:) okay now that I got the setting down I can begin a few fun bits before we get into the seriousness. Think of this as the calm before the storm. The coming chapters will pretty much on certain interactions with Tez and one or two members of the Mane Six. The first one will be Twilight. Anyway enjoy :)
The smell of smoke and blood filled the air. Fires raged as the cries of men fighting and dieing echoed through the streets. The sound of explosions and shattering stone was heard, buildings collapsed on unknowing citizens. Blood flowed like a river in the streets. Death would be busy this day. High on the steps of the Templo Mayor, Tez looked down at the destruction. Tears flowed from his eyes and his sobs carried with them the pain of a hundred souls.
"My....beautiful....Tenochtitlan...AGHHHHHHHHHH!" Tez screamed, it was a scream of pain, a scream of vengeance.
"Where is he? WHERE IS HE!?" Tez looked around, his eyes offering superior sight for miles. There...there was the bastard. Hernán Cortés.
"Cortés!" Tez screamed, as he awoke.
He looked around, his heart was racing. His breathing swift, Tez was bordering on hyperventilation. Soon though he calmed down and covered his face with his hands as he shook.
“What was that? What was all that....oh....my beautiful Tenochtitlan.”
Tenochtitlan. That name filled him with such joy... and such agony. That city, was his home.... had been his home....destroyed. Tez shook as he held back sobs. Sobs he could not explain where they came from. The memories were still ragged, but... he felt as if he had lost something so precious to him.
"Tez!” Twilight said as she kicked open the door. “Are you okay?"
Tez looked at her. He took a deep breath and said, "I am fine Twilight.... just a bad dream, a….nightmare."
Twilight walked over to him, "Do you want to talk about it? You were screaming someone called Cortés."
Tez snarled and glared at her, his eyes glowed with rage, "Never say that name in front of me!"
Twilight retreated, scared...very scared, "I'm…I’m sorry Tez. Is something wrong? You can talk to me."
Tez took a deep breath and got up from his bed, the room was still empty save for a dresser where he kept his clothes. He still had the same pair of clothes that Rarity had made him, but he would need more. Even with washing, wearing the same thing felt...well boring.
"Tez?" Twilight took a slow step closer, she had never seen him angry before, but she did not want to see him that way again. He looked... dangerous.
"I'm fine!" Tez snapped.
Twilight cringed, she felt a little hurt that he was talking to her like that, "If you say so...but."
"I said I'm fine!" Tez turned growling, were his canniness sharper then normal?
"A...Alright... I'll leave you alone now." Twilight walked out of the room, her ears flat.
Tez sighed, “I shouldn't have done that. Now I feel worse.”
Tez got dressed and walked out of his room. Twilight was no where in sight so she must have gone back upstairs. A part of him wanted to go and apologize, but another part of him just wanted to be alone for a while. This new day began with confusion and regret, not a pleasant start.
Tez sighed and walked out the door, “I'll make it up to her later. I have to get to work.”
Upstairs, Twilight silently ate her breakfast. Spike could tell something was wrong, but Twilight refused to speak of it. Different emotions jumbled in Twilight’s mind. Tez had yelled at her, he looked like he was going to hurt her. It never felt good to be yelled at by a friend.
'Why... why is he acting like that?' She thought as she wiped her eyes. 'I was just trying to help.'
"Twilight... are you sure you’re okay?" Spike asked, looking up at his friend with worry.
Twilight smiled and patted Spike’s head, "I'm fine Spike. Tez and I... just had a little argument."
Spike frowned, "An argument? About what?"
"Oh... nothing.... don't worry about it. I'm fine." Twilight smiled again.
Spike held his frown, "Well... if you say so. I hope you two don't hate each other now."
Twilight chuckled, "Oh Spike, Tez and I don't hate each other. Even friends can have little arguments."
"But, you seem really upset." Spike said.
"It's nothing Spike... really. Oh I have to go, I'll be back in a bit." Twilight got up and headed downstairs and out the door. She did have things to do, but mostly she wanted to get out before Spike asked anything else.
'I just need to clear my head from all this. I hope Tez still isn't mad.' She thought as she walked.
Spike watched Twilight from the window, 'I hope she’s okay.'
Tez sighed as he placed several more buckets of apples in the barn. He had just three more to get and then he would be done with work, then the hard part of trying to figure out how apologize to Twilight would begin.
"Something wrong Tez?" Applebloom asked.
Applebloom did not have school today so she volunteered to help Tez with his work. Tez did not mind the company. Though Applejack seemed a bit hesitant to leave them alone, she eventually did seeing how she had to deal with her own section of trees.
“That Tez is too quick with his work.” Applejack mumbled as she bucked another tree, “ain’t fair.”
"I guess I'm just not having a good start to this day." Tez said.
"Why?"
"Well Applebloom... I guess I'm just feeling guilty."
Applebloom tilted her head, "Guilty about what?"
Tez sighed, "I yelled at Twilight this morning."
"Well why did ya' do that?" The little filly asked.
"I had a nightmare... It sort of left me in a foul mood. So I took it out on her, I think I might have hurt her feelings."
"Well you should apologize.” Applebloom said, her expression showed concern for Tez. “You two are friends so you shouldn't be angry and upset with each other."
They reached the last three buckets and Tez took two, while Applebloom took the third. Tez was impressed that she did not have too much difficulty carrying it.
"You are probably right Applebloom. I probably should have done it sooner."
"So why didn't you?" She asked.
"Cause I was still mad and I couldn't trust myself, even though part of me wanted to apologize sooner. I needed time alone I guess."
"Well, do you think you can trust yourself now?" Applebloom asked.
Tez thought on that as he placed the buckets of apples into the storage cellar, "I think so."
"Then go say you’re sorry. It's not all that hard."
"Well, since that’s the last of my work here I guess I will. Thanks for the help Applebloom."
Applebloom smiled, "Anytime."
Tez waved goodbye as he ran off back to town. He hoped he would find Twilight at the library. If he did not well... he would figure that out later.
Tez burst through the doors of the library huffing, he looked around the first floor but could not find Twilight so he ran up stairs. All he found was spike who barraged him with questions of what happened between the two of them. All Tez said was...
"Where is Twilight?"
Spike blinked, "I don't know. She went out sometime after you left and hasn't been back yet. Now what happened between the two of you-Hey where are you going?"
Tez ran down the stairs, Spike followed asking where he was going. Tez turned and said, "I'm going to find Twilight, can't stay to chat. Bye Spike."
With that Tez ran out the door, leaving a very confused dragon behind him.
Spike just sighed, "I really hope things end well." With that he went back up stairs to sleep.
Tez ran all over Ponyville, he was a man with a goal... only problem was finding it. He looked and looked but could not find Twilight, where was she?
'Where is she?' Tez thought as he stopped to catch his breath, leaning against the wall near the entrance to sugarcube corner, 'Wish an idea would hit me in the head.'
BANG!
Tez got his wish as the door opened and hit him, "Ouch...." He said weakly.
Twilight walked out carrying a box with her magic. She looked around, "Hmm, was that Tez's voice?" She did not see him so she moved on, the door slowly closing behind her.
Tez held his head as he stumbled forward, "Hey... look at all these spots. Weeee." He began spinning in small circles before falling face down onto the ground.
Twilight turned and gasped when she saw Tez on the ground. She rushed towards him and turned him over on his back, "Tez! Tez! Are you okay? Say something!"
Tez opened his eyes, which struggled to regain focus, and said, "ohuel cualtin."
Twilight blinked confused, "Huh?"
Tez slowly got up rubbing his head. He then noticed Twilight and smiled, before hugging her.
Twilight was a bit shocked by this, shocked and a bit embarrassed as some ponies stopped and looked at them confused.
"Tez, stop!" Twilight said as she pushed him off her. Tez staggered before falling onto his rear and shook his head.
"Whoa... my head," Tez said as he held it hissing, "Doors....are evil."
Twilight cringed, well now she knew what made that noise when she opened the door, "Oh...sorry about that."
"It's alright.... these things happen," Tez got up and staggered a bit before dusting himself off. He noticed all the ponies staring and glared, "What are you all looking at?"
All the ponies quickly departed back to their business, Tez had to admit these eyes had some use after all.
"Tez, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked, though she kept a distance from him.
Tez looked at Twilight and walked over, "I've been looking all over the place for you. When I do find you, I get hit in the head."
Twilight cringed, "I’m Sorry..."
"Sorry? You’re saying sorry to me? I should be the one saying sorry. I deserved my head getting whacked just as well.”
Twilight blinked and looked at him, "Huh?"
Tez sighed, "This is easier in my mind. Twilight.... I'm....really sorry. Really really sorry, I should not have vented on you like that. You were just trying to help me, and I let my anger get the better of me. I'm truly sorry."
Twilight looked at Tez, she felt a wave of relief and joy, "So...you’re not mad at me?"
Tez shook his head, "No, I never was. Although I did vent it out on you. I'm very sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"
Twilight smiled and hugged Tez, "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I? You’re my friend."
Tez smiled, "Thanks Twilight."
The two let go of each other and walked home. Tez felt happy, though the day had started bad it all seemed to have sorted itself in the end.
Tez looked out at the moon filled sky. Dinner had been good, though he had to limit what he consumed. Grass, hay, flowers, were things he felt he just could not stomach. The choice came narrowed down to apples…..again, oh how he longed for some tlaxcalli. The very name of that food made him drool.
"I'll figure out where I can get some maize... still, how do I know how to make these things? Oh well, who cares? They are good and that’s all I need to know." Tez drank his water.
Spike seemed happy to know that whatever happened between him and Twilight was reconciled, Tez also made a mental note to bite his tongue when he was angry. Even if he had to bite it off, anything was better then yelling at a friend.
"The question is though.... why do I get so angry? That name… Tenochtitlan. What is the connection?" All of Tez’s memories of it were blurred. Some clearer than others, but not enough to give him all the info he wanted. Thoughts of that city eventually brought back images of it burning and the name Cortés.
Tez bit his lip till he bled. That name... he spat, how he hated it. Yet he could not explain why, but from his dream he guessed that Cortés had done something to him, something bad.
Tez sighed, "I hope I figure things out soon. Perhaps then I will have a better idea of who I am, what I am."
He walked back inside, being careful not to make noise so he did not wake Spike or Twilight, and returned to his room to rest. Perhaps rest would stir more dreams, or memories. Perhaps in his sleep he will find the answers he sought. He closed his eyes and again found himself standing on the Templo Mayor, only the sky was clear, the city below shined in the light of day. This time it was not a place of anger, but of peace and serenity. This time the tears that came from his eyes were not of sadness, but of joy.
"My beautiful....beautiful Tenochtitlan."
So what do you think? I will be using some historic lore of the spanish conquest of the aztecs, but will add in a few of my own ideas and some twists to make it interesting. :) hope you all enjoy this. I also want to thank my friend, who not only got me interested in FIM but proof read this chapter before it was published. He deserves as much credit as I do. If things need to be edited let me know. and if you think this is a Twilight and Tez romance...you are....partially correct :)