//------------------------------// // Giving to the...unworthy? // Story: A Dream Once Lost // by Regicide //------------------------------// He…had lost. For the sake of saving the world that he loved from both the Adephagos and humanity, he had revived the ancient weapon Tarqaron. His intention had been to sacrifice all human beings on the planet, including himself, in order to power the weapon and finally put an end to the nightmare that was the Adephagos. This would have ensured not only the immediate survival of Terca Lumireis, but also provided protection for its future. Despite the life that the planet provided them with, humanity would eventually destroy the balance of nature and in doing so would kill this world. He could not allow such an outcome, not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of his most treasured friend. He would protect Terca Lumireis no matter the cost. And yet, even though he had poured every ounce of strength that his body possessed into the final confrontation, that group calling themselves Brave Vesperia had managed to defeat him. Their goal was also to destroy the Adephagos, but they would not use Tarqaron. Instead, they had altered the Entelexeia to use against it, giving them new forms and new names. These creatures they called Spirits. The Spirits alone would not be a match for the monstrous Adephagos, but in the same way that he had intended to use human lives to fuel Tarqaron, Brave Vesperia intended to use every blastia on the planet in order to provide the necessary power to the Spirits. It was a desperate plan that left much room for failure, and guaranteed a future full of difficulty and strife. Yet they were determined to see it through, saying that it was the decision that humanity had come to. To live and face the future that they would create, regardless of what that may entail. Could they…be right? Should humanity be given this chance? Even after the humans’ betrayal, would his friend still have agreed with Yuri and his group, and become a Spirit for the sake of protecting them? His thoughts continued along that path as he watched the four Spirits gathering the strength of millions of blastia from across the world. It was a breathtaking sight to behold, like countless shooting stars flowing across the evening sky, all gathering in an area not far in front of him. However, regardless of its beauty, it still did not have the required strength to overcome the Adephagos. It was not a large lack of power, but it was enough to ensure failure. He could provide the remaining energy that was needed, but it would come with a cost. “Entelexeia…Spirits…Humans…” he spoke softly as he gazed upon what he knew would result in either the end of Terca Lumireis or the beginning of an uncertain future, “Elucifer… Can this world truly change?” Perhaps… His decision made, he stepped towards the Spirits and raised his sword, Dein Nomos. Yes… This is what Elucifer would want. To give them…a chance. With that final thought, he began channeling energy into Dein Nomos. For a moment, it swirled around his blade like a crimson breeze; then, after a few heartbeats, he aimed it at the energy that the Spirits had gathered and released it. Red vortex met blue in a surge of power. His addition proved to be enough to make up the difference between the Spirts and the Adephagos. The torrent of energy was held aloft for a second more before it was finally brought crashing down on the Adephagos, rending it apart in a massive clash of power. As the Adephagos was vanishing, however, something unexpected occurred. Out of its disappearing form fell thousands upon thousands of small lights, appearing almost similar to how the blastia had been gathered together by the Spirits. Each of those lights could only be… “Spirits…” whispered Estelle in awe. All of the Entelexeia that had been consumed by the Adephagos were now being released, and thanks to the energy from the blastia, they had been changed into Spirts. The members of Brave Vesperia all looked on in wonder as these newly created Spirits spread themselves throughout the world. Finally, after the last Spirit had descended, Yuri turned around. “So, Duke…” he began, but stopped himself short when he realized that the man he was addressing was no longer there. “Now where did he?...” “Don’t worry about it Yuri, I’m sure he’ll pop up again somewhere! He did decide to help us in the end, after all.” said Karol. “Ah, that sour-puss probably just wanted to escape before we started partying.” added Raven with a shrug. Rita perked up at this, “Speaking of which…” “Let’s go party!” They all chimed in. With the threat of the Adephagos finally eliminated and a difficult future ahead for all of them, tonight was a night that they would have to enjoy to the utmost. They had a lot to celebrate, after all, and judging by the flashing lights that could already be seen off in the distance, the rest of the guilds agreed with that verdict. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darkness was the only thing that greeted Duke as he opened his eyes. He felt a brief moment of confusion before it gave way to surprise. Was this….death? If so, it was rather strange. He had expected many things when he gave the entirety of his life energy to the Spirits in order to defeat the Adephagos, but his current state was not one of them. To be able to see Elucifer again had been his wish, but falling into some manner of worldly collective or simply ceasing to exist had also crossed his thoughts. He glanced around in an attempt to locate anything else that might be in this darkness. While he didn’t succeed in that regard, he noticed something particularly odd given his situation. He could still feel his heartbeat. Shouldn’t his heart have stopped when he died? Was it simply his mind remembering what his body was like and projecting the feeling of flesh and blood? Or, perhaps, he wasn’t dead at all, but rather in some sort of comatose state? But that sho- He was pulled out of his musings by the sudden appearance of a light off in the distance. In comparison to sunlight, it looked quite dull, but the remaining darkness framed the light and caused it to appear much brighter than it would otherwise. Duke squinted slightly as he observed it. It seemed to be getting closer. Perhaps, then, this place was just a mid-way point between life and death; A final stop before the ultimate end. It took a brief time for the brightness to reach him, and when it finally did, his mind was at peace before his consciousness was consumed by the light. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sensation of being in a forest filled him. The transition from the light that had enveloped him to his current state was not a sudden one; rather, it felt as if he had been standing in a forest the entire time without having realized it. His vision was blurry at first, but after a few moments it began swimming back into focus. Slowly, as if he hadn’t used his eyes in a long time, the forest around him began to take form. He was surrounded by tall evergreen trees which reached toward the sky, towering at more than ten times his own height. The undergrowth around him was minimal and felt almost controlled, but it was vibrant and healthy. There was enough for the local wildlife to survive and shelter in, but not enough to impede any passing travelers. He couldn’t hear any water nearby, but a forest radiating life such as this likely contained several smaller streams, if not a full river somewhere. But it was strange, the forest appeared so full of life, yet the Aer here was… The Aer! Duke had always been more in tune with the Aer of the world than other humans. His natural bond with Aer, combined with the abilities of Dein Nomos, put his ability to sense and manipulate the Aer around him on par with even the greatest Entelexeia. Yet what he felt now was fundamentally different from what he had known all his life. It felt wrong. Aer had a thick, almost oily feel to it. It saturated every pore of Terca Lumireis, providing life to some and death to others. In lower quantities it wasn’t particularly harmful, but high concentrations of Aer were a poison not only to living creatures, but to the planet itself. What he felt now was more akin to a light mist than the oily sensation he had become accustomed to. It was completely alien, yet it felt somehow…gentle. It lightly caressed his body, providing a comforting feeling, so different from the oppressive feeling instilled by Aer. Whatever this substance around him was, it was not Aer. But he had ventured to every corner of Terca Lumireis in his time and he had never felt anything resembling this. His mind flitted briefly to the members of Brave Vesperia. Did their Spirits do this in defeating the Adephagos? No, such a thing was impossible. The Spirits were never meant to manipulate the world in such a way. Then…could it be that this wasn’t Terca Lumireis? It was a thought that stirred many conflicting emotions in him. If he was truly no longer in the world that Elucifer and he had protected, then what was he to do? What meaning was left for him without his mission? As his thoughts drifted, he didn’t even notice the approach of a small creature on the ground until it made its way up his jacket and onto his shoulder. It chittered at him in a quizzical manner, wondering about his presence so near its home. As Duke’s eyes found the squirrel perched on his shoulder, his thoughts relaxed. He would not find his answers by standing around and worrying. His priority for the moment should be to ascertain his location. It would be getting dark within a few hours. Survival would not likely be an issue, he had always been at home in the embrace of nature, but this place was still unknown to him; it would do no harm to tread cautiously. Having taken a second to collect his scattered thoughts, Duke replied to the Squirrel’s earlier question. “It seems I’ve just gotten a bit lost, little one, I apologize for intruding upon your home. I will take my leave momentarily.” The squirrel, seemingly satisfied by his explanation, jumped off of him and skittered back towards the hollow of a nearby tree. It gave Duke a final glance before it ducked into the darkness of its nest, leaving the human to stand alone beneath the canopy of trees. Duke looked up at the remaining sunlight filtering through the branches of the forest in order to gauge his position. Although the Aer was vastly different, there was still a possibility that he was on Terca Lumireis. With his orientation in mind, Duke began walking west. He would set up camp once night fell, and continue on in the morning. If this was his home, then he would eventually reach the shoreline and be able to travel north from there to Capua Nor. And if this was not his birthplace of Terca Lumireis... then he would have to find out just where he had ended up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another beautiful day in Hoof Fall was slowly coming to an end. Hoof Fall was a small logging village located a few days travel south of Detrot. The village, though lacking in size, was rich with history. It had been founded nearly two hundred years ago by a stallion named Golden Axe, a lumberjack of distinguished skill and incredible strength. It was said that, in order to obtain the land the village now occupied and the trees surrounding it, Golden had to fight off a fierce dragon that had made its home in the nearby mountain range. Few believed such tales, for no pony aside from the Princesses themselves could hope to best a dragon in combat, but still Golden Axe’s legacy continued on. Though he had passed away one hundred and seventy years ago, the massive axe he had used to clear the ground where Hoof Fall now stood was still kept in the town hall, where it served a special purpose for the colts and stallions of today. Beginning with the generation after Golden Axe’s passing, it had become a tradition that any young stallion wishing to become a true lumberjack would take up the founder’s axe and use it to fell a single, towering tree in the local Darkgreen Forest. That tree would later be used as a central support beam for the stallion’s house, which would be built for him and his bride by the community after he was married. However, as many would guess, everypony did not participate in this tradition. Some thought it a waste of time when their skills did not even lie in lumberjacking, while others were simply unable to carry out the task due to the sheer weight and bulk of the ancient axe. Those who did not claim their own tree were not ostracized or belittled in any way; they were a rather significant majority of the population, after all, but there was a difference in treatment for those who succeeded. The few who managed to prove themselves were treated with greater respect than any others in the village; they were given priority when it came to seasonal crops in the marketplace and their opinions would hold more sway in matters that concerned the wellbeing of Hoof Fall. To an outsider, such a practice might seem unfair, but to the citizens of Hoof Fall, it was an integral part of their heritage. Even those few ponies who cared nothing for the tradition itself still considered the act of taking up Golden’s axe and felling a tree to be impressive and warranting of respect in its own right, simply due to the physical prowess necessary to do so. One such stallion, and the most recent addition to those who could proudly call themselves ‘true’ lumberjacks, was an earth pony named Steel Bark. He had claimed his place a little over eight years ago, being the only stallion of his generation to take up the axe. There were one or two young colts in the current generation that would likely follow the tradition as well, but it would be several more years until they were old enough to try. Steel Bark lived in a large house in the southern corner of the village with his wife Emerald Bark and their two children Pine Bark and Maple Bark. They were the very picture of a happy family, spending their time together laughing and enjoying the simplicity of existence in the presence of those one cares for. It was one such evening that Steel Bark gratefully returned to after having worked out in the forest all day. Before entering, he set his axe down outside near the shed and then made his way up to the front door. “Emerald, Pine, Maple, I’m home!” he announced as he opened the door and stepped into the small foyer. His voice was met almost immediately by two smaller voices. “Daddy!” “Dad!” Maple and Pine both came galloping to the front door and threw themselves at Steel, causing him to laugh and pull them both close in a hug. As the kids were letting go, Emerald Bark came walking around the corner out of the dining room and approached her husband. They shared a quick kiss, causing both of their kids to look away while making various sounds of disgust at the sight of their parent’s unappealing behavior. The two older ponies chuckled at that, until Emerald ushered them all into the dining room so dinner could begin. As they ate, they all shared stories of their day. Steel had run into some trouble with a particularly knotted tree, while Emerald commented on the increasing prices in the local market. Maple told her parents proudly about she had ‘saved her little brother from a big, mean owl’ that had taken up residence in one of his play areas. Needless to say, Pine wasn’t exactly thrilled about having such a story retold; it wasn’t his fault that the owl had decided to try nesting in his favorite hideout. He just wasn’t expecting it that was all. The worst part was that after Maple chased the owl away, it made its way straight back to his hideout! His father found the story extremely amusing; he even commented that he was proud of Maple for taking the initiative and protecting her little brother on her own. That bothered Pine a bit, he didn’t want his father to think he was unable to take care of himself, but he didn’t let it show. He had a plan for revenge, after all. That owl messed with the wrong colt today! He would get his hideout back and make his dad proud all by himself. Maple seemed to catch a glimpse of what was going through Pine’s mind, but she just shot him a quick glance and didn’t mention anything more. After everypony was fed, they all helped tidy up and then spent the remainder of the evening enjoying each other’s company. Pine seemed slightly on edge, but his parents chalked it up to his experience with the owl. Such an event could be hard for a five year old. He would be fine after a good night’s rest. As the clock in the living room struck eleven, there was a shuffling of blankets in a certain young colt’s room. It was time, he though, everypony should be asleep by now. Ever so slowly, so as not to alert the rest of his family to his plan, Pine Bark crept from his bed, through the hallway to the living room and towards the back door. He might get caught by a neighbor if he went out the front, but he was smarter than that; he would sneak out the back and make his way into the edge of the forest, from there he could circle to his hideout. Pine was so caught up in his planning that he failed to notice the curious eye of his sister upon him as he left out into the night. So far, so good. He had made it into the cover of the trees and circled around to the animal trail that lead to his hideout in less than twenty minutes. He couldn’t see too well, but the steady glow of the moon provided enough light to navigate with. Besides, he had been here many, many times. He could probably find it blindfolded. Several more minutes passed before he finally made it to his most treasured hideout. In front of him stood a very large tree, considered so even by the high standards of the lumberjacks. Its roots dug into the ground in such a way that some of them formed small caverns, big enough perhaps for a fox or a rabbit to seek shelter in temporarily. However, ignoring these small openings, he circled around the tree and laid eyes upon a much larger cave hidden in the roots out of sight. This was where he always came when he wanted some time alone, a place that only a few other ponies knew about. It made him swell with pride that he knew of such a wonderful place. As he neared it, however, he noticed something that hadn’t been there during the day. There were many feathers strewn throughout the area. Approaching one of them, he leaned down to try and get a better look at it. It was an owl feather, that much was certain, even in the dim light. But these hadn’t been here during the day. Was the own molting? Did owls even molt? He didn’t know. He crept closer to the entrance and peered inside. No movement. He couldn’t hear anything. Was the owl gone? It must be! He grinned happily as he realized that his hideout was all his again. The grin faded instantly when he heard it. The growl of something monstrous. As cold fear set in, he saw something ahead of him in the darkness of the cave. Two yellow orbs hovered in the blackness, staring at him with frightening intensity. You’d understand if you’ve ever been gazed at by a wild carnivorous animal. Blood shot eyes paying attention to you, filled with neither good will nor malice. A shockingly hot gaze…appetite. Eyes looking at all that you are, your past, present and future, considering it nothing more than meat. The eyes inched forward and Pine Bark couldn’t even scream. He just scrambled backwards, nearly tripping over himself, before he turned and ran. Desperation to survive fueled him as he bolted off into the direction of the village. He didn’t, couldn’t, turn back to see those orbs following him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note: Yo, this is my first attempt at fan fiction, so we'll see how this goes. I just wanted to cross something nifty with MLP FiM, so after thinking a bit I was like, why not use my favorite Tales character? Alright. idk if anyone else will like it, but that's fine too. That aside, I'm going to try to stay away from most of the stereotypical stuff that tends to happen in so many fics. I don't particularly dislike it, but I've read it all so many times, I want to try something at least some-what different. There will still be some stereotypes, of course, because I am not a hipster genie. But I will try my best to make them enjoyable. I just kind of type these up and call it good, so there will probably be errors. By all means correct me, I'd appreciate it. A few points just to go over real quick, though: - I won't have Duke meet the Mane 6 for a little while. Don't worry, it won't take THAT long, but I want to get him solidly into Equestria before I introduce them to each other. - There will be pony OCs for stuff like this chapter and the following few, but there are also plenty of ponies outside of Ponyville for Duke to meet. - Duke will never be a pony. Nope, no sir, no way, no how, no no no, nadda, nein.