*****
"Is he awake yet?" came an extremely energetic mare's voice.
"Stay calm, he will wake up when he is rested" Answered the voice of Nightwing Mare. "Please go get the water Spiral Winds. He will be thirsty when he does awaken."
"oki dokie!" Spiral answered promptly, hero could hear her trot off shortly afterward. He could feel the pain surging through his body and he deeply hoped he was in some sort of nightmare. It felt as though his bones were twisting and his muscles tearing. He opened his eys to see the blinding light of- no wait. It was night time already. the stars in the sky above him gave an erie feeling of serenity.
"Wh-what happened?" Hero asked instinctively as he sat up and examined the small campsite. A small fire had been built at the top of a cliff side and arranged to comfortably seat four ponies. sitting just next to him was the ever mysterious Nightwing Mare.
"Well, for a while you were dead." Nighting Mare spoke with such calm certainty that her words seemed surreal. A tinge of sadness carried heavily in her words. "You have been out for some time."
Hero shook his head in disbelief. "No no. not again. I-I was fighting Black Star. Protecting ponyville like an actual hero-" He was cut off by the night blue hoof pressed to his mouth.
"He killed you with a single shot. I retrieved you as the sun set and revived you. that's all you need to know right now." chimed Nightwing. She moved to sit down next to the valiant stallion, wrapping one incredibly large wing over him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I understand you don't remember anything, and this might seem strange. But please let me live here in this memory while we talk" She closed here eyes as she snuggled into him.
Hero had to admit that it was rather strange, but not unsettling. Her light blue mane was incredibly soft. "Uhm.. okay. I guess, if I believe you, then when do we strike back? we can't let him get away with this. What happened to my friends? are they safe? what abou-"
"Please." The reminiscent mare stopped him, letting a moment of peace carry through the wind before answering his questions. "We won't be striking back. We need to run and find the forgemaster. He will know what you must do. As for your friends, I am unsure of what happened to them. My - My princess Celestia held him off for some time, but she fell to his influence to allow them to escape. He then sent his creatures after them. I have heard nothing else from the townsfolk he now has enslaved." Hero felt a tear trickle down his neck as Nightwing Mare spoke.
Even through the unrivaled anger building in Hero's chest, he couldn't bring himself to deny this strange and mysterious mare. How could she abandon them? there is nothing to be considered hopeless! a true hero would fight regardless of the odds. And even though these things were true in Hero's mind, the weight he felt denied him the ability to disagree. In a tone surprisingly gentle voice to Hero in this situation, he answered Nightwing. "Okay, we will go see the forgemaster. But I can't promise I'll stay after that. the odds are stacked against me but I must return to fight."
"That's all I ask my-" Nightwing was cut off as a sky blue pegasus hopped her way up the hill.
Spiral's minty white and blue, short cut mane bobbed to one side of her face as she shouted. "Im baaaaack! OOH! Mr. blank bottom is awake!" she set the buckets of water she had strapped to her side down and looked him over with scrutiny. "hey whats with that anyway? I know you're supposed to be like, a superhero or something. shouldn't you have, like, a superhero cutie mark? or OOO OO! a super cutie mark a cutie super mark!" she puts her face next to Hero's a looks to Nightwing. "A super cutie." she suggested, wiggiling her eye brows.
Nightwing quickly shut her wings back to her sides. "Spiral!" she blushed deeply. "I told you already, you will find out in time." Spiral just stuck out her tounge and sat down before Hero.
Spiral grabbed one of the water buckets and set it infront of the confused stallion. "Drink up fancy butt." she fluttered her wings, staring at Hero with a wide smile.
"I don't understand, what does my not having a cutiemark have to do with anything? it has never caused a fuss before. infact it has made quite a few ponies happy." Hero said before lifting the bucket to his mouth. The water was cool,clean and refreshing. Only now did he realize exactly how dry his throat had been. It was like dousing a raging fire that was crawling ever further up his throat.
While Hero drank the spring water Spiral decided to give Hero an answer to his question, but was cut off by a much more timid and gentle voice. Spiral had trained herself not to speak over her much quieter friend. "Oh, it's just- A cutiemark means somepony has found their super special talent." Sky, another pegasus, ducked into the light of the campfire. "if uh- you don't mind me saying, it is rather odd for a full grown pony to not have one." she sat down elegantly with a shy smile.
Hero put the bucket of water down with a gasp for breath, he had chugged the whole thing. With thought, he glanced at his scarred bare flank then over to Nightwing's, who shifted her tail to cover her blank back side. "I see." Hero looked to Nightwing. "perhaps, if you know who I am, you can tell me. because I have certainly forgotten."
With a thoughtful gaze Nightwing Mare stood, spreading her wings up in commanding position. even through her power stance she spoke with a gentle command. "I'm am sorry, but I can not tell you. I made a promise Hero, and I won't break it." With that she took to the night sky, not giving poor Hero a chance to respond. It was clear, to the noble stallion, that he should approach the question with care in the future.
*****
Hopscotch swore as his cart filled with barrels cracked it's wheel on a stone. After his tavern got burned down from the attack he had to save what he could and move out as soon as possible. luckily for him his intoxicating brews held more than just a high alcohol content. He was able to easily slip out of the Black Star's enslavement with a disguise brew, which made him appear as nothing more than another one of his barrels of spiked cider. He looked on to the Everfree forest as he continued pulling his cart. "Don't worry, we'll be safe soon enough."