//------------------------------//
// The Mysterious Man Unmasked 
// Story: My New Life 
// by Ark125 
//------------------------------//


My New Life

Chapter 36 - The Mysterious Man Unmasked


After a few more weeks, I finally could walk on my hurt leg, though with a slight limp. Terra still didn't like me walking around too much though.

"Sit down, before you hurt yourself even more." He said, jokingly.

"I am doing fine."

"At least let me help you." He said, offering his hands to steady me.

"Oh please, I am not a foal. I can walk just fine." I skipped along, showing him how well I could walk.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, nothing like a foal. Foals certainly don't whine."

"I am not whining!" I yelled.

He began to crack up. I stuck my tongue out at him and he did so back. We began to laugh together.

The ruckus we caused woke up Bubbles, but he merely shook his head and went back to sleep.

Once we settled down a bit, I sat down next to him. He draped his cloak around me.

"Thank you." I pulled it over my shoulders tighter.

We sat in silence, listening to the crackling and sparking of the embers in the fire.

"Terra?"

"Hmm."

"There is something about you that seems so familiar."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean something about you reminds me of somepony. But I can't figure out who."

"Don't stress to much about it. It will come to you eventually."

"Well, okay."

We sat in silence for a bit longer until he spoke up.

"You remind me of someone I once knew as well."

"Really now?"

"Yes. She was beautiful just like you. Her voice was one of angels and she could always make me smile."

"What happened?"

He sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it."

I placed a hoof on his knee and looked him in the eyes. "That's okay. Time heals all wounds."

"Yes, unfortunately, we won't have much time if the changelings have their way."

"What do you mean?"

He looked a bit confused. "You didn't know?"

"Know what?" I started to get a bit anxious.

"They are starting a war."

I gasped in terror. "You can't be serious."

He nodded. "It's true. Why else would they kidnap you?"

I tried to think of an excuse, but that was the only logical explanation.

"That is just insane. I won't allow it!" I said aloud, stomping my hoof. Though my hoof accidentally made contact with a piece of wood in the fire, causing a white hot coal to fly right into one of Terra's bracers.

"Hot!" He yelled, throwing off his bracer. He brushed off the ashes quickly.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! Here let me take a look at it." I took his forearm into my grasp.

"No! Don't!" He said, pushing me away.

"Let me see it! I need to know if I singed you or not." I tried to get closer, but he shuffled away.

"No. You can't see it." He said, hiding his left forearm from view. He reached for his bracer, but I moved it out of his reach.

"You can't have this back until you let me see it." I held the bracer up in the air, waiting for him to comply. Instead of doing so, though, I heard him begin to cry. "What's wrong? Does it hurt that bad?" I stood up, setting the bracer down behind me, and walked over to him.

"Please, stay back." He pleaded.

I stopped for a moment, but then continued forward. Finally, I sat down next to him. "What is going on?"

He sniffled. "I didn't want you to see me like this."

"What do you mean?"

He shakily held out his forearm, revealing to me a bracelet of beautiful design.

I was in shock. "I don't understand."

He turned to me and chuckled through his tears. "You were always kind of slow to realize things."

I looked at the bracelet for a few moments and then looked him in the eyes. "Who are you?" I asked with tears of my own starting to well up.

He took me into his arms in a large embrace. "You know I hate to see you cry." He whispered into my ear.

I openly wept now. "Pure Heart."

"You know it." He cried openly as well.