Back Early From Vacation / A New Preview / Private Pansy VS Lord Red is here / New Chapter On Journey To Hearth's Warming

Hello Everypony. I'm back from vacation and am ready to get to work. Things are certainly on the move today for not only are you going to see the epic new piece by the incredible CountessMRose but you are also going to get an epic scene to go with it. Also, a new chapter for Journey Of Hearth's Warming is coming out of the same day, am I generous, or just plain lucky. Really, it is luck that my vacation ended on a Wednesday. I wasn't for sure if I would be able to get to this stuff in time. Either way, here you all go. Private Pansy VS Lord Red... More details on the new chapter after the scene...

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Deep in a dark cave, a small flame danced. Alone pegasus kneeled in front of it and whispered a small prayer. Her heart was on many things this night from the closing battle to battles to come from across the sea, but most of all the wounds that Commander Hurricane had suffered. She wanted to help, but she was just a lone private with little strength and even less power of pull. All she could do was pray in this darkness for guidance into the light.

Yet despite how much she prayed the only answer she received was silence. A painful silence that almost seemed to laugh at her like a bully. It made her mind fall back into memories she wish were long gone.

“Ha, ha, look poor fat Pansy, she is far too weak to join the army!” Echoes of the past flowed into her head.

A loud punch bounced through the memories and the sight of the bully laying on the ground and a strong mare stood above him.

The commander always believed no one creature was too weak to fight. She followed her for this very reason, but now the guilt waved over her more than ever. The guilt of her failure to stand with the commander she served during the final part of the battle. To stand with the mare that had shown her such kindness, strength, and honesty.

The private couldn’t hold it back any longer. Finally giving in her face and hands fell. Tears flowed forth. "Why?" She finally questioned. "Why am I so weak?"

"You don't have to be weak if you don't want to be."

A new voice from behind her cut through the sound of her tears. This new voice was completely unfamiliar to her. On pure instinct, she raced back around.

Standing at the entrance to the cave was a unicorn cladded in strange armor. He stood far taller than her and was almost pure bony in form. He stood still and spoke softer, "Did you hear me?"

"I... I..." She backed away slowly, "....Yes."

"Well, do you wish to not be weak?" The unicorn's voice was so kind.

"Yes... I do."

"Do you wish to be strong?" The unicorn's voice seemed so honest.

"Yes."

"To stand with her?" The unicorn's voice seemed so generous.

“I…” Pansy stopped at that part as doubt filled her heart. “I want to, so badly. But how can I when I’m so weak?”

“No, don’t. You are not weak. You can be strong if you want to be.”

Pansy looked at him and wondered. This unknown unicorn just came from seemingly nowhere and told her she could be strong. But could his words be right? No, she told herself. How could this stallion even know any truth? Yet the more she stared the more his goodness seemed to shine over her.

“You love her, don’t you?” The Sun’s light perfectly rose with his words and cloaked over her and him both.

Pansy felt the warmth from his words. Through her tears still wouldn’t yield, her doubt did fade enough for her to finally nodded a yes.

“Then let me help you.” He held out his hand.

The sight of his offering brought so much hope and joy to her heart. She wanted to believe every word he said, but she couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling, as if something was very wrong.

Unbeknownst to her, the Sun’s light showed the true danger… the true evil... the shadow of a centipede rising up over her body and gripping her throat.

Every once of her whole body was trembling, but she didn't know why. “Who are you?” She slowly reached out.

“I am Lord Red. And I would like to offer you a deal…”

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Okay, I absolutely love the art that CountessMRose. This was truly a hard one since we both had totally different ideas on the perspective of this piece, But quickly we settled on something. And I think it's truly perfect. Looking purely at him you only see goodness and kindness, yet backing out to see the whole picture you incredibly see the true terror slowly crawling toward his prey. I'm glad CountessMRose caught on quickly.

This piece was chosen by readers who really wanted to see this scene extremely early. To celebrate a full year of posting for Journey To Hearth's Warming I had them choose between six scenes planned that would appear later in this story featuring the six most prominent characters from the Hearth's Warming Legend. Surprisingly though the largest number of votes was for the scene that will be happening the latest in the story. I know really odd. Next year I am planning to do this voting poll again with the same choices excluding Private Pansy of course, so if there was a choice you really wanted you can vote again next year.

I am planning to post a new chapter for the story today, but it will be more an intermission between seasons that will mostly act as a summary for events happening between each season due to time passing between each season. For example, the season that just ended was season one and season two takes place ten days later so the intermission sort of tells what is happening during that time jump. It will also give some small hints to later events in season two.

On the 1st of August, I will be posting the Prologue for Season 2 so be ready for that as well.