//------------------------------//
// Gray Was My Valley 
// Story: Odrsjot 
// by Imploding Colon 
//------------------------------//

	Kera's green eyes darted left and right with each step she took.  A thin line of perspiration formed along her marked brow.

On household stoops and in storefronts, ponies stopped what they were doing to look.  Mares and stallions gazed up from their lawnwork or from their gathering tables to glance at the miniature procession shuffling down the main street of the small town.

"The town is over three hundred years old.  The valley is lush, and there are plenty of rivers and lakes nearby.  But the ground is far too stony for trees to grow, which makes planting crops and raising orchards nigh-impossible," Golden Happenstance said as he led the filly, Bellesmith, Pilate, and Rainbow Dash down the path.  A group of elders followed at a close distance, murmuring in wonderment amongst themselves.  "We've survived by growing rice for local trade.  And—of course—there are no better fisherponies than the mares and stallions of Lerris."  He smiled and glanced back over his shoulder in mid-trot.  "It's an old trade, perfected by old ponies, but there are a few young exceptions.  Most of them are out by the lakeside at this time of day."

"And..."  Belle leaned forward as she trotted closely besides Kera.  "...the rest of you?"

"We bide the time peacefully.  A good portion of us are veterans of the war who have done our good service.  Others are estranged equines from the neighboring kingdoms who seek asylum in this humble place of neutrality."

"The war's never touched you?" Pilate asked.

"Depressed us?  Maybe.  Starved us?  Sometimes.  But we keep our ambition in check, making sure that we have enough provisions to keep ourselves warm and fed in the cold stormfronts that blow in from the north on a regular basis."

"Those are some sturdy looking buildings, I gotta say," uttered Rainbow.

"Heh..."  Hap smiled up at the pegasus as they reached a courtyard with outstretched banners flapping in the wind.  "They had better be.  We've constructed and reconstructed them to survive hurricane force winds."

"Hurricane..."  Kera blinked.  "...force winds?"

"Oh, don't worry, child."  Hap turned and smirked.  "No building in Lerris has fallen in over a century.  Above all else, we ponies of the valley are fantastic architects.  Several tradesponies from the outlying cities have traveled hundreds of miles north to learn our secrets."

Kera shrugged.  "I-I wasn't freaked out or anything.  It's just that..." She gazed towards the northern mountains and the dark clouds rolling slowly over the jagged peaks.  "...for a second there, this place was starting to sound like... like..."

"Boring City?" Rainbow Dash belched.

"Rainbow!" Bellesmith hissed.

But several elders were chuckling, Hap included.  "It's quite alright.  I imagine all of this sounds incredibly stale to a growing filly.  Truth is, the peace bodes well for most of us who live here.  We spend the time practicing our arts."

"Arts?" Pilate asked.

"Hmmm.  Indeed."  Hap nodded as he paced across the courtyard between buildings.  Ponies gazed from where they sat in the shade along storefronts.  "We have a good share of writers, painters, and sculptors among us.  Every six months, there's a 'Festival of Rain' that attracts many of the local valley dwellers to our humble abode."  The stallion chuckled.  "Yes, we may not be quite as exciting and free-spirited as our Archer Point neighbors, but we enjoy our lives in our very own way."

"The key factor is that you enjoy life, period," Belle said.

"I'm afraid I don't read you, ma'am," Hap said with a curious blink.

Rainbow Dash levitated lower to speak.  "It just... seems really freaky that you and Archer Point did so well for yourselves while there was a big freakin' war going on just beyond the mountains."

"The mountains had a lot to do with that, really," Hap remarked.  "Other than that, there's the simple fact that neither our valley or Collins' has much in the way of... how should I put it..."  He smirked.  "...exploitable resources."

"Really?"  Pilate asked calmly.  "And what of conscription?  Has either side tried to force your villagers over to their side?"

Golden Happenstance took a deep breath.  "Once.  Ages ago, before I settled in here.  It was when the Ledomaritans had pushed the front forward.  They took several able-bodied stallions, the strongest this village had to offer.  Only a few of them ever survived their trials to return here, and that was over a decade later."  He turned and gestured limply towards the graying population.  "As you can tell, we haven't... entirely recovered from that."

"That's most unfortunate," Belle said in a sad tone.  "You must be incredibly relieved to hear about the cease-fire."

"Relieved?"  Hap smiled.  "Most especially if it leads to an end of the conflict.  Though, to be honest, this landscape has always been something of a demilitarized zone... at least over the past few decades.  I suspect that very little will change in these valleys."  He chuckled.  "Save for the fact that we'll sleep a bit better at night."

"Well, that's always good in my book," Rainbow Dash said.  At the sound of a rattling wagon, her ears twitched.  She glanced up.

Two stallions and a mare were trotting in from the northeast, dragging a wooden cart full of whicker baskets.  The air smelled of fresh fish.

"Hehk mikk leen sunn, Hap," the tallest of the three ponies said.  He and his companions were considerably younger than the rest of the villagers, and the one stallion's muscles flexed with a richly tattooed coat as he piled the first of several containers onto the corner of a fish market.  "The first catch of the week is here, and by Nagu'n if it's a good one," he said with a smirk.

Hap cleared his throat.

The stallion glanced up, eyes blinking bright and red between his marked face muscles.  "Hmmmm?" he uttered in a soft voice.  "Oh!  Visitors?  Did Collins send another group?"

"Beau, you might want to put a rest to your chores for the evening."

"Heh... what for, Uncle Hap?"  Beau smirked.  "If Collins' cousins want some fish so badly, they can lend a hoof and make it go... quicker..."  His gaze fell on the visitors.

Rainbow Dash glanced between Kera and the stallion's gawking expression.

Beau gazed in wonderment, his muzzle agape.  At last, Hap trotted over and whispered into his ear.  The stallion's pupils shrank.  "Nagu'n, below..."  He looked at Hap.  "Is... is it really her?"

Hap nodded slowly.

A smile crept across Beau's face, soft and tender.  His eyes glistened as he said, "Bleen thiul semm.  Now I know the war has come to an end if the world has returned... her to us..."  Slowly, with pensive steps, he trotted over.  "Kera?  Kiki, darling?"  He chuckled breathily.  "It's been a long time.  I—"

Kera shrank back, hiding behind Belle's rear legs.

Beau froze in place.  He winced, then breathed easier.  With a calm smile, he lowered down onto his knees and spoke to her from a distance.  "It's okay.  I... really can't expect you to remember me.  My name is Beau.  I knew Radiant Moon and Bene—"  He gritted his teeth, exhaled coldly, and said in a warmer tone, "I knew your Mom and Dad, Kera."

Kera glanced up at Belle, then over at the tattooed stallion.  "Mmmm... what... wh-what did you call me?"

He smirked.  "Kiki.  It was a foal's name.  You obviously outgrew it.  You see, your parents were fisherponies.  They and Uncle Hap here taught me everything I knew.  I... uh..."  He chuckled.  "I foalsat for you often, when I was slightly older than you are now.  There weren't many young foals in the village, and it was just... really cool to be able to take care of another pony for once.  Especially... y'know..."  He ran a hoof across his tattoed coat with a nervous grin.

Kera simply bit her lip.

Beau's smile fell, and his ears drooped.  "Oh... Oh, well, yes... yes, I-I understand if you don't remember.  But... but that's okay."  He sniffled, his face lighting up again.  "You're alive.  You're alive and in one piece and... well... after all that happened..."  He grimaced, his eyes growing glossier.

Hap trotted over and rested a hoof on the stallion's shoulder.  "This is a time for celebration," the elder said.  "That which was once lost is found.  There's a new tomorrow—and though it may not be for all of us, we can rest assured it is for Beau and the rest of our youth."  He turned and smiled at the rest of the ponies.  "I do believe a feast is in order."

"Uhmmm..."  Belle stirred nervously.

"We... appreciate the gesture," Pilate said with a thin smile.  "But... you see..."

"Lemme guess..."  Beau chuckled.  "Collins fattened you poor saps up on the way here?"

"Something like that, yes," Pilate said with a nod.

"That's alright."  Beau turned and winked at Golden Happenstance.  "We're all light eaters here in Lerris.  I seriously doubt Uncle Hap here is going to force anything on you, even if it wouldn't be... all that dense."

"Speak for yourselves!"  Rainbow Dash blurred over her friends' manes and spoke with a cracking voice, "Lemme try out some of this rice you got!"

"Not a fan of fish, are we?"

"Please!  I'm a vegetarian who's been suffering through an entire continent!"  Rainbow rubbed her hooves together as she followed Beau through the chuckling crowd.  "Shovel up what you got!  I'll make it worth your while!"

"Oh, will you, now?"

"Yeah!  I can... like... push away cloudstorms for a day or two!"

"You must be some sort of magical pony."

"What, are you blind?  Feathers of awesomeness here!"

As the crowd dissipated, trotting every which way to set up the evening "festivities," Kera stood stock-still besides Belle.

"How are you doing, darling?"

"I... uh..."  Kera gulped.  "I'm doing okay..."

Pilate glanced over.  "These are friendly ponies, Kera.  But please, don't feel pressured to speak if you don't want to."

"This 'Beau' character couldn't be faulted for having a better memory than you," Belle said.

"No, that's... th-that's just it..."  Kera winced, her voice wavering slightly.  "I... I-I do remember him.  And that name he'd call me.  'Kiki.'  I hated and loved it all at once.  He was... so nice..."  Her lips curved slightly.  "And funny."

Belle glanced at Pilate, then back at the filly.  "Then... you remember things?"

Kera bit her lip, trembling slightly.  "I'm starting to..."