//------------------------------// // CH.8: The festival part 3: Revelations // Story: Mystery of the Forest: Daughter of Gaia // by Vinetion //------------------------------// ~Trotters' festival midnight.~ I awoke to the most unimaginable pain ever. It felt like somepony left a bottle of dragon acid in my skull. Everything was blurry and too bright and extremely noisy. I was wondering why my chest felt like it was being crushed when I noticed that odd pony from earlier passed out on top of me. I rolled him off and got up. When I noticed he still wasn't moving I picked him up and carried him on my back as I looked for somewhere to rest. As I slowly walked my way around I noticed the town seemed to be gathering at the center stage. Blade and clay were up on stage with Solaris and Lunaris. When they saw me coming Blade rushed over to get me. "Miss where have you been? We've been looking for you for the past hour for your part of the ceremony." Blade asks concerned. "Please not so loud. For the last hour I've been passed out. I don't know what demon creature created it but, if I had any power to I would destroy all remnants of alcohol. God this headache hurts." I said irratibly. Blade chuckles. "I'm guessing you've never had it before huh? Here let me clear that up for you." He placed his horn on my head as the headache and fuzziness cleared up. "Thank you so very much for that. By the way do you think you could do that for my passenger here and maybe put him somewhere to rest?" "Of course hurry up to the stage and tell them I'm taking your friend to the inn." Blade says as we part ways. I quickly made my way on to stage and sat next to clay. "So tell me miss where have you been that has made me sit my haunches for the past hour?" Clay asked as Solaris and Lunaris nodded at my presence. "Feeling the effects of the devil's brew." Clay chuckled at this when Solaris began his speech. "Dear citizens of Trotters. I am your co-ruler of this land Solaris. And accompanying me tonight is my twin brother Lunaris who rules alongside me just as the sun and moon rules together over the world. We are here tonight to celebrate the cleansing of an evil residing in the forest none too far from here. This evil has caused trouble over many years for the residents of this village and many have been lost. But now is not a time for mourning but instead rejoicing over the fact that you all may now rest peacefully at night." A loud cheer was heard after this. "But there is one question that may have passed your minds at one point or another. Have any of you asked yourself WHAT cleansed the forest?" Many ponies began talking among themselves about this wondering now. "Please settle down. Well we are here to answer that question of yours. It was in fact not a WHAT that cleansed the forest but a WHO. A pony came here the other day and got rid of this evil for this fair town. In fact i'm sure most of you already no of this pony and her antics. She has helped you all with preparations of the festival, played with your foals, and if the rumors are true got into a fight with a goat earlier." Most didn't know where this was going but a few who put the dots together had faces of surprise. "Will you come to the stage now miss?" Solaris asked me loud enough for the crowd to here. As I walked on stage the audience gasped at the green mare they've been seeing all around town helping out and than later blowing it up in a drunken stupor. I took a stand next to Solaris as he continued his speech. "Like all of the ponies here this miss is kind-hearted even in her mistakes. Can you all agree on this?" He asked the audience where everyone gave a very audible yes. "Again like most of the ponies here she has had a troubled past, one however that most ponies could never compare to. The troubles of seeing her creations destroyed before her. The grief of having her own children kill each other in rage," most of the mothers gasped at this, " and even the grief of losing oneself to the abyss." "While it may be hard for you all you believe this but the mare in front of you has been alive since the beginning of life. She has powers that even the most powerful alicorn cannot compete with. She has been shadowed in the land of mythos as a simple hope figure. Before you stands a goddess of old who has come to rejoin the populous." As the ponies began connecting the dots they all realized who the mare in front of them was and began the common response of bowing down and looking away. The ones who still didn't believe and thought a trick was being pulled yelled various obscenities. "Please everyone calm down and rise from your positions. To those of you who wish not believe was might we do to disprove your doubts? To those of you who bow down in fear does not the fact that she acted as a regular citizen prove there is nothing to fear? Come now if you must ask her a question to soothe your fears." Lunaris said coming up from behind. A timid mare raised a hoof, "Why would a goddess waste time coming to such a place as this?" "A goddess is not only what her subjects make her out to be. I came her on my own business but notice that the town was in trouble by something of sinister origins. I could not let my children be subject to such torment under my watch. Not again." A stallion asked this time. "I've heard you say that a couple of time tonight. "My children" what do you mean by it?" "That is a question with a long history. My mother, the original goddess, Gaia created every species on the planet. But she took extra care when making the Equ species because I was one of them. All equs are based of my design and as I have taken care of all creatures since the beginning I consider all creatures my children." I said sincerely. "I would like to know what solaris meant when your "children killed each other in rage"?" an old stallion asked cautiosly. My mood saddened on the spot and so did the audience when they saw the sad expression on my face. "That is a sad long tale that I knew would have to be revealed at some point. Now eveypony you must remember this was a time of war and evil unknown in present times. Much was lost and little was gained. It all started back...." I began to recount the story I told Solaris and Lunaris earlier that day. I found it somewhat easier to recount the tale this time after telling it to Solaris and Lunaris first. The audience could tell of my words were truthful and sincere even the old drunks who called me out the first time. By the end of the tale mothers were sobbing and even the hardiest of stallions had shed tears. What they found saddest about the tale was that even an all-powerful goddess could not save her own children from themselves. The old stallion looked at me and said "I'm sorry for having recount such a hard part of your life. That was certainly something only a strong pony could handle." "There is no need to be sorry elder one. The past no matter how hard and full of turmoil is still our past and our foundation. It is what makes us what we are and stronger for it. Now that my sad tale is out of the way I feel I should remind you that this is a festival." I smiled at them as they start brightening back up. "Now that we've gotten that done I have one more announcement for Miss Vinetion here. I would like to formally invite you to live in the capitol of Soluna. We understand that your duties require you to attend to all of the planet so we hope you can consider the castle a home whenever you need to rest." Solaris offered. "I will have to take up you up on that offer. I've been feeling the need for a change of scenery after so long. I've heard the castle gardens were something of a marvel." I accepted. With the my ceremony over everypony went back to celebrating the festival for as long as they could stay awake. Blade came up to me several times offering me more alcohol to which I ended up hitting on more than one occasion. The goat-pony from earlier had woken up and introduced himself as one Omnius Traveler. When I told him I won our bet he grudgingly handed over his precious metal object he called a "Knife-Wrench". All in all it was a nice night that came along with a new housing. I couldn't believe it could get better after this. A/N yep goat-pony was the one and only Omnius and not only that but i won his knife wrench XD. As for last chapter here are the references i made. 1) The first scene with the cannon and castle, 2)final fantasies 9 & 13, 3) pokemon, 4) an anime called fairy tail.