//------------------------------//
// Respect Your Elders 
// Story: My Little Investigations: The Gemstone Godfather 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//


July 13, 3:35 PM
Everfree Forest
Dragonvest Territory
***


Wow.  Just, just wow.  I, really can't think of anything to say.  I mean, I knew that I was gonna meet Kohryu, but I didn't think it would be quite like this.  The fact that Kohryu was larger than life didn't help matters.

"Your silence is deafening, Momma's Girl," said Dodger with a smug grin. "I realize that you're probably in awe of the Great Kohryu's presence, but you gotta speak up sometime.  'Sides, I'd like to know what you're doing here myself.  Can't you see that we're having a private meeting?"

"I-I'm sorry," I murmured, finally finding my voice. "I-I was just investigating something at the northern timberline, and I ended up here."

"That's ridiculous," said Dodger. "The only ones who know about this location answer to me.  There's no way you could've stumbled upon it by chance."

"That's what happened, though.  Honest," said Derpy meekly.

Dodger furrowed his brow. "Hmm.  I dunno.  What say you, Kohryu?  You think they're on the level?"

Kohryu gave me an odd look and stroked his chin. "Perhaps.  Then again, perhaps not.  I really can't say."

Just then, an idea hit me.  Maybe there's a way I can get out of this awkward situation.

"Hang on a minute," I said. "Didn't you want to speak to me?"

Kohryu tilted his head. "Did I?  Odd," he said. "I think I would remember something like that."

"You acolyte Byakko told me about it," I said. "He said you were interested in my plight."

"You don't say.  Well, it must've been pretty important if Byakko told you that," said Kohryu. "Alas, however, I seem to be drawing a blank at the moment.  Perhaps if I heard your name, it would jog my memory a bit."

"Amethyst.  Amethyst Star."

"Mmm.  Something about that name is familiar.  But I can't quite put my claw on it," mused Kohryu. "Hmm.  Where have I heard that name before?"

"Kohryu, we were just talking about this," said Dodger. "It's the name of..."

"Please, Dodger.  Let me think about this," interrupted Kohryu. "Hmm.  I could've sworn I heard that name before.  Confound it, when was that?"

I'm finding myself speechless again, but it's for a different reason.  I thought Kohryu was supposed to be wise and all-knowing.  Why was he struggling to remember our appointment?  Especially considering that he's the one who made it.  Say what you will about Sykes Silvervest; at least he lived up to his hype.  This is just embarrassing to watch.

"Ah, wait!  I think I remember now," said Kohryu. "You're that detective equine that my acolytes have told me about, yes?"

"Um, yes." I said.

Kohryu nodded. "I see.  Well, I'm glad you were able to keep our appointment then," said he. "Dodger, grant us some privacy.  We'll pick up our discussion later."

Dodger blinked. "Whoa, whoa.  Time out," he said, gesturing with his paws. "You didn't tell me anything about wanting to meet with Momma's Girl here."

"And I do apologize for that.  It simply slipped my mind," said Kohryu with a shrug. "However, my request still stands."

Dodger sighed. "As you wish," he said.  He then gave me a dirty look as he marched out of the room.

"Please forgive him, Star Amethyst," said Kohryu. "I'm sure he wouldn't have had as much of a problem if I had remembered to tell him about your arrival.  Now then, what did you want to see me about?"

Derpy blinked. "Huh?  Aren't you the one who summoned Ammy here?"

"Was I?" said Kohryu. "Oh, yes!  Right.  Sorry, I forgot."

"Wait, how is that possible?" I asked. "We established that no more than ten seconds ago."

"Forgive me, Star Amethyst.  I am very old, and my mind is not what it once was," said Kohryu.

"But I thought you were some kind of wise philosopher," I said.

"And I am," said Kohryu. "But that doesn't make me immune to the trappings of age, Star Amethyst."

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose with my hoof. "Could you at least stop getting my name backwards?"

"I'm not," said Kohryu in a matter-of-fact tone. "Where I come from, the surname is said first when addressing another."

"Oh," I said, blushing slightly. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright," said Kohryu with a chuckle. "Trust me, my mind is still quite sharp, even if it has dulled a bit over the years."

"Um, out of curiosity, how old are you?" asked Derpy.

"Last I checked, around nine hundred years," said Kohryu.

Derpy whistled. "Wow.  That's a lotta candles to put on a cake."

Kohryu laughed. "I suppose it would be," he said. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Wait, you forgot already?" I said.

"I wasn't talking to you, Star Amethyst.  I was talking to your wall-eyed friend here," said Kohryu, pointing to Derpy.

"Oh.  I should probably introduce you," I said. "This here is Derpy Hooves, my mother.  She insisted that I came here with her."

"That explains Dodger's unflattering nickname for you," said Kohryu. "Anyway, let's get this meeting started properly before I forget again."

"Sounds like a good idea," I said. "So, why exactly did you want to see me?"

Kohryu knitted his brow and closed his eyes. "I've heard about your struggles from my hierophant and my acolytes," he said. "I must say that you're very brave.  Few would have the courage to embark on such a quest."

"Um, thanks," I said, brushing the back of my head. "But, why are you so interested?"

"The answer is simple, Star Amethyst," said Kohryu.  He then paused. "A pity I can't quite remember it."

I deadpanned. "Seriously?"

"Hang on, hang on!  It's on the tip of my tongue," said Kohryu, hemming and hawing for a moment. "Ah, yes!  Now I remember.  My interest in your quest is that you seem to be getting this false impression of me."

"Gee, I can't possibly imagine where you got that idea," I said dryly.

"You misunderstand, Star Amethyst.  I am not referring to my faculties," said Kohryu. "It's this concept that I go around 'marking' others.  Honestly, it's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.  And when you live to be nine hundred years old, you hear your fair share of ridiculous things."

"Wait, but what about Sykes Silvervest?" asked Derpy. "Mr. Dragonvest said that you marked him, and that's why you're having him do all this."

Kohryu raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, who?"

"Sykes Silvervest," Derpy repeated. "Doesn't Mr. Dragonvest talk about him all the time?"

Kohryu scratched his head. "I must confess that I have no idea what you're referring to, Hooves Derpy," he said.

"Don't you remember?" I said. "Mr. Dragonvest told us about how your acolytes came to him in a vision, and that they convinced him to force Sykes Silvervest to repent."

"Oh, that's what you mean," said Kohryu with a nod. "Yes, I remember that.  But I don't remember mentioning this Silvervest Sykes fellow specifically.  All the vision said was that one of his own kind was exploiting the misery of others and must be stopped."

"Right, and that's Sykes Silvervest."

"Is it?  Because I honestly don't remember the fellow's name," said Kohryu with a shrug. "I probably would've mentioned it if I did."

Well, that opens up a whole new door of possibilities.  Either Kohryu really did forget Sykes Silvervest, or Dodger misinterpreted the vision and decided to strike out against his former boss.  There's only one way to know for sure.

"When you said that there was a Diamond Dog exploiting the misery of others, what were you referring to?" I asked.

Kohryu hung his head and heaved a sigh. "That, Star Amethyst, is a story I won't be forgetting any time soon.  First, tell me what Dodger told you."

I blinked. "We, just went over this."

"I meant before he received the vision," said Kohryu, giving me a deadpan glare. "Come now, Star Amethyst.  My mind isn't that far gone."

"Right, sorry," I said sheepishly. "Well, he mentioned something about finding four mystical gemstones while mining one day, and he hid them from Sykes Silvervest."

Kohryu nodded. "Do you know what power those gemstones hold, Star Amethyst?" he inquired.

"Well, they channel different forms of magic when used correctly," I said.

"And what else do they do?"

"That's about all I know," I said with a shrug.

"I see," said Kohryu. "Well then, here's something you should know about them.  Mystical gemstones can also be used to absorb the element they expel.  Fire Rubies can absorb fire, for instance."

Oh, right.  Dinky mentioned something about that while we were looking up Shroud Emeralds. "That's interesting and all, but what does it have to do with anything?"

"To answer that question, I present a riddle to you, Star Amethyst," said Kohryu. "The gemstones my hierophant carries are an Iron Diamond, a piece of Frost Onyx, a Fire Ruby, and a Woodland Sapphire.  The elements my acolytes control are metal, ice, fire, and wood.  Do you think this is a coincidence?"

It didn't take me long to solve this riddle. "Wait, so you mean those mystical gemstones have absorbed your acolytes?  How is that possible?"

"Normally, it wouldn't be," said Kohryu. "But those gemstones are vastly different than the ones you're accustomed to."

"How so?"

"I wish I knew.  And it's not a case of me forgetting; I honestly don't know," said Kohryu with a sigh. "If I did, I would've countered this magic long ago, and we wouldn't be in this predicament."

"Um, sorry, Mr. Kohryu.  But I'm kinda lost," said Derpy.

"Yeah, so am I," I said. "What predicament are you talking about?  The acolytes never told us anything about that."

"It's a bit of a tale, but it's one you must hear," said Kohryu. "Please, look into my eyes and open your mind to me.  I can then show you my story without the use of words."

A little voice in my head told me that this wasn't a good idea.  However, Kohryu was actually being very straight with us (when he wasn't forgetting things), and I saw no reason to suspect him of foul play.  I nodded and looked into his glowing red eyes.  They widened for a moment and intensified.  From there, my mind was swept up in his story...


***


It all happened five moons ago (or perhaps seven; I disremember the exact date).  By this time, I was well-established amongst my fellow dragons as one of the greatest philosophers of our kind.  I spent my days advising those who needed guidance and honing my magical abilities.  My acolytes, known in my homeland as the Four Benevolent Animals, spread my message of balance and nonviolence.  Each held a fraction of my magical skill, and each showed how it could be used to aid others.  Of course, dragons have little need for ice or metal, but they were not the ones who visited me.  It was often other creatures, such as griffons, zebras, minotaurs, and the like.  The buffalo even had a tradition once where they made a sacred pilgrimage from their home in the west to mine in the east.

And five moons ago (or was it seven?  I still can't remember), I was approached by a Diamond Dog.  The fellow was seeking advice, as per usual.  He wanted me to tell him how to become the most powerful Diamond Dog in history.  I asked what he would do with this power.  He said he would rule the Diamond Dogs with an iron paw.  I told him that such selfish ambitions would ruin him, and that he should rethink his outlook on life.

This was not what he wanted to hear.  He tossed back his cloak, revealing several mystical gems.  He said that if I wouldn't give him the key to what he desired, I would become the key.  Then, without provocation, he laid a curse on me.  I tried to counter it, but my magic had waned over the years, and plus, I was caught off-guard.  My acolytes tried to assist, but their efforts were in vain.

The Diamond Dog used specially-crafted mystical gemstones to trap the Four Benevolent Animals, and then cast another incantation that bound them to me.  The curse was as follows: The acolytes follow the will of whoever wields the gemstones, and I must guide the wielder from the shadows.  From there, the next thing I remember is Dodger finding the gemstones.  How they were lost by the one who cursed us is a mystery to me.


***


At that moment, I was thrust back into reality.  I had to take a moment to let everything sink in.  And boy, there was a lot to wrap my head around.  It seems like Dodger's not the great hierophant the acolytes make him out to be.  In fact, it's very possible that he's lying through his teeth.  Not just to the teenage dragons that begrudgingly serve under him, but to Kohryu himself.  And the worst part is that because of that curse, there isn't a damn thing Kohryu can do about it.  However, that's all just speculation.  And I might be a tad biased because I'm not a big fan of Dodger Dragonvest.  But there's only one way to know for sure.

"Th-that's *sniff* that's so sad," Derpy sniveled, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Do not weep, Hooves Derpy," said Kohryu with a soft smile. "My hierophant informs me that all is going according to plan.  This curse will be lifted."

That's assuming that Dodger is being straight with Kohryu.  Still, I couldn't accuse him without some concrete evidence.  Which means I'll have to talk to Dodger himself.

"I'm afraid my time grows short, Star Amethyst," said Kohryu with a yawn. "Because of this curse, I must become ethereal for a time to conserve my strength.  Before I go, is there anything else you wish to ask me?"

"Not right now, no," I said with a bow. "Thank you very much for telling us this, Mr. Kohryu.  I think this'll be very helpful in my investigation."

"I hope it will, Star Amethyst," said Kohryu. "But be wary.  Only fools ask questions of a bowl of oatmeal."

I narrowed my eyes. "Did you just call me a fool?"

"No, a bowl of oatmeal."

The only way I could respond to that was to sputter incoherently before letting out a confused, "Huh?"

"It's an old eastern dragon proverb," said Kohryu. "However, I'm not sure if I said it correctly."

"Oh, great.  I'm gonna be up all night trying to figure that one out," Derpy groused.

I let out a sigh and shook my head.  The greatest dragon philosopher ever known, ladies and gentlemen.  He can't even remember his own proverbs.  No offense, but I'm sticking with the Zen of Dinky.

"Never it mind, Star Amethyst," said Kohryu. "I wish you the best of luck on your quest.  And, thank you for listening to my tale.  Until our paths cross again."

With that, Kohryu faded into nothingness.

"Huh.  He certainly wasn't anything like I expected him to be," said Derpy.

"Yeah, I feel that same way," I said. "Still, he gave us a lot of new information to work with, and I'm sure it's relevant to this mystery."

"Mmm," said Derpy with a nod. "So, what now?"

"Well, I hope you're happy, Momma's Girl.  Now I can't summon Kohryu for another six hours.  We were in the middle of some important stuff, y'know."

As if to answer Derpy's question, Dodger Dragonvest returned, looking more than a bit peeved.  I turned to him and smirked.

"I'm sure you were," I said. "Again, I'm sorry we barged in like we did.  But now that I'm done talking to your great master, I'd like to ask you a few questions..."