//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Swept // Story: The Warden: Part 3, Dream of the Warden // by FortressLegacy //------------------------------// After a few moments, both ponies found themselves in a completely new environment. They were in an old city street, surrounded by buildings of an archaic style which had long since gone out of favor. The stone, wood, and mortar structures were all several stories high, blocking the sun and lining each side of the narrow street. The street beneath them was muddy and wet, a putrid scent lingered heavily in the air, and the state of the buildings around them was less than ideal. Clearly, they were in a lower class district of the town, a fact further cemented by the presence of disheveled ponies dressed in ragged garments that barely could be considered to be clothing. "Halterburg…" The Warden said quietly, causing Luna's ears to twitch as her attention shifted to the stallion standing beside her. "Indeed." She responded, recalling her occasional visits to the ancient city. It was thousands of years old, having been founded during the age of old Equestria, predating both her and Celestia. It had even managed to survive the reign of Discord, but not without significant degradation, as could be seen. She took in her surroundings, thankful that Celestia had managed to improve the quality of life for ponies who lived in such cities since then. It had to have been quite a challenge, even for the Princess of the sun… Luna would have been happy to help, but she had been banished to the moon, leaving her sister to shoulder all the weight of improving the kingdom… A pang of guilt shot through her heart, knowing that not all of the consequences of her failure to contain Nightmare Moon were immediate. The aftereffects echoed for centuries, and delayed Equestria's development, costing ponies their lives and- Luna shook her head forcefully, trying to disperse the guilt that was accumulating. She had to remain focused and hopeful. Dwelling on how much better things would have been if she had never succumbed to Nightmare Moon was not going to have any positive effect, least of all now, when she was trying to gain the Warden's forgiveness… Just then, a thought struck her. "If I may, Warden…" She asked with a hint of wariness. "What was the journey to here like?" The Warden glanced up at her for a moment. "Tiring." He replied bluntly. "It took about five days and over fifty miles." Luna sighed. That had to have been an arduous thing to undergo, especially for a young colt. "But you made it?" She asked tentatively. The Warden nodded, gesturing down the far side of the street. There, walking down the street, was young Casemate. He looked tired and haggard, and was looking all around, trying to gain his bearings among the maze of winding streets that Halterburg was infamous for. In his eyes were an expression of uncertainty and apprehension, clearly shown in his body language as well, his head hanging low and his ears constantly swiveling, trying to get the slightest clue of where he needed to go. As he walked along, a stallion came along the street, staggering in the opposite direction.  The colt stopped, took a moment to steel his nerves, and courageously stepped towards the approaching stallion. "Excuse me," Young Casemate asked. "Do you know where-" "Back off!" The stallion slurred drunkenly, glaring at the colt, taking a threatening step towards him. "If you even try to rob me, I'll kill you!" Casemate's eyes widened with a hint of fear as he lunged back away from the stallion, putting more distance between them. Thankfully, the hostile stallion simply stared as he continued on his way, wobbling as he walked. Casemate hung his head and sighed in a discouraged manner as the stallion walked off. Although he didn't say anything, Luna could tell that he was feeling hopeless, not unlike how he was in the last sequence. Her heart ached for the colt, hoping that things would work out. They had to, since he would eventually gain a family. But how? Meanwhile, young Casemate continued wandering down the street, and Luna began to trot after him. The Warden followed closely, keeping alongside the princess. After a minute of watching the Warden's younger self walk along, Luna couldn't hold back the urge to ask a question. "What happens here?" She asked, turning her head towards the Warden, her turquoise eyes showing no small amount of concern. "Do you recall?" The Warden nodded, still watching the image of his former self. "Yes. Do you see that alley?" He asked, pointing out ahead with a hoof. "Watch what happens when I walk past it." Luna followed his gesture, and saw a particularly dark but large alleyway situated between two dilapidated buildings. It was quite ominous, and the princess felt a small shiver going down her backbone. What was waiting in there? Was it something bad? For the colt's sake, she hoped not. The Warden had already been subjected to far more pain as a colt than many ponies did prior to reaching adulthood. Young Casemate continued on his way, walking slowly towards this darkened section of the street. He looked around with his green eyes, taking in his surroundings. His ears drooped slightly, indicating that he was not oblivious to the dangers posed by this place.  Still, he continued onwards. He was many miles from his home and his father, having fended for himself and survived for however long it took him to get here. Luna sighed. Even as a colt, the Warden was courageous and brave.  Or was it desperation? She knew just how desperately he wanted to get away from his father and find a loving family. In either case, Casemate clearly knew that he had to keep on going… After a short period of time, the colt finally approached the mouth alley. Princess Luna felt her heart beat harder. What was going to happen? As Casemate walked past the darkened alley, he froze, his ears perking. He heard something. He looked into the alley, and as Luna strode up, she did as well. Although it was dark, she could make out a handful of small ponies within, grouped together and conversing. They were all foals, varying in age. One in particular, an orange colt, stood taller than the rest. He looked larger and stronger than the rest, and was probably a teen. Two other colts stood around him, talking and laughing. They both looked up to the orange one, being smaller in size and younger by a few years. Young Casemate's eyes began to show a glimmer of hope. Perhaps they would be less hostile? After a moment, Casemate turned, and walked into the alley. Luna felt an instinctual urge to keep him from walking into what could be a dangerous situation, but the knowledge that she was limited to being a witness of this event kept her from acting in vain. Her protective nature pulled on her heart, all the same. She and the Warden followed the colt into the alley, awaiting what would come next. Luna felt a sense of dread within her, so it was a bit of a surprise when she glanced over at the Warden and saw a completely neutral expression on his face. There was no anger, no fear, no pain. This eased Luna's fears a bit. The Warden had to have remembered this. If he was showing no signs of fear or reluctance watching this, then maybe his younger self wasn't walking into a bad situation after all… The three colts continued to laugh and talk, discussing things and using slang that would not be deemed appropriate in modern Equestria. Then, the big orange one noticed Casemate tentatively approaching. "What d'ya want, runt?" The oldest colt asked with a derogatory tone. The other two colts turned around, looking Casemate over. One of them, a green one, laughed quietly, seeming to find amusement in the verbal abuse. Luna began to seriously reconsider her hopes that this was not as bad as it seemed. Young Casemate stopped where he was, looking uncertain. "I am looking for Stirrup Street." He said in a clear yet apprehensive tone. "Do you know where it is?" The two colts looked a bit surprised. The green one fell silent, glaring. "What makes ya think you can talk to Sweeper like that, wimp?" He asked, a smirk on his face. Casemate sighed. "If you tell me where I can find it, I'll go." The three colts did not immediately reply, looking at Casemate with a mixture of expressions. Then the third colt, a brown one, began to stride towards Casemate, glaring. "Why ya little piece of cud… Do you know what 'appens to colts like ya who insult Sweeper?" He asked in a threatening tone, getting closer. Luna felt her heart rate increase and her eyes widened with worry. Each of those colts were larger and older than Casemate. This was not looking good. But then, the orange colt spoke up. "Ah, 'old up, Barley! He ain't from round 'ere…" The brown colt turned his head towards the eldest colt, looking confused, as did the green one. The orange colt took a few steps forward, compelling the two others to step aside. Whoever he was, the orange colt seemed to exercise a strong amount of influence over the others. He walked closer to Casemate, seeming to tower over the Warden's younger self. He tilted his head, looking closely at Casemate. Young Casemate took one step back, then held his ground, staring right back at the larger colt before him. Luna could see that he was intimidated, but was not trying to show it. For a few seconds, the two colts looked at each other, each seeming to size the other up. Then, the orange one spoke, sounding stern. "You're new 'ere, aren't ya?" He asked, glaring at Casemate. Casemate looked uncertain about what to make of the situation. However he was already committed, and he nodded. "I am." The orange one stroked his chin, nodding thoughtfully. "Hm… Is that right? Ya said ya was lookin' for Stirrup Street?" Young Casemate nodded again. His body language still showed caution, but he did seem to show some signs of relief. "Well, ya ain't gonna find it round 'ere." The orange one replied. "Sirrup Street's up in the 'igh district, where the rich folk live." The oldest colt pointed off in the direction where the high district was supposedly located. Luna heard young Casemate exhale quietly. "Alright." He responded, nodding his head. "I'll be going now." Young Casemate turned around, preparing to leave. However, the orange colt placed a hoof firmly on his shoulder. "Now 'old on a moment, runt…" He said with a sneer, his tone having shifted lower. "I didn't give ya permission to go yet…" The green colt began to snicker, and the brown one smirked. Casemate simply stopped where he was, being held back by the orange colt, who continued to speak. "You're new, and that means I need to teach ya who's in charge round 'ere." "Yeah!" The green colt said loudly. "Sweeper's the boss, and ya need ta learn what will 'appen to ya if ya ever cross 'im ag-" Sweeper shot a fierce glare at the green colt, who immediately shut up. "I don't need ya to speak for me, Mossy!" He said angrily. He then twirled Casemate around, who could not resist Sweeper's greater strength. Then, he spoke again, this time to Casemate. "Me name's Sweeper, and I'm your new boss, runt. I don't know what business you 'ave wit' the rich folk, but I know that they're stuck up and ignore us down 'ere…" He said in low, threatening tone. "If ya belong with those rich folk, then ya need to be straightened out. Nopony disrespects me… Least of all a little blue runt like you…" "Thrash 'im good, Sweeper!" Barley shouted. "Teach 'im why you're the boss!" Princess Luna watched on in disbelief. This was what she was fearing. Young Casemate was smaller than each of the colts, and was outnumbered three to one. To make things worse, Sweeper, the biggest of the colts, was about to deliver a beatdown to Casemate! She wished that she could just intervene and get Casemate out of there, but she reminded herself yet again that this was a dream, and there was no meaningful way that she could stop what was about to happen. Young Casemate's eyes widened as he realized that things were about to go south. Sweeper picked him up with a grunt, pushing him into one of the walls flanking the alleyway. Casemate exhaled forcefully as he impacted the stone wall, clearly in pain. "This will be fun!" Sweeper laughed mockingly. "This will be easier than beatin' a filly!" He walked closer to Casemate, trapping him against the wall. He raised a foreleg, smiling as he prepared to land a blow on the smaller colt. Luna put a hoof to her mouth. She could not look away, despite her immense dread at what was unfolding before her. Then, she heard a slight chuckle from beside her. "That poor fool…" The Warden whispered. This remark immediately caused Luna to question why the Warden had been so calm watching all this happen. What did he know that she didn't? What was really happening? She continued to watch, and suddenly, things took a turn. While he was coiling for a vicious blow on his victim, Sweeper was wide open, confident that Casemate posed no threat. How wrong he was… With near perfect timing, Casemate brought one of his forward knees up, catching the larger colt under his chest! Sweeper immediately wheezed as the air was forced from his lungs, and he lashed out with his coiled leg. However, he was already too shaken to land the blow properly, hitting Casemate's back with more of a slap than a proper blow. Casemate easily shrugged off the sloppy hit, and braced his hind legs on the wall behind him. Pushing off of the wall, he launched himself into Sweeper! Despite Sweeper's size and strength advantage, he was desperately trying to inhale, and was obviously stunned. Sweeper staggered back, and Casemate remained where he was, landing on all his hooves. Princess Luna was gobsmacked. Her mouth opened as her brain registered the sudden reversal. Despite his smaller size, young Casemate had broken out! She shot a side glance at the Warden, who had a smug expression on his face, watching this development unfold. Even as a colt, the Warden was not a pushover. This fact struck Luna for the very first time. No wonder the Warden was such an accomplished fighter. He had been fighting since he was a foal! Her amazement was not over yet, however. She was now hoping that Casemate would make a run for it, having a clear path to the street. But the colt remained where he stood, staring wrathfully at Sweeper, defiant and furious. Knowing firsthand how tenacious he could be when angry, Luna felt chills run down her spine. Just as how the Warden had once fought to kill both her and her sister, he was not going to let Sweeper off easy. A second or two after being shoved back, Sweeper finally inhaled. His eyes were wide, showing just how awed he was. Barley and Mossy also looked on, mouths agape. "Wha- 'Ey!" Mossy yelled in consternation. "Ya can't do that!" "Get 'im!" Barley shouted, lunging forwards at Casemate along with Mossy. But Sweeper raised a hoof, compelling the pair to come to a sliding halt. "No!" He barked, standing back up to his full height. His tuscan red eyes shone hatefully at young Casemate, who was still standing and staring just as hatefully in defiance up at him. "He is mine." Sweeper growled, lowering into a fighting stance. "I'm gonna make the runt bleed." Casemate looked around him, beginning to weigh his options a little too late. His opportunity to run had passed, so there was only one option left. In the blink of an eye, he had adopted a fighting stance of his own. Princess Luna immediately recognized the stance from when he was being trained with his father. This raised some mixed feelings within her. His father was abusive, sure. But she could not deny that his training was certainly paying off, harsh as Bastion was. After a few very tense moments, Sweeper lunged forwards with an angry roar, swinging a hoof at Casemate. Casemate ducked, letting Sweeper's hoof whoosh over his head, stirring up his silver gray mane. He then lashed out with one of his own hooves, catching Sweeper in his side. Sweeper grunted, but didn't flinch much. He bared his teeth, and shoved Casemate with his shoulder. The smaller colt moved back, allowing Sweeper to push him without losing his footing. Sweeper then swung again, shouting explicatives at Casemate as he aimed for his legs. But again, Casemate dodged to the side barely avoiding Sweeper's attack. Then, things took a turn. Failing to watch where he was stepping, one of Casemate's hind hooves landed on a discarded glass bottle! Losing his balance, he fell hard on his back with a sharp exclamation.  Sensing an opportunity, Sweeper rushed to take full advantage. With impressive speed, he suddenly loomed over Casemate, and pressed his forehooves onto his chest. Casemate cried out angrily, and tried to break free, but he was pinned by the larger colt. "Got ya now!" Sweeper growled maliciously, lifting a hoof up and bringing it down onto Casemate's head with an audible smack. The young colt's face grimaced as tears came to his eyes, brought about by the fierce onset of pain. Luna winced. That sounded painful. "Come on…" She said beneath her breath. She was not fully aware, but she was on the verge of cheering on the Warden's younger self, hoping above all else that he would turn this around. However, Casemate was helpless. Try as he might, he was too young and small to even hope to match Sweeper's strength.  Again, Sweeper brought a heavy blow to the side of Casemate's head, and again, Casemate had no choice but to take it. This was getting worse by the second. He had no way to break loose… Or so Luna thought. As Sweeper prepared another blow to Casemate's face, Casemate's eyes opened with an expression of pure anger. "GET OFF!" He roared, summoning the strength and focus to plow both of his hind hooves into Sweeper's stomach. Sweeper yelped in pain, jumping back and hunching over. Casemate did not wait. He jumped up to his hooves, and grabbed the glass bottle that he had tripped on a few seconds ago in his mouth. Luna was amazed. Casemate was back on top! He swung his head back, coiling up in preparation of a fierce strike. He took aim at Sweeper, who was just now raising his head with an expression of shock. Casemate swung around, the bottle in his teeth, putting all his weight and momentum behind him. Sweeper was not fast enough to get out of the way. All he could do was make an utterance of fear as he closed his eyes. When Casemate's bottle impacted Sweeper's face, the sound of shattering glass filled the air. Then, there was pure silence. Sweeper stared at Casemate for a second, not moving a muscle. Luna had to do a double take. A blow like that had to have caused some damage. Then, Sweeper made a pained noise as he tried to speak. Instead of words, a few bloody teeth came out of his mouth instead. He looked down at his former teeth on the ground, then looked up at Casemate with wide eyes, his face beginning to bleed as well from a gash on his snout. "W-wha?" He said quietly, his voice cracking and trembling. Clearly, he hadn't experienced losing teeth before… Barley and Mossy were dumbstruck. They simply stared with fear at the young colt who had just given their leader the hardest blow of his life. Casemate spit the remaining piece of the bottle out of his mouth, scowling. Luna finally remembered to breathe. Since Casemate had smashed the bottle on Sweeper's face, she had caught her breath. Was it over? Not yet. Casemate gave a furious cry, and rushed at Sweeper, his green eyes seeming to blaze with unbridled fury. "WHO'S THE RUNT?!" Young Casemate roared. "HE'S GONNA MAKE YOU BLEED!" Sweeper gave a terrified cry as he desperately stumbled back, the cowardice of the bully finally surfacing. "AAAAAGH! NO! I'M SORRY! GET AWAY!" He immediately broke into an all out sprint, running for the street outside the alley. Casemate stopped once he saw Sweeper running away, and turned to face the other two colts. However, they too were running away, bolting for a tall stone wall. Casemate broke into a sprint, chasing after them both. "RUN!" Mossy practically shrieked, followed closely by Barley. They both scrambled up a wobbly stack of crates, the only way for the colts to escape over the wall. Mossy jumped over the top first, trying to get away as fast as he could. Barley, however, still had some wits about him. He paused as he straddled the top of the wall, watching Casemate run closer. "GET DOWN HERE!" Casemate yelled, baring his teeth. Barley's eyes flashed in fear, and he kicked the stack of crates. They began to lean, and Casemate saw that they were going over. He jumped over to the side, barely avoiding them. They clattered and smashed onto the ground, planks and dust flying a short distance. Now without a way to climb the wall and pursue the others, Casemate simply glared up at Barley, who stared right back in awe. Then, after a few seconds, Barley jumped down the other side, leaving Casemate by himself. As the seconds passed, Casemate’s gaze fell downwards, and he gave a deep sigh, letting the adrenaline and anger leave his body. He sat down on the ground, and wiped a little blood from his head where Sweeper had hit him. The fight was over. Luna visibly relaxed as she felt the pent up anxiety from watching the tense encounter leave her body. That was nothing short of incredible. A colt successfully took on a bigger and stronger opponent, and scared all three of his foes away! Any normal colt would have been beaten into submission by Sweeper the bully. But not the colt that would become the Warden. Even as a child, the Warden showed immense resilience and ferocity, both traits that made him perhaps the most capable fighter that Luna had ever known. It didn't really come as a massive surprise, though. He would have both her and Celestia at his mercy at Canterlot, after all… She looked at the Warden, who also seemed to be calming down. In fact, his eyes showed a slight sparkle, showing that he was feeling slight happiness. This felt out of character to Luna. She had come to know only his anger and wrath since he had returned. They both remained where they stood, and Luna thought about what she should say to break the silence. "It is truly remarkable, what you had accomplished just then." She finally said, still watching the Warden. "You have every right to be proud of that." The Warden merely looked up at her.  "The best part is yet to come." He explained. "Watch." What else was there? Luna pondered this, but shifted her gaze back to the colt in the alley, who was still recovering from the fight. Things remained more or less the same for about a minute, with Casemate remaining seated. Then, a quiet cough sounded in the alley. Casemate shot upright in an instant. He did not make that sound. He looked all around, his ears swiveling back and forth, trying to make out who had coughed. He adopted a lowered stance, looking uneasy and ready to fight again. Then, another cough, a bit louder and clearer. This time, Casemate found where it was coming from. He turned to where the stack of crates once were. Although the stack had been toppled, the crate that had been on the bottom was still upright and in place. The coughing had appeared to come from within that crate… Young Casemate's eyes narrowed, and his brow lowered suspiciously. He began to cautiously walk forward, going around the fallen crates. A tarp was partially draped over the crate in question, concealing what was presumably the open side. If there was somepony inside, moving it away would most certainly reveal who or what was inside. Luna watched on with interest, the possibilities running through her mind. She walked further into the alley, almost beside the image of the colt as he approached. Casemate drew close, within reach of the tarp. He inhaled deeply, preparing to face whatever would come next. He put a hoof under the tarp, paused, and swiftly flipped it over the top of the crate. Luna gasped audibly, catching sight of who was inside. It was a filly. She was a little smaller than Casemate, probably about his age. Her fur appeared to be gray, but that was possibly due to her being dirty. Her mane and tail were long and messy, but Luna could see that they were a vibrant yellow beneath the dirt. The princess felt her heart drop. That- That's the Warden's wife! Or, his future wife, at least. There was no mistaking her. Luna remembered, not only from when she first entered the Warden's dream earlier, but from when she had lost control to Nightmare Moon, over a millennium ago. This was their first meeting?! The filly's bright blue eyes were wide with uncertainty and fear, and she shrunk back into the crate. Young Casemate almost immediately lost his combative aura, his ears perking upright as his own eyes widened slightly, confronted with this odd discovery. Both he and the filly just remained where they were, staring and looking at each other for what was possibly a minute or more. Then, he spoke. "Are you with those guys?" He asked, referring to Sweeper and the other colts whom he had scared off. The filly didn't say anything, simply shaking her head instead. Casemate continued to look at her, blinking a few times. Then, he stepped back, his expression having grown softer. The filly seemed to relax a bit, the fear in her face diminishing. As Casemate backed away, she crawled out of the crate, still watching Casemate carefully. Now that she was out, Luna could see her cutie mark: An edelweiss flower. The princess also noticed how thin she looked. She didn't appear healthy, that much was certain. Luna felt her heart begin to melt for her. She was clearly without a home, having to survive on the streets. While she was unsure whether she was living in the crate or hiding in it, it was obvious to Luna that the filly was frightened. The filly stood a distance away from Casemate, her eyes darting between him and the entrance leading to the street beyond. Casemate glanced behind him, and a silent realization flashed in his eyes. He looked back at the filly, and stepped to the side, offering a clear path for her to get out. "Go ahead." The colt said plainly, gesturing out towards the street. The filly wasted no time, and she swiftly scurried past Casemate, darting to the street. But then, just before running out of sight, she stopped and looked back at Casemate. All the fear and uncertainty in her eyes had gone away, being replaced by curiosity and a hint of gratitude. Casemate looked right back at her, his own eyes showing curiosity and a bit of wonder. This moment lasted for a few seconds, but for Luna, it felt like minutes. There was something magical about it. Perhaps it was the knowledge that two lovers to be had met for the first time?  Perhaps. The moment was finally broken when the filly managed a slight, grateful smile, before running away out of sight. Young Casemate continued to look out to where the filly used to be, his mind clearly working to process it all. Then, he blinked a few times, seeming to snap back into reality. His mission to find his aunt now took priority once more, and with a deep breath, he began to walk out of the alley, seeking to find Stirrup Street. Princess Luna's mind was running with many different thoughts and revelations as the memory finally came to an end. It was little wonder why this encounter was significant enough to be a milestone moment in the Warden's life. Not only did he manage to win a fight that was tilted against him, but he met his future love, too! She remained as she was, looking off into the distance as her sparkling mane and tail billowed gently. She turned her head to the Warden, who was also looking out thoughtfully. His eyes were shimmering, as if he had just seen something wonderful. Luna could sense a deep happiness and calm within him. This was completely unlike anything that she had felt from him before… Of course, she knew that it shouldn't come as a surprise. He had just relived the moment when he first met the love of his life after all. Deep within her, Luna felt a faint warmth defy the overwhelming shame and guilt. He was actually legitimately happy. It was subtle, and it wasn't much, but the fact remained that he was feeling happiness and love, in spite of what he had undergone. Who knew how much he missed that feeling? Even if it was not intentional, Luna felt some hope and happiness arise within her, more so than before. Seeing him like this was relieving. Then the Warden met her gaze. Immediately, the happiness in his expression disappeared, replaced by a look of hardness and even a bit of sadness, as if Luna’s very presence had reminded him of the fate of his soulmate. Upon seeing this sudden change, Luna's happiness instantly shattered as well. Reality set back in. It was Nightmare Moon who would ultimately separate him from her. Of course he would feel resentment against her… Luna felt her guilt set back in like a dagger to the chest. She averted her gaze, inhaling sharply as she looked back out. The fact that the undeserving filly would eventually fall victim to Nightmare Moon also caused her heart to ache. "N-next one?" She asked uncomfortably, hoping that he would give her permission to do so, and in turn, allow her to distract herself from her guilt. The Warden looked back where he was looking before. Luna could feel his usual anger burning within him now, contrasting with the hint of happiness that he was showing mere seconds ago. "Yes." He said in a clear and low tone, breathing deeply afterwards. The princess nodded. "Very well." She replied quietly, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the pain that was building in her heart once again. Her horn began to glow, and the two ponies soon were on their way to the next sequence.