//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Iron Smith // Story: The Forgotten Brother // by ObsidianSky //------------------------------// It was a cold winters night, but to Iron Smith everyday was cold and gloomy here in the forgotten country that no longer had a name. Iron Smith recalled his arrival at the depressing town whose name was, to him, of minimal importance. He didn’t care to learn it, nor the names and faces of the ponies that trotted its streets. He did not feel at much of a loss for not knowing his neighbors, they were incurable gossips anyways, always ready to come up with stories on why he never left his home. They would talk for ages about how he seemed to never age, and how even the town elders couldn’t remember when he came. He was never known as a friendly pony. Anytime anypony tried to talk to him he would yell at them through his closed door. "Go away! I have no to time to talk to the likes of you". Iron Smith hated ponies who couldn’t mind their own business."Ponies these days." he would scoff. "Thinking that they need to be friends with everypony, that they need to know every little detail about each other. Sometimes, I wish this town was back to the way it used to be, peaceful and quiet." The gossip wore on outside of the barrier of his door, with Iron Smith and all his secrets hidden from their prying questions. He would never let them discover his greatest secret, the reason that he seemed to always have been in his home at the edge of town. In all truth, he had arrived at the town over 1000 years ago. Iron Smith sighed at the contemplation of his life, but the sigh morphed into an irritated growl as there was a knock on the door. He peered out from a corner of his shuttered windows to find a purple mare with her hoof resting on his door. He groaned to himself in anger, pushing the shutter he had been peering through back into its place. She was his least favorite and rarest type of pony… an Alicorn. Seeing this pony brought out a hidden rage from within him, a rage that had been lingering with him for countless years. When the mare didn’t leave after a long time of silence, he yelled through the door. "What do you want?" He shouted impatiently. "Hello?" The purple mare called, stepping even closer to his home. "Yes, what do you want?" Iron Smith snorted in agitation. "I simply wish to speak to you." Iron Smith rolled his eyes. This mare was wasting his time. “Leave me be, I have no time for ponies like you.” “I want to know about your past.” That line sent a sudden chill down Iron Smith's spine. His door flew open, the hinges squealing in protest of their activity after not being used in so long. Once the door was open, he eyed the alicorn suspiciously. She had a polite but curious smile on her muzzle, and a star cutie mark. "Hello there, my name is Twilight Sparkle. Who might you be?” "You knock on my door and claim to be curious about me, but don’t know my name?” Iron Smith sighed. “It’s Iron Smith." "No, it isn't." Twilight stated matter-of-factly, her smile dipping into an irritated frown. "We both know that isn't your real name" Iron Smith blinked in shock. How in the world did this strange alicorn know that? "Get in here, now," He growled, almost dragging Twilight inside. "Before somepony else comes to pester me.” His house was probably one of the dustiest houses in all the land, mostly due to the fact that Iron Smith had stopped caring for it years ago. His entire ceiling appeared to be covered in cobwebs old enough to disintegrate into dust with a single breath. The house itself was small, containing only 2 small rooms. Its age and condition made it seem as if it would come tumbling down at any minute, and Twilight cringed to see the disrepair. Behind her, Iron Smith shook his head. He could not believe what he was doing. Why in the world had he let this pony into his home? With the knowledge she seemed to have, he simply had to hope that she wasn’t here for cruel intentions. It would be a nice change from the alicorns he knew. In his experience, alicorns were cruel, untrustworthy, and unforgiving ponies. They were the reason why he had come so far from Equestria, into this distant place With a stifled sigh, Iron Smith turned to his guest. "Tell me,Twilight Sparkle, why have you come to my home?" "I'm here to talk about the past, like I said earlier." Her previous grin returned as she levitated a notebook, quill and ink out from her saddlebags. "I have always been interested in learning more about the past of Equestria, and I traveled quite the distance to get here because somepony informed me that you know quite a lot about the subject." Iron Smith sighed inwardly in relief. This alicorn only wanted to know the history of Equestria. Something about her attitude still didn’t sit right with him, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “Why did you ask about my specific past when you came if you wanted to know the history of Equestria?” His eyes narrowed at her. “Why didn’t you ask an Equestrian history expert about this subject instead of coming out here?” Twilight’s grin grew more strained with every second, and Iron Smith knew that she was trying to form a good excuse. He held up a hoof to stop her, his glare still locked on her nervous eyes. "You do want to know my past as well, don't you?” He tiredly asked Twilight. "Yes, I would love to as well." She said quickly, the words flowing as if they had burst from a dam. Her nervous look shifted to a more serious demeanor, and she cleared her throat. "It has come to my attention that you are not nearly as old as you appear. In fact, I believe you might be thousands of years old.” Iron Smith looked at her, dumbfounded. This pony knew a disturbing amount about him, and wanted to know more! Well, his past was not something he would just tell anyone, in fact it was something he hated to dwell on. His ears fell flat against his head as memories of years long gone filled his thoughts. It was all he could do not to hang his head and sigh. "Oh, my sweet sisters," Iron Smith mumbled under his breath "I am so sorry." "What was that?" Twilight asked, concerned about the sudden change in his attitude. "Did you say something?" "No, no I didn't." Iron Smith said defensively, before settling for a stern look at the curious pony before him. There was no use in delaying any longer. "You wish to learn about my past.” "Yes please,” Twilight nodded, her look much more subdued after seeing Iron Smith’s sadness. “Would you be fine with showing it to me?” Once again, Iron Smith felt flooded with doubt. How could he trust her not to leave afterward and go babbling on about him? He worried about her trustworthiness with good reason, his past could forever change the way that the monarchs of Equestria were seen. "I will show you. However, you must promise me one thing." Iron Smith spoke gravely. "You must promise never to tell anyone what I'm about to show you. It is the greatest secret that anypony has ever known. If you break my promise once you leave here, I will find you and wipe your memory of me and what I have told you." "I promise." She quickly replied, making a strange crossing motion over her chest before putting her hoof over her eye. The fast answer made Iron Smith smile a little. Her enthusiasm was refreshing, though it was reminding him more and more of his past. He felt as if she was a key to a door that had not been opened in a long time. "In that case, I will show you my past through the eyes of a younger me." Iron Smith took a breath to steady himself, aiming his horn at her. Twilight shut her eyes tight and braced herself for the spell. "One more thing." Iron Smith said as if he had almost forgotten. "You asked for my real name?” "Yes, it would be nice to know your name before I see your past." Twilight said with a small smirk. "My real name is Fallen Leaves." Iron Smith said. As he finished speaking his horn lit up with magical energy, though it sputtered slightly. He had not performed a spell in such a long time, he almost wasn't sure if he would be able to do it. Just as he thought about giving up, a small white flash shone out of his horn, blinding Twilight. She blinked a few times, then fell into a hush, sitting with a blank look on her face. She failed to respond to anything that he would do or say to her. A small smile of pride spread across Iron Smith’s muzzle, but it fell as he remembered what he had done. With a small shake of his head, he spoke to the pony who could no longer hear him. "When you return from this spell, Twilight Sparkle, you will regret ever asking me to see it."