walked up to us, Just Desserts, and asked me to peruse the menu. "The chefs have prepared a wonderful collaboration with Apple Jack on today's luncheon, and I must say many of our diners seem to be very excited about having Apples Shipped in all the way from Sweet Apple Acres. I must thank you for inviting them."

"Don't thank me, I'm not the one that invited them. If you want someone to thank, look for a silver diamond dog with a high collar vest."

"I will. But first, today's main courses consist of a delicious Shroomsteak with crumbled bleu cheese and garnished with scallions and a white melted butter cream sauce as well as a side of black berries. A little salty for sensitive palates, but perfect for someone who enjoys something robust with a bit of bite. Next course is another heavy one, succulent Mareghety Bay cod with a side of scallops in an herb butter pan sauce and cloves. Mild without the butter, but the texture just melts in your mouth."

"That's a lot of butter don't you think?"

"Well yes, but your doctors instructed me to provide you with a high calorie meal. I do tend to pride myself in not just slapping on a greasy burger to serve, oh no! Only the best of the best shall be made by my hooves."

I licked my lips at the mouthwatering descriptions. "I am glad to see that you have the dishes well underway, but what about dessert?"

He rubbed his hooves together with anticipation. "That's the best part, with the shipment of fresh apples, I've hit grand inspiration, for your private selection, a little bird told me that you were fond of sweets."

I snickered, "Guilty as charged."

"For dessert for you and our visiting mademoiselle-" He nodded at Dash. "I have prepared a rather homely dish that you might find fond of, I call it "Tengoku ni tsuretteite" (Take me to Heaven). Think of it sort of as a reverse apple pie, with fluffy choux dough with a warm apple syrup topping, there is an extra ingredient, but that's a class secret."

I was interested. "Oh is that so? I look forward to sampling this new creation."

With a flicker of pride in his eyes, he galloped away. I looked down at Rainbow Dash, who was scratching her chin now.

"Is something wrong?"

She shook her head slightly, "I couldn't make out half of what he said, but what I did catch made me hungry"

"Haha, yeah, chefs do have a way with words, don't they?" I looked back at her, she looked troubled. "But that's not what got you scratching your chin now, is it?"

She huffed. "I guess it's been so long, and so much has happened since we met. When I first met you, you didn't really seem all that high class, now look, you've got a chef, an airship, and so much more, and you're a girl now."

I pouted. "Did you really have to bring that up?"

"Well it's kinda hard not to notice."

"I won't deny that."

"But what's been bugging me even more was that... well, when you get down to it, I don't really know you that well. Heck it was a shock to me that you like sweet stuff, somehow I feel you know a lot more about me than I know about you."

"You're right. Tell you what, after lunch, we can go back to my room and catch up." I opened the door to the mess hall to see the entire den in an uproar, and bread rolls flying in every possible direction. Some asshat started a food fight.

"HIT THE DECK!" Dash pulled me down to save me from a wild croissant that hit the far wall with a splat, apparently it was buttered.

"What kind of a moron would start something like-" My eyes trained on the motion in the room towards a certain husky standing with a baguette in his hands like a rapier, riding a certain profanity spewing stallion.

"Eol?" I would expect this of Keith, but Eol I thought better o-

"VIVA EQUESTRIA!" I heard an accented voice cry.

"Apple Jack?" Rainbow Dash inflected.

Ponies, Griffins, and Diamond Dogs alike with yelling and hollering and laughing at the barrage of baked goods whizzing through the air like cannon balls.

"Maybe we should-"

"I'm gonna-"

*smooch*

Our lips touched as we turned to speak to each other. I felt my face flashing red with an intense heat, smoldering fire spreading throughout my entire body. A single instant, and then we both pulled away.

"-go someplace else," we finished simultaneously. I looked past her as I saw Ubi waving his hand to beckon us to a more private place. We went prone and crawled to the alcove. After breathing a sigh of relief, I wiped my forehead and asked:

"Do you have any idea why bread is flying all over the damn mess hall?"

He shrugged. "Cook set up in your room for lunch." He turned and faced the door. "I'll try to get things calm." He sniffed and shuddered before heading back into the madness outside. Rainbow Dash looked at me, seeming more confused than before.

"Is it just me, or is that guy a bit... off."

Whatever it was I didn't notice it. We made our way back to my room in silence, the moment just minutes before having zipped our mouths shut. An invigorating tingle made my paws twitch and my shoulders roll occasionally in their sockets.

"Is something wrong, you seem kinda tense."

"Just peachy."

She looked at me, dubious, "You're also pink."

I opened my mouth slightly to respond, but nothing immediate came to mind. "Well you can say I'm... getting acclimated to being of the opposite-"

"You're in heat right now, aren't you..."

I lurched forward at her blunt interruption. Backed into a corner, I nodded. She smirked and bit her lower lip.

"I'd tell ya it get's easier, but... well it doesn't. Thank Celestia Rarity let's me borrow her 'package' every now and then."

"Her 'pa-'" I paused. "Nevermind."

"Hehe, you know you're kinda funny when you get embarrassed."

"Who says I'm embarrassed." I looked away.

Without warning, she pressed close to me, sending a shiver up my spine.

"You're a horrible liar when you're embarrassed."

"Am not!"

"K.... BWAHAAHHAHAHA! You SO are!"

I crossed my arms. "Oh?! Well... Hmm... err..." She had me there.

"Relax, it's nothing to be ashamed of, we all go through it, and by we, I mean the girls back in Ponyville. Some... deal with it differently."

I was suddenly afraid, but tempted. "How so?"

"Well, this and that, with Pinkie... well... let's just say after she first went through it, we Pinkie Swore to never touch her 'special' pink frosting."

I gulped. "P-pink frosting?"

"Yeah, she dips her hoof in the stuff and-"

"JUST... asking for clarification purposes, no need to heh... go into detail."

"Oh, right..." She let a brief pause separate topics before she continued. "How have you been dealing with it?"

"Um... cold showers and... lollipops."

Her eyes went wide. "You mean you-"

"NO!!!!" I yelled waving my hands in a crossing motion. "I mean I just... take cold showers and... enjoy candy..."

"Oh... huh... that's a lot less... racy than Twilight, I mean she has this 'secret catalogue' and she-'"

"Are you sure you should be gossiping about your friends like this?"

"What? I mean we're all kinda embarrassed about it, but it helps to talk about ways to help. Hay, sometimes I-"

"That's enough 'help' for now." We made it just in time back to my room. "It isn't really good pre-lunch conversation, don't you think?"

"I guess not," she agreed, rubbing the back of her head.

I opened the door to unveil an enriching display of tableware. One way or another, someone decided to not only set up this fantastic table, but also to... redecorate my entire room.

"Are you sure we're back at your room?" Rainbow Dash asked. I closed the door and looked at the plaque, reading 'Aoi'.

"I... guess so..."

The curtains had been changed to rich red velvet, walls redone in gothic wallpaper with gold filigree, twisting and turning like gilded vines across the walls, I looked up to see an arrangement of mirrors to reflect the light from the gems, draping the room with ribbons of spectral light. The tablecloth was set with a tasteful off-white pigment, contrasting the room and augmenting the display of the fine china, paired with, amazingly enough, ebony chopsticks of the finest cut. I almost felt ashamed at all the work put into it.

"I guess it's a dining room now, heheh." Uneasily I walked in and pulled out a chair for Dash.

"You know you don't have to do that," she grinned.

"Why of course I do, a gentlema-" It hit me... "Oh... right then."

I took my own seat and unfolded a napkin, flapping it open across my lap as if making my bed. As I did that, the cook rushed in with a tray filled with covered plates, and in a flash placed one in front of each of us. The cook bowed and lifted the silver covers to reveal our appetizer.

"Creme of Mushroom soup, with pecan garnish and a mixture of porcini, portabello, and shiitake, as well as diced spinach for garnish."

I could tell that the chefs did their homework, opting not for silverware, but glazed wooden spoons, a humble touch. I clasped my paws together.

"Itadakimasu." Dash did the same.

I scooped up a generous well of soup into the spoon, the smooth broth sliding in, with infinitesimal black islands poking out of the creamy sea. I slurped it up, letting the delicious texture intersperse itself across my tongue. The aroma was amazing, like warmth from the fireplace and the scent of hot milk tickling your nose after a long day out in the cold. And the taste, my god the taste, it was like the soup Elena and I had in Paris: rich, engaging tones with an earthly taste, almost homely, and filled with the life of a garden, cozy and soothing. I rolled my shoulderblades as the soup slid down my throat and filled me with warmth. I looked across my next spoonful at Rainbow Dash, who dropped all refinement and grabbed her soup bowl in hoof and greedily slurped it down before catching my glance, immediately slapping her bowl onto the table with a guilty look and, before she spoke in her defense, licked her lips with a sneaky slurp.

"Eheh, whoops. Ahem. It-it's good!"

I smiled and placed the spoon on the table, grabbing the bowl in my paws and lifting it up to her, as if for a toast, and sipped, the velvety broth cascading down to my stomach. After draining it, I gasped with satisfaction, the taste of the cream remaining on my tongue, embracing it and refusing to let go.

"Ah!" I sighed. Before I could let the soup settle in my stomach, the main courses came in: The Shroomsteak.

The covers were hastily flung off to reveal a humongous mushroom cap almost as big as the dish it sat on. It was seared to a deep brown, with marks on it that made the appearance like a well roasted flank of steak, but still retaining its round shape. My head tilted and my jaw hung open in awe at the sheer size of it. Rainbow Dash's mouth began to water. I looked at her and asked:

"I take it you've had this before?"

"Well... once, at Canterlot, but waaaaay too expensive, but boy was it good." She slurped up the saliva dripping off her tongue. "MMMMM MMM!"

My belly growled at the sight of such a beast of a meal. My stomache sensed the behemoth and flushed the soup aside to make room. The scent astonished me, it smelled just like meat, and the butter made it all the more heavenly, dripping off the sides of the cap and marinating it, clinging to it and making it shine in the light.

I grabbed a knife, slicing off a small morsel of the Shroomsteak, lifting it up to the gemlight with my chopsticks. It sparkled, the piece was marbled with white fat, though I was unsure of how. My teeth enclosed it, separating it from the visible world. Thunder struck through me as the taste overwhelmed my senses.

"U..... mai..... (De.... Licious...)" The two chopsticks fell to the floor, clacking together as they hit the ground.

What was this? It was nothing I had ever tasted before. More flavorful than sirloin, yet more tender than rib cut, this was on another level. The sauce coated it with a brilliant level of savor, yet the meat filled my mouth with a well centered umami taste. I stabbed my knife into the pristine table cloth and ravaged the shroomsteak with my bare paws, tearing into it with white canines, tearing off entire chunks of this beautiful roast, engorging myself on its wondrous piquancy, relishing in every mouthful. My eyes rolled backwards as pleasure engulfed me. A large chunk of the shroomsteak hit the bottom of my stomach with a satisfying plunk. My lips drew backwards as my tongue cleaned off a stain of butter from my maw.

I slapped the plate down on to the table, with Dash looking at me as if I had a wild, insatiable look.

"MOA- Ahem... more please." I ordered from one of the waiters. They brought in the next trolley, somewhat fearful now, and this time, the plates were huge, stuffed to the edge with white cod meat basted in a golden brown butter pan sauce. I wasted no time in getting replacement chopsticks and picking up a white, flaky bite. Just Desserts was true to his word, it melted in my mouth, my shoulders pinched together in petite enjoyment. The fluffy meat seemed to dance on my sense of taste, a bewildering contrast to the shroomsteak. I picked up another bite and popped it playfully into my mouth, rolling the white flesh around with my tongue to enjoy the silky, delicate, texture. If clouds were made of meat, then I could only describe it as a white cumulus, hearty yet refreshing.

A heavenly warmth began to build inside me filling me with energy. I shivered and let out a light giggle. I looked across to Dash to see her face smacked right in the middle of the filet, quiet munching noises muffled by the pile of fish. I could help but burst out in laughter.

She looked up. "What's so funny?"

"Heeheee you're covered in it..." I snorted. Bits of white fish were glued to her face.

It was like all sense of pressure and anxiety had been replaced by an overwhelming sense of giddiness and debauchery. Another wild emotion was welling up inside me, indescribable, it was weird, but so intense. Ebullient? Effervescent? Flamboyant? Filled with joie de vivre? No, none quite described it exactly. I felt kinda foolish that the only word that came the closest was... fluffy.

Yes... fluffy, It was like I was a warm blanket that I wanted to cover myself in and feel my own softness. I hugged myself as I laughed, almost falling out of my chair. I brought my arms behind my locks of hair and fluffed them out, patted my cheeks, rolled up my sleeves, sprawled out over the table and banged it.

"Um... are you... okay?"

"I don't know," I cackled. "I just feel so fucking wonderful!"

After the feeling subsided and I sighed in a well deserved break from my fit of laughter, I felt inexplicably light, yet deep inside still wanted something, craved something, something to finish this grand meal off.

"I don't know why, but I feel really really, MMM, I don't know what's the word for it... Oh well." I felt not a care in the world save for this shared moment. As the fluffy feeling subsided more and more, and I gazed back to Rainbow Dash, I felt more and more... intimate.

"So when did you have the Shroomsteak?"

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her chin, blue brow furrowed in thought. "I think last time I was at Canterlot for the Dinner for the Wonderbolt Academy Upperclassponies. But is sure didn't hold a candle to this." After finishing her filet she kicked back and put her rear hooves on the table and belched. "I might visit more often just for the food."

I grinned and followed in kind, burping loudly, so loudly that an unchewed piece of filet popped out of my throat and landed with a splat on the table. We looked at it for a split second, then burst into laughter.

"Good one!"

I wiped my mouth with a napkin, my face feeling flush from all the excitement from the past ten minutes. It left me wondering what was next on the menu.

Oh right! Dessert!

As soon as the thought popped into my head, a group of waiters came in, swept up our dishes and presented the final course: The supposed 'Take me to Heaven'.

The covers were unveiled to reveal a plethora of pastries, looking so light that a breath could cause them to crumble. The pastry was glazed and puffed and topped with a honey toned syrup, looking so sweet that you could taste the sugar that went into it just from smelling it. But aside from the wash of the initial sweet aroma, there then came a vivid new scent, one that filled both our nostrils to capacity. The scent was a homely bouquet of many things too combined to describe in comparing one thing or another, except in the scent of apples. We both shuddered at this intoxicating feast for our sense of smell, our mouths instantly watered. An old feeling returned, one that a week before had dominated my thoughts to the brim, one I had fought against with tooth and nail, but now allowed to well up inside me, a haughty, guilty fire inside me. I took a deep breath of the scent once more, my eyes fluttered and even with the filet and shroomsteak, a hunger more fierce than any in existence begged me to devour these dollops of pure joy.

I looked up at Rainbow Dash to see her, eyes half lidded, face a mix of blue and pink. Her expression was like a dream like state, fawning over the dessert before she even had a taste. Feeling a pang of pity, i lifted one up and guided it to her gaping mouth. She closed her lips around my fingers with a salacious moan, her wings unfurling into fluttering forms dancing with the utmost joy. I freed my fingers from her mouth, a strand of syrup tying the two together, slowly drooping in a sugary arc before snapping soundlessly.

I closed my eyes and opened my mouth, my tongue extending out as if rolling out a red carpet. I peeked with a slitted gaze as her hoof, holding a sample of the delight, placed it on my tongue. I receded and bit down on the pastry, and suddenly I was consumed with ecstasy in its purest form. A luxurious taste beyond anything conceived in my wildest dreams flowed in torrents of bliss across my mouth. Tastes morphed into such delectable forms so fast that I had only enough time to savor one for an instant before another took its place leaving me unable to describe a single one. My body was riveted by this sensation; I held myself tight; my legs crossed and I was left cold yet burning hot all at once. The same induced moan that Rainbow Dash had borne now echoed from my lips. I grabbed the table to retain my grasp on reality to prevent from ascending to a heavenly state, if only to have more of this... this...

Take me to heaven!

My paw shook as it reached for another one, grabbed it, and quickly delivered it to my mouth, lips wrapping around my finger, sucking my claw to retrieve every last bit of the sticky syrup from my fingers. A jolt of pleasure made every strand of fur stand on end. The fire within me grew fiercer still, craving more. I slowly drew my tongue across my teeth, making sure I tasted every single molecule of the dessert.

My legs unknowingly drew outward and touched Rainbow Dash's hooves. My eyes shot open as she did the same.

"Um... It feels kinda cold in here."

Rainbow Dash flapped once. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing." She scooted her chair around the table, and I do the same, until we both meet in the middle, side by side. I could feel the warmth of her body as she wrapped a wing around me. I snuggled close to her, and grabbed another pastry.

"Care for another?" She looked at me with an amatory gaze.

"I'd love another." She bent down and consumed it right from my paw, licking it clean of the syrup. I spied an ichor drop hanging from her lower lip, and I craned her neck up with a finger and drew my tongue against it, cleaning it off, and tasting the golden aromatic flavor of apples.

A welcoming tension brought my legs together. I wanted to keep this feeling, not the previous feeling I had once struggled against, but the feeling it had transformed into, something that made my heart race, something tempering my core into uncharted emotions that pumped blood through my veins with the crashing, thundering force of tidal waves.

We took turns feeding each other this culinary marvel. Each pastry grew in flavor and intensity, the warmth between us growing ever bolder and more untamable until it grew into a rambunctious flame between us. The very last piece of heaven sat on the plate, glimmering like a trophy that we both had won. She grasped it between her lips, and held it out to me.

I panted, slowly opening my jaws to accept her gift. My heartbeat accelerated to astronomical levels, as if it would explode and engulf us. Every fiber of muscle in my body tightened into a bundle, constraining something that pounded my insides, begging, pleading to be let out. My lips enveloped the slice of heaven and contacted with Rainbow Dash's lips.

Like a dam that could take no more, the last pastry erupted into a sea of immeasurable elation, my tongue shooting out of my mouth and into hers to lap up every single drop of euphoria, and hers invading mine to do the same. Her wings shot out and feathers broke free and fluttered to the ground. And all at once, every muscle in my body tightened to a constricting level then released. Heartbeats pulsed throughout my body and blood rang through my ears as if church bells ringing in jubilation. I grasped her tighter around me and continued to suck that precious heavenly sauce, rapture expanding through me at exponential rates until I felt a burst of release that prompted me to stand and lift her up into the air, holding her tighter than anyone I had ever held before...

*Squish*

Everything stopped. I sat her down, my legs wobbled as I did so. I landed with a plop back into my own chair. I gasped for air.

"What was that?" She asked, puzzled at the noise she just heard.

I paused, felt something wet underneath my kimono, and fearful of what it might be, I immediately excused myself.

"Pardon me... I need to go to the bathroom." And with that, I rushed out the door.

=Keith=

3...2...1... Cue Aoi.

*BAM*

Right on time. Aoi ran down the hallway, grabbing a towel and wrapping herself in it. Yup, thar she blows... I grabbed my sunglasses, donning them sportingly.

"Houston..." I said to myself, taking a shot. "We have noooooooooooo problems..."

=Aoi=

Here I was, sitting in a freezing pool of water just outside the mountain.

When I tried to find a common lavatory to "wash up", I had unwittingly attracted the largest conga line of male diamond dogs, tailing me with pheromone-dumbed expressions and anatomical responses to match. I quickened my pace to lose them but they just kept equal distance with me. I broke into a run, undoing my obi to free my legs to flee, fuck modesty. I ran through to the messhall to try and escape through one of the double doors to an escape cavern, but that just made the entire crowd double in size following me.

"UBI! EOL! HELP ME!!!"

At once Ubi saluted with a bloody nose on his face and whispered something to Apple Jack. The farmer put on a sly look and out of nowhere brought out a ginormous cart. WIth a slanted accent, she called with grand volume:

"WHO WANTS APPLE PIE!!!" She drew back the red covers to unveil stacks upon stacks of the Famous Apple Pie, The gorgeous smell hit me, tempting me to pull back speed, but I grabbed a scrunch of my kimono and blocked out the scent with my nose, continuing to run. The tactic worked, every diamond dog pursuing me suddenly turned 90 degrees towards the mountain of pies, suddenly jumping into the air to dogpile onto the cart. I glanced back and could see Ubi shed a small tear for the sacrifice of the pies...

It all made sense to me as I turned back to smash through the double doors, through the rocky tunnels, and out into Gem Fido, unceasing my pace as I dove into the nearest frozen lake where I now sat, breathing heavily.

After the thrill subsided, I felt a pang of sympathy for Ubi when I pieced together the information gathered. It was in fact he who ordered the pies, and to sacrifice the only non-diamond food he could actually enjoy for my sake, it was touching.

I could not let his sacrifice be unrewarded, I made a mental note to treat him to however many pies he wanted one day. But for now, I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat in the icy pool, which began to steam from the unexplained heat still churning throughout my body.

I leaned back, feeling my lower body slowly becoming cool and refreshed, pondering what happened that suddenly made me wet myself, and why every male in the warren suddenly became so viciously attracted to me right afterwards. Often they would court me, but at a respectful distance, but just then, they had eyes like wild hunters, driven not by prey, but passion.

Whatever had happened back at lunch, it made me feel amazing, and the burn of estrus was near completely gone. Was it something in the food? Most likely, but what? With my obi left behind, I couldn't tie back up my kimono, so I left it as it was, content with being alone with my thoughts.

I felt a bit sick, having left Rainbow Dash at the table. She must have been wondering where the hell I was. I grimaced at the thought that what had spewed from my lower front might have gotten on her. Shame weighed down on me as I dove my head into the water, cursing myself for acting so foolish. What the fuck got into me?

During the whole meal, I didn't feel like myself. It was as if I had breathed in some hallucinogenic miasma and "tripped out" like Keith. Did the chef spike the meal with something? It could have been aniseed. Yes, Aniseed that was it. I must have gone tipsy over that! No, maybe not, else I'd still be tripping. My head hurt and I resurfaced to grab a gasp of air, forgetting that my head had been submerged. I plopped backwards into the pool, muzzle barely poking out of the surface. I blew bubbles out the corner of my lips, watching as they floated to the top.

The temperature continued to drop, but slowly, easing back to crisp levels of frost on the surface.

"Blaaaaaaaaaaaah," I blubbered. Responsibility abandoned me, and I simply felt content to just mull over slowly disappearing thoughts.

"ACHOO! *sniff*"

"What in tarnations possessed you to go to sleep in a puddle 'o water?" Apple Jack asked me. I had woken up in my own bed soaking wet with a heated water bottle on my forehead curled up in a multitude of blankets. Apparently I had fallen asleep, how I had managed to fall asleep in a pool in freezing weather was beyond me.

"But it was soooooo comfy!!!" I debated, still delusional. I dribble of snot oozed from my nostril, and I brought it back with a ruddering snort.

"Dude, Ice water is far from cozy, not to mention your jubblies were peeking..."

"My pie..." I heard a whisper, I craned over to see Ubi weeping in the corner of the room, Eol patting him on the back.

"Aww quit yer bellyaching, can't you see Aoi needs some rest."

"I want ice cream," I moaned.

"And we lost him."

"You mean her?"

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE!!!" Another one fell victim to the day's confusing melodramatic events. I drifted off to sleep again.

=Eol=

"Cheer up, Ubi, you did a good thing."

"B-But, but..." He sniffled, looking at me with big, blue watery eyes. Ubi always did put on that rough, cold exterior of his, but in rare situations, he was just a huge softy at heart.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Scratch that, more like a big baby. I picked him up like the pup he was and carried him down to his mama.

"Oh Miss DUUUUUUST! Your son needs you." His mother--and I'm still wondering how in the world she's his mother--immediately got off her bed of diamonds and grabbed him from me.

"Oh, my poor baby, now you tell me what's the matter." Good gods, any more coddling nonsense talk and I would be puking rainbows.

"Believe it or not, we ran out of apple pie. He seems to like that stuff a lot."

"*Hic* *Hic* Shut up! It was good pie!"

I stuck a claw in my open muzzle and, with my work complete, headed to the quarry.

The quarry was a massive room that held boulders of different shapes, too big to move too far, and two hard to break into little chunks. Varg said all these boulders had been accumulating since the Oblong Tomb was founded. One of the mysterious stones were these greenish gray pillars. He said he found those, and no tool could ever begin to even chip the stone, let alone break it. After Varg yelled at me for collapsing an off-way tunnel from practice, I moved to the quarry to continue my practice.

"You wanna break your knuckles trying to smash 'em, I won't stop you."

I had made a lot of progress over the time Aoi was out with whatever was wrong with him. I held up my arms and curled up my paw in a fist. So far, Wolfe's Law was holding strong. I walked up to a pillar two hundred times my size. I pulled my arm back, and let it fly into the stone. A few cracks traveled up halfway to the top.

"Tch." I wiped my nose with a thumb, slowly going over to a pile of obsidian.

I tossed a chunk up, black glazed surface reflecting strips of light, and sent it down the hatch. I gagged and made a crude face. They tasted just like I imagined shit would taste like, with a gritty texture that would send most dogs puking for days. I read about how dragons get their colored scales, with dragons eating diamond and obsidian. Diamonds were like frosted cakes to most diamond dogs, so that was no problem, though it didn't seem to help me much. It was obsidian that I needed. Lots of it.

Varg wasn't wrong, I had broken my knuckles thousands of times on these damn pillars, I had no idea what the bark they were made of, but when I first started punching them to test them out, DAMN did my knuckles bleed. Before I could smash through blocks of iron with no sweat, but these stubborn pillars didn't even so much as tilt even in the slightest. I use to go in Stitch's office and have him string up my paws every time the skin broke from whaling on them. But whenever I broke an arm bone, cracked a shoulder, or even shattered every bone in my entire paw, I would cram the black shit stones till I was begging myself not to eat another one. It was worth every crumbly, gritty flake of obsidian. Seven months straight I had made my diet of just obsidian, and a daily routine of punching these barking pillars, slammed my fist into each one until I could feel the bones inside my arm just beginning to give, then snarf down more obsidian.

It wasn't until a month ago, that it all paid off, I managed to shatter the very smallest of the pillars, and when it did, I felt so damn proud. I remember exactly when. It was about twice my height. I finally managed to get a small crack in it, then another, then a fault, then a chunk off. My arms were tired as noon-day naps, but I felt just one more punch would do it. And I wasn't wrong. It shattered in a sparkle of green and silver. By that time, my arms had grown into massive clubs, and you could throw an entire stalactite at me, and I could flick it and make it explode into nothing but calcium dust.

My arms stopped growing, just barely touching the ground when I stood upright, but I could still feel the muscle and bone getting stronger underneath the skin. I worked my way up from the pillars, shattering each one more massive than the last. There were two pillars left, the one I was currently working on now, and another one, embedded deep in the mountain itself.

"Heh, I wonder what Aoi'd say now?" It was a year ago, I know, but damn did it feel good when I first punched that black dragon's face. Sure I only made a small crack, and the scales on the face are much weaker, but it felt good. Not only the fact that I did something worth while, but I managed to actually help Aoi, and he was proud of me. Often I would think back of when he would hand my own tail to me whenever we sparred, and I'd feel so weak. Same with Ubi, who'd always speak in that damn monotone whenever he won. Sure, I wasn't the best martial artist, hell probably never will be, but I'll make up for that. I'll make up for that ten times over, one hundred times over if need be.

So you know what? I wanna get stronger, stronger than any other diamond dog of my kind ever was, strong enough to wrestle with dragons and win, strong enough to not only demolish their scales with my fist, but crumble their bones with the aftershock. Aoi can fight armies with his sword, Ubi's got that eagle vision range with the bow, but me, I wanna take on dragons.

I still remember when Hade ate my father, watched as he gnashed his teeth and made him disappear before my very eyes. I regret never getting the chance to kill him myself. But I settled with Ensin. Alphas share power with their dragon, and both of them look down on those under their feet. I want to make sure they feel it, feel when my fist contacts with their invincible status and completely obliterates them till they're dust. I want to see the exact look on their faces when they try to crush me underfoot, and I can yawn and lift their feet above me with ease, then thrown them flat on their backs.

I got the chance that I wanted, to take revenge on Ensin for what he did. But I have yet a debt to pay to Aoi. I still don't know what happened to him, but I don't like it. He's not himself. I want the old Aoi back, the wolf that I looked at in awe when he sliced off Hade's Head, the wolf that threw out Varg--an ancient wolf of legend--and became a legend himself, the wolf that took on an entire city by himself, and the wolf I was happy to take an arrow to the knee for, the one who took another arrow to save me. I hope Keith and I can find a cure for him soon, whatever it is.

And then... then... we can take on all of Gem Fido together. Ubi's got his mother back, so he's got no reason to follow Aoi anymore. I don't blame him, We're alike in some ways, we've had our only family stripped from us, though the difference is that he got his back, and I found a new family with Aoi. Ubi has his family, and I have mine. One thing's for sure, I'll follow Aoi till Tartarus decides we're too damn awesome to live anymore, and even then I'll be at his side when we claw our way out of it.

Heheh, to think I almost accidentally killed the person I owe everything to. And to think he's led us this far. Even when he didn't mean to, he's become one of the greatest alphas Gem Fido has ever seen. He's like a second father to me. I think of him like that in more ways than one. Hell, he even kinda smells like my dad. Maybe he was sent here by the gods to be the father to those diamond dogs that have lost theirs.

You know, it's kinda ironic. I could never rejoin my clan because I left it, yet now we're back together, a clan under Aoi. I caught up with some of my old friends. One of them was Rald. I never told Aoi this, but Rald was a friend of mine I had saved from a collapse that would have killed him otherwise. I think Rald forgot it, but I never did. Being in the mines, we didn't have much social lives beyond our family clicks, so friends just means you remember each other. How sad...

Eolus Lazuli Inura. A wonder that I could remember my own full name. I was lucky, many forgot their own names and so we often just addressed each other as "Hey you, dog!" or "Hey you, bitch!". My father said to always remember others' names, even when they themselves have forgotten it.

"It keeps us from forgetting that we are unique."

I sat down, remembering all the fun we used to have, the little bits of joy that I remember from when I was a child. Dad teaching me how to read was the greatest feeling I had ever had. Now that I think about it though, I don't remember a happy moment that Aoi, Ubi and I could call fun. We would always just go our separate ways, doing our own things, and end up together again. Aoi in his room, Ubi with his mom, me here. We'd meet each other for breakfast, lunch and dinner, sometimes go in his room to see if he needed anything, but once again end up doing our own thing. There was that Gala a while back, but even then, we made off with our own plans, me spiking the punch, Ubi getting his first taste of pie, and Aoi dancig with that rainbow maned mare.

I looked back up at the pillar, the down at the remains of all the others that I had destroyed. I felt sort of bad, having spent all my time just getting stronger, but never getting to have any kind of fun. To be honest, I spent more time trying to contact Elsweyr rather than getting to know Aoi. I sat down and took another bite of obsidian, the black oily, gritty feel in my mouth finally getting to me. I dropped it.

I pulled up the red collar on my vest. How long have I been wearing this? I don't even remember. Funny that I can remember the weird things in life, but not even how long my clothes have been on my back, or even what my hair looks like anymore. When's the last time I even looked in a mirror? I rummaged around the rubble until I found a large plate of silver, and finally gazed on my reflection.

It was hard to see at first from my blurred vision, but holding the plate closer to my face, I could make it out. My fur was patched and tangled in some parts, overly grown in others, and the tan mark around my eye was still there from when I dripped the potion into it, and my eyes themselves were the same topaz yellow they've always been. My hair was slicked back, greased and black. Huh... to think I could remember my full name, but not even have a clue what I still looked like. I flicked the plate behind me and rubbed my face in my paws.

Is this what it feels like to realize that you're lonely? If so, then I was really lonely. I was lying to myself when I said I caught up with my friends. I barely even said hi! The quarry suddenly felt colder, as If I was just becoming aware of how spacious and empty it all was. I stood up and began to make my way up to Aoi's room.

"Aoi? Are you awake?"

I was answered by a mumble under some covers then-

"OH MY GODS SOMETHING'S EATING MY FACE!" Before I knew it, everything was blacked out by something white and furry. I grasped around in a panic trying to get what was on my face, but it was always just out of reach.

"BARK!"

*smack*

And I was out of it. When I woke up-

"BWAH!" I fell backwards, tied to a chair. That white fox from before stood on my chest and shushed me.

"SHHHHHHH!" I swear he got spit all over my face. "Nii-san's sleeping!"

"What? But-"

"SHHH!"

"I wanna-"

"SHH!"

I looked at him. He was a weird fox, first one I had ever met in fact. He had long bushy tails that you could use them as paintbrushes, I'm dead serious. He also had red markings at the corners of his eyes and two red streaks on each side of his face, almost like war paint that some of the tribal clans wore. He wore something that looked like what Aoi always had on, except his was red.

"You, stay here! Nii-san's asleep, you no bother him!"

I groaned. I flexed my muscles and broke the rope around me, scrambling to my feet. Totally not worth it, I'll just visit late-

OH GODS MY SPINE!

He cannonballed into me with such force I almost broke through the door.

"No, be good doggy! Stay here, be quiet!" What the ba-

"Hey Aoi, I got you some-" No, please, Keith... save yourself. "Coff-"

Too late. the little runt somehow managed to pull of a flying neckbreaker to Keith.

"OH GOD, WHAT THE HELL!"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Don't worry Nii-san! Imma get you tea!" He walked over to Keith and picked up the mug, walking out the door.

"Well that happened."

"What exactly just happened?"

"I'll explain it as best I can, you see, lil kitsune guy over there has the mindset of a HUMAN--and I cannot stress this enough--5 year old. Basically, he operates on a completely fucked up system of logic."

"So....."

"I got nothing, who knows what that little ball of fluff is thinking right now."

=Sojiro=

"Imma get him some tea, then grab the doggy I caught and cook him up in a stew. Dog meat stew is good for cold, yup yup!"

=Eol=

"Why do I suddenly get the feeling I should get out of here while I still can?"

"You most likely should, the lil guy's packing some weird shit."

"Tell me down at the bar." I got up clutching my back and helped up Keith.

"Thanks, now let's get the fuck out of here."

We made it down to Keith's tavern, a bit classy with a hell of a lot of visitors, ranging from Pup nurses to old hounds that wanna bang 'em.

"Get me that weird blue wine you always keep."

"Can do, Toppa." For some reason, Keith always called me weird nick names, he said it was because Eol sounded funny. He splashed out a mug of the blue wine, I could smell it as it rained out of the bottle. Damn, it had a good aroma. A bit spicy to the nose, but smelled like blueberries.

I wasted no time in glugging down the first mug. "AH! So, what's up with the weird fox in Aoi's room that tried to eat my face off?"

"He tried to eat your face off? Huh, little bastard's hit Cuil Level 2."

"Cuil Level?"

"Level of abstraction from a situation, when involving a person's level of logic, you could say it's how fucked up his view of reality is. All conceptual of course. Cuil level 2 is where he thinks you're a tasty snack... or... something..." He pulled out a lit cigar and took a long drag. "The only person he seems to show some semblance of sanity to is Aoi. Huh... I just realized..."

"What?"

"Pretty fucking busy day."

He was right. Most days went by lazily at times, like we had lapsed into a dull routine, so much so that I forget what I even did most of the time. I got to thinking about it and realized it was as if my life was a story that someone decided not to write, or even more so just wrote it and ripped out the pages. The days I do remember are all days where something big happens, and I seem to remember everything from them.

"I guess so. Yo, Keith, how long have you been Aoi's friend?"

"Hmm, I'd say about three years now."

"Oh... you must know a lot about him then."

"Eh err not really, he used to be all shut up tighter than an oyster. But I picked up a few tit bits and- OH SHIT!" His cigar fell from his lips.

"What?"

"Almost fucking forgot. Eol, I'll explain later, we gotta go shopping."

"WHAT? Where the hell are we going to go shopping?"

"Why Ponyville of course!"

=Ubi=

"Aww, it's okay, here have a big, frosty diamond." I pushed it aside. I never refused a diamond, but this was an exception. It was right there in front of my nose, that golden hatched crust, that gooey filling.

"There there, what is it you want, clear cut, 64 carat?"

I shook my head. "I want apple pie."

"What's Apple Pie?"

"U-Um, pardon me muh-ma'am, but he means one of these." I looked up and saw the apple pony with-

"*GASP* PIE!!!" I bowled her over, grabbing the pie tin with arms outstretched. "YAY!"

=Apple Jack=

Boy howdy, that feller sure like Granny Smith's specialty. Not that any pony could resist it.

"Why, I've never seen Ubi so... so... exuberant about eating something."

"Well, Ah guess it may be a little somethin' about our homemade pies. Granny Smith always baked 'em with a smidgen of family lovin'."

"Family lovin'?"

"Heeyup." Ah put my sights on the white dragon. Never saw one that was neither blowing fiercesome smoke or tryin' to gobble me up. She seem a bit hoity-toity, but the nice kinda hoity-toity, all polite and stuff, not like them other dragons. Now that Ah thought about it, here seemed just like Ponyville, just looked different. Hay, even that Varg feller seemed mighty kind, an he looked more likely to eat me up than this here dragon. Ah wonder if it had somethin' to do with Aoi's whatchamacallit, Rarity called it something funny like 'Charisma' or something like that.

It kinda felt topsy-turvy from what we've come t'expect. When we met diamond dogs, they tried to kidnap Rarity, but here, they just wanted pie. It didn't add up right, but then again fancy mathematics musta been topsy-turvy here too. If anything, It's like we never even left Ponyville at all.

"Please, tell me more about this... family lovin'" The missus asked.

She took me with straight up surprise. Now Ah heard some weirdo thingamawhatsit about the missus dragon bein' Ubi's momma, but Ah ain't NEVER heard 'o any pony NOT know what family lovin' was.

"You mean to tell me, you ain't never heard of family lovin'?"

She nodded at me. "Please, I would like to know how your food item has managed to make my son so... captivated by it."

Ah tipped my hat forward. I know about family lovin' every vittle we ever ate together at Sweet Apple Acres, but Ah never tried to explain it. Never had to.

"Well... We..." Ah rubbed the back of mah head... "Gee, sorry ma'am, but... I can't."

"What?" She seemed rather taken aback by my answer.

"It's just somethin' you have t'taste for yerself."

She frowned at me. I gulp somethin; heavy.

"Are you with holding your secrets from me?"

"No ma'am, it's not a sec-"

"Very well... It's money you want isn't it? Here then." She took her tail and swept forward a giant pile 'o diamonds to me. "Reveal to me the secret of your 'family lovin'' and all these gems are yours."

My hoof banged my head. "Ma'am, Ah think you may be misunderstandin'. Family lovin's not a secret, hay, it's something you should already know. Ah don't know what it is exactly, but Ah do know it's in every home cooked meal that ever was baked good and whole."

"Home... cooked?" Sweet Celestia.

"Ah tell you what, You come by Ponyville one 'o these days, and We'll treat ya somethin' special. You and Ubi. It's the least I could do since Ubi went through all the trouble of ringing up so much business for the farm."

"Hey Apple Jack, we've got an emergency!"

"What in the hay? WHOA!" That Keith feller from before grabbed me and went over to Miss Dragon.

"Excuse me, your name was White Dust? Could you take all of us to Ponyville?"

"Now wait just a darn minute! Ah haven't even unloaded the apples yet!"

"It's a bit urgent, the apples can wait. Ubi, you're coming with!"

"MM?"

"I promise, there's gonna be pie where we're going." Ubi looked up at his momma with them adorable puppy dog faces Winona always gave me when she wanted a little treat.

"Now just hold on a second, why the rush back to Ponyville?"

A red vested diamond dog came up to whisper to me something that Ah Pinkie Swore not to tell. The only thing Ah could say was it had somethin' to do with Aoi. Ah looked back at him and gave him a proud saaa-luute.

"Ah'm in. Let's go!"

"Wait!" Ah looked back at Miss Dragon. "I shall aid you in traveling back to Equestria, I wish to learn all I can about 'family lovin'' as soon as I can!"

"Sooey! We got ourselves a ride then!"

Ah can tell you one thing that hasn't changed at all though: things happen faster than Twisters in Appleoosa. YEE-HAW!

Now where's Rainbow Dash?

=Rainbow Dash=

I felt like watching the clouds roll on by as the sun was starting to set, not really sure why, just did. This place was so different from the rest of the world. I don't know why, but this place is actually pretty much a tie with Ponyville on the happiest place on the planet. I mean, they didn't have a full blown Pinkie Pie, but I swear, not once inside did I ever see a sad face, dogs whistled while they worked, ponies seemed right at home even though they're literally living under a rock, and the griffins, I don't know why, but they feel content with not being able to fly out for risk of capture.

I know right, griffins content with NOT flying. The thought just seemed too unnatural; we have wings to fly, but to see them not wanting to, it may seem unnatural, but, I kinda get it. Whatever made this place so peaceful? I don't know, never been here before, but I did learn a thing or two.

I talked a bit to Varg.

"They're free to go whenever they please, they just choose not to. Do you want to know why?" he asked me.

"Sure, I've got time." I think that was the first time that I actually meant it. Even though he was creepier than the Everfree forest, somehow, he seemed nice, even with him being a zombie wolf thing.

"I've spent my time back on Equus wisely, making sure that even if I couldn't bring peace to all of Gem Fido, I would settle with making my own den peaceful. Except it wasn't quite right until a pony named Auburn came along."

"Auburn?"

"Or Keith, he doesn't care which he's called. But you really do have to give him credit. He has thought up some unbelievable weapons, but he's never so much as kill another. Granted he used that massive gun of his to fire upon an airship, but that was to direct the craft. Heheh, I'll have to admit though, he looks more idiotic than he actually is. Our history is a rather strange one. We were able to defend everyone to the teeth from invasion, but it was Keith who got every dog here to smile." So he kinda was a Pinkie Pie, but without the party.

"I'm confused, I thought Aoi was the one who-"

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH! Aoi, a peacekeeper? Ah, my little pony, you have yet to learn about Aoi. I've dueled with him, and he is a breed of war. He may seem neutral at times, but always keep in mind that like me, he's been a cold-blooded killer."

I gulped, feeling uncomfortable when he described Aoi like that.

"Aoi's a warrior, he will kill to defend what he claims to be his. He doesn't claim his title, no, he's too humble. But when it comes to something that I had lost long ago and can never get back, well, you can be sure that he will fight fang and claw to make sure what's his is safe."

He was rather a bit confusing when he talked. I couldn't really follow what he said, what with him bouncing all over the place. I tried to reign in the topic of Keith.

"So who is Keith or Auburn or whatever his name is?"

"HA! I'll be damned if I know. He came from the same place as Aoi, that's for certain, but he is a rarity. Keith's the type of person who has had morals geared into him from a young age, I can see it from a set of beads that he says he uses for prayer, to what gods I don't know. He drinks voraciously, better drinker that I am, and I'm dead! Yet no amount of alcohol could dull the lad's mind. I'll let you in on a secret. We have staged thousands upon thousands of Guerilla operations six months before Aoi came, each having to dispatch no more than ten troops each, and every single one has succeeded, minimal loss of life. And you know what? It was Keith, not Aoi that headed these operations. Aoi may have strength, but Keith has unbelievable knowledge at his disposal. I don't understand it either, but that's the way things are. My guess is that Keith is part of the reason why Aoi was so successful in his previous life."

"Huh?" Keith looked more like a drunken idiot than anything else. But then again, I might be judging too harshly.

"I respect both of them a great deal, do not get me wrong, but my sympathies do go out to him. Gem Fido hears only the Lunar Legend, not the Peace Keeper Keith. He pulls the strings of the background, makes sure everything goes right. Imagine how that must feel, to have something so great to your name, yet no one knows it? But, I digress, there's still a lot to be desired from the future.

"You mentioned that this place is similar to Ponyville. I say you're wrong, it's not like Ponyville, because it's more like what Equestria should be. Equestria is simply ponies and maybe a few griffins here and there. But look at the Tomb, In all my years--alive, dead, undead--I never thought I'd see the day where the contempt between species would come to an end, and yet here we are, with the greatest of fights between us being a playful foodfight with bread. I suppose I must also give Aoi credit for some things. He is a fine warrior, and being so, gives our other warriors who have lost hope a plethora of it, a chance to unite the clans as a general and maybe even in due time merge Gem Fido, the Dominion, and Equestria into a single unified country. Hehe, I'm rambling again. My apologies."

Humans are weird. Awesome, but weird.

Of all the stuff I he said though, the part about Aoi being a cold-blooded killer stuck with me. Maybe it's because I never saw him fight, but he never seemed vicious, more sad sometimes than anything else. Griffin I saw fight, and I couldn't get over it. In theory, It seemed awesome, but seeing it looked a mix between amazing and disgusting. If I ever saw Aoi kill something, would I be able to get over it? Could I look at him the same way? I hope it never has to come to that.

Part of me wants to stay here. Heh, after all, that lunch was absolutely positively delicious. But the other part, my loyalty, wants me to go back. I still have a life to live in Ponyville. I might not have gotten enough sleep last night, might explain why I'm so scatterbrained lately.

*sigh*

The more and more I look at this world, the more confused I am. I've never really known much about anything outside of Equestria. I've heard stories about Gem Fido and Dominion and slaves, but I've never gotten a chance to see them up close. Now, I'm looking at Gem Fido, the land of Diamond Dogs, the same race that kidnapped Rarity way back when. Here it's like another Equestria, so peaceful and silent, yet looking high above in my perch, I see it all: wasteland, dead forests, and smoke rising from the Bad Lands. Equestria's an entire country, but this... this is an island.

We were escorted here once out of Equestria's borders by an entire platoon of pegasi, safe trip here, and going to be a safe trip back. I wonder what it would be like, to be constantly in danger, constantly afraid. When I would do my stunts, it always felt like I was such a daring pony, but in reality, I had my own skills to comfort me. Then, out there on Griffin's ship, a fear had gripped me like never before as dragons attacked his ship. I could do nothing, yet watched on as Griffin ripped up dragons, cutting them down. I felt helpless.

Not even six dragons, Spike alone was a handful for even the Wonderbolts. It brought to mind how much danger Equestria could be in, and no one would be able to stop it. Suddenly all his questions that he asked me back at the Gala began to make a lot more sense.

Would you be interested in a dragon slayer?

I was... but not for the reason I thought. I... admired him for what he did, to do the length necessary to defend what he knows. I was willing to risk my life, go toe to toe with a dragon to stop it from breathing smoke all over the darn place. Slowly and slowly I realized he doesn't kill to be awesome, he kills because that's what it takes. If he wasn't a dragon slayer, he would still be the guy that kills to protect those he want to.

But why does he have to kill?

I drew circles in the cloud I was sitting on, trying to wrap my head around why. Changelings weren't hurt at Canterlot, at least not that I saw, but we managed to solve that just fine.

Then it got me right there in my noggin. Equestria can solve things without violence just fine. Why? because there's friendship. Here, where there's peace and serenity there's friendship, but out there? Out there in the lonely world beyond peaceful borders, there's no friendship, no magic.

I understood then. These are worlds that operate on different rules. Friendship becomes the magic that makes a place peaceful. Gem Fido and the Dominion don't have that, so they need to operate on different rules. Frinedship is gone, so all that's left is hate. Hate is what makes war, and war ends up with killing having to be the way to solve problems. I realized that in order to bring piece to Gem Fido, there needs to be friendship again. Aoi needs my help after all. I needed to go back to Equestria and get the Elements of Harmony. If we can use the Elements of Harmony on Gem Fido and the Dominion, we could bring back friendship!

It was a long shot, and dangerous too, but this could be the one time in my life that I can live for danger, REAL danger. If I can make this work, then all our problems would be solved, well... ALMOST all of them. This was too good NOT to work, I mean...

...What's the worst that could happen?

Author's Notes:

I tried a different approach to Aoi speaking in Japanese, any small text would be just straight Romaji, but with long speeches, any dialogue where Aoi's speaking in Japanese, as you might have guessed, would be marked with << >>.

Some foot notes or the chapter:
Umami is a taste that describes the meatiness or savory quality of food.
(Also don't worry if you felt dirty reading this chapter, don't worry, I felt dirty writing the damn thing...)

I also apologize for not being able to deliver on my 40k word promise, becuase. well... life. But no excuse, I let you guys down. In concurring ith the voting, next chapter will be a Gaiden Chapter where Keith teaches the gang about swear words.

The Word F--- [36x]

Author's Notes:

Warning: All things considered, lots of very very very mature topics get covered in this chapter, from swear words to graphic imagery which you will most likely need brain bleach for. This chapter isn't a required read, so feel free to wait it out until the next update. Reader discretion is advised. Also, I regret nothing. It's you guys' fault. You wanted this, you dirty dirty people.

=Ubi=

We took off for Ponyville after gathering our things and were on our way. Everyone else bundled in fancy scarves and cute little hats to brave the cold weather. I didn't mind the cold at all. What I did mind were the words that Aoi and Keef would often say that had no meaning. So as the flight dragged on in silence, I finally asked him while he was swigging a flask of... something.

"Hey Keef?"

He spluttered the drink all over Eol. "HOLY SHIT YOU TALK?!"

I blinked. "Yes. What are those words you say sometimes when you're trying to be funny or angry?"

"What words?"

"Oh yeah!" Eol chimed in. "You know, like er-- Fack or something like that. I've always wondered that myself."

"OOOOOHHHH... You mean Fuck!" Eol and I both nodded.

"What, you've never heard of cuss words?"

"Cuss words?"

"You know... swears!"

"Oh, like Bark or Doggone?" Eol said.

"... Really... that's the best your species has come up with?"

Eol rubbed the back of his head. "Well not the best but I can't really say it, we do have two ladies around," Eol said, leaning over to spot the apple pony.

"Why thank'ya kindly for includin' me in on this. At least somepony has some courtesy!" She glared at Keef.

"BLAHAHAHAHHAH! Apparently you've never been on the wrong end of Scotland before."

"Scotland?"

"Right, I forget I'm in a world of anthropomorphic talking animals who know neither head nor hide of our world. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me."

"We're right here, you know."

"DAMN RIGHT I KNOW! Now shut yer traps for a second, give you time to think up some of the most gruesome swears your side of reality, just to see what you know and what you don't."

"Now wait just a darn minute, Am I the only one that has a problem with this?" Apple Jack asked.

"Yep!"

"Yup!"

"I guess so!"

"We have worse swears in our tongue," Mom chimed in. We all went silent for a second, looking down at mom as she was flying us towards Equestria. "What? We do!"

"Four to one! Sailor's mouths away!"

"But-"

"Here's some earbuds if you don't want to listen." Keef pulled out a pair of large corks and plugged them into Apple Jack's ears.

"Okay Ubi, you first."

"Hmm, there's bark, doggone, flea face, sticky flank, furball, fluffball, puffnose, tail licker, and shit."

*snicker*

"What?"

"Nothing it's just that... really? You end with shit?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Nothing... nothing at all... Anywho, me and Aoi and all the other aliens on this big blue ball of wax have lots of colorful words and phrases to describe very disgusting things involving special juices that you're not suppose to know about."

My head went sideways. "What?"

"In other words: Sex. Now when you dig deep into our culture you find out that sex has very been a naughty taboo thing to talk about."

"What are you talking about? My old friends at the den talked about mating all the time," Eol spoke up.

"I'm getting to that. Now from the work and connotation of sex, somewhere along the line Latin and English made sweet sweet love and gave birth to a word called fuck, not necessarily, but you get the idea. Turns out that Fuck became so catchy a word that it became the hot, sweaty cock in everyone's mouth and out came (see what I did there) all the iterations and variations on Fuck."

"But why make a swear word for mating? Seems kinda odd for something natural."

"Well why is shit a bad word in your culture?"

"Because shit's disgusting!" Eol piped up. "Mating makes everybody feel happy inside!"

Keef blinked twice with a keeled over look on his face. "Eol, have you ever had sex before?"

"Well, no, but other members of my pack have. Especially during mating season where pairs drop work for about a week and go belly to back. Though the moaning and howling do get kind of annoying when you're trying to read, and especially annoying when you accidentally step in drippings from when they do it in the main caverns. One time my friend said he tried something new and shove his whole paw up another female's-"

"AHHH GOD MIND SOAP!"

"What's that?"

"DUDE! Have you considered how huge as FUCK your paws are?"

Eol lifted his paw, examining it. I will be the first to admit, Eol's paws were large even for diamond dog standards.

"What about it?"

Keef's eye twitched. "But... but... dat fisting though..."

Eol and I looked at each other.

"Ahem, moving on. Aoi and I's culture have very... High standing rituals concerning the mashing of sexy bits together. They're so high, that talking about sex openly is kinda, well, frowned upon in many circles. In others, it's kinda become part of our current sense of humor. We call jokes about 'getting it on' innuendos, which would probably swing and a miss with you guys from how... well... OPEN you are on the topic. Getting back to the word 'Fuck' it's kinda a causal swear now, it just rolls off the tongue. It's sharp, it's intimidating, and it breeds one of the worst two-word pick up lines in the history of the world."

"Interesting, I've never thought about it like that," mom noted, having heard everything. "And you said there are multiple iterations on the word itself?"

"Yep, for example: Fuck these fucking fuckers."

"Why would you want to mate with someone in the middle of mating?" I asked.

Keef made a face that looked a little something like this -> -_-

"Well one iteration of fucker is an asshole."

"I had a friend who tried that, the female said it was kinda painful."

Keith slapped his forehead. "No, I mean a dick."

"I've never had a friend who tried docking before, but I've heard rumors," Eol replied, scratching his muzzle.

"NO! AH!!! DAMMIT!!!! BRAIN BLEACH!!! GRAAAAAH! I mean someone who's a jerk!"

After a second Eol and I said in understanding unison, "Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhh...."

Keef stared at us. "ಠ_ಠ... YOU TWO FRIGHTEN ME!"

My Moriarty [37]

=Aoi=

Sojiro stood over me on my bedside, wringing out a steaming towel to place on my head.

<<I'm gonna make you all better, Nii-san!>> He assured me, which was less of an assurance and more of a factor of worry... for my well being.

<<Aren't you a little too young to be handling hot water? You could burn yourself.>>

<<EH?! I'm 21 Now!>> I closed my eyes. Hopefully, if I tuned him out his nonsense wouldn't get to me. He looked less than 5, much less 21.

How old was I? I counted back to my first day in this world, I had been 24 then, I think it had been 2 years... no, maybe less, maybe more... I guess that put me at 26 and counting. At least I remembered today's date: December 1. Woo Hoo....

'WAIT! DECEMBER 1? SHIT! I need to send the letters!' I jerked upwards in my bed and lunged to my desk before I felt something jerk me back down into it.

<<YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF BED! You're still sick.>> The little cub was surprisingly strong for his size.

<<I need to send my letters, let me go!>>

<<NO! Sleep! Sleep or you won't get better!>>

"Grrr.... SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" Immediately a dog came in ready to aid me. Unfortunately I underestimated him. he immediately conjured a rope and lassoed the dog into submission. A 5 year old with magic. I was screwed six ways to Sunday.

<<There! The last doggy got away, not this one!>>

I took my chance and grabbed Sojiro, taking off my obi and wrapping him up in a chair.

<<You don't attack people like that, Sojiro!>> I'll have to admit though, it was a good countermeasure. I untied the dog on the floor and lifted him up.

"Many thanks, you may go back to your--ACHOO! *sniffle* post!"

"Just doing my job," he slurred as he walked out, hearts fluttering around his head. I shook mine and grabbed the letters off my desk, and a handkerchief for good measure.

I shoved the letters in my mouth to free up my paws, retying my obi before any other dogs saw what was under my kimono (despite the fact that most already saw). I flipped through the letters one by one to make sure I had all the recipients accounted for: Wonderbolts, international guests, potentially Griffin once he gets out of the hospital. A quick trip down to the council chambers, crossing it towards the messenger's den, and off they went.

I crossed over a few tunnels to get to the mess hall, and one more junction to get to the main kitchen. Many cooks were asleep at the moment, having prepped the kitchen for the evening meals. Many ponies and a few griffins were either sliding down the counters of their stations, or curled up in a corner with toques slightly tipped over their eyes. I grabbed a generous amount of salt and dashed it into a simmering pot. Grabbing a rather large towel, I covered it over my head and the pot and breathed deep. The steam helped clear up my nostrils and relieve the pressure pounding in my sinuses. To a few slumbering kitchen hands, I did the courtesy of dimming some of the kitchen lamps. As I did so, I heard some yawns spread throughout the room. Tip-toeing over sleepless chefs, I counted the number of cooks in the kitchen: 143. A few stations had left some cookery on to simmer some long stewing meals, I could smell the savory scent of stewed pork and the pungent, clean and spicy scent of coriander.

A hundred and forty three cooked the meals of thousands daily. I had to admire their commitment to keeping everyone fed, and not only that but to keep the quality of the meals relatively high. I remember some sparring mates at the Agency having a military background, and the one thing they said had always given them the strength to fight was how the cooks there were always striving to deliver the closest thing to a home-cooked meal. Gossip floated around the den at time saying that other mares and hens would come in the kitchen to make their own meals for their families. Looking around, I could tell that the kitchen had enough spare stations to support the gossip.

Maybe if I asked Just Desserts, he'd let me use a station or two to cook some meals of my own. Back in my apartment, I'd often be the one to cook the meals for Keith and I, he having the culinary skills of a college student with a lackluster budget. The times I didn't cook, he would always order take out, everything from cheap shit imitation kaiseki cuisine to the surprising feat of managing to order Mexican food in Tokyo. After we ate, we'd always just chuck the shit that was left over in the sink, takeout boxes, greased up dishes, whatever, then deal with it at the end of the week. I distinctly remember a week where we ate nothing but Haagen Dazs due to a bad week of strep throat on my part. By the end of that week, there was nothing but small, miniature, paper cups lightly filmed on the inside with melted vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream. Even if I wasn't down with strep throat, me and Keith would go out to Osaka for the ice cream there just as the sun set, and for once, I could get him to shut up about his silly little memes for an hour or so.

The thought of ice cream brought my attention to the many silver coated refrigerators along the walls. I waved away temptation and made my way towards Just Dessert's office. The translucent glass in the middle of the door revealed a moving silhouette. I cracked open the door and peered inside to see the chef scribbling frantically on a swiveling chair, a harsh turn squealed the under greased pivot of his chair and he bucked to zoom across the room to a personal mini-fridge, taking out a strange assortment of foreign seasonings and a slab of what I could only assume to be dried fruits.

It was then that I knocked on his door.

"Oh! Aoi, What a pleasant surprise. I meant to ask, what did you think of my menu?”

I rubbed the back of my head, a bit embarrassed on recalling the results of consuming that phenomenal dessert.

“Well, if I had to describe it in one word, it was pretty... sensational.”

“That's excellent to hear! Tell me, did you happen to “explode in euphoria” if you catch my drift?”

My face immediately heated up to crimson.

“Well... I... um... if you mean... um...” I stammered. “*Ahem* If you mean what I think you mean... then... um... yes?”

“Excellent! I'm glad it worked then!”

“Wait, what do you mean by worked?”

“'Well, your doctor told me about your 'dilemma'. It gave me some good practice. My goal was to make a menu that was better than sex!”

I made a mental note to brutally torture Keith later.

“I must say, you—heh—do have a way with food.”

“But of course! You don't go from five stars to three, become horribly exiled in a foreign country for about three years, then come back to have a legendary review upon your return for nothing you know.”

“Right... In any case, I was wondering how the catering for the Ball was coming along.”

His expression became rather flustered at my mention of this. “A tad dismal, actually. You see--” He swirled around in his chair towards his desk with his assortment. “--I have been working on a bit of a project for Capitan Griffin, you see.”

“Oh?”

“Why yes. I take it you know ponies consider red meat to be a bit of a forbidden delicacy?”

“I suppose.”

“Well then, it just so happens that what I've been working on is a perfect culinary substitute for meat.”

“Is that so?”

He nodded. “Yes, except I haven't even gotten close.”

“Well, I'm sure you'll get it sooner or later.”

“Thank you for the encouragement, but I'm afraid that this may be a feat that is just simply beyond my level of skill.”

I smirk. “Hey, any chef that can make a dish that can induce an 'explosion of euphoria' can make anything possible with their cooking. I have faith in you.”

“I appreciate it,” he said, then taking a look at his sundry group of ingredients. “Do you think you can help me test some of my combinations?”

“Sure.”

He took a small bit of what looked like a prune sprinkled with some sort of orange powder and offered it to me. I picked it up from his hoof and popped it in my mouth. Surprisingly, it tasted almost like beef jerky, down to the dry chewiness; it even had notes of being honey smoked. What betrayed it as being nothing more than a fruit was the infinitesimal aftertaste.

“Close, indescribably close, and delicious too, but this is a date, isn't it?” I felt bad for having shot down his work while masked in a blunt compliment. I was quick to follow up.

“Don't feel bad though, even with the aid of special laboratory spices, the finest Canterlot cooks couldn't get to the level you've gotten with this experiment of yours. I'm sure with a few months-”

“A few months?! But, isn't the ball-”

“Relax, Besides, El Capitan of the Griffin Pirates likes seafood better anyway. He turned down bacon for battered perch.” I grabbed another piece of the poseur jerky and popped it in my mouth. “To be honest, I would have gone with bacon myself, crass I know, but still.” I swallow and savor the lingering taste of honey mixed with the slight fruity aftertaste. “Pork is a nice, sweet meat.”

It was then that I noticed a slight anxious, yet glazed look in his eyes, almost as if reminded of some guilty pleasure in his past life. Could it be?

“Again, color me quite impressed. The entire entourage of chefs at Canterlot Castle had to pry open out memories to get the tastes just right, you've done it with no experience of ever tasting red meat, isn't that right?” At this he shook himself from his daze.

“Oh yes, right.... right...” He averted his eyes. I knew. I wasn't about to pull out the inquisition though, and so let sleeping dogs lie.

“By the way, I can't let you give me a taste test of such an excellent morsel without returning it in kind. Would you mind if I came back another day and provide a crash course for kaiseki cuisine?”

He perked right up. “Oh, that would be splendid! Should I prepare anything?”

“Hmm, some tofu, lots of dried seaweed, dried mackerel, flour, starch, and soy sauce.” I would have to import the rest of the ingredients from elsewhere. “I'll remember to stop by with the rest. Hope your experiment goes well.”

As I was leaving Just Desserts' office, another figure was waiting for my, body leaned against the frame of the entryway, a cold look in his glassy eyes, an expression that glossed over my anatomy rather than seeking an audience with me. It was Stitch, wasn't sure if I should add the preffix of doctor. He pushed off the frame and turned around, leaving behind a glance as if to say, 'Find me if you want to talk, let me be lost if you don't.'

Seeing as all my business had been taken care of for the day, I decided to sate my curiosity by following him down to the airship bay, which lacked one white dragon and a couple of diamond dog bay staff grabbing a few diamonds for a luxury snack. Ubi was missing as well. The two probably decided to catch up with a flying session or something of the like.

I looked back at Stitch, who didn't even bother to check back to see if I was following or not, merely swaying back and forth as he trotted, as if constantly off balance... or drunk. I hadn't met him for long. Strangely enough, the burn marks that had marred his snout previously when I saw him after the Bitsburg incident were gone now, replaced with flesh I could tell wasn't his.

Traversing through the H.M.S. Rolling Thunder, I stopped tailing Stitch to get topside on the main deck. Spick and span, varnished to a brilliant sheen. There went worrying about the gore that had stained the deck. It nagged me that I had been forgetting the fact that I had been in bed for more than I realized, the world repairing itself while I was still dreaming. I slid a paw over the banister to feel it squeaky clean. On impulse, I licked both my palms and rubbed them on the banister, adding at least some grease to besmirch an unnatural cleanliness.

Catching up back to Stitch, I realized he still kept that lumbering pace, as if he never slowed down or sped up, knowing I would be right behind him eventually. Gradually, I felt myself getting light headed. Immediately, Stitch went into a three-legged gait and dug around in a coat pocket, bringing out a silver box and tossing it backwards, without missing that same haphazard beat. I got the box and opened it: a sticky note reading 'eat' and a few sticks that smelled like cake. I took one stick, dabbed it on my tongue to make sure it wasn't drugged, and—with confidence that it wasn't—shoved both sticks into my mouth, chewing voraciously and swallowing. It brought to mind that I hadn't eaten anything accept the sample of “fruit jerky” since I woke up.

I closed the tin and looked up at him, words caught in my throat on whether to thank him or not. I could only croak out, “T-Th...” but a strange air around Stitch left me awkwardly stammering. I still don't know what kind of aura he was portraying. My best guess would have been a cold disregard to the entire world.

He tapped a panel on the side of a door, signaling the hydraulics to slide the door open. He turned and went inside, performing a returning routine with the exact melancholy beat of his walk: loosening a button on his coat, signing a clipboard, changing an IV of a comatose patient (bless the poor guy), and finally easing down onto a chair, with a sigh that hissed like the hydraulics of the ship.

I managed to get a good look at his face. It was a bit different in certain aspects, the facial complexions were tighter, more like saran wrap, the stitches that patched his face together were close knit and less noticeable, almost like they belonged there instead of clearly marking that he had surgery. The last feature I was unsure about, as I couldn't recall exactly: it appeared as if his eyes were different than when I saw him after Bitsburg.

He rolled over to a small, gray chest and produced from it a vial labeled 'STERILE' with a tooth inside. Flashing an approving nod, he pocketed the vial and rolled back to his station. From a jar, he grabbed two lollipops and tossed one my direction. I caught it and unwrapped it at my leisure. He wasted no time in popping his into his muzzle.

“Keith told me you're partial to sweets,” were his introducing words. He leaned back in his chair, grabbing a nearby clipboard. “Where is he, by the way?”

I eased my lollipop into my mouth, letting the saturated cherry taste hit my tongue while I balled up the crackling wrapper within my paw.

“No idea. I did notice it was rather quiet in the bay.”

“Hmm,” he said with dejection.

I eyed the comatose patient lying on the bed. A griffin, female. She looked almost like she was asleep, except she was hooked up to an oxygen tank and her chest barely moved.

“She's been like that ever since the cleanup after that airship attack. During the cleanup, a piece of metal that was lodged in the mountain decided to become unstuck and fall right onto her head. Vital signs okay, but she hasn't woken up, no matter how loud it gets in this part of the ship. So don't worry, what we say is between you and me.” He flipped through the clipboard and jotted down an unknown detail, the handle of the lollipop jutting out of his mouth like a cigarette. I heard a muffled crunching sound. “Day's been slow, sit down.”

I obliged and built up the momentum to say, “You look different.”

He paused and rolled his pupil towards me. “It's surprising how little I actually hear that.” He caught a pen that slid out from the top of the clipboard and placed both on a small table. “Also, Keith told me extensively on your condition, and has said he feels a bit inadequate to stick you on a strict diet without force. I told him that I'd take care of that. So considering your current eating habits, I'm now threatening you. You eat less than 14,000 calories a day, I will personally come to your room at night and shove cake down your throat until you shit frosting. Luckily for you, that threat is hollow since as of last week, I am your dietary physician.”

The last phrase rubbed me the wrong way. “Wait you mean...”

“Oh no, your little 'accident' was Keith's idea. But the amount of calories that I told the chef to force into your meal was mine.”

I was slightly relieved, if only slightly. I flinched when I picked up the muffle sound of a bone cracking out of nowhere.

He wheeled over to a comm station and opened the line. “Nurse CiCi, bring up some wire from supply.”

I was rather taken aback. When I first saw him, I thought him more reserved than anything else. A few sentences revealed him to be a lot more: cold, blunt, and dominating. I felt like I needed to get control over the conversation, even though I had said very little to begin with. More and more of my sense of control was being robbed just by his very presence, like I was in a hostage situation and Stitch had a gun pressed against my temple.

The door opened with a gasp to let a pony in. The light blue coated pony held a package of sutures. I could tell by the look alone that she felt the same thing coming into the room. She placed it on the nearest table and quickly turned to get herself out before-

“One thing, Nurse CiCi.” She halted in her tracks, now visibly sweating. She slowly creaked her head back, eyes now wide, her terrified gaze hitting mine for a split second as if to scream “Help me!” without a voice to do so.

She swallowed and stammered, “U-Um, y-yes, D-d-d-doctor?”

He didn't even bother to look at her while sorting through some assorted records. “Your most recent report describe the cadaver having died of shock, a good start. However the internal bleeding was not limited to just the abdominal area. Remember that the cadaver's ribs had also been broken and a few pieces of those ribs migrated to the esophagus, puncturing it. You should be able to piece together the rest.”

Nurse CiCi's lips quivered, cracking open to attempt to make a response. I interceded on her behalf. “He drowned in his own blood.”

Stitch shot me an angered look. I overstepped a boundary. A glance back at Nurse CiCi managed to retrieve a quiet “Thank you”.

“I won't fault you for confusing one with the other, but be sure to thoroughly analyze other possible culprits.” He rubbed his eyes. “Also get some sleep, I know they can take long, but you need to learn to actually sleep. I can see the dark circles under your eyes from here.”

“Y-Yes, Doctor.” With lightning speed, she was gone. A brief pause allowed the silence to build up again, just in time for Stitch to brutally murder it.

“Aoi,” he called. “We'll have plenty of time to talk, so please, do not interrupt when I'm speaking with others, do I make myself clear?”

I gave a slight roll of my shoulders as a useless attempt to regain a firm posture. “Inescapably.”

He sighed as he shut the folder in his hooves and slid them in a metal cabinet. The air seemed to drop a few degrees, like his breath alone was subzero.

“Keith's off on some adventure,” he began. “He took Eol, Ubi, and Apple Jack with him.”

Oh God...

“I doubt they'll get into too much trouble, though,” he reassured me as he laid is neck over the top of his office chair, snout pointed skyward. “They went to Ponyville. Keith and Eol roped Apple Jack, Ubi and White Dust into something needing to go to Ponyville for. I saw them from off the port side.”

Now, I was worried for Ponyville.

“I have to warn you though, stop me if I ramble, I can be quite the chatterbox when I'm off-duty.” He pulled the remains of the lollipop out of his mouth, revealing a bone dry white stick where the cherry candy was. I took mine out to find out I haven't even gone through half of it. Without even looking, he tossed the stick squarely into a medical bin that read 'BIOHAZARD'.

It was daunting to try and describe his appearance. The closest I could come to describing him was like the monster of Frankenstein, but even that would be a poor bastardization. Half his face was divided on a diagonal between the eyes, one part ivory, the other part a pale brown. He turned around and kicked off a table, wheeling in my direction. He stopped right as the back of the chair was inches away from the table with a package of sutures, and about two feet away from me, as if forcing me to look directly at him. He brought his neck down and set his gaze right at me, that same glassy look as before, absent of any sense of emotion, or even life for that matter. He reached back behind his chair to grab the sutures, not even breaking eye contact with me. Even two feet away, with all my experience in interpreting body language, I could get absolutely nothing. No motive, no reason, no hint of what he was about to say next. He could be planning to stab me in the throat, for all I know. I was glued to my seat, attempting to anticipate his next move.

“You're not gonna beat me, you know.”

I blinked.

“See? I could last for days. It's difficult, don't get me wrong, but not impossible.” He handed me the package of sutures. I was trying to comprehend the fact that he thought I was in a staring contest with him.

“One moment.” He opened his mouth and reached inside, pulling out a bloodied, yellow, cracked tooth. He looked at it, tossed it like a miniature basketball into the 'BIOHAZARD' basket, sucked his remaining teeth and pulled out the vial, twisting it open and using tweezers to extract the tooth nestled inside.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

After sitting there with more uncertainty than casualty, I shook myself awake and replied with a dumb, “What?”

“Well, you followed me all the way to my quarters, you must have something on your chest.”

“Um,” I uttered, slack with the mixed messages he had been sending me. I cleared my throat. At first I thought it was something he wanted to say to me, now there I was sitting on an office chair, fumbling about like a statuesque idiot. I searched through my brain to think of something.

“Well...” Small talk? Serious discussion? Condition on the comatose griffon? Anything!

“Keith told me you used to have a medical license,” I gulped.

“Did he now?” He reeled his hoof back. I slowly inched away.

*SMACK

Out of nowhere, Stitch punched himself in the jaw, then turned back to me without changing his expression for a single second, except now with a limp jowl that seemed to stretch like loose hanging putty.

“Do me a favor and hold my jaw down.” I reached over tentatively and pulled the loosely hanging bottom half down. He hovered the tweezers over the gap in his otherwise pristine upper row of teeth. He wedged the new tooth into the soft, exposed gum. Once the white chunk was safely in place, he noted, “You can let go now.”

I moved my paw away, but kept it near. “Um... is there anything-”

*Ka-Chunk

He brought his free hoof upwards as he uppercut-ted himself, plunking back down into his chair. The tweezers went on the counter to free up his hooves just in time to snap his jaw back into place with a pop. I was surprised he was able to take that much self-abuse without so much as a whimper. When I could get a good look at him again, I saw his chin was now bleeding, the tightly bound skin having been torn by the force of his hits.

He pursed his lips and sucked his teeth once more. “I'd like my sutures back now, if you don't mind.”

I almost wanted to refuse them from him. It was something he wanted, and I wanted to rob him of it, just to have some semblance of control and defiance against his very presence. But ultimately, I relented.

“Thank you.” He rolled back to his desk and brought out a needle, and did what I assumed was stitching his chin back together. After some snipping of excess sutures, he wheeled back around and faced me.

“Going back to your previous statement, Aoi,” he recalled as he swept back his greasy black mane, “There had been a time when you could say that I was a licensed practitioner. However, that time has passed, and, as of now, I am an unlicensed practitioner of medicine. Would you like to know more?”

I gulped and nodded once. He gave a hinted smile and kicked up his hind legs unto his professionally waxed mahogany desk.

“I'm going to put this a bit bluntly: I could tell you each and every microscopic detail about my life story, yet it remains to be seen whether or not you would know anything about me. How good are you at listening?”

I clench my fists at his statement, “I can listen just fine, thank you very much.”

“There's a good lad,” he grinned. “Tell me, how old do you suspect me to be?”

I looked him up and down, he seemed to be in his prime, but his black hair betrayed some wisps of gray. Fairing on the cautious side, I answered, “I suspect you to be around your mid-fifties.”

“Oooh, you're the closest yet.” He reached a hoof over to a drawer and pulled out a small bag, ripped it open and took out a glistening golden potato chip. “Still wrong though. Let me blunt again, I consider my conversations with Keith to be the more enlightening ones, who'd have thought in your world, these things are toxic to us ponies. And here I had been taking them for granted as a commonplace snackfood.” He tossed one up and snapped it out of the air. “Oh, yes, about my age. I'm actually going on 95.

“I take it I'm giving you a bit of a surprise. Keith told you that I was a bit reclusive, right? That I'd have a tendency to talk to no one except him?”

“You'd be correct on that.”

“And you're probably thinking to yourself, 'How come now he starts talking when before he'd barely say more than four or five words at most?' Well I'll tell you why, because you're too damn afraid to admit it.”

“Admit what?”

“You have no bucking idea what's going on in my head.”

“What?”

“Obviously.” He stared at me for a second. “You know Keith often lauded you as a person able to tell when a person is lying just by looking at them the moment they tell a lie, and size them up. I'm not seeing it, seeing that you've had your eyes glued at me the entire time, I've lied to you twice, and you have yet to call bullshit on me. I'd rob you dry if we were playing poker.”

“Lie?”

“Yes, the thing that people tell when they don't want a person that they're talking to to know the truth!”

“I know what a lie is!” I snapped.

“GHEHAHAHAHAHAHHA! BULLSHIT!” He had a genuine grin of enjoyment on his face, the only emotion that I could truly get out of him. “If you know what a lie is, then you should be able to call me out on it, now granted the second lie I told was hard to gather, but the first one was so damn obvious you should have picked it up! After all, lies are in part contradictions.”

I stopped and relayed the previous ten minutes back in my head. “I see... I guess I need to call you out then: Why did you ask me where Ubi, Keith, and the others were?”

“Now you're back up to speed. To answer your question, I wanted you to see how piss poorly you've been keeping up with your own—as you'd put it—family. And for all you know, they could have been kidnapped by Varg and sold into slavery.”

“Ridiculous, Varg would never-”

“Do anything like that? Gheheheh, obviously you don't know Varg like I do. He offers you hospitality because you're extra leverage. After all, an undead has-been like Varg suddenly housing the Lunar Legend, the prophesied Savior of Gem Fido . You are a prize, Aoi! To simple minded pup of the lowest genetic caste run of Omega, you are a god made flesh! It's fascinating how things like faith in a person can generate such a large amount of influence. Don't you remember when you and Varg made 'delegations' to five other clans?”

“I thought those were made rather pe-”

“PEACFULLY?! Pop some steroids and call me a body-builder! You forgot that three clans wanted neutrality rather than outright join your little 'cause', and one wanted to declare war on Varg, that is, until you showed up. Out of the five clans you AND Varg visited, only one pledged allegiance: The clan of Quaretzel, who's clan is—after you talked to them—known to be particularly linked to Varg. Now what does that say about Varg in particular?”

He did bring up a rather valid point, but to be swayed on simply an instance of deduction would be foolish. I decided to drop a bit of naivety. “He has grudges, and old allies, so does everyone.”

“You're an idiot.”

I winced. “Now I--”

“I'm not finished,” he snapped, “Oh no, definitely nowhere near finished. I'm seriously disappointed in you! Here I am, thinking that you of all people would hold the most feelings of suspicion, but no, you are just freely and willingly eating out of the hand shoved in your face. You never questioned why Varg gave you hospitality in the first place?”

I opened my mouth to object, yet failed to do so.

“We're in an unlocked cage, Aoi. Benign in nature, ulterior in motive. We've got protection, food, water, few rules except reasonable ones, so how in the world has others not joined Varg's clan seeking hospitality? Because deep down, he's as power hungry as the rest of the Alphas. Peace he preaches, I'm sure, but one does not simply preach it with a blade behind his back. It's story time Aoi, want me to tuck you in?”

I shook my head.

“Didn't think so. Long ago, Varg did the same thing that he's doing right now. He swayed Alphas into making pacts with him, earning their trust with bread and circuses, vowing to care for every clan member he could. In fact he did so with absolute efficiency. Don't get me wrong, his way of caring for business is fascinating the way he can, without ever leaving a trace of how he did it.”

I made the connection almost immediately.

“Quaretzel.”

He gave a slick grin, one stretching the stitches that went diagonal across his face.

“Precisely. Quaretzel was his right hand, no one knows for sure his relation to Varg. In fact, very few know actually know of Quaretzel's continued existence. Emphasis on 'continued'.”

“He's undead like Varg?”

“More like Undying. Interestingly enough Quaretzel gained his hands on forbidden magic. Magic whose origin is how I came upon all this information. Quaretzel possesses a branch of Necromancy, one that is linked to a sect of the underworld that many necromancers ogle, but never touch. You see, Quaretzel's soul is rooted here, on the surface, and will forever be rooted because he exchanged his soul for his body.”

“That's possible?”

“You say that like it's a surprise. Anything is possible, but legal and ethical? That's a can of worms for another day. What you met when you visited him was not his physical form. It was a doll.”

“A doll?”

“Or puppet, but doll to me sounds more malicious in a morbid connotation. Quiz time! If Quaretzel exchanged his body to root his soul to the surface, then how did he make the doll that he currently resides in?”

It took me a few moments, but I eventually put two and two together. “You made it for him.”

“Excellent! You get a cookie!” He reached into a jar on his desk, pulled out a cookie and threw it at me. Without thinking I snapped it out of the air. Mmm... chocolate.

He snickered and brought me from my moment of instinctual bliss back to the reality of the situation.

“No no, keep going, you're adorable when you act stupid.”

I shot daggers at him, but to little effect.

“Oh don't be like that, Aoi, not many people act smart when they literally eat out of someone's hoof. Or metaphorically for that matter. See, here's the general play here. There was a reason Varg wanted to keep his existence a secret until now. Although he's undead, he's weakened, he's not the brave, valiant hero anymore cause he's... well dead, so therefore, he's not as strong as he once was. He used to command not just clans but an army that he controlled with whispers. Now, he has to start from scratch. Or does he? With you as his little flagship doggy, that's two actual wolves in existence in the same clan at the same time. Well, more or less, depends on how long you still want to roll with the idea of 'Clan Nanashi' now, doesn't it?”

Stitch shifted his hooves over the arms of his chair and made that cold plastic expression everyone on board knew him for. Something didn't add up, though.

“Back track a few steps, if you're about 95, and Varg and Quaretzel's been dead—excuse me—undead for the past 300 years, how is it that Quaretzel managed to contact you to make his doll in the first place?”

“Huh, didn't expect you to go in that direction, but at least I know you've been listening. Quaretzel's a sneaky dog, no pun intended, so he himself has rather... dark connections. You know the daggers he gave you? No ordinary daggers. They're hexed, bound by magical contract, one dagger, one soul.”

“I'm sorry, I must have misheard you, soul?”

“Soul, the thing that necromancers toy with in order to obtain some semblance of immortality. Personally, I don't deal with things like this unless I'm paid nominally. I digress, the black daggers are relics of the underworld, made in under-the-table dealings between Hephaestus and Hades. Mainly they're saved for capturing escaped convicts of Tartarus, but like any other plane of existence, they're not always used as intended. Many are sold in markets of the blackened variety, because they are in fact illegal weapons in many parts of the world due to their soul trapping nature. If you brought them into Equestria, a minute field detecting such relics would immediately set you from law abiding citizen to wanted dead or alive.”

“So you're telling me these-” I take out the three black daggers of Quaretzel's gifting. “-can steal someone's soul?”

“Congrats, Aoi, you've graduated from ordinary mercenary to soul hunting hitman. So who're you killing.”

“I'm not 'killing' anyone, not yet anyways.”

“Good, cause killing someone with those instantly makes you go from wanted dead or alive to Public Enemy Number One, according to Equestrian laws concerning murder, regardless of the country of action.”

“So. Quaretzel doesn't want these targets dead, he wants their souls as well? For what?”

“I'll give you this one, since you are not familiar with necromancy, or necromancy as it ties to summoning. Unfortunately I do, which is partly why Varg keeps me here in the first place, he's afraid of me.”

“And how is it that you know necromancy? You're a medical doctor.”

“Non-licenced, might I remind you.”

“Right...”

“Both can be answered in another little story, I hope you haven't drunk your wittle glass of milk cause this might take a while, and I need you to take my words as gospel in order for any of this to make sense.”

At this, he took out a locket and placed it on his desk, at the sight of the locket, his stretched face took a despondent look.

“There once was a surgeon. He was one of the greatest surgeons known, able to perform surgery with a 99.9% success rate, even once performing tonsilitis on Prince BlueBlood himself without anesthesia as His Royal Ass was allergic to certain anesthetics (He still has the gall to call on occasion). His cutie mark was an adorable heart with a cross of bandages on it. One day, he met himself a little sweetheart, a young mare with the loveliest face that not even a plastic surgeon couldn't best. They met, they wooed, they made exchange of vows, and over the course of several months thought themselves inseparable. Then one day, her brother, who she cared for since birth, fell deathly ill, and required life saving surgery. The surgeon looked over the brothers case and found the operation too risky, and there was a high chance that the brother would not survive. Unable to cope, his sweetheart begged the surgeon to forego the risk if it meant saving her brother. He...”

Before Stitch could continue he went into a coughing fit. “Blasted lungs.”

“The brother didn't make it did he?”

“Heh, I guess you've heard it before, haven't you.”

“Somewhat.”

“Then I guess you know what happens next.”

“The surgeon's sweetheart turned out to be not so sweet?”

The muscles behind Stitch's latex-like skin softened and despondency morphed into weariness.

“I guess I don't have to tell you who that surgeon was.”

“I could tell it wasn't just a fairy tale. So what happened afterward?”

“Rumors, Lies, Betrayal, Ruin, Exile. Read between the lines if you want those blanks filled. But here's where the story continues. From Exile leads to rebirth twisted by old and cankerous longing. A muddled and twisted desire to not only be the best surgeon in the world, but the best in any world. You can see the end result of such a desire,” he stated, pointing to himself with a hoof.

I nodded.

“Wandering with a drunken goal and a foetid wrench in my heart led this surgeon to an unforeseen checkpoint in his life, a ship-wreck, a scalpel to a tentacle monster, and a rather undesirable meeting with a deity who had never heard of the implementation of a well fitting brazier led me to hone my skills to the next level. I learned, I theorized, I implemented. Now what exactly did I implement? I'll let you guess.”

I wasn't in the mood for guessing games, but I thought it best to play it safe. His face changed drastically from when I last saw him, could it be?

“You learned self surgery.”

“Mmhmm, go on, c'mon that's only 15%.”

What? Only 15%? What was the other 85%? I looked through all recorded memory of him, searching through the most miniscule bits of data... or what was thought to be miniscule. Conversation, action, appearance, profession.

What was it, what was it? My mind was winding up, whole months of being dormant, and the computer within my head was only starting to boot back up again, things felt fresh and new again, information began pouring into my head faster than I could process, and when I did process it, things jammed and collided with the most fervent electrical intensity, until.

*click

I crossed my legs, my mind was wide awake again. No more meandering or aimless, useless drivel of too much information, now was the time for deduction, induction, hypothesis and conclusion.

“Wherever you went, you said 'next level of skill', what could be 'next level' for one of the greatest surgeons in the known Equestrian world? The common medical dogma of surgery is to aid someone by cutting and binding back together, but what has been bound back together carries back the mark of a stitch or scar, thus carrying the weight of irreversible change. The surgeon bargains with death to implement irreversible change on a patient in exchange for the patient's life. Applying that dogma here, if the skill of the greatest was to bargain with death by stitching things back together that has become undone, the next level would be to cheat death entirely, you perform surgery as if you were never there, as if there was no change at all, because with the change of surgery there remains a difference, something that wasn't there before, and with a difference, comes denial to accept this difference, if you cannot accept it, you must therefore reject it.

“Wherefore then, you, have grafted the skin of several onto yourself yet you yourself show no form of biological rejection? Though the skin is clearly grafted on, it still looks as though it was your skin, you still look like you, if only with a paler shade of skin or an odd seam misplaced. If you can do this with skin, you can, in fact, retain a youthful appearance, even after 95 years, but even after 95 years, youth is deeper than the skin. You walk with no limp, have muscle control of your face befitting that of a male in his prime and to even perform the surgery that you do requires intense muscle dexterity, one that would surely degrade over time. You didn't just replace your face, you replace everything when it outlives it's usefulness, and without having to pay the price of irreversible change, you do not just replace, you assimilate. The time when the Griffin impostors attacked our ship, you harvested body parts, the undamaged parts you can save in order to replace when needed: bones, organs, blood, plasma. I thought it commonplace you would harvest for future need as you were a surgeon and fortunately for you, we have griffin's on board that could use the body parts, however, blood, now blood is something problematic, since you have the dilemma of blood type and yet when collecting, you didn't seem to care if blood mixed, you only cared if it was fresh. I thought it quite negligent if you were planning on using that blood in other patients but now I don't have to, I know why.

“Call it extrapolating, but then again, this is what you wanted from me, isn't it? To figure it all out on my own, to get me back to my prime mode of thinking, to question minute details that once clustered my mind palace but had been dumped into a recycling bin once things settled down for once in my life. I really have to hand it to you, getting me back in the swing of playing mind games and all it took was a little push in the right direction. But I digress, you aren't a unicorn, but from what you've told me on your connections to necromancy, you may not have immersed yourself in it, but you've stuck a nose into it to see the magic that could be called a science, such as Griffin would call his off brand of magic that he so constructs into a science. Because you've the thinking of an empirical scientist, you've formed your own branch of necromancy into something more practical, more reliable, more innate. I'm not versed in this world's magic, so this is where my expertise ends, but from what I've gathered, every single being is capable of some form of magic, whether it be through Keith and I's magic cups, through Kokuryu, or through Griffin's use of his sword to perform magic. Now, from what I've seen Unicorns perform direct feats of magic, where as Earth ponies and Pegasi perform indirect feats, the indirect feats linking to these particular marks that ponies have on their flanks, these marks before I met Keith again, I brushed aside as tatoos, but now I see relate to their talent, which they are able to perform to an extreme degree. Now this next part requires some empirical data. So, Stitch, let's see your cutie mark.”

By this point, Stitch had a full grin reaching from ear to ear.

“I'll happily oblige.” He got down from his chair and walked around his desk. After turning profile he pulled aside his coat that covered the cutie mark and showed a different cutie mark than earlier described: no longer a red heart with a cross of bandages, now a black heart with a clean white cross inset into the middle.

“And here I thought you were just a battle-torn soldier, you surprise me when I most expect it. I thought you would try to base things on logic as logic ran your world to a tee, however you've astounded me with how much you knew philosophy had in play in this universe's laws.”

“I had a pink horse and a crack addicted biochemist to thank for that. They were the ones who showed me that you can easily remove logic from the equation and things still move like clockwork. Logic in my world used to be the rules of thought in which you proved or disproved a situation if something didn't fit the logic, either the logic was wrong or the situation was wrong, there was no middle ground. With this world I've realized logic serves more like guidelines than actual rules, and the middle ground stretches as far as the eye can see. Logic puts bounds to possible. A logical me is a me that is still half asleep, as you can plainly see. Thank you for the wake up call.”

“You're very welcome. I hate you a lot less now.”

I chuckled. “You hated me?”

“Of course! You got something I never got and will never get. Tit for tat, I hate your guts regardless, and no amount of surprise is going to change that. What makes me hate you less is that the awake you is a lot more pleasant to talk with than the half asleep you, as I can now explain things without you having a stupid expression on your face.

“Now that you know that I hate you, I can let you in on a little secre: my deep dark secret that has kept me alive through the entire time I was busy in exile. It has two parts, and you'll know which part is which. Now, the only condition is that you can tell the first part to anyone, but the second part only to the person you hate the most. Do we have an accord?”

Interested, I nod. It was the one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my entire life. He trotted over to me like a giddy schoolgirl and whispered his darkest secret to me. I half wish he had never told me. As I heard it, I wished that what I heard I could take in even the slightest off-chance that he was lying, but deep down his words hit me harder than a nuclear missile soley because this was the truth. Before then, I was only slightly unsettled that he was my stand in medical doctor for Keith, now, I was absolutely terrified that he was my medical doctor. And now, this secret belonged to me as well, it was mine. All secrets are weapons in their own regard, but this one... this one was a doomsday weapon held in words. But the worst part was that he was the one who revealed it to me, and therefore I could not use it against him. He was bullet proof, and I would forever have the largest target painted on my backside for the rest of my life. I wished he had killed me right then and there.

He went back to his desk with a bastard smile and took a cough drop out of his desk.

“Would you like a cough drop? I have peppermint and cinnamon and ooh, even lemon drop.”

I could only sit there agape with horror, eyes widened. At first his cold exterior was what I thought to be the worst of him, I was wrong. So... fatally... wrong... What I would fear hereafter would be the smile that would betray the thought behind it. Why in particular him was because I saw myself in him, not my current self, but my old self. Stitch the surgeon with a 99.9%- no... a 100% success rate, Did a better job at being the old me entire LEAGUES ahead of what the old me could have ever accomplished.

Forget ancient dragons, forget demons, forget other alphas, forget death, forget whoever rules endless punishment after death, a surgeon devoted to saving lives through medicine, had me more afraid than anything else. And it was not even because of what I had done, after hearing his secret, what I had done seemed like child's play. It wasn't even a special power or something he had from my past that gave him so much weight against me. It was the right words placed in the right order.

A person I thought was working for me, within the span of a conversation, has turned into my worst enemy. He had found a permanent nestling place in the back of my mind, and there was nothing I could do about it. To other people, he was the reclusive hermit surgeon with a heart of gold, and when people would speak of him they would in all sense, be right. But he didn't hate other people, he hated me.

His talent was indeed surgery, but he had another talent far surpassing my own, one that made him bulletproof. All my other enemies I could, can and will fight with swords, cutlasses, battle plans, armies, negotiations, guns, cannons, ammunition, magic, diplomacy, but Stitch, I couldn't fight him with that. He was above all that, he had a complete mastery of a skill in which I was only a novice in comparison. All it takes is an enemy to have a greater mastery than you at the one skill where it matters most for him to beat you, and Stitch had beaten me ever since he met me-no... ever since he KNEW I existed in this world. If Celestia was the one he hated, he would be ruling Equestria right now under an Era of True Peace. If Griffin was the one he hated, Griffin would be wishing he was in Ponyville earning an honest living if only to avoid Stitch. But I was the one he hated.

I would forever be going back through my memory, remembering the times when I would check out Conan Doyle from the library and read to full capacity, and connecting the name of Sherlock's enemy to Stitch. Whenever I thought of Stitch I would think of that name. I would wonder of what manner of fate could produce such a creature such as ourselves, then spin the wheels to define that magnet of an emotion, hatred. Compared to what Stitch had against me, I would consider my vengeance against the man who slaughtered my family a mercy killing.

What separated him and I was that I wasn't content until my target had been slain. His satisfaction however would not stop if he simply killed me. The only way to stop this game he started would be either his death or mine, yet we both knew we could never kill each other. He was the paragon of a mortal enemy, the epitome of what it means to stop at nothing until you are through with the person you despise the most, the master of how to make the one you have a festering grudge against dance for your pleasure. The simplicity of his name deceived him, he was not simply the pony surgeon, Stitch.

No...

He was Moriarty...

MY Moriarty...

Author's Notes:

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Now to go to bed and rest easy knowing that I at least updated ONCE during the course of this year, even though it was at the very last month. Hopefully this will not become a trend.

Tune in to Falling Feathers where I help BlackWing-senpai write ◯◯◯◯◯◯◯, God help us all...

Kusanagi AWAY!!!

*Turns into a rocket ship and flies into bed*