Chapter 11

This was not expected. My face showed just how off guard I was.

Rolling Wind? I don't know that name. It sounds familiar, but nothing I can consciously remember. Luna, Celestia, and Shining Armor are staring at me right now.

At this point, I'm a little too shocked to care. "Honey, I think you broke him." Shining Armor commented.

"I can see he's shocked, but breaking him seems a little much." Cadance replied.

"Oh no. You definitely broke him." Luna pointed out. "He guards his emotions exceptionally well. Your friend's statement caught him outright flat footed. He doesn't seem to know how to deal with that one." Luna nodded to the mare. "I'd say well done, if not for the nature of the reveal. It has been nearly impossible to catch him by surprise at this level, much less to get him to show it to this extent."

"I'm sorry."

I sighed. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. It may be my fault all along, but, to be honest, the name Rolling Wind means nothing to me. I don't remember ever being called that, nor do I remember anything of the like. I remember my life as Shadow Blaze, and built on that life. Before I became Shadow Blaze, there was nothing good in my life. Rolling Wind was not a part of it, however, so it begs the question as to how I know nothing of it, but it still feels familiar. In fact, you feel familiar, yet I know for a fact I have never seen you before in my life." I ran a hoof through my mane.

"I... I see. I'm sorry." She turned around, but before she could take a step, I shifted in front of her. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't have-"

"No." My voice was firm, and resolute. "I know someone else in a similar situation in regards to where I come from, and what I remember. Not all of it was as a Pony. She ended up fusing her consciousness with the body of another pony. If it happened to her, then it might have happened to me, too. It just never crossed my mind that it was the case."

Luna then cleared her throat. "Shadow Blaze, what are you talking about?"

"I'm more curious as to why you used the Shadow Shift here," I glanced at Fluttershy, who was approaching. "But Princess Luna makes a good point. What, exactly, do you mean?"

"Jessica and Ringing Treasure." Fluttershy stopped, thought for a moment, before looking me in the eye.

"You don't think..."

"It's possible."

"But nopony has ever recognized you in your travels." Fluttershy pointed out.

"The Silver Streak wasn't there, nor was the Cutie Mark." I pointed out.

"But if that's the case..."

"Then I might be in the exact same position." And given what my body was like at first, this idea is making more sense than it doesn't.

"You don't remember it, though."

"Because there's nothing for me to remember. The body remembers, but the Mind is completely different." Again, true.

"Do you think you took over the body because-"

"Most likely."

"But that would mean..."

"Unfortunately."

Five throats cleared. We looked at the Alicorns, and both Unicorns. "Care to share with the class?" Shining Armor inquired.

"A friend of mine from where I come from had her consciousness thrown into a Pony body. It's entirely possible I got this one because it was on the verge of death when I got to it. My extra mind and soul fixed up most of the damage, but not all of it, causing me to think that it was just a new body I had to get used to. But if it were someone else's body, and I was just taking the reins, so to speak, then it's possible whoever was born to this body is dead, or completely suppressed by my own presence." I explained, and that's just the beginning.

"Do you have any way to confirm that?" Shining asked. I sighed. I wish I did. Then again...

"I don't have a method I can use." I looked directly at Luna. My knowledge of Dream Translation is really useful. "Luna, however, does. Dreams are often formed in the Subconscious. If Luna had direct access to my own, personal dreams, then maybe she could go even deeper."

"Going deeper than actual dreams is dangerous." Luna pointed out. "And that's if it's even possible."

"It should be." I then explained dreams as I knew them. As I learned them from a Human's standpoint. "All things considered, in those Dreams, you see their deepest desires, or their fears. You see the deepest part of their Heart. Any further, and there really isn't much. Just their Personality Core. If you ignore that, and just look around, it's entirely possible that, for me, you'll find someone else entirely. And if I'm reading into this right-"

"You'll find her son." Shining Armor finished for me, causing me to nod. "In that case, I only see one Problem."

"I lead her into my subconscious personally. She goes on from there, or I do. If we find something, then we have a clue as to what, or who, it is. If we don't find anything, then there's nothing left. At that point, we'd need an actual maternal test done."

"I'm not entirely sure it would help." Fluttershy pointed out, causing me to look at her. "Your actual diet is different than most ponies. On top of that, salt doesn't affect you like it does other ponies. It's almost as if what you used to be fused with the body, giving you some traits of your former body, which might explain your height, actually. It would also explain the fact that enough salt to put a normal Pony down for the night only dehydrates you."

"Which is actually the only reason why I never considered this fact before." I agreed. "It might be a good idea to find out something else before we do, though."

This drew confused looks. "What do you mean?" Luna inquired.

"All evidence so far points to me being Rolling Wind at one point, or taking control of his body. The real question here is: Who is Rolling Wind?" I held up a hoof to forestall the questions from his mother, whose name I still don't know. "What did he like to do? How did he act? And most importantly, why would he run off like he did, if he actually ran off at all? What if he were kidnapped, and an accident sent him somewhere else, like, say, where I'm from, as I was? Some of these questions can be answered in the Deepest parts of my consciousness. Others, however, can be answered before going in at all." I looked at the Mare. "I don't know your name, or anything about you. If anyone would know Rolling Wind before he vanished, it would be his parents."

"I believe this should wait until a later date." Celestia offered.

"But Your Majesty-" "I agree, Princess Celestia." I cut off Shining Armor, who had all of them look at me. "I didn't go through all that trouble to make the Gala actually be fun for once to bring up something depressing. So for now, we relax."

"Don't you think this is important?" Shining Armor questioned. "I mean, the case went cold years ago. This is a lead that can be followed up on. The first one in who knows how long."

"And it's also one that we can follow up on at any time, since I know exactly where the lead starts, and have a pretty good idea as to where it will end. The results of the lead, however, is the only thing I can't figure out without following it. We could literally pull this off at any time. We can wait a few days, even a few weeks." I took a cup of tea and sipped at it. "The way I see it, right now is the time to relax. Work can wait until it's time for it. Now is not that time."

Luna took a cup of tea, and followed my lead. "He does have a point, you know? On top of that, there's no guarantee there's anything there."

"I wouldn't say that." I pointed out. "There's something there. Has been for a while. This might just be a clue. Right now, I believe we need to relax. Rushing into this could potentially make things worse."

"How?" Shining questioned. I sighed.

"Going into the Dream scape is tough, and dangerous. Do it wrong and you can seriously mess up the Mind. Worse case scenario? There is no mind left." I explained. That was actually putting it lightly, when I think about it. Becoming a Vegetable could be considered worse than death.

"To ensure we don't mess it up, we both must be relaxed, and not rush things." Luna continued. "That's why we both believe it best to wait."

"Are you certain that's true?" Fluttershy prompted. "After all, he does have a small crush on you, Princess Luna."

I blinked at her. Was she seriously suggesting that... There's a glint in her eyes. I sighed. "Princess Cadence?"

"At this point, in his mind, the idea of Romance is less painful than having all of his magic taken from him before being thrown off Mount Canter, and hitting the rocks down below." Cadance explained, causing everyone to blink. She continued when I took another sip. "I hope to change that, though."

I nearly choked, but managed to swallow. I then stared at her for a few seconds. "Good luck. You'll need it." Wait, was that a glint in her eye?

"Oh, I think I can pull it off."

"Translation: Challenge Accepted." I smirked. "And I say again: Good Luck. You'll need it." Since I seared her Signature into my mind, I'll know instantly if she manages to get within 100 miles. I did the same for Sunbutt and Luna. Jessica as well, which is actually a good thing.

Especially since she's coming up to us as we're talking random nonsense after that little challenge. Well, more like they're talking, and I'm just listening.

Situation Normal.

"Well, Lightsworn Mediator, I'm definitely impressed." Jessica spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"And here's the second half of the SNAFU I've been expecting all night." I looked at her after I said that, with a smile on my face. "Fairy Princess."

She groaned at that. "At least I don't have to worry about anyone else calling me that." She looked at the others, but blinked at the Mare. "Madam Colifax?"

"Ringing Treasure?"

"What are you doing here?" was the simultaneous question.

All of us looked between the two, even me. "Sis?" I offered. "You know her?"

"She's worked with me in the past." Jessica replied. "I didn't think you knew her. You never were that outgoing."

"You know him?"

"In a way, he's my brother. How do you know him?"

"He has a connection to my lost son, Rolling Wind." Jessica blinked, before turning to me.

"Same as me?"

"Most likely."

"Ouch. I still have the original in my head." Jessica winced. "She was mortally wounded when I showed up and got her out of there. Thank God for Combat Instincts, and Spirit Healing."

"I'd thank Soa, to be honest." I admitted. "So, the new music to your liking?"

"You should know by now that I prefer some softer music. This is your Playlist, through and through."

"What about the Entrance of the second Party?"

"Your work, no doubt." Jess admitted. "The only other one that could've pull that one off, much less thought of it, is Shining Darkness, and it's not his style." She paused. "Even if he is more mellow than he used to be."

"Yeah, definitely not his idea. Keep going." Jessica stared at me. "I know you, Sis. You have more to say than that, and you also know that you didn't answer the question I asked."

Jessica chuckled at that. "Yeah, you're right. I just don't want to pop your ego that much."

"Hey, I can take it!" I complained. She knew I was just playing around, as was she. I could tell by the grin on her face.

"I don't know... Can you handle the two ton tunic?"

I raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Easily."

"Then it sucked." Everyone stared at her in shock, Sunbutt included. I raised an eyebrow.

"Head or Vacuum?"

"Neither." She smirked. "Black Hole."

"WOOHOO!" I totally did NOT emulate Homer Simpson right there.

"I do not follow..." Sunbutt stated, still confused. Luna snorted, causing all attention to turn her way.

"The 'Ultimate in Bad ass Forms', as he has called it in the past." She turned to Celestia. "If your Sun exploded, a Black hole would form in its place. That was a Theory of some Astrologists."

"Where I come from, it was confirmed." I offered. "The Sun is literally nothing more than a star. It's just a LOT closer than any other."

Celestia pursed her lips. "I shall have to look into this at a later date."

And so, the night dragged on, until the Gala ended. The Mane Six stuck around all the way to the end, as did Jessica, myself, and Trixie.

The Mare, now known as Judgment Colifax, was still around as well, but for a different reason. All of us were now in the Throne Room with all three Alicorns and Shining Armor. I looked at Madame Colifax. "So, I get why everypony else is here, but I figured you'd have gone back to your hotel room."

"Ringing Treasure told me of her brother, and his penchant for family and friends. If you truly are that brother, then you'll understand that any lead to find my son is something I need to know about." She paused. "My husband too, but I don't think you'd be able to find him in the same way."

I blinked, before nodding. Yeah, I understand that one well. "One question then." She raised an eyebrow at me, drawing a giggle from Jessica. "You already know I stay in Ponyville. Why not meet me there for a full information session?"

"My Husband may be gone, but he was one of the smartest stallions I've ever known. I myself am quite the accomplished Detective." She pointed out. "I might pick up on something the others here would miss."

"Did my sister ever tell you about Sherlock Holmes?"

"Yes, and his resemblance to Sherclop Hooves is uncanny."

Jessica nodded. "Yeah, looked through them myself. Close enough of a description in skills and ability to be a parallel."

I snorted. "Yeah. I'm not exactly one to brag, but my mind follows thoughts much like his does. 80% of the time, it seems like I know more than I actually do because of it."

"A few minor differences, actually." Jessica pointed out. "While the two are similar, Blaze here doesn't always follow the Linear Logic, and ends up following the circular logic instead." I blinked at that. "Sherclop Hooves only ever follows Linear Logic, whereas Blaze uses both, mixes in Faith, and manages to come to the right answer more often than he doesn't."

"And 90% of the time, it's all guesswork." I continued.

"If you really do have Rolling Wind in your Subconscious, then it certainly runs in the family." She grinned a bit, though I can see a bit of pain in her eyes.

"And that's only if this is only his body, not him being foal napped, sent to another world, turned into the dominate species of that world, before finally getting back here through a series of mysterious, and possibly unfortunate events, with no memory of my time as Rolling Wind." I paused. "Trust me, there are a LOT of ways for this to go, especially when you take into account at least 2 different Universes are involved. If there's two, and no memory between them aside from the current and previous, who's to say there aren't any others between the last one and Rolling Wind?"

I then blinked as another possibility hit my mind. "It also would explain your presence in my mind in my last body." I told Jessica.

"You don't think..." Surprising idea, but I know she understands.

"Possible, though not likely." I told her. "Knowing my luck, and all those instincts that I had in that last body I had, the chances run around 20 percent."

"Then how do you explain our mutual brother?"

"If that were the case, he'd be in the same position, though I have absolutely no idea as to who he might've been." I explained. "You, on the other hand, I have a few ideas."

"Oh, this I gotta hear." Jessica replied. "What? Don't tell me that I'm Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, or Bella from Twilight."

"Okay, first off: There's nothing wrong with Luna." I glanced at the present Alicorn. "Either of them." Turning my gaze back to Jessica, I continued. "Granger, no dice. You don't think the way she did, and honestly? Neither do I. I can't see anyone there being you, while being a part of me, either from imprints, or a sense of completion, or anything similar from the HP world. No, two of the guesses were actually from Winx Club."

This caused everyone to blink at that in confusion. Trixie and Jessica weren't as confused, but guessed. "Not Techna." Trixie pointed out. "While her mind matches yours to a point, it's a far cry from your personality."

"My guess would be either Flora or Stella." Jessica pointed out, before she paused. "Please tell me you're not thinking of Diaspro."

I scoffed. "Not that bitch. No, my personal guess from that world numbers two: Darcy or Bloom. Darcy for the Mind, Bloom for the personality."

To my knowledge, both are pretty damn close. It's a close match-up. "To continue, the only one in the Twilight Universe that I can think of that might fit, is Leah Clearwater. She's the only one that could fit any of us, and the only one I felt a connection to. To my knowledge, she never imprinted on anyone, so the only connection possible is if she were me, or I just resonate with her on some level. At this point, it's anyone's guess."

Trixie and Jessica look at each other, and then back at me, before nodding. "Fair point." was the simultaneous response. "Anyone else?" Jess continued.

"Part of me wants to say Blake Belladonna." Trixie admitted, causing everyone to turn to her in confusion, Jessica and myself included. "What?"

"Many problems with that particular guess." Jessica pointed out.

"Not to mention that my trust issues are actually about the same as they were then. That Blake had trust issues worse than my own, and she had reason." I pointed out. "Many of her traits I still have. If Jess here were born from that life, in that world, it would more likely be Yang, Professor Goodwitch, or, and this is me stretching it, Penny."

That turned everyone here towards me. "Penny?! Me?!" Jessica goggled. "Are you high? You have to be to come up with that one!"

"I second that." Trixie stated, before pausing. "So does Darej, by the way. He's more than willing to place a bet on Pyrrha, but I'm not entirely sure on that one."

I paused. "Fair point on that one. And no, I'm not high. I'm only half surprised that you didn't say Nora was an option."

"No chance." was the simultaneous response.

"I know. If anyone had Nora in them, it'd be her." I pointed a hoof at Pinkie Pie without looking in her direction. Trixie and Jess nodded in concert.

"You think that they'll realize we're still here?" I heard Twilight whisper.

"Sometimes I wonder." Luna replied, also in a whisper.

"We never forgot." was the response, though none of us looked their way.

Sunbutt chuckled, so did Madame Colifax and Applejack. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy rolled their eyes. Rarity giggled.

I then looked at Madame Colifax. "And this is actually why I asked why you didn't just head to Ponyville for the full information. The seemingly needless speculation would be cut out of the discussion, so we could get right to the brass tacks, so to speak."

She stared at me. "This is because of certain in jokes, isn't it? Things only those directly involved would know about, and I am not?"

"At this point, RT, Bea, and myself are the only ones directly involved, Luna might be able to guess some, and same with Fluttershy. Everypony else here either doesn't have a clue, or can only guess at about half of what comes up." I answered. "So, yeah. Pretty much."

"I'm at half." Rarity admitted.

"Same here." Fluttershy continued.

"I understood about a third of it." Luna admitted.

"Half of the names I don't recognize, but I think I get most of it, actually." Twilight admitted, causing us to look at her. "You don't seem sure of that." Celestia noted.

"I second that." I added. "So, you've got a guess as to what we're talking about, and, I'm just guessing on this myself, you're not sure if it's the truth or not." Twilight sighed, before sending a deadpanned look my way.

"How do you always do that?" She asked me.

I grinned a bit. "It's a gift."

"From what I can tell, you believe either you are Rolling Wind reincarnated, and, since Trixie and Ringing Treasure are involved, they might be different incarnations of yourself between Rolling Wind and you, if not before Rolling Wind himself." She paused, looking at me. I nodded. That's part of the theory. "If that's the case, then you were guessing which one is in Ringing Treasure's body, since the one in control was in your mind, and thus, was likely one of your past lives given sentience once more. The names I don't recognize are most likely options that you considered, but didn't outright reject, as possible lives that brought her into being. Though I don't know how Trixie knows about Darej, or who this Darej is, though I believe he's also the one you've been calling Shining Darkness?" She asked this part in Bea's direction, who nodded in agreement.

Damn that mare is smart. She looked back at me before continuing. "Moving on, Darej is either another life of yours in the past, separate from the one with Ringing Treasure, or is directly connected to your life before getting to Equestria, but both resided in your mind and all three of you were separated upon entry to Equestria, being sent into different bodies. In this theory, you're Rolling Wind reborn multiple times, before being brought back to Equestria to the moment that he died, with your body reconstructed from the fatality point, at the very moment in time that you died as Rolling Wind in the first place. The biggest problem with this theory, however, is who would save Rolling Wind, and why would they go through so much to preserve his life? And at this point, I get the feeling it either hasn't crossed your mind, or it has, but you have no guesses."

My mouth went agape, as did Jessica and Bea. Everypony else stared at her, causing her to shrink back a bit. "Blaze, if you kiss her right now, I would not blame you in the slightest." Jessica said, shocking me out of my stupor.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I shot in her direction.

"Isn't that how nerds bond?" Jessica asked me. Oh, you little bitch. "I mean, it usually starts out with a research project, and the two working together on it. Besides, she's about as smart as you are."

"Jessica?" She grinned at me. "Shut up."

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Her grin turned into a smirk, before she went flying, and hit a column.

"No, you hit a column." I told her. "I hit the nerve. That's why you are currently paralyzed."

"Seriously?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "You hit her for saying that you and Twilight should hook up?"

"If things don't go right, she'll never see me again. Bea?"

"He's right. Same with Darej and Jessica." Trixie admitted. "I heard that first hand."

"And who would be the one who told you?" Celestia question.

"The Tree of Harmony itself." She answered, causing Sunbutt's eyes to widen. "That's what it called itself anyway. Darej confirmed it on sight, due to a show where he came from. It looks almost identical to the show, is what he said."

"I was... unaware it could speak." Sunbutt whispered. We all still heard it.

"I've never heard of the Tree of Harmony." Twilight admitted. "What is it?"

"Long story short," I started. "The Tree of Harmony is the power source of the Elements of Harmony. The one being that created them."

"And it can talk?" Twilight asked me, causing me to shrug.

"Any power source of sufficient Raw Power is probably alive."

"That's more or less an unspoken rule among us." Jessica shrugged.

"Four, actually. I added myself to that list after it happened." Bea admitted.

"And I take it you don't blame him in the slightest?" Jessica asked.

"Not a chance." She looked at me. "Ride or die, remember?"

"We're not part of the Toretto Family." Jessica and I retorted.

"You aren't. Darej was." Bea pointed out.

Okay, what? I looked at Jessica, who was just as confused. "How?"

"Who do you think convinced Brian to quit the CIA?"

"Do I even want to know?" I asked.

I hope the answer is no.

"You're not the first he's watched over. There's Guardian Angels, and then there's Guardian Demons. He's the latter." Bea explained, which caused me to blink and stare.

"So, wait. He's not actually a part of me?" I ended up asking.

And for a damn good reason. Darej has been around for longer than I can remember. Why would he follow me for so long, without telling me why?

Bea shook her head. "He is now. He wasn't always. Even he doesn't know how he originally formed. Brian wasn't the first, but he was about 4 assignments before you. Jessica was following your soul before he got attached, so he doesn't know exactly how far back your soul extends."

"And given his usual penchant for sneakiness and misdirection..." Jessica started.

"He won't say a word beyond what he already has." I finished. "Great. That makes things so much better." Note the sarcasm.

"Sarcasm noted, and I agree." Bea replied.

"Alright, let's just get this over with."

And so we continued for the next few hours just talking about theories and the like, although Twilight was more involved than before.

After the conversation where everything was gathered up, and then put together, I looked Codex Colifax, Rolling Wind's mother, and gestured to the door. I'm positive Jessica and Fluttershy noticed, but I couldn't really tell if anyone else noticed.

Either way, I couldn't tell you if I cared.

"Codex, I think it best if you head back to wherever you actually live tomorrow." I spoke.

"Why would you say that?"

"Many reasons I can think of, but only one needs to be said, I believe." I told her. "I don't know if I'm actually Rolling Wind, or just replacing your son. I'm not going to abandon the life I made for myself in Ponyville for family. Balance the two, yes. Outright abandon it? Not a chance. It's me finally living my life the way I feel it should be lived. My own memories tell me someone else is my mother, so, if I'm really Rolling Wind, then I'll have to deal with over half the things I've learned in almost 36 years of life being a lie, whether intentionally or not." I sighed and ran a hoof through my hair.

"And it's going to take time to adjust to the new information. I understand that." She admitted. "You would allow me to visit, right?"

"No matter what the truth is, I think I can make that work." I smiled at her. "It'd be great to have a Blood Family here, but..." I then frowned, and sighed. "If things go wrong, and I start to pull away, please don't blame anyone but my own paranoia. In the past, when I got too close to someone else, I ended up pulling away from them. I've heard it be called the Hedgehog Dilemma. You want the warmth that others can give you, but you're afraid of getting too close, because they can hurt you just as easily. Or worse. I did it to the mother I know, the brothers that I know, and the only sister I've known. Jessica and Darej are really the only exceptions, though I looked at them with wariness from time to time, too."

"I see. Thank you for the warning. But if you have any problems, whether you really are Rolling Wind, or are taking his place, then feel free to ask. I don't expect you to abandon what you've made for yourself. Just... if you are Rolling Wind, try to make a visit. If you're not, then please visit as Shadow Blaze, sister of Ringing Treasure. If not my as son, then as the brother of one of my closest friends."

"I'll try to make it if I can. Things are going to go south real soon, though, so it may be a while." I explained, remembering the incident with Discord. I actually wonder if things are going according to schedule. I don't recall everything going to shit yet, or the actual time line "I just want to say one thing before we leave Canterlot." This caused her to look at me. "Something is going to happen soon. The beginning is Chaotic, and more likely than not, most are going to overlook it. If things are going according to what I knew, if at all, then Discord is going to be free soon. When that happens, expect Chaos Worldwide. If anything out of the ordinary, in any way, that goes against what is ordered, like Chocolate Milk Rain from clouds made of Cotton Candy, then you know Discord is free. At that point, I want you to run. Get away from civilization."

"And where do you think I would run?" She questioned. "Tropicana Beach is pretty far from any big cities."

"There is cave with a Wolf symbol engraved near it to the north. It's about a 3 hour walk northwest of Tropicana Beach, the North end of the Public Beaches, to be exact. When you find it, go through it, and you'll come out inside of a forest. There's a ruined castle about an hours walk from there. Wait at the castle. Just don't force anyone to come with you. If you really are my mother in this world, then I want you safe and unharmed. The Everfree Forest can be dangerous, but those ruins are pretty well warded, without my help. And, for some reason, I doubt that Discord will go anywhere near that castle, when you consider that the entire forest is saturated in Chaos Magic."

"That means he'll think there's nothing for him to do, and thus will avoid it." She then blinked. "That's why you want to wait, isn't it? You know Discord is going to break out soon, so you want the big threat out of the way before you try."

I nodded. "That's the exact reason why. The only one that could possibly guess at that with the knowledge they have is Fluttershy, and even then, her guess might not include Discord. Just that something big is coming up, and I'd rather wait until afterwards."

"And with the problems that you mentioned, it would likely take longer for you to recover from it, if at all, making it so you can't help your friends." She continued, before nodding. "That sounds like the Jared that Jessica described."

"Jessica was literally living in my mind for who knows how long. She probably knows me better than I do." I admitted. "But still, you're her friend. If I didn't warn you of the possibility, then I'd be doing her a disservice."

"More like you'd feel like you're betraying me." I heard Jessica, and we both looked her way. "I was intending to tell her myself before we left. You just beat me to it." She looked at Codex. "I was actually planning on going to the Southern Wastelands for a bit next week. I was going to go down there with a Month's worth of supplies. If I end up missing the Discordification effect the rest of Equestria is going to go through, then by all means, I'll take that bet. If not, then at least no one else will see what I end up becoming."

That's actually a good idea. I nodded and smiled at her. "Good plan."

"And why would you want to tell me about this?" Codex asked. "Don't get me wrong, but why tell me?"

"Only because I'd want someone I trust by my side, in case I do something stupid." She admitted. "Both people that fit the bill are right here."

"Why not Darej?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Because he's stuck with Trixie, who is, quite literally, Twilight Sparkle's Apprentice." Jessica pointed out. "Because of that, he's probably going to be tied up on the front lines of the whole Discord Event. Which begs the question..."

"What will happen if Trixie gets Discordified?" I finished for her. "Yeah, at this point, I couldn't tell you."

"I think those barriers you have up in Ponyville will help, but I'm not sure how much." She admitted. "If they can keep him out, then I think we can call this a success."

"Jess, if those barriers keep Discord and his effects out then Shining Armor will have all the reason he needs to make copies of them to put over other monuments of great importance." I grinned a bit. "A Ward that can keep Discord out is something that even the Sunbutt said wasn't possible."

Jessica snickered, while Codex frowned. "Yeah, I can see why." then she noticed the frown. "Jared has always been a night owl, and had more in common with the night than the day. Back on Earth, I recall being told that he spent most of his early months staying up throughout the night, but sleeping during the day. He was literally born a Night Owl. It took him a while before he was able to learn to work during the day. At least it happened before school."

"Yeah, no kidding." I remembered sleeping in High school chemistry.

I still got an A in the class, but still... "You remembering one of your classes from back then?"

"Kind of." I admitted. "I was thinking back to my High school Chemistry class. Mrs. Thorpe."

"The class you slept through 8 out of 10 times and still managed an A on the Year long grade?" Jessica asked.

"That's the one." I chuckled. "It's funny, especially when you consider that the Year long grade is 40% on the first semester, 40% on the second Semester, and 20% on the Final. Said Final also being 20% of the Second Semester."

"Yeah, and you got around a 95% there."

"Is it any wonder why I'm a partial Pyromaniac?"

"Not a Pyro." She countered. "A controlled Arsonist, maybe. But not a Pyro. You enjoy explosions, more than the fire. Fire just makes the big explosions you enjoy."

"I also enjoy surviving the explosions I create. Part of the shield in my cutie mark, I believe." I pointed out.

"Cutie Marks are open to interpretations." She agreed with me. No surprise. "And a single word can have 10 different meanings."

"'A picture is worth a thousand words', or so they say." Codex continued.

"Meaning there could literally be thousands of ways for a single Cutie Mark to be explained." I looked at my own flank after I said this. The swords, the shield, and the brain. Two swords, showing my ability for dual wielding as a human, but it could also mean my connection to a Dual Wielder. The Shield can mean many things. Many noble warriors use a shield in combat, and are meant to protect those under them. I've been called overprotective in the past, and have been well known to hold a grudge if pushed too far.

The Brain can mean many things, but when you consider that my own Mind has scared me in the past, if only because I've seen what it is capable of, and knowing it's under it's own limits.

If that's what it can do with those limits, just what could happen without them?

At least with Magic, I don't have to worry as much.

The only reason I'm surprised there isn't a Moon somewhere on there, is because that's something else entirely, not my specialty, but something I enjoy because of comfort. Lunar Magic is simply a connection to the Moon, which I adore.

My heart resonates with the moon, but the Moon is not part of my heart. It merely soothes it.

"So, I take it you have a plan for Discord?" Jessica asked me.

"You already know about it." I pointed out.

"You never told me the plan. Only about the barriers."

"That's the plan." Both of them blinked.

"You're kidding me." Codex started, surprised. "You're going to hide behind a ward that might not even work?"

"I second that!" Jessica started at me, shock clear on her face.

"The Barriers are the only plan I ever had regarding Discord." I retorted. And it was true. "I called myself a Chaos Knight in the past for a damn good reason, Jessica. Trying to plan specifics when facing Chaos itself is futile. I knew this before Sunbutt told me, and you know it. The only plans I have isn't to take him out. It's to run damage control."

"I've heard a lot of things about you Jared, and not all of them good." Codex admitted, causing me to stare at Jessica with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugged, before Codex continued. "She called you the Strategist who would never give up until the last card was drawn. When it came down to your life, or your friends, then you'd give up your life, while ensuring that, whatever you're taking out can't possibly recover and harm your friends and family. And now, you're going to let your friends go into a fight with a literal God of Chaos and you're not going to fight at their side?"

I sighed. "Shocking, isn't it? That someone like me would allow them to fight on their own against something of this Magnitude." Codex nodded, though stayed silent. "I take it you want to know why I'm not going to the front lines, and instead am going to be on the sidelines?" They both nodded. "There's two reasons. The first is because I need to see something."

"You're letting them do this alone just to-"

"What are you looking for, Jared?" Jessica's voice was hard, and I glanced at her.

"Changes." I could tell that Codex was still angry at me. I could understand why. "Jessica, you probably remember the show better than I do. The only parts I clearly remember are Zecora, Trixie, Discord, and Chrysalis. And Nightmare Moon, but that one had already passed without incident. I nixed the first one, Darej managed to nix the whole 'Trixie' Problem, and I haven't seen anything close to a Changeling yet. If I have, they manage to escape even my senses. And Discord isn't someone you can actually plan for until you meet the guy firsthand. The only two alive right now that I can honestly say have are Luna and her sister. At this point, the Barriers are literally all I can do. So I'm going to do what I can to help them from the sidelines. And if things go wrong, as I'm pretty sure they will, then at least I'll be able to help reverse things. Aside from that, there's Scootaloo."

"What about her?" Codex questioned. "And why is she-Jessica what's wrong?"

"The show." She whispered. "It never showed what happened to the Crusaders." I nodded, the gesture slow.

"I don't know what happens to the girls. Twilight and the others? They'd be able to handle things, eventually. Discord can break them apart, and do even worse to them, but they'll be able to bounce back with Twilight's Help. I can easily see her being able to pull it off. I managed to teach her a Chaos Purifier Spell, which will definitely help. But Scoots and the Crusaders? They'll be easy pickings."

"You're not going to help them, because you're going to watch over the foals." Jessica realized, causing Codex's eyes to widen. "Do you really trust the Mane Six that much?"

"I don't know." I admitted. And it was true. Outside of Fluttershy and Rarity, I really don't know. "Only two of them, for sure. The rest, I couldn't tell you. But from what I knew then, and what I know now, I can at least have Faith that they'll be able to pull it off."

"That's what you meant by Damage control. You're going to keep the foals hidden from him, and you'll do what you can to protect them, in case the girls fail." Codex spoke. She sounds awed, like she didn't even think of that.

Somehow, I'm not surprised.

"I'm the third line of defense. The Barriers are the second. There's no guarantee that everything will be alright. Even the Mane six failed on the first attempt. The least I can do is minimize the damage. That is something that I'm good at. Will it hurt? Yes. Even so, I have faith in the girls to do what needs to be done, eventually."

"And what if you're wrong?" Codex questioned. I looked up into the night sky.

"If things go wrong, and at least one of the Mane Six dies, then I will know. At that point, I'm going to leave the barriers, and I'm going to do everything in my power to... Eliminate him." My voice went low and hard.

Jessica's eyes went wide, though she didn't say anything. Codex, however gasped. "You..."

"This is something I can't fully prepare for. I can only really minimize the damages. But if something goes wrong, and my Faith in them isn't enough, then I will do everything in my power to make sure everyone else stays safe." I told them both.

"And if you fail?" Jessica pointed out.

"At that point, the only way I fail, is if I die." I told them both. "If it comes to that, I fully intend to kill him, or die trying. Especially, if it's Fluttershy that dies. Discordification? That's fine. Easily reversed, even if you don't entirely know what you're doing. Death? To my knowledge, there's no coming back from that, and I have no intentions on finding a way to pull that off." I explained. "That's a line that I will never willingly cross."

"And if you get that desperate?" Jessica countered. "I know you Jared, you've contemplated it before."

I didn't say a word. I didn't need to. She wasn't wrong, and she knew it.

And it happened once after I got to Equestria. Zecora was the one that snapped me out of it. She smacked me upside the head, and tore into me.

The thought has crossed my mind before, and that time I could've actually done something about it. I didn't, because of what Zecora had said during that rant.

"And how do you think he would feel, if this is how low you can sink? Could you handle his look, with depression enough to send him once more to the brink?"

That was somewhere in the middle of the rant, but it's the only thing that stuck. "Because there's someone here that stopped me from doing so before. Her words stopped me, and are still with me now."

Jessica and Codex blinked at me. "Come again? I know Fluttershy and Rarity haven't died, or been injured enough to even get that far, so who was it?"

I sighed. "It doesn't matter. What matters is, somepony stopped me from committing the biggest mistake of my life, by hitting me with a lesson I should have picked up from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. Specifically, the Resurrection Stone." And that's why her words had such an effect. She reminded me of what the Second Peverell brother did.

I noticed that Jessica flinched at that. "That... makes more sense than it doesn't."

"Not really." Codex pointed out. "But it stopped him from doing it."

"It also put me off of the subject for good. That's the point I truly considered Zecora my friend." I explained. "And if I did that to Fluttershy..."

"The look she'd give you would kill you." Jessica finished, and sighed. "You know, the Stare is probably worse."

"No." I looked out to the sky again. "The Stare is nothing compared to the look I can see her giving me. Disappointing her... is worse than anything she can possibly do to me. Worse than her dying on me."

Jessica and Codex were staring at me. I know they are.

"So, did you notice the shift in Rainbow Dash's Gala Dress?" Codex and I stared at her, me in gratitude and her in confusion.

Trust my sister to know when to change the subject. "Yeah, I noticed. I didn't think that Fire engine red with rainbow colored Pinstripes would look that good on her." If that wasn't enough, the difference between what I remember of her Gala dress and what she had on tonight was so damn much!

I mean, it almost seemed human in its design. Aside from the Rainbow Pinstripes that traveled from her neck, all the way to the ruffles around the tail, there was also a few Yellow and Blue lightning bolts running around, as if being born from the pinstripes. I'm almost positive that Spitfire, who was here, was checking Dashie out.

"I don't know how Rarity pulled that off. Dash actually looked like a Mare, and was still was able to move around, and even fly at mid-speed without it getting the slightest bit ruffled. Like, at all." I continued.

"That was made by your friend Rarity?" I nodded at Codex. "Then I should see if I can get something from her myself. That dress was made so beautifully, and yet was so practical, I couldn't really believe it at first. The fact that even Blueblood gaped a bit at her when she showed up was pretty big, I'll admit. Not sure how many saw that, but I certainly did."

"Personally, I think it's because someone who is well known to be a tomcolt, and rumored to be gay, pulled off a dress so well it caught his attention, it made him wonder. I think it also stopped Rarity from shouting at him." Jessica admitted.

I raised an eyebrow. "You and I have different ideas on Shouting."

"If she had shouted, she'd have sent him flying." Jessica pointed out. "I noticed she had a set of lungs on her while I was in Ponyville." I stilled.

"You didn't."

She smirked. "I did." I facehoofed. Seriously?

"She only has the first word of Unrelenting Force, and she managed. I didn't tell her about the others."

"Jessica, are you trying to upset the balance of the world?" I questioned.

"No. I'm a Sparity shipper." She admitted. "Although if you want her, then why haven't you gone on a date with her?"

"Don't make me send you into another wall." I retorted, my voice calm.

"Don't trip my O-mouth." I was about to retort that one, but stopped.

"Seriously?" Did she really just go there?

"May~be." She winked at me.

"Are you flirting with me?" I questioned. Most people would be freaked out by this.

At this point, I've been expecting this for some time. And her grin is NOT reassuring.

"Ringing, you're scaring me." Codex blandly admitted.

Jessica's face went serious. "Jared, if you're going to charge Discord, at least make sure you have Trixie and Darej watch your back."

"More like tell her to get the others out of there. Jessica, you know me. I have Full Access to Magic as if I were a Unicorn, Pegasus and a bit of Earth Pony magic, simply from enhancement. For all intents and purposes I'm an Alicorn in all but form. I would trust Darej to get the others out of the way, but then, knowing him, he's going to come after me. And that's if Discord tries to actually kill me."

"What makes you think he won't?" Codex questioned.

"Because that would end the Chaotic fun." I answered. "if I end up just that much more powerful than him, then he might, but only if I do more than he can. At the end of it all, we might end up trying to out-troll each other."

"Any chance you're wrong on that?" Codex questioned.

"It's Discord." I pointed out. "Chance has nothing to do with it."

I looked out again, and left through the skies.

This is going to be a rough few weeks.

00000x00000

Chapter complete.

Sorry it took so long. Life sucks.

Still looking for a job, Volunteering at the Humane Society, no vehicle of my own, and the nearest bus stop is a mile away.

Either way, any questions, login and drop a review, or send a PM. I'll answer what I can. If I can't give you an answer, I'll tell you.

ALL HAIL SOA!