Chapter 26: A New Life
"So Sunny Town is no more." Luna said as her guards carefully loaded the foals in a carriage to take them back to their families. I had Ayla send her a letter when we returned home and Luna was quick to arrive.
"Yeah and I'm glad I stopped them when I did. They were about to sacrifice the foals." I said with a scowl as the last foal was gently placed on a pillow.
"Hmm I do not like this Fox." She said before looking at the clouds white mare as she watched with relief.
"Me either. I have some major concerns and more questions than I like. I have written a full report on everything that happened so far but I would like to talk to that mare myself." I said as the mare looked at me with a massive amount of guilt.
"Why did you spare her and not send her to judgement with the rest of her monstrous village?" She asked with a hateful glare towards the mare.
"I don't think she deserves that fate." I said bluntly before walking up to the mare with Luna. I sat down in front of the mare with Luna right behind me with a scowl.
"Will they be alright?" The mare asked as she slowly lifted her head with tears threatening to overflow.
"Yes. There was a sleeping spell used on them but they will wake up in the morning and will get them back to their families." I said with a soft smile as I watched her soft pink eyes brighten before regret faded them again.
"What will happen to me now?" The mare asked as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"You should be put to the same fate as your village." Luna said with disdain and that pissed me off.
"Luna let me handle this please." I said as I looked up at her with a fierce glare before turning back to the mare.
"Before that can you come with me?" I asked with a smile as I opened a portal and got a slow nod from her.
"Thank you. Luna, please come with me too." I said before I walked through the portal with the mare and Luna behind me. When we stepped out we were in the center of Sunny Town.
"Nephew, why are we back at this despicable village?" Luna asked with an angry snort.
"You'll see soon enough." I said as I began to lead them to the outskirts of the small village. After a short walk we found ourselves in a clearing with multiple stones spread throughout it and each one had a picture engraved on it.
"What is this place?" Luna asked as she stepped past me to inspect the stones.
"There graves." I said with a heavy sigh as I counted seventeen stones.
"What?!" Luna asked in surprise as her eyes widened.
"I noticed this place before I left. This is your doing isn't it." I asked the mare as she slowly walked out to the stones and stopped in front of a blank stone.
"I saw the way they treated you and heard what they said. You tried to help them to escape this place didn't you?" I asked as I walked up beside her.
"I tried so hard to save them but was caught and made to watch as they screamed while the village beat and burned them. In the end this is all I could do from them." She said as the tears flowed freely and she gently rubbed the unmarked grave with a soft sad smile.
"I don't believe that. You were part of this village and you should be judged with them." Luna said as she glared down at the mare and that set me off.
"(POOF) YOU DO NOT GET TO MAKE THAT DECISION!! Look around you Luna, all of this stems from your actions that day. Instead of a proper punishment after the loss of one foal you sentenced more innocent life to meet the same fate because you lost yourself in your anger and power! Yes they did a horrible thing and deserved to be brought to justice but you not only ended their natural lives but the future of this village. It could have prospered and thrived if you didn't lose yourself to your ander and now this village lies bare and lifeless." I yelled out as my magic flared and she took a surprised step back. I could fight back my tears any longer.
"If you didn't do what you did back then I wouldn't have had to do what I did tonight. I...I wouldn't have taken their lives to end their suffering. I felt their souls cry out from the constant years of rotting day after day. Their body would restore the next morning just to start the process over again but their souls would never completely heal. Bit by bit it decayed and would lose a part of themselves each time until they were only an empty shell of what they were. It's not right." I said as I let out my thoughts and feelings while trying to hide my tears behind my hand and after what felt like an hour I was pulled into a hug by soft wings.
"You are right nephew. I acted rashly that day and I deeply apologize. I've had a thousand years to reflect on my actions and they will live with me until my final days. You definitely have your mothers heart." Luna said with deep regret in her voice as she nuzzled my head. I took a deep breath to settle my nerves.
(Sigh)"What's done is done and we can't change the past but we can better ourselves for the future. The thing we can do now is help the foals to get safely home." I said with a heavy sigh before i returned the hug and once we let go she turned to the mare and bowed her head.
"I deeply apologize if I could give you back the life you had, I would. I can see that you truly cared for these foals and I judged you wrongly as I saw this village as a whole. I am truly sorry." Luna said with a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
"I don't blame you. What we did was horrible and I am a part of this village. I should share their sentences." The mare said with a sad smile.
"I don't see it that way. You stopped being a part of this village when you decided to fight back against them and try to save innocent lives. Luna make sure those foals get home safe please." I said with a warm smile and a hug.
"I will. Farewell nephew." Luna said before she teleported away.
"What's going to happen to me now?" The mare asked as she looked to the unmarked grave.
"I give you two options. One, I can send you off in peace." I said as I put my hand on my sword.
"Or we can let fate decide." I said as I pulled out a coin from my bag.
"But first I have a question. Unlike the rest of the stones here, why is this one unmarked?" I asked as I sat there beside her.
"Because he never got the chance to earn his mark." She said as she looked at the stone with loving eyes. I looked at the graves as the moon shone through the clouds lighting up the clear and out of all of them the unmarked grave looked to be the oldest one there.
"What happened to him?" I asked as I looked at the grave.
"On the night that Luna cursed the village I tried to stop them from hurting that filly but they beat me just as bad as her and then Luna cursed us but by then the damage was already done and I lost him that day." She said as a steady stream of tears flowed down her cheek as she slowly let it out. I stood up and pulled my violin from its chain and walked into the middle of the graves.
(Play
)
My mark began to glow as I started playing my violin. As I played the happy melody the clouds cleared away to reveal a clear starry night. The light from the moon lit up the graves and my mark began to glow. At the height of the song a short white light pulsed out around my feet to the borders of the graveyard. The bare earth around my feet turned green with grass that spread with the light and wild flowers bloomed around me. I lost myself in the music as small fuzzy balls of yellow light slowly rising from the ground and seemed to slowly dance around the field before drifting upward except for one that floated next to the now tear stained sleeping mare with a peaceful smile. With the final tones from my mark the light was gone leaving behind a beautiful moonlit field of wildflowers. With a warm smile I clipped the violin back on its chain and walked up to the sleeping mare.
"Now what to do with you." I said as I stood next to her and pulled out the coin.
"Hmm maybe." I said as I flipped the coin into the air and when it fell it landed in an outreached hand.
"Calling in that favor already?" John said as he slipped the coin into his pocket.
"Yeah I guess I am." I said with a smile and shrug.
"Come have some tea while we talk." He said as he moved to the side and motioned towards a table with a few chairs and a steaming teapot with cups that was not there before.
"Tea sounds pretty good right now. I'm incredibly tired." I said as we sat down at the table.
"So my friend, what can I do for you?" He asked as he poured our tea.
"Well it's not for me but for this mare." I said as I pointed to the sleeping mare.
"Hmm she was part of Sunny Town correct?" He asked as he looked her over.
"Yeah. She tried countless times to stop her people and rescue the foals and lost hers in the process." I said as I took a sip of my tea.
"So I'm guessing you want me to grant them their natural life span back right." He said as he leaned back into his chair.
"If that's a possibility then yes." I said as I set my cup onto the table.
"Unfortunately I have no power over life being a God of death and all." He said with a simple shrug.
(Sigh) "Well it was w-." I started to say before he cut me off.
"But I know someone who can." He said with a smile before he put his hand out to his ear like he was making a phone call. The odd thing about it, I could actually hear it ring before a voice came from the line.
"Hi...yes...yes...I'm granting a boon...yes that one...ok...ok…really…(sigh)I'll ask, hold on." He said before lowering his hand and covering it with his other before looking at me.
"You wouldn't happen to have any candy do you?" He asked.
"Um yeah I have some in my bag." I said before I pulled out a small pouch of candies from my bag and placed them on the table as he put his hand back to his ear.
"Yes he has some...ok...ok...see you soon...yes you too...do I have too…(sigh) fine I love you too my sweet rose." He said with a smile as he lowered his hand.
"Ok soooo?" I said with a raised brow.
"Give it a sec." He said with a large smile.
"JOHNNY BEAR!!" A loud voice from above us. I looked up and saw a tall blonde woman in a white and light blue flower sundress fall into John's lap.
"Hello my love." He said before planting a kiss on her lips.
"So this lovely soul is the one you owe your boon?" She asked as she looked at me with her dark purple eyes that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight.
"That is my dear. Fox, meet my love and other half Solara the goddess of life." John said with a smile as he brought her in close to him.
"It's lovely to meet you. How may I help you?" She asked with a warm smile.
"It's nice to meet you too and I was wondering if you could restore the natural life of that mare." I said as I pointed to sleeping mare.
(Gasp) "Oh my goodness. Poor things are afflicted with a dreadful curse." She said as she floated off John's lap and kneeled down next to her and petted the side of her neck.
"So is it possible?" I asked with hope.
"It is but it's costly." She said as she stood and walked back to the table taking great care not to step on any flowers.
"And may I ask what the price may be?" I asked as she sat back on John's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"In order to fulfill your request I would need to life from another and bestow it on another." She said in a serious but sad tone.
"But before that I sense you have another request. Am I right to assume you also wish to restore the life that has yet to be lived?" She asked as she picked up the pouch of candy and popped one in her mouth.
"Yeah if that's possible." I said sadly as I took a sip of my tea.
"That will add to the cost and you would owe me a boon in return plus more of this wonderful candy." She said as she happily ate another piece.
"What's the cost and I made plenty of candy so that's not a problem as well as the boon. Here these are made with honeysuckle nectar, try it in your tea." I said as I pulled out another pouch.
"I'll try that, thank you. As I said earlier life must be given from one host to another. Are you willing to give part of your life to theirs?" She asked as she dropped a piece of candy in her tea.
"If it will let her and her foal live happily then yes." I said as I looked at the mare and smiled.
"Why?" She asked as she looked up from her tea and locked eyes with me.
"She's been suffering for a long time in this village. All these graves hold the remains of foals she tried to save and the one she sleeps on is the one for her lost foal. I can feel the pain she's in and if I can ease that pain I would gladly give her some of my life." I said with determination as I looked her in the eyes.
"Hmm you are a very interesting soul dear Fox and I have to say I love the fire in your eyes. Johnny bear, would you be a dear." She said as she stood from his lap and walked back to the mare.
"Sure thing sweet heart. You will feel a bit drained but you'll feel better after a good rest. Stand up for me please." He said as he walked around to the table and stood in front of me. He put his finger over my chest and slowly white light was poured out and formed a ball on his finger tip. Once he was done I tiredly fell back into my chair.
"You weren't kidding." I said as I leaned back in the chair as he walked up to Solara.
"John, how many times must I tell you not to step on beautiful flowers. Look, they're wilting now." She said as she pointed to his feet where he left a trail of wilted flowers.
"Oh I'm sorry dearest." He said before floating above the flowers.
"It's alright." She said as she placed her hand on the ground and made the flowers beautiful again.
"Is this enough for you sweetie?" He asked as he lowered the ball of life to her waiting hand.
"Just perfect. Come her little one so your life can start anew." She said as she held up her other hand and a small light green ball of light.
"It's amazing how a soul that has yet to look upon its mothers face can feel so much love for her. In all this time it has yet to leave her side." She said as she looked at the green soul lovingly before lowering it and the ball of life down to the mare and watched as they both faded into her body. Light began to spread over her and restored her body and healed any decay before it faded away.
"There we go." She said as John lowered his hand to help her back to her feet.
"And with that your boon has been granted." John said as he held his love tight against his body.
"Now you both should get some rest. We'll see you again my sweet Fox and thanks for the delicious sweets." She said with a wave as she and John disappeared along with the table only leaving behind the chair I sat in.
"They make a nice couple. Now let's get home." I said as I stood from the chair and opened a portal back home before gently picking up the mare and walked through into my living room where Blake, Merrin, and Rosy sat on the couch watching cat videos on YouTube.
"It's about time. Merrin said you left with Princess Luna and that mare. Wait, is that her?" Rosy asked as she flew up to my head and hugged me with Alya and Tammy with her.
"Yep she's had a pretty bad life but that changes today." I said as I gently laid her down on the couch.
"So what happened to her. She looks completely normal now?" Merrin asked as she looked at the mare.
"Accept she doesn't have a cutie mark." Blake said as he poked her flank with a paw.
"You know I never noticed that huh." I said as I pulled a blanket from the nearby closet and draped it over her.
"You goin to tell us what happened or not." Blake said as he closed the laptop and jumped to the top of the couch.
"I'll tell you in the morning but (yawn) I'm pooped and ready for some sleep." I said with a yawn before heading to my room.
"Yeah it is past midnight.(yawn)" Merrin said as she followed me while Blake stretched before jumping onto her back. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.