The Dawning of a New Era

by SilverWolfAG-1

Stripes, Rhymes, and Potions

Stripes, Rhymes, and Potions

Year 988 of Luna’s Exile, Everfree Forest (near Ponyville)

Intrepid Dawn, now eight and full of life, ran desperately through the underbrush of the forest trying to outrun his pursuers. As his pursuers crashed through the underbrush behind him he made a mental note to never try to study timber wolves close up again. With a burst of speed and a cry of relief he made it to the old path that led to the Princesses’ old castle, no longer forced to make his way through thick underbrush he was able to gallop at full tilt away from the two timber wolves chasing him. Just as he began to put some distance between himself and his pursuers, he slammed at full speed into something. Quickly getting up and then realizing that he had just run into somepony he said desperately “we need to run, there are timber wolves right behind me.”

The striped pony he ran into turned to him and said “fear not little one, Zecora will make sure this day is won.” With those words, she turned to face the pair of quickly approaching timber wolves and pulled a bottle from her pack. With an accuracy attained from long practice, she tossed it at the timber wolves and it landed directly in front of them and burst into flame. Unable to stop the timber wolves crashed through the fire and it spread to their limbs causing them to howl in pain and flee into the forest. And as suddenly as the fire started it died, Zecora then turned to Dawn and asked “little one are you alright? I hope I did not cause you too much fright.”

Dawn replied, “I feel fine, just a little tired. But who and what are you? Are those stripes real or painted? And what was that fire and can you teach me to do that?”

Zecora with a knowing grin replied “I will supply the answers for which you yearn, should we escape before the wolves return.”

With that answer and Zecora leading the way, they moved quickly along the path until they came to a hidden trail which Zecora took. The trail led to a small exotic hut built into a tree. Zecora opened the door and said “Welcome to my humble abode, enter and take a rest from the road.”

As he entered Dawn was stunned by the exotic decorations and furniture. As he looked around in amazement, he began to notice the tools and ingredients of an alchemist. “So are we safe now?” He asked.

“We are safe now, protected by poison joke’s bough,” Zecora replied. “My name is Zecora and I am a zebra. My stripes are quite real, and the secrets of alchemy you shall soon unseal.”

“When do we start?” Dawn asked. “Oh and my name is Intepid Dawn,” he stated abashedly.

“We begin immediately, if you are ready.” Zecora replied.

“I am ready!” exclaimed Dawn.

And with that statement Dawn’s apprenticeship to Zecora began. After returning home later that day with “orders” to read Super-Naturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls that are Simply Super, Dawn talked with his parents and the next they went to meet Zecora and thanked her for saving Dawn’s life and taking him as an apprentice alchemist.

As days turned into weeks, Dawn split his time between learning the ways of the Light Bringers and becoming an alchemist. He gained knowledge of potions and how to make them and soon learned how to collect the ingredients himself. As he was taught where different plants and other ingredients for the potions were found he began to explore the forest more and more on his own, learning many of its secrets and gaining knowledge of its many hazards and creatures. With his apprenticeship to Zecora going well, Zecora began to train his body as well as his mind, focusing on developing the natural inherent agility that the children of a Pegasus pony typically possess even when they are not pegasi themselves.

In the Light Bringer encampment Dawn learned the history and purpose of the Light Bringers and began training in the many areas in which a Light Bringer must be proficient including the martial arts, stealth, physical fitness, monstrophy (the study of monsters), leadership, and fighting as a team. He also learned of the many dangers that he might one day face as a Light Bringer and of the mostly forgotten Alicorn princess of the moon who had formed the Light Bringers. While he trained and developed these many skills, he grew and matured as a colt and dreamt of the day he would finally put them to use as a Light Bringer.

Author's Note:

Another short chapter, although this one gave me a lot of trouble especially the rhymes. I needed it to set up some things for the next chapter and maybe some other chapters in the future. The next chapter should not take as long as this one to write mostly because I already have a good idea of what I want to do with it and where I want it to go. It will also be a significantly longer chapter and really get the story going.