I sighed and leaned gingerly against the wall before speaking, "So," I began, "You were the one who popped my cloud?" I asked, looking at a spoke beside her.

She sneered, "And if I was?"

I chuckled darkly and closed my eyes, "That's a yes if I've ever heard one." I said, turning and walking back out of the cell.

"What?" She shouted behind me, "Too scared to do anything?" She taunted.

I laughed again and looked over at Luna, "I'm going to need a few things Luna." I said, my voice flat and hollow.

Luna raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly, "What is it you will need?" She asked.

I leaned back against the wall, "First, I'll need a brand with a capital C." She nodded, "I'll also need Gilda chained up to the wall, securely as possible." I looked down and sighed, "I'll also need your three toughest guards, a doctor, you, and your sister to watch and be ready."

Luna's hoof came into my vision, "Why?" She asked quietly.

"I need you and Tia to watch to understand what I'm doing." I replied quietly, "I need the doctor to treat her when I'm done."

"And the guards?" She asked.

I was quiet for a moment, "I want them to understand too," I replied, "I want you all to understand that I am capable of horrible, terrible things, and I will do them if the need arises."

Luna was quiet, "Will..." she paused, "Will you hurt her?" She asked.

I chuckled hollowly, "Yes, but no worse than I am hurt."

"Why?"

"To punish her Luna." I stood up and looked into the cage, "That's it." She sighed softly, but I could hear the soft clopping of her hooves on the stone, then some murmurs as she relayed my requests. I continued to look into the cage, staring at the shadowed form that was Gilda, even as I heard other ponies approaching. Once the cage door was opened again and the brand placed beside me, I stepped back and turned around, noting the new presence of Celestia and Nurse Redheart.

Celestia gave me a look that was both stern and worried, "What are you going to do?" She asked.

I picked up the brand and ran my thumb over the curve of the C, "I'm going to brand her as a criminal, then..." I ran my hair through my hair, "I dunno, I'll make it up as I go."

Celestia sighed, then nodded, "Alright... What is it you wanted us to understand John?" She asked, looking at me sadly.

I twirled the brand as the guards latched Gilda to the wall, "I may not have omnipotence, I may not be made up of different animal parts," I increased the heat of the flame I had pulled, "I may only have simple magical skills," I looked at Luna and Celestia, "But I have the potential to be more chaotic and sow more discontent that Discord at his best." I turned and walked into the cage as the guards walked out, "I want you to understand that, while I am kind, I am also evil. For all of this, I am human."

Gilda was glaring at me as I walked in, "Whats the big idea?" She demanded, her wings flaring as she strained against her bonds.

I looked at the brand as it glowed bright yellow, "I am going to mark you as a criminal Gilda." I walked closer to her, "Then I am going to punish you for what you did."

Her eyes were fixed on the brand, "Woah woah woah, can we talk about this?" She laughed nervously, wiggling, "I mean, come on."

I shook my head and lifted the brand up towards her wrist, "No Gilda, we can't." I pressed the brand against her brand against her wrist. Luna later told me that Gilda's screams were heard throughout the castle and that the smell of burnt flesh never quite went away. I ignored Gilda's screams and kept the brand pressed firmly against her wrist for about half a minute before pulling it off.

I put the brand down and pulled my glove onto my one good hand, "Why did you do it?" I asked her as I flexed my fingers.

Gilda was sobbing and looked at me, "W-what?" She gasped between sobs.

I gave her a cold look, "Why did you decided to pop the cloud Spike and I were sitting on?" I restated.

Gilda coughed and gave a weak smile, "I figured it would be funny." She coughed again, "Figured the water would cushion the fall."

I laughed softly and stepped towards her again, feeling a grim satisfaction as she flinched away from me, "Let me give you a small science lesson Gilda." I traced the tip of a claw down her arm, "Water has surface tension, that why things like leaves and bugs float on the surface. However," I looked her in the eye, "At high speeds, this surface tension can be compared to an iron plate." I lifted my glove up and showed it to her, "Thankfully, the Shield Stones on these gloves allowed my to break the surface tension so that I didn't die on impact, however," I gestured to my cast and bandages, "I didn't escape unscathed, as you can see." I turned and looked at the wall... And began to laugh. I could feel myself lose my sanity as my lust for violence began to take over, "Well then!" I snarled, whipping around to look at Gilda, "Would you like to know this pain I feel?" I lunged in and shot my fist towards the arm I had not branded, causing it to break instantly, the snap echoing in the dungeon. Gilda's screams were immediate, but were cut off as I brought my fist to her ribs, breaking at least two of them. She coughed and looked at me with pleading eyes, but I cocked my fist back again. I brought it, backhanded, against the her other side and broke another few ribs, then stepped back as she coughed and trembled. I could feel the fire in my veins cooling off as I turned around and walking out of the cage. I looked at the group of people I had requested and sighed softly at what I saw. Nurse Redheart rushed past me as I walked out, one of the guards was throwing up in a corner, all while Luna and Celestia were looking at me like I was a monster.

I sighed softly and put my glove in my pocket, "Please..." I said softly, "Please, take me home." I closed my eyes, "I am so tired, please take me home." I could feel a fuzzy blackness settle over my mind, "Please, sweet Goddess, take me home..." I slumped against the wall and slowly let myself fall to the ground and pass out.

I woke up in my Ponyville home, tired, thirsty, and sore. I got out of the bed and went over the the bathroom, drinking from the tap eagerly, until my thirst was satiated. I sighed and looked at myself, noting my pale skin and developing scruff. I walked towards the kitchen and found Berry by herself, washing dishes. I knocked on the wall and she looked towards me, dropping the dish into the sink, running towards me and muzzling her face into my chest. She led me towards the living room and on the way I noted a set of stairs that wasn't there previously.

I sat down on the couch, groaning softly, "So, how long was I out?" I asked Berry as she got up beside me.

"Only a day." She replied, leaning against me as I ran my fingers through her mane.

I nodded and looked around, "Where's Rarity?" I looked down at Berry, but her mane was covering her eyes and she didn't say anything, "Berry," I lifted her face with on crooked finger, "Where's Rarity? And Sweetie? And Pinchy?"

Berry sighed and put her head on my shoulder, "Pinchy and Sweetie are at school and Rarity's with Twilight and the others, but..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

"But what?" I asked, looked her in the eye.

She sighed, "See, Rainbow Dash heard about what happened to Gilda, so she flipped out. Rarity then heard about it and said she would be with Dash for a little while... She never said when she would be coming back... She took Sweetie Belle too." Berry finished quietly.

I was silent, leaning forward and pinching the bridge of my nose, "Shit." I mumbled softly, "Shit."

Berry nuzzled into my cheek, "Is there anything I can do babe?" She asked.

I stood up slowly, "Let's just go out and walk around for a bit," I pinched the bridge of my nose again, "I need to clear my head a bit." She nodded and we headed out the door. We started walking without a specific goal in mind, meandering around the shops and stalls that lined the late morning streets. Berry tried her best to cheer me up, pointing out neat little knick-knacks and telling me stories, but my funk remained perpetual. The time eventually came when Berry had to go and pick up Pinchy and she offered for me to come along, but I declined, saying that I'd like to keep walking for a bit. She nodded, but with a notable amount of concern in her eyes, kissed my cheek, then went towards the schoolhouse. My wanderings took me towards the outskirts of Ponyville, up a small hill, then to a sitting position as I stared at the edge of the Everfree Forest.

I sat there for a while, then I closed my eyes and began to sing, "Os iusti meditabitur sapientiam,
Et lingua eius loquetur indicium.
Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem,
Quoniqm cum probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae.
Kyrie, fons bonitatis.
Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison.
O quam sancta, quam serena,
Quam benigma, quam amoena esse Virgo creditur.
O quam sancta, quam serena,
Quam benigma, quam amoena,
O castitatis lilium.
Kyrie, fons bonitatis.
Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison.
O quam sancta, quam serena,
Quam benigma, quam amoena,
O castitatis lilium."

"You sing very well," Came a voice from beside me, "But what does it mean, if you can tell?"

I opened my eyes and saw Zecora beside me, "It's in a very old language from my world." I chuckled softly, "Do you want a direct translation?" She nodded, and I did my best to remember my fandom, "The mouth of the Just shall meditate wisdom,
And His tongue shall declare judgment.
Blessed is he who endureth temptation,
For once he hath been tested, he shall receive the crown of life.
Oh Lord, Fountain of Holiness,
Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy.
Oh how holy, how serene,
How generous, how pleasant this Virgin who believeth.
Oh how holy, how serene,
How generous, how pleasant,
Oh Pure Lily.
Oh Lord, Fountain of Holiness,
Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy.

Oh how holy, how serene,
How generous, how pleasant,
Oh Pure Lily."

Zecora smiled, "Beautiful words indeed," She frowned slightly, "But not all is well it seems." She leaned against my good arm, "Tell me John, what is wrong?" She gave a small, reassuring smile, "Perhaps then I can have you singing a brighter song."

I smirked at her rhyming habit and told her what had happened with Gilda and, subsequently, Rarity, "So yeah, I'm kinda sad about it." I gave a weak smile.

She was leaning against my good side, "While I cannot condone what you have done, I do think you should have some fun." She stood up and pushed my shoulder in the direction of her hut, "But first thing's first. I'll take you back to my home and heal your hurts." She nudged me again, then began walking. I got up and followed close behind her, letting my body go to automatic as I my mind began to wander. Something I grew to like about Zecora was the fact that she when to speak and when not to, so the trip was quiet, but not awkward. We got to her home and she let me in, stepping aside so I could duck under the door frame. I sat down while she stepped in and puttered about, moving a few bottles filled with fluids and various herbs, settling on a bottle with a reddish brown fluid swirling inside it.

She poured some of it into a wooden cup and and gave it to me, "Here, hold your breath and drink this down, then we shall see if we can fix your frown." She gave me a soft smile as I tipped the cup towards her in small acknowledgment.

I took a sip and nearly spit it out, "Oh sweet Goddess that is foul." I scowled as Zecora laughed softly, then sighed and held my breath as I knocked the rest back like a shot, "Ugh." I grunted with a small shiver. Zecora took back the cup and I felt a weird warmth spread throughout my body, spreading quickly through me. What I felt next was similar to growing pains, achey, sore, and very painful, but it was around my injured arm and ribs. I hissed softly as the sensation flared for a bit, then faded away, turning my hiss into a relaxed sigh.

Zecora came over and lifted my shirt with her muzzle, grabbing the bandages around my torso and unwinding them, doing the same for my cast once that was done, "There, your bones are mended," She prodded my ribs experimentally, "Now we shall work to see that your pain is ended." She gave me a soft smile and stepped back, satisfied with the results of the drink. A soft knock came from the door and Zecora answered after a quick glance back at me. She stood at the open door, conversing softly and nodding, then she came back to me, "It seems that others have need of you." She nuzzled my cheek, "Shall we meet up tomorrow, at around two?" She asked.

I nodded and smiled softly, "I'd be happy to Zecora." I gave her a quick hug and walked outside to see, much to my surprise, Princess Luna gazing into the surrounding forest. She looked back at me and gestured with a wing for me to follow, which I was prompt to do.

She was quiet, her face set in contemplation, so I decided to break the silence with a question, "How's Gilda doing?" I asked, steeping over some roots.

Luna's horn was glowing softly as she moved plants out of her way, "Well enough, given the circumstances. There is no sign of infection and her bones were set back in place properly, so she should recover in due time." We came into a small clearing, "Though you could ask her yourself." Luna nodded to a shadowed figure limping towards us.

The light of the setting sun revealed Gilda coming towards us, "Hey." she said, stopping in front of me.

I nodded, sliding my hand into my pocket and wrapping my fingers around the handle of the knife Celestia had given me, "I'm impressed to see you up and about." She had a cast around one arm and binding around her other wrist and chest.

Gilda scoffed and flipped her feathers with a flick of her head, "Heh, I've had worse when I was learning to fly." She looked away for a second, then back at me with a look of remorse, "Listen, I-" She sighed, "I'm sorry for what I did. I didn't think it through and-"

I cut her off with a hand and looked towards the forest, "You hear that?" I asked, noting the odd whistling in the background. I looked over the treeline and saw a pegasus circling around, like they were looking for something. I pulled my gloves out and brought out a few sparks, "Anyway, don't worry about it Gilda." I sent the sparks into the air and had them circle around to catch the pegasus's attention, "So to what do I owe the personal visitation of the Lunar Princess?" I asked nodding as the pegasus began to fly towards us.

Gilda walked over to a tree and laid down as Luna looked at me, "I do recall saying I would teach you basic elemental control, unless you'd rather not learn?" She raised an eyebrow.

I shook my head, "No, no, I would love to learn, I'm just surprised you're still up to teach me after, well." I gestured to Gilda, who was laying down, "I thought you wouldn't want to teach me."

Luna shrugged, "The draconequus you know is better than the draconequus you don't." She smiled, "And this way, I know what you are capable of and what you've learned."

I chuckled softly, "I can respect that." The pegasus landed and trotted over to me, revealing herself it be Derpy Hooves, "Hey there Derpy," I smiled softly, "What brings you out here?"

Derpy had a strange look on her face as she pulled out a small package and gave it to me, "I'm really sorry." She said softly, taking off into the air quickly.

I was filled with dread as I opened the small box, "Sorry?" I mumbled, then froze as I saw a small blue teardrop necklace sitting inside. My mind wen blank as I pulled it out of the box and put it on, tucking it under my shirt, "Luna." I said hollowly.

"Yes?" She said, her voice filled with concern, "What is it?"

"Start talking, teach me, keep me busy." I said, my voice flat, "Just... Just don't give me time to think."

Luna looked like she was going to say something, then stopped and sighed, "Alright," Her horn glowed as a ball of dirt, fire, water, and what I assumed was wind(visible only due to the fact that there were leaves spinning around inside it) began to float around her, "Each element has specific ways they need to be handled, otherwise you won't be able to use them." The ball of fire came forward, "Fire is the easiest to handle, since all one needs is to constantly put energy into it and it will do anything you ask."

The ball of fire vanished and the earth ball came forward, "Earth is harder in that it has mass and can greatly vary in consistency depending on where you are. However, it is one of the most useful since it will remain, even after the magic has left it." The ball of earth crumbled and the ball of water came forward, "Water is very difficult as it has no shape and is constantly in motion, so one must exert great will to have it do what you want of it." The ball of water splashed to the ground and the "ball" of wind came up, "Wind is the hardest element to control because it must be kept in constant motion for it to exist. It is also considered the least important because of it's difficulty to control and lack of practical use." The leaves fluttered to the ground, "You can already use fire, so we'll move on to earth for now, and if you can do well enough to satisfy me, then we'll advance to water, then wind." I nodded and she began to instruct me on how to handle earth, starting with dirt. By the time she deemed me capable enough to start moving rocks and stone it had gotten pretty late and the moon was hanging up high in the sky.

Luna put hoof on my back, "That's enough for now." I was panting a bit, eyes glazed over, "We'll pick this up again soon, but for now you should go home and sleep." A curtain of stars surrounded me, vanishing a moment later as we appeared in front of my house, "Do you think Gilda could stay here for the night?" Ask Luna, "Normally we'd keep her at the castle, but the staff are nervous about taking care of a griffon."

I cocked an eyebrow, "So you'd think she'd be more comfortable with the guy who broke her bones?" I asked snidely.

Luna sighed softly, "Can you take her for the night John?"

I nodded and waved my hand, "Yeah, yeah, it's fine." I bowed slightly and turned towards my house, "See ya later Queen." I looked over and saw Gilda following me inside while Luna vanished in a flash of dark purple energy, "So," I said once Gilda and I were inside, "You can take the bedroom over there." I gestured to the old master bedroom, "It's got its own bathroom, kitchen's open so help yourself." I walked over to the stairs, "Call me if ya need anythin'." I walked upstairs and found the new master bedroom with a sleeping Berry under the sheets while Desmond was snoozing next to the bed.

I got undressed, leaving the necklace on, and slipped into the bed next to Berry and stared at the ceiling for a while, toying with the small, azure teardrop around my neck. I wasn't sure what to think about the whole ordeal, my mind was abuzz with so much activity that it was more numb than anything. I sighed softly and put and arm over Berry, drawing myself close to her and closing my eyes, submitting myself to a sleep that was slow to come.