//------------------------------//
// Scars From A Wooden Blade 
// Story: Timeless Harmony 
// by Barrier Pavise 
//------------------------------//

Timeless Harmony
Chapter 4: Scars From A Wooden Blade
(O.C. P.O.V.)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16QBpS5z8lrGnpwq3gz_ucgbIXMI__4lMfKUwutAvzWM/edit

The once roaring flame dwindled down into nothing more than glowing embers within its small rock barrier. Stalwart shook the bucket that was held in his jaw, ensuring that every drop of water landed on the campfire. Once that was done, he trotted over to his sleeping bag and rolled it up with his nose. He glanced over to his sleeping companion. “Why isn't she awake yet?” thought Stalwart. He gazed up into the sky and frowned at the sight that awaited him.; A full moon and twinkling stars shown overhead, still claiming the world in its night.
This was odd. The two ponies had been traveling for hours, not to mention how long they slept. Stalwart pondered the thought some more. Throughout their journey they saw no wildlife, no ponies, and not the slightest hint of the sun trying to rise. “What's going on here?” asked Stalwart to himself out loud.
“Not entirely sure” came an answer from nearby. Stalwart looked over to where the voice had come from to see Barrier stroking her messy mane with a hoof as she sat upright in her sleeping bag.
“So you noticed too?” asked Stalwart, head returned to staring up at the night sky.
“Yeah, something is definitely wrong here. The sun should have risen hours ago. Hay, it shouldn't have even set when it did. The destroyed buildings, the night that just won’t end, and nopony to be seen? Heaven knows what might have happened!” a slimmer of fear showed in Barrier's eyes.
“You think Pinkie did this?” asked Stalwart, praying the answer was 'no'.
“I'm not sure, but it definitely has some relation to that box and their time travel.” Stalwart glanced over to Barrier's carrying bag, knowing that the very object that ruined the world he called home was resting within. He wanted to reignite the campfire and throw the bag inside the flames. Hatred began to fuel the earth pony... but then it was gone. He shook his head and returned to his fun loving state.
“All the more reason for us to move our flanks and get over to Canterlot Castle!” said Stalwart, packing up the rest of the gear and placing it into his battle-torn sack that bore the same dual swords as his flank. He knew he didn't need to tell Barrier about how he felt about that damn box; something told him that she already knew.
“You're right Stalwart. We can't dilly dally anymore, time to move!” The two traveling ponies then secured the rest of their camping supplies and headed onward toward Canterlot, sure that Princess Celestia would have answers to their problems.
---
Stalwart and Barrier continued their perilous journey through the thick dark forest that separated them from the city of Canterlot. However, it didn't take a genius to realize that whatever had happened to Ponyville wasn't just occurring there. The trees were all leafless and dead. The ground felt hard and unfertile, as if deprived of sunlight for years. And there wasn't a single creature to be seen, with the exception of insects crawling on the lifeless tree trunks and the occasional distant caw from a crow.
“Barrier, I don't like any of this. Not one bit” stated Stalwart. Drawing his wooden sword as he always did when fear started to set in.
“I know, Stalwart, but we need to keep-” Barrier cut herself off in mid-sentence and halted in place. “Did you hear that?” Stalwart also ceased his walking. He perked his ears up to see if he could catch a sound of whatever Barrier had heard. He waited, but there was nothing but silence. Or so he thought. It started as low murmurs, nothing more than random sounds. But then they formed into a word. A single word repeating itself; 'Grow'
“Grow?” asked Stalwart to himself.
“So, you can hear it too” said Barrier. An eerie purple fog began to set in from below.
“Grow, Change” The voice continued to echo. The strange fog around the ponies' hooves began to thicken and grow denser.
“Barrier...” started Stalwart.
“Don't worry, we'll be fine” reassured Barrier, horn starting to glow with the hint of magic.
“Grow, Change, Kill” The voice continued to grow even louder. “GROW, CHANGE, KILL, SLAUGHTER!” The sound of the most terrible scream now rang in their ears. The voice kept going. Endlessly chanting, growing louder and faster. “GROW, CHANGE, KILL, SLAUGHTER, MASSACRE! GROW, CHANGE, KILL, SLAUGHTER, MASSACRE, MURDER!”
“That's it!” called out Stalwart, sword in jaw. “Whoever you are, get out here and fight like a man! Or, woman … OR WHATEVER THE HAY YOU ARE!” And then...the voices died out. “Ha! See that Bare!? Just show some courage and nothing can hurt you!” Barrier simply stared at her friend as he sheathed his weapon. A look of pure terror seemed to spread across her face. Stalwart stared back at the unicorn in confusion. “Uh, Bare? What's up?” Barrier couldn't speak, but managed to jab a single hoof in the area behind Stalwart.
Stalwart's expression then changed to what could only be described as a dead face. “There's something behind me isn't there?” Barrier slowly nodded her head. “It's really bad isn't it?” asked Stalwart, still not turning around and having the same blank expression on his face. Again, Barrier nodded. “So I probably shouldn't just be standing here huh?” asked Stalwart, still as emotionless as the start. Barrier gave no response. Stalwart then slowly turned his head around to face whatever had Barrier so shook up, and what awaited him made his heart feel as if it turned to stone and his entire body go pale white.
Standing before the two ponies was an enormous spider-like creature. It towered over them, reaching the top of the dead trees without the slightest hint of it even trying. A single long and thick thread of toxic saliva slowly descended from the mouth of the creature and hung before Stalwart. It was a furry beast, legs covered in countless spines of rough hairs that stood on end like deadly needles. Bits and pieces of bloodied and destroyed animals stained its fangs. Dirty blood stains scarred the beast’s furry body and something told the ponies that it didn't belong to the animal before them.
Its eyes were black as the night that claimed the sky and were counted off into the thousands. They gleamed a soulless black that resembled countless dark diamonds. The constant dripping of its venomous saliva that oozed from its fangs echoed throughout the silent forest.
“Stalwart, whatever you do, don't mo-” Barrier's sentence was cut short by the sound of a male pony screaming. Stalwart let out a wail of fear that provoked the giant foe that stood before them. The spider opened its huge mouth and screamed back with such force that Stalwart couldn't handle as he began to flee the battle.
“Stalwart!?” called out Barrier, disbelieved that her friend was abandoning her at a time like this. “What happened to 'showing some courage' and all that stuff!?”
“To Hay with that!” called back the fleeing pony as he continued to gallop away. “I HATE spiders!” Stalwart then made a sharp left turn, leaving Barrier's line of sight.
“I don't believe this!” cried out Barrier as she turned back to face her attacker. The enormous creature let out another blood curdling scream that blew with such wind that Barrier's short mane flew back and her jewel bangles slapped against her hooves.
“Okay tough guy.” Barrier's horn began to glow with magic. “You wanna play hard ball?” The spell around Barrier's horn activated, causing large pieces of heavy battle armor to place themselves on her body. A huge gold armor set that was trimmed in silver locked itself into place on the unicorn. “Then let's play hardball.”
---
Stalwart continued to gallop away from the area that held the monstrous arachnid. But his speed began to slow. “Gee, I sure hope Barrier's alright” thought the fleeing colt. “Of course she's alright!” reassured the voice in Stalwart's head. “She's one of the best unicorns when it comes to protective spells. She'll be fine. Right now, you need to focus on right here and right now.” Stalwart's pace slowed into an average speed trot. Whatever form of reasoning worked its way into his mind, it was right. Stalwart took a moment to analyze everything. Before him it stood; the massive walls of Canterlot.
And then they came. Memories that had long been forced away from Stalwart's mind began to flood back into his world...
***
Stalwart's body ached. His head felt as if it was ready to cave in. His eyes blurred, filling with tears that were forced out from shear pain. He tried to focus on what was going on, but struggled over the sound of countless ponies cheering and yelling.
“Get up you runt!” came the voice of a terrible colt. Stalwart forced himself back on his hooves and faced his enemy. Before him stood Thrasher, the school bully. Stalwart felt a warm liquid roll down his face. He wiped a hoof across the substance and stared back at the crimson blood that stained it.
“Ha, you little bastard! Can't even take a single punch without almost passing out and bleeding!” the school's courtyard burst in laughter from the jeers of everypony who mocked the wounded colt. Stalwart felt anger begin to flow in him, giving him the strength to fight back. Stalwart began swinging in blind fury against the brute before him, hooves flying everywhere. But to no avail. Each hoof swing missed its intended target, save for one. And even so, this swing did so little damage that Thrasher simply brushed it off.
Thrasher laughed at the small colt before him and gave a mighty shove, launching the pony to the ground. Stalwart felt utterly defeated as Thrasher turned his back on him and walked victoriously into a crowd of admiring ponies.
“Huh, it’s no wonder your father abandoned you. Who could ever care for such a worthless little runt like you?” that was the last straw. That comment ignited a flame within the grounded pony that caused him to release a fierce battle cry and spring onto the bully's back.
Thrasher leaned onto his back two hooves as an attempt to shake the attacking colt, but Stalwart held strong and continued giving fierce blows to the back of Thrasher's head. The cheers of the crowd quickly died down as a large male earth pony in battle armor broke through the ponies and grabbed Stalwart from Thrasher's back.
“What the hay is going on here!?” demanded Quick Strike, one of the swordspony teachers at the school.
“It was a fight Mister!” ratted out a random crowd member.
“You two, in my office!” ordered Strike. Tears of embarrassment and anger flowed from Stalwart's eyes and he ran. Strike called out for him but his calls were ignored. Stalwart fled, with no intention of coming back.
***
“Why did I run?” thought Stalwart, mind returning to reality. “It was your only option” comforted the voice. Stalwart forced the thoughts of the past from his mind, not wanting to relive the pain. The voice, too, was pushed away. As he returned to the real world, he continued to walk through the gates of Canterlot. But something was wrong. The once beautiful city was in ruins. Darkness had claimed the city in a way that was even more menacing than that of the forest.
“Good Celestia, here too?” asked Stalwart, drawing his sword again for this sight was forbidding and menacing. Stalwart’s gaze traveled across the destroyed city. All around, houses were crumbling, the grass was black and dead, and the sky was claimed in pitch black darkness. “Oh my Celestia, I can’t believe this could happen…Especially to Canterlot!” The distracted earth pony was so entranced in his thoughts, that he couldn’t feel the strange presence now following him from behind.
“Man, I wish Barrier was here” Stalwart silently hoped. Then, there was a tap on his shoulder. The mislead pony then turned around happily, expecting to be greeted by his unicorn friend who would tell him all about her battle with the spider. And they would laugh and joke about her awesome fight. But that expectation was destroyed, as before him, stood several creatures engulfed in shadows. They walked on all fours, like ponies, but their bodies were misshapen and seemingly made of a non-solid black object.
“What the-!” called out Stalwart as he swung his sword at the body of one of the creatures out of surprise and fear. But it failed. The wooden blade sliced through the thing before him, but passed through without harming the creature.
“What the hay!?” called out the confused fighter. Each creature looked back at Stalwart and let  sick menacing grins spread across their faces. They knew their new prey had no way of fighting back. Stalwart re-sheathed his weapon, now understanding that his sword had no effect on his new opponents.
Stalwart knew there was no way he could win this battle, so he turned around and fled deeper into the destroyed city. The shadow creatures quickly began to give chase. Stalwart’s heart started racing. His breath was rasping. His legs were throbbing. He could feel the hot breath of his pursuers as they grew ever closer. Stalwart’s environment flew behind him as his paced continued to speed up.
He had no idea where he was going, but he knew he needed to put as much distance between himself and the beasts behind him as possible. But he had a target; the small house in the near distance that wasn't completely destroyed.
Stalwart reached his destination gasping for breath. He galloped through the front door of the house and slammed it behind him, sealing away the shadowy demons in the outside world. The tired pony dropped to his knees in exhaustion. He could still hear the clawing and banging at the door behind him, making it obvious the shadow creatures weren't ready to give up the hunt.
But for some reason, Stalwart felt as though that door could hold forever. Stalwart regained himself as he stood back on his four hooves and surveyed the house. Stalwart's heart dropped. He felt his legs go numb and his mouth began to quiver. “Look familiar?” came the voice again.
Few silent tears strolled down Stalwart's face as he trotted through the living room of his old home...
***
Young Stalwart rushed through the front door of his house with a slight limp on his left side. He trotted through the living room in slight pain, hoping not to run into a certain mare.
“Stalwart Christoph Bladesly!” called out a female voice that seemed to come from the hallway that connected the kitchen to the living room. Stalwart turned his aching body to see his worst nightmare come alive before him. A light tan mare walked into the living room from the kitchen with a stern look on her face.
“Oh, hi mom” greeted Stalwart, trying his best to hide his bruised face.
“Don't you 'Hi mom' me!” boomed Frolic, marching over to her wounded son. She grasped Stalwart's face firmly with a hoof and turned it so she could see the scars that covered his face.
“Good heavens, Stalwart! You've been fighting again haven't you!?” Frolic's motherly instinct kicked in as she released Stalwart from her grip and trotted to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned to the living room with an ice bag in her mouth. “It's that Thrasher boy again, isn't it?” questioned the concerned parent.
“Um...yeah.” Stalwart hesitantly admitted to the accusation as he took the bag of ice and held it to his face with a hoof.
“You know, I have half a mind to call that boy's parents.” Frolic sat down on a sofa that was colorfully endowed with a green covering patched with flowers. Stalwart followed his mother's movements and placed himself beside her.
“Mom, no” rejected Stalwart. “Mom, we need to talk.” Frolic looked at her son with worried, love filled eyes. “Mom, I hate it here. The other school ponies, they all pick on me. And Thrasher, he just keeps beating me up! And it's not entirely his fault either!” Frolic raised a hoof to interrupt, but was cut off by Stalwart.
“No, please let me finish. I'm not strong enough. The teacher's try to help me, but I'm just no good. And on top of that I feel like I got my cutie mark for no reason!”
“Stalwart, honey, I know how you feel. But what exactly are you getting at?” Stalwart felt his heart start to ache. He knew he had to just come out with it.
“Mom, I'm running away.” Frolic stared at her son, both heartbroken and fearful.
“What? Why would you say such a thing?”
“Because it's true! I'm leaving to get stronger, to get training. But don't worry, I'll come back.” Stalwart saw tears rolling down his mother's face. He wiped them away with a hoof and reassured her by saying “Mom, I won’t be gone long. Just long enough to know that I'm good enough to even call myself a swordspony.”
Frolic shed silent tears at the very thought of her son leaving. She couldn’t bear losing her son to the world.
“Mom, don’t cry.” said Stalwart, trying to comfort his clearly hurting mother.
Frolic wiped away her tears with a hoof and stood up from the couch. “Honey stay here for a moment, I have something for you.”
Stalwart stood in his seat, wondering what his mother could possibly be getting. Moments later Frolic returned, tears gone but still feeling heavily emotional. Within her tiny jaw held a small western style hat, clearly used yet still in good condition. Stalwart stared at the object in his mother’s mouth. He had never noticed it before, yet it seemed vaguely familiar.
“Honey, this hat has been passed down from your father’s side of the family for generations. Before he went off into that battle against the manticores to defend Equestria, he left it behind and told me to give it to you when the time was right.” Stalwart stared deeply at the hat as it landed in his extended front hooves. “I think now would be the best time to hand it down to you.”
Stalwart felt his eyes begin to water. He promised himself that he wouldn’t cry when he left, but he never expected this. Something from his father? Could it be? Stalwart couldn’t help it anymore, tears began to flow. His mother followed suit. They held each other in tight embrace as they cried. They cried over their separation, they cried over Stalwart’s father, and they cried over the futures that they could not share together.
But then, Stalwart broke the embrace and walked away from his mother. “Mom…thank you, For everything.” Frolic smiled at her son, knowing that soon he would be heading out on his way in order to prove his worth both to himself and the world. She trotted over to her beloved child and placed the Bladesly heirloom atop his head.
“Go ahead Honey, and be safe.” Stalwart nodded his head in firm acknowledgment as he gave his mother one last hug before heading out on a journey that would soon change his life forever…
***
Stalwart sat on the hard broken floor of his abandoned house, feeling pure heartache and slight depression. A single tear ran down the pony’s face. His dreams were made here. His life started here. And with the numerous beasts slashing and banging at the door, His life may end here…