Mending Light

by Kiromancer

52 - Journey's Ends

"You two are gonna love this place, I promise. The view is spectacular." With a grin on her face, Merri led the way to our first stop on her tour.

With only three days here before the journey home, Dusky didn't want to waste any time, and frankly, I was more than a little curious as well. I still wasn't fully comfortable in the city, but Ostfriesen had more than its fair share of beauty, if one knew where to find it. And who better to show us where it was hidden than a native, and a friend.

"Ta-daa~!" Merri stepped aside, waving a hoof to beckon us on. Ahead was a large open-air square, raised several steps above street level. The rear of the arena was set against the city wall, and inside were numerous ponies in the midst of various exercises. Many were sparring or practicing combat forms of some kind.

Dusky raised an eyebrow. "It's a training field?"

"Not just any training field! The raised platform makes it the one with the best view~." Merri pointed towards a group of ponies in the midst of stretching, and suddenly the objects of Merri's attention were quite apparent, directly at eye level. "You gotta appreciate that level of fitness~."

My face burned red. "Y-you just come out here to look at... um..."

Merri grinned. "At what, Night?"

Dusky stepped up, shaking her head. "This isn’t quite what I was hoping for when I said I wanted to see 'the sights'."

"You want something a little more natural, eh? Little more like home? Okay, okay. I can do that." Merri gave one more glance towards the training grounds, letting her gaze linger just a little longer before she began to walk on.

We followed the road as it circled the training grounds, until eventually it met the outer wall and continued to follow alongside it.

Atop the wall, the silhouettes of ponies were just visible in the sunlight as they patrolled or marched or did whatever it was they were doing to keep guard. I glanced at Merri as she continued her confident stride. “Does the city come under attack often? I mean, what with the wall, and the guards, and the training grounds?”

“Nah, not really. Or, not often at least. About as often as Ponyville does.” Merri turned back with a wink. “But instead of having some local celebrities wielding ancient magical artifacts, we have a group of well-trained knights that know how to take on just about anything the Badlands can throw at us. And that doesn’t even count the locals who go out and bag a few bounties on their own.”

I nodded, then turned to Dusky to ask about Twilight, only to find that Dusky’s gaze had been pulled elsewhere, off towards a large gate which was set apart from the outer wall, apparently unconnected to anything.

Dusky slowed further as she observed the gate. “Hey, Merri. What’s that?”

“Hmm?” Merri stopped to look over. “Oh that? Just the Brushingboot Gate. Why? Wanna take a closer look?”

Dusky’s grin grew, and I couldn’t help but laugh as she responded. “Absolutely!”

The gate was older than it seemed. It was indeed alone, not even completely covering the road in which it stood. The stones in the walls of the gate were faded, but not in any kind of disrepair. Crowning the arch was a great statue, depicting a pony in a carriage in a great cloak and crown, wielding a trident. In front of her stood four more ponies, each in intricate barding and wielding weapons of their own.

“That’s the fourth Queen of Ostfriesen, Queen Lychee.” Merri’s voice came out surprisingly respectful as we stopped, keeping sight of the statue. “This gate was built to memorialize the battle of Silverglade.”

Dusky looked up in a bit of awe, eyes scanning every inch of the structure. “And the other four?”

Merri bent her head in close, flashing a smile. “No one knows.”

“No one?” Dusky glanced at Merri. “If there’s a monument, surely someone must have made a record.”

“Yeah. I guess some of the details must’ve been lost or fuzzy or something. Silverglade was supposedly a little outpost built along this road, far out from the main city, one of the first farm villages, but that winter, some big grimdrakes came down out of the mountains looking to hunt. Silverglade fell—no one left save for the runner who arrived in Oasis to warn the Queen.”

I frowned. “A whole town, just… gone?”

Merri nodded. “Grimdrakes are bad news.They’re worse in a hunting party, and they’re the worst when they’ve got a matriarch with them, as Silverglade found out. And Oasis was next. Ostfriesen was still growing, and wasn’t prepared for that kind of threat, but Queen Lychee resolved to defeat the beasts. She ordered the civilians to flee, and the knights to harry the beasts, driving them forward, until they reached this gate. Here, the Queen said, she would make her stand, and none would pass so long as she still drew breath.”

“The Knights harassed the beasts as they came, killing many of the drakes, but suffering terrible losses in turn. When they reached the gate, Queen Lychee killed several herself, and none passed through the gate. But she was badly wounded, and when the last of the drakes came, the matriarch came with them, enraged at the deaths of her children. Against her, the Queen could make no defense.”

She took a breath, letting the suspense build. “That’s when the four arrived. They weren’t knights, and no record could prove that they lived within Oasis. They were well armed, and well trained, and as the Queen stood her ground, they attacked and slew the matriarch. No small feat, that. After that, they just… disappeared. Some say they had fatal wounds from the battle, others say they were sacred guardians sent by the dragons, or even the Dragon itself, taking the form of four spirits. Lychee survived, and ordered the gate be adorned with the images of the four holy protectors. I guess she put herself in as well, 'cause why not?”

I stared up at the statues. It wasn’t that far fetched, all things considered, any one of those theories could hold some grain of truth. “That’s… wow, Merri. Intense.”

“Ha. Right? And Sis’ says I didn’t pay attention to history.”

Dusky nodded slowly. “They could have been part of the rebels in the north, those who followed Bellerophon. It’s hard to believe they were just in the right place at the right time.”

“Maybe.” Merri winked at Dusky. “But why spoil a good mystery, eh~?”

I tried to stifle sudden laugh, but failed as Dusky gave me an odd look. “S-sorry, it’s almost too much.”

Dusky half-smirked. “What is?”

“Just… what if that’s us? In another thousand years, will some gate forgotten in the middle of Olymponis have a statue to ‘Regis Amethyst’, with the four unknown foreigners who fought to free them?” I laughed, the sheer stupidity of that statement alone. “It’s… it’s so ridiculous.”

Merri snorted, barely holding back her own laughter. “Probably already commissioned, Night. The mysterious stranger with the wild mane. They’ll write romance novels about you, the herald of Bellerophon and your love triangle with the grey stranger, a scarved mare of mystery with a sexy butt~.”

“I w-wasn’t thinking about Dusky’s butt!” I flailed a hoof.

“But you are now~.”

I glanced at Dusky, face only growing brighter with embarrassment.

“I prefer the factual Night Light to any work of fiction.” Dusky snuck in closer to kiss me on the snout, then turned back to Merri. “Now c’mon, there’s still more of the city to see.”

Merri continued to giggle as she began to move past us, back down the road we’d arrived on. “Right, daylight’s burning you two, still so much to see.”

I nodded dumbly, my brain scrambling to regain motor control. I spun to follow after, not having to go too fast to catch up behind Merri and Dusky as they led on.

“Next stop, Trotgart Square. I tell you, there’s plenty of good sights there. I promise, the view is spectacular.”

Dusky looked askew at Merri as they walked ahead. “You said that about the training grounds and just wanted to look at butts. Got any more Brushingboots around here?”

“You want more history stuff? Sure, I guess I can find a few more spots along the way.” Merri turned to give me another wink, then pointedly glanced towards Dusky’s rear. “Though, just so long as we keep this pace, I’m sure Night can enjoy the view all day.”

I blushed hard, looking down at the white-stone of the roads of Oasis. When I spared a glance up at Dusky, she was watching me carefully. The heat rose in my cheeks, but then she winked and turned her attention back to the road, and I almost thought I saw her give a little extra wiggle as she walked.

---

The next two days passed all too quickly, and before I knew it, we were heading for home, back north along the Path of Dragons and out through Fort Rhenish. The Badlands were just as barren and bleak, but we moved swiftly. It was as if the path home were open to us. The Badlands had fought with all its might to keep us out, but was more than willing to let us go.

Both Merri and Star were in good spirits, despite leaving their home behind for a second time. What unfinished business they’d been forced to abandon when Merri had been exiled, this time they’d had a chance to rectify. The road home may be dangerous, but it was open to them once again. I almost found it a bit hard to believe that we were worth giving up their old life for, but then I looked at Dusky. Giving up an old way of life for friendship, for love, wasn’t nearly as crazy as it might seem from the outside.

There were no bulette attack, nor any other monsters crossing our path, almost as if they saw Merri and Star and decided we weren’t worth the risk. The salt flats were just as hostile, and soon after reaching the desert wastes the sandstorms began once again, though not nearly as fierce as the storm which had halted our journey in. These were merely dust storms, but we had no intention of risking a more dangerous one whipping up. I knew from experience that a mild storm out of the Everfree could turn into a dangerous thunderhead without warning.

We had no deadline, no fear for Merri’s safety. As such, the storms gave us a bit of respite now, a chance to rest, and for Dusky and Star to plot out our path home.

When the second storm hit the next day, we found refuge in a concave outcropping. Nearly a cave, it provided cover deep enough to keep the storm at bay, while having a unique shape that gave us a view of the sky overhead.

Dusky sat apart as we settled in, watching the storm from the closest vantage point. While Merri and Star prepared some food, I wandered over and lay down besides her to watch the sky.

A few moments after I settled next to her, Dusky spoke quietly. “It’s mesmerizing. When it’s calmer like this, it’s kinda beautiful in its own right. Reminds me a bit of the little flurries we put together in Ponyville.”

I watched the storm more closely. My first impulse was to disagree, snow was so much more than this dust and sand. I tried to watch the storm with fresh eyes, to just forget what I knew and lose myself in the patterns of the wind. They were chaotic and uncontrolled, yet, there was an odd familiarity to it.

“I don’t think it’s as beautiful as snow. It’s too heavy and gritty, even if the wind patterns are similar.” I glanced at Dusky, smiling. “But I see what you mean.”

She giggled, turning her head away from the storm to meet my eyes.”I like how you get about weather.”

I blinked in surprise. “How I get?”

She smiled and nodded, keeping her eyes on me. “You’re confident, certain about it. You’re usually so uncertain—not that there’s anything wrong with uncertainty, as that’s just part of being alive, but sometimes… I just worry. When I see this, though, I guess it’s how I know you’re doing just fine.”

Confident. Doing just fine. I didn’t feel like it, sometimes. I didn’t feel like I ever knew what I was doing, or what I was getting myself into. Though, at moments like this, maybe I could see what Dusky saw, just like with the wind. “W-well… I’m always fine when I’m with you.”

“Always charming, too.” Dusky smirked, but her smile quickly broke into laughter.

I grinned back, giving her a gentle nuzzle. “I try.”

Our journey continued on, and once we were past the wastes, we quickly found ourselves in the familiar greenery of Equestria. It was strange how our familiar home now had a nearly alien appearance to it. The broken landscape soon became well maintained roads through grassy meadows and forest as we walked on.

Dusky insisted we spend a bit of time cleaning up, finding a small stream where we could wash. Before we knew it, we had found our way to the edge of town, with Ponyville looking much the same as it always had, silhouetted in the setting sun.

“We’re home.” I grinned wide, almost tearing up. Ponyville had never looked so good. “We’re home!”

“And it’s almost dark, too. You know what that means~?” Merri slipped up between Dusky and I, wrapping her hooves around us. “First dozen rounds are on me!”

“Must you always be so excessive?” Star stepped in closer, face stern, but a hint of a smile breaking through. “Not that I do not think a celebration is in order.”

Merri released Dusky and I, turning back to Star to put a hoof to her chest. “Hey, I’m totally holding back~!”

“Really, now?”

“I just said ‘first dozen’, not ‘two dozen’. That’s a whole dozen of difference~!”

My home and my bed, could wait for now. It was going to be very strange going back to that ‘normal life’, though this hadn’t been the first time we’d returned from such a journey. I glanced at Dusky and smiled. I greatly suspected, it wouldn’t be the last.

Dusky pushed open the familiar doors of the Lusty Seapony and we stepped inside the bar.

It was much the same as it ever was, though it almost felt smaller than I’d recalled it. Our usual table was still occupied by Terra and Mahogany. The glasses between them looked like they were anticipating Merri’s dozen drinks, and had already made up for the neglected difference.

As Terra finished off another glass as she glanced at the door. She seemed to spot us, then took a second look and spit out her drink.

“Gah! Terra, what the hell?!” Mahogany tried to duck, but Terra’s unexpected spray had already drenched him.

“D-Dusky! It’s Dusky! And Merri and Night and Star!” Terra was already up from the table, waving.

“It is? Grah, why did you have to go blinding me just now?” Mahogany reached a hoof out, grabbing Terra’s mane to wipe his eyes.

Terra practically vibrated as we reached the table. “How was your, uh, trip?”

Letting out a giggle, Dusky pointed towards the back rooms. “It went well enough. Let’s get Mahogany cleaned up and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

“I don’t think it’s as beautiful as snow. It’s too heavy and gritty, even if the wind patterns are similar.”

I was certain they were going to come back to some new disaster. Well, they've earned a night off.

[LordNobady]

I nodded, then turned to Dusky to ask about Twilight, only to find that Dusky’s gaze had been pulled elsewhere, off towards a large get which was set apart from the outer wall, apparently unconnected to anything.

Gate?

I like it so far. The slow but steddy improvements make it feel real.

[Kiromancer]

9160522
You are correct. Fixed the typo, and appreciate the positive feedback!