//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Five - Brickle // Story: The Fall of the Anoian // by bookhorse125 //------------------------------// All Brickle could think about was Red. She was the first thing he thought about in the morning, the last thing he remembered before he went to sleep, the only thing he would dream about, and the one thing constantly on his mind all day. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, and it was starting to drive him crazy. “She promised to come back,” he muttered to himself as he paced back and forth on top of the cliffs facing west, the direction that Red had gone after she left. Splashes of red dotted his coat. “She said that if she came back, she would never go anywhere without me again. But she hasn’t come back,” he grumbled. He sat down and stared off into the distance. The sunset was beautiful, but Brickle didn’t even notice it. His mind stayed on Red as it had for the past few months. “It’s been almost a year!” he cried to himself. Tears filled his eyes and he ducked his head, letting the tears spill. He let his coat turn whatever colors it wanted to. Storm clouds of gray and blue marched up his back and spilled over his hooves. His shaggy pink mane turned midnight black, and he couldn’t care less. There was only one thing that would make him happy again, and that thing would mark him as a traitor and he would be sentenced to death for it. Maybe death would be better than one more day without Red. The moon eventually rose over the ocean, casting a dim light over Solious. Small white dots appeared all over Brickle as his coat immediately tried to match his surroundings. Brickle stood up and slowly walked back to his village, his head hung as another day without Red came to an end. Purposefully, Brickle took the long way back. He walked around the edge of the cliffs until he arrived at the grove of trees that spread across this half of the island. Brickle ducked into the shady shrubbery and exhaled. No matter what the day brought, being in the tree grove immediately calmed Brickle down. Maybe it was the Solious tribe’s connection to nature that made this happen. Some Soliouns even had the power to manipulate plants. Brickle was one of these ponies, although he didn’t use this power often. When Red had gotten kidnapped, Brickle was going to use his powers to make some vines trap the guards when they were taking Red to be executed. The vines would trap them in place long enough for Brickle to heroically rescue Red and the two of them flew off into the sunset and lived happily ever after, all alone on a deserted island somewhere. If the world didn’t need them, then they didn’t need the world. But Red was just as smart as she was pretty, and she came up with a better plan. Except for the end. Red had abandoned him on this island and left to go save the world. Not a day went by that Brickle didn’t wish that Red had taken him along. As long as he stayed camouflage, nopony would know he was ever there. And it would be worth the risk to be with Red for all eternity. A twig snapped somewhere in the grove, and Brickle snapped his head up. His coat immediately turned the same dark green and black as the forest around him, hiding him completely. Or, it should have. Hooves wrapped around Brickle and pulled him behind a leafy bush. It startled Brickle so much that his coat turned bright green with fear. Whoever was kidnapping him knew how to look for Soliouns. Frantic thoughts rushed through his head as he ran through possible suspects. Was it Lupines? Golden Lily? Storm? “It’s none of those, Brickle,” said a familiar voice. “Honestly, I’m offended that you would think that I was one of those ponies. And tone down your colors! Do you want me to get caught?” Brickle whipped his head around and stared at whoever had grabbed him. The moonlight streamed through the leaves of the canopy of trees overhead, but he could see perfectly well a pair of bright green eyes, a cherry red coat, and chocolate brown curls that glinted with strands of gold hidden in her mane. “Red?” Brickle stammered as he shakily got to his feet. “Oh, Brickle, you’re in even worse shape than I left you in!” Red teased. “I don’t know what you’d do without me.” “Y-you’re here,” he stammered. “You’re actually here…” He couldn’t think of anything else to say and kissed Red before he knew he was going to do it. Brickle blushed, and it wasn’t the only bit of him that turned red. Streaks of crimson flashed across his wings as Red stared at him like he’d sprouted extra hooves. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” Brickle was silenced as Red pulled him close and kissed him on the lips. Brickle didn’t know what color his coat was turning, and he didn’t care, either. This feeling was what he’d always wanted to feel… what he’d wished he could feel every day Red was gone. But now she was here… “I’m sorry it took me so long,” Red whispered when they finally broke apart. “I… maybe sorta got promoted and couldn’t do anything because I was under constant watch of Lupines and I wanted to come back but I couldn’t and… Yeah. I’m here now,” she finished lamely. “Red, just being under Lupines’s watch wouldn’t have kept you away from me, and we both know it,” Brickle said. “What else happened?” “It’s a long story,” Red mumbled. “Fantastic. I’ve got all night.” Brickle sat down on the forest floor, his coat turning back to its signature white-and-gold combo and his mane shifting back to pink. It was the first time he’d sported those colors since Red left. Red could see he wasn’t going anywhere and relented, sitting down next to Brickle. “Well, it all started when I got back to Anoia…” The two of them were up talking all night. When the sun finally peeked above the horizon, casting light pinks and golds across the sky, Red and Brickle were still in the same place, still talking. “And you became emperor just like that?” Brickle was astounded. In his village, only ponies from the original line of rulers could rule, and Soliouns weren’t allowed to question them, revolt, or even propose the idea of a new ruler. And he was pretty sure that ponies that were considered traitors by a previous ruler weren’t allowed to assume the throne. “Yeah, I thought so, too,” Red said. “I feel sorry for you guys. Your traditions are tough.” “Yeah… Wait, how did you know that?” Brickle demanded. He wouldn’t be surprised if Red could read minds now. She never ceased to amaze him. To think that she killed Lupines just like that. “Yep, I can read minds. And see the future,” Red told him. “Apparently Anoians with green eyes have those powers.” Brickle sat there, stunned. “That’s… that’s pretty big.” “I know. Lupines knew, so he tried to prevent me from even finding out about them, let alone use them. It wasn’t until I left for Equestria that I was free from those bindings, and my powers slowly came back.” “Why did Lupines send you to Equestria, anyway, if going would mean you could use your powers again?” Brickle asked. “And once you got back, why didn’t your powers get blocked again?” “I don’t really know,” Red confessed, staring off into space. “My best guess is that he thought that he had successfully blocked my powers, and even if I left, they wouldn’t come back. And I think I was away long enough that my powers became strong enough to start fighting Lupines.” Red closed her eyes and stayed still for a moment before opening them again. “We have to go. Golden Lily’s looking for you since Storm reported that you didn’t come back last night. If we stay here for a few more minutes, she’ll find us.” “We?” Brickle asked as Red stood up and unfurled her wings. “I told you that if I came back, I would never go anywhere without you again, right?” Red said. “And so I’m keeping that promise.” Brickle leaped up, splashes of pink happiness erupting all over his coat. His own wings came out, and the two of them flew into the sky. Brickle followed Red as they winged away to Anoia. “What about me?” he asked as they flew. “Anoians hate my kind.” “As far as I’m concerned, you’re different from the other Soliouns,” Red replied. “And you’ll be with me. Nopony will lay a hoof on you without my permission.” “Do you get many storms where you’re from?” Brickle asked, eyeing the sky warily. Red laughed, knowing what he meant. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get your sunlight every day,” she said. Brickle smiled at her and grabbed her again. Red looked a little surprised but didn’t object. Brickle pulled her in close, and they kissed like tomorrow would never arrive.