I do not own MLP:FIM. Rights reserved to Hasbro and Lauren Faust
Damn corporate tycoons -.-…
Eric sat on top of a couple of headless zombies, smoking a pipe a soldier had offered him. The tobacco was sweet, flavored like buttered rum and honey. "This is good," he said, remembering how him and his college professor would sit for hours and debate the applications of artificial gravity. "Where do you get your tobacco?" he asked the gray pony.
"I grow it at mah fam'ly farm out side Canterlot, sir." The pony had a mush mouth accent, his words falling into a jumble sometimes. The "Brooksas" accent they called it. JFK had it if Eric remembered right. "I could arrange to send ya some if you want," the soldier was kissing ass, Eric was sure.
"No thanks," he said, handing the colt back the pipe. "I'm not a big smoker. Besides, I should be giving you a Field Promotion. When you lost your rank lead, I saw you pick up the mantle and save the lives of the rest of your comrades." Eric handed him the red frilled helmet. "Congrats corporal," Eric said, standing up and walking over to Camille, the Pegasus reporter. "Will it live, or should I chalk it up as a casualty?" he joked. The gold Pegasus scoffed and chuckled, holding it up.
"I'm rolling now," she said, pushing a button and stood up. Eric sat back on a log and looked at the camera. "I'm here with Knight Eric Gaines Johnson, call sign Firebird." She narrated for the ten o'clock broadcast. "Sir Eric, Is there anything you have to say about this operation?" she asked, adjusting the zoom to get a clearer image. Eric looked around the battle field, watching two medical ponies carry an injured soldier off the field.
"Where should I start," Eric joked, laughing slightly. "Everything was going great, but then Task Force Gamma was ambushed from out of nowhere." She shook his head, and motioned with his helmet. "To be frank, this thing went from a quick extermination to a complete FUBAR in a matter of moments." He ran a hand through his hair, getting black gore mixed in with the dark blond strands. The reporter seemed to light up.
"How about what brought you here," she suggested. "Everypony at the station said that the princesses didn't call you in." She looked around and muted the camera's microphone. "And in my opinion, it's a damn good thing you did." She turned the microphone back on, awaiting his reply.
Eric thought for a moment, trying not to turn this televised war into something like the Vietnam Action. "Well, I was at home watching the battle go down when a few calls came in that you picked up on camera," he explained. "Clockwork had everything under control, never loosing his cool. But I could tell Gamma was getting their tails handed to them. Like I said, this isn't Leoj's fault. The reinforcements just seemed to come from thin air." He looked around again, seeing Dash walk out of a group of soldiers.
"So what was the original plan for this action," Camille asked. "It looked like the Air Corps and TFG were pushing the enemy back toward the bridge when things went bad." Eric nodded, bumping his knuckles with Rainbow Dash's hoof as she waited off screen.
"The plan was to cause enough damage to their forces that they would flee toward the ravine. There they would either fall to their death or try for the bridge," he shook his head. "Gamma was supposed to root them out of the tree line. From there, Air corps would mow them down little by little until they were in play. You saw how they were working. They executed perfectly until Gamma was ambushed." He shook his head. "I honestly believe there was more to the ambush than dumb luck on the enemy side." A dead zombie moaned as it began to heal, its head not having been separated. Eric raised his palm and fired a glob of plasma into the creatures head, the sound of melting and burning flesh filled the area.
"Are you saying these thing's might be intelligent?" Camille asked. "That it wasn't just the shadow god controlling them?" Eric scoffed and shook his head.
"These things are as smart as a retarded lizard. All they do is think about when to attack their prey so they can eat it, then they wander aimlessly until they find something better to do." Eric stood up when Leoj came back into the area. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to talk to Clockwork." Eric walked off with Dash toward the white haired immortal.
"Eric, I have something to tell you." Leoj informed him as he approached. Eric nodded and stood, crossing his arms. "There may be a new human in play here," he said in a hushed tone, spying Camille's camera light. "I think this one is out for some strange religious jihad type motive." Eric nodded looking down in thought. "And I believe you might want to get home as soon as possible." Eric smirked and chuckled, tapping Dash on the shoulder before donning his helmet. The two took off towards their house, knowing the immortal had puled something.
They flew low over the trees and hills, looking for any undead. "So what do you think he pulled?" Dash asked over the radio in her helmet. "He seemed to be rather happy about something." Eric shrugged and used his hand as a wing flap to yaw to the right slightly.
"Not sure," he replied, watching the ground still. They flew over farms and houses, not seeing anything out of the normal. "But if I know Leoj, we won't know it for at least an hour or two. He seems to get confused with his own time stream." Eric looked over at her and chuckled into the mic, getting a slight grin out of Dash.
They landed on the far side of the house, horse playing as they landed. "I beat you, you cheater!" Dash yelled happily as she pushed him with her hooves. Eric laughed and took off his helmet, tossing it at her and running around the house.
"The rules were first to the door!" he yelled back to her, seeing her fly over the roof with his helmet. Eric laughed and rounded the corner, finding Dash reading a note on the door. "What's that?" Eric said, his smile slowly fading as Dash became more serious. She shook her head as she read the note in her mind, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Dash, Sweetie, what's wrong?" Eric asked, walking up and seeing a large burlap sack in front of the door. Dash crumpled the note and tossed it off to the side.
"No, It isn't true!" she screamed after it. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she huffed in rage. "That lying bastard, how could it be true?" she muttered to her self, screaming at random intervals. Eric looked at the bag and noticed another note on it marked with his name. He picked it up and saw it had two lines.
One: take the bag downstairs and open it.
Two: Chain up what is inside, no matter how wrong you think it is. This is dangerous. Leoj.
Eric pulled at the bag, finding it surprisingly heavy. He lifted it up and opened the door, walking in as Dash continued to steam outside. "Alice, restraints in the basement, now." He ordered the AI as he opened the door to the basement. "I want them nearly indestructible. Make it happen." Eric heard the platform activate, the AI disassembling his spare suit of armor. He heard holes being drilled and welding before opening the door. Restraints finished, the AI reported in a computerized voice.
Eric walked in and found the restraints. There was a circle of restraints on the wall big enough for anything from a rabbit to a minotaur. Eric set the bag down on a table close to the wall. Untying the rope that held it closed. He held it shut, remembering what the letter said. 'No matter how wrong it seems,' Eric thought, preparing himself. He opened the bag, tearing the cloth to reveal a human. He recoiled in shock as the thirteen year old kid laid out on the table. "That is really freaky," he muttered, gaining his wits. Eric picked up the boy and clasped his arms and legs to the restraints, tightening them down so the boy couldn't move.
Eric paced around the room, rage building inside of him. "Dammit Leoj," he hissed through clenched teeth. Eric felt tears fill his eyes, sliding down his cheeks before falling off of his jaw. Eric growled, turning into a full throated scream as he slammed his fist on the table. the reinforced steel buckled under the blow, bending and touching the floor. Paper and other office supplies scattered from the broken drawers, covering the floor around him. "You had to do this now. Just after she got over being imprisoned in those fucking tunnels!" he picked up the desk, throwing it across the room single handed. Eric continued to make his wreck, throwing items that weighted in excess of a ton farther than a hundred feet.
Rainbow Dash came into the room, drawn by the cacophony of metal crashing against the concrete walls. She gasped as she watched Eric pick up a die press that weighed three tons and toss it like a paper weight. "What the hell has you so upset?" she asked, walking up to him and placing her hooves on his chest. Eric huffed in anger, ignoring her and throwing a sword from its rack. The three foot blade sunk to the cross guard into the concrete wall. She ducked as he threw the other seven, each finding its mark save one, which landed in the wall above a shadowed circle that was new to her. "Eric!" Dash screamed behind him as he stopped his rampage. "Calm the hell down!"
He stood there, breathing heavily before his armor opened and fell to pieces around him. As the boots fell apart he dropped to his knees, screaming at the ceiling for a full two minutes before calming down. Dash slowly walked up to him, keeping distance incase he was lost in rage. "Baby, what's wrong?" she asked in a soothing voice. Eric leaned forward, resting his weight on his knuckles and staring at the shadowed portion of the far wall. Eric broke into tears and looked down, crying silently to himself as Dash walked toward the wall.
As she approached the wall, she could hear a light laughing. The sound made her blood run cold with confusion, fear and sadness. She turned on the flashlight of her armor, shining it in the direction of the unnerving sound. "Hello mother, long time no see." The Voice laughed again before the flashlight fell on its owner. Dash was frozen in shock. Before her, restrained to the wall was the mirror image of Eric. Only it had her eyes and hair. The boy laughed again, causing her to shiver. "What's wrong mommy," the child asked, causing her breath to catch. "Don't you recognize the son that was cut from you? Oh, that's right. You were a little out of sorts, weren't you?" the thirteen year old boy chuckled, smiling insanely. "Well then, looks like I'm back!" he shouted into the room, laughing once more. "Oh how fate is a cruel mistress. I think it's about time I was given a name, don't you mom," the boy paused and looked across the room at Eric. "How about you dad? Got any good names for your sweet little boy?"
Eric looked at the child with a half rage. He looked like a young adolescent, but his voice as that of a full grown man. The child stared back at him, his maroon eyes seeming to bore into his very mind. He began to speak, but Eric cut him off, landing a knife in the wall beside his head. "Just… Shut up," he said barely loud enough to be heard. Eric got to his feet and slowly walked over to the wall. "How is it you're here? How is it you are thirteen years old?" Eric pulled the knife out of the wall, holding it against the boy's throat, ignoring Dash's protests. "Why shouldn't I finish the prophecy now? No one would ever know besides us," Dash pulled him away, knocking him to the floor and prying the knife out of his hand.
"No, Eric," she said, tears heavy on her voice. "No matter how twisted he may be, he is my colt and I will not let you kill him!" she tossed the knife away and pinned him to the floor, using the suit's hydraulics to effect.
"But he's insane!" Eric screamed back at her. "This is the worst possible thing that could happen! Not only will he kill everything on this planet, but he might even destroy the world itself!" he pulled another knife from his belt. "I know, I've been there." he added calmly before throwing it at the child's head. He heard the sound of steel sliding on bone and closed his eyes, feeling the gravity of his action.
Eric heard the knife strike the ground and slide away. "So close dad," The child said. "You always did have a hard time with that throw, didn't you?" the boy spat on the floor, clearing his teeth of the blood from his cut lip. "Any higher and that would have worked. Here's a reason to not kill me." The child said with something akin to excitement. "I'm insane! No wait, that's a perfect reason to kill me." The room was silent as Dash stared him down for his attempt. "Here it is! I have… oh, what's the word… Knowledge, that's it. I have knowledge of something that could end the infinite loop of history."
Eric sighed and relaxed on the floor, Dash not feeling like giving up anytime soon. "Dash, let me go." He demanded.
"No, I don't think I will." She said back in a cold voice. "You don't get it Eric, you might have been insane at one time. But you changed. You regained your sanity, just like he can."
"It isn't that simple Dash!" Eric yelled back, letting the madness he harbored deep inside arise. Dash's eyes widened at the sound, never thinking anything could sound that disturbed. "I have to fight every day," Eric said, cackling like a lunatic in a butcher's shop. "I have to fight just to keep it locked away!" he sounded on the verge of ecstasy at being able to tell her this. Eric lowered his voice to a soft monotone. "And you know what? Being a soldier doesn't help it any. Sure I get a release, I get to cause as much destruction as I want outside of a city or town. Like that dragon at Ponyville." Eric burst in to hysterical laughter, pounding his fists on the floor. "Did you know I never planned to make it out of there alive?" He asked in a voice that sounded all to excited. "Oh yes, he did, but I wanted to climb into its mouth and sink those blades into its brain as it bit me in half!" Dash walked back off of him, shock scrawled across her face. Eric rolled over and rose to his feet. "That's why he has to fight, you know?" the insane voice asked. "So the madness can't tear everything to the ground and set it on fire." Eric turned around, his eyes now crimson and his smile the most menacing thing anypony had ever seen. "And I would do it just for shits and giggles!" he yelled with a cackle, picking up the two ton platform and tossing it aside. "You may as well say goodbye to your sweet Eric," he said. "Because the monster's loose, and it's time to play!"
Dash looked around the room for an escape as the man she loved became a terror, walking slowly towards her with two blades in his hands. "Eric. Please. Don't do this." She begged as she felt the wall press against her. "Think… Think about what you're doing!" The face she knew had changed, the blades in its hands being run together. The sound of steel on steel filled the room, blocking out everything but the rapid beating of her heart.
"I told you, my pretty new toy," the voice said, lunging and lifting her up by her armored wings. "Eric is gone!" she felt the human tear the metal from her body without trying. "Did he tell you that coming here rid him of me?" The voice asked, pulling the sleeves of armor from her legs. "No, it didn't do that. It made me violent. And I fucking love this new feeling!" The monster before her tore the chest piece in half, tossing it aside as she fell. "I think I'm going to pluck your pretty blue wings first," It said, pulling a feather from her with a giggle. "Then, I'm going to string you up and cut the skin from your body, slowly, painfully. Making sure you're alive and awake the entire time. I will spread salt across your bare flesh, relishing the screams that I'm sure will follow. I will pull out your eye, the right one, showing it to you after I cut off your eyelids, squeezing it until it pops like an overripe grape." The monster made a popping sound with Eric's lips. "Then I think I will pull out your organs one by one, savoring the agony you will feel." Eric's body made a slicing motion with the blades. "You will beg me for death when I'm… No! You can't have it back!" the creature screamed around the room, backing away from Dash and swinging its arms defensively.
"You are too weak to take it back!" the voice screamed, clutching its head and falling to its knees. "I won't go! I like it here!" Eric's body fell over, falling unconscious. Dash sat as far into the corner she was in as possible, clutching the feather the monster that took Eric over against her chest and crying. Eric groaned in exhaustion and pain, getting up on his hands and knees.
"That's why the kid has to die," Eric said, sounding sane once more. "Changing dimensions, no matter how close they are, can cause shifts in the mind set. And that is why I refuse to believe an insane person or pony can be changed for the better. My mind is fractured and unstable." Eric stood up and staggered to the wall, sliding down it to sit on the floor.
"I'm not that unstable, dad." The kid said, sounding completely sane. "I just like to toy with the minds of mortals. Being a human like person raised amongst gods does that to you. I may even be more stable than anything in this world." Eric held up his hand, silencing the boy.
"Enough of your prattle," Eric said, standing up and walking over to the upturned platform. Had he really done that? Was it physically possible to lift it without assistance? "I'm going to let you sit there for a while," Eric said turning back around. "Consider it your first time-out." he added with a smirk. The boy smiled and giggled.
"About time something disciplined me," he said. "I haven't had a steady parent figure in over thirteen years, considering you killed what I thought of as my father." Eric shook his head and waved a finger at the boy, silencing him. "Oh, right. I'm breaking the rules of a time-out, aren't I?" Eric nodded and looked at Dash. She stared at him, obviously afraid of him now.
"You going to be ok, kid?" Eric asked with a soft smile, crossing his arms. Dash nodded hesitantly, holding up the feather. "Sorry about that," he said sadly. "I want in my right mind." Eric walked to the door and opened it. "I think I'm going to take a short nap before Celestia decides to bite my ears off." He said before closing the door behind him. Dash sat in the corner for a moment longer, still processing what had happened.
"It's not his fault, mom," the child said, causing her to look up. "I would say blame the twisted society he comes from, but then again I'm not all right upstairs either." The boy gave a half smile, causing Dash to laugh nervously. "There we go," the boy said, sounding ever more like his age than the adult he acted. "A mom shouldn't be afraid of her son. I think I'm going to take dad's idea and sleep for a while." And with that the boy fell asleep. Dash shook her head and stood up, looking at the empty space in her feathers.
"What have I gotten myself into," she muttered, holding the feather up and watching the last of the blood fall from the point. "I'm in love with a madman and the mother of an insane child. You have really gotten yourself in it this time Dash." She shook her head and dropped the feather on the floor, walking out of the door.
Eric laid out on the couch, a cushion propped under his head. 'I'm going to kill you,' he though to himself. 'You hurt her, you make her afraid of me. I'm going to fucking kill you.' He sighed and turned over, staring at the fire that crackled in the mantle. "Alice, windows." He ordered, getting immediate response as she darkened the glass. "Keep an eye on the basement," he said. "I don't want our guest getting out. And don't follow his requests either." He got an affirmative from the speakers, followed closely by the sound of the basement door closing.
Dash walked upstairs, finding the windows blacked out and the lights off. "Alice, flashlight. I cant see." A panel slid up on the wall beside her, producing a small flashlight with a handle. "Thank you," she said before taking the light in her teeth by the handle and walking to the bedroom. The bedside clock read Twenty-one hundred hours. Dash turned off the light and set it on the nightstand, climbing into the bed and tossing a blanket over herself. He sighed as she tried to relax, tossing and turning until she was comfortable.
Eric stared at the ceiling, picking chunks of gore out of his hair. 'Why did I lose control?' He thought to himself, staring at a piece of brain matter before tossing it into the trashcan. 'I have never been that far gone," He pulled a fragment of bone out next, staring at it also. It was shaped like a clover, causing Eric to laugh with grim amusement.
"Eric!" he heard Dash call from the bedroom. He lay on the couch, snapping the bone fragment in half. "I don't blame you, you know? You weren't… well, you back there." Eric lifted a tablet device, poking several interface icons. A platform rose from the ground, a rum and coke on top. Eric picked up the glass and let the table fall back into the floor. "Could we…" Dash hesitated, Eric taking a gulp of the cold drink. "Do you have it under control again?" she asked. "I'm kinda lonely in here," Eric chuckled to himself as he heard her laugh nervously.
Eric got up and downed the rest of his drink, setting it on the table on his way through to the bedroom. He leaned against the doorframe, looking at the dark figure staring at the ceiling. "Yeah," he said, causing her to jump. "I'm cool. I'm sorry it hurt you, but I had to make my point. I didn't think it would go that far though." Eric crossed his arms, shaking his head. "I really didn't mean for any of that to happen." Eric watched as she sat up in bed and held her forelegs out toward him.
"It's ok," she said. "Just come to bed with me. I need somepony to hold." Eric could almost picture her pouting in his head. It looked cute, really. "You still there, or am I trying to hug a shadow?" She asked with a slight laugh. Eric chortled, walking into the room.
"Yeah, Dashie," he said, giving her a hug. "I'm here, but I need a bath. I'm still covered in zombie goo." He felt her move her hoof to cover her nose.
"Yeah, go shower," she said in a nasally voice. "You smell like… Ugh." Eric laughed and grabbed a change of pants, walking out to the bathroom. HE turned on the water, running a pocket comb through his hair in the mirror as the shower warmed up. Black fragments of random body bits fell into the sink as he combed.
"I really need to cut this," he said, holding a lock in his hands. A panel on the side of the sink opened, revealing a pair of scissors and an electric trimmer. "I need to put boundaries on you, Alice," Eric said, picking up the scissors. He trimmed the gold locks, taking the blades to the sides first. Eric thought the whole time, contemplating his job as a knight. He had always dressed for success, wearing short, neat hair and stylish clothing. But this line of work, the line that involved blood and guts and grit needed efficiency. Eric set down the scissors and tapped the mirror.
A computer screen came up, displaying a database search. Eric had a direct line to the Royal Information Grid, or R.I.G for short. Every reflective and clear surface in his house was essentially a touch screen computer, and his basement was his own personal hologram room. Eric had spent a week creating the correct, non lethal, particle aerosol to catch the image were it was needed. He typed in a few words on the screen before him, bringing up a list of subjects. Eric chose he fashion section, picking hair and clothing in separate sides of the mirror. The computer that housed the AI had dimensions for the human form, Eric's in specific. All of the choices were altered to fit him. He scrolled through the list, looking at a couple renders for hair styles. The idea of trim and squared away was very different here, shoulder length hair being the norm with a few of the more stylized ones topping the list. He chose one that wasn't too long, yes not what he would normally pick. He set the AI to use the instruments, the cut being finished in a matter of minutes with a little pain from his hair being pulled.
Eric set an order for a business suit along with several different types of close fitting shirts and cargo style pants. They seemed to be loose, yet not baggy. More of a flowing design than a young goofy look. The R.I.G systems listed off a series of clothiers, only one bringing up any sort of remembrance. Rarity's shop topped the list surprisingly enough, apparently having a reputation for hoof stitching each piece and maintaining a strict quality standard. Eric picked up a hair brush, using the handle point as a stylus to sign his name. "There," he said as the screen showed his considerable bank account diminish slightly. "Now I'm fit for duty." The screen faded, leaving a message of the estimated time of delivery. "Wow," he said, finding it being tomorrow afternoon. "They don't fuck around here, do they?"
Eric walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and another in his hands. He was drying his hair when he walked into the bedroom, finding Dash reading the latest Daring Doo novel in the lamp light. "You cut your hair!" She exclaimed, looking at his head. The style resembled that of a WWII German soldier's cut, close shorn sides but still hanging down to the bottoms of his ears. Eric nodded, slipping on a shirt and a pair of jersey material pants. "Why do you always do that?" Dash asked as he got into bed and propped his head up on his hands. "Just when it starts getting long enough to play with too." She joked, going back to her book. "It looks good," she commented, turning the page.
"you could use a trim too," Eric said, flipping a split end in her mane with his fingers. Dash swatted his hand with a wing, smiling. "I'm serious, Dash. We are expected to look our best, and you always seem to look like you just got off of a ball field." She gave him a sideways glance, obviously confused by the sentiment. "I have to teach you ponies something about team sports, don't I?" Dash scoffed at him and shook her head.
"I like it this way, Eric," She said, laying the book down. "I have never cut my hair, and I don't plan to." she frowned at him, slapping him in the face wit ha wing as he put a pair of scissors over the end of her mane. "Will you leave it!" she exclaimed, tossing the scissors across the room. Eric just laughed, still messing with her eternally messy mane. Dash huffed and threw up her hooves. "Fine! I'll get a trim," She relented. Eric pulled the clippers Alice had given him out and turned them on, the battery working the blades. "I said a trim, baby." Eric smiled and put the trimmer away. They laid down, turning out the lights and falling asleep together.
"And further more, I would like to thank you for going against orders, Eric." Celestia admonished from the throne room. Eric was stunned. He had come prepared for a punishment akin to a public lashing. "You shouldn't be surprised, really. If we had sent you in, you would have extracted Gamma from the field after their mission had been finished. I do not condemn Leoj for keeping them there, everypony can fight and add o the assault force. But if they had been removed, the enemy reinforcements wouldn't have been such a disastrous consequence." The princess too a drink from her chalice, finished with her observations.
Eric stood silent for a moment longer, thinking of what to say. "What is on your mind, Firebird?" The princess asked, looking at him intently. Eric thought about many things in a matter of seconds, but the ones that lasted the longest were the beast within him and the being that he had confirmed as his and Dash's child. He had to keep the boy a secret from the princess if she wasn't already aware, at least until Eric was sure he wasn't a threat to the princesses. "Eric, are you well?" Celestia asked concerned. "I have always enjoyed your quick wit during out conversations, tell me what ails you." Eric bounced his armored fist on air several times, sucking on his bottom lip and shaking his head slightly.
"I have something troubling," he said, tapping his head. "In here. As you know…" Eric looked around the room, noticing how many ponies were around. The guards he could swear secrecy from, but none else. "We need to be alone to talk about it." Eric hinted, making a circle beside his ear. The princess nodded and ordered all but her personal guards and Eric out of the room and the door bolted. The ponies went about the orders, not asking questions. When they were alone, save five unicorn guards, Eric began again. "You know I was mad before your sister brought me here, right?" Celestia nodded. "Well, I still am… In a way." He began pacing around the room. "When I was brought here, I told Luna that it had left. But I was wrong. It had only separated and become dormant. I now harbor a personality that only wants to burn this land to the ground for a laugh." Several of the guards failed to hide uneasy movements after he mentioned this and walked past them.
"What are you saying, Sir Johnson?" Celestia asked, watching him as he passed behind the chair. "Are you telling me that my most trusted knight is a danger to myself?" Eric nodded, and then shook his head, at a loss for an expression.
"In a way." He said. "Yesterday, I was working in my basement on a weapons system for my armor," He lied to hide a dangerous and testy subject. "Dash was with me, and it gained control. I had been fighting this being back since Ponyville, especially once the dragon arrived. If I had lost control then, I wouldn't be here today. But then again neither would the dragon. Anyway!" Eric exclaimed, pausing to get back on track. "It attacked her, tearing the armor I made for her away like it was air. It tossed her into the opposite corner of the room, flipped a three ton piece of equipment unassisted, and then began to torture her by saying what it would do to her for a laugh." Eric reached into a pouch at his waist, pulling out a cyan feather about a foot long and setting it on the arm of the throne. "He pulled that from her before I could take control back."
Celestia picked up the feather with magic, holding it in front of her. There was dried blood on the quill of the feather, obviously not picked up after it had fallen out naturally. There was a break in the fibers of the feather, denoting it had indeed been pulled out by a live being and not a machine. "I am loath to admit it," Celestia said as she set the feather in Eric's outstretched hand. "But you are a danger to yourself and everypony around you in this state." Eric nodded after returning the feather to its pouch. "This is a matter that could cause unrest in the populace, so it must be handled quietly. Therefore, I am assigning Keith Wolfheart as a magical solution to your issues. He is well versed in all forms of supernatural phenomena. I am sure he will be able to return you to full working condition quickly." She brought a pen and quill to her, dipping the feather in ink before writing a letter and sending it off with magic. "I am aware you have a spare room at your house, am I not correct?" Eric nodded. "He and Twilight Sparkle will be staying there until this predicament is resolved. Are there any more issues of note?"
"None of importance, but I have a question." Celestia nodded, giving him permission to ask. "I mean no disrespect, but I have noticed the highly advanced level of technology here," He paused for a moment. "But transportation is either manual or by chariot. You have designs for an automated land vehicle and powered flight, why haven't you set them into production?" Eric was surprised to hear the princess laugh at his question, but not in a condescending tone.
"Simple," she said. "These machines pollute the fertile land, they cause laziness, unneeded stress, and further more smell bad and create unnecessary noise." Eric seemed to understand. "We have not done this so that the ponies stay fit and healthy. Have you not noticed how much happier life is when you do an honest day's labor or simply take a walk through the streets? It's really is just semantics, Eric. A happy pony is an easy to deal with pony, and I have less rebellions to put down. I do release machines to assist them in their lives when they are hard. But when you can plow your fields by yourself, why have polluting machines does it while you sit atop and become lazy? Why get in a flying machine when there are Pegasi that would gladly pull a chariot through the sky at near the same speed and receive a pay from it? Revenue and the happiness of the many, Eric. You may go if we are finished." She said, taking the scrolls a page held for her and opened the first.
"My Lady," Eric said with a bow before backing up and exiting the room. It made sense to him now that he thought about it. There was wisdom in her words. He was much more pleased with his new life now that he didn't have to worry about traffic or catching a flight half way across the world for more traffic. 'How blind we are,' he thought with a smile as he exited the castle. He waved to the guards before taking to the sky, putting his helmet on and letting it scale back into the armor. The wind felt good passing over his skin and through his hair. 'To Fluttershy's place,' he thought as he banked to the right, heading toward the agricultural side of town. It had been a month and a half since she had offered him the puppy, and he was looking forward to having a dog again.
Eric landed hard in the empty field, digging a trench as he tried to slow into a run. "Burned that one!" he said with a laugh as he tripped and caught himself again. He had been trying to land without the systems for over a week. Flying he had down with the neural interface, but he didn't know the physics of a controlled crash. Eric saw the fence of the old farmhouse coming up fast, still at an unstoppable run. Eric jumped over it, landing on his side and rolling until he stopped. He had halted on his face, a mouth full of grass and dirt. He rolled onto his side and spat the gritty mixture out, running his tongue over his teeth. He finished turning over and lay on his back, the sky obstructed by a pegasus shaped silhouette. "Hi Fluttershy," he said, panting and laughing off the adrenaline.
"Hello Eric," she replied, her voice as quiet as ever. "C-can I help you?" she asked, helping him into a sitting position. A puppy ran up to him, jumping on his lap and licking his face. Eric laughed and picked the dog up, setting it on the ground.
"Actually, you can," He said. "Remember about a month ago when you offered me the puppy and I said I couldn't take it then?" Fluttershy nodded, picking up the puppy that tried to lick him to death and holding it up to his face. The dog barked and licked him on the nose.
"This one?" She asked, pushing the puppy into Eric's arms. "He already likes you!" She exclaimed in a normal volume voice as the puppy assaulted Eric with its tongue. "Here, let me get you something to carry him in, I mean… if that's ok." Eric nodded and set the puppy down. He picked up a stick and threw it, finding out the dog already knew how to fetch. The puppy brought It back, placing it in Eric's hand. Fluttershy came back with a small carrier. "Here," she said, opening the cage. "You can keep it if you want, I have plenty." She smiled as Eric put the puppy in the carrier.
"Thanks, Fluttershy," he said, giving her a hug with his free arm. "I won't forget this anytime soon," He said, walking a safe distance away. She waved at him as he took off, flying west to his house. Eric held the wooden carrier with the opening away from the wind, trying to keep the puppy as warm as possible on the five minute flight home. 'I have a dog,' he thought happily as he passed over Canterlot, waving at the ponies that pointed up at him and cheered.
Eric landed outside the house, walking up to the door and opening it. He set the carrier down inside the door, closing it behind him. "Ready to see your new home, boy?" He said, getting a bark in response. Eric opened the cage and let the puppy out, who proceeded to pee on the carpet.
"No, bad dog," he picked up a glass of water that was sitting on a table and poured it on the puppy. "We don't pee on the floor." The puppy shivered, his short fur growing cold. "Alice, dry off the dog carefully and clean the carpet, I want it spotless for when Keith and Twilight arrive." The AI made a chirping sound as it executed the commands. A couple of articulate gripping claws descended from the roof, grasping the puppy and towel drying it. Alice handed the dog to Eric, who took it as she began to steam clean the carpet. "Good work, not a scratch on him."
"You did say carefully, sir," The computer said as it laid carpet shampoo down. Eric reclined on a chair, petting the young Doberman puppy. "Sir, I received a message from the RIG delivery prompt. A mail mare should be here any moment. In point two five seconds actually." The door bell rang once. "Would you like me to get that for you, sir?" The AI said, seeming pleased with its calculations.
"No," Eric said. "Fix the puppy a bowl of minced venison and set it on the kitchen floor for him. I am more than capable of getting the door myself." Alice chirped again, finishing the steam cleaning and moving about the other tasks. Eric noticed he was still wearing his armor before he reached the door. "Dammit," he muttered, activating the compression systems. The suit slid back, ratcheting and opening at the front of the boots as he stepped out of it. Eric reached out and pulled the door open, revealing a large wood box.
"Here's your order, sir!" a pony somewhere behind the cargo called. Eric snapped his fingers, the wall opening and the AI's automated systems taking the box inside. Where the cargo had been was a gray Pegasus with a wall eyed look about her. "Oh wow, your Eric Johnson!" the mail mare said, pulling put a fountain pen and a notepad. "Can I have your autograph sir?" Eric leaned on the door frame in a cocky manner, crossing his left foot behind his right and tapping the toe of his shoe on the floor. He stayed that way, soaking in the gravity of his fame before taking the offered pen and paper.
"What's your name, kid?" he said writing out a short message on the paper in his best handwriting. The pony smiled and floated in place, delighted he was giving her an autograph.
"Ditzy Doo," the Pegasus said, giving him another strange facial expression. "But all of my friends call me Derpy. I'm not sure why…" Eric continued to write down on the paper, he looked at it before handing it back, making sure it wasn't too personal.
To Derpy,
Thanks for all of your hard work and support.
Eric "Firebird" Johnson.
He handed the Pegasus the notepad and pen, the mare eliciting a squeal that would make a squished rabbit jealous. The pony gave him a hug and shook his hand. "Go on, kid," He said, giving her another fist bump. "I'm sure you have other deliveries to make." The Pegasus thanked him again, giving a salute before taking off. Eric shook his head and walked back inside, ordering the suit down to the basement. "And Alice," he said. "Feed the boy, would you? Steak and potatoes." The AI chirped as it started cooking the meal. Eric walked over to the cargo box and found the top opened. He leaned over it and pulled out the twenty smaller boxes inside. "Hangers," he called out, having them laid beside him. Eric took out the business suit, finding Rarity had added a set of regular sunglasses for free. He hung up the clothing, moving through the boxes quickly and carrying them to his closet.
Eric was putting the garments away when Alice chirped. "Sir, I don't mean to be intrusive," The computer began as he closed the closet door and turned around, looking at the ceiling. "But shouldn't a mother and father dine with their child?" The computer's question intrigued Eric. The AI was incapable of learning past its programming, so why did it suddenly have worries about his family. "I am only following standard family friendly protocol, sir. And all of my data on the subject places the mother, father and child at a table, eating together. Is this incorrect, sir?" Eric leaned against the wall, thinking about what she had said. Leoj had told him to chain up the boy, no matter how wrong it seemed. But this seemed a little more than wrong. "I am reading irregularities in your vital signs, sir. Are you upset with me?"
"No Alice," He replied. "I'm not upset, just slightly perturbed." He walked into the kitchen, finding three plates of food and a spare serving of meat if Dash wanted some on the table. Eric scoffed and shook his head. 'How am I supposed to tell the computer, a logic machine, that it is both right and wrong…' Eric thought as he sat down in a recliner. "When was Rainbow Dash was supposed to be back?" Eric asked.
"In about three point two minutes sir," Alice replied. "She is making the flight home now." Eric sat back and waited a moment, thinking over how to not confuse Alice. He stewed on the idea for longer than he thought, feeling Dash wrap her forelegs around him and kiss his cheek.
"Hey baby," She whispered into his ear as he held her hooves. "Did you miss me?" She asked, purring the words into his ear. Eric sighed and shrugged. "Ok," She said, growing serious. "What's crawled up your tail?" Eric shrugged again, motioning to the kitchen.
"Alice made three plates," Eric explained. Dash sighed and rested her head on the back of the chair. "You got the same message, huh?" Eric asked and received a groan of frustration. Dash walked around to the couch and flopped down on it. "What do you think, should we give in?"
What will they do with the other plate? What will happen to Eric's mad other half? Why am I asking you? I already know!
Read and Review Please! :)
Leoj Clocktum property of Timefather64.
Mat & Sapphire property of Bahamut Crisis Core
Night forge and all things Nightmare Unicorn property of Najee