//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Meeting // Story: Sun Shower // by GroganDrago123 //------------------------------// The night was quiet. Too quiet. The Kirins had went to sleep instead of continuing the preparations for the unknown festival. Rain Shine allowed them to do so. Or more so demanded them to stop them. She couldn’t take a chance of one of the other Kirins seeing her with the ram and start anything like Fern Flare did. She still couldn’t understand though. Why did Fern freak out at the sight of the animal? He was only a blue ram, right? What else was their to the creature that she didn’t know about?... She had the unconscious ram in an unused room she had in her tree home. Rain meant to use the room for storage such as extra props for plays, outfits that she has no interest of, or anything else of the sort. But now, she fashioned the room into a homemade infirmary for the poor ram. Rain Shine had already finished cleaning his wound and patching them up with the bandages laced with a healing elixir. The elixir was one of the few potions she made herself after the Curse of Silence was lifted. She told her people her potions were meant for them and the life around them. For example, one of the potions, which was a light green lotion, was meant for the plants around them. When placed on a tree or flower, the plant will be more stronger than it was before. Not even the strongest axes would be able to cut through them. Rain did hope the plant life would be more resistant towards fire. She would test it but was too scared of starting a forest fire again... Her body suddenly froze at those words. Forest fire... She’d think of the one that burnt down her tribe after that argument. But she was thinking further back to... She placed a hoof on her pounding head. “Keep it together Rain.” She said to herself, shutting her eyes tightly to stop from any wondering tears fall from her eyes. “It’s in the past. You can get through it.” She kept repeating this in her head. But she knew she was lying to herself. She still feared being the Nirik within herself. So what made her so sure she can get over what she’s done?... If she had opened her eyes sooner, she would’ve seen the blue figure below her suddenly twitch. ————————————————————— Red. Red was all he can see. Was he dying? He couldn’t be. His blood was of an immortal demon. He could never die. Maybe in pain? What was pain at this point? He didn’t even know what it felt to feel pain let alone anything. Although, it would be the reason why his body felt so numb. Despite the numbness, he did feel something. Not mentally, but physically. At first, it was warm around his fur. But then it disappeared as soon as it surrounded him. For a short time, he felt the cool breeze hit his cold figure. The breeze also stung his wounds like salt. But it didn’t leave a lasting impression on his shell of a body. He knew he was moving somehow. Maybe some ponies found his body and are bringing him to the princesses to receive judgement. At least that’s what his still functioning brain believed what was going to happen to his paralyzed body. Soon enough, the wind stopped and he felt the warmth surround him again. What was happening to his demonic but bloody shape? He tried to open his eyes but felt something he never thought a monster like him would feel: weak. His body was weak. He had spilled too much of his own blood to even lift himself up. All because he wanted revenge... He kept struggling to move. But his frozen form refused. He was determined to get up. He had to save himself from whatever was occurring around him. Soon enough, he felt his foreleg twitch. The monster began to feel relief at the movement. Just a moment ago, he felt a strange touch on that same foreleg. Whatever it was, it seemed to help the creature move again. And he wasn’t going to waste his chance. Slowly but surely, his body began to reclaim movement. He still felt numb to the pain that went through his body which made it easier for him to raise his head slowly. “You’re awake!” A voice beside him called out. He swiftly turned to the voice, shocked to see someone was even there. It was a mare. A pale mare with a cyan colored mane with light streaks in them. A deep crimson horn peeked through her mane and a dark gold crown she wore on her head. He can even see a peek of her light pale scales on her back and a long, thin tail that whipped from side to side slightly. She wasn’t a creature he made. Let alone even seen. What was she?... ————————————————————— “How are you feeling?” The Kirin asked as she reached out a hoof to him. “Are you still hurt?” She flinched as the ram slapped her hoof away with his own. Rain can feel his red eyes glare into her own. “Do not dare touch me!” He growled to her. His voice was noticeably deep and scruffy. It reminded her of the previous leader’s voice but more... terrifying. But what did she have to fear? He was only a simple ram. She cleared her throat as she looked to him with calm eyes. She can just have the breakdown she had before once he’s taken care of. “Apologies.” She said with a her kind and soft voice. “I just wanted to be sure your eye patch was in place.” “My eye-“ He stopped as he realized. He was able to see through his right eye. But what about his left?... He placed his hood over his left eye, touching it to feel something soft blocking his hoof to his eye. “What did you do to my eye?” He demanded to know. Rain continued to look at him with her calm and collected eyes. “Your eye was badly damaged. I tried to heal it with the best of my ability. But it seems whatever occurred to your eye might have some lasting effects.” She admitted sadly, the ram’s face scrunching up in frustration. Will this mean he will lose his eyesight in his demonic eye? “Have you actually tried at all to prevent me from being blind?” He asked with venom in his voice. Rain sighed as she looked to him. She did hope he would have a better reaction to the news. (Well, it’s better than him freaking out) She thought to herself. “With all that I have.” She stated to him, trying to assure him. “But it’s ok. It doesn’t mean you will lose all of your eyesight. Why, if I have enough time and ingredients, I might make something that will help you reclaim your eye’s full health.” Rain saw how the creature’s shoulders and face rested at the news. But his teeth kept peeking out through his dried lips. “Good.” He left the word slip out through his jagged teeth. He couldn’t be sure if she was trying to lure him to a false sense of security with her words and actions or she actually meant to help him. But who would help a monster like him? Who would even be sitting by her side like this? He was surprised she hasn’t run away yet. She flinched before so he felt satisfied with that. Yet he was unsatisfied with everything else. Why was this... mare even being so calm and collected to him? Has his legacy dried up over the centuries and has left no lasting impression on the lives of ponies and non-ponies alike? “So, what’s your name?” She asked him. The question ran through his cold skin like a needle threading through fabric. His name... She didn’t know his name? How does one not know his name? He was the Emperor of Equestria! The Father of Monsters! The Devil himself! “... Grogar.” He spoke quietly, glaring at her with his remaining eye. Rain felt a shiver run down her spine. The name... She had no recollection of that name. But why did it make her feel uneasy? The leader saw no reason to fear that name. With that, she smiled to the ram. “Lovely name, Grogar. I am Rain Shine. Leader of the Kirins.” She introduced herself. Lovely?... Lovely?! He felt insulted by her comment. His name was not “lovely”, it was meant to be terrifying! Not thought as cute by some leader of the Kirins-... He paused at the thought. Kirins... “Leader of the Niriks?” He asked, masking his anger towards the leader. Rain’s tail settled down at the mention of the Niriks, losing its motion. She felt her smile fall and fear build up in her heart at the mention of the worse of her kind. But, she couldn’t blame him from knowing them from that name. Kirins were more known as Niriks in the past after all. Still yet, she still despised how her species were remembered for what they’ve done. “... In a sense, yes.” She stated, hiding her own feeling of being uncomfortable at the name. “We’re known as Kirins now.” “I see...” He stated, feeling disappointed at her words. He remembered how tried recruit some Niriks into his cause many centuries ago. But they proved to be more deadly than he imagined... “Your kind was more magnificent back then. It’s a shame you’re hiding it away and wasting such potential.” He said as he looked at the bandages on his foreleg. Rain felt her heart twinge at those words. He thought they were better as Niriks?... Who would love the Niriks over Kirins? A pyromaniac maybe. “Well, some of us saw the light and changed our ways for the better.” She said, her voice starting to grow cold. Grogar huffed in disappointment as he looked back up at her. “Such a waste of power. How do you not use your fire to lay waste towards your enemies or-“ “Do not lecture me on how to be what I am!” Rain suddenly spitted out. She suddenly realized what she said and covered her mouth with her hooves. Grogar’s still revealed eyebrow was raised in surprise. She just raised her voice at the Father of Monsters... “You have the soul of one, girl.” He stated coldly, his glare returning to the now cowering leader. “No matter how much of a Kirin you are, you will always have the fire of a Nirik within you. And one day, it will explode through your fragile exterior and release the monster you try so hard to hide.” Rain felt her head begin to pound at what he was saying. She held her head down as she felt herself tremble. It wasn’t true. She can keep the monster within for as long as she lives. She’s done it ever since she was young. Surely she can keep the pyre at bay for much longer. No matter how much she feared it... She suddenly got up onto her hooves and looked down to the ram. “Do not try to leave. You’ll only make the bleeding worse.” She warned as she began to leave the room. The ram did feel disgusted with being forced to stay with her. But if she was able to heal him somehow, he was afraid he has no choice but to listen to the pathetic Kirin. But he still felt... glee. From seeing the leader tremble at what he said. Grogar watched her leave and gave a satisfied grin once she closed the door behind him. Now that’s what he was looking for.