Stories in Stone, Capricorn's Curse

by TDR

The Brave and the Bold, part 1[19]

Stories in Stone
Capricorn's Curse
By TDR

The Brave and the Bold
part 1

[ Exerts from the a journal dating back to the untold time before the birth of Starswirl the Bearded, the time most races call the Godless Dark Ages. Entries translated from Ancient Griffonese by an overzealous librarian, and a super excited Goddess of Books. Overseen by the Queen of Changelings to keep them on track.]

Journal entry one. Three days after the Black Harvest

My remaining friends have told me that I should write in this journal. Cassiopeia in particular thinks this will help me come to terms with my grief, that Griffoness is quite insistent. I doubt the effectiveness of this immensely, but trying to argue with them is an effort in futility.
Much like my attempts to save Sparrow.

I am so close I can feel it, but with the others constantly hanging around me I can get nothing done, so i am writing here to appease them. They are my friends..... the few I have made in my life that are true..... but Sparrow...... Sparrow was far more than that to me.

Perhaps there is something to this. Writing is certainly having an affect my emotions.

I feel much worse.

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Entry 2, 5 days after the Black Harvest.

The philosopher's have already started. The kingdom, nay, the entire landmass we reside on was nearly wiped out. As such they wish to reset the year, don't they have better things to do besides make up arbitrary points in time?

The new calender will start from five days ago. The records will now list the time as ABH after Black Harvest. I fully expect this to last until some new king gets crowned. Few believe that when the plants rose up to destroy us for feeding on them so long that it only took six individuals, two ponies three Griffons and a Mer to stop them. Of course I can't blame them. Unicorns caused the Black Harvest, so why should any one believe two of them. Warpick and Caestus are not exactly poster foals for sane and rational, even discounting that they are both unicorn stallions. Cassiopeia and Cygnus are not thought of much better. We Griffons have been off and on enemies of the ponies for as long as either race can recall. And Sparrow.... Well she was thought an abomination from the day she was found. Few are worldly enough to know of the races of Mer. And nothing I could do would convince them otherwise.

My daughter is dead and none of the fools she sacrificed herself to save will even acknowledge it. What use is wielding the artifacts representing harmony if none can be attained from those you helped?

Perhaps it would have been better to let the plants win. At least then we would have remained together, and it is not as if I believe any of them should be saved any more.

I knew she would leave me one day, as all chicks do, but not like this...... not like this......

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Journal entry 3. 6 days after the Black harvest.

It occurred to me last night that I might not wish to lose these memories. Of who we were at this point of who Sparrow was. My thoughts have turned much darker as of late and I do not wish them to cloud my recollection of the past.

I should start with myself as I feel I have already fallen from what I once was and the recollection of who I am supposed to be may help me return to it, or at least see how far I have fallen.

My name is Tamberlane. I was one of the five Griffon Kings of the Sunrise. While I never took a slice of the land as my kingdom, my brothers still saw me as their equal. Now however I am the last of my brothers. I was old before these events took place, and I am told I look to have aged a hundred years more after ward.

In my youth my brothers and I stained our fur red with the blood of our enemies. We traveled like knights, righting wrongs and dispensing justice like Justicars. Then one by one we all found something that stopped our adventures. None of us met our ends mind you, we simply found reasons to no longer travel and adventure as we had. Some found love, others found communities they could not leave in the state they were in, all found a place they could justly rule, save for me. I found Sparrow.

I was the last of my brothers to give up on our quest. I was aiding a coastal village that had been ravaged by winter storms when the villagers found the creature. I had never seen it's like, though the villagers had before. Reactions were mixed to it however as some wanted to kill it and others simply wanted to drive it back into the sea. There seemed to be legends about these creatures that had been passed down for centuries and they were all considered bad omens.

They called them the Mer.

To me it simply looked like some one had taken a pony and sewn parts of a fish onto it. The creature was clearly injured and half tangled in some cast away garbage that had probably swept it up during the storm. What surprised me the most was that despite the growls and unintelligible noises it made it seemed intelligent. It also appeared to be protecting something. Ignoring the villagers I moved closer to investigate attempting to placate the creature so I could look it over properly. When I was close enough I could see the injury it had sustained and it was unlikely the creature would be able to move it's back half again even if it did survive. It didn't seem to have issue with the surface itself though it was clearly in pain and clutched tightly between it's finned blue forelimbs was what I was certain was an egg.

I had the villagers help me remove the debris it was tangled in and carry it back to the village. It bit me once or twice though it evidently calmed down a little upon finally realizing I was trying to help, I had far worse bites than something that had teeth like a Ponys trying to fend me off.

The creature lived perhaps another three or four months despite my best efforts to heal it. In that time I managed to learn a few things about it. Mostly that the villagers were right in that the race called itself Mer and like the ponies they had spread out over the world to live in the deep sea. This one called it self Arowana, she was a nest tender and the storm had broken their hatchery, sending the eggs they cared for scattering. She had rescued this one from being dashed on the corral, though she was caught up in the storms currents and was tossed about until she washed up here.

She lived long enough to see it hatch and tell me how to care for the little creature that came out of the egg.

Being a Griffon I was used to the concept of creatures hatching from eggs, the villagers were not. Soon after the egg hatched I left. They considered the gold and red hatching a bad omen, worse than having a adult Mer in their village. A cowardly and superstitious lot, but I would respect their wishes to leave. I chose a place a few leagues from the village near the water. It was a short flight back to the village and the place I chose was far enough off the trail that I would be undisturbed when I decided to build a home there.

I named the slimy little thing that came from the egg Sparrow.

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Journal entry 4. 10 days after the Black Harvest.

It was hard enough to write the last bit. Writing this point shall truly be torture, but Cassiopeia is certain it will help. Given what she represents now I know she is only trying to help me and perhaps she is right, but I need time before I am comfortable writing about Sparrow. So I shall focus on the others first. Cassiopeia in particular. If there is some spite felt in my writing it is because she has been hovering over me for ten days now. Thankfully she is wise enough to not try and read what I write in this book. Or perhaps I should say she is compassionate enough.

Cassiopeia is the third in the line of Griffon Royalty under one of my brothers. In truth for the life of me I do not even recall which one it was. Probably Ignis, he was the most prolific of us all. In any event even at my age I can feel the blood boil a little when she is around, there has never been such a radiant beauty before my eyes, that came close to matching hers. Tawny gold and silver coloration, perfect form poise and the voice that could cause a dragon to weep. Had I met a Griffoness of even half her beauty in my younger days, I would likely have had enough chicks by now to form my own Aerie.

Of course I am far too old for that sort of thing now, something I am sure Cygnus is deeply glad of with how much she dotes on me.

Cygnus is the Griffon male that Cassiopeia has chosen for her mate. I am unsure what she sees in the black colored surly beast. Though I will admit I do like him as well, though I am not sure fully why. He is a deeply scarred bird, a soldier, though most of his wounds have come in fighting others off who wished to take Cassiopeia from him. Despite his desire to keep her all to himself, and really who could blame him, he was quite the giving individual. Between the two of them during the Black Harvest they saved a great many lives by simply giving up what they had to others. Cassiopeia has nothing left that marked her as Royalty and Cygnus has nothing at all but his spear, armor, and wife.

Despite this they are quite happy. They are building a small home not far from mine, set in a cliff face over the sea. I prefer something closer to the ground as I cannot fly as I used to so there was little aid I could offer them. It will be interesting to see the iconic warrior attempting to farm however.

At the very lest he knows how to fish, and although I am getting a bit sick of it at this point, I still welcome that he would give up some of his hard caught food to me, I would likely have starved by now without it.

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Journal entry 5. 12 days after the Black Harvest.

Warpick and Caestus........

Those two are something. One is a pure white unicorn stallion and the other a pure black unicorn stallion. Supposedly they are twins of some sort and that they occasionally seem of one mind in their conversations does not help alleviate their oddness. It also doesn't help that they some times finish what the other was saying.

Though I would not put that past Caestus trying to be funny. I have yet to understand Pony humor, though his brother thinks he is a riot.

These two have been neighbors of mine for years, they practically grew up with Sparrow. And I expect Warpick may have had feelings for her as it seems he has taken her passing just as hard as me. I would like to speak with him personally, but he has buried himself in busy work as I have and does not have the time to come out this way much. Both he and his brother are attempting to restore their village right now. The little sea town was spared the worst of the Black Harvest, though even the plant life in the sea rose up and many of the villages boats and fisher ponies were lost.

The white stallion is usually silent, and his brother has taken to adding a great deal of length to his brothers words as if trying to pick up the slack. The black stallion is a very chatty male, though often his words bring some sort of mirth or amusement, as if he is trying to distract everyone from the trying times. I will admit he has even managed a small smirk from me as I am now the last time he visited.

Warpick however is who you speak with if you want an unfiltered and blunt view of something. He is very practical and honest and was the one who dug Sparrows grave despite our injuries on the day we returned.

I haven't the heart to tell him she no longer resides in it.

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Journal entry 6. 13 days after the Black Harvest.

I suppose I cannot put this off any longer. I must speak of my daughter Sparrow. I raised her from a hatchling playing the single panicked father to a T. No one had any clue on how to raise a Mer and I had only the vaguest idea of how to raise a Griffon chick. Many mistakes were made and I think I learned more about the Mer than any one else has ever though simple trial and error.

Sparrow was built much like a pony, albeit a bit thinner and with a long fluked lower body rather than rear legs. She was a spell caster as well, much like a Unicorn. She never learned to walk, she went straight from crawling to floating herself around with her magic at age three. She had a long sapphire blue mane and her scaled form was silvery white, her eyes were a reddish amber coloration that made them look like gold, and while she was rather thin she was also quite large from nose to tail tip she stretched nearly two griffon lengths.

I tried to train her in magic as best I could, though Griffon spells are quite different from pony spells, and no where near Mer spells. While she managed to make somethings I taught her work, she figured most of what she knew out on her own, as no Unicorn from the village would teach what they thought of as a monster.

She was no monster..... I was closer to a monster than she was, but ponies often take things at face value and to them, my sweet young Sparrow looked like a monster, and so she was. Warpick and Caestus some how ignored this and became friends with her, despite their parents desires to stay away from this place.

I would like to think it was enough, and I treated the two colts as if they were my family as well and for sixteen years, I was the happiest I think I had ever been.

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Journal entry 7. 3 weeks after the Black Harvest.

The Black Harvest. The event that changed everything for everyone.

Accounts of what started it vary, but all accounts blame the Unicorns. Were there any kingdoms left to fight I expect all the Unicorns might be hunted down and killed. As it is they are shunned from most settlements and a few darker groups are offering bounties on their horns. Unicorns were always in two types, peaceful scholars and warrior mages. Mages are much harder to kill, with their numbers already decimated most unicorns are falling back from the lands creating their own safe places further north. Caestus and Warpick have considered leaving as well. They have had a few encounters with those seeking bounties already. Unfortunately for the hunters, neither of the brothers are scholars.

I have been told what happened by Cassiopeia and Cygnus, the pair claim to have been within sight of ground zero, and I have no reason to doubt them. My brothers tended to build their kingdoms near pony settlements for trading, or ponies built near them for the same reason.

The nearest settlement to Cassiopeia's aerie was a primarily unicorn one. From what she told me the Unicorns there were trying to find a way to get crops to grow and harvest themselves, thus cutting the need for Earth Pony labor entirely. What they managed to do however was to develop crops with enough sentience to realize what they were being told to do and to take offense to it. The battle in the city took weeks, every time the Unicorns deployed some magic to deal with the rampant plant life, the plants evolved defenses against them. Soon weed killer, fire , ice and numerous other spells wouldn't work. The plants developed poisons, exploding seed pods, tendrils that would whip fast enough to cut through stone and thorns like swords.

Ponies tire and need to sleep and eat. Plants have the sun the soil and the rains. They need not gather anything. The city was over run in a month with all the inhabitants dead or fled. The plant life started growing from there. Some became mobile, taking the shapes of beasts and ponies and marching from the city like soldiers. Every where they went they infected other plant life with their magic. Whole forests were out to kill those that had preyed on them, farm lands became battlefields and that which ponies needed to live now tried to kill them.

The plants didn't seem content to simply go after herbivores. Anything they considered an animal was a target, whole species of animals were wiped out, Griffons and Dirt Dogs were targeted, the Black Harvest spread out to consume everything.

We were some of the last to know about it. An isolated fishing village on the far side of the Eastern mountains? We rarely had news from outside the coast. However Cassiopeia knew of me from her father and sought me out with Cygnus. It was from her that we learned of the threat. The poor little chick thought I could do something about it myself. It seems her father had filled her head with tales of the great Tamberlane with untold skill and power at his command.

He never explained what those powers were to her though. Which was for the best or she would have likely gone elsewhere.

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Journal entry 8. 3 and a half weeks after the Black Harvest.

I suppose I should clarify what I am.

It has occurred to me that I may not be the one reading this at a later time and if I finally give in to my darkness I do not wish everyone to think I was always this way.

I am a Griffon of course. Now the bearer of an artifact based on devotion, on loyalty to be exact, but I am also a necromancer.

Still your tongue before you pass judgment. I am not the sort that brings the dead back to life simply for my own amusement and power, I do not craft abominations. I am closer to a Chirugeon than some defiler of crypts.

My teacher called it White Necromancy. It is more the power to heal than anything else. Fatal wounds can be reduced to things that can be survived, severed limbs can be reattached and in extreme cases life can be restored to the dead.

The last is what I have been trying to do with Sparrow. I have placed her body in perfect timeless riposte in my basement, though returning the dead to life has never been my strongest power.

The primary difference between a White Necromancer and the foul necrophiliacs that most encounter is permission. The White Necromancer will ask the dead to aid him, the Black necromancer will order the dead to do what he says.

I can still speak with Sparrow, though each day she grows fainter as I fight to restore life to her form.

I...... I will return to this later.

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Journal entry 9.

There is no point in recording the times any more. A new king has risen as as I predicted the ABH tag on the time has been all but forgotten. I will say it has been three months now.

I reread my last entry before I started again so I would recall where to pick up. I do not recall writing some of those things. It seems age is catching up to me.

Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Sparrow, Caestus, Warpick, and I were at my home trying to figure out something to do. I wanted nothing to do with an adventure, but the others, including my little Sparrow were dead set on trying to find a way to stop the Black Harvest. The plants were approaching us and several fishing boats from the village had gone missing, news from the few other close villages had gone silent as well. We had no ideas that we could think of to work as we were running out of time.

In the middle of our discussion there was a loud rapping on my door. Rising to answer and unsure of who would come to my home at this hour, I opened the door to find …. nothing.

The stars filled the sky, a full moon gave more than enough light for me to see, but there was no one outside. My claw bumped something as I went out further. Looking down I found a book. It looked brand new as if it had just been bound and treated, the pages still smelled of fresh ink and there were a few smudges, but it was written in perfect flowing Griffonesse script. Looking around again I saw nothing until movement caught my eye and I looked up. Silhouetted against the moon was a large form.

It was decidedly a pony and at first I thought it was a Pegasus, though it also looked as if it had a horn on it's head. I stared after it for a moment as it grew fainter, flying off some where before vanishing into the night. I have no idea what it was I saw, but that book set us on our path. It spoke of powerful artifacts called the Elements of Harmony, as well as where to find them and how they might aid us.

Of course I was skeptical, but the young ones.... the young ones thought it a sign, and since we had no other options we decided to seek these artifacts out.

The quest took us near a month, but the items were exactly where the book said. We had all grown closer on the trip and as such the artifacts easily allowed us to wield them. We realized that we would need to go back to the source of the Black Harvest if we wished to end it however. And so wielding the artifacts we set out back to where it all started our hopes high now that we had a clear way to win.

We never considered there might be a cost.

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Journal entry 10.

Attacking the heart of the enemy was not easy, particularly because our foe had no need of sleep, and every blade of grass was a watch dog. Fortunately for us plants have poor eyesight, yes even potatoes, and we flew in. The three Griffons carrying the others. The target was the garden where a massive collection of brambles had grown around a single pear tree, the plant that started the whole thing. We remained in the air, but were assaulted the moment we were spotted, though by that point we had activated the Elements.

What happened next was a wondrous thing, a powerful energy came from the artifacts and swept over everything in a wave removing the sentience from the plant life and acting like some sort of weed killer that swept across the land.

The pear tree however was not one to go without a parting shot. I am still unsure of what it did, but the entire city below us detonated with a sweet cherry like smell.

I was not as nimble in the air as I used to be and carrying Sparrow only made it worse for me. She tried to protect us, i know she did. I saw the shield come up before the shock wave and rubble hit us, but I was unable to remain in the air. I clung to her as I fell hoping to cushion her fall with my own body, but I was suddenly and violently shoved away from her. I was flung upward in to the air and given enough time to correct my fall. Though in those few seconds I watched as time seemed to slow and my little Sparrow was caught in the blast wave and and swept away in the wave of rubble. The others fared better than I did and no one else was injured majorly. It took us some time to find Sparrows body, but by that point we all knew the result, we had felt it.

My daughter was dead.

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Journal entry 11

It's been nearly a year now. Sparrow's body is still in stasis and her voice is barely a whisper to me. She is also no longer the only one in my basement.

The new King is a Pegasus, King Gold or some such bullshit, he himself placed a sizable bounty on all Unicorns, declaring magic illegal. As if he could stop a force of nature, how does he think his damned wings work? In any event I am the only one of the Element Bearers left now. The whole town...... The ponies they grew up with, friends and family, ones whom they stayed and helped.......the traitors.....

The towns folk formed a mob and killed Caestus and Warpick. They had soldiers of the king with them, mercenaries as well. The towns ponies had lead them right to the brothers and stayed around jeering and celebrating the soldiers as they attacked. The bastards were not even willing to do their own dirty work. Cygnus and Cassiopeia tried to help their friends only to be struck down by the Pegasus Guard as well.

I arrived to late to save them.

I did not however, arrive to late to avenge them.

I do not recall ever having used that much power before in my life, but use it I did, a black wave of energy that stole the breath from anything it touched burst from my rage fueled form in a wave sweeping over the landscape around me.

And I made sure it touched everything.

I left the bodies to rot and be feasted on by the gulls, bringing back only my friends to lay them along side Sparrow. I healed their wounds and made their bodies whole. I listened to their spirits as I failed to restore them.

But I heard something else as well. Something wonderful.

Sparrow's voice, it was clear and strong once again. The sound uplifted me and I found I had energy I had not felt in years.

I knew I had finally given in to the darker side of my powers. The spell I had used was called black death, it was a poison cloud that actively sought out living victims. My teacher had taught it to me so that I might counter it. Also it could be directed to focus on one type of creature and thus it was often used to rid a home of termites or roaches. But the use of it.... I cannot recall a feeling this wonderful, like a warm bath on a cold day....

I returned to the village and raised the remaining corpses of the villagers and had them dig their own graves, the gulls were not happy. I did not ask them, as I had been the one to end their miserable lives, but I would not use them as slaves. There were still lines I was unwilling to cross. The soldiers however I had no such reservation and after I made them rip themselves into chunks so that the gulls may eat better. After that bit of petty revenge I searched their gear and their wagons to see what might be of interest. Old adventuring habit's die hard. In my search I found the missive with their orders.

They were part of an order of Knights formed by King Gold whose sole purpose was to gather anything deemed magical in nature and either destroy it or seal it away if the former proved impossible. Their wagon was a treasure trove of artifacts and magical doodads. Nothing that could really help me and the collection of unicorn horns was more disturbing than anything else. I buried the horns with the proper respect due to innocent victims. I also found something that would change everything for me.

A book.

It was a simple tome with a gray covering. When I first looked into it I saw nothing but blank pages. Believing it was a empty journal like this one, I kept it, thinking to fill it when this one was at it's limit. Imagine my surprise when I took the time to look at it closer at home and found that the pages were indeed filled with words. Powerful words. I had come across a spell book of some kind, the likes of which I had never seen.

Reading it I found out many interesting things, spells that I had never heard of, dark abilities and powers that could allow me to destroy kingdoms. Unfortunately nearly all of them would be far out of my grasp as despite my surge, I had not the power to cast them, including one that I desperately wished to be able to cast, a spell that could restore the long dead.

I stared at that spell for days perhaps. I lost all track of time. Here was the answer, a way to bring back Sparrow and the others as well, and I was too weak......

I threw the book away in disgust, mopeing for a time longer before I sighed and rose to recover the grimiore, it was not the books fault I was so pathetic. The book had fallen open on another spell, one that immediately caught my interest. It was a ritual casting of some kind. I studied that spell for longer than I had moped. It required a place to preform it, given the description I knew where one was, I had seen it in my younger days, and I doubted the ruins were gone. The materials would take longer to recover, but if the book was correct the ritual would give me what I desired. The power to bring every one back.

The spell would make me a god.

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Journal entry 12

Another year has passed. The land around the village is filled with graves. The king took note of his ponies not returning and sent more larger and larger groups, all of whom fell to my spells, or the soldiers previously sent. I was fortunate that many of the first where also from the same magic hunter group of knights. I collected nearly half the ingredients from their secured wagons in the first few months. The other half I sent a claw full of undead soldiers out after. I was pleasantly surprised to have them bring me the heart of the dragon I needed, at only a loss of a third of what I sent out.

The ruins I remembered were exactly as they had been, though they were surrounded by Trolls now. Foul creatures Remind me a bit of Dirt Dogs, though with longer hair , hideous faces , and by the sun their smell. Still the beasts were of little threat to me and actively seemed to keep away from me as I prepared the ritual.

At first I thought nothing had happened, despite the power rushing over me I felt no differently. I still felt old and as powerful as I was before. Thinking of my failure I set out to return home. Taking to the air however I discovered there had been a change, my flying had grown worse in my old age and I needed to make numerous stops on the trip here, I flew the whole way home without so much as getting winded.

There were other benefits as well, though there was only one that mattered to me. I wasted no time setting everything up and with my new power, for the first time in over three years, breath was drawn into Sparrow's still form.

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Journal entry 13

Things have been interesting since my last entry, I almost forgot I had this journal. I brought back the others and a glorious reunion it was. They were nearly all in shock of course, at least at first until I explained everything to them.

After digesting this for a time Warpick immediately confessed his feelings for Sparrow. I thought it a bit presumptuous, but after seeing her die, and dying himself, now that he had a second chance it was clear he would not pass it up this time.

To my surprise Sparrow admitted her own interest in the unicorn.

I had a bit of a hard time coming to terms with this as I had just gotten her back and I was to give her away again?

Still this was something I had expected had they both lived, and now that they did again I could not help but to be amused by the fact of it.

They were all alive, and happy, that was enough, for now.

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Journal entry 14

Alive and safe were two completely different things. None of them blamed me for what happened to the kings soldiers, nor the village. That was a little odd, I expected Warpick and Caestus to have the most issue. Both of them did fuss about it some but seemed to accept it far sooner than I thought they would. Granted they were betrayed and killed by the same villagers so perhaps they simply got over it quickly.

It was Cygnus though who suggested our path.

As expected from a proper Griffon solider. The King was clearly corrupt and needed to be stopped. If he was out killing and destroying anything he didn't agree with how long before that turned into other things?

We planned to use the Elements of Harmony once again only to find that they no longer responded to any one. Sparrow and I deduced that perhaps they would only work once, in any event they were little more than jewelry to us now.

Given that our new actions were going to be less than harmonious any way, I placed them in a chest that we buried in the yard. Sparrow took a great deal of amusement in making some sort of treasure map and riddle filled tome to find their location before casting the map into the sea in a bottle. With how the Elements worked we figured only some one who was deserving of them would find them again. The book we left in my small library when we left my home for the last time. The map would lead to the book and the book to the Elements.

Packing what little we wished to take we set out to deal with the corrupt king. The spell book that had made this possible was tucked safely in my bags for it I needed it again. For the second time we were off to save the world, with no plan, only a goal.

King Gold had not built his home in the clouds, but so that he could rule more closely over the Earth ponies he had a large sprawling castle built on an island off the coast. A pony made island at that. Quarried stone and iron anchored the whole thing to the seafloor off the coast and only a small bridge connected it to the mainland. Our initial thoughts were to sink the island by destroying the supports, though we realized that doing so would only kill the non Pegasi on the island. The King and his kind could simply fly off.

This would need some thought so we set out to find a place to hide ourselves from the Kings unicorn hunters while we considered.

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Journal entry 15

Something very strange has happened to me and I am unsure how to explain it.

During our travels we ran afoul of some soldiers, not unexpected, but we faced them in a greater number than we were prepared for. We were in danger of being over run, when a voice spoke to me and suggested something ridiculous. At the time I believe I agreed simply because I was out of other options and I refused to let the others be hurt again. The soldiers seemed very intent on killing my companions for some reason, acting as if they were abominations. Given Sparrow and the Unicorns I suppose I could understand their oddly directed rage, though they showed less of a reaction to me.

Casting what seemed to be a simple cantrip, as told to me by the voice, I found that I was surrounded in shadow. Unable to see, my body felt heavy and when I finally had my vision returned I was in an odd place. A field of nothing, dotted with stars and eight great windows of light before me, hovering in the air. Approaching them I peered out and saw the scene I had left, only now I seemed to be flying far above it as I towered over the landscape and even the mountains in the distance. The road far below me was covered in small dots which I soon realized were the soldiers who had accosted us. I moved closer to the window wondering what was going on down there, only for the view to tilt and look down more. I saw an odd fleshy gray mountain span out below me to the ground now, ending in what appeared to be massive draconic claws between webbed toes. Finding I could direct the windows more I looked back at a huge body that stretched back for leagues ending in in a fluked tail, numerous flippers ran down along the things sides and given the odd shape of the windows I deduced the creatures head was much like that of a wright whale.

It took me longer than I care to admit to realize that I had become the monster, that I was controlling it. It took me far less time to take a step forward and obliterate the stunned soldiers.

After testing my form a little more and learning how to become the creature rather than just staring out of it's eyes. I decided to see if I could revert back, and I did so easily. I managed a few steps to check on the others before I was overcome with a sudden wave of exhaustion and collapsed.

I awoke later being tended by Cassiopeia. While the others were as shocked at my change, as was I in fact, they readily offered suggestions and ideas that I had been considering on our mission. Caestus had sketched out an image of what I looked like, and I did appear to be a monumental whale of some kind with a number of flippers and two back legs reminiscent of a Dragons.

I did not feel tired when I was the beast and it was only the transformation back that had given me pause. Perusing the Book I found the description of the spell as well as information on what I had become.

The creature was called a Leviathan, one of three great beasts, According to the book this was the result of the ritual I preformed, but given that I was a Griffon it was odd I had turned into an aquatic monster. I paid it no mind, why I was not the flying beast was pointless, that I had this power was the only thing that mattered. When I was the monster my energy and power was limitless, but when I returned I would be exhausted and weak for quite some time.

This would give us several new options in dealing with King Gold.

=======================================================

Journal entry 16

It has been several months now and we have come up with a plan. The sea around the castle is littered with the bodies and bones of unicorns and other spell casters. With my new power it would take nothing to raise them and have them sweep over the castles inhabitants like a wave of death. There are a number of creatures living in the castle that would need to be left alone. The Dirt Dogs and some Earth Ponies had taken to tending the land around the castle and some even live on the island. The settlement is still primarily Pegasus, but most of those live in the clouds about the castle, not in the structure itself.

The King dwelt inside the easily fortified structure. We needed to do a bit of spying to make sure of everything. Some how my companions were always spotted when they tried to enter. Griffons, while not common, did exist in the city which made it odd that Cassiopeia and Cygnus were always attacked when they came near the gates. Chocking it up to the magic I used to raise them triggering some sort of alarm I tried my own claw at it and some how made it inside with no issue.

The city was called Machu Picchu, it itself was no different from any other major city I had been too, crowded and foul. There were odd creatures among the others I knew. They called themselves Donkey's or Mules. They were the result of breeding between the Dirt Dogs and the Ponies present. The were quite strong judging from the work I watched a few of them do and seemed to have near limitless stamina. They also were dour and seemed to have little to no sense of humor, though many were rather friendly and content with their lots in life.

It was from them that I learned more of King Gold.

It seemed the King was not well liked among his subjects, but none were willing to argue as it was widely believed that the King had been the one to stop the Black Harvest.

The audacity of this Pegasus, to claim himself the savior and then go and kill the ones who had truly saved the world. My anger was such that I felt my self start to change, but I kept it in check as I left the city to rejoin my comrades. There was planning to do.

-=====================================

Journal entry 17

The King is dead, long live the King.

Honestly I am not entirely sure how the plan worked. But the six of us managed to make it into the throne room and remove the head of the King. The Pegasus was so petrified at our arrival he could not even think to fly away before we fell on him. Cygnus struck the killing blow as the rest of us held off the soldiers.

I had set the city swarming with the vengeful spirits and trotting dead that I had called up from the depths. Any resistance was swiftly dealt with and the proclamation of who the real hero was quickly given even as the cloud homes above me burned.

We were not believed of course, the remaining residents of the island had been told this before. I expected in time they would accept it.

The issue was the kingdom itself. It was built from nothing and with no one to rule and govern it would fall to chaos. Not to mention the unicorns that had fled might come back to seek revenge that was not needed. My friends suggested i take the crown, after all had not my brothers ruled their own lands before the Black Harvest? Was I not at least as worthy as them to wear a crown?

I grudgingly accepted and made to rebuild what had been damaged. I let the living go about their lives and forced the harder and dangerous work on the dead. With their revenge quelled they had no use for their bodies and allowed themselves to be used for construction and labor.

Many left the city once I took over. I did not blame them, they likely thought I would destroy them when I felt like it, others stayed, either having no where to go, or too much at stake to pull up and leave.

We masked the undead in full body uniforms and armor to hide their terrible visages they had and kept them as workers. In time more came to live on the island as it began to thrive.

Sparrow was made a Princess and Warpick her consort. When my time was finally over they would rule this place in my stead. And I was once again content with the world.

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Journal entry 18

It seems somethings are not to be. We have been attacked several times by forces claiming to be fighting for the greater good. They have all fallen to the undead armies I have access to, but each time there is more damage to the city and senseless loss of life to the living inhabitants.

Those that are captured for questioning lash back out at me rather than answer my questions. Clearly they are some sort of religious zealots, willing to die before they tell me anything.

The worst thing is that the last attack has weakened the supports of the pony made island, the attackers came from the sea and tried to sink the island by destroying it's support. They were stopped but not before the entire island started to list to one side.

My friends and I gathered trying to think of a solution. It was Sparrow who offered one. We could not flee the island as the attackers could easily pick us off without it's protection. We also could not repair the island with enough speed to stop it's collapse, we had already lost few streets to the failing super structure.

Sparrow suggested I become the Leviathan and carry the city somewhere safer.

The plan was flawed, but I had noticed many of Sparrow and the others suggestions turning darker or obscure as of lately. I thought nothing of it of course, my own thoughts often turned sour from the situation and I assumed the others were the same way.

Still Sparrows idea could work. The world was vast and we could easily leave the monsters behind us. I had a duty to see my friends to a better life. I would not fail them again.

====================================================

Journal entry 19

It is done. With a few spells and some rapid construction the city is now safety nestled atop my back. I am headed south to warmer climates.

Headed.......

The damned Ponies can have their blasted lands if they want them that badly.....

what is......

There was word of a war starting between the Unicorns and the Pegasi when we left. That is no longer our problem. Four thousand souls reside in my city. Griffons, Donkeys, a scattering of ponies and the Dogs.

this is.......

I hope to find some where to place the island, but for now it resides comfortably on my back. The islands inhabitants are rebuilding and adding new structures as I am larger than the island used to be.

All wrong.........

Farm land is being prepared on the soil gathered and new towers are being built on the castle. Sparrow has the spells which will allow her to tell me what directions to go as this form would not be able to hear her with normal means.

No, how is she......

It has been a week since I started swimming, keeping a slow unjerking pace to keep the island set perfectly. My magic covers the island, protecting it from any who might attack and keeping the undead workers I have raised mobile and functioning.

Nononononononono nonono..........

It has been getting harder to concentrate like this, doing anything but swimming is taxing. I have placed my power under my daughters control, and any descendants she is to have. She and her husband have yet to bear and eggs , but in time I am sure they will.

This is wrong.....

I hear laughter, but not from any source I can fantom. I suppose it simply means that some one is enjoying their new freedom from conflict a little too much. It sounds like the voice that told me of the Leviathan.... I think.......

mocking laughter..........

How am I writing here? I am carrying the island...... but I can still see the island as if I am on it......?
A mirror where is there a mirror?

Don't look, don't look......

What, is that Cassiopeia? Why am I looking out of the eyes of one of my friends?....... Why is she so gaunt? Her fur and feathers patchy and faded.... by the sun... where are her eyes? Are those...... Are those maggots... what is going on!?

She is still writing my words? Why, how? She looks dead.... by the sun...... is she …...... did I save any one? Then who is Sparrow.........

too late.

========================================================

The remaining pages are an obscure jumble of random words, sketches, and ravings as if the writer was descending rapidly into madness before the book ends.

Author's Note:

Title is The Brave and the Bold, by Disturbed

yet another change in writing format for me. i was going to add more with Twilight and Trixie being forced to actually focus by Luna but i thought it took away from what was supposed to be a dark chapter.

The alicorn was one of the pony gods at the time and wrote the book that the group could use to find the elements as they felt this smal group could use them. Past that the alicorn has no importance whatso ever. Time line wise it was the fourth god before Starswirl.

Yes that was THAT book.

I'm planning to do another Q&A session soon. If you have any questions about the story you want answered send me a message in Fim Fiction and i'll try to answer it in a future blog post.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Talk about good timing, there I was grinding through teh various books, and just as I reach teh last chapter, another pops up.

Is the yellow shield actually a shield, or is it a cmbination of undead body form and the origional protective shield, taking little power because its a magic version of the Leviathans magic shell?

Legues accross? Looks like theyll have to ground the thing in shallow water, before the full load out of Solar Flare shells are dropped in the Leviathans head. I mean, 300 god class solar nukes should give it a headache?

Wonder if they can use both blades to pry open a slot in the shield.

If ringing the bell makes the island go away, what if its melted?

What are those little living magic bands, pity Octavia bow doesnt have a star metal ferrule, or Lyras gift doesnt have a spare bit for in house nod?

Does Discord have enough power to open a rift on the island inside the shield, so the CMC can have a go at doing Undead Isle Explorers?

[Valiant Knight]

So what are the three Great Beasts? We know Leviathan, as seen here and in the first(?) book with Andre, I don't know if we were ever told the name of Jer's beast, and I don't think we've seen a third one.

I would appreciate some clarification/a refresher on this. Thanks.

[TDR]

7870440 This fits.

7879207 Trifecta's bring power. Rule of three. Three of anything is going to cause an issue.

7880800 That comes up next chapter

It is an island after all

The Waning Moon poked it and the shield healed almost instantly, so likely not.

any metal struck can ring out...... might have to wait for it to cool first though.

the rings will be addressed next chapter too

He does not and the CMC are all busy with their own things in different parts of the world.

7881394 Jer'rahd is the Behemoth, Silver Claw briefly became the Ziz until Twilight dropped a bomb on his arse. The three beasts are legendary as any time a Loyalty falls prey to the books that sort of creature is the result. Usual it's race dependent on what loyalty becomes. Tamberlane should have been a Ziz, but due to his connection with his daughter he became the leviathan instead.
Jer' rahd could have become the Leviathan or the Ziz after what happened to him in neighlantis and his heritage, but he became the behemoth instead due to his aversion to water and his lack of knowledge of his heritage.

I say that now, but at the time there was only going to be the behemoth that is the Beast

[Bloody_Tofu]

Well now.... this is what happens when you betray your heroes. They fall... and everything around them falls as well.

[Anvil Crawler]

Do you need a license to drive a Leviathan?