//------------------------------// // Rebirth // Story: A Stone Reborn // by Ghost Alvasa //------------------------------// In the Emptiness of Darkness... a little lone light drifted. "Where am I?" Darkness... "Oh right... Quintessa shattered me, I guess I'm... dead now..." Darkness... "I hope father, Pyro, and Optimus save Cybertron. I really hope Optimus is okay...." Darkness... "I want more time..." Darkness... "I want to be with father more..." Darkness... "Why? It's not fair. I didn't even get to... experience the world..." Darkness... "IT NOT FAIR... I WANT TO LIVE!" "SHHHhhhhhh..... Don't cry little one," Came a response in the darkness. "Who's there?" "Don't be afraid, little one," the voice cued. "I am Faust, or... one of the many Faust in the multiverse. I watched your birth, life, and untimely death. Your father wanted more time with you too..." "How did you see?" "I am always with Edward... I am is mother-in-law...Though my time in the spirit realm is running out and I must soon reincarnate into the physical world once more..." "What does this have to do with me?" "Little Stone, you said it yourself. You haven't experienced the world or worlds at that... You are my grandson through Edward and I will grant you this request and once I reincarnate so shall you." "WHAT?!" "Though it will be in a new Equestria as your magic is too great for me to handle alone. You will be an alicorn in your own form and way though. Is this acceptable?" "...." "Y-y-y-es, Will I see father again?" "It that something you want?" "Yes, I want to meet him and hug him with my own form. Can I?" "Eventually you would, but this means you will become a Displaced. Is that a responsibility you are willing to accept?" "Yes..." "Very well... but a condition to being reincarnated you will be stripped of most of your memories and knowledge of magic, others worlds, and the future... " "Will I still remember father?" "I well preserve as many memories of Edward for you as I CAN... But there will still be gaps in T..." "I don't care as long as I can remember him... will I ... actually be born?" "Yes... you will have a true mother and father and will grow from a child... it will be hard with what you will be but not even I can see your future my Stone..." "Can... Can I... keep my name?" "I am afraid not... Your birth parents will give you a new name and that is the name you must use..." "As long as I live and can see father again I DON'T CARE..." "Hmhmhmhm... ever the spirited one, you are indeed Ed's boy. I will do one last thing for you and give eyeS similar to those of your father's but this is the only other thing I can do for you..." "Thank you... grandmother...." "Good luck..." Stone's spirit was sent hurtling through the darkness to no one knows where... until he saw a bright light... Stalliongrad Somewhere on the outskirts near the Equestrian border in a lone one-bedroom cottage, there was a mare laying in bed with her husband next to her. The doctor had just arrived to help here as she'd just gone into labor only hours ago and a snowstorm had been scheduled to start keeping the couple from making the long tack into town. The couple awaited the birth of their long-awaited foal after years of trying to conceive they had all but given up hope until one day the mare began to act strange and become from simple eating a radish. Filly or colt they didn't care as they had long wanted a child and finally Faust had blessed them with one. The couple were blacksmiths by trade and made all sorts of items from guard armor to simple shoes. The stallion was named Iron Hammer and was an earth pony of great stature and strength. He had a light bluish-green coat and dark grey mane and tail. He usually wore a simple white shirt and brown pants when not in the forge. While working the forge he wore a brown leather apron no shirt, brown leather pants, and heavy leather gloves. He garnered the nickname The Conductor, from the way he made the metal sing when he hit it, hot or cold. The mare was called Mystic Hammer, formerly Mystic Weaver, and she was a very beautiful unicorn from Stalliongrad. She was descended from a long line of enchanting jewelers that would often work with the Hammer clan for the lord and guards of the region. Many sought her hand but as she met Iron Hammer she'd already met the stallion she'd call her husband one day. She had a cream coat and her tail and mane were a light icy blue that many say shimmer as the wind and light made it dance. Her attire was usually a dark royal blue dress adorned with little to nothing except for a silver amber pendant necklace around her neck that was given to her by her beloved as from when he proposed to her. They weren't rich but not poor either. They had enough business to get by and were happy together. Except for a child, they were were content, until now... "Come on honey," Iron Hammer encouraged his wife as that was all he could do. He held her hand with all his might as she squeezed. "RRAAAAAAAAHHH...YOU BASTARD YOU DID THIS TO MEEEEE!!!" Mystic Hammer cried out as the foal crowned. "That right keep pushing Ms.... I can see the top of the head now," Doctor Snow top reassured the couple. "RHAHAAHA! WHEN I'M DONE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BOTH!!!! AAHAAHAAHA!"Mystic cried in pain as she pushed. "That's normal," The doctor reassured the stallion. "One more big push now!" "GRAAHAAAHAH!!" Mystic cried out, then there was silence. "Doctor are... are they... are they alright? I don't hear them." The doctor quickly cleaned up the baby after recovering from his initial shock. "Ah yes HE is perfectly healthy," the couple looked in shock as the doctor brought them their son. He was a colt with a pure white coat, sparkling silver mane and tail, a white horn, and wings with silver-tipped feathers. He was an alicorn. The child blinked open his eyes for the first time to reveal a set of radiant burning golden eyes. the little foal reached out for his mother. She brought her child up to her face and give him a nuzzle with her cheek against his, "Oh my baby boy..." "Hello my big boy," Iron Hammer leaned over son. The child reached out again with his tiny hands and felt his father's muzzle, tenderly paws it all over "I must say this is big news," Doctor Snow Top looked into the fire. "What shall we name our lad dear?" Iron Hammer looked to his wife. Mystic Hammer looked down at the little one in her arms and how bright he seemed to shine in the light. She then placed a hand on the necklace are her neck and rubbed the stone as the child had felt for it as well. "Bright Stone," she smiled at her colt. "I think that's a fitting name for our son," Iron pulled his family in with his massive arms. I few hours went by and the storm had died down but it to dark to travel. Mystic Hammer and her baby boy were sleeping peacefully in the bedroom while Iron Hammer was at the table with a hard drink known to the locals as Ale. The Doctor was there with him. "What are you going to do Iron Hammer?" Doctor Snow Top asked his friend as he sipped on his own mug. "About?" Iron stared into the fire. "Your boy is an alicorn. He's royalty," Snow sipped. "I had no idea you or your wife we related to the princess." "We're not, I'm from the Nordic tribes that came from across the Celestial Sea and settled this area say about a thousand years ago or so. Long before the Princess ever ruled. Mystic is descended from mainly the same," Iron took a gulp of his celebratory drink. "I think she has some ancient ancestor from an Empire that was from in the Far Frozen North close to the Yaks territory. But again that was a loooooonnnnnggg time ago now so much so it doesn't matter." "This won't stay quiet old friend," Snow leaned back in his chair. Iron Hammer let out a rough sigh as wiped his eyes with his free hand and then scratched the back of his head. "Are ya gonna tell the lord?" "I won't if you don't want me to," Snow sipped as he looked to his friend out of the corner of his eye. "Knowing what he'd do is he'd try and claim your boy as his own to get closer up in Canterlot and the princess. Saying you shared your wife with him," He used air quotes. "And everypony around here knows it's not true but those nobles don't and they'd try to use your boy two." "Are alicorns really that rare?" Iron set his mug down. "The only alicorns I know that have ever existed is that of her majesty Queen Faust and her two daughters, Celestia and Luna. Princess Celestia is the only one left as Princess Luna was killed by the evil alicorn Nightmare Moon. Most of the bedtime stories list her as a demon in the form of a pony who killed Luna and shifted into her shape. Celestia proceeded to destroy her to get revenge for the loss of her only sister." "I have to ask you to keep this between us Snow," Iron sighed as he took another swig. "I'll do what I CAN'T," Snow Top snickered, the two friends knocked mugs "Congrats on being a dad." Two Years Later "RUN!" Iron Hammer yelled as he strained to hold a flaming beam over his wife and foal. "GET OUR BOY TO SAFETY MYSTIC!" "What about you?" Mystic Hammer looked pleading to her husband. "I'LL BE... RIGHT BEHIND... YOU!" He said with gritted teeth as he fell to one knee. "I love you..." Mystic said as she kissed him with Bright Stone in her arms she ran through the flames. "Dada!" Bright Stone cried out as he reached for his father who only smiled at his son as the roof caved in. A fire had broken out in their home. I pack of timberwolves had decided to try and sneak in and devour the chickens then had all gathered at the forge to warm up and dry themselves off. When Iron woke the next morning and went out to the shop he found the pack and slammed the door shut to keep the beasts in. That did little but slow them down as they pack soon broke out and attacked the ponies' home. breaking in Iron defended his family the best he could but one of the wooden beasts caught fire and set the house ablaze with the already split blood of its pack. Just before a beam could hit his wife and child Iron Hammer leapt up and grabbed the timber with all his remaining strength and held it as long as it took to keep them safe. Now Mystic Hammer stood before her collapsed burning home as her husband somehow walked out, though badly burned. She rushed over and hugged the wheezing brute with tears as their boy reached for him as well. "Told ya I'd be right behind ya," he placed a kiss on his wife's lips and rubbed his boy's head. Though he seemed alright the damage had been done and Iron Hammer was laid to rest in his family's crept later on that year. He died peacefully in his sleep, the cause was lung damage due to smoke inhalation from the fire. Mystic Hammer was devastated and moved out of the newly built home and moved back into Stalliongrad's outskirts and into her family's jewelry shop. Though she remained strong and raised her son right, all while keeping his true nature and an alicorn as secret. Fifteen years later Now that Bright Stone was older it was much hard for him and his mother to hide he was an alicorn. His wings had grown to large to hide under his clothes so he to wearing a brown cloak of sorts in or to keep them from view. It worked for the most part but there wear times when he'd itch or sneeze. His attire was mostly white shirts and denim pants with a set of heavy leather gloves similar to his father's set. The lad had grown up to be strong, the strongest in the entire city of Stalliongrad in fact, partially because of his nature but mostly because he'd taken up his later father's family trade. Bright Stone's creation we second to none. His armor craft was beautiful and ornate yet subtle and strong. His talent was reflected in his cutie mark, which ponies wore on their shoulders in this world. His cutie mark is a white diamond on a golden shield with a fire below it and a pair of blacksmith tongs holding one corner of the shield and a sledgehammer beating in the other side setting the gem in place with sparks flying off the strike. Due to his appearance, Bright Stone was mistaken for a mare for a very long time, but once he started to build muscle he quickly gained a bit of a mean streak in knocking others out with a single blow for calling him a mare. Though he is still called the most beautiful blacksmith of the Reach with eyes of flames. Some say he had the ability to see the soul of the flames and imbue it into his works. Many ponies had heard of this magical forger and sought him out, making it even harder for him to keep his nature secret. Eventually, he and his mother moved back into the Hammer Homestead once it had been updated and away from prying eyes, though it didn't last too long. Only a few know of Bright Stone's alicorn nature and they vow to keep it till he chose to reveal it or till their deaths, whichever came first. Most of the ponies that did know were either family or very close friends of his father and mother, like his godfather the pony Doctor who'd delivered him on a snowstorming night, Doctor Snow Top. The last pony who knew was one he trusted himself and her name was Crystal Hymn. She was a Stalliongrad upper-class pony he'd met during one of his mother's deliveries and they became instant best friends. She was one of the few pegasi in the whole town. Her coat was a very light ice blue while her mane and tail were a shimmering sapphire with teal streaks. Her attire was that of gowns and dresses and she was known for her voice and her cutie mark was a treble cliff musical score made of ice and snow. Bright Stone loved living as he and he lived his way. Mainly because it the gift his first Grandmother had bestowed upon him when he died before his time. He loved his mother, his family, and his friend. He wishes he could've known his father both of them. He dedicated himself to live this new life and he would see his first father someday... Sooner than he realized. One week before the return of Nightmare Moon "Why are we moving to Ponyville mother?" Bright Stone asked as his mother, Mystic Hammer, and his friend, Crystal Hymn walk along the trail with their cart was being pulled by a bear that Bright had befriended back in Stalliongrad, he named him Grover. "We had a good business in Stalliongrad. Why move?" "Oh my son, I know you liked living out there but... I can't do it anymore. Not with your father gone, it hurts too much," Mystic let out a deeply saddened sigh. "It... it just felt right to move now as well." "Why did you come, Crystal?" Bright looked to his childhood friend. "A few reasons," Crystal Hymn shrugged as she looked off to the side while she blushed slightly. "You're my best friend, pretty much the only friend I have actually. The other upper crust is considered each friends for the money's sake. You like me for me. Two, I'm tired of the year-round snow and cold mountains, not to mention other wildlife," Grover grumbled. "Not you fuzz butt, I LIKE YOU. You're snugily," the bear put his nose in the air and puffed out his chest. That got every pony to laugh. "Finally it... ah... just felt right to go with you guys. Like the wind was pulling, you get don't you Bright?" "I guess you can say that," Bright scratched his head slightly. "The earth has been feeling a bit off lately like it was saying I need to move on to a new spot. Kinda like that?" "Yea," Hymn vigorously shook her head. "What did your father have to say bout you leaving Hymn?" Mystic looked to the younger mare as she rubbed her arm. "He... ah... he said no I wasn't and then I said he can't stop me," Crystal chuckled slightly. "Then I walked out of the house after gather my things and the money I'd made from working with you guys in my spare time. He had goons that may or may not have a few fractures here there." "hahaha. Never change Crystal," Bright laughed as they arrived at a sign the said... Welcome to Ponyville