//------------------------------// // Chapter 36 // Story: Hostile History // by Jest //------------------------------// Broken Stone trod slowly through town, his hooves barely making a sound as he slunk through the shadows. Aiding his quiet passage was a small application of earth pony magic, used to ensure that no one heard him. Not like there were many people around in the first place, as nearly everyone from the mines was at home, likely eating by then. He was not among their ranks however and neither were the black cloaked stallions he saw occaisonally moving about. Watching one of them especially close, Broken Stone could tell that their bulky golden armor was hidden beneath a layer of heavy cloth. They also tended to travel alone, or in pairs, with the exception being the four he saw gathered near the entrance to the apothecary’s home. Unlike in the rest of the town, here they had assembled into a small semi circle and were speaking to one another in hushed tones. They also occasionally rebuffed the odd pony who tried to enter the structure in order to see their stricken loved ones. Neighbors, friends, and parents alike were told off, sometimes with force, though usually through mere stern words. For a moment Broken Stone considered the straightforward approach, but quickly brushed that thought aside. He was barely a match for one royal guard, but four, in the middle of town? That was just plain stupid. No, he would need to think about this carefully, and plan out his actions with great caution. As Broken Stone fell into introspection, Sunset Shimmer emerged from his thoughts, the girl battered by confusion. It was growing increasingly difficult for her to tell when it was her or Broken Stone thinking, yet it felt natural. A sensation which was as comforting as it was disconcerting. A sudden movement made Sunset turn her attention once more to what lay before her. Broken Stone had made up his mind, and was winding about the back of the apothecary’s home, his pace slow. Keeping to the shadows, he crept patiently through the underbrush, careful to not make a sound. Once he managed to get around to the backside, he peered into a window, and beheld a great number of ponies. It almost looked like half the town was inside, packed into a single floor and arrayed on numerous beds. Though concerning in its own right, Broken Stone focused not on those many half remembered faces, but the two he knew instinctively. Flicker Feather and Silver Springs lay together near the entrance to the home, the filly laying atop her mother’s chest. They both looked out of it, and their bodies were covered in red sores yet they were relatively still. So still in fact that Broken Stone wondered if they were dead, until his wife rose and used a handkerchief, causing their daughter to adjust herself. Broken Stone’s flat teeth ground together, and an angry mutter spilled from his lips. He wanted to once more go in there and retrieve them but again he stopped himself before that could happen. Like out front, the inside of the apothecary’s was guarded by a half dozen of the bird masked royal guards. Each of whom were busy either tending to the sick alongside the apothecary, or were standing inside, watching the door. Subduing his anger beneath a mass of cold logic, Broken Stone slipped back into the bushes and around the corner. There he strolled casually around town, occasionally chatting with someone he knew, or pretending to shop at what few stalls remained. He hid his disgust at their outrageous prices, and kept his eyes open, always watching for a stray guard wandering alone. Within a few minutes he managed to locate one such individual, their strides confident and purposeful. Following behind the bird masked guard, Broken Stone kept a good, careful distance between them. It wasn't long before the royal guard had made his way to a lone house away from the rest of the town. Little more than a lean-to with sturdier walls, the structure was home to a small number of miners who he had never met. Three mares and a lone stallion, Broken Stone recalled that they were in a herd, though that was all he could recall of them. Either way they accepted the royal guard inside after only a brief conversation, though they were clearly annoyed by his presence. Broken Stone shifted position once more, clambering up onto a low branch in order to peer into an open window. There he could observe, but not hear what was going on inside. That was fine though, as he could get the jist of what was happening from body language alone. The royal guard had set the diminutive male down on the lone bed and was using some manner of spell on him. Nearly a minute passed before finally the unicorn’s horn dimmed, and the miners all looked at him expectantly. The solider then shook his head sadly, and pointed back towards the entrance to the home. There was some yelling, and a brief argument but in the end the male left along with the guard. Behind them, his partners sobbed, clutching one another closely while their lover was directed away. The bird masked pony only remained for a moment to cast one more spell on the house, which caused the home to glow briefly. That light faded quickly, though Broken Stone could tell that there was a small, nearly invisible rune left just above the door. He clambered down from the tree, and followed after the soldier as well as his captive as they walked back towards town. A few minutes passed, and by the time they had nearly reached the apothecary, his fellow miner was turning a bright red. Like the others, he was pushed inside, the door slammed shut behind him, leaving the male in the care of the guards. Broken Stone hummed to himself as he wound his way around the soldiers and started to trot away. Walking casually, the stallion made his way down the town’s main road, and towards the mine, a plan forming in his head. Though his work was not his true destination, rather it was the winding, narrow road which led up to it that was. It took a few minutes, but eventually he managed to find a secluded spot away from prying eyes. Hidden from sight of the town by a small mass of rather resilient trees and bushes, the flat expanse was especially overgrown. There he quickly checked his sides before nestling into a tight nook he carved out in the cliff face next to the path. He didn't have to wait long before his target grew close, the lone royal guard slowly trotting up towards the mine. With his hooves glowing brightly, Broken Stone prepared himself for the ambush to come. And sprung it perfectly, the bird masked pony not even noticing the faintly shimmering patch of rock even as he walked across it. Their hooves sunk into the ground like it was a liquid, their struggles abruptly ended when the stone became hard once more. Their horn lit up, no doubt to prepare some manner of escape, but Broken Stone was already upon them. His hoof slammed into the base of their horn, stopping the golden glow, and causing them to shriek in pain. He then lept upon the guard’s back and wrapped a hoof around their throat. “No sudden moves, and no spells, got it?” Broken Stone demanded. “W-what, who are you? Why did you attack me?” shouted the soldier. “I’m asking the questions here,” Broken Stone retorted, tightening his grip. “Now unless you can survive getting your neck snapped, I’d suggest you start talking.” “Stars above, yes. I’ll tell you whatever you want!” shrieked the guard. “Good. Now why are the royal guards here and what have you been doing to people?” Broken Stone demanded. “We’ve been sent to contain the scarlet fever outbreak reported in the area,” answered the soldier. “It spread from a merchant that left a few days ago.” “Bullshit,” Broken Stone stated. “A merchant hasn't left town in over a month.” “Did I mean leave? I meant arrive,” the guard hastily replied. “That was a trick question, you were right the first time,” Broken Stone exclaimed, his grip tightening even further. “Now I’m going to ask you this one more time, and if I don't like your answer I’m going to break your neck like I would a twig. Got it?” The guard gulped audibly and nodded. “What are you really doing here?” Broken Stone demanded in a low tone. “Were…” the soldier hesitated, as if silently weighing the pros and cons. Broken Stone’s foreleg flexed just enough that the guard was struggling to breathe. “Think long and hard,” warned the earth pony. “Were… spreading it. The infection can only be transfered by magic,” the guard admitted. “I knew it. Why are you doing this?” Broken Stone shouted, his grip relaxing slightly. “The local lord, he arranged for the sale of his land to Equestria, and so it must be made ready for Equestrian colonists,” whined the guard, who tugged at his throat. “We were ordered to get rid of anyone who may oppose the sale.” “My family wouldn't oppose such a thing, nor would I,” Broken Stone exclaimed. “Why infect them?” The guard struggled briefly, his breathing harsh. “I don't know. My job was just to act as a go between the commander and the lord. That's all I’ve been told, honest!” Broken Stone grit his teeth and tightened his grip even more, causing the pony to scramble with ever increasing desperation. The unicorn struggled to breathe, and his horn flickered but without the ability to concentrate he couldn't do more than that. Seconds ticked by as the unicorn struggled, and Broken Stone considered killing him, only for the other stallion to fall slack. With the threat removed, Broken Stone sighed and released his hold before turning the stone to mud. He then extracted the guard, and threw him across his back before making his way up towards the mine entrance. Taking a side route that few used, or even knew about, Broken Stone avoided the major road and wound his way up to a small cave. From the beaten path the narrow opening was obscured by a thorny bush which once pushed out of the way revealed the entrance. Broken Stone leaned down and shuffled awkwardly into the narrow cave, careful to not injure his passenger while he did so. Once he was fairly deep, Broken Stone deposited the guard on the ground and bound him securely with a wide band of stone around his belly. It wasn't perfect, but Broken Stone couldn't come up with anything better at the moment. With that thought in mind he trotted back towards the entrance and began to gather power. Which he used to cover up the opening with a thin wall of stone, locking away his prisoner and ensuring no one would find him. He must have at least a day’s worth of oxygen in there. Sunset realized, the human regaining her sense of self as the situation calmed itself. So Broken must be planning on coming back relatively soon otherwise he would have just killed him when he had the chance. Sunset briefly worried about just how deeply she had fallen into the stallion’s mind but soon dismissed it. All she needed was a chance to decompress after this was all over, she thought to herself. Her mental justifications vanished the moment Broken Stone slunk up to the backside of a small cabin built on the slope of a hill. His hoof gently wrapped against the window before silence once more returned. There he waited, Broken Stone’s eyes constantly flicking about the clearing, half expecting a royal guard to emerge. None did, though the sight of his short friend did after a minute of waiting. Nimble Hooves peered down at Broken Stone in confusion before disappearing from sight. He reappeared a few seconds later, peeking out from around the edge of his home. “What are you doing sneaking around like this?” he whispered in a quiet, yet harsh tone. “You’re going to draw undue suspicion on us.” “It's urgent,” Broken Stone replied. “I’ve figured out what the royal guard is doing in town and I need you to gather up everyone we can trust.” Nimble Hooves blinked. “What are you talking about, Stone? What the hell is going on?” “I’ll explain everything in a little bit but you just have to trust me,” Broken Stone answered, stressing the word trust. The stallions stared at one another for several seconds before Nimble Hooves finally nodded and broke the silence. “Alright. I’ll trust you,” he muttered. “Get every trustworthy pony you know down to that little cave south of the mine. I’ll explain everything there,” Broken Stone declared. “You had better. Just doing this puts our plans in jeopardy,” Nimble Hooves remarked. “It will be worth it. Your life, and the lives of everyone in town are already in jeopardy,” Broken Stone exclaimed. Nimble Hooves nodded. “It will take a few hours to gather everyone discretley.” “Perfect. That gives me time to go back home and check if the books have anything helpful in them,” Broken Stone replied. “This better be as big as you say it is because this could very easily blow up in our faces,” Nimble Hooves declared. “They have my wife, and daughter, Nimble,” Broken Stone shot back. The other stallion raised his hooves defensively. “Say no more boss. I’ll get right on it.” Broken Stone took a slow inhale followed by an equally lengthy exhale. “Sorry Nimble. Just trust me on this one okay?” “Of course. Go on, I’ll see you again soon,” Nimble Hooves urged. Broken Stone nodded. “Right, good luck.” The two then parted, with Broken Hooves slipping back onto the main road and making his way back home at a leisurely pace. His slow, unbothered gait aroused little suspicion, and no one stopped him during his lengthy trek. Only when his small house was in view did Broken Stone pick up the pace, trotting through the front door and rushing over to the bed. His hooves sought out the loose floor board, only for something to stop him before he could pry it loose. He turned, and glanced over his shoulder towards the letter sitting on the table, its elegant writing calling his name. With his curiosity now burning hot, the stallion trotted over to the slip of paper, and tugged it open. Dear Mister Stone. It has come to my attention that you might be in the possession of several very important books. I would be interested in either purchasing them from you, or simply obtaining a copy for myself. I’ll be frank, my intention is to preserve this literature from Celestia’s purges and you have in your possession one of the last copies. Furthermore, I am willing to offer you a considerable sum for a copy. Additionally I would like to employ you if at all possible, though we can discuss that at a later date if you’d like. Please give my offer some thought, and when you have made up your mind simply state your response to this peice of paper. Proclaiming that you would “Not like a meeting.” or that you “would like a meeting.” would be sufficient. Thank you for your time. Perfect Tempo. Broken Stone blinked, and was about to put the piece of paper down when he noticed a small chunk of writing near the bottom which he had missed. Additionally. Some employees of mine mentioned that a squad of plague doctors was making their way in your direction. I would advise you to leave if at all possible, and if you can't then I would suggest that you prepare for a fight. Also, if you have the books that I think you do, then the information on page two hundred and seven of the second volume may be able to help you. Good luck. Broken Stone blinked. “Huh,” he muttered. Sunset Shimmer blinked rapidly, looking around the blank room for a moment before her eyes went wide. “Who are you, and how did I get here?” she demanded, spinning around and gazing up at Perfect Tempo in terror. “Stars above, what are you?” “Sunset, it's us. Perfect Tempo, and Twilight Sparkle,” offered the other girl in a calm tone. Sunset quickly backpedaled, and tripped over the edge of the table, falling to the ground. “Whose Sunset? Where did…” Sunset Shimmer trailed off. “She's used too many of the orbs in rapid succession, we need to restrain her,” Perfect Tempo stated. “Just give me a second,” Twilight interjected, putting herself between Sunset and Perfect. “I’m sure she’ll come to her senses in a second.” “What is this place? How did I get here?” Sunset demanded. Twilight Sparkle knelt down in front of her friend, a wide, pity filled smile crossing her face. “You’re among friends, and your name is Sunset Shimmer, do you remember that?” “I…” Sunset Shimmer frowned. “I do.” “Do you remember where you are?” Twilight pressed. Sunset Shimmer nodded slowly. “Perfect Tempo’s vault, we were here to investigate those memory orbs from Broken Stone.” “Which you were using,” Twilight finished. “Right,” Sunset Shimmer muttered, a hand going to her head. “Wow, that was intense. His emotions were so powerful. It felt like it was me who was feeling them.” “Earth pony magic is especially emotion driven, even moreso than normal spells,” Perfect Tempo offered. “His memories will fade quickly, but you need to take a break, understood?” “Err right, of course,” Sunset Shimmer admitted. “Would you like some water or something?” Twilight offered, extending a hand. “You’ve been out of it for a while.” “No, I’m fine,” Sunset Shimmer replied, only to shake her head. “On second thought that sounds nice, and maybe I could use the washroom as well.” “Absolutely,” Perfect Tempo exclaimed. “Follow me.”