private Exiled and Alone (1x1 with Roxy Sparx)

[Shadow Dancer 111]

Indicus was a retired solider and assassin well into his sixties though he did not look a day past twenty-five. He lived in isolation in a small home in the Everfree, where he did his training and hunting. Right now he was following a manticore a bow held in his magic, the beast was alone near a lake drinking water. Indicus steadied his breathing drew back on the bow aiming for the beasts neck before letting go watching the arrow hit it's mark causing the manticore to slowly start suffocating. The hunter walked up to his prey and summoned a shadow tendril, and put the manticore down. Using the same tendril he started on his way taking the dead manticore with him.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

Crystal Cocoon had been badly wounded by some timber wolves who had found her struggling to stay alive with what meager amount of food she had left and she was now trying to seek any form of shelter. She finds a small hut but before she could reach it, she lets out a sharp gasp of breath before collapsing just outside of the small garden that accompanied it.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

@, 

 

Indicus was close to his home his kill in tow when he saw a trail of green blood, "Changeling, all the way out here injured at that?" Indicus followed the trail and in front of his small garden was not just a Changeling but a Queen. Of course he was wondering what the hell brought a queen to the middle of the Everfree alone without a solider in sight. But for now he would have to stop the blood clean the wounds and give her a dose of love to let her heal, Indicus wished he was still living in Thalemn because they could easily take care of this and with better facilities.

 

Indicus used his magic to bring the queen inside and lay her on his bed before getting to work on the bleeding. It was just the standard clean the wound place a bandage on it and hold, but he now saw what caused the damage timberwolves. In a matter of minutes all the wounds were dressed and now came the fun part for him. He would bring up his happiest memories and let the queen passively take the energy generated. Once more Indicus did so with a sigh though he would ask what brought a Changeling Queen to the deeper parts of the Everfree Forest.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@@Shadow Dancer,

 

Crystal wasn't dead, but badly injured. She weakly opened her eyes as she was being carried off into the small house and laid down on the bed. It was only a matter of minutes when she started to sense the energy coming off of the stallion. She then begins to slowly feed off of it. Once she had had enough of his energy, she slowly opened her eyes "T-thank you" she says still rather weakly.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

Indicus cleared his head before the memories brought sorrow and a slew of other emotions bad for changelings. "Your welcome ma'am. Though I'd like to know a little about what brought you to the Everfree. Few come here by choice, and even less are like myself and a zebra shaman and choose to actually live here. I could make guesses ranging from exile, to another queen defeating you and assimilating your hive. Though it is best you tell the tale." Indicus

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

She sighs and nods "you'd be right on the exile thing" she says softly and looks at him "It was a century ago, I co-governed over the Crystal Empire as the Queen and my co-governor was King Sombra, my hive ,that I had inherited from my mother and his crystal ponies had lived in harmony and peace, but then he started studying the power of the crystals and started going insane and tyrannical. He then overthrew my throne, ordered my changelings killed and exiled me to the forest" she says softly.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

Indicus thought on the information given before responding. "Sorry to hear that. Well your welcome to whatever you can find here, not much but should suffice. If you have need of me just call me. Name's Indicus. Anyway I got back from a hunt and should prepare my prey before scavengers get to it so I'll be back pretty shortly." Indicus left going to the front of his home to see a group of Timber wolves eating the corpse. Indicus cursed and headed back in.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

she tilts her head "let me guess, Timberwolves? I wonder if they're the same ones who tried to kill me earlier" she says and smiles at him "My name is Crystal Cocoon" she says as she smiles softly at him "you're not like other ponies, most would have shunned me or worse, had me executed for what my sister did"

[Shadow Dancer 111]

" I'm assuming you mean Chrysalis, the one who attacked Equestria for her own gain, or maybe food shortage. No idea the motive exactly but what dose it matter. Anyway, while I never knew my birth parents, I was adopted at two by a griffin-pony couple in a country named Thalemn, country was unique because it was one of few places where you could find a changeling, griffin, pony and many others all in the same room and nobody would bat an eye. Hell I served along side a changeling named Shaded Persona."

 

Indicus shook his head, "I'm sure you get the picture, I'm not exactly from Equestria, and I won't blame you for the sins of your sister." Indicus reached out with a hoof, "So nice to meet you Crystal Cocoon." 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

She gently takes his hoof "Pleasure is mine, and I knew Shade, a good stallion, one of my best guards actually" she says as she sighs looking down and then smiling at him "how's the old coot anyway?" she says with a chuckle and smiles at him "your parents must be very proud of you, a kind, strong stallion though...is there a mrs Indicus?"

[Shadow Dancer 111]

"Last time I checked the was doing well starting to settle down after the military life. Wouldn't surprise me if he started dating. But unfortunately it's been awhile since we've talked." Indicus answered with a small smile.

 

Indicus looked distant for a moment, "No im still single haven't dated for years after leaving, Luna's spec ops unit." It was apparent he was leaving quite a lot out.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

She smiles at him "That sounds like him, and it wouldn't surprise me either" she says then looks a bit more serious at him "there's something you are not telling me, you can trust me darling, I'm not going to think any less of you" she says, as she gets up and weakly walks over to him and hugs him.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

Indicus frowned, "I'm guessing your not letting this go. Fine I'll tell the fun little details. So where to start. I was a part of the Thalemn Army for several years then retired where I lived in peace."

 

Indicus chuckled, "When Luna was free from her inner demon she sought to rebuild her section of the equestrian military. So she looked at dossiers of retired personal from militaries in allied countries and picked the best to train under her for six months in anything she deemed useful for a spec ops strike team. Then sent us on missions that are top secret. Of course we helped train her base army the Night Guard."

 

Indicus shook his head, "At first I refused, but joined months later why doesn't matter. Well you asked me if there was a miss. The answer is there would have been a mare named Dusk Flower, if she wasn't killed along with the rest of my squad during an op. After that I resigned searched the ends of the planet for the bastard and like my talent says put a blade in him made sure he was dead and left. From there I joined a guild of assassins and became master assassin after several years, now here I am a self made hermit helping out a changeling queen." Indicus chuckled at the route his life turned.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

She sighs and looks to him "I-I'm sorry" she says and kisses his cheek, "Dusk Flower would have been lucky to have a stallion like you as a husband, but chin up, love can find you at the most unlikely times" she says softly and hugs him. She then curls up on the bed under the blankets a little more "I know what it is like to lose a loved one, in fact, you know him" she says shyly.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

"You and Shade? Who would have known. Well as for me and finding love, I've not worried about that no reason to. Revenge happened to be a great way for me to step back and calm down, the bastard died of course. But I realized that I could not change the past and despite what is said about revenge it did provide a trace of comfort. Now he can't repeat what he did to Dusk on another." Indicus paused for a moment, "Still what happened between you two?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

Crystal sighs "We broke up just before Sombra went insane and become a tyrant." she says and looks out of the window of the bedroom "I feared for Shade's life more than my own, I knew that Sombra wouldn't risk killing me, but I knew hew would get to those close to me to get to me, he was hoping that losing someone close to me, that being Shade would drive me insane like it did to him, so I sought to stop that from happening, and sent Shade away" she explains "Regardless, I am happy that if he has managed to find love again, then I am happy for him"

[Shadow Dancer 111]

"Well if my sources were right then Sombra was taken care of years back. If it's permanent or he was just beaten back I have no clue but now a Alicorn commonly known as Cadence is the current ruler of the Crystal Empire alongside her husband Shining Armor. Though they are more then likely akin to Barron and Duchess, extensions of Equestrian power rather then rulers of their own country." Indicus explained

Edited October 14, 2016 by Shadow Dancer

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

Crystal nods "I know of Princess Cadenza Mi Amore, but this Shining Armor? Who is he?" she asks, tilting her head then shakes her head "No matter, it's in the past, what matters now is the present and.." she gently strokes his cheek with a hoof "the future" she smiles at him softly, "I have no desire to return to my throne, it would just bring back too many painful memories, all I want is a kind stallion to settle down and have a family with"

[Shadow Dancer 111]

Indicus nodded not reacting much to the touch even if he did find it odd, "A good outlook on life, I wish you the best of luck finding a stallion to settle down with." Indicus gave his own smile. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to recover, once you've recovered, you can stay then just help out where you can. Anyway need anything else?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

"I would like that" she says then nods "I'll find the right stallion someday, or maybe I already have, only time will tell" she says then giggles "Sorry, I'm in a bit of a flighty mood right now, and no thank you, I'm fine right now" she says and goes back to the bed and curls up "Maybe just a little more rest"

[Shadow Dancer 111]

"That's fine your not bothering me at all. Anyway if you have an aversion to the smell of cooked meat or meat in general avoid my shed out back and the kitchen in general, I'm gonna get myself something to eat if you need something just give me a shout." Concern, sympathy, and a trace of platonic love would be detectable if she paid attention.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

"I'm fine with meat" she says softly, detecting the hints in his voice. But decides to let him go get something to eat. She sighs softly, she wanted nothing more than to help ease him of his pain but she knew that she couldn't without risk of going...evil. She then curls up more and sighs.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

Indicus nodded before leaving to the kitchen where he made himself a quick sandwich using some leftovers from a previous hunt. He thought about the mare he was helping, an exiled changeling queen that had been wondering the Everfree fora hundred years twice as long as he had been alive. It wasn't that her being a changeling bothered him but the rarity of such an encounter.

 

It was also the odd parallel between Crystal and Dusk in some cases like the, gentleness on moment and assertiveness when he tried and failed to hide something was a quality the two mares both shared. Indicus felt a wave of bittersweet nostalgia wash over him.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

She looks over at a photo that was quite clearly of Indicus and Dusk Flower she smiles softly "such a nice looking couple" she says softly and slowly gets up to go over to the kitchen, she sniffs the smell and licks her muzzle a little, she then walks over to him "I saw the photo, she was a very pretty young mare" she says and then lifts up his chin gently "I know we just met, but I.."

[Shadow Dancer 111]

"Yea she was, a strong mare too we saved each other many times until I couldn't, forced to watch unspeakable things happen to her because he found out about our relationship." Indicus took a deep breath. "He was the only surviving member of his gang when I escaped, a moment I don't remember clearly, only in short segments. Luna told me I looked like an animal snarling at anyone that got close."

 

Indicus suddenly was eye to eye with the Queen her half a question leaving him puzzled. "Hmm?"

Edited October 15, 2016 by Shadow Dancer