World of Ponies: The Pony-Human War

by ShadowWalking18


Chapter 18 - Human: Herbs and Blood.

Valen

Valen felt tense, and his grip upon his spear was tighter then ever. In his other arm, he gripped the shoulder of the Fire Man, who used him as a support as he walked.

In front of them, walked the orange pony. The one called, Scootaloo. The Fire Man had told him that she would be leading them to the place where he could be properly healed. Though despite the Fire Man's words, Valen found it hard to put his trust in a pony.

Still...it was nice to know her name. Even if it was....odd. The other pony girls name was just as odd. Diamond Tiara. Did it have to do with her and that odd sparkling head dress she wore on her head? Was that a tiara? Frankly it was a strange name and an even stranger thing to wear. What was the purpose?

He looked to his side, where Diamond Tiara walked beside him. As always she clung to his arm, which in turn pressed his arm up against her breasts, which in turn only made him feel very, very uncomfortable. As if sensing he was looking at her, Tiara looked up at him and gave a slight smile. Her eyes half open in a look that made Valen gulp, and made even worse when she pressed his arm tighter against her chest. He looked away immediately, but a slight giggle from Tiara only made it worse.

Still he focused on ahead, and saw that Scootaloo had stopped and was looking back at them. She had a glare, momentarily at him and then on Tiara. Frankly he couldn't understand why, let alone why she glared at Tiara. In the time he knew the girls, he could tell they were not friendly, but he didn't understand why.

The Fire Man said something, before chuckling, and Scootaloo huffed and turned around and led them on.

They were in the Everfree Forest, and it was best after all to be focused. Valen tried to stick to that principal of a hunter, and normally he wasn't distracted...but he was finding it hard to maintain his focus on....certain distractions.

'Why does she do this? Why do they both do this? They always stand close to me and lean against me and hold my arms like this.' He thought.

Perhaps the Fire Man could tell him, but at the moment he seemed to need to keep all his focus on keeping up right and walking. So Valen held back his questions, though he hoped that wherever they were going would fix the Fire Man completely so he could finally get his answers.

'Still, why didn't the amulet heal him completely? It is the Fire Man's magic is it not? It opened the tear to the Sanctuary. Did I use it all up?' Valen thought.

Still he could not understand how he could have done so. He still couldn't understand what he had done to make it work in the first place. And thinking about the event only reminded him of the pain in the back of his head which he finally started to forget.

Though he knew he couldn't forget it completely. The moment he had passed through the tear back to the Sanctuary, his head had been killing him. Perhaps it was the amulet, and it would explain why he had passed out after. When he had awoken in the sleeping dens, tended to by one of the women and his younger brother, he still found the amulet clenched in his grip.

That and he had felt extremely tired, and in a lot of pain. But it had passed after he had rested.

It would be another question to ask, when the Fire Man was well. But did the place they have to go need to be in the Everfree? It was a person, Valen thought perhaps a hermit healer like in the stories, but who would be crazy enough to live out in the Everfree. Even the Sanctuary was in a relatively safe place of the forest.

Whoever it was must be very powerful. Valen felt slightly uneasy, as Scootaloo waved them over around a bend of trees.

Strangly enough, they had not run into anything, save a few small predators that Valen had easily managed to send running with a few kicks and waves of his spear. But the larger predators, Valen had yet to see one, but he had seen on a few occasions strange mask like things hanging from the trees. They looked rather creepy.

And as he turned the bend, he saw Scootaloo standing before a tree with a door and windows. Strange tribal like decorations and more strange masks hung from the tree.

"Finally. I was...starting to get a little drowsy. Valen, bring me to the door." The Fire Man said, his head lulling a bit against his shoulder.

Valen frowned, but moved to bring the Fire Man closer to the imposing tree structure. Tiara clutched his arm tighter, and Scootaloo stood by the door before turning and knocking on the door. She said something and Valen blinked as the door open before him stood something he had never seen before.

It was a pony, at least he thought it was a pony. But it wore its hair in a strange fashion, straight up and not down. It wore garments different from Scootaloo's or Tiara's, consisting nothing more cloth coverings of her chest and lower regions. The pony was also white and black stripes, or was it black with white stripes?

It looked like a pony and Valen reacted immediately, pushing the Fire Man behind him, forgetting he couldn't stand and wincing slightly as the Fire Man fell. He also shoved Tiara back, who shrieked a bit as she fell back onto her rear and he lifted up his spear and aimed it at the pony.

Scootaloo immediately jumped between him and the odd pony, her arms out as she said something. The odd pony stepped back and reached for something behind the wall, looking at Scootaloo then him intently, eyes narrowed.

Valen growled, and looked right back. He tightened his grip, and felt that he could easily pierce the pony's heart if he jabbed quickly past Scootaloo's head. She was no doubt reaching for a weapon.

"Valen. Stand down."

Valen turned and saw the Fire Man standing up on shaking legs. He lowered a glare at him, which caused Valen to gulp and lower his spear as he wilted under that gaze.

The Fire Man took a step, and nearly fell, if had not Valen rushed to catch him. Valen readjusted the Fire Man, but glared once more at the odd pony.

"Take it easy Valen. This is Zecora....and if I am lucky....she can help me recover. But not if you act like you are going to attack her." The Fire Man said.

"But Fire Man-" Valen started.

"No buts. Do as I command." The Fire Man said, and Valen nodded.

The Fire Man then looked over at the odd black and white pony and said something in the pony language. The pony responded, her hoof still no doubt reaching for something.

The Fire Man and Black and White pony engaged in conversation for a time, with Scootaloo moving over and standing by the Fire Man's side and saying something to the pony. The strange pony seemed conflicted, before sighing and motioning them in.

With some hesitation, Valen followed in, carrying the Fire Man. But he kept his spear at the ready, just in case.

Entering the tree house, Valen came upon a strange room like he had never seen. A big strange bowl sat on a fire in the center, and around on the walls were wooden holdings that had perhaps thousands of flowers and plants. Valen could only look around confused and in wonder, he had never seen anything like this before. Even the tribe healers didn't have things like this.

"What is all this?" He asked himself.

"Herbology. More advanced then the simple herbs and roots the tribe healers self taught themselves. I had hoped that maybe one day they would learn stuff like this....but....we never got the time....and I must confess....I have had a certain bias towards the herbal arts with my powers. Now I must use them to aid me. The Valhruan Mage Irony plays out as always." The Fire Man said, as the Black and White pony approached.

Valen didn't understand what the Fire Man meant, but he tightened the grip of his spear and watched the black and white pony with a critical eye. He didn't know who she was, but if she tried anything....

A moan outside that seemed to linger in the wind sent a chill down Valen's spine and the other ponies also seemed to have felt it. But it was forgotten as the pony soon began her strange plant work.


Castus

As Castus sat within the warm embrace of Zecora's hut, Castus felt a strange mix of uneasy and surprise. While he had known that Zecora was probably the only one with the knowledge he needed, he hadn't expected her to agree to help him. He figured her loyalties were to Equestria, even if she was a Zebra. It had been a close thing, when he thought back on it.

Castus had to react immediately when he saw Valen push him and Tiara aside and level his spear at Zecora. The zebra herself stepped back and reached for something on her side of her hut, and Castus worried he would need to use the Wind to separate the two. But Scootaloo surprised him in putting herself between Valen and Zecora.

"No Valen! Zecora is a friend! Back off!" Scootaloo said, holding her arms out.

"Valen. Stand down." Castus said, as he slowly pulled himself off the cold snowy ground.

Castus gave Valen a glare of authority when the boy turned to him. He would not be disobeyed in this.

Castus nodded when Valen listened, and he took a step to approach Zecora, and nearly fell, if had not Valen rushed to catch him. Castus clung to Valen, embarrassed but grateful for the boys support.

"Take it easy Valen. This is Zecora....and if I am lucky....she can help me recover. But not if you act like you are going to attack her." He said, hoping to put the boy at ease.

"But Fire Man-" Valen started.

"No buts. Do as I command." Castus said, and Valen nodded.

As Valen helped him approach, Zecora spoke up.

"Forgive me if I don't seem eager to greet you. But I did not expect to see an enemy of Equestria at my hut." Zecora said.

"Sorry to intrude, and forgive my man's actions. Things are...tense. I apologize for any insult." Castus said. At least she wasn't attacking.

"No insult given, but I must ask why you are here with Scootaloo and the filly there." Zecora said, motioning to Tiara and Scoots.

"We're his prisoners." Scootaloo said with a smile, standing beside him.

Zecora looked at him with a raised brow, and Castus sighed, "Look uh...as you can tell, I'm not in the best of conditions. Might we discuss this inside?"

Zecora looked at him, then at Scootaloo and Tiara. Then to Valen and his spear. Finally she stepped aside.

"Come in, but I will be watching you." Zecora said.

"Thank you." Castus said. He motioned for Valen to help him inside and they all entered into Zecora's hut.

Castus felt glad to be out of the cold and into the warmth of a building. The unending winter, it didn't seem right; and it only seemed to be getting worse. What would it take to end it?

"What is all this?" Valen asked, as he looked around at Zecora's hut.

"Herbology. More advanced then the simple herbs and roots the tribe healers self taught themselves. I had hoped that maybe one day they would learn stuff like this....but....we never got the time....and I must confess....I have had a certain bias towards the herbal arts with my powers. Now I must use them to aid me. The Valhruan Mage Irony plays out as always." Castus said, feeling slightly bitter.

It was the downfall of many a tragic play and tale of old in Valhrua. A powerful mage brought low and saved only by the works of a simple herbalist or mundane doctor. And he had allowed it to happen to him, only this wasn't a story.

Castus looked to Zecora as Valen helped ease him down to a bench. Zecora looked at him, and she placed a hoof to his head.

"What is wrong with you? Youth." Zecora said.

"Youth? I'm probably the same age as you...maybe older." Castus said.

Zecora scuffed, "Maturity is not in age. You have the body of a man, but you act like a child."

Castus scowled, "What is that suppose to mean?"

"Children fight. Adults talk." Zecora said as she began lifting one of his arms and lifting it up and down.

Castus glared, "You don't know what you are talking about." What did this simple potion maker know of war? Know of history. Know of anything that concerned him?!

"Maybe. And maybe you are the one who doesn't know." Zecora said as she placed her ear up to the side of his head and tapped his skull with her hoof. She stepped back and looked at him.

Castus glared at her, "Are you going to lecture me? Or will you help me recover."

Zecora looked at him, and Castus could tell she was waiting for him to tell her what was wrong.

"I didn't come here to debate. I've suffered something similar to a unicorns Magical Feedback Disease. Do you have something for that?" Castus asked.

And now here he was, waiting.

Zecora looked at him, then turned and began to mix something into her pot. As Castus watched, Scootaloo spoke up.

"Hey, Whats Maical Feedback Disease?" She asked.

"A magic sickness that all unicorns can get, when they push their magic to far without rest." Zecora said.

Castus nodded, "Magic, even the filtered power of unicorn mage, takes a physical toll. Usually it is just an exhaustion that fades with rest. But if you push yourself too much without taking a rest, you risk hurting your body or passing out."

"Oh, like if you keep running even after running for several miles and your legs are ready to give out?" Scootaloo said.

Castus nodded, "Yes. Something like that. It isn't life threatening though."

'Usually.' Castus thought.

"Pfft, what kind of idiot pushes themselves over their limits?" Tiara said.

Castus and Scootaloo both looked at her with deadpan expressions. Tiara blinked, looking at them oddly.

"What?"

"Seriously?" Scootaloo and Castus said at the same time.

Castus shook his head and looked to Zecora as she approached with a bowl of purple color liquid. He cringed, and had a good idea of how that stuff was going to taste. He took the offered bowl, pushing aside Valen's arm when he reached for it first.

"Drink down every little drop." Zecora said, hoofs to her hips.

Castus looked at the bowl and for a moment, wondered if Zecora attempt to poison him. He shook the thought away though, because while he didn't know Zecora well, he knew her type. She was a healer to her core, and a true healer never poisoned anyone; even the worse type of person.

And so he downed every last drop of the offered potion, and nearly retched as the strong bitter taste assaulted his tastebuds.

"Ugh...I knew it was going to taste bad." Castus said, before gasping and pitching forward.

It felt like his body was on fire, and he hugged his sides as he spasmed some. Valen went to him immediately, shouting at Zecora. Scootaloo also bent to try and help him. But Castus ignored them until finally the burning sensation passed and he took a moment to take deep breathes.

"What did you do?!" Valen shouted at Zecora. Castus placed a hand on the boys shoulder.

"She helped me. Now be quiet." Castus said, making Valen go quiet and look at him confused.

Castus coughed, and took a moment to center himself. He hadn't expected the medicine to work, but it seemed that the herbal potions to cure unicorn feedback still could work to cure Wind Feedback. He felt better already, made apparent as he managed to stand up on steadier legs. His head felt clearer as well, and he took final breath as he sighed.

"Castus, are you feeling better now?" Scootaloo asked.

Castus looked at her and nodded, "Better now."

"Better, but not well. My brew can only take the exhaustion away, but you still must rest." Zecora said.

Castus shook his head, "I can't. I've left my warriors alone to long. I must gather them now."

"Whatever magic you use, if you use it again so soon, you will risk injury." Zecora said, not pleased at his words.

"It is a risk I must take." Castus said.

"Castus, maybe you should listen to her." Scootaloo said, taking his hand.

Castus shook his head, and Zecora sighed saying, "Body of a man. Mind like a mule."

Castus ignored that, as he drew on the Wind. He drew enough to open a simple Waygate back to his room in the Sanctuary.

"If it makes you feel better, you will be right at hand if I take a turn for the worse." Castus said.

"What?" Zecora said.

"Castus?" Scootaloo said, tilting her head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let anyone who has seen me be left on their own. We are still at war, and so Zecora I must take you prisoner. Forgive me."

Zecora looked at him with disapproval, but sighed and began gathering things, "If a prisoner I must be, at least let me take a few things."

Castus frowned, but decided to allow it. Scootaloo had a frown on her face, and Castus avoided looking at her. When Zecora was finally ready, he herded everyone through the Waygate, and when it closed he rubbed at his head feeling relief.

Castus reformed the root wall to his room, and went to his bed where he found his bag of artifacts waiting for him. Taking the strongest Amplifier he could find, a small simple orb with flower designs on it, he then put the bag within a hole inside the stone using a basic weave of the Wind before turning to everyone.

With the aid of the Amplifier, Castus began filling the crystals of the Well belt. It was a slow process, to avoid any undo pressure, but eventually he filled the entire belt. Twelve crystals, each with enough juice to open a Waygate to crouch through.

"Stay here." He said to the girls.

"But Castus-" Scootaloo started, but Castus shook his head.

"No buts." He said, then looked to Valen.

"Valen, watch them." He said to the boy.

"No." Valen said.

"What?" Castus said, and he clenched his fist.

"I will go with you. I don't want to disobey you Fire Man, but....but you need someone to watch you."

Castus felt...insulted. Great, another Marcus. Would all his people start thinking he needed a nanny.

Castus opened his mouth to tell the boy off, but when he looked at the boy, Castsu realized something he had forgotten.

Valen was afraid. The look he gave him was one of pure horror and fear. Fear for him. Fear of losing him. Castus then remembered that, to his people, he was perhaps the equivalent to a holy savior. Someone whom his people looked to for guidance and leadership, now more then ever. If they lost him....they would be devastated.

And that was what Valen feared, and Castus knew that was what was making him try to stay by his side. To protect him. Castus sighed, "Fine...you may come."

Valen nodded, "Thank you Fire Man."

"Let us go....I just hope the hunters have not done anything foolish while waiting." Castus said, as he opened a Waygate.


Krul

Krul sat by the fire, lounging in the strangely soft and squishy construct that all pony homes seemed filled with. They had four legs, and were wrapped in soft green coverings that didn't feel like fur. The homes themselves were a lot warmer then a tent, and filled with strange devices such as a cold box of metal in which food and strange liquids had been kept in.

They were all just one of many strange things the ponies had.

Krul stood up and looked around at the rest of his hunters who all sat or lay in various parts of the pony home; the only one that they hadn't burnt to the ground. In the time since the Fire Man had left them to their mission, the destruction of a large swath of strange lengths of metal and wood in which he had given them specially made tools to tear up the things he called, train tracks. Krul didn't understand why these things were important, but if it hurt the ponies he was willing to destroy all of them.

They had finished their job, destroying a strange wide section of track that was shaped like a circle and spreading out in six different directions. They had destroyed the circle, but when they had waited at the extraction point the Fire Man had not arrived.

So they waited. And waited, and when the sun soon began to set, Krul and the others knew that the Fire Man might not be coming. None could say why, and some had been worried, but Krul had to take care of his hunters, to shelter them from the cold. It had been a lucky break when they found a small pony town some distance away from the train track circle. The track ran through the pony village for and Krul knew that where ponies were would be shelter and food.

And importantly. Ponies to kill.

Krul hated ponies, and sometimes he felt as if that hate grew worse when the winds blew and the snow fell harder. He didn't care, anything to burn his fire for revenge.

'Leesha. My little Leesha. I will see you avenged, one pony at a time.' Krul thought, thinking upon his daughter. His precious, beautiful daughter.

She had only been three summers, and yet the ponies took her from him. His wife had died from a snake bite not a few months ago before the war. To lose his daughter...Krul couldn't stand it.

So...when he entered the town with his hunters, they did not spare a single resident. They would have resisted and tried to send them out into the cold if they hadn't. It was needed for their survival to remove the ponies, and to keep them from sending for help.

Besides, each pony he cut down made him feel peace inside, if only for a few moments. Maybe before they left, he would look at where they left the one last time. They would after all have to return to the extraction point.

'That is if the Fire Man even does come.' Krul thought.

Krul did not know why the Fire Man was late. Perhaps something came up, but sometimes....sometimes Krul wondered if the Fire Man had left them. He always tried to protect the ponies from their just repayment for the Moot, that it made Krul wonder if the Fire Man cared more for the ponies then his own people.

Krul shook his head. No, surely such thoughts could not be so. The Fire Man was not like other men, and so could be expected to be side tracked.

The hunters all saw he stood, and everyone began standing and getting ready. It was time to head back to the extraction point, and it was better to move now while there was still time left in the day.

"We leave. Burn this place." Krul said, before heading out.

The hunters all moved to follow, with some tossing over various objects of wood, and using strange short metal spears that the ponies kept beside their fire pits to begin tossing burning logs and coals onto the floor and flammable objects. By the time all of them were out, the house was already starting to come aflame.

Krul felt a slight peace in his heart when he watched that house burn. It reminded him of his own tent that had burnt down. But he turned his back on the flames and began leading the march back to the extraction point. All the way, he heard a moan on the winds.

That moaning, made him cold inside. He was use to it though.


Valen

Valen shivered as he heard that moan in the air. As always it didn't sound like ordinary wind. He looked to the Fire Man and he saw him looking around, as if expecting to see something that was causing the moan.

"That moan can't be natural." The Fire Man said, but he continued on.

Valen felt a bit uncomfortable at the thought of something out there, but he hadn't seen anything. Maybe it was just their minds playing tricks on them.

When they had arrived at the extraction point, Valen saw that no one was there. The Fire Man had worried, but Valen had managed to find a set of tracks in the snow. With a little luck and work, he managed to piece together a path leading away from the extraction point. The hunters had no doubt moved somewhere to find shelter from the snow and wind, and so they now followed the trail.

As they walked, the Fire Man began to speak.

"You know Valen, I can't help but notice that you have gained some....attention." The Fire Man said with a chuckle.

Valen blinked and looked at the Fire Man, "Attention?"

"From Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo. Come man, I know you are young but I know you can't be stupid." The Fire Man said with a smirk.

Valen rubbed the back of his head, feeling his face heat up, "They are...odd. They just cling to me. And....other things."

"Ha, well attraction and affection can do that to people and ponies. Especially with young people like yourselves," The Fire Man said, "So, who do you like more?"

"What!?" Valen choked, looking at the Fire Man with wide eyes. He was sure that they were ready to bulge out of the sockets. Had he said what he thought he said.

"Don't get like that. There isn't anything wrong if you like one of them. Its only natural." The Fire Man laughed.

Valen blushed, "B-but...that is...they are ponies! The enemy! They aren't human!"

The Fire Man gave him a cold look, "And that means something?"

Valen blinked, "I..well....it isn't right.."

The Fire Man huffed and shook his head, "Valen...So what if they are. So what if we are. In the hundreds of years of memories and my own personal life has shown me, the desires of the heart negate all worldly obstacles. If you like one of them...act on it. Don't create yourself regrets. If it makes you feel better....there is a pony whom I care deeply for."

Valen blinked, "Y-you care for a pony?"

The Fire Man nodded, "Yes....at first I wanted to deny such things or feelings. Partly because I too felt it was wrong. But then it became a desire to keep her safe from myself. And now.....now I find I don't feel worthy to hold such thoughts or feelings. Yet I can't deny them."

Valen looked at the Fire Man, and for the moment saw not the powerful leader of human kind, but a man. A powerful man, but a man none the less. It was odd for Valen.

"What is her name?" Valen asked.

The Fire Man smiled, and he looked more at peace then at any moment before as he spoke a single name.

"Fluttershy. Her name is Fluttershy." The Fire Man said.

Valen looked at the Fire Man, then looked at the ground. This conversation had made him confused now, and he thought hard on the Fire Man's words....and of the two pony girls back at the sanctuary.

"I....they are....cute.....but I cannot speak to them. So I cannot understand beyond that I find them cute." Valen said.

Of course, when he thought back to that moment at the river. Before the monster attack, Valen thought that cute might not be the best word to describe what he felt at times....but it was....a safe word.

"Then I suppose I will need to teach you. It shouldn't be hard. If you can speak Ancient Valhruan, you can speak anything is the old saying." The Fire Man said.

Valen looked at the Fire Man confused, "Teach me? Is it a good time? We are at war."

The Fire Man chuckled, "War is the best time to learn Valen. Your mind tends to be more focused. Besides...it will make slugging through this snow go by a little faster."

Valen didn't feel sure, but...well he supposed that they did have some ways to go. So he nodded.

"Good. Then let us start with a simple hello first." The Fire Man said.


And so, as they walked the Fire Man taught Valen the pony language. It was difficult, but Valen found that the words stuck with time. But as he learned, he could not help but feel...a slight tingling on his skin. For some reason he could tell it was caused by the Fire Man, as he had felt something like it when the Fire Man opened those tears from Zecora's and from the Sanctuary. Strange that it was only now that he started to feel that sensation.

Valen had managed to grasp a few words, when from the distance he saw a large group approach them.

It was Krul and his hunters.

"Ah, good. I'm glad they are okay." The Fire Man said.

Valen too was also glad to see his fellow hunters alive and well. But...where had they rested? He looked out to the horizon and....he thought he could make out a thin line of smoke.

"Fire Man..." Valen said, pointing toward the horizon.

"I know....I see it." The Fire Man said, sounding uncertain....and afraid.

As the hunters grew closer, Valen saw Krul and his hunters wave to them. So he and the Fire Man waved and moved faster to greet the Huntmaster.

"Fire Man. We wondered where you had been." Krul said.

"I am sorry Krul. I was...indisposed for a bit. Where have you been?" The Fire Man said.

Valen felt the air grow tense, and the Fire Man gazed intently on Krul. Krul looked back, his gaze tight.

But before anyone could say anything further, a loud blaring noise from the west brought all eyes to attention.

From the distance, closing fast, were mounted riders on cleft hooves. As well as figures in the air. It was a pony attack party.

"Ponies! We're under attack." one hunter shouted.

"Damn it!" The Fire Man swore, "Warriors prepare for battle."

Valen looked to the Fire Man, to the ponies whose mounts and wings quickly closed the gap between them. He gripped his weapon tight and met the charge as the battle soon began.

And the first crimson stains on the snow fell.