private Whisper II: Kingdom of Darkness

[Prince Midnight 817]

Arianna smiled.  "Okay," she said.  "It would be better that way.  She wouldn't feel like he was staring at her as she confided in him. "When I was ten I had to move into The School permanently.  I had just received my acceptance letter.  It was right after I lost the use of my horn and earned my scar."

midnight lifted his head but continued drawing, "hmm, if you dont mind me asking, what exactly happened." he started to draw a scene, something bright and cheerful, mabey something arianna would like, mabey to cheer her up if she started to feel too bad.

[Lume WMj 228]

"I have been having...similar symptoms in your presence, Lume. The increased heart rate, the added warmth, the light feeling. And the closer I get to you, the stronger it gets. Oddly enough, even with all my medical expertise, I can't make heads or tails of this. It doesn't match any know physical ailments..."

 

It felt quite strange knowing that they both felt the same things when close to each other. Strange, once again, in the sense of not knowing if it was a good or a bad thing. Lume tried to remember stories she had read in which the characters had to deal with such feelings. However, not many books or stories came to her thoughts: it wasn't a genre she appreciated much, herself.

 

Leaving that curious case aside for a moment, she watched as Nexus hovered across the room and found a pair of pads, equipping them.

 

"Here, try hitting these."

 

She thought about that idea for a second, wondering if it was safe to throw punches against Nexus himself. But in the end, she decided to not ask him anything in advance: all things considered, even if she tried she wouldn't be able to hurt him. Nevertheless, she started off slowly, and increased the strength gradually.

 

"May I ask you something?" Lume said while she practiced: talking to somepony else while studying - or training, in that case - was something she enjoyed doing (she believes that multitasking is an excellent way of exercising the brain). "What you used to do in your spare time before coming to Delvia? Do you have any hobbies, favorite places and such?"

[ActFast231 432]

@,

 

"Hobbies? Fun? No, I generally don't have fun. In fact, these talks we have are the closest thing I have gotten to fun in...how long has it been? Years. As for favorite places, I generally enjoy it when I am contracted for expeditions into old ruins and such. Usually a surprising amount of reading material and old relics of Pre-Mist times. And a lot of things that want to kill you, but that's a given. Usually wild creatures, or war bands setup shop in these places, but their easy to deal with if you are smart and pick them off one at a time. You will be quickly overwhelmed if you take on a large group at once." Nexus recalled a few places that he explored. Equestria may be a dangerous place, but it was also one of beauty and intrigue when you look in the right places.

 

"I remember this one time, I was contracted to retrieve a sword from an old Night Commander by the name of Dust Fire from the ruins of an old Guard station. It was on the eastern coastline, a few miles off Baltimare. It was here that a mercenary company was already looting the place. I managed to sneak around them, with a few close calls here and there, but it wasn't until I reached the commanders chambers that I ran into the leader of the mercenaries, a unicorn by the name of Starkiller. He had the sword, and was planning on selling it to the black market. The fight was long and strenuous, but in the end, he tried to jump on me, and with a swift swipe, I took his foreleg off. I granted him a quick death after that, and grabbed the sword just in time for his men to come in to see their fallen commander, and a bat pony flying out into the night." He finished his story and noticed how well Lume was performing.

 

"Excellent work Lume. Let's move onto the apple buck. What you do is spin around so that your facing away from your opponent, get up on your forelegs, and kick back with all your might. Again, speed is critical to this one." He said, holding out the pads for kicking.

[Psych Ward 377]

midnight lifted his head but continued drawing, "hmm, if you dont mind me asking, what exactly happened." he started to draw a scene, something bright and cheerful, mabey something arianna would like, mabey to cheer her up if she started to feel too bad.

 

Arianna didn't say anything for a few seconds.  "There was an earthquake," she said.  I tried to shield us and fix some of the damage.  It was too much though.  My parents died and I was lucky not to."  Her eyes glistened slightly with tears she was struggling to hold back.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

My'kola was upstairs, finishing off the beds, when he heard mention of Queen Chrysalis. He paused and thought for a moment, before putting the last finishing touches on the bed and crept along to listen at the door. Of course, he shouldn't be doing it, but it was certainly good to know why they were talking about the queen of the changelings all of a sudden. He paused and started to walk away about it. Strange... he didn't know that changelings instinctively knew their queen. Maybe that's why they were so loyal. He suddenly felt quite homesick. Sighing, he walked back downstairs.

 

---

 

Moon Crypt smiled. "Indeed there's a demon- a big on-"

 

Suddenly, a small, watchlike device beeped to life on his hoof. He sighed and looked at it. he pressed a button. "Moon Crypt here, what is-"

 

"Moon Crypt! Thank the Royal Sisters you are there!"

 

He sighed. "What's wrong, Heart Candle?"

 

"I have no idea. This... void appeared in the sky of the Crystal Empire. And then suddenly a large black thing in a floating head and legions of tentacled... mutants appeared." He paused. "Sir... could it possibly be-"

 

"The Presence?"

 

"Yes sir. That's what we all are thinking. The floating thing can't possibly be him, but only Lord Void himself could open a rift to nothingness!"

 

Moon Crypt grimanced. "Hold your ground, Inquisitor. However, if there is any sign of the place entering the rift, get as many ponies out of the Crystal Empire as possible and get to Inquisitor Light Sphere in Canterlot."

 

"Hold our ground? Are you insane?"

 

"No. I have found the Tarot users and I will be coming your way with them."

 

"... The Tarot users...?"

 

"Yes. I have on- two of them sitting in front of me."

 

"Oh... alright..."

 

He gave the device a half smile. "See you in about a week..." He pressed the button again and his smiled dropped. He sighed. "Well... this is not good."

Edited July 3, 2013 by Thunder Knight

[Prince Midnight 817]

Midnight looked over at the doorway instinctavely, he swore he saw somepony, "one of the inquisitors mabey? but why would they be evesdropping on us?" 

He shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to arianna, then streached out a wing and gave her a hug with it, "hey, your okay, cry if you need too, im here for you." he smiled, "sometimes it can be good for a pony to let things out once and awhile, besides, its just us." he winked, "no pony has to know and ill keep my muzzle shut."

[Psych Ward 377]

"Thanks," Arianna whispered, looking up at Midnight with a sad smiled.  "I'm sure I can trust you," she said.  She rested her head back down, letting the tears slowly fall.  She pushed her mane out of her face, looking at the cloth of the bed sheet beneath her.  "Thank you," she silently whispered.

[Prince Midnight 817]

Midnight smiled softly, he wasnt used to a situation like this, but his best bet was to wing it and hope for the best, he got off his bed and stood right beside her, letting his wing just give her a tighter hug and hoped this helped, "i know you have alot bottled up and it cant be helped with just one hug, but hey, your my special somepony, so come to me any time if you really need to feel like getting something off your chest, ill listen."

[Senor Citizen 516]

@, one of the sides (it was impossible to tell which), gave a low whistle. "A void? Powerful stuff. Opening a door to another world isn't too hard-don't ask me how I know that-but I've only run into one Door to Nothingness." A pause. "And it immediately sucked in everyhting in a fifty-mile sphere, and then collapsed in on itself. I was watching via sattelite. Weapons test. No, zat vas ze mad scientist. Right. Anyway. Big stuff going down. Unless one of these "tarot" powers is Transmute Flesh, love zat spell I don't like our chances."

[Psych Ward 377]

Arianna smiled.  "I'll keep that in mind," she said.  "And hugs do much more than you think," she whispered.  "I'm glad, that out of all this danger and sadness, something good finally came to me.  I'm lucky, I guess."  She wiped away the tears that dampened her cheeks.  The tears in her eyes slowly stopped.

[Prince Midnight 817]

Arianna smiled.  "I'll keep that in mind," she said.  "And hugs do much more than you think," she whispered.  "I'm glad, that out of all this danger and sadness, something good finally came to me.  I'm lucky, I guess."  She wiped away the tears that dampened her cheeks.  The tears in her eyes slowly stopped.

midnight smiled "you guess," he lifed a hoof to help wipe away the tears. "and something good finally came to me, i know ive already said this once or twice, but your the only pony that has actually agreed and liked the idea of being my somepony," he smiled.

[Psych Ward 377]

"Other ponies are too judgmental.  They can't accept the wonder and kindness that stands right in front of them," Arianna smiled, getting up a bit.  "They can only focus on what on the outside, a curved horn or a deformed hoof.  Those things don't matter and they shouldn't."

[Lume WMj 228]

"Hobbies? Fun? No, I generally don't have fun. In fact, these talks we have are the closest thing I have gotten to fun in...how long has it been? Years. As for favorite places, I generally enjoy it when I am contracted for expeditions into old ruins and such. Usually a surprising amount of reading material and old relics of Pre-Mist times. And a lot of things that want to kill you, but that's a given. Usually wild creatures, or war bands setup shop in these places, but their easy to deal with if you are smart and pick them off one at a time. You will be quickly overwhelmed if you take on a large group at once."

 

"I remember this one time, I was contracted to retrieve a sword from an old Night Commander by the name of Dust Fire from the ruins of an old Guard station. It was on the eastern coastline, a few miles off Baltimare. It was here that a mercenary company was already looting the place. I managed to sneak around them, with a few close calls here and there, but it wasn't until I reached the commanders chambers that I ran into the leader of the mercenaries, a unicorn by the name of Starkiller. He had the sword, and was planning on selling it to the black market. The fight was long and strenuous, but in the end, he tried to jump on me, and with a swift swipe, I took his foreleg off. I granted him a quick death after that, and grabbed the sword just in time for his men to come in to see their fallen commander, and a bat pony flying out into the night."

 

Lume shivered a little bit. It didn't sound like Nexus had many enjoyable moments in his life. Even though he mentioned he liked his missions, with the thrills of the danger and all of that, she was expecting a somewhat different answer: perhaps something the bat pony did to relax once in a while, to find inner peace, or even to have a little bit of fun. It worked really well for Lume when she found a place where she could rest, away from all of the stressing problems of every day.

 

Next, he instructed Lume on how to apple buck. She turned, got up on her forelegs and started kicking.

 

"Once we are done here in Delvia..." She began. "I'll take you to one of my favorite places of all time, in my hometown, Fillydelphia. There's this garden next to my old school, with the most beautiful flowers in the entire city. Long brick roads lead to the peak, where the mountain winds blows just perfectly and makes the flowers dance in harmony... I used to go there every afternoon to read. It was just so relaxing to lay down among those flowers, I wished that feeling would last forever... It's my little sanctuary. You'll love it~"

[ActFast231 432]

@,

 

"I would like that. It seems like a nice place. I remember only briefly passing through Fillydelphia a few years back. The city is generally pro-changeling, meaning that they support changelings that wish to become legal citizens, so there wasn't any work." Nexus chuckled lightly, but humorlessly, to himself.

 

"It's funny, whenever I go into towns, I usually go to the seedy side of it. The ghettos, the underground where there are ponies who need things retrieved or wiped off the map. I rarely go up to the nicer parts of town. Seeing something beautiful would be nice for a change. Course I've seen plenty of beauty today, but beauty of a different nature." Nexus found himself forced back, falling backwards onto his rump, with a look of pleasant surprise on his face.

 

"Well done! Your really getting the hang of this." He beamed. He was impressed at how well she was picking up these combat skills. He got back to his hooves, still with that large grin.

[Prince Midnight 817]

Midnight nodded, and removed his wing to let her up as he got up himself, "i hear that," he shook his head, "my adoptive father was probably the most judgemental pony i knew, not to mention very hateful for a hybrid like me, he didnt even know i was a hybrid, I didnt even know, but everything i did...everything i tried to do to make him at lease like me a little, only made it worse."

[Psych Ward 377]

Arianna frowned.  "Parents are supposed to be there for you," she said.  "They aren't supposed to hate you or hurt you until their gone."  She got up a bit but stayed on the bed.  She got her bag out, wondering how much of its contents remained.  She found the bottle of pain pills and smiled, rolling them back under the bed.

[Lume WMj 228]

"I would like that. It seems like a nice place. I remember only briefly passing through Fillydelphia a few years back. The city is generally pro-changeling, meaning that they support changelings that wish to become legal citizens, so there wasn't any work."

 

"Yeah, there are plenty of them living in there, actually...One of them was the janitor of De Melo's Garden College, where I studied my whole life - Mister Chaska. Very nice guy, Mister Chaska... He was fired for abusing the shape-shifting ability. Very unfair, if you ask me." Lume continued on kicking the pads, being careful not to land an exaggeratedly strong blow. 

 

"It's funny, whenever I go into towns, I usually go to the seedy side of it. The ghettos, the underground where there are ponies who need things retrieved or wiped off the map. I rarely go up to the nicer parts of town. Seeing something beautiful would be nice for a change. Course I've seen plenty of beauty today, but beauty of a different nature."

 

"I will definitely take you on a tour then! I know the best spots of Fillydelphia! Since my father is the mayor, he wanted me to memorize each corner of the town, hoping that I would some day follow the politics career... I never did though. And I don't think I ever will." A few memories of the life in Fillydelphia rushed through her head: the last time she saw her parents, they couldn't be more proud of their little daughter. She was going to one of the best schools in Equestria after all. However, she ended up in a completely different place, infested with cold-blooded monsters.

 

She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts.

 

"Well done! Your really getting the hang of this."

 

She blushed slightly. "Well, what did you expect? I have the best teacher helping me!" Lume chuckled. The repetitive exercises were starting to show results: both positive and negative. The positive side was that she was, indeed, getting the hang of it. It shouldn't take too long for her to be in perfect shape to fight against whatever threat stands in her way. The negative side, though, was that her muscles were starting to feel numb. And that didn't turn out very well.

 

Upon retracting her hind legs one more time and preparing for another strike, her right support leg slipped, having Lume to hit face-first on the floor and barely scratching Nexus' muzzle with the failed kick. The earth mare tried to get back up as fast as she could, rubbing her muzzle in search of blood: unluckily, she found it.

 

"Oww... That hurts." She exclaimed, pressing her hoof against the bleeding area. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I think I almost hit you."

[ActFast231 432]

 

 

Upon retracting her hind legs one more time and preparing for another strike, her right support leg slipped, having Lume to hit face-first on the floor and barely scratching Nexus' muzzle with the failed kick. The earth mare tried to get back up as fast as she could, rubbing her muzzle in search of blood: unluckily, she found it.   "Oww... That hurts." She exclaimed, pressing her hoof against the bleeding area. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I think I almost hit you."

 

It didn't take long for Nexus to get closer to Lume, a look of worry on his face.

 

"I think I should be asking you that. Let me see." Upon closer examination, it looks like her muzzle wasn't bleeding excessively, but enough to warrant worry. Her nose was the source, but there appeared to be no signs of breakage. Although a bruise was forming.

 

"Here, keep pressure on that while a grab a med kit." He *literally* flew over to some cabinets and began searching for a med kit.

 

"I think we should call it for now. After some rest we can begin weapons training. Any weapon in particular you want to learn how to use? Claws, sword, daggers?" He said as he continued to search for some form a first aid.

[Lume WMj 228]

"Here, keep pressure on that while a grab a med kit." He *literally* flew over to some cabinets and began searching for a med kit.

 

"I think we should call it for now. After some rest we can begin weapons training. Any weapon in particular you want to learn how to use? Claws, sword, daggers?" He said as he continued to search for some form a first aid.

 

"Ugh... So sorry about that. My support leg kinda just gave up on its job for a moment there." Lume laughed, trying not to make it sound like that was the worst pain in the world - in fact, it didn't hurt that bad. The blood was the worst part about it though. "I think I'm just not used to training like this... I mean, I'm exercising something that isn't my brain for probably the first time in about fifteen years or so, I don't even remember." She kept on smiling, while also pressuring against the bruise. "...Anyway, a pause does sound like a great idea."

 

"As for a weapon... Oh dear. I don't really have a favorite, sorry... Perhaps the easier one to wield? Is there any that can fit in this category?"

Edited July 4, 2013 by Lume~WMJ

[ActFast231 432]

 

 

"As for a weapon... Oh dear. I don't really have a favorite, sorry... Perhaps the easier one to wield? Is there any that can fit in this category?"

 

"Well, given that your an earth pony and that most weapons would be held in the mouth, I recommend a pair of hoof claws similar to mine." He said, waving his hoof on the general direction of where he left his armor and weapons.

 

"I would demonstrate but all that is charging right now so it will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm sure they have another pair around here somewhere." Nexus finally retrieved the first aid kit, and quickly returned to his companion. He got a wipe and started cleaning off the blood, then began to disinfect it.

 

"This might sting a little." He warned before he began. After that, he double checked to make sure that their was no breaks or bends in the muzzle, and upon seeing that there was none, and that the bleeding has more or less stopped, he put everthing back, and turned to face her. She had a medium bruise on her nose, but otherwise looked unharmed.

 

"Alright, done. Nothing too serious thankfully, just a bruise. Doesn't look like it hurt your looks either." The minute that statement left his mouth, the hunter's mind began a flurry of activity.

 

Why did I just say that? Where did that even come from? Is she going to be offended? Did I just make one of the only friends I have uncomfortable? 

 

He tried his best not to show any visible signs of his minds rush, although his face started to dust with pink a bit.

[Prince Midnight 817]

midnight nodded and sighed, "i know, but...at least my adoptive mother was there for me, at least she protected me from him, i just wish i could meet my real father or mother or both, they would probably love me more than anypony....if they even recognized me." he smiled a bit, "enough about the past for now, i can tell its a sore subject for both of us." he smiled and held up his new drawing "what do you think?" 

 

it was a meadow full of flowers, two ponies standing close together slowly trotting through it.

[Lume WMj 228]

"Hoof claws, huh?... That actually sounds great!" Lume looked over to where his armor and weapons were resting, and tried to picture herself using a pair of claws like that. It didn't seem as dangerous as a sword or a gun, and fairly easy to use considering her recent study and training of close combat. It didn't take too long for Nexus to come back holding the first aid kit.

 

He began cleaning up the blood and proceeded to disinfect it. She tried to endure the sting Nexus mentioned, but as soon as he applied the disinfectant to the bruise, she couldn't help gritting her teeth a little bit. Still, he managed to finish everything and 'fix' that small accident.

 

"Alright, done. Nothing too serious thankfully, just a bruise. Doesn't look like it hurt your looks either."

 

Lume stopped and looked at Nexus for a few seconds. Was that a compliment she received? She noticed his cheeks blushing slightly, and she couldn't help doing the same. Even though she didn't know exactly what to say, she was flattered.

 

"Thank you..." She said at last in a sweet voice, her eyes still fixed on his.

 

"...I'd better get b-back to my room n-now!" Lume nervously walked past Nexus, towards the exit of the chamber, the reddish tone on her face turning clearer and more noticeable. "I'd better rest a little so we can resume the training later! It's getting pretty late too!" Actually, she had no idea what time was it. "...Thank you again, Nexus. For everything." She smiled and exited the room afterwards, just to stop at the end of the corridor, holding her hoof against her chest.

 

This feeling... Could it really be?... But why does it feel so... good?...

Edited July 4, 2013 by Lume~WMJ

[ActFast231 432]

@,

 

Nexus watched her leave the room, never taking his eyes of her.

"Y-yeah, Lume. Anytime." He said as she exited down the corridor. Nexus walks towards the door, but ends up at the wall next to it. He turns, looking back at the room, before hitting the wall with his backside, slowly sliding down it, until he is sitting upright, forelegs resting on the ground near his center, hindlegs out. He puts a hoof to his chest, feeling his heartbeat in his chest. Normal right now. His thought begin to wander to the mare that he was just training. He thought about her kindness towards him, even knowing who he is and what he does, her willingness to correct a problem, her can-do spirit. He brings up a mental image of her, and with all these thought floating around together, he feels in his hoof-still on his chest-and within him, his heart rate picking up in speed. He felt his face warm up, and he felt like he was sitting on a cloud.

 

"What the hell...what is this?" The hunter murmured to himself.

 

"Why do I feel like this even at the mere thought of her? Her beautiful mane, her deep green eyes, her...her...Celestia above..." That was when it hit him. He couldn't believe it, and for a few minutes, he didn't. For the longest time, he concluded that he was incapable of such emotions and feelings, ever since...then. He never felt like this about anypony, so he decided it was impossible for him.

 

But you never let anypony this close before, remember?

 

That was another splash of reality for the hunter. Had he been keeping others away? Had he isolated himself? It made sense, seeing as what happened the last time he had that feeling for anypony. But why now? Why let others in now?

 

You've been blocking people out because the part of you that feels it was broken. The changelings broke it. But the Tarot powers-and your own selfless behavior-has been fixing it.

 

And she's been fixing it as well. It has been her kindness that has been helping him. She is fixing what is essentially a broken pony.

 

And he loved her for that.

 

He got up and started making his way to his room, a goofy looking grin on his face. When he got there, he flopped down onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling, the grin showing no signs of departing. For the first time in years-16 years to be exact-Nexus Tersona felt love for another pony.

 

And he loved it. He loved feeling love again. It was life giving, and gave new meaning. He loved it. He loved her.

[Prince Midnight 817]

@,

 

Nexus watched her leave the room, never taking his eyes of her.

"Y-yeah, Lume. Anytime." He said as she exited down the corridor. Nexus walks towards the door, but ends up at the wall next to it. He turns, looking back at the room, before hitting the wall with his backside, slowly sliding down it, until he is sitting upright, forelegs resting on the ground near his center, hindlegs out. He puts a hoof to his chest, feeling his heartbeat in his chest. Normal right now. His thought begin to wander to the mare that he was just training. He thought about her kindness towards him, even knowing who he is and what he does, her willingness to correct a problem, her can-do spirit. He brings up a mental image of her, and with all these thought floating around together, he feels in his hoof-still on his chest-and within him, his heart rate picking up in speed. He felt his face warm up, and he felt like he was sitting on a cloud.

 

"What the hell...what is this?" The hunter murmured to himself.

 

"Why do I feel like this even at the mere thought of her? Her beautiful mane, her deep green eyes, her...her...Celestia above..." That was when it hit him. He couldn't believe it, and for a few minutes, he didn't. For the longest time, he concluded that he was incapable of such emotions and feelings, ever since...then. He never felt like this about anypony, so he decided it was impossible for him.

 

But you never let anypony this close before, remember?

 

That was another splash of reality for the hunter. Had he been keeping others away? Had he isolated himself? It made sense, seeing as what happened the last time he had that feeling for anypony. But why now? Why let others in now?

 

You've been blocking people out because the part of you that feels it was broken. The changelings broke it. But the Tarot powers-and your own selfless behavior-has been fixing it.

 

And she's been fixing it as well. It has been her kindness that has been helping him. She is fixing what is essentially a broken pony.

 

And he loved her for that.

 

He got up and started making his way to his room, a goofy looking grin on his face. When he got there, he flopped down onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling, the grin showing no signs of departing. For the first time in years-16 years to be exact-Nexus Tersona felt love for another pony.

 

And he loved it. He loved feeling love again. It was life giving, and gave new meaning. He loved it. He loved her.

midnight looked over, and smiled, "well well,nexus, you look like the happiest pony in the world," he chuckled, "if i had to guess." he looked nexus over, "you like somepony am i right?" he had a smile himself somewhat similar to nexus's "huh, huh, am i right, am i?" he tilted his head.

[ActFast231 432]

 

 

midnight looked over, and smiled, "well well,nexus, you look like the happiest pony in the world," he chuckled, "if i had to guess." he looked nexus over, "you like somepony am i right?" he had a smile himself somewhat similar to nexus's "huh, huh, am i right, am i?" he tilted his head.

 

Damn. I didn't even notice them in here. This is the flaw of the barracks system.

 

"Oh, well I'm just in a really good mood due to...recent developments." Nexus looked for a way out, and he saw something that would at least divert the conversation.

 

"Say, why are you and Arianna sharing a bed? Something you wish to share?"