//------------------------------// // Act 1 : Scene 4 : Truth of the Strong // Story: Twilight of Iron : Act 1 // by BackroundVoice //------------------------------// That night ended with the burying of the dead, both friend and foe, and then began again with the celebration of the Ronin's victory. Twilight's victory. The rebuilding of the town would begin in the morning, but for the time, honors were to be paid to the dead and to those still living. Twilight sat away from the large bonfire built in the town square, resigning to simply watch as the townsponies did ceremonial dances to music, eating good food and enjoying a peaceful night for once. Twilight smiled. Recalling that these ponies could act as such thanks to her effort. But she did wonder, was it the Yoso no Chowa that granted her the fortune to defeat such odds? Or was it merely confidence that came with wielding all six blades? Giving rise to her already unmatched skill with the blade? Perhaps both, She thought. Thinking back to the legend of these very swords. That only the holy and just were allowed to wield them. She recalled it exactly as the fairy tale once said. Only, she was a filly when she did read it. The fantastical epic of the battles won alone by the swords in the hooves of the Empress Amaterasu. And to know that she were worthy to do the same gave her confidence and joy. "Good evening!" called a stallion. It was the white stallion from earlier. Accompanied by his wife who clung to his right hoof so tightly. She recalled that their names were Intricate Seams and Fleur De Lis. Intricate was obviously Equestrian, while his other half was just as well a foreigner by comparison. They reminded Twilight of another couple that smiled so happy, but to remember their faces would cast away the smile she had just gotten back. "I am well, how are you fairing?" Twilight asked in kind. "Well, very well," the mare answered for them both as they sat with her. "Thank you again for saving us." Twilight nodded in acknowledgement, but said nothing more on the subject. For a moment, Twilight sat in silence with them, waiting for either them to start conversation or leave. But Twilight found herself glancing at them, the bruises on their faces made Twilight's smile fade. Long ago, she would have asked herself if she could have prevented such pain if she were here sooner. But a voice from within said otherwise. Pointless thoughts make us falter, Twilight. The voice she heard say that was calm and mature. Causing her to cling to her damaged straw hat. She flipped the hat over, and ran her hoof over the red and yellow fabric inside it. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Intricate said suddenly. And Twilight neither nodded nor gestured otherwise, but turned to listen. "How did you learn to fight like that?" Intricate asked. To which Twilight paused for a moment too long, looking to the bonfire ahead of them. "I... Understand if you would rather not speak of it." Intricate polity said before bowing his head, Twilight shook her head. "It is no problem at all," Twilight stated. "It is just a matter of remembering how I did." The two townsponies remained quiet as Twilight thought, recalling the days she spent training with her master and fellow student. "I was taught along with one other, what it meant to take a life by the sword. And that if we were to do so, we should also accept that our fate would ultimately end by the sword. That was the first lesson my teacher taught me." The two listening were stunned quiet by that. They had heard of how the samurai were learned in the way of the five rings, but never thought of duty as a samurai to be a life bound to death. "It was somehow easy for me to learn how to kill, as well as to give up any hope of feeling." Twilight said as she turned to them. "I envy the lives you live, yet you ponies who go on without fighting is one of the very reasons I fight." A smile was shared between all three of them, but then Twilight noticed someone missing. "Where is Starlight Glimmer?" "I haven't seen for some time," Fleur stated. "She could still be out fetching firewood like the rest," Intricate said. "I'll go-" "No," Twilight interrupted. "I will find the little one, enjoy yourselves." She said this as she stood, keeping Intricate seated with Fleur, all while moving north, toward the Everfree. As Twilight left the celebration, she saw less and less ponies as she returned her hat to her head, and with magic, fastened her swords to her back. It was practically black at the edges of the town. This was where most of the damage had been done, and yet Twilight found her way well enough to Starlight's home, where a fire burned all on its own behind it. Twilight walked through the house with caution. And when she saw the missing bodies of the samurai she killed, Twilight grew more weary as she pressed forward. The idea of living corpses sprung to the forefront of her mind, and so drew a single sword, Yujo, ready to strike. She then continued to follow the light until she came to the back of the house. Where a long row of logs had been placed and set ablaze. The stench of burnt flesh made Twilight cover her mouth as she looked closer at the fire and saw a pony in there, crumbling to the heat and flame. Beside it were different pieces of samurai armor, five sets in total had been laid on the ground, and organized in rows of separate pieces. And just beside that, opposite to the fire, three graves had been dug with posts placed to mark them, and reefs of flowers made for the dead. Wood creaked behind her, and so she turned with her sword ready, but lowered it as she saw Starlight, returning with wood on her back. She was at first surprised to see Twilight here, but her expression grew sour as her eyes moved to the Yoso no Chowa. "Some were worried about you," Twilight told her. And Starlight moved along to add to the fire of the samurai. She didn't hear Twilight ask as to why she bothered to burn them, but the silence between them forced an answer out of her. "When I returned," Starlight started. "I felt sorry for these samurai were being overlooked with the others buried, but I did not want them to rest beside my family." Twilight listened silently. Starlight's back was to Twilight, trying to pretend that she wasn't there. But she remained, and they both watched and waited as the fire faded, leaving only embers for light. Starlight began to cry as she looked to her family, and glancing back to Twilight, felt ashamed that she still wept even after all this time. "Will you stay?" Twilight asked of Starlight. Who shrugged before turning to the armor and weapons beside her, thinking now of the Yoso no Chowa on Twilight's back. "Are any of your weapon's dull?" Starlight asked instead. Twilight drew Yujo again, and plucked a single blade of grass to test. And without any pressure, the grass split in two, the answer to Starlight's question. "I want to stay, if nothing more but for the ponies of this town, but..." She looked to the ashes of the samurai, and then to her family. "I don't know if I can... What will you do?" She asked in return. But Twilight did not answer. "Well..." Starlight started, disappointed. "Wherever you go, I'm sure that the Yoso no Chowa will protect you. They only harm those who are evil, after all. And I'm glad that they're in your hooves. I can trust you with them." Starlight finished, offering a weak smile, then bowed to Twilight before going back through the house to return to town. Twilight however, stayed behind, and watched Starlight until she left before turning to Yujo. She spun the glass like sword in the air and held it up to the moonlight. She then took the armor off from her left hoof before taking the sword in right, and began to the run its sharp blade along the inside of her hoof, only to pull away as soon as she felt pain. Dropping the sword, Twilight watched as her own blood began to seep out of her hoof and onto the grass. Anger followed, flooding her mind as she sheathed Yujo and threw it and its sisters to the ground with all her strength. "Why? Why!?" She yelled, furious that she was deemed evil by the blades. Tears then fell, and she touched her face as soon as she noticed. She felt disgusted with herself, to show emotion now after so many years. "Pointless thoughts make us falter, pointless thoughts make us falter, pointless... Pointless!" She cried. "It was pointless, Sunset! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Twilight bowed her head and shut her eyes to the black and red wisps gathering about her. And Twilight continued to weep and stutter this Sunset's name, as well as Sentry, Mia, Shining, and Cloud fumbled from her lips. No one heard her, save for little Starlight, who watched from the dark in the house. She wasn't certain that Twilight knew she was still there, but she chose to leave quietly all the same. On that night, Twilight witnessed Starlight's wounded soul. And Starlight bore witness to Twilight's as well.