//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: One Heart's Destiny // by Robobrony //------------------------------// Chapter 9 Heart Wing and Rainbow Dash had just gotten out of the forest where they just had their first real adventure together and set up camp for the night. Heart had managed to avoid answering Dash’s earlier question, but she wasn’t about to let it go. The two were sitting next to each other in front of the campfire while Rainbow tried to get Heart to answer. “Heart Wing, you still didn’t answer my question, did you really mean all that stuff you said when you thought I was dead, especially about how you were in love with me?” She was smirking as she asked, she was just teasing him, but she wanted to see if she could get him to feel embarrassed. Heart was already feeling embarrassed and annoyed that Rainbow was bugging him about it. “Of course not, I was distraught, I thought you were dead, I just said whatever came to mind I could think of that might shock you awake, that’s all.” Rainbow kept her smirk as she continued. “Oh really, and the first thing that came to mind was that you loved me, come on, admit it, that’s what you said isn’t it?” She knew he didn’t really mean it, she was just having fun with him. Heart Wing couldn’t take any more, he was afraid to admit how he really felt about Dash because he thought that she could never feel the same way about him, she was brave and strong and fast, and he wasn’t anything like her. With Rainbow’s teasing and his emotions finally flaring up, he couldn’t contain himself any longer, he just had to get it out in the open once and for all. He took a deep breath, propped himself up on his haunches, and finally let it all spill out. “All right already, yes I admit it, I said I love you and I meant it all right!*SIGH* Look, I can’t help but feel a stronger connection with you than I do with our other friends. As I said before, you are essentially responsible for me starting down the path that helped me get free of that curse I was under, it was you who taught me to fly, you who volunteered to come with me and make sure I’d be safe on this journey, and it’s been you that has been helping me with my magic training. You are strong, and brave, and fast, and everything I wish I could be. I didn’t say anything before as I started to feel like this earlier because I figured you wouldn’t feel the same way about me, how could you, I’m not as strong or brave as you are.” Heart Wing closed his eyes as he looked away from Rainbow. Dash was shocked, she couldn’t believe what she just heard, Heart really was in love with her, she sat up on her haunches and looked down to think of what to say. After a moment, she used a hoof to make Heart Wing look at her as she spoke in a soft voice. “Hey, come on now, you are brave, it took a lot of guts to try and stand up to that Dark Horn creep, and in the end, you came out on top, that makes you pretty brave in my book.” Heart still wore a sad look on his face as he responded. “But I’m still weak, there’s no way I would have been able to take on Dark Horn on my own, I was just lucky, and if those ponies of that city hadn’t stepped in when they did to distract Dark Horn, we’d be doomed.” Rainbow looked at Heart with a determined look. “Heart, if you want to get strong, you’ve got to work for it, I wasn’t always as tough as I am today, I had to work hard and practice at what I wanted to be good at. You just need to do the same thing, and I’m the pony for the job.” Heart Wing looked hopeful at Dash’s words. “You mean it, you’ll help me get stronger too?” Rainbow smiled as she answered. “Of course, and…as for the whole love thing…….well, look, when I first saw you after Rarity gave you a bath, I thought you looked pretty cool. I definitely thought you had a great sense of humor when you made those funny faces with the clouds that day when I taught you how to fly.” Rainbow chuckled at the memory. Heart Wing began to smile more as Rainbow Talked. “Don’t tell anypony this, but when you left, I was a little more worried about you then I let on, I volunteered to come with you, not just cause I wanted to make sure you’d be safe, but because I……well I wanted to see if maybe…..you…….AW BUCK IT!” Rainbow then suddenly pushed her face into Heart Wing and pressed her lips against his with her eyes closed. Heart Wing was shocked as his eyes widened with the kiss he was getting from Rainbow Dash. He just couldn’t believe it, everything was happening so fast and sudden, his mind couldn’t keep up. His head swarmed with thoughts about what was going on. After a moment, Rainbow finally broke away and looked at Heart Wing with a smile. She then spoke with a serious tone. “Just don’t go giving me any lovey dovey pet names all right, I’m not really big on mushy stuff.” Rainbow then laid back down in front of the fire leaving Heart Wing with a very shocked look on his face. Heart Wing finally managed to regain his senses after a moment and looked down at Dash. “So……does this mean that……I mean…you and me are.” Rainbow Dash looked up at heart with a very amused expression at Heart’s stammering. “Heh heh, yes Heart Wing, you and me are a couple, after the time we’ve spent together, I could see what a cool guy you are, and I can definitely see myself with an awesome stallion like you.” Heart Wing smiled the biggest smile he ever did, he tried to contain himself though as he was afraid his actions would make Rainbow Dash seriously reconsider being his marefriend. “So do you think we should tell Luna about us and have her pass on the news to the others?” Rainbow Dash smirked as she answered. “Let’s make that a surprise for when we get back.” The days went on for the new couple, just like Rainbow Dash promised, she not only continued to help Heart Wing with his magic training, but also helped him learn a few flying tricks and how to fight with his hooves so he wouldn’t have to rely on just his magic. Heart Wing was really starting to feel more confident in himself thanks to his new marefreind Rainbow Dash. Luna was certainly shocked when Heart and Dash told her about the little adventure they had in a forest they came across with a city under a curse. She was relieved though as well and impressed when hearing that the problem had been dealt with and how it was handled. The final two months of their trip was coming to a close as they neared their destination and their relationship was really blossoming, Rainbow Dash was proud of the progress Heart Wing was making with the training she was giving him. Heart Wing had also managed to master most of the spells he started learning, he got his teleportation down perfect, his aim with his magic bolts had really improved, he had learned an invisibility spell, and he picked up on some healing spells from the books he was given. The two travelers came to a hill overlooking a village, Heart Wing was wearing his cloak and Rainbow Dash had the bag. Heart Wing stopped at the top of the hill and Dash walked up beside him, Heart lowered his hood as he looked down at the village. “Well, here we are, home sweet home, welcome to Stableton Rainbow. I never thought I would have to come back here.” He said in disgust as memories of how he was treated by others flooded his mind. His simple stare soon turned into a glare at the town. Rainbow saw this and nuzzled Heart’s neck to try and help him calm down. “Hey, come on now, were only here for a bit, once we find what you’re looking for, we’re outta here, and you won’t have to come back ever again.” Heart Wing smiled as he nuzzled Rainbow Dash back on the top of her head. “Thanks Dash, you’re right.” They broke their nuzzling embrace and looked back at the town. “Come on, let’s find this “Great Truth” and get back home.” The two followed the trail into the town. As they entered Stableton, Rainbow Dash saw just how miserable the town was for herself, it was surrounded by land that seemed almost barren, it was a miracle anything grew there. The ponies of the town didn’t seem all that friendly as they walked around with scowls on their faces. Most of the buildings that made up the town all looked run down and old, some of them had missing shutters on the windows, and the roads were very dusty. “Gosh Heart, you weren’t kidding when you said how miserable this place is, it seems like most of the ponies here don’t even have their cutie marks.” “I know, it’s because they don’t care about finding their special talent and earning their cutie mark, when one of them does, it’s really only by accident or something and they just don’t care.” Heart Wing informed with a bit of gloom in his voice. They walked a bit more before Heart Wing finally came to a stop in front of an old house that looked more run down then the others. Heart Stood facing it with a straight face. “I don’t believe it.” Rainbow came up next to him. “Heart Wing, what is it, do you know this place?” Heart didn’t answer, he took a few steps toward the house and stopped a few feet in front of the front door and looked down at a spot on the ground. Rainbow tried again. “What’s wrong Heart, are you ok?” “This was the spot where my father died in front of me, I saw it happen as he was struck by lightning and he landed on this very spot in front of me and my mother.” Heart Wing spoke softly as he remembered, tears threatened to come out as he looked down. It was then that Rainbow realized that this house they were in front of was Heart Wing’s home where he grew up. It had a wooden roof with white walls on the outside, one window on either side of the door with the one on the left missing a shutter. Rainbow nuzzled Heart Wing’s neck again to comfort him. “It’s ok Heart, I’m sure your parents would be proud of you to see you finally able to be happy.” She then pulled away to look at him. Heart Wing smiled back at her. “Thanks Dash, you’re right, we should keep mov-“ He cut himself off when he just now realized something. “Wait, what the buck, what’s going on here?” Dash looked at him curiously. “What is it Heart, what’s wrong?” “The trail I had in my head ends here, I don’t understand, why would it end just in front of my old house?” “Maybe what you’re supposed to find is in the house.” Rainbow guessed. “It can’t be, after my mother died and before I left, I sold everything in the house so I would have some money to buy food for when I managed to come across a town. The house is empty now, there’s nothing in there.” Heart Wing was starting to feel frustrated as it seemed like he had come all this way and left his friends for nothing. “Why the buck was I supposed to come back here for if there’s nothing for me to find, why did I come all this way for!?” Rainbow tried to calm him down. “Take it easy Heart, we’ll figure this out, we just need to think.” Rainbow then noticed Heart’s horn begin to flare up with magic. “Heart, what are you doing? Why are you casting a spell?” Heart looked at Dash confused. “What are you talking about? I’m not casting a spell.” Before Dash could answer, a small orb of light appeared out of Heart’s horn. Heart and Dash looked at it in confusion as it floated in front of them. “What the hay, I didn’t do that………did I?” The orb floated in the direction past the house the two were going in the first place and stopped a ways, it flashed a few times as it just hovered. Dash seemed to take notice. “Whatever it is, I think we’re supposed to follow it. Come on Heart, this could be the answer you were looking for.” Heart Wing nodded and the two took off after the orb. It led them out of the village and continued down the dirt path away from the town. It then led them to a large cliff that was part of a mountain nearby, it stopped in front of the side of the cliff a moment to let Heart and Dash catch up. Heart Wing looked on in confusion. “What the hay is this thing, why did it lead us here?” As soon as he asked that, the orb lit up brighter and a section of the cliff wall disappeared revealing a cave, the orb then continued into the cave slowly. “No way, where did that cave come from?” Dash asked in wonderment. With no way to answer, they just continued to follow the light orb into the cave. With no idea what to say about all this, Heart and Dash continued on in silence as they followed the orb through the cave tunnel. After a while, they could see an exit out of the tunnel up ahead, they exited the tunnel and found themselves in a large open area surrounded by rocks. Heart Wing and Rainbow Dash stopped in front of a group of rocks that the orb led them to as it floated on and stopped at the center of them. The rocks were positioned in a strange pattern. There were five tall thin rocks on the outside of a circle of small rocks in the ground. There were two circles made up of the rocks on the ground. There were also four lines made up of rocks that started at the center of the formation and made a kind of x as they went from the center to the outer circle of rocks. At the very center of the formation where the orb was hovering was a round smooth rock with a hole in it. “What kind of rock formation is this?” Heart Wing asked out loud to no one in particular. “I think were supposed to get in the center of this, this IS where that orb led us.” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I think your right, I can’t help but wonder what that orb is though, I didn’t use a spell to make it, at least not consciously.” Heart and Rainbow then cautiously made their way to the center of the rock formation. Once they were directly in front of the orb, it slowly descended to the rock under it, settled in the hole and all the rocks then lit up with a white light. Heart and Dash looked on nervously as they were then encased in a dome that formed from the tall rocks on the outside of the circle. All they saw was white from their point of view. Heart and Dash were blinded by a brilliant flash for a moment. When they opened their eyes, their surroundings had changed, they were still standing in the middle of the rock formation, but they were now in a different area. There was green grass all around theim, they saw that they were standing in the shadows of massive cliffs all around them, but they could still see the blue sky above them. To their right, they noticed a pair of massive stone doors built into the cliff side with depictions of two alicorns with no discernible features. Coming from underneath the door was a cobble stone path that went past the stone formation the two had arrived in. Heart and Dash slowly walked out of the stone circle and up to the door to get a better look. “Where the hay are we?” Heart Wing asked out loud. Rainbow Dash followed the path that came from the door with her eyes and was met with an incredible sight. “Um, Heart, you may want to see this.” Heart Wing turned around to look at Dash. “What is it Da-“ What he saw left him in awe, right before their eyes was a massive castle, easily bigger than Celestia’s. It was white with blue roofs and windows on the towers. Some of the windows were shattered or missing. In front of the castle was a steel gate with two large statues of alicorns on pedastals, also with no real discernible features, moss was growing at the bottom of the pedastals. Behind the gate, they could see a stone bridge over a dried out moat that led to even bigger doors that were most likely the front entrance of the castle. Heart Wing and Rainbow Dash approached the gates cautiously as they looked on in wonder. “What is this place, it’s huge.” Heart asked. “I’ll say, why did that orb lead us here?” Rainbow asked, still confused and bewildered at what had happened and what they were seeing. As they approached the gates, the eyes of the two statues flickered to life with a light blue glow, a female voice erupted from both statues. “HALT, PLEASE PRESENT CUTIE MARK!” Heart and Dash were surprised by this. “AAHH!” They both cried together. “OK, what the buck is going on here, did those statues just talk?!” Heart cried out. “I think they did.” Dash answered. The statues spoke again. “PLEASE PRESENT CUTIE MARK!” “Um Heart Wing, I think were supposed to present our cutie marks.” Dash stepped forward to try and see what would happen, she turned her flank so the statues could see her cutie mark. A light blue beam shot from the statue on the right and appeared to scan Dash’s cutie mark. Heart watched in worry. The statues then spoke again. “CUTIE MARK NOT RECOGNIZED, ACCESS DENIED, OTHER APPLICANT, PLEASE PRESENT CUTIE MARK!” “Ok, this just gets weirder and weirder.” Heart commented. “Heart, why don’t you try and see what happens when they scan your cutie mark.” Rainbow suggested. Heart Wing was hesitant. “I don’t know, this is just too strange, what is this place, why did that light orb lead us here?” “Heart, stop being such a baby and just try it, this could be the answers you were looking for, just let the thing scan your cutie mark and see what happens.” “All right, here goes.” Heart took a gulp, he walked up, turned his flank to the statues and levitated part of his cloak that was covering his flank so the statues could see it. The statue then scanned Heart’s cutie mark. Once done, they spoke again. “CUTIE MARK RECOGNIZED, ACCESS GRANTED, WELCOME BACK YOUR MAJESTY.” That statement really threw them for a loop. “YOUR MAJESTY!” They said together. Heart then spoke on his own. “OK, I am now officially creeped out, why did those statues just call me your majesty?!” The gates then creaked open to allow passage to the doors on the other side of the bridge. Rainbow gave a determined smile as she looked to Heart Wing. “Hey, it worked, come on Heart Wing, I’ll bet we’ll find what we’re looking for inside, come on.” Rainbow Das then started walking forward. “Dash wait, I don’t know if I can do this, I know we came here to find something, but this is just too much, those statues addressed me as royalty. How am I royalty when I was raised by simple ponies, how did they recognize my cutie mark, I’m sorry but this is getting to be too much for me.” Heart was starting to get very worried. Dash came back and up to Heart Wing, she spoke softly to him as she saw how distraught he was getting. “Heart, it’ll be ok, we’ve come this far, we might as well see this to the end, besides, I’ll be right there with you all the way. Do you really want to go back now after we’ve come this far? Whatever your parents wanted you to find must be in that castle. I promise everything will be fine.” Heart looked at Rainbow and smiled. “You’re right Rainbow, we’ve come this far, with everything we’ve been through, it would be a shame not to see this through. Thanks Dash, I’m really glad you came with me, I really don’t think I could have gotten this far without you.” The two then nuzzled each other’s cheeks. Heart Wing took a deep breath and began moving forward to the castle to find out once and for all what his parents wanted him to find.