//------------------------------// // The Knights of the Round Stump // Story: Angel Bunny and the Knights of the Round Stump // by Silver Letter //------------------------------// There are usually only two reasons why a brother would change overnight. It could be one or the other. Not both. They are about the same emotions even if one uses them and the other takes advantage of it. Sure, a brother can have a little bit of both in him but one is always stronger than the other. Angel knows his brother. He loves himself more than every other rabbit in the world put together. He often complains about his armor being too tight and has to get someone to help him into it. He won’t be coming that morning. At least Angel didn’t expect it. He expected that his brother would slip into the emotion that suits him like a paw into a leather glove. In this case, it would be a case of envy. At least Angel believes this deep down. Before he left, Angel scrawled in his diary. He didn’t hold back his feelings, what little they were, for his friends and comrades in the knights. He may as well make it all known. He may never see them or the warren again anyhow. He set it out on the desk so it can be easily found then set to wearing his uniform. His armor was already polished. It was good enough for any parade, especially the one coming that morning. The parade for his departure. Angel greeted the morning with a sniff outside the tunnel. The scent of pine and water was in the air. The bats were flapping home before the sun came. He actually sensed his brother about. Maybe he was wrong somehow. Too quick to judge for once. He sprung from the hole and spotted Achrom nearby. His body language, like other rabbits, comes out as strong to other animals but it only makes the subtleties hard to catch. At first glance he seemed normal but he didn’t rush him as he would. He trudged forward through the grass, wriggling in his armor like a dog trying to shake a plastic cone from its head; bits of grass were stuck to it. He had already smashed a bunch of grass that morning. Angel did not know what he wanted so he tried to be civil. “Good morning” he said. “Already awake at this hour? Are you feeding”? “No, I wanted to speak to you so it’s good that you got up early” Achrom replied. “I always have things to do at this time” Angel said. “Even more so at this hour. Responsibilities find their way of piling on my head worse than leaves do upon the forest floor”. Achrom seemed to hesitate rather than to spew out words no matter the consequences like he usually would. Angel wondered why he was cherry picking them so. His mind still came up with all manner of excuses his brother might have concocted. Not even one really put him in a good light. He can only blame himself for that sordid habit. “I’m sorry I haven’t taken our time together seriously” Achrom said mournfully. “But I know you’re a good knight and honor is what’s most important”. Angel quickly was caught up on the thought of time. Did Achrom think that they’re time together was running out? Or was he really making plans to continue on without him? The thoughts were beginning to feel terrible. Angel wanted to just think about his quest, the last thing he cared about. It was just another silly expedition anyway. Nothing to be concerned over. All of this about his brother would probably be nothing but a trifle in the end. “I’ll be able to do some good for us all. Exploring gives us knowledge and we can always use that” Angel said. His brother had tried hard to convince him to stay at home instead of going to the Crystal Empire years ago. Although he had almost heeded his advice, it was one of those times where ignoring him was the right thing. The Lord of Rabbits never forgot the time one of his own traveled to the ends of the world and lived to tell about it. It was also when Angel promised himself to never let his brother hold him back. “I know that you have gone to many places but you don’t know this land at all and you’ll be without company”. Angel shook his head. It’s not like it mattered if the knights couldn’t come. Not after knowing that they refused to even budge out of their seats to stand against the Green Rabbit. “Even now, do you try to discourage me in order to see to my leave from the knights”? He doesn’t wait for an answer and climbs the mound towards the top. Above the Lord of Rabbit’s home, a cherry tree provides shade for the Round Stump; it’s where the Knights of the Round Stump gather for all its business. They say that the stump was once a smaller and shorter twin of the tree that still stands but one day, a great storm arrived with powerful thunder. One bolt struck down the middle, reducing its core to charred ash. The beavers came and cut it down. The remains are used as a meeting place. Angel realized that his brother still followed him up the hill, his composure unfazed. “I couldn’t possibly undermine your convictions” Achrom said. Angel chuckled, amused by his strange behavior. “Spare me all forms of flattery”. They both arrived at the top of the mound. From here, Angel can sometimes smell Ponyville even if he can’t see it. As the dawn approached, dragonflies buzzed about them and the bees and bright butterflies were in flight, ready to spread pollen from the vast flower fields around. “Why are you here”? Angel took his seat by the round stump and took a deep breath. His claws scraped against the thick moss that grew on its sides, slick with dew. Giant mushrooms formed a ring around it. Achrom smiled cheerfully as if trying to dispel Angel’s doubts. “I wanted to show you that I can be as faithful just like you are to the warren. Look, I have something you might like”. He had with him a small satchel that Angel hadn’t noticed before. He took out a small stack of little flyers and laid them upon the stump. “What in Celestia’s name is this?” Angel inquired. He opened his eyes wide as he examined them. His brother wasn’t known for being artistic. In what looked like charcoal, Angel’s image was crudely drawn. Still, he managed to draw him looking somewhat heroic, carrying the lance he saw from before; uneven words alongside asked for support. But for what it was in favor of, Angel hesitated to contemplate. He always knew that Achrom had it in him to be a shrewd propagandist or even a politician if he had any willpower beyond eating all the carrots in the lord’s house. What could he possibly be up to? “They are for your future campaign” Achrom revealed. “Is it not wonderful”? “For what”? “It’s for your return. I know you’ll replace our lord in the coming days. I just need to remind everyone of this so they don’t try to support some other rabbit, even one of our brothers over you”. “Good grief! Why would you say that about our own father? When did you become such a prophet…and one that foretells misery?” Angel snarled. He was angry enough to want to chase his brother down the hill and whip him for his words were offensive. Instead, he balled up the flyer he was reading and threw it at his head. Achrom picked it up without any fuss but shook his head. “Angel, I assumed you know. Our father has recently found his left eye to have failed him”. “When? Tell me why I was never notified!” Angel demanded. This he knew wasn’t a lie. Even Achrom wouldn’t stoop low enough to come up with such horrible rumors. “You were gone with your pony friends the week prior when it happened. The knights were speaking with him on that very subject when you finally returned home”. He couldn’t believe it. The shock stung him worse than a thousand bee stings. Angel lowered his head into his hands and wept. In the blackness of his thoughts, he pictured his aging father being led from his home to spend his days far away at the very edge of the warren, safe but irrelevant. His blindness was the worst thing to happen, an ill omen to his people. They would demand his resignation soon and he would be far away when it happened. And all that time, the rabbits would move on, campaigning to fill a position where the predecessor was still alive. “I now blame myself worse than ever” Angel said. “What a pity”. He didn’t have much time to grieve for the sun rose over the horizon. Its light licked the tops of the hills and the front of the cherry tree. The rabbits faced it and lowered their bodies, with all four paws splayed out on the ground, and bowed to the sun god. “The knights will be out soon” Achrom reminded Angel as they got up. “Indeed, they will” Angel said. He drew in all his courage. He would need it soon. The knights arrived shortly after dawn and sat at the Round Stump. Achrom had put his flyers away and sat silently with the others. They all had their bowls of tea made for them, part of the ceremony. Angel wanted to get everything over with as soon as he could. The faster he spoke, the faster he dealt with the Green Rabbit. The tea was like acid to him. He rose on his feet. “It is with much honor that I take on a task on behalf of not only the knights but the warren itself” he announced. “I am doing so because I may indeed come back as a changed rabbit. If lordship is in my future then I need time to reflect on my life. It may be the will of Celestia that the stranger from the north had come into our lives. If so, I thank her”. The knights clapped as Angel sat. They proceeded to eat and drink and pass the time until the crowd started to gather at the foot of the mound. They were the ones that didn’t have to risk their lives on a journey. They likely enjoyed their food. They went down together and the crowd made way for Angel. He now carried the lance in his front paw. Many rabbits spoke words of praise at such a renowned figure. He passed the crowd, stepping over flower petals strewn over the path to signify a lamentation that some of their own was to leave. This sort of parade always had an edge of sadness to it as well as a celebration. Angel saw Achrom hand out some of the flyers, and he rolled his eyes. His brother was such a hard character to understand at times, being noble in his own way. It wasn’t his way but he knew he didn’t have to judge him. Besides, he wouldn’t leave on the worst of notes. There had to be some good in him, something not yet tainted by selfishness. He wondered if he would ever see that cunning face again. He would be the one to defy his logical world. Maybe he could be that rabbit to change everything, his own character and even brotherhood itself. A knight never makes a speech to the common rabbit during their departure. Angel knew better than to change that. He left down a well-worn animal path where the deer love to use on their way to the near lakes. His armor rattled as he walked on three legs at medium speed. When he was out of sight of the mound, he rested and leaned the lance against his shoulder. He looked around at the beautiful countryside with its forested hills rising tall. Farmland full of orchards was to the northeast and the scent of apples drifted downwind. He sighed and realized that something was lacking in all of this. He removed a long flute from his sack and played an all too familiar melody to the sky. He knows somehow that it always reaches the pony world. Somewhere, a certain mare would receive it and smile. For all her doubts, she can know that that he’s headed on yet another knight’s journey and would return to her again.