//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Volcano // Story: Unknown Innocence // by MrPescanova //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Volcano It was morning in Canterlot, the sun was at the top of the sky, the clouds were moving peacefully and the ponies were doing each other their typical routine, some working, others taking a nibble in a restaurant and a few walking on the streets to meet with friends, neighbors or familiars. Meanwhile in the castle the day was going perfect. Princess Celestia was on the throne room with a royal guard from the north border reporting, all the royal guards were guarding and patrolling all the halls of the castle, while the servants were doing their respective jobs, except one. The exception was Cleo, a yellow unicorn with orange eyes, blue mane and tail. She had the most difficult task that a servant of the Canterlot castle could got. Make Heynriik to take a shower. “HERE YOU ARE…oh well i…I’m sorry your…your highness I was…I was trying to caught your cousin to bring him to the bathroom and well…it’s seems that he’s not here”. It was the fourth time that Cleo opened a door expecting to find Heynriik, but instead of him was somepony else. This time she opened Cadance’s bedroom, she only saw Cadance who was brushing her mane in front of a mirror. “It’s okay Cleo, don’t worry” Cadance giggled and the servant lowered his head in shame. Cadance turned and moved to Cleo, then she put a hoof on the servant’s chin and lifted her head gently. “If you want, I can help you to find him” Cleo widened her eyes and smiled after hearing that. “You will help me to get that filthy colt….i mean…your..cousin?” Cadance grinned and lowered her hoof. “Of course I will, Riki will end on the bathroom soon clean and smelling well” Cadance said putting one hoof on her chest in signal of promise. “But your highness how…how will you help me to find him?” asked Cleo with interest. “Cleo, he’s my cousin, I know him since he was brought here, there is nothing that I don’t know about him, I know the things that he likes, the places where he likes to go and how he is” Cleo raised an eyebrow and saw a basket with some food on the bed. Cadance looked to the basket too. “Are you going to a picnic, your highness?” asked Cleo with interest. “Oh yes, I and Heynriik where going with Shining Armor and his sister to go in a picnic on the woods aside of Canterlot” “Shining Armor…isn’t that white unicorn which you had some….interest?” Cadance blushed in all her face and sweated. “Well i…him…he is a good friend and….nice and….” Cadance remained silent a while until Cleo apologized with a bow. “Forgive me your highness, I shouldn’t have asked something like that” said Cleo with a shy smile. “It’s…it’s okay Cleo don’t worry, I’m not mad with you” Cadance smiled shyly to the servant who nodded silently. “Now… we had to find my cousin” said Cadance with a little malicious grin. “Do your highness have any idea where he can be?” asked Cleo with concern. Cadance took a hoof on her chin thinking until she nodded and smiled to Cleo. “I think….i know where he is..” “Oh really your highness?! Where!? please tell me!” said Cleo with some despair. Cadance put a hoof on Cleo's chest trying to relax the servant. “Did you look on the garden, Cleo?” said Cadance raising an eyebrow. “Well I….no your highness” “Then follow me, I think where he is right now” Both, Cadance and Cleo, moved out of the bedroom and walked through the castle’s halls until they reached their destination. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Wh- Where I am?” Heynriik looked up and he saw that he wasn’t on the castle. Instead he was inside of a room all made of wood that was moving slowly in all directions, like inside a ship. He turned his head to the right and then to the left but he couldn’t see very much. Heynriik opened the mouth and tried to talk, but instead of talking he babbled. He tried again but not a single word was said. “What it’s going on?! Why I can’t talk…and why I can’t move too!?....Ah!” He looked his legs and then his hands, they were small and chubby. Heynriik realized that he wasn’t on his body anymore, then he moved his head to the right an to the left. He was inside a little crib with a blanket covering his body. “I AM A BABY!? BUT HOW?! DID I GET IN SOME TIME TRAVEL SPELL OR WHAT!?” Then a strong sound appeared and the entire room trembled brutally. “Whoa! What in all Equestria was that!?” then he heard the sound of a door opening and two figures walking inside. Both were tall, bipedal and with hands. “Wait they….they aren’t ponies….they are like me….humans” The two humans were talking. Heynriik remain silent and started to hear the conversation. “You know perfectly what that traitor of Viran and his roman friends are following us day and night, and that they will hunt us until the end of Jorgard, right Airon?” “Yes, I know, but we can’t let them take your son, Joriik, he's to valuable to let them kill him" “I know but, what can we do? We been in the sea running away of them for weeks since we left Iberii, our men are starving and dying, the supplies are ending and we even know when or where our ship will land!” “Joriik….you know that we can't let Viran win, if Heynriik dies.....our people will suffer the rage of that damned psychopath, with no one enough strong to stop him. This little one must survive so there's any hope for the future!" “Airon, do you EVEN know what are we going to do with him? we can't run forever" “I know, we have to find a way to keep Heynriik out of the hands of Viran and his allies”. “But what? we are far away of civilization, here there's only water..." "There is a reason of why i wanted our ship head to the south of Afrika, Joriik" "What do you mean?" "What do you think there's beyond the Great Dessert?" "I don't know, nobody had went that far, why do you ask?" "Because there's more than sand, in that part of the world there's civilization too, unless they aren't humans" "There's people there? Who are they if not humans? and how do you know all that?!" "I know all this thanks to a book i found randomly one day on the library, it was writted in our language by someone named "Starswirl", but he didn't look like someone form the same country as us" "And what is this "civilization" we are talking about?" "They call themselves.....ponies" "Puunys?" "Ponies" "Pownees?" "Ugh! nevermind, they are a sentient species with the shape of small horses, except that they are colorful, with bigger eyes, and are so intelligent as our race, they even have their own country!" "Please......tell me that you drinked of that barrel full of eirean beer again...." "You are hard to convince, right? what if i told that the pony land, named "Equestria" if i'm not wrong, is a place where wars and fights practically don't exists? that pony culture is based in being kind with everyone, live in harmony and love no matter how or WHAT you are, Oh! also they can fly and do magic...." "I would tell you that you're DRUNK! Also, Fly? Magic? i think you're going to far, Airon..." "I'm not lying, that book said that there was three kind of ponies, the unicorns, that had a horn on their heads that may be used to do magic spells as levitating things, the pegasi that can fly thanks to two wings stuck on their bodies and earth ponies, which didn't have horn or wings but their strenght is higher than the other two races" "Let me guess, you want to send Heynriik to a place that don't appear on the maps, lives a equine species that can fly and do magic, rejects violence, lives in peace without problems or threats, to see if one of them have pity of a baby from a species that they may not have seen ever and adopt him? I thought you druids were smarter...." “Look Joriik, I know it sounds....crazy, maybe even insane, but while we are discussing Viran's boat it's getting closer and closer to us, if we don't find a solution soon, we'll fail" “You’re right Airon but he…are you sure it can work? i hardly can imagine him growing up in a place where he don't belongs, also, how can you be so sure that these......ponies will accept him? what if they reject him for being so different or because they think Heynriik's a monster?" "I have a feeling of that never going to happen, i always trust in the words written in a book, and if Starswirl says that Equestria is a place where our Heynriik can have a peaceful and joyful life, i believe him" "I wish this was a nightmare.....my son is going to live not knowing where he's from, who really is or even who are his real parents....." "I think it's....a good thing that he may ever known what he "is".....we already have seen how powerful is he inside....." "Yes......when i heard the stories about Zoran and the Firehearts, defeating dragons, golems, powerful warriors with that same power......i couldn't imagine that one day a son of mine was going to have that same gift of the gods" "That day when Viran tried to attack Drakahain and Heynriik became......that......i still can't believe something so pure and naive had such.......strength" "I don't either.....but now i realize, if he has no idea where he's from, how are we going to make him return to Iberii? worse, what if he stays in that Equestria forever and don't achieves his destiny?" "Don't worry, i'll take care of that, trust me" "Okay......Maite is going to hate us for this..." "She always have been a she-wolf who wants to protect the people she loves, it will be understandable if she reacts madly, talk to her all what you want, after all it's her son as yours" “Thanks, Airon” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Well, we are already on the gardens Princess Cadance, now are you going to tell me where your cousin is?” Cleo asked wanting an answer after hours of “playing hide and seek” with Celestia’s son. Cadance giggled and pointed with her hoof at the top of a tree. “He’s right there” Cleo approached to the tree and looked up. She gasped and widened her eyes in surprise when she saw Heynriik lying asleep on a big tree branch. “SIR HEYNRIIK HOW DID YOU- IT DOESN’T MATTER! GET DOWN IN THIS INSTANT! I’VE BEEN SEARCHING YOU FOR HOURS! YOU HAVE BEEN TO LONG WITHOUT HAVING A BATH!” Heynriik opened his eyes slowly, realizing that he was back to the real world. “What…what kind of dream was that? It was even more strange that the one with the dragon..” Heynriik put a hand on his chin thinking. Cleo was ragging and screaming just down of him, while Cadance was trying to hide her laugh. Finally, Heynriik jumped down to meet with Cleo and Cadance. “FOR CELESTIA’S SHAKE HOW DID YOU GET THERE!?” Cleo asked angrily. Heynriik remain silent a while, until he finally said. “Emmm…..magic?” Heynriik said with a fake smile and innocent eyes. “If I saw you again up there, I will tell it to your mother” Cleo said in a threatening tone. “But..but..i like to be there! It’s my favourite place of the garden!” Heynriik was trying to convince the servant, but was futile. “I’m sorry sir, but it’s for your security, what if you fall of the tree and get injured? I’m sure that you won’t like that, and less your mother” “Oh c’mon! I climbed that tree many times, it’s a filly’s game for me!” “It doesn’t matter, you can’t do it again”. Heynriik lowered his head and sighed in defeat. “Now you will come with me, you may not be a pony but you're still part of the royalty, and you must be always clean and looking good!” Cleo said with authority while Heynriik crossed his arms and looked selfless. “Yeah royalty…” Cleo did like if she didn’t hear that and lifted him with her magic to put him before her. “Let’s move to the castle’s bathroom, sir” “Well…ok” Heynriik walked slowly while Cleo was behind him with a victorious smile. Cleo looked to Cadance that was still there. “Thanks for your help, majesty” “No problem Cleo, just make sure that Riki is clean and ready to our picnic” “I will” Cleo and Heynriik entered to the castle and headed to the bathroom. When they finally got there Cleo looked to Heynriik who was all the time with a sad face and looking down. “It’s something wrong sir?” asked Cleo with concern. “What? Oh no it’s just…a dream that I had before” Cleo nodded and pointed the bathroom’s door with one hoof. “Get in and wash yourself, I will return in thirty minutes with new clothes, if you run away again or you aren’t clean, I’ll have to bath you and you know perfectly that you are old enough to do it by yourself, sir” “It’s ok Cleo, you won’t need to do that” Heynriik sighed and looked the servant with trust. “Let’s see if it is true” Cleo turned and walked away. Heynriik entered to the bathroom reluctantly. “Well…at least I have beaten my old record of most time evading her…” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *knock knock* “Who is it?” “It’s me Cadance, I finished my shower” Cadance opened her bedroom’s door to let Heynriik go inside. “Oh, I see that you are ready, did you enjoyed your shower, cousin?” Cadance giggled and Heynriik blushed heavily while looking away. “Don’t get mad Rikie, you know that is for your good" “Yes, yes, anyway did you have everything Cadie?” Cadance lifted with her magic a basket in front of her cousin. “Of course, we have sandwiches, orange juice, cupcakes..” “Humm…they have a good looking…” Heynriik started to drool over his mouth. “Well, let’s meet with Shining and Twilight” Cadance started moving along with Heynriik to exit the castle, when he stopped Cadance with his hand. “Wait, I want to say goodbye to mom, she doesn’t know our picnic and I don’t want her to get angry if we return late” Heynriik said with concern. “Ok Rikie, let’s see her, I think that she is on her bedroom” Heynriik and Cadance walked until they finally were on Celestia’s room. The human kid knocked the door but no one answered. “Are you sure that she’s here?" Heynriik asked to Cadance unsure. “Well, at least that was what I hea-“ Before Cadance ended her sentence, the door opened and Celestia appeared. “Oh! Good morning Heynriik and Cadance, what do you want dears?” While Cadance was replying Celestia, Heynriik noticed something, a figure behind Celestia. He couldn’t see very much because his sight was hampered by his mother and the half open door, but he could see what looked like a black hoof with .....holes? Heynriik tried to move his head to a side to see the figure entirely but it moved away quickly and disappeared to his sight. “Well, I don’t see nothing bad at that picnic, so you two better enjoy it!” said Celestia with a smile. “We will auntie Celestia, right Rikie?” Cadance looked happily to her human cousin, who seemed to don’t be paying attention. “Wha- what?..Oh yes the picnic! Sure that we will have fun!” “Well then I see you later young ones” said Celestia to his son and niece. “Bye mom” Heynriik and Cadance said goodbye to Celestia and moved away. “Cadie did you..did you saw it?” asked Heynriik to the pink alicorn. “See what?” “Well the….nevermind” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Are you sure that he is coming, big bro?” asked Twilight to her brother. “Of course Twily! And I’m sure that you will like him, i know him for years and is a really good friend" “Oh! And it’s true that is foalsitter Cadance’s cousin? And that he’s........human?” asked Twilight again with a wide smile. “Well, yes, he’s human, a very rare species that everypony thought didn't existed anymore. Also he is Princess Celestia’s son, so that makes Heynriik and Cadance cousins…I think” after that, Shining Armor heared his name being called. He turned his head and saw coming Heynriik with Cadance. “Hey Shining there you are!” said Heynriik approaching to him. “On the fount as we agreed, dude” then Cadance appeared at Heynriik’s side. “Em…hi Cadance, how are you?” said Shining Armor shyly and with blush. “I’m fine Shiny” Cadance replied with a giggle. “CADANCE!” Suddenly Twilight jumped over her brother and fall over Cadance neck hugging her, then both placed in front of each other and did “their song”. “Suneshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” foalsitter and filly laughed after finishing. "What was that?" Heynriik asked to Cadance with a chuckle. "Filly's things...." “Hey! are you Cadance’s cousin?” Twilight asked curious. “Well yes, I’m Heynriik, are you Shining’s little sister?” “Oh yes! My name’s Twilight Sparkle! And he is my BBBFF!” Twilight said jumping around and with a happy face. “BBBFF?” asked Heynriik confused. “It means "Big Brother Best Friend Forever", don’t take it seriously” Shining replied while Heynriik laughed a bit. “Well guys, let’s start moving to our place!” said Cadance. All four walked out of Canterlot and headed to the woods until they stopped in a good and calm place to set the picnic. They extended a big cloth on the ground. Cadance remove all the things of the basket and the four started eating. “Hey- Heynriik can i…ask you something?” Twilight said with a shy look to the human. “Sure Twilight, what is?” Heynriik said while giving a bite to his sandwich. “Well I was thinking….you are Celestia’s son but you aren’t a pony….” The unicorn filly put a hoof on her chin. Heynriik raised an eyebrow after hearing the “you aren’t a pony” part. "True, that's because i'm adocted" "Then, you don't know who are your real parents? or where your from?" The little filly kept asking. "N- no, i.....i don't know where is my real family....." Heynriik said those last words with a hint of sadness. The human stopped eating his sandwich and looked down, with watering eyes to the red cloth. The three ponies looked at him with concerned faces. "Heynriik, something's wrong?" asked Cadance putting a hoof on his shoulder. "You know Twilight, until you asked me that, i never been worried about who i really am and all that stuff.... until now" Heynriik sniffed his nose and removed a tear with his hand. "I really want to know who are my real parents and how humans are, i want to know what happened to make me end in a place where i'm one of a kind" Heynriik closed his eyes and sobbed. "Twilight, you shouldn't have asked that!" Shining Armor said upset to his little sister. "But i just wanted to....." "Shush filly! you have to apologize Heynriik to make him feel sad" "Shining!" Cadance yelled to the white colt, making him look at her ashamed. "Sorry, it's just...i don't like Heynriik look like...this.." Cadance turned to Heynriik and lifted his sad face with a hoof. She kissed his forehead and hugged him. "Rikie, look me at the eyes" the pink alicorn said with a sweet tone. Heynriik moved his green eyes to met with Cadance's ones. "Since you came here, you're part of Equestria as any other pony, this is always going to be your home, we're always be your friends and family, and we'll love you no matter what you are" The young human smiled while moving his arms to hug Cadance. "You always know what to say to make me happy, Cadance" Cadance giggled and released him softly. "Because i know you too well, Heynriik" "Anyway, i still want to have answers, all that "everypony knows nothing about humans" thing it's making me......a bit mad" “You can ask to aunt Celestia when we return to Canterlot” said Cadance trying to make him comfortable. Heynriik looked to his cousin and smiled. “It’s a good idea Cadie, maybe she knows something” Heynriik then looked to Shining and then to Twilight. “Well guys now that we have finished with the food…what can we do?” “I was thinking in pla-“ “YOU BRING IT!” Twilight jumped to her big brother, touched his body and run. “What makes you think that I’m not going to catch you, little filly?” Shining smirked and started running to catch his sister. “These two are always like this?” Heynriik asked to Cadance. “If you knew Rikie…” Cadance gave him a playfull smile. “Well i….i going to take a sleep…” Heynriik sat beside a tree and closed his eyes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heynriik opened his eyes. He didn’t know how much time he had been sleeping, but he felt that he was asleep for hours. He yawned and stood up. He looked around and saw that nopony was around him, there wasn’t any sign of Cadance, Shining or Twilight. “Where is everypony?” Heynriik walked through the trees, but he was still unknowing what could happen to them. Then he saw a little purple spot running to him, it was Twilight. “Hey Twilight! Where are Cadance and Shining?” Twilight was panting and doing strong breaths. “Heynriik! You have to help them!” Twilight said with anguish. “Help who?” the human said confused. “My brother and Cadance are in trouble! A monster attacked us when we were playing hide and seek!” “Monster? What mons- nevermind, Twilight, return to Canterlot and search for help!” “NO!” yelled the purple filly. “I DON’T WANT TO LET MY BIG BRO HERE!” Twilight looked with tears to the young human. “You have to help him, it’s your friend!” Twilight said to Heynriik. He had a confused face first, but then shook his head and looked brave. “You’re right Twilight…let’s save your brother and Cadance! No monster threats my family or friends!” Heynriik followed Twilight who guide him where Cadance and Shining Armor were. They finally reached a big space with trees surrounding it. He saw Shining glowing his horn and Cadance who was lying on the grass unconscious. “Guys I’m here!” “Heynriik?! What are you doing here!? Take Twilight and go while I take care of th-“ Before Shining Armor could finish, something big and black hit him so fast that he didn't had time to react. “SHINING NO!” the unicorn fell to the ground hurt. Twilight hide behind Heynriik and shook her body in fear. Heynriik looked at the monster, it was like a big pony, bigger even than Celestia. He saw his black body with strong muscles, then he looked at his eyes, big and red like fire whilst his mane and tail were a mix of red and orange. “By my mom’s shake...” Heynriik was paralyzed. He never had seen something like this before, he gave him an angry face and pointed with a finger. “You monster! You will pay for hurting my friend and my cousin!” the monster looked Heynriik and walked slowly to him with an expressionless face. Heynriik looked at a side and saw a little stone; he grabbed it and looked to Twilight. “Twilight, go and help Shining and Cadance. I will distract him, don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay”. The purple filly walked silently to her big brother. The monster turned his head to Twilight but before he could do anything, he felt a little stone hitting his cheek. “I’M YOUR ENEMY NOW, BEAST!” Heynriik screamed to the monster that turned his head to him and roared loudly, showing his big jaw. “Let’s see if you can follow me, pal!” Heynriik runned fastly to the forest with the monster following him. He looked back and saw that the monster was getting closer to him, being faster than the human. "I HAVE TO RUN FASTER!" Heynriik's heartbeat was becoming more and more faster than usual. He was running like never before, but the sound of angry hoofsteps warned him that the monster was close. "You're never will caug-" His feet crash with a rock and his body fell to the grass. Heynriik lifted his face from the ground and rubbed his head to wipe out the pain. When he stood up, Heynriik knew that something was behind him, breathing and growling with pure rage. He turn shocked to face the monster. Said monster was staring him with hate on his red eyes. He trotted slowly to the human with steady movements. Heynriik only could watch how the monster was going to tear him away.....but that's a destiny which he didn't wanted to accept. He stared at the monster with courage and said. “I don’t fear you……you don’t scare me..” Heynriik walked slowly to the monster that did a strong roar, but the human kid ignored it. “You..hurt Cadance…and Shining…I’m not going to forgive you that” The monster was silent, both were staring at the eyes. Heynriik moved at a side without stop staring the monster. “I don’t know why you hurt them..i don’t think they had harmed you” When looking at the monster, Heynriik noticed something on his eyes. He felt something on that monster, no rage either hate it was like…sadness. The monster was moving in synchronization with Heynriik in a invisible circle, like if they were preparing for a duel. “It’s the first time that I saw something like you….i’m sure that you are the only one of your kind because I never saw or heard something like you” Heynriik stopped and walked slowly to the monster, the monster remain quiet and calm. He wasn’t with an angry face anymore and he even seemed to understand what Heynriik was saying. “You…you are like me….living around with other species completely different to you and unknowing if there is somepony of your own kind” the monster didn’t do a single sound and keep hearing Heynriik. “I know that feel….the feel of being alone, i had been living surrounded by ponies since i was a baby…but I want to know if there are more humans out of Equestria” Heynriik approached carefully to the monster, then he noticed something unexpected on the monster’s face. A tear falling from his red eyes. Heynriik continued moving until he was just in front of him. He raised his right hand to stroke gently his snout, the monster closed his eyes making Heynriik let out a smile. “You’re not so bad at all, right? You only….was scared and misunderstood” Heynriik then released his hand of the monster’s face. The monster opened his eyes and licked Heynriik’s face, making him laugh. “I don’t know what you are….but I think…” Heynriik put a hand on his chin thinking. “I think that you have to get a name” the monster moved up and down slowly like doing a nod. “Volcano….yes Volcano fits perfect with you because of your strength, your red eyes, your mane and tail that looks like fire and your…wildly nature….do you like your name?" Volcano did a neigh. Heynriik smiled taking that like a “yes”. “Then I’ll be your friend Volcano…you’re not alone anymore..”