Twenty-two
Eclipse City, Equestria, Year 490
Octavia
Around a week had passed since Vinyl had left the place and time Octavia still rested in. She had remained strong for him in his departure, and truly did believe that he would return someday, but she masked her true sadness for his sake. She had needed Lyra’s support to keep in good spirits throughout this week. She knew that Scratch was going to be gone for a long time. Until then, she would just have to hold her head high.
Octavia had just awoken from a fitful sleep, and sat at the edge of her bed. She didn’t have much time to rest, however, and quickly dressed for the day. Her combat-training gear was a rough simulation of what her actual armor would be like once she became a licensed royal archer: heavy, but sturdy and protective. She also grabbed her bow- simply made but reliable- and swiftly made her way out of the barracks and to the training grounds. Lyra joined her a minute later, crossbow in hand. The training for crossbow soldiers and normal archers differed slightly, however, they were still trained in one group to teach the recruits how to best use the versatility of crossbows and higher skill of bows together, efficiently and effectively.
The rest of the trainees were almost all gathered in the training square already, and those who were not quickly joined them. Soon after, their drill sergeant arrived, arms behind her back, surveying the trainees before she began as always.
Before she did, though, Octavia suddenly became aware of a figure standing a distance behind her. A figure dressed in a black cloak, and with messy blue hair. Octavia did not register anything the drill sergeant was saying, too distracted by watching the figure walk slowly, silently up behind her. The sergeant didn’t notice a thing until the figure put two fingers on her neck, right on the major pressure point. She was unconscious before she could even see who did it.
The response from the trainees was immediate. Many shouted in alarm, and countless arrows and crossbow bolts sailed forward at the attacker. She calmly swung a hand before her, and the projectiles that would have hit her were deflected by a shield of dark energy. She began to walk forward, through the unorganized counterattack. With another flourish of her wrist, the crowd was parted, several trainees being flung to the side, some just knocked to the ground.
Octavia and Lyra were among those few who remained on their feet, and who the figure still stalked towards, a dark grin on her face. Lyra grimaced and fired several more bursts from her weapon, all shots swiftly deflected. Octavia’s mind was moving faster than her body. That black cloak looked exactly like what Vinyl had described. Despite his best efforts, trouble had come to her.
“Hello, kids.” The Order agent said with a grin. “We’re going to play a game.”
She snapped her left fingers, and the landscape swirled around them, leaving only the black-cloaked figure, Lyra and Octavia amidst a blur of color. When it subsided, the three were in the streets of Ponyville. Lyra didn’t waste a moment in surveying their new environment, and charged forward with the combat knife concealed in her boot. The figure leapt back to dodge, and a sword sprung to her hands, highly intricate. The blade was very thin, the tip rounded. It flowed effortlessly in parrying the hits of Lyra’s short, heavy-bladed knife.
A burst of darkness sent Octavia’s friend tumbling backward. “I see you two don’t waste time, either.” she commented dryly. “No wonder you’re that punk Scratch’s friends.”
Octavia started, but then regained control and smirked. “Sounds like you’ve had some trouble with him already, huh?” she taunted. “Trust me, he’s stubborn. He won’t rest until you’re stopped.”
“That seems to be what he thinks, too.” the Order member taunted. “He’s done nothing besides make this interesting for us. And now, your turn has come to do the same. Both of you.”
She held up her right hand and snapped her fingers, and the landscape began to change once again. The blue sky disappeared, replaced with a blur of gray and brown. Fires seemed to leap up from around them for fractions of a second at a time, then disappear again. At last, the environment settled around the three, and Octavia was finally able to see where the Order agent had taken them.
Ponyville was in smoldering ruin. Most of the buildings were blackened shells, and the few that had escaped comparatively unharmed had still seen far better days. The sky was thick with dust and clouds. The Order member wore a wide smile on her face.
“What have you done?!” Octavia demanded.
She adopted a false expression of shock. “Me? I haven’t done anything but bring you here. This timeline was this way when I found it. Blew themselves to oblivion, it would seem. It will make the perfect playing field for our game!”
“What game?!” Lyra shouted, aiming her crossbow.
The Order member spread her arms dramatically. “You will return to Eclipse Castle, and defeat me. That is your goal. I will attempt to stop you. There are no other rules. You may do whatever you wish to accomplish this goal, and there is no time limit. You may want to hurry though, who knows how long your boyfriend can last against Two and Six? Or even Lord Discord himself, if he decides to grace them with his presence?” With a laugh, she snapped her finger again, and disappeared.
Fields of Grann, Tellius; Year 1471
Lenora
“Damn.” Tug said, clenching his outstretched hand into a fist. “They’ve already cut us off from the dark passageways.”
Lenora sighed and shook her head. “We had better hope that this is the right desert then. We’re not going to be able to get to a different one very easily.”
“Right…” Tug looked up into the sky. “We’ve got a few hours yet before the sun sets and we need to make camp. Or find lodging, if we’re lucky enough to run into a town.”
Lenora put a hand on her chin, and the two began to walk. “I’m positive that there’s one somewhere nearby. There are no landmarks here, though, so I have no idea what direction it is in.”
The pair of outcasts set off across the windswept sands, moving fast but keeping hydrated. The desert would claim any who weren’t cautious. The sun crawled across the sky, and soon it was sunset. The pair had still found no sign of a nearby town, and they were forced to make camp at the base of a slight cliff. The few scrubby bushes in the area were able to supply them with a fire, enough to provide light, but little warmth.
Tug stretched where he sat, next to his companion. “So… The Doctor didn’t leave you with any clues that would help us figure out who we’re looking for?”
Lenora shook her head. “None. I assume that we will either know when we see him or her, or they will know us.”
“I hope so.” Tug confirmed. “What about our goal? After we find this ally, what do we do? Start fighting back against the Order?”
Lenora nodded. “I would like to do that, yes. We know the crimes they have committed against the world better than anyone. And we may be the key in striking back, hitting them where it will do lasting damage.”
Tug nodded, and a few minutes passed in silence. Finally, Lenora spoke again. “Tug?” she asked, and he turned to her. She smiled lightly and put her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you came with me.”
~
In the morning, the two continued to search for signs of a town. Near midday, they picked up the trail of a caravan passing through, and knowing that the shifting desert sands would erase all tracks within hours, they knew the trail was fresh. Following this path, they were soon deposited at a lively town.
“Kakori.” Tug said, reading the sign welcoming them. “Think we’ll find who we’re looking for here?”
“I don’t know.” Lenora assured him. “But it’s as good a place to start as any.” The two nodded and travelled further into town. They did not look unusual, as several other wanderers crossed their paths, probably mercenaries of some sort. None seemed to recognize them, and they had no way of asking anyone if they were expecting someone to arrive, as they did not even know who to ask. At last, they took a seat on a bench in the main square, exhausted, and no closer to their goal.
“This is stupid.” Tug muttered. “How are we supposed to find someone when we don’t know who they are, what they look like, or even what stretch of desert to look for them in?”
“It’s the Doctor’s kind of task, all right.” Lenora agreed. “But he wouldn’t give us an impossible task. I have a feeling it won’t take us much longer.”
“If you say so…” Tug sighed, and leaned back on the bench. Several minutes passed as they sat in silence, contemplating their next move, until Lenora became aware of someone approaching from the side.
“You’ve been walking around town aimlessly for the better part of the afternoon.” he stated, a slight accent barely detectable in his voice. “I’m not the first to notice, either. Are you looking for something in particular?”
“We’re looking for someone.” Lenora answered. “But we aren’t sure who. We don’t have a name or a description. We only know to meet someone in the desert.”
The man nodded. “The Doctor sent you, didn’t he?”
Lenora’s eyes immediately widened, and she looked up to examine the man closely. He wore a light tan windbreaker, a white cloth tied around his forehead, and a sword at his belt. A pair of blue eyes were locked on hers confidently, a grin on his face underneath his narrow, slightly pointed nose.
“Yes.” Lenora confirmed, standing. “Then you must be the one he wanted us to meet.”
“He told me a girl would come to meet me.” the man stated, motioning his head towards Tug. “He didn’t say anything about this guy.”
“Tug is my companion.” Lenora stated. “The Doctor didn’t account for him coming with me. But I assure you that he can be trusted.”
The man nodded after a short pause. “Fine.” he said, then extended a hand. “My name is Mark. Consider my sword, yours.”
Lenora and Tug introduced themselves. “So, what will be our next move?” she asked.
Mark raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have a battle plan?” he asked. “I was only told to follow you when you arrived.”
Lenora shook her head. “We’ve only just left. I have no idea what our enemies are doing at the moment. We were with them, but they told us nothing, and we’ve deserted to try and fight back.”
Mark nodded thoughtfully. “The Doctor did tell me to keep an eye on the relations between this country, Daein and Crimea. I think Daein should be the place to start, as rumor has it that the princess has been acting strangely as of late. Let’s get supplied first. I need to go to my house and grab some things, as well as my… charge.”
“Charge?” Tug asked, as the three began to walk through the streets.
“Yes. A kid I’ve been looking after.” He didn’t say any more on the subject, but spoke again after a brief pause. “Tell me about the Doctor. I’ve had dealings with him, but I don’t really… know him.”
Lenora closed her eyes. “Well… I can tell you what I know. Though he loved his secrets, and didn’t tell me everything… He was a very kind man. I was young when my brother and I were taken in by the Order, and little Alex was even younger. The Doctor was like a father to me, and while Alex was not his apprentice, he cared about him very much as well. The only one he loved more was the Goddess. He took me on many adventures through time and space, before he left… The last thing he told me was that when I left, I should come to meet you. I never saw him again after that…”
Mark nodded. “Hm… I can agree that he was very kind. I owe him a lot.”
This time, Lenora raised an eyebrow. “What about you?” she prompted. “How did you know him? What’s your story?”
He remained silent for a few moments, but then began. “I’m not from here. I was from another world. I… I was supposed to save the world. But I failed. The world went on, but it was out of the ruins of what was left. The Goddesses were satisfied that I did everything I could, and instead of allowing me to die, they kept my spirit alive, to have a second chance someday. But in the end, it was not they that brought me back from the void I was cast into, but the Doctor.
“I was given two tasks when he brought me to this world with his Time Tables. The first was to wait until a girl with dark hair came looking for me, and to aid her in any way I could. He made it clear that this world depended on her success. The second was not given to me by the Doctor, but by another in a black cloak, a short time later. A woman with long, fiery hair, a two-headed battleax, and a tiny baby child.”
Lenora and Tug exchanged a glance. It had to be Spitfire, a close friend of the Doctor’s and one of the founding members of the Order.
“She didn’t tell me much either, but introduced herself as a friend of the Doctor’s. She looked tired, and desperate. She said she knew that I was an ally of the Doctor’s as well, and begged that I do one more favor. She needed someone to take care of the baby she had with her. I had hardly ever even seen a baby before, let alone taken care of one. But I could tell she was almost out of options. What’s more, the kid wasn’t… normal. He had these little wings on his back, which could have gone relatively unnoticed, but there was also this little horn on his head.”
Lenora’s eyebrows rose. To her knowledge, there were only three people with such a horn on their heads in the world. And all three were either under the Order’s thumb, or were the Order’s thumb. And it was impossible for Spitfire to have simply found another without the rest of the Order learning of it…
“The point was, if that boy didn’t stay in Grann, he would never be accepted by the society around him. Grann has always been a refuge for the less-than-normal, having been founded by the Branded centuries ago. So even if I had no idea how to care for a kid, I didn’t have much choice. He’s been with me ever since.”
“And that’s your ‘charge’ that we’re going to bring along?” Tug asked. Lenora could tell by his tone of voice that he was having the same thoughts she was.
Mark nodded. “Yes. He’s still only ten, after all. Can’t just leave him here. After that, we’ll head for Daein.”
After a few more minutes of walking, Mark led them to the front door of his house, a relatively simple and inexpensive building. He led them inside, the interior similarly simple, but it looked comfortable as well.
“Joey, come here for a sec.” Mark called. There was a muttered response from elsewhere in the house, and after a short pause, a young boy walked into the main room. What Mark had said was right: Lenora was immediately aware of the horn atop the boy’s head, just below his dark hair. On his back was a pair of wings, the feathers a light orange.
“What’s going on?” he asked, eyeing Lenora and Tug warily. “Who are they?”
Mark stooped slightly to speak, and used a tone much friendlier than the one he had been using. “Remember how I always told you that story about the Doctor that brought me here, and told me that one day, a girl would come who needed our help?” The boy nodded. “Well, this is her. Lenora, and her friend Tug. Now, let’s get your stuff packed. We’re going on an adventure.”
Joey nodded excitedly and ran off, presumably to begin packing. Lenora turned to Tug, a worried look on her face. Tug bore the exact same expression. He nodded. “There’s only one possibility here.” he said.
Mark turned and raised an eyebrow. “A possibility regarding what?”
“The boy.” Lenora answered. “Until now, we were only aware of three people who had a horn like that. The Order- the group Tug and I have just deserted from, and our enemy- had control of them all. One of them was Number Two, the right hand of the whole group. And the woman who brought this boy to you was Spitfire, Number Three. The two were very close friends, and now… it looks like they may have been closer than we thought.”
“So you figure those two were his parents?” Mark asked. Both former Order members nodded. “Makes sense, I suppose. But why did his mother leave him with me?”
“Spitfire was a good woman.” Tug answered. “Bound to the Order by duty, but she bore their actions no love. I would guess that she knew she could not keep the child where he could be corrupted by his father’s darker motives, and the evil deeds the Order committed.”
Mark shook his head sadly. “This is what war does.” he said quietly. “It tears families apart, sometimes before they even become families. Leaves a world of orphans and embittered would-be parents. At least I can take heart knowing I’ve given Joyeuse a good start.” Lenora gave him a questioning look, and he shrugged. “Joey for short. I didn’t give him the name.”
The next hour or so was spent in relative silence, moving around the house and packing supplies that the group would need. All knew to pack light, and once Mark had assisted Joey in packing what he needed, the four left the house. After a short trip to the general store in town to buy what supplies they didn’t already have, the group set off north, towards Daein.