AiE Chapter 9: A Little Past Midnight

In 190 b.c. (before celestia) physical evidence proved that there existed a small group of beings known as "humans"; these beings walked upright, and were almost completely hairless. Despite their stunning resemblance to apes; humans were highly intelligent and could communicate with ponies. However, the first encounter with humans and ponies did not go well; in 195 b.c. a group of explorers led by Roughhoof T. Buck came across a small tribe of humans in the southwest regions of Manehatten. When Roughhoof approached the tribe of humans they immediately responded with aggression and violence, and it was then that the humans demonstrated black magic. The name black magic comes from the way the humans could use normal spells that were common in early equestria; however, they could also create very unique spells and curses that were exclusive only to their race. Some humans could summon weapons, and others were able to manipulate a specific amount of space in a certain way. A very few select humans were even able to control and use elements; black magic was stronger than regular magic, but was also deadly to both target and user. Roughhoof's group was attacked, but they noticed that with extended use of black magic the humans started getting weak; most were drained of energy to the point of exhaustion, and others were bound by there own magic for a short while. The ones who weilded the strongest black magic suffered horribly; their limbs were either injured or destroyed completely, and their very souls seemed to be corrupted as a price for using such atrocious magic. This was the earliest known encounter with humans and black magic.
"Twilight!"
>Twilight Sparkle(Ts): "Huh?"
As twilight sparkle shook her head slightly she tore her attention away from her book and to Anonymous, he and Spike are both organizing books in the library while Twilight read. After Twilight saw that Anonymous and her were both ahead of schedule; today they would just work around the library as they awaited the next list of jobs from Celestia.
"Looks like you're really enjoying those books I gave you."
>Ts: "Well they certainly are interesting; this is the first time I've ever seen any of them, and by the way Anon; how did you know I liked books anyway?"
"Uhhh....lucky guess? Anyways, where do you want this stack of books?"
>Ts: "Just set them beside Spike; he knows exactly were they should go."
Anonymous then shuffled down the small staircase with the stack of books in tow; as he reached the bottom Anonymous promptly set the books beside Spike, who was on top of a tall ladder putting books in their proper place.
"Man, who knew working in a library would be so taxing."
>Spike(S): "Heh, I do this all the time! In fact--"
Spike suddenly made a belching noise with his mouth, and spit out a small scroll with a green flame around it.
"Have you been eating paper or something man?"
>S: "No! Don't you know anything about magic? This is a letter sent from Princess Celestia."
"Sorry, I'm still getting used to the whole "it's magic" excuse for how everything works around here; that letter is from the princess though?"
>S: "Yeah, she's the only pony capable of magically sending something from inside another being."
Anonymous made a quick addition to his mental list of 'ponies not to fuck with' and ran up the stairs with Spike; it was about time that he got a good start on his community service.
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>You and Spike ran up the stairs to Twilight; she was reading reading one of the books you gave her when you and spike sped up to her.
"Hey Twilight! Looks like there's another job from Celestia."
>Twilight Sparkle(Ts): "Really? Let me read it!"
>The purple unicorn levitates the scroll out of Spike's hand with magic; after unravelling the scroll she begins to read it aloud.
>Ts: "To my faithful student Twilight, and Anonymous. I firstly want to congratulate Anonymous for successfully completing his first list of jobs and earning fifty hours off his community service."
"Heh, easy..."
>Ts: "The next job I want Anonymous to complete will be worth eighty five community service hours; upon completion of the task you will immediately be awarded the hours."
"Alright!"
>Ts: "I want you and Luna to retrieve a scroll from a cave in the Everfree Forest; The map is included in this letter, and the time Luna will arrive will be at midnight."
"Say what?"
>Ts: "Twilight, I would also like you to accompany the both of them; I can only imagine what would happen if the two of them were left alone."
"There can only be one."
>Ts: "Anon cut it out!"
>Your interruptions earned you an annoyed look from Twilight.
"Oh...sorry Twilight; please continue reading."
>Ts: "Remember to have fun, and to get along with each other. Sincerely, Princess Celestia."
>Twilight finished reading and quickly made the scroll fly across the room and onto a nearby shelf; Spike sighed heavily and dropped his head low before saying anything.
>Spike(S): "Aww, you guys get to do cool stuff while I have to go to sleep; I want to go look for the scroll too."
>Ts: "Spike you know midnight is way past your bedtime; besides, all we need to do is find a scroll for Princess Celestia and we're done."
>S: "You're only saying that because you get to go!"
>Ts: "Don't you have books to be putting in order Spike? Me and Anon have to prepare for tonight, so please finish up around the library for me like a GOOD little assistant."
>Spike turned to you for some kind of help in order to persuade Twilight.
"Sorry little man; it's not gonna be a fun night for me either."
>S: "Hmphf, I didn't wanna go to your stupid scroll hunting job anyway."
>Spike stomped down the stairs as Twilight shook her head and sighed.
>Ts: "I just don't want Spike to get hurt; one day he will hopefully understand."
"Well I guess I should get ready for my time with 'Princess Table-Thrower'; she'll be so delighted to see me tonight."
>Ts: "Um...Anon?"
"What?"
>Ts: You don't sound happy about being with Princess Luna; I was just wondering why you two wouldn't get along."
>You sigh heavily as you lean back against the wall and cross your arms.
"Let's just say she wasn't too impressed with my first impression."
>Ts: "What happened?"
"I don't wanna go too much into detail, but long story short we were wrestling and I ended up giving her a accidental foot job."
>Ts: "Pfffft!....w-what!?"
"You know, foot job? My foot found her 'sensitive' area? I went to town on her with my foot?
>Twilight stared at you in shock; it appeared she still didn't know what you meant.
"MY FOOT WAS INSERTED INTO HER MAREHO--"
>Ts: "I get it!! How in the world did you manage to do that!?"
"It was an accident; she still refuses to believe otherwise though."
>Ts: "I'm sorry I asked..."
"Well I'm gonna rest a bit so we can get this over with."
>Ts: "I should probably do the same; however, I want to study the map some more before I rest."
>You plop on the small bed while Twilight makes her way downstairs; tonight wasn't going to be easy, but for the sake of your community service hours you would do anything; even if that meant dealing with Princess Luna.
>You shut your eyes and clear your mind as you drift off into slumber, at least for now you get to take it easy.
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>Twilight Sparkle(Ts): "Time to get up Anon!"
>Twilight nudged you a little as she tried to wake you up; after a couple of seconds you eventually crack your eyes open.
"The hell? I just went to sleep..."
>Ts: "C'mon! You've slept for five hours; get up and eat something before Princess Luna arrives."
>You rise from your small bed and glance out the window; it was late afternoon when you fell asleep, but now it appeared to be nighttime as the moon was glowing in the midnight sky. Twilight seemed energetic and prepared as she scribbled something on a parchment of paper. Did she even go to sleep?
>Ts: "Anonymous are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, yeah, checklist and whatnot..."
>Twilight didn't look convinced as you got up and stretched, but she decided to let it go and simply followed you down the small staircase and into the library. You spot a fruit basket Twilight had set in the middle of the room; you then proceeded to pick up a apple, and take a bite out of it as Twilight read from a short checklist.
>Ts: "Books on Everfree beast's and wildlife? Check. Map leading to the cave? Check. Emergency rations? Check. Anonymous? Check. All that's missing is Princess Luna."
>You continue eating your small red apple as Twilight went down her checklist of the checklist; being prepared was all well and good, but Twilight took it to an extreme. You reach in your pocket and pull out the small silver bracelet that Celestia gave you; after you slide it on a small row of digits started to appear across the top of the band. The digits first showed the number one hundred thousand, but quickly started decreasing until it stopped at ninety nine thousand-nine hundred and fifty.
"Looks like it works, and it's accurate too."
>Twilight finally rolled up the scroll and put it inside of the small carrying bag she had wrapped around her; she then then walked over to Spike; who was sleeping soundly in a small basket in the corner of the library.
>Ts: "Sweet dreams Spike, and don't worry; I promise that when Me and Anonymous get back we'll all do something fun."
>You watched as Twilight gently covered Spike in a small blanket; it gave you an unfamiliar fuzzy sensation seeing how much Twilight cared for the little dragon. Spike was lucky to have Twilight; where you come from orphans are rarely adopted or taken care of; if you were a different color the chances of being adopted were even slimmer, but Spike wasn't even the same species as Twilight; yet, she still took care of him as if it were her own child. It was unusual, but it was still nice to see.
>Ts: "Alright Anon, let's get going."
"Right behind you."
>You and Twilight then stepped out of the tree shaped house and into the night air; Twilight simply shut the door to her house and started walking when you stopped her.
"Hey! Aren't you gonna lock the door?"
>Ts: "Hm? For what?"
"What if you left the door unlocked and someone--"
>Ts: "SomePONY."
"Ugh, what if somepony decided to rob you?"
>Ts: "Anonymous, the odds of somepony robbing me at this time of night and on this very day are relatively low; besides, what would they steal? Books?"
"You know what? Forget I even asked; I keep forgetting how much trust you ponies put in each other."
>You and Twilight then begin walking to the entrance of Everfree Forest; leaving the sleeping town of ponyville behind.
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>The large white moon shined brightly overhead as you and Twilight are walking out of ponyville; Twilight was talking about the safety procedures you should follow if you run into a cockatrice. You were listening quietly when a question came to your mind.
>Twilight Sparkle(Ts): "You should cover your eyes and stand completely still if the cockatrice looks hostile, and always remember to--"
"Sorry for the interruption Twilight, but I have a question."
>Ts: "Oh, Sure thing! Ask me anything you like Anonymous."
"Why are we doing this at midnight again? I mean, wouldn't it be easier to just go to the Everfree Forest when it's daylight?"
>Ts: "Well I suppose it would be, but then Princess Luna wouldn't be able to raise the moon from exhausting herself all day."
"Wait, did you just say raise the moon?"
>Ts: "Yes, Princess Luna raises the moon while Princess Celestia raises the sun; that's common knowledge for ponies in Equestria."
"Are you telling me that day and night are completely controlled here?"
>Ts: "Not only that, but the weather is scheduled and controlled by the weather team."
"That doesn't sound natural."
>Ts: "Well how was the way weather was controlled in your world Anonymous?"
"To put it simply it wasn't; when it rained it happened randomly on its own accord; the same applied for day and night."
>Ts: "Now that just sounds chaotic; I can only imagine how hard it must've been with unpredictable weather like that."
"It wasn't completely random; we humans had a way of telling when conditions were right for certain storms or weather."
>Really? What kind of magic did you use?"
"It wasn't magic; it was technology; a machine that was called a doppler radar could determine the location and velocity of a storm that was near the area, and then a weatherman would tell us when the storm or weather system came inbound."
>Ts: "Hmmm...it's similar to when the weather team of pegasi would inform us of their plans to make it rain."
>You and Twilight noticed the entrance to Everfree Forest coming up; there was a small carriage with two armored and bat winged pegasi standing in the front of the forest with Princess Luna. As the two of you made it to the royal alicorn and her guards you politely wave while Twilight runs up to Princess Luna.
>Ts: "Princess Luna! It's so good to see you again!"
>Luna(L): "Hello Twilight Sparkle; I trust that you have been writing to my sister?"
>Ts: "Of course! Every time I learn something new about friendship I give a detailed report to Princess Celestia."
"What the hell? You can speak normally!?"
>The guards, Princess Luna, and Twilight all turned towards your outburst.
>L: "Doth the hairless monkey speaketh to us?"
"Cut the eighteenth century bullshit! You can talk normally; we all just heard you speak!"
>Ts: "*sigh* Alright everypony and Anonymous; let's all get along and get this over with."
>L: "Hmphf, the sooner I'm away from the hairless monkey the better."
"I liked you better when I thought you were a wild animal."
>The guards stood at attention at the entrance to Everfree forest as you, Princess Luna, and Twilight all walked in together. You and Princess Luna were glaring menacingly at each other while Twilight hung her head in frustration; from the looks of things this was going to be a long night for everyone, and it only just got started.
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>The Everfree forest was pitch dark; the trees that towered over you can only be seen as black figures that blocked out the night sky. Screeching and howling can be heard as you, Princess Luna, and Twilight advance towards the cave located near the other side of the Everfree Forest. You feel uneasy; a slow tingling feeling can be felt going up the back of your neck; it felt like something was watching you, but you couldn't see anything as you stared into the dark abyss of trees. You try your best to ignore the unnerving atmosphere the forest was giving off, but as you turn to Twilight and Luna you notice that they are shaken as well.
>Twilight had her ears folded down and was constantly looking at the trees with a worried expression; Luna wasn't wearing a look of fear, but was on guard as she had her teeth clenched and was scowling; however, that could also be an effect of you looking at her.
>You figure the best way to ease the tension would be to make small talk as everyone walked.
"So what exactly does Celestia want with the scroll?"
>Twilight Sparkle(Ts): "I'm not to sure, but whatever it is we have to retrieve it for her."
>Luna(L): "The scroll relates to the hairless monkey's ancestors and their cursed magic; my sister thinks it would be of good use to have that scroll for her research regarding them."
"So Celestia is researching the history of humans in Equestria?"
>L: "..."
>Ts: "So Princess Celestia is researching the history of humans in Equestria?"
>L: "Yes, she is also looking at how hairless monkeys are able to use black magic but not ponies."
"Stupid alicorn..."
>L: "What was that?"
"I SAID--"
>L: "Not you, stupid monkey; there is a creature near us."
>You stop talking and start to hear a rustling in the nearby trees; suddenly a large beast came out from the shadows growling deeply. The beast had the body and face of a lion; it had large wings that resembled a bat's, and a long tail with a stinger on the end like a scorpion.
"What the HELL is that thing?"
>Ts: "It's a manticore; however, there's no need to worry; they don't attack unless you enter their territory."
"So what are we supposed to do?"
>Ts: "Just let it leave on its own; stand still until then."
>You, Twilight, and Princess Luna stand still as you all watch the large beast; the manticore was swaying a little, and it seemed to be looking straight ahead like its attention was on something far off into the distance.
>L: "Something isn't right; that manticore looks hexed."
"Hexed? What does that mean?"
>Ts: "Hexes are spells that usually involve strong persuasion or a change in another beings personality."
"So how can you tell that the manticore is hexed?"
>Ts: "Take a good look at its face,"
>You turn and look at the manticore who was growling menacingly at the three of you; it had a small black cross billowing out dark colored smoke on its forehead; the manticore's eyes were also black and its pupil's were pure white.
"Okay I see what you mean, so what do we do?"
>Ts: "Give me a minute to think..."
>The hexed manticore let out a ferocious roar that made the surrounding trees vibrate; it then started charging at you, Twilight, and Princess Luna while bearing it's teeth."
"WE DON'T HAVE A MINUTE TWILIGHT."
>You and Princess Luna quickly dive out the way while Twilight sat there in deep thought.
"Twilight MOVE!!"
>The manticore smashed Twilight with its mighty claw; the beast then twisted its claw into the ground as if it were smashing a bug thoroughly.
"TWILIGHT!!!"
>Ts: "I'm right beside you Anonymous."
>You turn your head to see a completely unscathed Twilight beside you.
"How did you--"
>Ts: " Teleportation spell."
"...."
>The manticore noticed that it wasn't smashing anything and bellowed into the air again; causing another shockwave to echo through the forest. It then started charging at you and Twilight; turning its back on Princess Luna. You step forward and clear your mind; while concentrating on your arms you rev up to about thirty eight percent. When the manticore reached you it jumped into the air and attempted to crush you under its weight.
>L: "Move you hairless monkey! You are no match for the manticore!"
>You open your eyes to see that your arms were two shades redder than the rest of your body; the air around them began to distort and give off a transparent aura.
"Good to see it still works when I need it."
>Ts: "ANON LOOK OUT!!"
>Just before the manticore's razor sharp claws swing down you catch the beast mid-air; the beast was in shock as you started swinging it around in circles.
"I'M A LOT STRONGER THAN I LOOK, AREN'T I!?"
>You then sling the large beast forward into the ground head first; the beast let out yelp in pain before going limp. Princess Luna and Twilight were awestruck; they looked at the you; then back to the manticore, and then back at you before speaking.
>Ts: "How were you able to pick up that manticore anonymous!? That's not logically possible for someone of your size to do!"
"Let's just say it's something I was born with."
>Ts: "Are your arms okay? They look like they're giving off alot of heat."
>You hold your arms up and wiggle your fingers to Twilight.
"Yeah, don't worry too much; they'll be back to normal in a little bit."
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Suddenly a multitude of ferocious roars erupted from the forest around Anonymous, Princess Luna, and Twilight; suddenly three manticores emerged from the darkness, and they all appeared to be hexed like the first one. There was one behind Anonymous; one behind Princess Luna, and one behind Twilight. All three simultaneously jumped back as the manticores surrounded them.
>Luna(L): "I was afraid of this; the manticore the hairless monkey knocked out called for reinforcements."
>Twilight Sparkle(Ts): "So what do we do now?"
"I have a plan, but it's gonna require ALL of us working together!" Anonymous said while holding his fists up.
>Ts: "Okay!"
>L: "Blasphemy! I can handle myself just fine!"
"Luna now is not the time to--"
Anonymous was cut short by a manticore swiping at his head; he barely dodged it by a hairs length; Anonymous then slid back until he was back to back with Twilight and Princess Luna.
"Luna please! If not for me then do it for Twilight; I'm begging you!"
>L: "...."
>L: "......."
>L: ".........fine, and just what does the hairless monkey suggest we do?"
"Alright! Listen closely..."
As Anonymous began telling the plan the manticores closed in slowly on the three of them; the long night has only just begun, and it's only a little past midnight.
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End Of Chapter 9: A Little Past Midnight