//------------------------------// // Chapter 6-Fables and Mythos // Story: Dismay Turned Discord // by Reedling //------------------------------// Maua and Grue had made good progress through The Brush. They could almost see the village, but it seemed unnervingly crowded. The village had the ceremonial bonfire lit, the colors of its flames changing from blue to a bright green. “Maua...what is the fire for?” Grue whispered. “It’s an alarm. It means someone is being put on trial. The Chieftain is going way too far I fear.” She turned her head making sure he was looking at her as she continued. “Whatever happens, I need you to promise to stay strong, and not to let anyone force your destiny.” Her voice sounded more lovingly than a teacher should sound. It made Grue question why she was so interested in him. “I’ll try my best Maua.”, unsure of his own abilities. “We shouldn't wait any longer.” Maua’s neck raised up high, her hooves stepping hard with purpose as she entered the village with Grue right behind her, they started to overhear The Chieftain. “...The most severe of crimes! To grip at a life, and wish to end it before it’s path of memories was over. This zebra claims not only to conspire to kill one of our members, but they hid their motives until now because of fear! Fear...such a deadly poison. Now with haste we will hear this testimony. I hope none of you take the victim or the accused lightly. Come on out Fahdil.” What walked out from The Chieftain's hut was a small zebra, and anyone who looked quickly at her would simply believe this was Fahdil. But Grue looked with almost a hypnotic gaze at her eyes. They were purple. It wasn’t just the iris either, all but the pupil was tinted purple. “Is what I feared. That poison I was talking about...It poisons the mind, making it easier to distort the facts. Fahdil is being framed.” She whispered. “Tell us the truth. Little one.” The Chieftain commanded. Fahdil took a big gulp, tears building in her eyes as she started to speak, she closed her eyes and yelled “No!” The crowd gasped. “You defy your leader, nay your tribe of the truth?! Speak! Little one-Or your very silence is proof of your intent!” Sabra roared. “I -I never cared about Grue! He’s my best friend----so I let him think. I couldn’t wait to hurt him! If Hofu had just shut up about it! He’s the reason that freak is still around!” “Is that so!” Grue yelled. Part of the crowd turned with gasps of shock and confusion. “Grue don’t take her words too s-” The herbalist tried to tell the enrage hybrid, but she noticed Grue was not angry at all. He only yelled so the whole crowd could hear. “Yes. Every. word!” Her once cute giggle became warped and sinister. “Is that why the Fahdil I know warned be about the poison joke? You could’ve told Hofu where I was in The Brush. But. Instead you made me a gurney when I got sick,you brought me back here. Is that something, you would do to a being you hate?” He asked thinking he had caught whatever dark magic against her. “I was tricking you-you stupid half pony!”She went into a wild cackle. “Grue?! It’s good to see you are unharmed, but what are you talking about? The story Fahdil and my son told me said nothing about a gurney or you being ill at the time?” “Can I give you the truth then, sir?” “Please do, Grue.” “I was on an errand for Uchawi and Fahdil was helping lead me to the ingredients, since I have trouble remembering. But when we got to the second one, heart’s desire it was nighttime. I noticed through some bushes, Hofu and his friends. Since Hofu likes to bully me I tried my best to be quiet. I forgot that in the grass around the heart’s Desire was poison joke. The poison joke coated me, I could feel it everywhere ,it made me look like I fell asleep.” “Look like?” The Chieftain questioned. “The poison joke had made my eyes heavy, my muzzle numb, and my legs weak.”Grue answered, then continued. “My ears heard everything. Like the sound of Fahdil gathering leaves and pulling me into the gurney....and her softly crying, saying it was all her fault, that she didn’t warn me about the poison joke again. I heard the sound of many hooves jumping in and out of bushes and then jumping all at once scaring Fahdil to drop the gurney. But I think the sound that will help you the most, the sound I heard for what felt like hours. Was the sound of the gurney dragging on wet dirt.” “Which would have left a mark.” Sabra was catching onto Grue’s words. “It will explain why I haven’t told my story until now, who was left with me? Fahdil had been brought to you. which leaves Hofu and his gang alone with me.” “I know in the past my colt hasn’t treated you kindly, I saw it as him roughing you up a bit Grue. You always seemed a bit sensitive.”The Chieftain's eyes looked over to Maua. “There are things that if you knew, truly knew. You wouldn’t feel so safe out on your own, isn’t that right Maua?” Sabra barked as if insulting her with the innocence of the village not understanding just what he meant. “Being on your own is safe, dear Sabra. What’s unsafe is everyone else's motives.” Her lips smirking as she answered. Her words made Sabra’s head turn and he gritted his teeth in anger. “Fahdil, have you lied to me?” “No,sir.” “What do you think of Maua?” “What sir?” “Your herbalist,do you like her, Is she a great teacher?” “No, she’s horrible at teaching.” The Chieftain gave a sigh, turning to his villagers with a mournful face.“I-I must apologize to you all. It seems Fahdil is unwell. We will begin this trial from the beginning, for now a recess of...of...next afternoon. The evidence has changed.” With that two zebras picked up Fahdil, who hung limp as they carried her. They followed The Chieftain, who walked over to Grue and Maua. “Who’s hoofcraft is this?” “The ingredients I was supposed to get, Shade’s wort, heart’s desire and a frog’s gut.” “Which...is something Uchawi would use?” Maua leaned her muzzle close to The Chieftain telling him just what the ingredients were for. His heart beared heavy news. With this new information, he put Fahdil in Maua’s care. Then he and Grue walked back to where the trouble began. “It’s getting dark out, little one.”Sabra said calmly. “Just like last night, sir.”Grue admitted.The elder zebra smiled even giving a chuckle or two, for a moment he couldn’t remember why he didn’t like Grue. “My tribe, It hasn’t been too hard on you has it?” “No one looks me in the eye, not even my guardian. They think-I don’t know what they think.” “I think they have been misinformed. Your heart seems to be for the tribe. That is something I can respect.” “I-I’m not sure how to say this, without losing your respect...respect I probably just earned. But I don’t believe you. In fact don’t believe anything you tell me right now. My best friend just told me she wanted to kill me. How do I know these are your true feelings?” “Trust isn’t easily earned, I’m aware. Right now I bet the jury and spectators are groaning about how I wasted their whole afternoon on a story that with your evidence isn’t real at all. Though it’s probably the most interesting thing to happen to this village in a long time.” “Like the day a pony entered your village?” “Please. That is old news-” “It’s not old for me, sir...you made it so I couldn’t see my father. That’s a part of my life, maybe he can tell me why I don’t have stripes, or a mark yet?” “Grue...I know my motives seem out of place. But I hope you know I’ve tried my hardest to keep you, and your mother safe.” “My mother?....What are you trying to keep us safe from?” “Look! The marks from the gurney..they lead away from town? This isn’t the path Fahdil used?” “I know you want to keep us safe...I’m going to ask you this later and I’d like answers chieftain. I won’t be any safer with secrets.” “Perhaps you are right, secrets have done a number on our tribe as it is.” There were times when The Chieftain didn’t seem like he was himself. This wasn’t the tribe leader Grue knew, he was mean and abhorred the thought of talking to Grue. Grue guessed because of his pony traits, but he was never truly sure. Here he was almost spewing with more details about why he didn’t know his parents then the hybrid had ever heard his whole life. “Could this be the right chieftain,he has to be bewitched or drugged like Fahdil!” Grue thought,he turned his head to the tracks “Fahdil was bring me back to the village,these marks are fresher. These are the tracks of Hofu, bringing me to Lily’s lake.” “Lily’s lake is three miles away, not to mention. Pony territory.” His voice darkening with the very thought of more than one pony. “Well he didn’t walk all the way there I assure you. He just kicked me in, from the current of this river.” Grue insisted, his hooves imitating the motions as he told him. “Little one! Do you mean to tell me my son kicked you in the river while you were in that 'gurney'?” The Chieftain’s voice wasn’t one of shock or anger, just the dreaded feeling of disappointment. Grue nodded. “..and you heard him talk?” The elder zebra asked. “...I did.” Grue moved his brow in confusion, how did he know? “Little one! I fear there are even bigger evils at work, then what I first believed. I am not sure I am able to prevent this evil, since they have clouded my son’s judgement...There are some things you need to know before we end up butting heads again.” The elder’s voice was tense almost scared as he spoke. “Okay, tell me!”Grue insisted eager to know just who was behind all of this new trouble in his quiet village. “There was a unicorn by the name of Sirius Dusk. He was, at the time with a group of other races, griffons,and mules, and the like..They came here proclaiming the greatness of the Solus heirs. These two winged unicorns controlled night and day, protected your dreams and the land of Equestria with every power in their hoof. They wanted us to ally with them...but I think you are more interested with your father, Sirius Dusk aren’t you?” The Chieftain smiled watching Grue’s head violently shake. “We declined, but in a friendly manner offering them in exchange rest and food for their trip back home, Sirius was determined to prove to us it was foolish not to ally with Equestria. 'Zebra kind are almost equines, ‘part from the stripes that is,' In his words. I was just ushered in as the new chieftain close to that time...I couldn’t help feel uncomfortable around the unicorn. It wasn’t what he was, being a pony..but his magic. It was always frightening to see him use it, and if you looked at his eyes as he was using his powers. It was horrifying.” The elder zebra took a break, his memories of the past were haunting him, these were parts you could tell he wished he could forget. “My father scared you, because he was magical? I don't understand how it is scary..we use magic all the time.” “Little one, the magic we use is of the plants, and from the Earth. Sometimes a stronger spell calls on using the energy from our own bodies, but those aren’t the type of spells I do not condone using.” “Then you really need to talk to Uchawi, sir.” “After I’m finished talking with you, I’ll be sure to. Now..he stayed for a month, charming over a lot of the tribe with acts of kindness. When I felt compelled to throw him out, I would have been thrown out instead. It was that night that I saw a strange magic, it glowed and ebbed so bright I could see it shine through my hut, waking me up. Interested, I went to investigate, only to see Sirius with his glowing eyes and horn over my chosen, Maua.” “Wha-!” Grue started to yell, but Sabra shoved his hoof to the hybrid’s mouth before he could go any further, when Grue calmed down he started again. “What!? you were mates with Maua?....my father was using his magic on her?” Grue felt his insides tighten, horrified at the idea his father was a bad pony. “Being the Chieftain I had the right to mate with whom I wanted to. I choose Maua...for many reasons, Mostly for her smarts and compassion for young ones. As for Sirius Dusk I gave him a good buck in the head for touching her like that!” “But-why was he doing it?” Grue asked. “I assumed he was doing it....for you.” The Chieftain’s eyes drifted to the sky as he spoke. It was a beautiful day out, he never did spend much time away from his hut. At the moment however he was trying his hardest to find a distraction for his mind, he couldn’t bare to look into Grue eyes after telling him such a despicable thing. “...Does Maua love me out of fear?” Grue asked a tear forming when he did. “She loves you, like how every mother loves their young. I can tell when she looks at you, can’t you? There is no fear, not even malice for you.” “What about you? Is there any malice for me?” “For you...-” ==================================================================== “What’s the new gossip 'Tia?” Luna softly giggled. “Did you know Uncle Damson is in the castle!” Almost jumping as she told her. “Damson?..oh the nice earth pony who gave mom and dad the wine?” Luna said sheepishly, she saw that Celestia was excited that he was here,but she didn’t understand why. It wasn’t that Sir Damson wasn’t a nice pony,she just didn’t remember many of the trips and adventures that Celestia talked about with him,that supposedly Luna had also been a part of. “Okay I told you my gossip,tell me some of yours!?” “I-I hear that some of the ponies in Canterlot don’t like us....In fact I was called the-”The Quite Useless Moon Princess”..” Luna hesitated as she told Celestia, it didn’t follow the gossip rules they had made, but she didn’t want to bring up meeting a talking hare at night. “What?..Who would call you useless? I don’t believe you. Did you just not have any good gossip?”Celestia smiled, taking Luna’s words lightly. It would have been a different matter if she knew who was making such mean comments about her family, but since she didn’t, what could she do but put it behind her? “Well...there was something..” Luna mumbled. “What?..Come on tell me! I don't wanna guess!” Celestia begged. “ A bunny talked to me last night.” “You....what?” “Actually it was a hare...but it doesn’t matter. He said something about Lord Pain,or Pan..” “Pan!? What about him?” “Oh...you know Pan?” “He’s the reason I went into the woods last night.” “You went in the woods! Alone! A-and you’re not grounded...How?!” “Dad is still thinking about how to punish me, Mom already gave me the 'We are going to have a long talk wink' So my punishment is still on hold. Pan is weird..he’s happy, then sad..then angry...and what makes him even weirder is he is like us.” “He’s..a girl? That doesn’t make sense!” “Not a girl, I meant he’s an alicorn Luna!” “Wow..an alicorn alone in the Evergreen forest? He must be quite brave, and lonely.” “He has this unfinished castle with pretty windows...oh,I guess he would be kinda lonely, now that you mention it. I noticed that dad doesn’t like him, because he causes trouble. But I think it is more then that, He’s just being protective.” *Knock-Knock!* The princesses clung to each other, keeping as quiet as they could. “My apologizes for Interrupting you two, But if you wouldn’t mind getting out. I need to make sure you stay safe.”The voice asked. “Who is it?” The two asked in unison. “Why,It is Damson of course, We don’t have time for this I am afraid, I need to bring you somewhere safe.” His voice becoming more urgent. Celestia gave a smile to her worried sister, using her magic to unlock the door, as it open there stood Damson,though he seemed to be wearing some of the royal guard's armor. “What’s the problem, Uncle?” Celestia asked, finally breaking free of Luna’s hold. The princesses followed behind him as he tried his best to explain. “Your parents were last seen flying to the forest. Which means if they both left without somepony to protect you, it is a serious matter. I’m going to take you to a part of the castle only the royal family knows about...it should keep you safe.” By the time he had finished explaining they had made it to the mess hall in the Royal family’s wine and mead cellar. Damson took out a ten year old bottle of plum wine. He gave a smile to it, remembering giving this to Astrum on her honeymoon. “Would you two mind striking some of your magic on the rune?” The two looked at the bottle, sure enough there was a inscribed rune, they both looked to each other, then looked back shooting out a small ray of magic. The rune glowed a lavender hue, and the fruit wine brewer placed the bottle back in. Then the sound of a tight *click* and arcane magic came from behind a banner of the Solus family crest, revealing a passageway made entirely out of crystals. “Whoa.” Luna gasped, taking a step back. “Are you sure this is safe Uncle?” Celestia questioned. “Of course it is, what? Now you don't trust me? What about that time we visited the Gryphon capital?” “And you had me cast a feather spell on you, every six hours? What about it?” “It looked dangerous, at some points was a little dangerous....But we are still walking and flying...” “You seem very adventurous, for a wine seller.” Luna wondered giving him a curious expression. “Well what can I say, other then people want my wine, and I make sure I personally give a bottle to any potential buyer. But it’s more then just me trying to be a savvy salespony, it gets dreadfully boring in the tame lands of Equestria. That is how I met up with Astrum and Morpheus, how I found my somepony. If I stayed in one place, and was content in just Equestria, my life would be a lot less. Less fun I’d say.” The maroon pony admitted. The three ponies descended down the old path, the fillies gazing at the crystal walls and ceiling. “This place is so pretty. Why aren’t people allowed to go down here all the time.”Celestia asked, with a sparkle in her eye. “I would assume it is because these crystals haven’t been properly examined by your parents, or a strong enough unicorn. That means, please do not touch them.” looking to Luna with her tongue extended, he raised his eyebrow for a moment but gave a playful smile. “How about, I tell you the tale 'Aethereum and the Earth'? I’ve been told I tell pretty good stories.” his hoof slid over his bangs as he boasted his talent and began to chuckle. “Aether-whoo?” “My tale will explain it all, princesses. Some believe before even the three pony tribes were made, when the earth itself was being made, there was an alicorn bigger than the sun, he was the very space between your beautiful stars, Luna.” “Thank you” “Your welcome, The great Aethereum. Lord of all space and things. Ae-ther-ey-um!, Maker of both you and me.” Damson started to sing, the princesses giggled. The earth pony gave a clear of the throat, realizing he had gone a bit too far. “Excuse me, The tale goes, on the eve of the earth’s creation, he had made two other ponies; Crystalline, and Aeaeae. They would serve as a type of conscious, to help mold the creatures of this world. He looked to Crystalline and asked her “Who do you think should rule the land?” “Great Aethereum! nothing but the strongest and bravest of creatures!” She revealed a horn, and used her magic to create what would be known as the Gryphon, Dragon, and Minotaurs. “Interesting creatures! What do you think Aeaeae?” He mused. “Shouldn’t you have creatures that can relate to you?” She spouted a horn and created-” “Oh!-Oh I know!” “Do you now, Luna?” “She made us! Unicorns,and Pegasi and earth ponies!” “Ha-ha, Indeed she made the three pony tribes! Aethereum gave a wide grin to his creations, both had good ideas. But he had come up with a true test for them. “What should these subjects care for the most?”, a question that would surely define his creations. Aeaeae turned away thinking deeply, but Crystalline giggled playfully “Why nothing but the most beautiful gems and ores, Clearly the hoof work of a benevolence above!” “No! Material things? that’s preposterous! I hope that my creations would follow the basic principles of harmony.” “Harmony, Aeaeae. What is that?” Crystalline scoffed in vain. “Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and most importantly Magic.” “That Ehe-E-Ah seems to very nice.” “You have no idea Celestia, But please, let me continue.” “Calm yourselves! You two...you have good ideas, but still seem fixated on yourselves! Crystalline do you really want your creations to care about gems..or should I say crystals? And you, Aeaeae,you are the very essence of magic..and you think it should rank higher than caring for another of your beings? This is disappointing!” The two looked to each other ,Crystalline was indeed pure crystal. embedded in her opaque body was smaller crystals of all sorts of colors. Aeaeae was a deep magenta pony. Her body would trail off like smoke and only her head and neck seemed not to ripple like disturbed water. “If we seem to fixated on what we are, maybe it is because we know ourselves.” They explained. “True. Being made out of magic and crystal, you value your worth...maybe there is hope for you two yet.” and The three would help shape our world as we know it today..."" Damson ended glancing at the two fillies. “Is that all of the story?” Luna remarked almost disappointed it had ended. “For this part of the story, it is. Look we've made it.” Damson smiled as he opened a dust-caked door. The two fillies used their horns as lights. “Thank you girls, now...ah here we are!” his voice sounding eager. He had brought them the lowest point in the forgotten caves, and what he had finally lead them to was a door, that felt like it had been there before the castle’s construction. “I fear, that for you two I have not been terribly honest. I mean to keep you safe, I could tell your parents had something urgent awaiting them. But I, myself am on a quest, I would be highly appreciative if you would help me.” He asked. 1“I don't mind helping you uncle, I just don’t understand why you had to keep it a secret.” said Celestia. “Yea-why do we have to help you?” Luna added in. “The engravement here says that only when the moon and sun join will the door unlock. I am confident that after many years traveling to other capitals, hearing the same tale told in different tongues that this is it! This is where I will find my answers.” Damson’s eyes became large and wild. “I-I don't understand Uncle. What answers, I thought you were happy. You have your somepony, a job you like...what else do you want?” Celestia asked, her heart was beginning to beat fast, she could almost sense that her uncle wasn’t the same. "That is just it! I don't know what else I could need. I was happy...until, I met a unicorn by the name of Sirius Dusk.” Damson took a seat. His words were becoming hard to understand with the stress he showed. He was stricken with such sorrow, which it had been held in for years. “Sirius Dusk...wasn’t he the strange pony, that went off against our parents wishes on a crusade to conquer 'the farthest reaches of intelligent life' ?” said Luna. “Oh yeahhhh, the unicorn with the fascination for bells and stars?” “No, dear Celest. That would be Star Swirl.” “Oh...What did Sirius Dusk do?” “He visited me a decade and three years ago, and asked me if I was comfortable living a lie.” “How does he know you were living a lie?” asked Celestia. “He only told me to 'Find the Solus heirs. Talk to Her Majesty, and realize the truth' .” “So what happened when you talked to Mom?” Luna asked, assuming he had confused Astrum's title. “I felt....a life’s worth of grief, sorrow and betrayal fill inside me.” Damson admitted. He let his tears flow freely, puddling in the dirt he sat on. “Didn't..you know my mom before she was Her Grace?” Luna asked. Damson limped over in pain, his hooves trying to grip around his head. “Before? There never was a before...” “That makes no sense...I’m sure our parents weren't immediately the Rulers of Equestria.” Celestia wondered. “Aaahh. Nope, always were, never different!”His voice almost squealing in pain. The two looked at their uncle, he looked like he was going to faint at anytime, but they weren't sure what to do. “Obviously talking about the past isn’t helping him, let’s try opening the door Luna.” “The sun and the moon...together?” Luna repeated. “Like an eclipse!?” They said together. “But..I don't even know what time it is!”Luna sighed. “That’s okay Luna, just picture your moon. A big white marble, and you want it to rise up! On three you lift the moon and I lift the sun together. One! Two! Three!” They closed their eyes, finding themselves floating in space. They glanced at their respective orb, then their eyes opened and became solid white. They felt the moon and sun rise with them. Taking off, the two kept close to one another, until they felt the world’s gaze upon them, then Luna hugged her sister tight. Damson watched in awe, his mind had let him go from his crippling thoughts. His eyes looked to the door which burst with magic. He peered in with jubilation, but was met with a bittersweet surprise. Here laid a slime covered egg “Aethereum, what monstrosity rests in that!” Damson reveled in disgust. Putting his vanity aside, he looked around for something worthwhile. Was there something, anything! other then that egg was the cause of all this trouble. With the bright light the princesses were making he was only able to find ruined books littering the dust soaked room, and a single readable paper. It had a symbol of sprout on and a crude drawing of what looked like a male alicorn. “Fillies?..Celestia.” He trotted out the see that the once clear crystals had turned to jet, this intrigued the adventurous side of Damson. But he wasn’t naive, he could tell it was a sign to leave. “Princesses!” The two had gotten carried away with the new height of their power, flying over their orbs as if it was an alternate dimension. “Fillies!” Slowly they felt a vacuum suck them up. It was reality grabbing hold of them and bringing them back to their worried uncle. As the princesses saw just how far they had flown, they noticed the crystal’s new colors and returned to their uncle. “What’s going on Uncle Damson?” They asked. “I’m sure it can’t be good news. Quickly we should head upstairs!” Nudging at their flanks with his snout. “Did you find your answer?” Luna asked. “Only more questions,Sadly.”