https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1GXJksuvDk

The rest of the day had been spent celebrating with a subdued party – another threat eliminated. All while Fear's will was alight with thoughts of travel and exploration once more, the once dormant, traumatized part of him desiring movement and action. There was one point, a year or two into his time at Dryfield he'd thought about taking all his baggage and traveling away from his home and family all alone in order to find some semblance of peace away from his own thoughts, a guaranteed way to heal. He'd scryed ten or so alternate realities before making his decision, realizing that no matter how hard he looked it wasn't going to change all the things that could go wrong, or all the things that could go right.

The key determining factors were: he just didn't know if he had the motivation, and he had a responsibility to be there for his family when the time came, and who knew how long his journey would have taken?

Sleep would have come with ease if not for the sheer excitement cutting through him and leaving him a folded paper chain of consciousness, pieces of him wanting to sleep and others wanting to stay up and immediately go about exploring one of the final labs in the Dryfield area with his father. There had been trepidation purely due to it being the final one, not knowing what he'd find. The magic would be lost if it turned out to be nothing exceptional, and gazing into the Seer's Eye to learn what the lab held felt like cheating.

However, despite all that it wasn't long until the relatively drunk Fear (still having trouble holding his liquor) was passed out and back in the dream world to tell his extended family just how everything had gone. There was a little celebration in his sleep as well from another job well done, a tiny dream party with refreshments crafted solely from memory, with things like punch, cranberry apple juice, sweet cake, and frosted cookies. It was a group effort, and hardly had the same effect as the real thing, but nonetheless the sharing of experiences was good enough given the wasteland on the other side of the veil.

Fear was taking a break from the cacophony of stories and good will to have some time alone with his thoughts in the courtyard. He wasn’t quite so lucky though.

It started with a soul whispering to him. It was like a formless rubic's cube, constantly shifting and always making such glorious little patterns with the surface that were often surreal and incomprehensible. It flowed like a river and never seemed to stop. It was a familiar sensation, a sensation he'd only felt for the briefest of moments three or more years ago.

Then came the voice. “They were right! Big things do come in little packages.” The voice was deep, mischievous, with a discordant lilt to it that Fear couldn't place. He glanced around, taking a few steps forward.

“Who's...?” It took a few moments, something clawing at his memory to be let in but he couldn't place it. He'd heard this before. “Dis... Discord?”

“Shh. Keep it down Fear. This is just between us.”

One of Fear's eyes hooded while the other widened, brow raising. “What do you want with me? What are you doing here? You know, as hard as it is to believe, Princess Luna misses you right? How are you in the dream space?”

Discord's left bird hand popped up out of nothing, each talon extending as he listed off an answer. “One, I just wish to talk to someone whose emotional state is always changing. Possibly more chaotic than even I'm used to.” A lion's paw permeated and sliced at the air, leaving a gash lingering in the middle of space, like he'd cut open the dream bubble. “Scratch that. Nothing can be more chaotic than me.” Fear got the distinct impression Discord was looking at him condescendingly, if only because of his voice and the emotions now forming in front of him. “Two, it's long past time we had a little discussion, just you and me. Three, Luna's feelings hardly matter right now. Maybe I'll see her again, maybe not. That's not for you to concern yourself with – my business. And fourth, I'm dreaming, duh.”

Fear rolled his eyes, sitting on his haunches and crossing his forelegs over his chest. “Wow, rude. You can't just leave others waiting on you, missing you and wishing you'd come back.”

Discord grumbled. “You're not going to let this go, are you?” His aged head and slim, brown body formed in the air and soon Discord was leaning, floating on his side with his paw holding up his head. “Let's just say I've had my history with Luna and I'd rather not see her right now. I've had my history with everyone, and it's high time that was left in the past.”

Fear shook his head, unamusedly gazing at Discord whose soul felt as if it was peeling apart, hardly much power left. “The past might be behind us but we can still start fresh.”

The draconequus tumbled about in the air before stopping himself, eyes rolling around in his head in a jumble. “You are so stubborn! Fine! I'll consider seeing her again. That's not why I'm here!”

“I'm stubborn? So are you. You sound like an overgrown foal!”

Discord, without legs, hung in the air for a little while longer, before eventually grinning. “I see now why the wasteland has so much trouble containing your big personality.”

Fear took a few steps back as if he'd been struck. “And what do you know of me?”

Confetti rained down around Fear as Discord threw his hands into the air, lacking the exuberance he used to have. “That's the million cap question! What has our little contestant won?” Discord snapped his talons and a copy appeared, dressed up and with a voice like that of a game show host.

“A lifetime of fluctuating misery and happiness!” The original draconequus clapped his two hands together a few dozen times at a rapid pace, whooping and whistling as the second was dismissed in a puff of smoke.

Fear grimaced. “Just get on with it.”

Discord just beamed. “I know you're so sensitive you can't catch a moment's peace and that, like your sister, your brain is connected to magic and thus the world. I know that unlike me you're not afraid to hurt someone to get what you want, and I know that unlike me you're constantly questioning everything you've ever done because no matter what direction you take in life, you never find that final peace you've been searching for.” The implication was clear to Fear, he wasn't being taken by life in any particular direction, it was the other way around. Usually.

Fear planted a hoof against his forehead. “You? Not hurt others? Don't make me laugh. According to Princess Luna you did your fair share of causing trouble.”

“Ah ah ah,” Discord chastised. “Caused trouble. I never actually hurt anyone. Just made everyone's lives fun, interesting! And maybe a little inconvenient.” Discord's motions were boisterous and larger than life, constantly moving around and emphasizing his words. “Even when the world turned against me and used my own power for their own ends, when I escaped I tried to help the world and you can't prove anything else.”

The young stallion shook a little, not knowing what to make of any of this. “And... what do you want with me?” Suddenly he felt horrible about himself.

“You, my dear friend, are linked to chaos intrinsically. Unable to find balance, unable to find harmony in yourself, only in others. Like for instance, not knowing whether you should be of service to someone stronger than you or carve out your own little niche. Everything about you screams change, even your cutiemark. And it is that change in your emotions that generates your magic and makes you so apt for making a difference. Life just keeps handing you all this change on a silver platter and you hardly do anything with it! Until now.”

Fear vaguely recalled the manuscript Faith had found. Friendship is Discord. He wondered if Discord had anything to do with that. Probably not, that was crazy. He stayed silent for awhile. “Even if I was supposed to really make a difference like I told Mom I would I wouldn't even know where to begin.”

Discord waggled a finger. “Tut tut. That's exactly what you need in life. Every single time you've started moving it's because something came along and sparked the fire within you. Gave you direction. You had the inspiration all along, it just laid dormant until something excised it from you. It's going to be like that all your life. And it's other creatures that give you that direction.”

Fear snorted. “You say that like I'm supposed to be something important.”

“Virtues are incredibly important, and I have a theory about yours. But that's neither here nor there. You've been a horrible little colt, pushed in terrible directions by your environment. That doesn't leave you without blame however. You are a dangerous, sinful little creature always following your emotions no matter how awful it gets, others constantly bailing you out. You hardly have any control over how your emotions spiral because you're so young.” Discord leaned in close.

“Yeah I know I'm a shitling, tell me something I don't know.” Fear tried to push Discord away but he stayed in place.

“You even went so far as to completely obliterate Linebreiker even though she was just following her heart just like you.”

Fear twisted away, letting out a grunt.

“But some creatures do remember bits and pieces of their past lives so... you never know. And besides, I would be a hypocrite if I blamed someone for following their heart now wouldn't I? Wisdom and control comes with age and acceptance, though trying to be someone else completely will just destroy you.”

The young stallion wasn't sure what Discord was getting at, whether he was trying to be helpful or harmful. “And what does all this have to do with me?”

“Nothing...” Discord transformed into a beautiful golden scale with eyes on the front, moving the arms up and down as he glanced from side to side cartoonishly. “Extreme, per se. I just want you to know you're on the path to doing something really important, and I have my eye on you. And that I know you're looking for a new spark, the spark of self-love you lost ever since your sister left you again.”

Fear took a few steps back, becoming uncomfortable with how much Discord knew about him. It made sense though. Lurk around everywhere long enough and you learn things. But why was so much attention being placed on him? “Why are you even following me anyway? Kinda creepy stalking behavior.” Fear lifted a foreleg and held it against his chest, looking off and to the side.

Discord shrugged as he morphed back, nonchalantly popping off his head and rolling it back and forth across his shoulders and down his arms, catching it in his hands and tossing it back the way it came like he was juggling a basketball. It nauseated Fear. “Let's just say I've been paying attention to a lot of things, and I'm looking to heal the wasteland too, not that anyone important knows I'm around.”

Fear glared at the draconequus. “First I'm important, then I'm not important, you going to make up your mind any time today? Or is being wishywashy part of chaos?”

Discord hummed, little spectral music notes filtering from his lips as his head snapped into place with a gruesome crack. “In the grand scheme of things, Fear, no one is important and everyone is important. The future holds no certainties as I'm sure you know by now, anyone could be in your position as long as Fate is maintaining the illusion of free will. There are many who could easily take your place if events line up just so. Anyone can be held on a pedestal, what matters in the end is the present, and in this present you hold a lot of potential. Whether you will be able to achieve it or not will never be guaranteed. However – don't glare at me like that – if you choose to move forward from here on out, following the little ignition inside of you, you're going to discover you're not the imposter you think you are. As you've spoken to your... mmh, sister. The future may not be good, but it'll certainly be better than the past. All you have to do is take that step.”

The young stallion felt some of his concerns melt away at that. A sense of confidence overtaking him. Then he realized he'd been manipulated like a finely tuned machine. “You're pretty good at that.”

Discord shrugged, swimming back and forth in the air with long, heaving backstrokes. “Comes with the territory of being an entity of chaos. Everyone has their puppet strings. Normally I could just use magic to discord others and change them, but where's the fun in that?”

Fear's attention was divided, both thinking about how he'd decided the past was terrible in hindsight because he knew better now, but still great because at the time he'd been ignorant to what could have been, as well as focusing on Discord at the same time. A tad distracted. “I suppose so. It's kinda nice proving you can do something without relying on supernatural means all the time. Just what your mind can do.”

“See!?” Discord cried. “You get me!” Discord pulled Fear into a hug and gave him a rough noogie, digging a fist into his scalp.

“Ah! Hey! Stop! Bad touch!” Fear writhed and squirmed, kicking his hindlegs out as he was held in the air against his will, face screwed up in pain and annoyance.

Discord dropped him to the ground. “I knew we'd get along well enough. Just remember, keep moving forward and don't doubt yourself too much. There'll be time for that when your journey's at its end. Now buh-bye!” And with that Discord's form distorted into a swirl before zapping away with a flash of light and an audible 'pop' like the snap of bubblegum.

Fear was left in an inspired haze. Was it possible he could get a little something more out of Amelio if he played his cards right? Just one more fun little romp? Was he willing to attempt manipulating her in order to have a good time?

Yes.

Just one more romp, then he'd try to move on.

==========================================================================================

“So, Ame, I just thought maybe if we danced together it might allow for better therapy!” Fear's voice came out as a squeak.

Amelio narrowed her eyes at her brother, a hoof coming up and settling over her lips, eyes lidding a moment later as she twisted her head to the side, considering the argument. She knew exactly what Fear was up to, what he really wanted. And honestly it was innocent enough. Innocent yet intimate. She wasn't sure it would help him move on, having seen it coming a mile away, but... “fine. Let us dance. I will let you start us off.”

Fear's jaw fell open, blinking once. Huh? Fear didn't voice his concerns but it was clear on his face he wasn't expecting it to work. Was Amelio still into him even slightly? He knew there'd never be an answer without communicating with her, but he didn't want to hear the answer. He wanted to live in ignorance and just hold onto one fleeting moment of happiness. His jaw snapped shut and he glanced away, swiping a hoof across his snout. “Eh, I suppose I can start us off. But you're the dreaming expert, you got any songs from memory?”

A simple yet beautiful smile graced Amelio's face as she stared at her brother with amusement shining behind her strange yet pretty eyes. “Silly, you are the one always listening to songs on the radio. However... I think I have... something you might like.” She scoured her memory, muzzle scrunching up cutely as she searched, eyes rolling up and to the side.

When feeling a song in your dreams the lyrics and the notes echoed in the mind like subtle whispers, long past and barely comprehensible, and hardly memorable when you woke up. Yet there was always something much more amazing about it as the thoughts permeated in quick succession, flowing through a story you're normally the only one privy to. Some musicians remain inspired by the songs they hear within their dreams.

And that was how Fear felt as the music started up. Inspired.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KHGsjXXJlY

The young stallion started off slowly, getting a feel for the music before letting it move his body, rocking from side to side on his haunches like a swaying metronome, his eyes glancing to wherever he leaned, occasionally twisting upward as he tapped a hoof on the floor, the echo less sound and more touch. Soon enough he was standing up on his hindlegs, gently swinging his forelegs to his right, bending them at the 'elbows,' clapping the hooves together like he was shaking a pair of maracas, then swinging to the left and doing the same. He did a curt stirrup, stepping in place like he was going up stairs and clacking his hind hooves against the floor. Fear cocked his head to the side, clapped his forehooves together, and undulated in place with eyelids shut, letting the music flow through his consciousness and motivate him.

Meanwhile Amelio started up as well. “You did tell me Mirage taught you all she and Grandma Emulae knew about dancing.” Her voice was soft as she stood on her hindlegs too, crossing her forelegs over each other and wiggling in place, then leaning to one side, her forelegs twisting over each other and tossing them to either side, then taking a dainty step forward, turning her head away from Fear, stepping back, and doing the same motion with her forelegs as before, and soon enough she was lifting a hindleg, pressing the hoof against her 'knee' and doing a little pirouette like a ballerina, eyes closed as well.

The two ponies' magic reached out for each other, telekinesis surrounding them, helping each keep their balance and mingling together. Fear felt Amelio's mind, and Amelio felt Fear's as air pressure caressed and twisted together, mixing with one another into a tornado of sensation.

Fear took a few steps back, shoved his forelegs out, and bowed his head forward.

Amelio took a few steps forward, shoved her forelegs behind her, and bowed her head back.

Both did a little spin.

Then fell toward each other.

Their empathy slipped and slid against one another, reading each others' movements and intent like they were watching where they put their hooves, allowing them to catch one another in their hooves and tumble together in a divine rotation, one of their forelegs pointing out away from each other. Next they stepped around each other as they held on tight, their telekinesis pressing against their backs and holding them up, white and black coalescing together like yin and yang, a sentiment that hadn't been expressed for a few years. They were eventually cavorting about, taking grand leaps with one another like they were jumping between glass platforms, occasionally only standing on one hindleg as they held each other both innocently and intimately.

Amelio understood Fear just wanted to move on.

Fear understood Amelio wanted him to move on.

Their innocent procession inevitably drew to a close, the two staring into each others' eyes, sapphire glow radiating over sapphire ellipticals. Odd and odd meeting together in such a way for one last time as Amelio held Fear's body with a foreleg, dipping him toward the ground as she leaned over him.

It was time to move on to bigger and better things.

Fear wasn't sure he was ready, but he needed to try. He'd promised himself he would.

“You know Fearei,” Amelio's flawless voice spoke to him, “as much as I wanted it too, it would have been wrong for us to procreate with one another. We should have been spreading our genes, not keeping a pure bloodline between the two of us. Though we did not consciously know it at the time, it was arrogant of us to keep to each other like that when there are other ponies who need that special little something the both of us can give.”

Fear thought about it. It was a tad annoying hearing Amelio preach to him, as if she was being haughty and holding her union over his head, like she was somehow better than him now, and while he understood it was arrogant and haughty to believe they had something special to give the wasteland – a sobering understanding... he realized the faint joy he got at the idea of keeping their blood pure was another supremacist idea, the kind of idea he hadn't had in some time. And it was then that he knew the very idea of their coupling had been wrong, whether they had anything unique to give or not. The time they lived in didn't call for such things. They had each other as much as they'd needed – as brother and sister – they didn't need to add romance to that as well. They should have been seeking someone else for that pleasure.

The young stallion gave a wanly smile. Yeah, he had to move on.

“Further,” Amelio continued to her silent brother as she got back on all fours, helping Fear do the same, “I want you to know that no matter what happens our ties will still bind us. Our connections surpass time and space and will always bring us together as one. If your consciousness is ever in trouble and you need my assistance I will be there for you. I can not interfere more than once though, so keep that in mind as you throw yourself into danger. After all, free will needs consequences otherwise nothing matters.”

Fear snorted. “And what about forgiveness?”

Amelio chortled. “Forgiveness is a facet of free will and comes with its own consequences. Consequences are not inherently bad things, they are just often associated with them. Now move along, we have spent enough time together.”

The young stallion finally left, albeit reluctantly. It was time to cultivate his other relationships.

==========================================================================================

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fgzaQU2g8o

“You know, it kinda sucks I never got to explore any of these labs for myself. Like the storeroom for instance,” Fear used as an example, “I would have loved to just be constantly going back and forth bringing cans of food to the settlement.” Things were rather stiff and stale around the father and son as they moved through sterile white corridors. The ventilation had stopped long ago due to backup power being diverted elsewhere, so there was a thick stagnancy that settled in the lungs and gave a dry mustiness, like the air in an abandoned house although made of metal instead of wood and paper. Their hooves clicked along the white tiles as they passed by some sleeping quarters and headed for the gunmetal gray stairwell leading downward, placed in a small nook a few nondescript halls down.

“You romanticize it too much son. I know you love scavenging but once you've explored one lab they all kind of mix together. I was just surprised this one didn't have much security in it.” Sim didn't want to squash Fear's enthusiasm but it was better than disappointment sometimes. He was busy carrying his own gear, saddlebags and carapace knife.

Fear considered that for awhile, humming and twisting his eyes to the side as they passed by an indistinct pneumatic door leading to a break room, and then later on a small janitor's closet. “What about all the juicy information about why the lab was built?”

Sim shrugged. “All wiped. That's why I saved this one for last. If there's anything left it's deeper in where only a pipbuck and hacking can get you through. Something happened to this place – it's completely empty.” They passed by a couple restrooms and security as they twisted down a couple more maze-like corridors, designed specifically to get ponies lost. It never seemed to end.

“That's depressing,” Fear sighed. “So what do you think this lab is for?”

“Honestly?” Sim asked. “Something to do with the environment because of the various testing chambers scattered on the second basement level. There was an aquarium, botanical garden, and some desert areas, all rather small. Though I suppose the third level throws off that theory a little, as well as the fact that Stable-Tec already had an environmental institute. There were a lot of tomes on barrier spells in one of the research labs, some of which were torn apart and ruined.”

“What, you think the place was raided?”

“Likely. Somepony didn't want this secret getting out to the world, yet due to all the unlocked doors it nearly did. The only thing remaining in the databanks down below is a map detailing all the rooms. The ones that haven't been investigated yet are the surgical lab and cryogenic room.” The stairwell was just as bland and plain as everything else that wasn’t a designated room.

Fear was, despite himself, getting a little excited, his tail hiking up, hackles rising, all while he glanced back toward the sword strapped to his back alongside his saddlebags. Storm's old saddlebags, covered on the sides with a multi-layered gray brain with three yellow thunderbolts splayed out beneath them, faded due to time. “By the way, I keep forgetting to mention. Grandma Freiya wants you to come to Stable 47 and perform that Crucible play you did recently.”

Sim's eyebrows rose. “Hm? Really? It's still really strange to know you're talking to everypony in your dreams, but at least that means I know you'll be able to contact me if you need to.” There was a pause as Fear gave a singular nod. “I'll probably head over there soon then. Do you want to come with me?”

“Nah.” Fear shook his head. “Gonna head out with Faith and Gentler soon to get done what I need to. We're supposed to be heading to the old dragon lands and then Maneami to see if we can get a boat operational enough to travel to Abyssinia. That is, provided we can't convince them to be on edge in their dreams. Then again, if they don't remember them well enough it won’t matter either way.”

Sim glanced to his son. “You really like taking risks don't you?”

“Nah.” Fear stated simply. “But there's no other choice, is there?”

Sim grinned. “Storm would be proud of you.”

Fear looked to Sim. “Thanks Dad.” The young stallion's heart hammered in his chest, his mind busy with vague emotions instead of thought, too much permeating in his mind and leaving him nearly overwhelmed. It was an intangible feeling he couldn't put into words, the world calling out to him, a cry he couldn’t ignore. The world was hurting. Discord said he was trying to heal the wasteland. Was that even possible? Did Discord know something he didn't? Maybe he'd ask him.

Everything went silent for awhile until they got to the surgical lab, with Sim pulling the adapter from his pipbuck and stringing it up to the console at the door, swiftly scanning over the information that slid over his foreleg terminal at rapid speed. After a few button presses there was a hiss, then a kachunk as the door pulled away and revealed the interior. It was a hallway with a glass containment to the side, a stretcher surrounded by surgical gear beyond, some computers, and an array of strange equipment meant specifically for identification and splicing. Above and below him Fear also noticed vents meant for filtering gas in and out – probably a sterilization chamber before entering the lab proper? There were also a few skeletons littering the floor, still mostly intact.

But that wasn't what caught Fear's eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZjGBuNgLjM

What drew Fear’s attention, and then Sim's, was the body sitting on its haunches in the corner in front of another door’s console. It was a strange form, the most notable characteristic being the flowing soul patch on his face, the wavy mane and tail, just as black as the facial hair, and the red-tipped smoothly bent horn. The second feature that caught Fear's eye was its dark gray fur, similar to Fear's own.

“Uh, Dad?” Fear was incredibly skeeved out by the sight. Not because it was so dirty and degraded, but because... “why is there a completely fresh body here?” That wasn't the only thing. “I can feel its soul. It's alive. Somehow.”

Sim shuddered at the prospect, turning his head to the side. “I have no idea, Fear. The door was definitely locked before we came in so...” Sim's face was one of concern and uncertainty.

As Fear's heart thudded in his chest, leaving his head airy and light, eyes quivering in their sockets and taking a step back, the equine's eyelids peeled back too slowly for comfort, as if everything was suddenly moving in slow motion. Its eyes were the most alarming thing though: slitted red eyes with diseased-looking green corneas, purple mist sifting off the edges and flowing back like a mask.

“I smell... despair.” The creature's voice was dark and smooth like a creature of the night.

Fear nudged his father in the side. “Dad,” Fear started up, but stopped when...

A sudden miasma fell upon the room, expanding outward like an exploding star from the equine, who, as his lips pulled back into a snarl, revealed sharpened teeth. The sheer heaviness of the air constricted around Fear and Sim, clinging to their bodies and paralyzing the nerves, numbing the flesh and digging into the muscles, clamping down around them and leaving them incapable of moving.

Fear recognized it immediately as nightmare pressure, doing no more than letting out a squeak as he tried to bring himself to unsheathe his sword and become used to the change in air pressure, his knees buckling under him.

The creature's horn lit up with purple ether, taking the shape of a spotted haze unlike how regular unicorn magic looked. It expanded outward, blanketing the skeletons on either side of him – on further examination the ribs appeared to be nearly shattered – and after a short amount of time the bones jostled. Shook. Trembled. And rose. Rattling together as they slid back into place, ribs crumbling and leaving stubby joints leftover as jaws cracked into position. It was grotesque and made Fear's stomach turn, seeing pony skeletons manipulated in such a visceral, inappropriate way. As they stood there staring with empty eye sockets, their vacant holes took up a pair of renters, green light shimmering behind them and filling them up. Necromantic energies pouring through the newly designated puppets.

Fear's expression was one of horror, Sim's was steeled. The fatherly instinct inside of him told him to protect his son at at any cost, but at the moment he could hardly move.

Each skeleton lunged forward, digging their forehooves into the ground and spinning around, and readying to buck them in the face and smash their lights out.

Fear's telekinesis latched onto his sword. He pumped his desire to protect, as well as the fear for his life into it.

The sword slipped from the sheathe automatically, without any more prompting and flew through the air, slicing through the first skeleton's hindlegs, chopping them off, and parrying the second skeleton's buck, throwing it up and away with a powerful movement.

Surprise registered on the mysterious equine's face. “A lunar sword?” His voice was full of confusion. “Are you here for Project Ace?”

Fear launched into action, pulsing violence through his sword because he didn't have any other plan of action, the blade flowing through the air in a series of sweeps and hacks, cutting into bone and severing limbs, all while it was difficult to breathe, his pupils shrunk to pinpricks.

Sim was more than impressed, and finally starting to get feeling back in his legs. It was like jumping into the deep end of a pool and freezing up on the spot from cold shock. All he needed to do was get used to the miasma and he was fine.

“I don't even know what you're talking about! What's Project Ace!?” Fear was livid at being attacked, the sword thrumming in the air, crying out at the same time as the personalities embedded in the quartz were thrown into a frenzy from the emotive power. He couldn't move no matter how hard he tried, but he could finally cast spells.

“So you know nothing about Project Ace? Well, no matter. I was sent here to eliminate him and all who came here.” The equine got low to the ground, purple bubbles surrounding his horn once more, popping like sickly carbonation. Immediately darkness shrouded the entire room, consuming the light. Nothing but void as far as the eye could see, as if the walls had completely left them. Then the shadows came alive, stretching toward the two of them in order to hold them in place, darkness surrounding Fear's sword and catching it. The dark held it tight like an ebony spider web, sticking to it and subduing it like strings of silken weave. “Crystal hm?”

Sim and Fear had barely any chance to react as their limbs were suddenly bound, held in place no matter how much they tried to move. Sim struggled the most, pulling on his binds and trying to free himself from the shroud of shadows lashed across his body, smattering him in black. Fear meanwhile was putting all his telekinetic force into yanking and tugging on his blade, trying to retrieve it. “LET US GO YOU CREEP!” Fear was the first to demand.

The mysterious equine lidded his eyes, then tilted his head to one side. “No, I think I'll kill you. You may not know anything but I'd prefer to keep it that way. And who knows? Maybe I can take the pipbuck off that stallion's leg and hack my way into the cryogenic room and kill the one being hidden from me.” A sinister smile crept across his face as he felt Fear's form go limp from despair. It was strange that Sim was still struggling, fighting against his bonds.

“FEAR! Do something!”

“I can't Dad! I'm stuck! He has my sword!” The equine's will was overpowering his own, Fear couldn't manipulate the shadows nor merge with them!

Fear gagged and hacked as the shadows suddenly constricted around his stomach and neck, cutting off blood flow.

Sim cried out Fear's name again.

The mysterious equine spoke again. “You're a very determined stallion. But I'm sure seeing your companion die will crush you inside.”

Sim screamed and did the only thing he could think to do, manipulate. He built up power in his mind, behind his eyes, and let it pulse outward, a green flash surging across his irises like a metal sheen and hitting the shadowy equine hard.

Fear felt his father's intent. To save him. He knew the limitations of that manipulation spell. He suddenly felt the pressure on his own body alleviate and heard his father gack and gasp as the equine shifted his attention to Sim.

“Neat little trick but I think I'll kill you first just for trying it.” The purple magic surrounding the strange equine's horn increased, squeezing down on every body part in Sim's body to try and kill him as brutally as possible. The sound of bones cracking, joints popping, and muscle tearing was music to his ears.

Fear screamed. “NO! STOP!” As Fear remembered what Discord said, and every time he'd been bailed out by someone else and inherited the skills of others, the danger of the situation creeping into him, a sudden flux of emotion pumped into his thaumic gland as terror gripped his heart. He directed what power he could get to his horn though, casting a blinding light spell, causing the enemy to shield his eyes. What little of his blade was exposed caught the light and reflected it. Fear rocked in place, shouting out in his mind the only words that came to mind, intending to use all his magic if required in order to do it. STARLIGHT SHREDDER! Fear's panic addled brain was fervent, sending emotion sweeping through his head and being channeled to magic.

Surprise crossed the unknown equine's face as a field of bright orbs surrounded him, hanging in the air for a couple seconds before racing at him, dive bombing and attempting to sear through his flesh. It was enough to get the stallion to let go of Fear and Sim on instinct in order to bring the shadows to his defense and squelch the burning light.

Sim's body fell to the ground in a mangled heap.

Fear hit his hooves as he grabbed his sword. “You're not beating us that easy!” Fear yelled out as he raced toward the equine in the dark trying to protect himself from the array of stars coming down on him. So distracted was he that he didn't even notice the young stallion coming up to him and swinging the sword, his eyes going wide when the flash of steel caught his attention.

The blade carved through the air, slicing into the equine's neck, slashing apart fur, skin, muscle, artery and organ, then bone and cleaving all the way through the other side. The head remained on top of the neck for a few seconds as blood blossomed through the clean cut, before slipping off its pedestal and falling to the ground, thudding on the floor, a look of shock on the dying stallion's face. A fountain of blood squirting from the stub, before the entire body collapsed.

Fear canceled the spell, flicking the unwelcome blood off his blade before dropping it to the ground with a clatter when he was sure the body was finally dead. Light left the equine's eyes and the magic mist dispersed, revealing normal red eyes and white corneas beneath. He rushed over to his father's body sparing a glance back only to see a glowing black light that looked like someone's canvas sketch leap from the dead body and into his sword, making the entire thing shimmer with darkness. Fear hardly paid it anymore mind than that, quickly rooting through Sim's saddlebags and pulling out one of his spare health potions.

“Fuck I'm so glad I convinced you to start carrying one of these.” Fear swiftly popped it open and brought it down to Sim's lips, encouraging him to drink it down.

Sim wasn't one to fight the process, gulping it down despite how much it hurt his collapsed throat. It was so difficult to breathe, especially with a rib poking into a lung.

Fear turned around, sitting on his haunches next to his father as the close call rattled in his head. There was no euphoria this time. Someone else had nearly been victim to his powerlessness and it was solely an influx of emotions that had saved them. They probably would have died if he wasn't so sensitive to everything. Fear rocked back and forth, holding himself in his forelegs.

Sim coughed a few times as his body repaired itself seamlessly. “Re... relax Fear. You did fine. Things like this happen often.”

“BULLSHIT!” Fear yelped. “This was supposed to be an easy get in and go process! I wish there hadn't been anything new in this place.”

Sim grinned as he laid on the ground. “You don't actually mean that, son. You're just terrified of what we went through.”

“You shouldn't have been here! It should have just been me!”

“Shh... Fear. Relax. It's okay. We're fine. We're not any worse for wear. You're just scared of losing me.”

“Yeah well maybe I shouldn't be if you're gonna be this calm about it! We almost died!” Fear's voice was still full of panic.

“Thank you for caring about me, Fear, but I believed in you from the start. I just did what any father would have done. Now come on, let's see what this thing was guarding.”

Fear stopped rocking after a minute, worry creases on his muzzle, and slowly got to his hooves. “Do you need any help walking?” There was an exhausted monotony to his voice.

Sim let out a bark of laughter. “No. The healing potion made it easy. Now relax, we're fine. This is just another adventure in the wasteland. You've gotten really soft Fear.”

Fear glanced to the side, pouting. “Fine, whatever.” He moved over to his sword, sweeping it up in his telekinesis and looking at the gentle black glow still coming from a spot near the hilt. After analyzing it he recognized the symbol now carved into the metal. It was a kenaz, the same symbol Freiya told him belonged to the first Rei. Fear shrugged and sheathed it, figuring he'd ask Luna what it meant when he went to sleep later.

Sim hooked up the pipbuck to the console and started the hacking process. The pneumatic door eventually opened with a loud series of clicks and a hiss, letting them into the cryogenic chamber.

There were at least a dozen capsules lining the walls, and another one behind a terminal at the far end. Each one of them looked like capped eggs, with a light at the bottom. Some had an equine residing inside, with a red light at the bottom. The one at the far end of the hall had a plaque reading “Project Ace” at the base above a green light.

Sim spent no time at all making his way to the terminal and connecting his pipbuck again, trying to find any files that might be left over. Fear made his way over to him, first looking through the frosted glass at this “Project Ace.” Whatever he expected, it wasn't the normality before him. Science experiments were usually strange weren't they? Sure, Chrono was hardly strange on the surface but...

The first thing that stood out to Fear was the charoite colored coat of fur almost complementing the somewhat silken platinum laurel green mane and tail. The second thing that stood out was the fact that the hair was styled in the shape of punk dreadlocks. Fear leaned to one side in order to get a better look and noticed the odd cutiemark. A set of brown roots growing up toward asphalt gray soil, before transitioning into six inky, spade-shaped trees. Further, he was an earth pony on second examination, only slightly older than Fear was but certainly bulkier.

“Hey Fear, look at this.” Sim beckoned Fear over to the terminal's screen. “Read.”

Fear obeyed, looking at the words.

Whoever's reading this, I hope you're blessed by the princesses. I'm the secondary scientist behind Project Ace, also known as Acrid Root. The primary researcher in charge of this project was recently detained for leaking information, so I've taken over. After my colleagues and I were attacked by an Umbran, we holed up in here in an attempt to wait out what's on the other side. However I fear there may be no going back. In case we are somehow saved in the near future, I am sealing us all in the cryostasis capsules to await our rescue. But in the event that rescue is not coming, I am setting the system to divert all power to Project Ace's stasis. He was prepared as a counter to the eventual Umbran threat from the Frozen North. As an Earth pony his affinity for barriers, earth and metal manipulation, as well as temperature regulation have been heightened solely as a means to navigate arctic conditions should he ever be put into a position where he is alone. I hope whoever saves us and releases him will... The message cut off after that.

“What do you think the rest said, Dad?” Fear glanced to his father.

“I have no clue, but maybe he's meant to fend off those creatures that we just went up against?”

Fear shook his head. “I don't know. Why would he need barriers if that was the case?”

Sim pushed a hoof against his chin and thought about it. “Well maybe he's supposed to seal the black magic he was using? You can always ask Luna after all. I'm sure she knows something about it.”

Fear nodded. “I will. But let's let him out for now. He's gotta come out eventually.”

Sim looked back to the terminal and cast his telekinesis over the keyboard, typing in a few choice commands to start the decryo process.

Fear glanced around him at the other capsules. “It's a shame the others didn't survive. How long do you think they were going to have to wait?”

Sim hummed. “Well, given the bombs fell around the time that log was made...”

“Oh.” Fear looked up at Acrid's capsule again, watching as a metal arm came down from the ceiling inside with a few syringes full of chemicals, injecting them one at a time. He looked back to the screen, recognizing only one of the phrases, “Administering anticoagulants.” And soon enough the egg above them was heating up. The last message Fear saw fly across the screen was, “Vital signs nominal. Potential brain damage detected.”

When the capsule opened, Acrid fell forward and would have collapsed onto the terminal had Fear and Sim not caught him with their telekinesis. “Whuh... huh? Where am I? Where is everyone?” Acrid sounded dazed, hardly able to get his thoughts in order. He had a magnetic veneer, giving off the same aura as the kind of pony who could start a chain reaction with very little effort, like a chant in a stadium. Yet nonetheless he had a hesitant countenance about him, as if barely trusting.

Fear didn't know what to make of any of it. “Project Ace? Welcome back to the world of the living.”

Acrid looked up at Fear, exposing his emerald hued eyes. They almost reminded the young stallion of his mother.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I68LeM1d9EE

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