Kindle & Hooves

ลำดับตอนที่ #8 : Harmony of One

It's just like another night, the moonlight's shining beautifully upon the sky but the different on this night is it's the night that Princess Luna who turned into Nightmare Moon came back and bring the pony kind the Eternal Nightmare, the night that Celestia is worried of, the night that Aiden shall finished her given duty. Now the sorceress makes her way to the edge of the Everfree Forest where there's that path leading them to the castle's ruin.

"Here we are Every pony." Aiden says and sighs looking at the heavily covered woods before she turns back to the folks then says.

"So let me reassure your name again can I? I maybe bookworm like my mentor but my memory doesn't work well much."Aiden smiles at them. The orange pony chuckles and nods her head along with her friends.

"Why sure."She says.

"Well then you orange one is Applejack."Aiden says pointing her finger to the orange one.

"And you are... Party Pony, Pinkie Pie."

"Yes! You are right!"Pinkie says while she's jumping around her.

"And you are Rarity, the one who's running the Carousel Boutique."Aiden points to the white Unicorn.

"Yes my dear."Rarity makes an endorsement.

"And you are Twilight Sparkle the recent student of Princess Celestia." Twilight nods when Aiden mentioned about her.

"You are Fluttershy, you love caring animal in your cottage."Fluttershy the yellow pegasus nods shyly as she hides her face under her mane.

"And yo-"

"I'm Rainbow Dash! The fastest coolest and the most awesome Pegasus of Equestria."Rainbow mane Pegasus cuts short Aiden words and flies up to the sky for some show off.

"Ahh... Yes... Come... time never wait anyone or any pony."Aiden says just a few words before she walks inside the woods with her folks following her behind.

"-groan- This woods surely is heavier than the first time I lived here."Aiden mentions.

"You lived here?"Applejack asks.

"Yes before I moved to Princess Celestia's new castle in Canterlot and.. looks like it's still in one piece."Sorceress chuckles and sighs.

"I really miss the ruin either... I was with the princesses just... one night before Celestia's sister became.. Nightmare Moon.." Every pony gasps after they heard that Nightmare Moon used to be princess before and she is Celestia's sister.

"What?!"Twilight ejaculates.

"Wait... no pony know about this."Every pony shakes their head.

"Well... let me explain then. I know how her sister, Luna felt at the moment when I saw her deep inside... she was angry, strait, out of patience.. but sad and full of guilt from what she had become too... deeper within her she created this... Nightmare Moon from how she felt to her big sister but still... I have no idea what Princess Celestia had done to her either. After her banishment, Princess Celestia's heart is far beyond broken... she's full of guilt and sorrow... I can't heal that wound of her heart too... well this current duty isn't actually her idea by banishing me to the moon and I will be the one who convinced her but... I can't made it. I was sealed by her dark crystal and now... I am back to finish my duty..." The folks looks at her sadly while they keep following her.

"So... Why you choose to risk your life to bring back Princess Luna?" Applejack asks out straightly.

"To bring back her smile ,To return her beloved sister ,and I... don't want to see her suffering heart anymore .."Aiden bluntly says and looks down to the path that was made by the traveler from the past.

"Do you have friends?"Pinkie asks while she's still jumping around her folks without fear of anything unlike her friends who keep walking with her with caution.

"Well yes I do have friends. We commonly met every holiday since each other had their works to do. So we don't talk much but.. when I was with them I feel really warm... just like someone is hugging me all the time..." Aiden sighs and smiles in the same time.

"Awww how sweet!"Pinkie says.

"I really can't wait to see them again either..."Twilight looks at Aiden and walks in distance from her with careworn eyes but Applejack is the one who notices that Twilight is keeping the distance from Aiden since they got in the Everfree Forest. Applejack slows her step down to walk next to Twilight before she says.

"Are you alright, Twilight?" Applejacks asks when Twilight turned to her.

"No.. not really... It was about... uhm... How old Aiden is."Applejack chuckles from Twilight's answer.

"-chuckle- What? Why? See seems young!"Twilight sighs before she says.

"No Applejack I really mean it. From many books are said the same that the banishment of Nightmare Moon was over thousand years ago since she showed up."The explanation of Twilight makes Applejack speechless in shock after Twilight said that Aiden is over thousand years old counting since the day she showed up in Equestria.

"Wait... D-Does it mean that..."Applejack is trying to say in shocked condition after she realized that Aiden's friend might already passed away for a long time ago.

"Yes... his friends maybe-"

"I knew it all the time...-sigh- That my friends can't live that long like me... I am the unkindled one... I lived... while the others died..." Aiden stops and says with tears shed down. Every pony has no idea how sorrow she is and no pony knows how to soothe her but still it seems like Applejack is the one who get close to her first and says.

"Look Aiden I don't know how being immortal was like but... One thing I know is they will surely say they were gone for good, don't waste your time crying for them."The sorceress says nothing but looks at Applejack for a very long moment before she tighyly hugs her and her tears are shedding again.

"Thank you Applejack... I appreciate thy honestly spoken words." Applejack smiles and pats on Aiden's back softy for soothing. After a few moment Aiden keep leading her folks along the way deeper in the forest.

Without any notices, Nightmare Moon was stalking them all along the way since they are at the edge of Everfree Forest, from bush to bush, from tree to tree without any hasitation she stalks the folks in the shadow thinking something fun but in evil way either. The nightmare fog keep crawling along the shadow heading ahead of the folks. She found the pack of timber wolves stalking them while the folks are on their way to the castle. The blue mist of her magic suddenly transforms to the appearance of Nightmare moon before she cast the dark spell to those timber wolves changing it into the blood thirsty timber wolves. The wolves' eyes glow red and they suddenly howl out from a distance far away from the folks. Without anyone notices the howl except Aiden who can hear it clearly from the distance, she frowns her brows and put on her brass helmet and her hands glow with white flame.

"Oh Aiden where did you get these dazzling and... gorgeous brass armor?"Rarity mentions about her armor she's wearing. Sorceress smiles and turns to the white unicorn saying.

"This brass armor was once owned by the Fire Keeper of the first bonfire in Anor Londo. She's the loyal follower of Dark Sun Gywndolin, The son of Lord Gwyn... well but... Fun fact, she was risen as a daughter since her body affected with the moonlight the most... but still... I have no idea why she must be raised as daughter too, it's in the archives."Rarity keep her eyes on her armor that's shining under the moonlight.

"Oh... I think I know why"Rarity says in sweet voice like she's have a crush on her but instead she's having a crush on Aiden's brass armor.

"Shh... Did y'all hear what ah'm hearing."Aiden stops in the sudden when every pony else nodded after they heard the wolves howling to the moonlight.

"Timber wolves?... No... they sound like... They are blood thirsting..."Aiden mentions but then suddenly, Aiden and her pony folks hear the groan sounds coming close to them from all around.

"Uh-oh... We are all surrounded."Twilight says as they are all standing back to back behind the lid. The appearance of big dark savage timber wolves slowly crawl out with their red glowing blood thirsty eyes. Sorceress draws out the sword and grease it with her other hand giving the power of white and dark flame to her sword before she stands guarded.

"You smell my cursed blood?... Then come and drink it."Aiden says and grunts without any fear. Fluttershy who is now hiding under the tree in fear is shaking when she saw the wolves.

"They all pick a wrong pony to fight!"Applejack crouches and rakes the dirt breathing the air out from her nose standing guard along with the others except Fluttershy.

"Woo Hoo! Surrounding party!"Pinkie quickly gallops toward the wolves and delivers them a hard back legs kick breaking their body into pile of branches. Meantime Twilight's and Rarity's horns are glowing and Twilight suddenly fires spitting magic beams to multiple wolves burning them into an ember.

Aiden frowns her brow and quietly grunt before she runs forward one of the wolf packs thrusting her sword directly to three wolves that stands in line before the fire from her sword burned them into a pile of ash. The sorceress free hand has been forming the bright red fireball for a couple of moment since she was striking those packs. She makes a quick decision hurling the Chaos Bed's Vestige pyromancy out. The pyromancy burns all the timber wolves into the ashes pile.

Aiden gazes her eyes searching the remain timble wolves, but out of Aiden's eyesight, the wolf suddenly leaps out from the bush striking the sorceress directly at her head making her collapse down and breaking half of her helmet and her armor plate. The wolf stands guarded and groan to the sorceress. Aiden glares to the wolf before it run toward her and leaps up for another strike but then she springs up standing and does a high back flip jump dodging the wolf's attack before she perform a quick step to approach to it and finish off by the sacred flame from her touch. The wolves are all eliminated, Aiden looks back to her tired folks and asks.

"A-Are you all alright?" Fluttershy slowly comes down from the tree and looks around before she nods.

"I-I... I think we are okay.." She says.

"Okay?! My hooves are almost broken by those wolves and yet my mane is full of branches! An-... -gasp- Sweet Celestia Your armor!!"Rarity said in a very upset very upset tone but then she gasp and quickly run toward to Aiden looking at her damaged armor.

"Ow you poor little thing..."Rarity says with her twinkling puppy eyes while the sorceress stare at her understanding that she's tailor like Sally but she never thought that Rarity is very emotional about this too.

"W.. Well after all I'm fine.. thanks to this armor too... it may not give me a good protection but it's the most neutral one for me."Aiden says reaching her hands to pet Rarity's mane to pull all the branches off from it. The white unicorn looks back at Aiden who's pulling those branches out from her mane. After Aiden finished from Rarity's mane, she takes her helmet off and puts it on her hip holster then slowly takes the armor plates off piece by piece until the remaining part is the chain armor under the plates.

"Uhm... Would you all mind turning your face away?"Aiden shyly says with her brightly blushing red cheeks. Every pony nods and does what she asked. Aiden smiles and takes the chain armor off revealing her naked top body in white skin. She lightly hugs herself feeling the warmth of the inside her. She looks down to her shadow in the puddle thinking how long she wore the armors and fought with the Lords, It takes her thought for a moment before Rarity set her hoof on her shoulder and says.

"Let me help you out darling."Aiden turns to Rarity and greatfully smiles.

"And let me help you with your mane too." She says and slowly uncovers her loin cloth that cover hers breast while Rarity is giving her hair a soft brush. She slowly replaces with the new white cloth.

"Well... why you need to cover that?"Twilight asks in shy but also in her curiosity.

"You mean this? Well It's hard to explain to you pony. Well wee human don't let ourselves naked since it feels really.... well... naked. We will be seriously shy when we didn't wear anything. It's hard to explain either, ya know?" Aiden says with her blush and looks down at her broken armor plates before she puts on the chain cloth and her brass gloves on.

"Oh well... I... Don't feel that way... we usually naked even there's crowd."Twilight says.

"Well sounds like our customs are completely different."Aiden chuckles and slowly brush on Rarity's haywire mane tangled by the wolves attack.

"Mmmm this is quite a relaxing though we are in the creepy forest..."Rarity mentions as Aiden keep brushing her mane until it go back to her own style but it's not finished yet, the sorceress takes out a pouch of gold pine resin that she used to apply the lighting spark on her weapon but this time she applies on Rarity's mane to give it a sparkling effect.

"Here you go ,Lady Rarity."Rarity slowly rolls her eyes to look at her mane. She gasps in surprise when she saw her sparkling mane.

"Oh my dear! This is so magnificent! I really love it! Oh! And also... I have this for you!"Rarity says searching on her saddlebag and takes out the black fabric cape with the gold pattern on it.

"W.. Wow... Thank you Rarity."Aiden takes the cape and tries it on.

"Wow... Well..it seems like that the cape can cover whole of her body."Aiden looks at herself that's covered by her new cape and looks back to Rarity.

"No need to thank me darlin. That's what will friends do!"With Rarity words making Aiden stay silent for a moment before she bows down gratefully.

"Come there's a long way to the ruin."Aiden smiles and leads her folks along the path to the castle's ruin. The darkness still follow her silently in the shadow, Nightmare Moon was failed from extermination but she doesn't give up yet still follow them along to find the way either to scare them off or to banish them forever... Or maybe just make them broken so they can't be able to defeat her, but still if the six pony can't do, Aiden is still there to stop her... So her main target is Aiden who must be perished first then next will be those ponies who follows her. The fire is calling the sorceress back to her home, the bonfire. She keep walking without any haste since she must take care of these pony folks after her.

"How far now, Aiden?"Applejack asks.

"Well more than half way now and-"Suddenly the gurgling sounds coming from one of her pony folks. Every pony and the sorceress stop after that sounds stop. Aiden looks back to her folks and notices that Pinkie Pies is smiling innocently at her. The sorceress Chuckles and says.

"You all are hungry right?"Pinkie is the only one who nods really fast while the others is slowly nod. Aiden smiles and says again.

"Well.. I guess it's fine to have a little break... well you all didn't have it since we are walking all the time."

"Yes! Thank you Aiden! Now Who wants Dessert!"Pinkie jumping with her big smile before she stops and take out a large mat and spread it down on the ground as many variants of sweets popping out on the mat like a magic. The sorceress looks with her widen eyes in surprise same as Twilight.

"Oh! Awesome! Way to go Pinkie!"Rainbow Dash says and sits down on the mat along with every pony else except Twilight and Aiden.

"H- How, but W-Where?!"Aiden and Twilight say in the same time as they keep thinking about what Pinkie has done before her eyes.

"Twilight! Aiden! Come and join us."Both of them say nothing but nod and join them. Aiden sits down with her pony folks and looks at the sweets. She slightly reaches her hands to the cake with the knife then cut it into small piece then put it on her plate. She picks her plate of cake slice up, looks at it for a moment before she cut it with the fork and eats it up.

"-chewing- Hmm... it's... sweet and... chewy.. what is it inside?"Aiden asks.

"Well flour, sugar, baking powder ,and hay."Aiden's eyes widen and nods.

"Hmm whatever you add I still can taste only sweet...-sigh- But I really love it."Aiden sighs and smiles in relief while she's eating a cake with her folks for a short break.

"Who wants some Cider?!"Applejack asks every pony as she's holding a large wooden mug full of brewed apple cider".

"Yes! One for me!"Rainbow Dash quickly replies and takes one from Applejack.

"And who wants Siegbrau?!"Every pony tilts their head looking at the wooden bottle of Siegbrau that Aiden is holding another mug full of Siegbrau.

"What is Siegbrau?"Twilight asks.

"Well this was discovered by Siegward of Catarina, my friend's from the Lothric and I must say you can Leave this to Siegward to discover a drink that even an Undead can enjoy. As Undead we don't have much time to enjoy this kind of thing but... after such a long boring moment I and my fellow used to ravel ourselves and bottle this up while we are enjoying the campfire party."

"Hmm Ah'm interested."Applejack says giving the sorceress a mug of her cider too. Aiden smiles and give her a mug of Siegbrau too. Twilight smiles and takes a mug of Aiden's drink too.

"I would prefer something less alcoholic for you Twilight, it will uhm... kick you real hard."Aiden recommends Twilight. the unicorn smiles and says.

"Well don't worry, Aiden."Twilight insist to take her Siegbrau and Aiden has no idea what she will become after she drinks it up.

"Well if you say so, Twilight."

"Oh! Oh! I want one too!"Pinkie Pie says reaching her empty mug to Aiden offering her Siegbrau. The sorceress chuckles and fills Pinkie mug with her Siegbrau. She fills up her mug then smile at Every pony. All of them raise the mug up in the same time for a big toast.

"For Equestria."Aiden says.

"Yay!"Every pony cheers up and toasts the mug before they drink them up. Soon after they bottom up and put the mug down, Twilight's and Pinkie's faces are turning red as the hot air blowing out from their ears and noses. Twilight suddenly open her mouth letting all the hot air flow out from her mouth and passes out with Pinkie.

"Oh my, are they alright?"Fluttershy asks as she poke Pinkie and Twilight's face with her hooves.

"Oh they will be fine just in3... 2... 1." Pinkie suddenly springs back up at the same spot she sat while Twilight slowly gets up and sits.

"Who! Ho! I never felt something like this before it's like, Ooooohhhhhh, The the second thought be like -snoring- and then it's Boing! Spring up!"Pinkie is trying to explain but she's really exciting in the meantime since she jump all around the group without stop when she was explaining what happen.

"Ughh I... feel... dizzy... ahh It's really feeling like some pony was kicking my brains out... ahhh too dizzy."Twilight holds on her forehead and lays herself on the mat with her burning red cheek.

"-chuckle- Told you, Twilight."Aiden says and notices that Every pony is shivering in cold and the weather seems to be very foggy now, It won't be a good idea to sit without any light. So she stands up and says.

"I think I will go grab some logs to light the bonfire. Well I would want some extra hooves to help too."Rainbow Dash stands up and walks to Aiden.

"I can help you with it, Lead on Fellow."Aiden smiles and takes her leave to find some log for the warm bonfire with Rainbow, Her hands light up the bright flame using it as a guiding light.

"-sigh- very foggy here... Keep stay close to me okay Rainbow?..."Sorceress recommends her folk who follow her but seems like there's no pony replies her. She turns to her back and found that Rainbow doesn't stand behind her anymore.

"-gasp- Rainbow!? Rainbow-"

"Aiden... Aiden..."Suddenly the similar female voice whispers at her ears with a creepy tone making her hairs rise in scared for a moment.

"W-Wait... I know this voice... B-Bright?"

Proceed to Part 2.