//------------------------------// // Ponies Ponder About The One Who Wanders // Story: The New Guy // by SilverWind102 //------------------------------// Silver and Star Shine laid huffing and puffing on the floor, the Golem training taking it's toll on their bodies. The room was butchered with cracks, dents, holes and piles of rubble and dust. Silver looked over to the exhausted girl to his left, letting out chuckles as he saw just how out of breathe she was. “I guess Black Wing and I aren't the only ones out of shape,” he laughed. Star Shine rolled her eyes, “You know...I feel like... you just called me fat,” she huffed out, adding a little glare to her words and finally catching her breathe, “Besides, I never had the same prowess you two do. Physical activity isn't my thing.” It was actually a bit strange. For a girl that didn't work out much, Star Shine had a body many females craved for. “Oh so it's okay for you to be lazy, but not us?” Star Shine rolled over onto her belly and stretched, “I'm not being lazy...well, maybe in terms of exercise but not in terms of ability. I practice my science and research every day. I'm still coming up with new brews, potions and powders to test out on you guys.” It was Silvers turn to roll his eyes as he too got off the floor, “Right, whatever you say....fatty.” Stars head slowly turned and stared down the foolish wolf. “...Da fuck was that?” Silver took a few steps forward and leaned into her ear, “Fat-as--” his words were cut off as a paw crushed into his chest and sent him flying across the room, crashing into a wall. He simply laughed and rolled out of the rubble and dust, “See? You can be strong if you get angry enough,” he said as she stalked over to him, causing her to pause in her walk over upon hearing his words. Realizing that he'd tricked her into getting angry, Star Shine huffed and turned her head, “You shouldn't do things like that to a girl,” she pouted, “We're very sensitive about our weight.” Laughing once more, Silver lifted himself and trotted over to her, “Oh come on! How many times have you done things like that to me and Black Wing just to get a reaction?” “Those times were different! I was trying to get you to go beyond your limits. It was for your own good, and I wasn't doing it for fun,” she excused. She was really only half lying. She was actually trying to help them reach new heights. Any amusement that may have come by her was simply an enjoyable side effect. “Well then consider this payback for all those times you 'helped' us,” he said, adding the air quotes with his paws. Star stuck her tongue out and trotted towards the stairs, “Speaking of helping you, I believe you still have training to complete. I suggest you get to the vortexes.” “Oh yeah,” he whimpered dismally, “Forgot about that.” “Before I go though,” she called over from the bottom of the stairs, “When are you going to speak with the princesses?” “I figure I'll do it after I finish training.” “Okay then, come get me when you do.” Fortunately, the remaining tasks of Silvers regimen weren't too time consuming and could all be done in the Backyard. The vortexes were the longest part of it, but everything else had been finished in the next three and a half hours. By the time he was done though, it was almost 5 in the evening. However, this made sure that Celestia and Luna were mostly done with their work...hopefully. Honestly, the life of a princess was by no means the leisure the fairy-tales had made it out to be. Now Silver was once again trotting through the halls of Star Shines home in search of its owner. Lucky for him, she was back in her lab so the search was short. As always, he knocked and waited for her response before entering. “Hey,” he said, poking his head in after hearing her call, “I'm finished. I'm gonna go shower first though, so meet me at the castle in thirty minutes.” She responded with a simple nod and Silver turned and left. After returning home and washing up, the wolf decided to make a quick detour before heading to the castle. Popping by the library in Ponyville, Silver called out for Twilight. “I'm in here,” she called back. Silver wandered into the main room where Twilight was sitting on the couch, floating papers in front of her. The four guards assigned to her were all reading in their own respective spots. “Is there something you need?” she asked. “Yeah, if you're not too busy. Star and I were about to go talk with Luna and Celestia about something. I wanted you to know too,” he explained. Twilight quickly put the papers down, “Is this about the grimoire?” she asked, earning a nod from Silver. It wasn't hard to figure out, and aside from Duke Little Horn making another problem, it was their biggest concern. Even if it wasn't about the book specifically, then it was probably related to it. But it wasn't until the alicorn noticed the exchange of confused glances between the four in the room that something dawned on her. None of them knew anything about the Zodiac Tome. Seeking to correct that lack of information flow, Twilight turned and spoke to the other four ponies in the room, “All of you are coming with us. I'd like to keep all of us up to date on what's happening.” All four nodded and set down their books. A quick trot into Silvers home, then back out into the castle before the group made their way to the conference hall where they found Star Shine waiting. “Brought the whole town with you, huh?” she asked, eyeing the group. “I originally only asked Twilight, but she told the others to come,” he explained as they trotted inside. There, they found Princesses Luna and Celestia sitting on the raised three step platform. “Hello every pony,” Celestia greeted, “I'm glad to see our little project is coming along.” In truth, it kind of irked Silver that she referred to them as a project. He'd grown very close to Ruppy, Onyx and was even fond of Beats and Sica. Referring to them as a “project” sent a twinge of anger through the wolf, but it wasn't the time to fight. “Twilights guard aren't what we asked you here for,” Silver began, a bit of bite in his voice, “It's the Zodiac Tome that's the issue.” Celestia immediately lost her normal friendly smile, her expression becoming much more serious, “An issue, you say?” Silver nodded while Star Shine pulled out the book and started explaining, “In the time that I've had this, I have only made a few discoveries. The first being that the books spells reference the Thirteen Zodiac constellations. How they're relevant to the spells, I'm not sure. “The second thing is that the magic used to write this book is alicorn magic. Using a spell, I was able to read the sequence of the spells inside and traced it back to alicorns. Unfortunately the magic is the only thing I've been able to analyze about the book. Everything else, from the date it was made to the materials it's made out of cannot be identified by my machines.” “Last but not least, something odd about the books back,” she said, flipping over to the inside of the back cover, revealing Lunas cutiemark, “It seems that Princess Lunas mark has appeared in it, and the date at the bottom,” she tapped a paw to show where, “says that it was either discovered or created 4 centuries ago.” Luna quickly stepped down from her spot, walking closer and taking the book into her magic. Her eyes flowed over the image on the back, “This...this can't be right,” she said. She flipped through the pages of the book, quickly looking over the spells. “No, it can't,” Celestia added, now looking over her little sisters shoulder, “I don't believe there were many who still knew what your cutiemark was at the time. Other than myself and Star Swirl, I think most had forgotten.” “So then how did it get in there?” Silver asked. “Well it's not entirely impossible for some pony back then to have discovered what Lunas cutiemark was, but it's quite unlikely,” Celestia mused, “Is there anyway to tell whose magic made it?” Star Shine shook her head, “Not that I know of. Like I said, all I could get from it was that it was created from alicorn magic. Given the grimoires subject and the image on the back, the only conclusion I could draw was that Princess Luna had made it.” “I never made this book,” Luna objected, “My grimoire has been returned to me, and I don't recognize this one.” “Well then unless there's another alicorn of the night walking around, I'm afraid I'm out of ideas,” Star sighed. “Hey, can I see that?” Ruppy asked, now walking forward. Luna hoofed the book over to the mare, and Ruppy squinted at the writing. After staring for a moment, she flipped back a couple of pages and looked at the page there. Then flipped back again to the back cover and kept doing so another few times before finally stopping. “They aren't the same,” she concluded, “The writing on the back and the writing in the book aren't from the same pony.” “....What?” Star Shine uttered before rushing over and pulling the book out of the mares grasp. Doing the same as Ruppy had, she began flipping back and forth between the pages and the back cover, until finally stopping and staring at the page. Her eyes stayed locked on the words until... “WAH!!” she cried, tears actually building in her eyes, “I'M AN IDIOT!!” Ruppy just patted her gently but awkwardly on the back, “Umm, there there?” she tried, “It's not really that you're dumb, I just have some experience with copying hoof writing,” Onyx, who was standing behind her, nodded in agreement, “It's kind of a thing you pick up when you're writing checks from some ponies check book.” Celestia turned and gave the mare a curious eyeing. She'd originally been a bit distrusting of Ruppy and Onyx. From their first meeting, wave after wave of hostility came from the former while an icy void of emotion came from the latter. While she still felt a few splashes of both, their wild nature seems to have dulled some what. Ruppy caught the look Celestia was giving her, and rolled her eyes, “Hey, if you have a problem, it's a little to late to deal with it now. You gotta do what you gotta do.” Again, Onyx nodded behind her. The ivory alicorn sighed. She'd heard that exact line from Silver so many times over the years, and she'd begun to wonder if he was teaching them about his own “profession” as well as combat. “Are you sure it's not the same writing?” she asked eventually. Star Shine looked back at the pages, her whines ceasing for the moment, “Now that I look, there's a difference between the two, but I can examine a little closer if you want.” “I have a spell for checking hoof writing,” Twilight chimed in, “Cheerilee taught it to me when I helped her grade papers a few times.” “Are you sure it will work?” Luna asked, “You said the book couldn't be analyzed.” “Well the spell I used to check it's magic worked, so this might,” Star theorized, “Even if it doesn't, I'm sure I can find a spell that's applied to myself instead of the book that should allow me to tell the difference between the two.” Twilight stepped forward and took the book in her magic before charging her spell. Once it was cast, the book opened and the pages began flipping through rapidly. After a few moments passed, the book came to it's end, then shut. “Um, it's a bit fuzzy, but from what I can tell, they are two different writings,” Twilight announced, shaking her head as the magic dissipated, “What Star Shine said was right. I couldn't get a clear reading of it, but I can tell a difference. I think using a spell on ourselves would be better than using on the book though.” “Perfect!” Star Shine exclaimed, “I'll just write a spell that enhances my ability to differentiate.” “Wait a moment,” Luna cut in, “Why is it that magic will work but machines won't? It seems like it should be the other way around.” “Hmm,” the female wolf hummed, “Well, I suppose it has to do less with the magic of the book and more with what it's made out of. You see, most grimoires are made with unique materials, like enchanted papers, inks and covers. That, coupled with the emotions, memories and intent poured into the writing creates the spells. So even if the materials it's made of aren't normally what one would use, it wouldn't really have an affect on the magic. It would still be traceable.” “I...see...” Luna agreed slowly, having a bit of trouble following. Sure, she'd written her own grimoire, but the way was told to do it was to more or less pour her heart out into an enchanted book, “But...this still feels strange. It can't be as simple as two different hoof writings.” “It's not,” Silver corrected, “Even if we can prove there two different ponies who wrote in it, we still can't tell who it was.” “Not necessarily,” Twilight countered, “Even if we can't tell who wrote it, we know that at one point in time, some pony else used it. There may have been a record of the pony who used it. We even have a time frame to narrow it down a bit.” “Yeah, but still,” Silver said, “Looking for a pony from four hundred years ago? Even if they stuck out like a sore paw, it'd be hard to find them. There have been a lot of great mages over the centuries.” “It's still worth trying,” Twilight said, “Celestia, I'd like to look through the--” “You have permission,” Celestia cut off, “I'll inform the guards that you have full access to the Archives.” Twilight nodded “Thank you. We'll all get on this and begin researching immediately,” she said, earning a choir of groans before turning to leave, the rest of the group following after except for Celestia and Luna. ….And Onyx. “Onyx, come on,” Ruppy called to her, “You're not skipping out on researching.” The unicorn remain in her spot and responded flatly, “She was wrong.” Ruppy stopped in her tracks. Any time Onyx bluntly said something that didn't make sense meant that they'd missed something she'd caught on to. “There are two alicorns of the night,” Onyx continued, gesturing a hoof to Luna, “Nightmare Moon too.” Star Shine turned and shook her head, “No, I considered that. Nightmare Moon was only actually present for a short time. Just before she was banished and just after she returned. There's no way she'd have had the time--” “That's...not necessarily true,” Luna interjected hesitantly, “Before I was sealed, before my transformation; there were times when I would...black out, I suppose. I have memories of being in the middle of something, then it's all suddenly gone. I believe it was Nightmare Moon surfacing and taking over.” “Are you certain?” Star Shine asked, “It could just be a lapse in memory. It was a thousand years ago after all.” The midnight alicorn shook her head, “I've gone into my conscious, like we did with Silver. If it were a lapse, then the memory would be blurry, not gone. But my memories completely cut off and pick up later, like jumping from the one chapter of a book to one three chapters ahead. I've seen it before with ponies who have dissociative identity disorder. The other personalities completely take over, and one conscious is consumed by another. Therefore, the consumed conscious has no memory of any event that transpired, despite the body being awake when it occurred.” “Well then that changes things,” Star sighed, “I suppose I could run some more test and see if I can identify the magic signature more, but I doubt it. I may have to get Black Wing to do it.” “Please do,” Luna requested, “A grimoire can only be destroyed by the one who made it.” “Yes I know,” Star said, turning back to the door, “I'll see what I can do. In the mean time, the rest of you get to reading. I've been proved wrong twice today and I'd rather not let a third slip by me.” On the third base floor of the castle was a large, dark room lit only by the dim candles. It contained rows upon rows of book shelves, each one holding a tome of ancient knowledge of Equestria. These writings were locked down here because they were originals. Pure, undoctored materials locked away below the world. Running down the center of the room was a long table with papers scattered on top. In the room, a group of four ponies, a wolf and an alicorn strolled in mere moments ago. (Sounds like the start of a bad joke.) “Alright,” Twilight began, “Let's get started. Onyx, Ruppy, I want you two to bring me everything you can find on the mages who made a name for themselves. Don't worry about the time frame. Chances are that their magic probably allowed them to live longer than the average pony. Beats, Sicarius, I want you two to find everything you can on astronomy related magic. Silver, I want you to help me find books detailing major events what occurred four centuries ago.” With all their tasks assigned, the group split. In pairs, they wandered among the shelves, reading spine and plucking down books. Silver had eventually found himself split from Twilight, and noticed another mare approach him. “Ruppy?” he beckoned, “Is there something you need?” The pegasus stepped out of the shadows and leaned in close to the wolf, “Silver, I need to talk to you about our newest recruit,” she whispered. “Sica?” he asked, “What about her?” “I think somethings...off about her,” she said, “I know what it means when some pony wears baggy clothes for no reason. She's hiding something up those sleeves.” “Ruppy, just because you don't appreciate someones fashion isn't a reason to distrust them,” Silver chided playfully, plucking another book off the shelf. In truth, he knew exactly why she was so worried, but causing a ruckus and distrust among the four of them wouldn't exactly help anything. So, he had to find a way to calm Ruppy suspicions. “Look, it's not just her clothes,” Ruppy continued, “For one, she doesn't make noise when she walks. And two, her name. Sicarius Silentum? It's Latin for 'Assassins Silence'. That's not a name you're born with, it's one you earn.” Well she nailed that one on the head. It was true that wasn't Sicas real name, granted she probably never had a real one in the first place. Among the temple of the Remnants, the assassins would earn their titles for their achievements. For Sica, it'd probably be for her stealth skills. Even when she'd come onto the mountain earlier that day, her presence was almost undetectable. Her skills when it came to masking herself were seconded to no other pony, easily dwarfing Onyx own ability to erase herself. Now if only she could do something about her attire, then she might be able to blend into a crowd. “Okay first, I don't make noise when I walk either unless I want to be heard. The only reason I stopped is because I figured you and Onyx wouldn't want me scarring the crap out of you ten times a day. Second, her name explains why she doesn't make noise. She's an assassin, clear as day. You don't need to speak Latin to know that. Third, if I really thought she was a threat, I'd have killed her by now,” Silver explained, “Now is not the time for in-fighting. We need to keep researching. If I find Sica making trouble, I'll put a stop to her, if one of you three don't before me.” Ruppy looked him up and down, “You...you knew? And you didn't say anything?” “Ruppy, Sica is a very unique pony who was taught at a very young age how to assassinate. If what she told me was true, and she means the princesses no harm, then she'll make for a strong ally. Unless she does something to lose what trust I do have for her, I'd rather allow her to continue looking out for Twilight.” “And what about us?” she hissed, “Hasn't it occurred to you that she may turn on her team?” “Ruppy, she's an assassin. She doesn't work in teams, and she doesn't kill if it's not her target. She'll operate independently from you three, and as long as you don't do anything to end up on the wrong end of her blade, you'll be fine. And besides, last I checked, you were a thug. Your reputation is just as bad as hers. Which reminds me, since when do you speak Latin?” The pegasus opened her mouth to argue, only to realize the wolf had a point. If she was an assassin, she'd likely work alone. If she did care about the princesses, then ensuring they're guarded would come first. And as long as Ruppy didn't give her a reason to, Sica probably wouldn't pay her much attention. Now that she thought about, the pegasus realized she was worried over nothing. “My foster parents made me learn it for something or other,” Ruppy huffed eventually, “You're sure she's cool?” Silver shrugged, “I believe that she won't harm the princesses or any of you.” “Well...” she began hesitantly, “I'll...agree with you for now. But I'm keeping an eye on her.” The wolf rolled his eyes, “Fine, just get back to work.” With their research plucked out and set at the table, the group began their reading. Each took the subject they were assigned to find earlier and sat down to flip through the pages. As the hours ticked by, the pile of books to be read had grown smaller and smaller while the one of books that have been read grew higher and higher. They cross-referenced time frames with names, magics with meanings and stars with events. Very few of the mages had potential of being linked with the book, but even that was a minimal connection at best. At best, they were grasping at straws, and at worst, merely swinging in the dark. It was a grumble from the only stallion in the room that drew every ones undivided attention. GURGLE Beats blushed and rubbed a hoof behind his head, “Oops...I guess I'm a little peckish.” Twilight simply giggled, “It's fine. We've been down here for a while now. Silver, why don't you get us something to eat? I'm sure the staff won't mind.” Silver set his book and slipped out of his chair, pausing for a moment to stretch his limbs. As he trotted past the table, his eyes caught a sight that was strange. “Ruppy,” He said, stopping behind her chair and looking over her shoulder, “What are you reading?” “Hmm?” she answered, turning and looking to him, “Oh, it's a geography book.” “Geography?” Twilight echoed, “You're supposed to be reading about famous mages.” “Well, it wasn't really turning up much, so I figured maybe a change of pace would be good,” the pegasus defended. “And how is geography supposed to help?” Silver asked. “Well we did find the book hidden in a cave that no pony knew about except for Aerial,” She explained, “And I figured that if cross-referencing the names would work with events, then maybe we should look at ponies who were around the area at the time the book was signed.” “That's...” Twilight began, “I didn't think of that. Very good Ruppy!” The pegasus actually blushed at the praise, “So have you found anything?” “Not really. I've only been looking for the past half hour or so, but I do keep finding a reoccurring story.” “Story?” she asked, “About who? There are plenty of myths and legends throughout Equestria.” “Well, it's not so much a story, but rather a legend of some pony known as 'The One Who Wanders'. All it says about him is that, and I quote, 'he will walk the lands for all of time'.” Sica sighed, “Hours of research and all we have is a cryptic fairy tale.” “You shouldn't dismiss fairy tales so quickly Sica,” Silver cautioned, “All stories come from somewhere. And even this wandering fellow must have an origin.” “All I can get from this is that he passed through that valley at some point, although I'm not sure when. I figure if I do a little more reading about him, then maybe I can find some--” GURGLE. It was Ruppys turn to blush, “-thing.” Silver laughed and ruffled her mane with a paw, “That's fine. You keep reading about The One Who Wanders and I'll go get food. The rest of you, keep to your original readings.” Making a quick exit, the wolf left to get the snacks. Upon walking through the halls, Silver noticed a clock. “12:43, huh? We've been at it for a while. We should probably go to bed soon.” It was then that something occurred to him. Luna was sleeping all alone at the moment. He wasn't sure if she was in her own bed or his, but the wolfs heart still took a bit of a hit from it. “I hope she's not lonely. We've been awfully busy, and I imagine we'll be the same tomorrow too. I suppose we should make it up to her some how.” And then, something else hit Silver. It was something that many couples had already done well before they started dating, but was something he hadn't for a while now. “I know! We'll take her on a date!”