Faultlines

by FawkesThePhoney

8. Among the Living

A cold wind blew through the makeshift camp, rustling the grass that grew along the path. No birds chirped, not a single living thing moved. The area was completely, deafeningly silent.

Across the clearing, the Andalusians were setting up their tent. Noble’s bag had been cut in the fight, and the tear had sliced through a large portion of the tent, creating a cut that opened nearly an entire side to the elements. Now he sat, patiently threading through the tear with a needle that was far too small for the job. Jade was similarly working on the other side. Spec walked up to them.

“Looks like you’re going to need a bigger patch,” Spec said.

Jade grunted, leaning down and beginning to thread the needle through the cloth at the edge of the tear. The tiny thread looked comical next to the enormous gash. Spec raised her eyebrows as the hole was stitched together.

“Don’t worry about her,” Noble said. “We’re better than you’d think at repairs. The tent will be finished before you know it.”

“Well it had better,” Spec said, looking over to the edge of the clearing. A smaller, pink tent had been set up, and from the silhouettes on the cloth Spec could tell that the two sisters were inside. “That thing doesn’t look watertight at all.”

“It’s a day tent,” Noble said. “Something to keep the sun off while they rest. It’s been adapted for our purposes, but you’re right to think it will not be sufficient for the road.”

Spec stared at it for a minute longer, then turned back to Jade, still working on the tear. It barely looked any different at all. “You know,” she said, scratching the back of her neck, “we’ve got some extra blankets and canvas if you want to use them. They’re not exactly silk, but they’ll do the trick.”

“Thanks,” Noble said. “I’ll ask the ladies, but I don’t know what they’ll say. They’re not the most adept at accepting charity.”

“Well, it’s that or some seriously wet times ahead,” Spec said, looking up at the gathering storm.

“I will ask them,” Noble said. “But we’re okay for now. You can go.”

“Right,” Spec said, rocking from hoof to hoof. “Good talking to you, Noble.”

“Likewise.”

Axel was sitting outside, poking at the fire with a stick. She looked up as Spec approached. “What’s the news?”

“The robbers are long gone,” Spec said, “and there’s a stream near the camp that we can get water from. The Andalusians are trying to fix their tent, but there’s no way they’re going to finish before this storm hits.”

“I know,” Axel said. She looked over. The two of them were working away, unfazed by the size of their task. Spec suppressed a snort. “They’re going to have to ask for help,” Axel said. “I’m going to make them do that much, at least.”

A moan from within their own tent caused her to turn. Capricorn had shifted again, his eyes fluttering beneath his eyelids, sweat beading at his brow. Spec could see the dull form of Cesar crouched over him. “Any news from this front?” she asked Axel.

Axel shook her head. “Nope,” she said. “He’s the same as he was before. We can’t wake him, and he’s refusing food and water.”

“Is anything… coming out?”

Axel’s flat look made her blush. “What? I’m just asking!”

Cesar emerged from the tent, stretching like a cat. Axel looked at him. He shook his head.

“He better enjoy it,” Axel growled. “Once he gets up I’m going to roast him good for giving us a scare like this.”

Cesar said nothing. He reached over to where a small pile of wood had been stored, and placed a few pieces on the fire. He soon had the fire going again. “Don’t like the look of those clouds.”

“Yeah,” Axel said, squinting at the sky, “they’re unusual.”

Above them, the clouds had darkened to a slate grey. They were rolling over the clearing like the lid of a coffin. Spec could feel the pressure drop in her ears. “Where are all the animals?” she said.

“Hiding, if they have any sense,” Axel said. She looked over to the two guards, now trying to lift one of the poles up to string the canvas along the top. A gust of wind blew the pole down, collapsing the canvas over Jade. Noble scrambled to get her out while a steady stream of swear words came from under the canvas. Axel shook her head. “Spectrum, get the larger canvas out of the bag, and set it up. I have a feeling we’ll need the extra room.”

“If you say so, boss.” Spec stood up and walked to Cesar’s bag, removing the rolled bolt of canvas and laying it out on the ground. She tied ropes to each end and secured it to the ragged tree next to the tent. Then she pounded the stakes into the ground and pulled the tent taught.

By this time, the first few drops of rain had fallen, splashing against the dirt and leaving small craters of dust in their wake. They hissed as they hit the fire.

“This is going to be a bad one,” Cesar said. “Spec, help me move the fire.” Together, they began moving burning pieces of wood from the fire pit to a spot just beneath the canvas. Across the camp, Axel was walking back over to where the guards were working. She said something to them, but the wind had become strong enough that Spec couldn’t hear.

She walked inside the tent. The rain fell against the canvas, thumping in rhythmic pattern. She could smell ozone from outside, mixed with the smoke of the fire.

The tent flap pushed open and Cesar walked in, shaking water from his dripping mane. “Where’s Axel?” Spec said.

“She’s talking to the guards,” he said. “I don’t think she wants them to stay out in the rain.”

“That’s nice of her.”

“Yes,” Cesar said. “She’s got a good heart, but don’t let her catch you saying that.”

“She’s prickly.”

“Axel believes the best way to command respect is through distance. It’s not necessarily something I agree with, but it’s her way.” He paused, shook his head. “Your father was never so strict.”

“What do you mean?” Spec said, hear heart in her throat.

“Blitz, he was… very approachable. He always thought the best way to solve a problem was to get down on the level of the arguers and see them out. He used to say that you couldn’t read a story without looking at the words. Whenever any of the group would have conflict, he would sit us down and listen, and that applied to him too. Sometimes he wouldn’t even lead at all, he’d let me or Marlow or Axel do it instead, because he felt that our areas of expertise were more appropriate for the situation.”

“And look where that got him,” Axel said, stepping through the tent flap. Behind her was Noble, his coat clinging to his body, his mane sopping wet. He offered them all an embarrassed grin.

“Hello,” he said.

“Jade felt like she would prefer to sit outside and freeze to death,” Axel said. “This one has more sense.”

“She felt it would be appropriate for her to guard the Ladies’ tent,” Noble said.

“So they’re just letting her freeze outside?”

“She wouldn’t go into their tent either. Jade is… a very serious mare. She believes very strongly in her duties.”

“She’s a stubborn fool,” Axel said.

“You won’t hear me deny it,” Noble said. There was a silence while they all looked away from each other. He shuffled his hooves. “Thank you,” he said.

“Don’t mention it,” Axel said. “We’re on the same team here, after all. No secrets between friends and all.”

“Yes,” Noble said, sitting down. “Exactly.”

The rain outside increased from a pitter to a constant low noise, like the ocean in a shell. In the corner, Capricorn continued to twitch, but he seemed less anxious now, as if the rain was calming him. His breathing slowed to a calmer pace.

“So,” Spec said after a long pause.

“So,” Noble said.

“Yeah,” Spec said. “I don’t really know what to say. What’s your story, Noble?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. I know the others’ stories—“ here Cesar and Axel shared a look, “—but I don’t know anything about you. So how about it?”

“There’s not much to tell, I’m afraid,” Noble said, shifting in his seat. “My mother mated with an Astral from the middle range—“

“You’re mixed blood?”

“Of course. It’s why I’m a guard. All of us half-breeds are.”

“What’s that?”

“Half Andalusian, half something else,” Cesar interrupted. “Occupies a lower caste in Andalusian society.”

“Oh.”

“Yes,” Noble said. “It’s what your friend Capricorn was talking about last night.” His eyes flicked towards the form on the bed. “I don’t mind it, though. We have a good life, far better than most in this country. You can always tell a half breed by his mane. See how mine’s two-toned? You’d never see a pure breed Andalusian, like the sisters, have a two toned mane.”

“But Ivy does,” Spec said.

Noble blinked. “No,” he said, “she doesn’t.”

“Yes she does,” Spec said. “At least, I thought she did…”

“Noble’s right, Spec,” Axel said. “The sisters only have one color in their manes.”

“Huh.” Spec shook her head. “That’s weird….”

Noble coughed. “Anyway,” he said, “not to bore you with the details, but my mother was Lord Sterling’s sister. So I serve house Sterling. If I was born into another noble house, such as Sanguine or Ferrus, then I would serve them.”

“So you’re related to Amber?”

“Only by blood.”

Spec shook her head again. Cesar chuckled. “Don’t worry about it too much, Spectrum,” he said. “Andalusian customs can be difficult to understand even if you’ve known them for a long time.”

“You sound like you speak from experience,” Noble said.

Cesar shook his head. “Nothing like that. I’ve just been around the block.”

They were quiet for a time. Rain beat against the tent. Lightning flashed outside, and a low roll of thunder sounded soon after. Cesar’s smile faded. “Shouldn’t storm like this so far south,” he said.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “This is unusual.”

As if to punctuate her disbelief, a loud boom echoed above them, rattling Spec’s teeth in her head. Capricorn jerked to the side and moaned. They turned to look at him, but he was still again.

“Anyway,” Noble said, shifting his weight. He sat down and looked at the fire. “That’s me. Not a lot else to tell. I was put into guard training when I was seven, and I haven’t looked back.”

“Jade too?”

Noble nodded. “We’re not that interesting. I’m pretty sure she’s the child of a lesser family member. I hadn’t really met her until this trip. We were on different details.”

“Seems odd,” Axel said, “wouldn’t Sterling want a stronger team, one that worked better together?”

“Lord Sterling didn’t pick us,” Noble said. “Ivy did.”

“The girl?” Now Axel looked genuinely confused. Spec felt a shiver run down her back.

“Yes,” Noble said. “I don’t know why. She just said we were important.”

“Why does a little filly get to make a decision like that?”

Noble shrugged. “You’re asking the wrong guard.” Spec frowned. There was something else in his voice, an uneasiness she hadn't noticed before. Axel noticed it too. She smiled.

“You’re not used to lying, are you, Mr. Shield?”

“What?” Noble looked like he was trying not to spook. “I don’t know what you’re—“

At that moment, the loudest boom of thunder yet heard reverberated through the tent, making them all jump. The flap of the tent opened, and in walked three very wet ponies. Jade led the way, her mane falling into her eyes and a frown so big Spec thought it would fall off her face. Behind her were the two sisters, scarcely looking better. Amber’s mane was in total disarray, and something told Spec that the Andalusian was far more bothered by this than she cared to admit.

But Ivy was the most startling. The filly was a wreck. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, and she crouched beneath Amber, shuddering like a leaf in the wind. Spec could almost hear her teeth chatter.

“Goodness!” Amber said, looking around at the gathering ponies. “I hope you don’t mind us dropping in; the wind blew our makeshift tent over and the storm is simply too powerful to sit outside at the moment.”

“It’s no problem,” Axel said. “We’d have offered you from the beginning, you know.”

“Yes, well, thank you,” Amber said. The thunder rumbled again and Ivy suppressed a whimper, clutching more tightly to Amber’s leg. Amber put a hoof on her head. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “We’re going to be okay.” Seeing the assembled looks, she offered them an apologetic smile. “She’s afraid of thunderstorms.”

“I’m sorry to hear it,” Axel said.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. The two sisters sat down next to the fire, and Jade followed suit, wringing out her mane to get the worst of the water out. Noble stood and took his place next to her. The three caravaneers sat on the other side, looking at the Andalusians. The Andalusians looked back.

Capricorn moaned again. Ivy’s eyes flicked to where he was sitting. Amber cleared her throat. “Is he… any better?”

“No.” Axel’s voice was flat and hard. “He’s not.”

Amber licked her lips. “I’m very sorry to hear that.”

“Are you?” Axel snorted. “Well, that’s great to hear. Since we’re all cooped up in here with nowhere to go, you’ve got some explaining to do. Nowhere in the deal did it ever specify that you were hauling magical artifacts.”

“Well, you see, it’s rather secret—“

“And my bard is rather unconscious. Don't bullshit me.”

“I’m sorry,” Amber said. “We should have told you from the beginning.”

“Yeah you should have.” Axel sighed. “It’s not a big deal,” she said. “So long as he wakes up.”

“He will!” Amber said. “Soon, I promise.” Axel’s gaze was unwavering.

“What is it?” Axel said.

“It’s… and heirloom,” Amber said. “From the lands where my family is from. We don’t know much about it, truth be told. Where exactly it came from is a mystery to us as well.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that,” Axel said.

“Really,” Amber said, “I don’t know much. Only that the box is as old as it is and the only thing that can contain its power.”

“What did it do to Capricorn?”

“Put him to sleep, temporarily,” Amber said. “Once, when I was a filly, someone tried to steal it from the Sterling family vault. We found him the next day, box opened on the ground, twitching and under some kind of spell. It was like he was trapped in a nightmare.”

The thunder boomed outside. Amber glanced at Capricorn again.

“Did he wake up?” Axel asked. “The thief.”

“Yes,” Amber said. There was something in her voice that suggested to Spec that there was more to the tale, but Axel didn’t push.

“Listen to me, Miss Sterling,” she said. “The success of this trip depends on the survival of my bard. If he dies, consider this trip over. If there are any more ancient relics of great power in your possession that you haven’t told me about, consider this trip over. And if you’ve lied to me about what you know about this thing…”

“We get it,” Jade said. “You’ll consider the trip over.”

Axel looked at her. “You’re picking a bad time to get a mouth on you,” she said.

Jade didn’t say anything.

“Okay,” Axel said, looking away from her. “Good. Now, how about we get some food passed out. Cesar, were you able to get—“

There was a great crack, and the light from the outside briefly became bright as day. Spec could see the outlines of the trees on the canvas. Capricorn shot straight up in bed and screamed.

“Hold him!” Axel shouted, and then the tent was a flurry of movement. Spec and Cesar jumped on his arms, Axel and Noble on his legs. Jade stood back, hovering over the sisters, watching with guarded eyes.

Capricorn sputtered and gurgled, his tongue hanging out, flecks of spit and drool flying out of his mouth and landing on Spec. She gritted her teeth and held on as his eyes rolled back in his head and his back arched so high she thought it would snap. Strange sounds were coming from his mouth, something between a gargle and a hiss.

“What’s going on?” Axel shouted. Capricorn bucked and she flew off, but barely touched the ground as she bounded back and threw her weight back onto his leg. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know!” Noble shouted as Capricorn pushed him back and forth. The Sagittarian clocked him across the face. “Gah—what do they feed these ponies?”

“Amber?” Axel said, “Start talking!” Capricorn opened his mouth and bit down hard on her hoof. She screamed in pain and punched him across the face. He continued thrashing as if nothing had happened.

“I… I—“ Amber sputtered. Ivy clung to her leg, watching Capricorn thrash with wide eyes.

For a moment, Spec thought she was seeing double. She could see Capricorn, see his chest heaving, his coat slick with sweat, and his wild, roving eyes, but there was something else there too. She could see it in the shadows between his fur and skin, something dark, that crawled and slithered across his coat like oil. It was faint, so faint it might not have been there at all, but the sight of it made her ill.

Then the thunder struck again and Capricorn threw them all off. Spec was sent flying into the wall of the tent and crashed through it, skidding through the icy slush and landing in a heap.

The world was silent around her. She tried to stand, but the lightning flashed again and this time she could not see from which direction it came. White trees flashed against her eyes. She fell back, splashing in the mud. Capricorn screamed. Something was pressing against her, something terrible and ancient and evil, and for a second she saw two eyes staring out at her from nowhere.

Then the eyes were gone, and she was sitting in the mud, rain pouring down on her head. She sat up, and looked to where the tent was still standing. There was a new hole in it, and through it she could see that Capricorn was limp again, ragged breaths coming through his nose. Axel stood over him, face clenched in concentration.

“He needs help,” she said as Spec re-entered the tent. “We can’t do anything for him here.”

“There isn’t a doctor for a week in any direction,” Cesar said.

“I’m not talking about a doctor,” Axel said. “Whatever this is, it’s beyond medicine.”

Amber looked at the ground. Axel fixed her with an icy glare before continuing. “There is an Ahkal-Teke clan that is only a day’s march away. They will be there, this time of year. They can help him.”

“You think that a bunch of tribal ponies are going to know what this is?” Cesar said.

“No,” Axel said, “but she agrees with me.” She tilted her head towards Amber, who licked her lips. “She won’t say a word but she knows that much. This thing is older than Blue medicine, they won’t have experienced it. And if he stays under much longer…”

Amber cleared her throat. “It is… a possibility,” she said.

Spec felt hot anger bubble from within her. “A possibility!” she shouted. “You should have told us about this sooner! What the hay is wrong with you? I thought—“ she choked. What was she thinking? They had never been friends.

Amber didn’t look at her. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It was of vital importance that the nature of what we were carrying be kept secret.”

“Well, your secrets may have cost us a life,” Axel said.

“They would cost far more if word got out,” Amber said.

Axel shook her head. “We need to leave,” she said. “There’s no point just standing around and arguing about this. Cesar, you’re going to have to carry Capricorn.

Cesar nodded. “I can help,” Noble said.

“Right now, I wouldn’t trust you Andalusians as far as I could throw you,” Axel said. Noble winced. “We’re leaving in just a few minutes. Pack up as much as you can.

“In the rain?” Spec said.

“Yes,” Axel said. “No telling when it’s going to stop.”

The next ten minutes were spent packing the camp up in silence. Capricorn was laid out on a stretcher and bound down so that his flailing wouldn’t cause him or Cesar any harm. The rain continued to beat down again. Distant thunder boomed across the taiga.

Spec shouldered her pack and took point, but Axel joined her, directing her off the path and down a much less well-known trail. In just minutes they had left the road behind entirely. Spec didn’t know how Axel was navigating; there were no landmarks but the boulders and the slope of the land. They walked in near silence. The Andalusians kept to the back, occasionally muttering something to each other. They seemed to know better than to argue.

Axel called a stop four hours later. The crew munched on some wet bread. The rain was everywhere, seeping into the deepest parts of Spec’s clothes, soaking her coat through. She felt as if she would never be dry again.

“How is he?” Axel asked Cesar as they stopped.

“The same, more or less,” Cesar replied. “He’s saying something, but I don’t know what it is. I can’t make it out.”

“But he hasn’t talked to you or woken up?”

“Not at all.”

Axel shook her head. “Hang on, Capricorn,” she said.

They resumed their march at once, trudging down the rocky plain towards a sloping middle ground. Spec gave up all hope of determining where they were. Everything looked the same; the rocks, the few scraggled trees, the grey sky and rain. She walked in a sort of daze, looking forward or down, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

Three hours later, Capricorn began to shout again. The thunder rose. He squirmed against his bonds and bit his tongue so hard it bled, the red liquid leaking down his muzzle. Axel bound his mouth shut with a piece of rope, and after that only groans and whimpers came from him. They continued in silence.

Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time. Axel stopped so suddenly that Spec ran into her. “What they hay—“ she said, but she froze. Axel was looking up to the top of the next hill, where the form of a pony was illuminated by the distant lightning. It looked down at them, but Spec could not see who or what it was.

“We seek the council of Mother Malus!” Axel shouted towards the form. Her words were instantly snatched up by the wind. “We have a sick crewmember and we think he is poisoned by something beyond us! We seek passage! We come in peace!”

The lightning sounded again and the figure was gone. “Now what?” Spec said.

“Now we wait,” Axel said. “We can go no further unless they wish us to. Otherwise we invite disaster.”

They did not have to wait long. It was scarcely fifteen minutes later before a shout from Axel announced the arrival of three ponies. They looked like nothing Spec had ever seen. Their clothes were coarsely woven and inlaid with feathers and claws. Their manes were dyed in extravagant patterns of grey and black. They approached, faces set, and Spec could not help but feel cowed.

Axel stepped forward and said something in a language Spec could not understand. When she finished, there was silence. The rain beat down on them. Spec’s hooves slowly sunk into the mud. She felt tense, like the new ponies were about to attack.

With a cry of delight, the pony in the front reared up and threw her front legs around Axel in a full embrace. The surprised caravaneer staggered back, but her expression quickly settled into one of resignation. She patted the other pony on the back. Spec looked towards Cesar, who shrugged.

The pony pulled back, hoof still on Axel’s shoulder, her smile a mile wide. She said something back to Axel, who responded in kind. The two began to talk in earnest now. Cesar’s face was screwed up in confusion now; he was trying to figure out the conversation. Then his eyes widened and he lapsed into a coughing fit. Axel glared at him.

The pony’s eyes turned towards Cesar, and then to Capricorn, who was muttering something in his sleep. The cheer in her eyes faded at once, and she walked over to Cesar and poked at Capricorn. The bard gave a moan. The pony turned back towards Axel and said something else. Axel shot back. She sounded annoyed. Spec scratched her head. There was something… familiar… about how they were talking.

“What are they saying?” she asked Cesar. He coughed.

“The pony’s name is Rokus, I think. She’s annoyed at Axel for bringing a… ‘cursed?’… I don’t know the proper word… pony into Ahkal land.”

“She’s talking about Capricorn?”

“Yeah. There’s more too. Um.” Cesar shifted. “Axel, how come you didn’t tell us?”

“Tell us what?” Spec said.

“It wasn’t ever important,” Axel said.

“Sounds pretty important to me!” Cesar said.

“What’s important?” Spec said.

“We don’t have time for this,” Axel said. Rokus was looking at her bemusedly. “Rokus says that we can bring Capricorn in, but she’s wary of him. He’s got to go straight to the leader to get exorcised.”

“You mean there’s like a demon inside of him?” Spec said.

“Rokus seems to think so,” Axel said. “It’s an old story in their mythology.”

“You mean your mythology,” Cesar said.

“Cesar…” Axel said, a note of danger in her voice.

“Rokus here is Axel’s sister,” Cesar said.

“What?”

“Dammit, Cesar.”

“I thought you were a city Ahkal,” Spec said. “That’s what my dad always said.”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone said,” Cesar said. “And apparently it’s not true.”

“Capricorn is dying!” Axel shouted. “There isn’t time for this.”

Cesar narrowed his eyes. “You’re right,” he said. “But don’t think you’re getting out of this one so easily. We’re having a long, involved talk about this as soon as Capricorn wakes up.”

“Well, I can’t stop you from trying,” Axel said. “Come on.”

“No you can’t,” Cesar said. “And I’m right behind you.”

Throughout this entire conversation the Andalusians had held back, keeping to themselves, perhaps wondering how they would be taken by these strangely dressed ponies. Rokus solved that at once, walking up to Amber and looking her in the eye. Amber didn’t back down, her ears pressed back. Jade made to step forward, but Noble held her back.

Rokus stared at her for a long moment before, apparently satisfied, she turned around and marched back to the front of the group, talking with Axel as they began to move again.

The three new ponies led the group through a maze of boulders and up another hill. As they approached, Spec could see tents emerge from the mist, far larger than anything the caravan had ever set up. Ponies milled about them, their manes dyed in the same patterns, dressed in similar clothes. She had never been to an Ahkal camp before.

When they reached the outskirts of the camp, Rokus called for a stop. She talked to Axel, who turned and addressed the rest of them. “Rokus says that Capricorn can go no further. She’s not willing to accept him into the camp in his current state. Instead, they will work on him here. Me, Amber, and Spec are going to go into camp to meet with Mother Malus, the matriarch.

“Why us?” Spec said.

“Amber because she’s the leader of the Andalusians and technically a foreign dignitary. Me because I’m in charge. You because… this is sort of hard to explain… Mother Malus has been looking for a mare with your mane style for almost a year now.”

“What?”

“You’re not going to be harmed,” Axel said. “That I promise. If she finds out I hid you she’ll be pretty pissed. Malus is intimidating, but she’s not dangerous to us. She’s… how to say this… very old and sometimes gets visions. Apparently one of them involves you.”

“We will protect you, Spectrum,” Amber said. Spec rolled her eyes.

“I don’t feel comfortable allowing Lady Ambrosia to enter this caravan unprotected,” Jade said.

“We saved Ivy from the robbers didn’t we?” Axel said. “You two didn’t do anything about that. You’re going to have to learn that you can trust us one of these days.”

“I will be fine,” Amber said. “Watch Ivy for me. We will be back before you know it.”

Jade grunted, but said nothing. Noble nodded his head.

“Come on,” Axel said, leading the two ponies forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Did you know Malus when you lived here?” Spec said as the four of them began to walk.

“Of course I did,” Axel said. “She’s my great-grandmother.”

“Oh.”

“Ahkal-Teke live in family tribes,” Amber said. “The oldest mare is in charge of the tribe. This Malus must be pretty old if the tribe has gotten this big under her care.”

“She is,” Axel said. “She’s one of the oldest and most respected clan mothers on the plains. Which is why you two need to show your utmost respect to her when we arrive.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Spec said.

“I hope that’ll be good enough,” Axel said.

Rokus led them to the largest tent, perched in the center of the camp. It was made of the same woven fibers as the rest of the tents, but dye and inlay set it apart and signified special importance. The opening flaps had been drawn back, and a fire blazed within. Try as she could, Spec could not see more than a glimmer of the forms that sat within. Rokus stepped forward and called out something in the Ahkal language. Axel stood, straight as a board. A moment later, something inside the tent shifted, and a pony emerged.

She was old, older than nearly any pony Spec had ever seen. Her green coat hung in folds around her face and neck, thin enough in some places that her skin showed through. She was slightly unsteady on her hooves; her enlarged knees wobbled. But her eyes were clear and sharp as any Spec had seen, and she looked at the visiting ponies with something akin to merriment.

“Well, well, well,” she said, shaking her head. “Askel Rokus, back from the dead. You’ve given your family quite the scare, you know.”

“Mother Malus, I apologize for my transgressions,” Axel said, dipping her head. Her back was stiff. “I present myself to you and seek your forgiveness.”

“Bah, I don’t need it, child,” Malus said, waving a hoof. “You are always welcome to come and go as you please.”

Axel blinked. “That’s… wonderful to hear, Mother.”

“Don’t pretend not to be surprised, I can see it all over your face,” Malus said. “Things have changed around here since you ran off, as your sister might have told you.”

“She… told me that you’ve begun having visions again,” Axel said.

“She probably told you that I’d gone crazy,” Malus said, “that I’ve begun ‘speaking in tongues’ and calling myself by other names.”

“I…”

“She’s right, you know, but don’t let that get in the way. Oh, it’s so good to see you.” Stepping forward, Malus wrapped Axel in a warm hug. Spec stared. Her boss looked more uncomfortable at the gesture than she’d ever seen her before. Malus pulled back and appraised her. “You were right, you know,” she said. “This place can be stifling. I didn’t understand you back then, and I still don’t, but I’ve recalled some experiences from my youth that reminded me of what exactly it was that drove you away. And for that, I am truly sorry.”

Axel swallowed. “I… I see.”

Spec fidgeted; she wasn’t sure if she ought to be there for this moment. Malus caught the movement and turned towards her. “Don’t think for one second I’ve forgotten about you, Rainbow Dash,” she said, a curious accent creeping into her voice. “You and your friends are mighty hard mares to track down.”

“I… I’m sorry?” Spec said. The moment she started speaking, Malus’ smile grew even wider. “I think you might have me mistaken for somepony else.”

“No, I reckon not, actually,” Malus said, walking past Axel and towards her and Amber. “And I can’t hardly believe my luck, either. Near ten years of searching for the elements of harmony. Ten years of chasing ghosts, of wondering if y’all’d even come back at all, and yet here you are, not one, but two, of the Bearers right here, in my camp! Well, I suppose fate, or Celestia, well, she’s going to work in mysterious ways.”

“I—who?”

Malus walked right up to Spec and looked her in the eye. Spec tried not to drop her gaze. “You’re going to have a lot of work cut out for you, you know,” she said, a small smile on her face. “This world is about as far from friendship as can be. It’s been a long, long, long time.”

Spec glanced at Axel, who looked perplexed, and over to Amber, who seemed just as confused. She shook her head.

“If you please, Mother Malus,” Amber said. “I’m afraid we are not following.”

“Then we’re on the same page,” Malus said, stepping away from Spec and towards Amber. “The lovely Rarity herself. I figured you must have come back an Andalusian; the fur patterns wouldn’t allow much else, but the heir of the Sterling line? Well that’s quite the shocker. But I reckon I was just being foolish. You always did act like royalty.”

“Mother—“ Axel said, and Malus turned back towards her.

“Don’t mind me, Axel!” she called. Axel’s face scrunched even further in confusion. “I’m just getting reacquainted with old friends. These two used to run with my granddaughter, you know.”

“Your granddaughter? I thought Axel was your great-granddaughter.”

“She is, Rainbow,” Malus said. “I’m talking about somepony else.”

“That’s not my name,” Spec said.

“Mother,” Axel said, “what language are you speaking? I can’t—I can’t understand you.”

“What are you talking about, Axel?” Spec said. “She’s speaking Ridgetongue.” Axel looked at her blankly. “Ridgetongue? The language we all speak? Amber, what’s going on?”

Amber shrugged. “I’d wondered how an Ahkal matriarch spoke the language of the Andalusians so well, myself.”

“What?” Spec said.

“We ain’t speaking neither,” Malus said. “Listen to y’alls selves for a moment.”

“What they hay are you talking about? I am… listening?” Spec froze. She opened her mouth. “I—“ She clasped it shut again. Malus was watching her, excitement lighting up her face. “What’s—“ The words were different, but she understood them. “What’s going on?”

“You’re speaking Equestrian. It’s been a while, but always good to stretch the mother tongue,” Malus said. “We can switch back now. Just a little test of mine.”

“I…” Spec concentrated, and with some effort was able to speak in words she understood again. “That was weird.” Next to her, Amber seemed to be feeling the same; the Andalusian’s face was scrunched up as if she was thinking very hard.

Malus smiled at them. “Call me Granny Smith, girls,” she said. “What brings you to my home?”

If Axel found the sudden switch back to Ridgetongue confusing, she didn’t let it show. “One of our caravaneers is very sick, Mother,” she said. “He was… attacked, I think, by an artifact that we know very little about and are not prepared to handle.”

“Magic?” Malus said, her content expression fading.

Amber cleared her throat. “Yes,” she said, “of a certain kind. But I have to stress that neither I nor my sister knew what the thing was capable of.”

“They’re hauling something very dangerous,” Axel said. “We were attacked by highwaymen on the road a ways from here and it was taken out as part of the robbery process. It came out and they ran.”

“Describe how it made you feel,” Malus said. She began to walk out of the camp; wordlessly, the other ponies followed suit.

“Cold,” Axel said.

“You’re going to have to do better than that,” Malus said. Axel frowned.

“It felt like it went inside of me and touched me,” Amber said, “but that didn’t feel bad. It felt… resonant, I think, with something already there. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

Spec realized that was enough of a description when Malus tensed, moving faster. “The shadows,” she said, an urgency now clear in her voice. “Did it control the shadows?”

“How did you know?” Spec said.

But now Malus was running, as fast as her old legs would carry her, muttering something under her breath that Spec could not hear. They passed the last set of tents and returned to where the caravan was waiting. A small crowd of Ahkal-Teke ponies had gathered as well. Cesar had put Capricorn on the ground and there he lay, thrashing and muttering to himself, eyeballs twitching beneath closed eyelids.

“Oh, Celestia,” Malus murmured when she saw him. “Out of the way!”

She pushed through the waiting ponies. The Ahkal melted behind her and Spec had to push through, until she found herself kneeling next to Capricorn. Malus had his head cradled in her hooves. “Where is the one who did this!” she shouted at the ponies. “Bring them forward!”

“Granny Smith!” a voice shouted, and suddenly Ivy was there, her face alight with joy. She hugged the back of Malus, who smiled at her. “Hello, Sweetie Belle, I’m afraid now is not the time.”

“But I can help!” Ivy said, rummaging around in her coat. She pulled out the chain with the box at the end—

“NO!” Malus shouted, and for a moment Spec thought she would knock the box out of the filly’s hands. “My word, Sweetie Belle, you’ve been busy! Where on earth did you get a thing like that?”

“It’s an heirloom in my new family,” Ivy said, the words tumbling out of her faster than she could form them. “It’s from the twilight lands. They’ve used it to keep power. They don’t know what it is. When I recognized it—“

“You had to take it away,” Malus said. “Oh, my dear little filly. What have you gotten yourself into?”

“What the hell is going on,” Axel said, and with a jolt Spec realized Ivy and Malus were speaking in the other language again. “Sterling, you’d better have a good explanation for this.”

“I’m afraid I’m as lost as you are, Axel,” Amber said.

“You can save him, right Granny?” Ivy said, looking at Capricorn. “He’s going to be okay?”

“Well…” Malus said. She put her hear onto his chest. “How much do you remember from Equestria, Sweetie Belle?”

“Some, not all,” Ivy said.

“Enough to recognize the symptoms of shadow poisoning, though,” Malus said. Ivy nodded. “Well he’s in luck. We’ve got two bearers here, but this is a bad case. Something inside him is resonant with the corruption. It’s not about to leave easy.”

Capricorn muttered and turned his head again.

“His form ain’t changed though. There’s hope,” Malus said. “You two!” she shouted, pointing to Spec and Amber. They froze. “Come over here now. Your friend don’t have much time.”

Hesitantly, Spec and Amber walked forward. “Put your hooves on his chest, like this,” Malus said. The two complied. “Now, y’all are still pretty under, I reckon, so this might not work.”

“Under what?” Spec said.

“Don’t talk over your elders. What I need you to do is close your eyes and imagine a strong memory you have with Capricorn, something positive. Something good he did for you, particularly if he was loyal, or generous. Those’ll be the two that will resonate the most here.”

“But I don’t know Mr. Aster very well—“ Amber began.

“You’ve been on the road with him for a while,” Malus said. “And like I said it don’t have to be big. He doesn’t have to had saved your life.”

Spec closed her eyes and tried to think. Capricorn, Capricorn. An image of him poking at the fire, or playing the lute and singing rose to mind. She smiled.

“Good,” Malus said. “That’s good. Push a little deeper, if you can.”

Spec kept thinking. Unbidden, the memories were coming fast now. She thought of the four of them drinking at the tavern before the trip began, tossing theories about the Andalusians and reminiscing about the good old days. And then the times before were in her mind, walking down a sunlit path, her father at her side, Capricorn, then much younger, leading the way. She thought about ponies she hadn’t seen or heard of in years, of Marlowe and Abel and Inlay. And she thought of her father, of his laugh that filled a campsite, of his reckless devotion to his team, of his love of life and every single pony he came across…

Then the memory played like a movie in her mind. Sitting at the fire, listening to Capricorn play, Cesar cooking, her father and Axel planning the next leg of the trip. The deep, gentle snores of Inlay came from the tent, coupled with the sounds of wooden sparring sticks as Abel and Marlowe dueled across the clearing….

Her gut twisted, and suddenly a warmth was filling her from her toes upward, pleasant and exhilarating. Her heart beat faster. Something was coming… she could feel it approaching, right on the edges of her senses, roaring like a wind and crashing over the gathered ponies. Then the ground dropped out beneath her and she was falling down at a great speed, glued to Capricorn, Amber across from her. Mother Malus, Axel, the gathered ponies all faded away into the darkness. Something howled at her ears.

In front of her rose a wave of fire, consuming a city she had never seen before. It crumbled to ashes, only for another city to rise in its place. The fire roared and destroyed it, and again another rose to fall, and again and again and again. And now a city she recognized rose up, Hub City, its brickwork and clock towers gleaming in the fading sun. But the fire rose again, and soon the streets were ash and char rained from the sky. And in that moment, she thought she saw something, a pair of eyes made from green fire, glaring out at her with unspeakable hate.

Then the force finished and she fell back, dazed. The ponies were back. The camp was back. She lay on the ground, the tough scrub grass digging into her back, staring at the sky. There was a rustle of movement. She sat up. Capricorn was sitting on the ground, blinking like an owl at the gathered ponies.

“Capricorn,” Axel barked, “sound off!”

Capricorn turned towards her. For a moment, his face remained blank. “…Axel?” he said, voice hoarse.

“You’re back,” Axel said.

Then Capricorn lunged for her, wrapping her in a bear hug while great sobs shook his body. Axel patted his back, saying nothing. The pair rocked back and forth.

Mother Malus sat back with a sigh. “Thank Celestia,” she said.

Spec turned towards Amber. She didn’t need to say anything to know that Amber had seen the same vision she had. Spec shook her head and shrugged. Amber frowned.

Then Malus was in her face again, holding out a hoof. She stood, unsteady on her feet. “That was some fine friendship magic for somepony so out of practice,” she said.

Spec was about to ask, but closed her mouth. “You just don’t give straight answers, do you?” she said.

“I like to keep ponies on their toes,” Malus said.

Amber stood as well, rubbing her back. “This grass is most uncomfortable,” she said. “And I should like to know what on earth has just happened.”

“You saved him,” Malus said, tilting her head towards Capricorn. “He didn’t have much time life, I fear.”

“Saved him from what?” Spec said.

Malus smiled. “That’s something I’d be happy to explain to you,” she said. “But not before I feed you all. Come on! You can’t have eaten much with a trek like that.”

Spec’s stomach rumbled. Malus winked. “Told you so,” she said. “Rokus!” the pony materialized by her side. “Inform Gastar that we’ll be having a feast tonight. Some very old friends of mine are here, and I’m not going to let them leave before they’ve seen the hospitality of the Malus Clan. Come on!”

Rokus nodded and dashed through the crowd. Malus grunted in satisfaction and turned away. Spec did the same, but she noticed the old mare’s eyes fall on Capricorn, still crying, clutching Axel so hard it must have been painful. For a moment, the cheer in Malus’s eyes faded, and Spec saw something very old and very tired there.

“Rest well, traveler,” she said, and then the moment passed and she was cheerful once more.

Comments

[Tim the Planes-pony]

More memory recalls, and some answers (albeit covered in flowery rhetoric). Still more questions though, glad to see you working on this again.

[Man without a plan]

He shook his head. “That’s a one-in-a-million level of skill.” He

There seems to be either an unfinished sentence or additional he there.

Also, dayum this chapter had a looot of things and lot of new questions. With every single chapter you seem to add something new that manages to shake up the stage heavily, and I must say I like it.

[RoboRed]

More recollections and stories from the past. How delightful.

[Vic Fontaine]

Keeps drawing me in! Good work!

[FrozenTear7]

Despite getting lost a bit with the characters identity I must say this might be one of the most interesting stories I've read. The "real stuff" is yet to come and I can't wait! I really like you writing style and hope to see new chapters soon. My first time to read an unfinished story but after seeing this on EQD decided to give it a shot.
People already said that it's hard to make out who is who but everything besides that is really awesome and I feel gripped. Love the way you show the scenes and build up everything and how the two plots move on.

Good luck with your writing and keep up the amazing job!

[LurkyMcLurkerson]

I swear the last time I read this chapter there was a bit where Granny Smith was telling Rarity and Rainbow to try and get Jade to sing sometime, identifying her as Coloratura. I want to say she recognized Noble as Shining Armor too.

Am I nuts or has this been edited?

[Norad2]

You're building a solid story, here.

[ferret]

“It’s… and heirloom,”

“He didn’t have much time life, I fear.”