//------------------------------// // Part 1: Coming Back Home // Story: Returning Home // by dragovin08 //------------------------------// Six days it has been since Aeon left Equestria by force. He sails in his small boat to go back to his home. To him it almost seems like deja vu as he had to leave his homeland almost two years ago as his own kind were wiped out, as he remains the last of his kind. Out on the sea the days feel long and the nights feel even longer for there is nothing to do but think about the choices that he has made over his life. He sat looking at his reflection in the bright blue water seeing himself and a black faced monster with blank red eyes and horns. He turned away grabbing his satchel he opened but grabbed nothing out of it, he only looked at it for a moment, then he closed it and set it back down. Just who am I? What am I really? Reflecting on what he’s done memories began coming through his mind of his past before arriving at Equestria. Not remembering anything when he was born, he recalled when he was very young. Aeon remembered running and playing with his father being a careless innocent child as they played with wooden swords but he always wanted to play catch with him. Aeon chuckled as he looked up just noticing he was now in the fog coming close to Lacerta his homeland. Though he was close to shore the thick gray fog enshrouded his vision. The air was cold and the smell of moisture was all around him as he sailed through the thick fog. Aeon laid down in the boat, even though he was close to the shore it would still take awhile to get out of the mist. As he looked straight ahead into the gray sky his eyes became heavy and fell shut. He saw a town engulfed in flames making it unrecognizable to the eye a small distance in front of him. Burnt lifeless bodies laid everywhere mutilated from men, to women, to children. Aeon saw a figure standing in the middle of the town, it was facing sideways yet also facing towards him. Its head was facing him, staring at him with its blood red beady eyes. Yet Aeon could barely see its face for it wore a cowl with a large black cloak, hiding most its mud brown colored face. It raised its arm in his direction pointing its finger at him. “You cannot escape your thrist,” The figure said. The words baffled Aeon as he stood there staring at the figure. In the blink of an eye a chain propelled out of the figure’s sleeve. Aeon tried to move but couldn’t, his body felt stuck in that place. The chain link wrapped around his neck closing itself to suffocate him, many times he tried to pull the chain off but it stayed around his neck. A large jerk came from the chain sending Aeon off of his feet towards the figure. Aeon sat up fully awake breathing profusely just realizing it was a dream. He noticed that the boat wasn’t moving anymore seeing that he was now on shore. He got out of the boat and dragged it up shore so the tide wouldn’t reach it. Finishing he grabbed his satchel out of the boat throwing it over his shoulder and began walking upshore. Towards the road he approached a dead forest, the trees stood with no leaves, charred to the point of never being able to reproduce for even the soil itself was drained of all nutrients. Aeon looked up to the clouds seeing the sun partially covered by the clouds. He looked back in front of him and began to take the first step back into his homeland. “This use to be such a place,” A voice said stopping Aeon in his tracks, he turned and saw the voice came from the one sitting on the rock,” The trees at this time would be blooming such beautiful flowers but now all that is left is dust.” “True it is... this was once a thriving land too.” “It was boy but that time has passed, this land is just a shadow of its former self.” The one sitting on the rock got to his feet, Aeon noticed that his right arm and his left leg were wooden but they moved as if they were real limbs. Too he saw a sheathed saber on his right hip over his long black coat that reached to his ankles. He took a look at this one’s face, both his eyes were different colors, the left was a light blue while the right was glowing yellow. Most of his dark green face was covered by a shadow from the round hat he wore. “What are you looking at boy?” He asked. “Nothing.” “I know I look very different from you.” “Yes... what do you want from me? Are you here to kill me?” “Ha!... If I wanted to kill you, you would’ve already been dead inside your boat.” “I guess that would be true,” Aeon said scratching his head. “Well then boy you better get moving unless you want to waste daylight on a patron like me.” “Why do you say that?” “I know you’re not here to go sight seeing, you’re here looking for something.” “You’re right I am.” “Well then you best get moving.” “Y-yeah.” The black coated one turned around to sit back on the rock, he had a dark green tail that was like Aeon’s yet it was coiled up at the end like a chameleon's. He’s a zenthain like me! “Ummmm... sir,” Aeon huffed. “Yes,” The black coated one replied turning his head to look at Aeon. “I never got your name?” “Nor have I yours.” “Oh!... My name is Aeon.” “And thy name is Nier.” “Oh, okay I’ll remember that.” Nier sat back down on the rock he sat on before staring into the distance to the ocean and the fog. Aeon began walking down the rocky road towards the nearest town, he turned his head back wondering what Nier was looking at but it didn’t matter to him. Off Aeon went down the stone road to town near the shore. Down the road the trees were dead, no leaves grew on the branches all that was left was the trunk. All it was left to do is rot away until the end of days, many trees still stood while others had fallen over unable to hold on anymore. Aeon just kept on turning his head in every direction seeing the aftermath of the fatal attack on his home. Even the animals that thrived here were wiped out for no sound could be heard but of the wind and his footsteps. Not even the animals sing anymore from the treachery that has occurred. Arriving to the town the sign above, smashed through, shattered into pieces of what use to say Welcome to Sang-ran(The town of songs). Many of this small town’s buildings were barely staying together from how hard it was hit from the attack. There were large holes going through the houses and out of them. The bright paint on these houses were faded and peeling from abandonment. Aeon touched a wall making it fall over for most of these buildings supports a very worn from what the attackers did, leaving these wooden supports rotted and weak. He went towards the large inn of the town seeing that the roof gave out, caving in the entire building. “So much has changed in so little time in this place,” Aeon heard Nier’s raspy aged voice behind him. He turned and saw Nier standing behind him,” Yeah... a lot has changed... changes that should’ve never happen,” Aeon sighed turning his head back. Aeon began walking towards the end of the town, then he noticed a house in the town still intact or at least looked like it. He walked up to it opening its loosely hanging door, the interior was full of dust and there was a foul smell in the house that Aeon covered his snout with his forearm. There were small knick knacks that sat on shelves all over the delicate wood floor in the house. In the back of the house the kitchen was plundered of any kind of food with cabinets broken and arm sized holes in the walls. At the right edge of the house there was a room that Aeon drew himself towards, walking the floor creaked as if it would give out at any moment. He turned and looked into the room mortified from what he saw. “Oh my... holy sh...” He moved back trying to keep his composure then he looked again. In the room were bodies of zenthains who had gotten away from the attackers but hid away and starved to death. Their bodies were skinny and deteriorating as their skin looked more like old leather, their eyes caved into their skulls just leaving the dark pits. Though Aeon is use to the sight of death yet his body was trembling from this. He unrolled his hands from the fist balls they were in and felt them bleeding as his claws stabbed right through his hands from squeezing them so tight. The floor began creaking again and Aeon turned his head to see as Nier walked toward him. Nier looked into the room, all he did was just sigh. Then he mumbled under his breath,” For the days of hiding away the real damage are over.”