• Published 17th Jun 2016
  • 12,160 Views, 408 Comments

The Man With No Country - Tarot Card



Jeremiah Walker, a human in search of redemption and passage back to his own world, finds himself at the center of Spike’s volatile civil rights movement in Ponyville— the town that chased him away with pitchforks and torches a year prior

  • ...
31
 408
 12,160

5: The Keepers of Lore and Legend

Walker’s dream called to Luna, a shining beacon in the inky world of sleep. She spoke to him in his dreams so often, it seemed as though he was gaining the ability to beckon her. Luna was uncertain if this was a conscious effort, for he always seemed mildly surprised upon her entrance.

Tonight, he did not notice Luna’s arrival. He was in the distance. Luna found herself walking on a beach of shining white, dyed orange-red in the setting sun. With each step she heard a crack and crunch. Uncountable shards of smashed porcelain masks took the place of sand. Walker was ahead of her, unclothed, stooping down. Bloody footprints trailed behind him.

Luna willed herself next to him. The human had a leather book in his hand, torn to shreds. He was busy shoving scraps back in, trying to collect them as the wind blew them across the endless beach.

Seeing this, she altered the dream, replacing the shard-filled shores with warm powdery sand. A small whirlwind returned the papers to a neat stack, and a towel draped itself across his shoulders. Luna rested on her haunches and beckoned Walker to sit down. He did eventually as his frantic breathing eased into a steadier rhythm.

“What troubles you Walker?”

It took a moment for him to find his words. “The report.”

Luna eyed the pages, leafed through it. Each page showed him and his brother Abe, laughing, crying, fighting.

When Luna gave no reply he continued. “We were at a trading post when the newspapers came out. We could tell by the chatter that we needed to leave before things got ugly.”

She looked at him, eyes brimming with concern. “Walker, I know it’s old wounds, but if Ponyville is ever going to learn from their mistakes, they need to know what they did to you, and they’ll never learn if—”

“I’m not talking about the interviews with the other ponies. I’m talking about yours,” he said. “Why did you tell them all about my brother? I was finally able to talk to ponies, without… and now I’m back to living like a thief, staying in shadows. Why Luna, why did you let Loose Leaf publish that to the world? Why paint me as even more of a monster? You were trying to tell the story of what happened to me in Ponyville. That wasn’t part of it.”

“Because it’s the truth,” she said simply, without pity or defense. “You are on a path of atonement. You have nothing to gain from obscuring what brought you here, nor does anyone else.”

“I have so much to lose. Don’t you know that it marks me as a murderer on top of the rest of it? You say you want to seek justice for me, but you still make a target.”

Luna sighed. “The Wanderer’s Mark is both a warning and a ward of protection. I thought it to be common knowledge, but it seems that knowledge has been lost to all but the keepers of lore. Forgive me, the world is not what I remember from a thousand years ago.”

Truth be told, she was only a couple of years ahead of Walker in her own reintroduction to Equestria, and she was reminded of that daily. Her unfamiliarity extended beyond the knowledge of the populace. At some point in her absence, the royal court of Canterlot began seeing Equestria as less of a kingdom and more as a nation. She was still a princess, yes, but the meaning of that was in flux; and she had been out of the loop. At present she did not think of such things. Walker and his hurt were at the forefront of her mind.

“A millennium, huh? That’s how long you can be banished for? You know that us humans only live 70 years, right?”

“Surely we’ll find a path for you, trust in me.”

“I’m losing faith Luna,” he said. “One full year and there’s no lead in sight. Neither of us knows where to go from here.”

“That’s not true, Walker. This is all part of the road of discovery, our librarians are working hard on the history. Do you forget the tales of the Wanderers that came before you, the scrolls we sent to you and Trixie?”

“Yes, Birritras, Moss in Boulder, the whole bunch of them. It’s all useless, Luna. Just lore and legend. There’s no path home for me. There’s no way to get this curse you gave me —”

“It’s not a curse,” Luna whispered.

“It is! It’s a god damned curse, as if I wasn’t marked for misery and death the moment I came here. Why save my life and then treat it so carelessly?”

Luna resisted the urge to lash out. She took a deep breath and did her best to check her own feelings and focus on his. He was hurt. He was vulnerable. He was hated. “Remember Walker, so long as you bear that mark, you are my ward, and I am your protector. I see how my actions have hurt you. Bear in mind I’m trying to help you find your way back home.”

“Then don’t scare ponies away from me.”

“Yet you cannot run away from your past. Redemption requires you to accept it, make amends for it.”

He gave a macabre, mirthless laugh. “All I do is run. Escape. Staying didn’t work out, and fighting is what led me here to begin with.”

They sat on the sunsetting beach, watching the waves crash. Her heart ached with his. Luna was all too familiar with the pain of exile, the loss, the doubt, the rage. How she wished more than anything that she could bestow forgiveness and peace of mind to her banished ward. To send him back home with a spotless soul and a light heart. But that’s not how it works. The best she could do was guide him down that very road she walked before. And evidently, she still had much to learn herself.

“Walker, It’s clear that my actions have brought you pain when I meant to help. I’m deeply sorry for that. Let me undo some of the harm I have caused, and I promise you, we will get you home.”

“And how do we plan on accomplishing that?”

“Focus on the here and now. Are you and Trixie safe?”

“As much as possible. She has us traveling off the road now.”

“Good. She is wily. But we must send you where you can be protected by more than her wits while we come up with a plan.”

“Canterlot?” he asked.

“I’ve been hesitant to bring you here, but the proverbial cat is out of the bag. Regardless, we’ll find a way. Where are you?”

“About 70 miles southeast of Rockville.”

“Well you certainly have a way of making yourself inaccessible,” Luna said. “I’ll reach out to Rockville and guarantee a welcome with open hooves. They can arrange an escort from there, and bring you both to the royal court.”

“Why not do this all before?” he asked.

“I feared having your presence known would be dangerous, that perhaps some foolish guard would make themselves a hero by slaying you. Now the difference in risk is trivial. Better to have you protected in a castle than out in the frontiers.”

That night, she dispatched a letter to the mayor of Rockville, imploring him to treat the human as a royal guest, to see to his shelter, safety, and comfort, and send him on his way to Canterlot.

Walker’s dreams did not call to her the next night, or the night after. Luna consciously delayed her next visit until she could be the bearer of good news. She felt she owed it to Walker after her failure. Motivated by her own sense of guilt, she sought to inflict it on others.

She had hoped she could more directly maneuver Ponyville into penance and justice alongside Loose Leaf’s efforts. This meant dealing with Mayor Mare. Movement on this front was more difficult than anticipated.

Luna was a princess of war; she was unused to this new world of civil affairs. A millennium ago she and her sister had claimed the country from Discord’s armies of abominations, establishing a kingdom of ponies and ending his reign of chaos. She knew the methods of defeating an enemy in battle, of sequestering land, building coalitions, and navigating the political alliances to fight and maneuver against a common enemy. But ruling in peacetime by managing internal affairs was never part of her experience.

She was unfamiliar with the mechanisms of how they ruled their cities. When she finally did learn, she was disappointed over how little Celestia and the rest of the court exercised control over their citizens. The royal court had transformed from an all commanding reign to an unobtrusive governing body. Oh yes, they were concerned with taxation, defense, and diplomacy, but civil matters were left to the local government. The ponies of the royal court even largely agreed that their attentions and duties were better spent elsewhere. Their interactions with the locals were matters of public relations and celebrity appearances. The towns and cities self-governed; the primary connection to the kingdom was the town’s Mayor, who acted as a liaison between the town and Canterlot.

But Mayor Mare of Ponyville had a way of dithering that arrested any efforts. No, the council pony wouldn’t hear of such a case, so it wasn’t worth mentioning. She was going to ask for an investigation, but something pressing came up. As much as Luna cajoled, cursed, and threatened in letters, Mayor Mare took effectively no action.

Luna recognized insubordination disguised as incompetence. She ordered the mayor to be stripped of power and replaced with a sensible pony.

Moonlight Raven, her flat-affected royal assistant, proceeded to explain to Luna that Canterlot had no say in appointing the mayors. They were democratically elected by the towns they represented. The typical protocol among the court for unsatisfactory performance was to ask the mayor in question to resign.

Luna drafted another letter to Mayor Mare, in so many words explaining the mayor’s failures and demanding that she remove herself from office.

No response was received. Another letter was sent, with instructions for the postmaster of Ponyville to wait in the Mayor’s office until the mayor read and provided a response to said letter. This yielded a rambling response from Mayor Mare about how she was trying earnestly, and Luna was too impatient. All these duties take time, and there were plenty of other things that a mayor was responsible for and couldn’t possibly prioritize all the princess asked for, so if Luna would be as kind as to check her expectations and…

It never occurred to Luna that if a Princess asked for a resignation, that such an offer could be refused. Luna was ready to throw her writing desk out the window. Raven suggested that Luna could back a challenger to the mayor in the next election. After the proper inquiries were made, Raven had to walk that back. Mayor Mare was reelected mere months after Walker’s rout and was secured in her office for the next five years.

Raven’s next royal duty was to call warning as the writing desk crashed to the castle courtyard below.

Luna was beginning to find this whole democracy business irksome.

Dismissing assassination as being in poor taste, Luna opted for the “light touch” that was more the style of the court. She rewrote her initial letter for Mayor Mare’s resignation into a fiery diatribe damning her for her inaction after the events of the riot. She distributed it as widely as she could to newspapers and mayor’s offices everywhere. While the Mayor’s image among other politicians faltered, the blasted pony conceded no defeat. Evidently the weight of royalty, guilt, and embarrassment was no match for stubbornness. The only change yielded was in the mayor’s and the princess’s correspondence. The thin veil of decorum vanished and their mutual dislike was plainly written. She had hoped this in combination with Loose Leaf’s report would make the Mayor yield or change her tune, but no such luck. The citizens of Ponyville were decidedly uninterested in holding their leaders accountable.

She was explaining her grievances to her nephew Blue Blood and even asked him if he would help her engage with the rest of the court and apply the full force of Canterlot’s political prowess.

“Oh Auntie Luna, You must be careful throwing your weight around like that for such a small pony in the backwaters of Equestria. You can only pick so many public enemies before it starts costing you friends and allies,” he said.

She surveyed the other entourage of ponies that composed the royal court. Cadance and Shining Armor were quick to abstain, They felt the keen sense of injustice but more than that felt their new status put them in a tenuous position. They were not ready to risk their political clout and the goodwill of Equestria by muckraking a local politician. Others thought it was in poor taste to punch down. Others simply didn’t care.

Ironically, while her week was lost to bickering with mayors and other members of her court, the good news she sought came from an unexpected front.

Luna for the past six months had taken command of the Canterlot Archives. She ordered the staff to drop all other projects and focus to the point of exclusion on the history of the wanderers, and how Walker could return to his own world. Begrudgingly, the librarians and researchers complied. Each nugget of information was hard fought for, and not easily accessible, all scattered bits of lore and legend. With all hands on deck and no expense spared, the team of researchers yielded a more complete picture of this mosaic piece by piece. She added this growing body of knowledge to her own observations.

The mark on his arm was more than a mere symbol. It was a covenant that she would act as his guardian, and aid him on his quest. It was a covenant that he was a pariah from his own country until redemption was his. She’d known that the night she gave him the mark, but only later did she learn of the more subtle magic at play. The mark was a compass, subtly guiding the Wanderer towards their destiny, or rather to their potential redemption. And somehow, it was also the key back to their own worlds.

This was yet another avenue of study that kept the royal librarians overclocked.

Of course, they were operating on limited sample size. They could only find significant information on four of the Wanderers: Gyle, the Half-snake, Birritras the Ogre, Lelica the Mage, Moss in Boulder the Tabaxi. Each of them had either come to Equestria already bearing the Mark of the Wanderer or gained one shortly thereafter.

In this way Walker was unique on two counts. He gained his mark nine months after his arrival, and his world had no magic to speak of. He was totally ignorant of how he arrived. From his account he ran into the woods the night he killed his brother, and sometime later found himself lost in the Everfree Forest.

“We believe that Birritas was cursed by some member of his own tribe, and the shaman who did that may have set the terms of what he must do for redemption,” Luna had explained to Walker one night, in his dreams.

“So… what do I need to do? You gave me the mark, so you set the terms, right?”

“On the contrary, I knew the magic to bind the mark and its covenant, but whatever force sent you here is likely the judge of your redemption.”

“It would have been awfully kind of my guardian angel to leave an instruction manual,” Walker said.

“Unfortunately, we have been tasked with writing that manual ourselves,” Luna said.

“Hopefully the next sap that wanders in has an easier time of it.”

Though Luna and Celestia had seen more of history than most other beings, it had never occurred to them to write the important bits down. Of course, she had learned long ago it’s nearly impossible to know what details will be of significance even ten years later, let alone hundreds. So, she left it to the historians.

Each Wanderer known bore the sins of betrayal.

Birritras, through inaction allowed his tribe leader to perish in battle, hoping that he would be next in succession.

Lelica the mage made experiments and playthings of her siblings as she studied her magic, killing them in her careless mischief.

Moss in Boulder, was a privateer and former naval commander who surrendered the freedom of his crew to buy his own.

Gyle the half-snake, A beggar turned hired assassin, slew the abbot that sheltered him in his hour of need.

And of course, Walker slew his brother in their father’s church.

But whatever the case may be, someone —or something— thought their souls worthy of redemption, and there was always a proving ground that appeared before them, an opportunity for heroism. Some emerged victorious, and returned home; Moss in Boulder led a rebellion that freed the citizens of Saddle Arabia from a cruel despot, and Birritras the Ogre rescued a village from a broken dam. Others failed; Gyle perished defending a minotaur diplomat from the griffins, and Lelica disappeared with no known deeds or accomplishments.

Luna tried to make sense of it all to provide council on Walker’s next actions. Yet no deed seemed to bring Walker closer to redemption by any visible measure. No opportunities for heroism presented themselves either.

One of the librarians suggested the newly appeared Crystal Empire could be such a proving ground. But there was no evidence. From Cadence and Shining Armor’s reports, the Crystal Ponies were all in an amnesiac state and had little information to offer. Aside from a set of chain letters Luna received from Gale Hearts, there was no sign that Sombra was still alive, let alone preparing to reclaim the kingdom. It was a conundrum, but one entirely separated from her concerns. Cadence and her entourage were enough to handle the inactive mystery of the Crystal Empire’s re-emergence.

There was no use in sending Walker and Trixie into the frozen wastes based on coincidence, any more than there was use in renting them an apartment in Manehattan. All evidence pointed to this being Cadence’s proving grounds as a princess if it was anything at all. Celestia seemed to think so. What better proof was there? It wasn’t like there was some magical map that told ponies exactly where their destiny lies.

And yet, the archival team wanted to research it. Luna repeatedly forbade it and urged them to focus their efforts. Time and time again, Stacks, the lead librarian, would push the issue whenever Luna walked by. Luna remained adamant. It was only when Stacks and her team threatened resignation that Luna conceded twenty percent of their research efforts to the newly emerged empire.

And so it came to pass that on one rainy evening, that Luna heard a familiar knock on the door of her study. She turned her attention away from the angry letters and her copy of Destiny and Magic.

Luna magicked the door open, revealing Stacks, that the baggy-eyed unicorn leader of the librarians. Stacks dropped a tightly wrapped parcel of scrolls onto her desk.

“Your weekly report on the Wanderers,” Stacks said. “Impressed?”

Luna unraveled the bundle. “Usually you have a single page for me.”

Despite her worn-out looks and frayed mane, the librarian wore a smug grin. “It looks like our ‘unnecessary diversion’ of the Crystal Empire had an unexpected windfall,” Stacks said to the princess.

Luna, after reading, happily conceded that Stacks had been right all along.

Lelica, perhaps the most obscure of the known Wanderers, was last seen in the Crystal Empire before Sombra caused it to vanish. Further, there was legend of a mirror that served as a bridge to another world. Luna quickly wrote to Cadance.

In anticipation of Cadance taking residence in the Crystal Empire, new railroad tracks had been laid from there to Canterlot. Lucky for Luna, this meant that mail was delivered daily. Cadance replied that yes, they were able to find such a mirror. And yes, there was a portrait of a human tucked away in an old dusty room.

Suddenly, Luna put together yet another piece of the puzzle: every time she spoke with Walker in his dreams, she was sure to inquire of their whereabouts. She kept track of their meanderings across Equestria on a map in her study. Tracking the dates and pins, their path subtly oscillated towards two opposite points, Ponyville, and the Crystal Empire. If the mark acted as a compass, perhaps it was guiding them towards both points, whether Walker realized it or not.

Luna dimly recalled her and Celestia’s exploits there. Sombra caused the city to disappear before he was vanquished, magicks more powerful than either of the royal sisters had expected of him. Luna dimly recalled some battle, but a thousand years on the moon had made her memory hazy; persisting for dozens upon dozens of lifetimes on a barren endless wasteland has a way of pushing one’s mind leagues past the breaking point.

Luna Phoebe Asteria, intent on delivering her news, glided into Walker’s dream. She walked along the empty pews, facing an altar and pulpit. Each window was a stained glass rendition of the Mark of the Wanderer. She found Walker seated at the front, flanked by the bloodied bodies of Pokey Pierce and his own brother Abe. Though Abe was limp, dried blood coming from a stab in the stomach, his eyes followed Luna as she approached.

Walker noticed her presence. “Oh, sorry. I’ll clean this up for you. I know my dreams can be a bit grisly. Guilty conscience, I guess.” He waved his hand, and the two corpses dissolved into nothingness.

Truth be told, she had come to expect the macabre sights, even if she could not contain her grimaces. She was more concerned about how he could so quickly dismiss the objects of his sins, yet only did for her sake. It was as though he kept his demons close to deepen his own remorse. She tried to impress upon him again and again that suffering does not lead to redemption. Yet even she, his guardian and mentor, sought penance in the world of dreams, she reflected wryly. Come dawn, she’d be wrestling with a misery of her own creation, a bogart she named the Tantabus. She invented it to taint her dreams with remembrances of her transformation into Nightmare Moon, much in the way one might mark every page of their calendar with Never forget the wounds you left on the world.

With all the hypocrisy of concern for a kindred spirit, she asked, “What has you dreaming of your brother?”

“It’s been in the papers,” he murmured.

Luna swallowed her guilt. “I have good news for you. Our researchers have uncovered more information. I’ve sent the full details in a care package. It should be waiting for you in Rockville. But the long and short of it is, we suspect your destiny lies in the Crystal Empire. You will be escorted to a train station and brought directly there.”

Walker was quiet for a moment. “This is the path forward? Are you sure?”

“We cannot speak in guarantees, but it is the most promising path.”

The two set their plans. He was due to arrive the next day, and Luna would check in again come nightfall. They parted, each feeling that much better about what the future held.

During the sun of high noon, as Luna slumbered and wrestled with demons of her own creation,
Trixie and Walker entered the town of Rockville. The two vagabonds were greeted by bounty hunters covering the southern entrance. Each of the ponies bore a gun, a grin, and a wanted poster for Trixie Lulamoon and Walker the Human.

They requested the two come peacefully or expect violence. Trixie and Walker narrowly escaped with their lives, and fled deep into the woods, where they now slept. Walker explained as much to Luna in his dreams. His tone was calm and even, but he slumped in his posture, and his eyes were lost in the middle distance.

Once again, a mayor, Luna’s supposed agent within a town had acted contrary to her orders and provided no explanation. She was furious in ways that scared her. She had not felt such anger and hurt since she was Nightmare Moon. The mayor had let Luna down and through her subordinate’s failure to comply, she had once again failed Walker.

She could only apologize, and console him. But there was work to be done to ensure her ward’s safety. She left faster than she ought.

Her first thought was to construct a guillotine and execute the mayor of Rockville in front of the masses. That didn’t seem to be the operating procedure of the current court, and it deepened her anger that old world justice would not serve her here. What would her sister and all the others do with their ‘light touch’? Summoning the Mayor to court? Demanding an explanation? None of this worked with the mayor of Ponyville either.

She turned her attention away from the pursuit of justice. That could wait. Walker’s safety could not. What courtly powers could she wield if her servants failed to execute her orders?

Damn it all, a light touch was her sister’s approach, and it was an approach that yielded nothing for Luna or her ward. if she wanted the world to know that Walker was under her protection, she would make it exceedingly clear. A royal escort was in order (and in truth, long overdue.) She needed someone to watch over the vagabonds like their salary depended on it. Yet Walker found himself on the outskirts of Equestria, where Luna’s guards could not reach, and hunted by townsponies and bounty hunters, where coin encouraged the opposite.

She summoned Moonlight Raven and explained the situation. Walker and Trixie needed an armed escort from the outskirts of Rockville to Bridingham, where they could take a train to the Crystal Empire and be delivered safely into the hooves of Cadence and Shining Armor. But no letter or courier or royal guard could reach that remote corner of Equestria in a timely fashion. it would take days. They could not afford that time. They needed to dispatch a message faster than flight. Few places were connected to Canterlot via a magical letter dispatch, one of which was Spike the Dragon. Unfortunately, Spike was nowhere close to Walker.

She stared at the map. Rockville was actually closer to Griffinstone. Exceedingly close. Luna inquired if they had a letter dispatch enchantment available. Raven replied in the affirmative.

With great haste, Luna drafted a letter to Griffinstone.

Author's Note:

Edited by me

I'm now adding links to a song at the end of each chapter, because I think it complements the emotional tone of the narrative.

Beyond Her Garden - Wooden Toaster

Comments ( 52 )

10177426
Wasn't a point in the original story that the reason Fluttershy was absent was precisely because she had run out of groceries? That at least implies that no, he couldn't just have opened the fridge for food because there wasn't any.

Point of order. The mirror to the Human world mentioned above was in Canterlot before it was taken to the Crystal Empire after the Empire's return. Otherwise Sunset Shimmer would not have been able to go.

too be fair well luna can't effect the local mayors powers there is a avenue open to her i'm kinda angry your avoiding as it is completely lawful and would start smacking ponies back into where they need to be

mayor mares now guilty of treason, not high treason but treason. elected official or not she rolls up to the crown like everyone does and to outright ignore lunas orders is against the law. have her arrested and jailed make a show of it, remind the ponies and the nobility what being a princess means.

An AWESOME chapter! :pinkiehappy:
...and to HELL with those 2 mayors! :flutterrage: I'm hoping to see that 'justice' at some point.:pinkiecrazy:

10247127
thanks for bringing it to my attention, I was unaware, but still. butchering a chicken is the second thing he turns to? Where there's smoke, there's fire, and I'm fairly certain the town is visible from Fluttershy's cottage. If he had time to murder Henrietta, get his arm broken, and then get dragged over to the hospital while starving, then he could've gorged himself on the nearby apple orchard, or gone into town and asked for/taken some non-alive foods.

Being a farmer may have colored the bias a little bit, but it's still no excuse.

EDIT:
i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/f0/27/fef0276ca661379d69a32576e82f2ea4.png
You can literally see the Everfree in the bottom right there. It's really not that far from Ponyville.

10247169
Oh nuggets. I goofed up that one.


10247127
I'm always surprised how much a subject of debate this has become over the two stories. The circumstances are admittedly slightly contrived, but to me, it was just a jumping off point to explore the situation of a human starting off with a very bad first impression.


10247184
10247232
Stay tuned, this will come later. I think at this point Luna is willing to crack a few eggs to make her justice omelet, even if comes at great personal costs.

10247278
It's been a long while since I read the first story, but IIRC he'd been starving for a week or so. You don't make the best rational decisions when you're delirious from hunger.

It is a poor reflection of pony society in this that they almost all insist Walker deserves to be hunted down and tormented.
Like what the hell... Did the Apple Clan personally advocate for 'no fair first Impressions' or something to get every other town to take 'Ponyville's' interpretation as truth? Even Rainbow was judicious enough to read the evidence and decide for herself on a clear head. The rest of these ponies however...
Luna must understand that she cannot trust her aids at this point as they have no loyalty. It may be time to do it herself if she wants things to work.
Btw has Spike had any success since he first started.

Comment posted by gakposter deleted May 22nd, 2020

Wait, I thought the report cleared Walker of wrongdoings. Why are they hunted by bounty hunters if he's not a wanted criminal

10247451
If I had to guess, the bounty was issued by Ponyville.

Huh. You'd think that someone would tell Luna that, while it's not cool to just lock up the dangerously or suspiciously incompetent anymore, she could probably still launch a public inquiry into the matter. And then if asked publicly state why she believes an inquiry is required. And then damn her as either dangerously incompetent or wilfully malicious.

It just seems like an incredibly bad idea for there to be no mechanisms in place to remove people like her from power aside from an election amongst people who enable them.

And I've just caught myself wishing for a benevolent dictator figure in the story. I wonder where Equestria could find some of them?

10247290
This. It doesn't matter that there were other options. He was so desperate he went with the first thing that crossed his mind.

The one thing that really bothered me about the ending of the first story: why the hell there was no inquiry into attempted regicide? How the hell could Princess Celestia let the town get away with the town that literally attacked her sister? That's outright treason! On top of that, why the hell does Celestia not have any oversight over the mayors? If they start breaking the laws of the country, as they have been, why is the crown unable to do anything? Celestia's "light touch" seems to be overall protection from big threats rather than ANY form of rulership or even enforcing Equestria's laws.

The only way Lucky got arrested at all was because of Lyra's testimony and the Ponyville Report. IIRC since the locals didn't arrest him, 'the big town hero,' the crown had to, which seems contrary to every other crime they committed the crown being unable to enforce or punish.

Once again, I’m glad to see this story is being updated.

With Griffonstone being mentioned, I hope this means we have a chance of seeing Gilda being added as a member of Walker’s party. Every group of fugitives on the run needs a little extra muscle to balance things out.

I’m rather anxious to see how going to the Crystal Empire will play out. How exactly does Luna expect to get Cadence and Shining Armor to give aid and protection to Walker given their individual relationships with Twilight? Shining is her brother, Cadence is her sister in all but name and Walker is the guy more or less responsible for her public disgrace.

Also, is there any chance at all of a possible heartfelt reunion between Walker and Lyra?

Keep up the good work!
Looking forward to reading the next chapter!

Luna, your excuse is fucking bullshit. Just take off your motherfucking curse because you aren't worth shit, you ARE shit. You and your sister are completely inconpetant and incapable of enforcing the law, let ponies get away with attempted murder and outright treason. You deserve to be marked instead of Walker.

Seriously though, the complete lack of competance or respite for Walker on the oart of the crown makes it impossible to believe this isn't meant to torture him out of somevtwisted sense of justice by Luna. After all, she DID create a dream nonster to torment herself endkessly, it only makes sense she would seek to torment others in the same way.

Qlso, the complete refusal for anyone to actually do anything makes this story kinda suck compared to the previous one.

For why Mayor Mare isn’t doing anything, I ask you to think of any career politician who would admit incompetence. She also beats to the tune of the town, she doesn’t care if what they do is right as long as it gets her re-elected. With her cutie mark having to do with politics I doubt she wants to give up what she sees as her destiny. To step down would be be like saying her cutie mark is wrong. Besides, with her cutie mark, what else is she supposed to do with herself? Cutie Marks are likely used the same way we use Resumes, she couldn’t become a baker, or accountant, or a rodeo clown, at least not easily. Besides I’m sure her office is very comfortable, with a nice generous paycheck to keep her around.

As for Luna, her assumptions are only making things harder for our protagonist, she didn’t do her homework and blurted our Walker killed his brother. I know that’s wrong, both he and TRIXIE are already in danger with Ponyville trying to twist the story to cover their flanks. After all no pony would want to do business with such a racist town, so throwing some nobody under the bus for economic reasons isn’t hard for them to justify. Especially when that person outed your “Town Hero” as a racist mad stallion with letting go issues. Luna should have held her tongue, but her spur of the moment thinking ruined his chance are finding a place to rest and recover.

Also I’m thinking that Spikes march for equal rights is going to start to heat up. As our hero’s presence has him asking some very hard questions, things a lot of ponies I’m sure don’t want answered. I mean if all those other creatures start asking for equal rights, it’s just more competition for “good honest, Celestia fear’in” ponies. Applejack wouldn’t take kindly to some zebras honing in on her Apple racket I’m sure.

Finally for his murder of his brother, it seemed to be a crime of passion rather then planned. I know that doesn’t mean much to most, but it’s all the difference. While murder is not something to be condoned, he wasn’t thinking clearly, I have no doubt if he had the choice he would stop himself. Not because he was punished, but because it was wrong. If I remember right, he was upset because his father felt that he wasn’t the right person to lead the church, instead deciding on his brother. Who seemed more progressive and willing to modernize to attract new people. While he wanted to stick with tradition finding it at least borderline sacrilegious to do such things. People get very emotional when their religion gets involved, especially when it’s a corner stone of their identity.

This May sound Twisted, but perhaps a nightmare is in order. Mayor is lost in the woods, hunger gnaws at her belly as she hasnt eaten for days. Water is not scarce but neither is it filling. Hope feels lost, then a cottage, praise the sun! But no food to be found not a one, your stomach roars with primal hunger, there are no eggs, but what is an egg anyway?

Another dream, a fight for your life, spears and magic grabbing at your body. One pierces your sides you are helpless then something is at hoof.

Basically the mayor makes the subconscious decisions. And she keeps having these nightmares up until she answers a subpoena issued by the crown. Granted she was invited, but invitations are polite suggestions of an imperative. The fist missed summons results in subpoena. Failure to answer and appear.the second time is contempt of the crown. A serious offense. Hefty fines and prison time. Then on top of all that the nightmares haven't stopped.

10247698
Twilight is responsible for her own disgrace. Walker was her victim. Yup thats right. VICTIM.
If you are doing wrong or immorality, then are exposed, that fault is your own.

haven't really looked through the comments, but is there any actual confirmation that his brother is dead?
a single stab wound, while serious, might not be fatal.

found and read this story and "two names" today. well worth a place on my favorites.
interesting to see how things go, eagerly await further chapters.

10247451
The bounties are likely municipal in origin.

10247709
There's no point. Even if the mark is removed from the skin, it will still be on the soul, and it always has been. Luna did not mark his soul; she merely made it visible and gave it the energy to act upon him. The one who marked his soul is a higher power from Earth.

whatever force sent you here is likely the judge of your redemption

10247974

I was describing how the situation might look from Cadence and Shining armor’s perspective. Until we actually hear from them directly how they feel about Twilight’s actions, we can only assume that they are more or less in her corner.

I think Cadence might give him a fair hearing.

I feel like Walker is being used as a prop or ammo for people goals enough fear and uncertainty is just wonderful for evil some either making a power grab or move greed brings out something seriously wrong in people and during these distracting days, the perfect time for petty or big things a perfect situation with opportunities have arisen due to this promises of false safety, swindling and comfort or making someone look good just greedy people gaining something from walker suffering some might even add fire cause they need him to be the bad guy he just the perfect scrape goat! a lot shall probably use they vs them said defense perfect excuses on walker suffering playing dumb or they made a mistake due to fear, misinformation, and rumors society mob mentality is a dangerous thing to deal with.

"Suffering doesn't lead to redemption!"
creates a dream monster that feeds off of her self loathing

Also, with the fact that this forced journey isn't a guarantee to actually do anything more than bury him in the ground. Is he supposed to fight a super villain to get redeemed? Seriously? While also being hunted by the ponies after being basically marked for death by Luna? She needs to remove her curse (which it is) immediately, the fucking hypocrite.

D48
D48 #27 · May 23rd, 2020 · · 2 ·

10247184 10247232 10247451
The mayor hired armed ponies to go against the orders of the crown. That's not treason, that's open rebellion. This isn't a case for legal action or political maneuvering. Luna needs to get her weapons, rally her troops, and put down the rebellion by force.

I was willing to accept Luna taking her time with Ponyville to cover her own ass politically, but this has really crossed the line for me so I pushed the story back to my hidden tracking list and removed my thumbs up. Unless this is fixed with edits and/or the next chapter, this story is getting a thumbs down from me.

10248488


The issue is that the Mayors are akin to the States that make up the US, she can given an order all she wants but in the end it’s up to the Mayors if they want to follow it.

This is sadly the issue with Elective Monarchy’s/Democracy’s, the Rulers/Presidents have only so much authority over locally elected governments.

What she needs to do is to dig into the laws and exploit loopholes and old unabolished laws.

But I also agree that something needs to be done about these mayors, if it was Celestia asking they would have done it without complaint. But with Luna it seems that they don’t see her as a rightful ruler and that’s dangerous.

Her Idea with asking Griffinstone for assistance is good though, they will be able to look at this from an unbiased point of view and I am sure they will oblige her request given some concessions.

10248995
except equestria doesn't actually work like that the monarchy is constitutional not elective it means well celestia obviously doesn't like to throw her weight around, the mayors don't have an actual choice is luna says 'meet with me' the appropriate answer is to have a room ready. times may be more civilized but luna is still technically allowed to bring the mayors in if she doesn't like the specific shade of blue on there outfit or whatever. the nobility,

the mayors the officials they all have there power at the crowns pleasure not vice versa.

my only hope is lunas hiring mercenaries not just going to the gryphon goverment for help.

10248488
10248995
10249135

Yeah, so this is all good feedback. I'm going to write for a mini-chapter Where we see Luna pull out all the stops (at this point it's no fucks given for her), and acts perhaps at the expense of public good will.

I think perhaps ultimately one of the big frustrations is that a lot of the characters feel un-empowered to pursue their goals, and having Luna in this situation stretches belief.

That being said, this retribution will be the chapter after next

10249200

Public good Will is only good if they are willing to listen to you, if they don’t listen to you then there is no good will to lose.

Honestly, she needs to bring the full might of her power (both legal and Royal) to bare against what amounts to Treason at best and rebellion at worst. They have defied the orders of one of their leaders and there must be consequences, she has more than enough power to remove them for hiring the Bounty Hunters if nothing else.

10247979
With the general malice on the part of ponies, and the inability or outright unwillingness for the princesses to do the right thing I really just can't believe that. Luna doesn't really have any connection or authority granted to her given this is a religious one for Walker. Rather this seems to be a self-righteous qction on her part to curse him and "redeem" him by making him suffer unnecessarily without respite. In short, Luna is doing it to hurt him and the Mark has no connection to christianity other than Luna saying it does.

Or that's how I see it at least. Walker is already repentant and admits he was wrong, so his redemption should be up to god instead of Luna.

10249200

Something to consider for Luna’s divine retribution, is how wide she sets her sights. For instance, will she just intact her personal sense of justice upon the mayors that disobeyed her wishes? Or will she include the entire town of Ponyville? If she’s willing to suffer a blow to her public image, she might as well make it worth the effort.

10247984
You can be in someones corner and still hold them accountable. To say that walker had been the cause of her disgrace is very much poking a stick into the spokes of your bike before flipping over the handlebars.

10249430

Walker is already repentant and admits he was wrong

Repentance is not nearly as easy as you make it sound. He understands what is wrong -- but he has not yet found his true purpose and calling; what is right.

so his redemption should be up to god

He cannot return to earth unless he is given the capacity to perceive, albeit unconsciously, his route to redemption. Not unless he intends to spend decades wandering until he stumbles on it by chance.
Which, I admit, is how things are done on Earth.

“Oh Auntie Luna, You must be careful

Uppercase Y should be lowercase.

Gyle, the Half-snake, Birritras the Ogre, Lelica the Mage, Moss in Boulder the Tabaxi.

Why does Gyle have an additional comma behind his name?

Moss in Boulder, was a privateer and former naval commander

The comma seems unnecessary.

Gyle the half-snake, A beggar turned hired assassin

Uppercase A should be lowercase.

Luna magicked the door open, revealing Stacks, that the baggy-eyed unicorn leader of the librarians.

Perhaps ‘that’ should be removed?

A royal escort was in order (and in truth, long overdue.) She needed someone

The period should be placed outside of the parenthesis.

D48
D48 #37 · May 24th, 2020 · · 1 ·

10248995
That applies to Ponyville, but not this new town. It's the difference between the state being a pain and ignoring instructions, and the state hiring mercenaries to attack federal authorities. The prior happens all the time, is mostly annoying, and is dealt with by the courts. The latter happened exactly twice in the US, the Revolutionary War against Britain and the Civil War between the Union and Confederacy.

10249200
Thinking about it, I think you need to make two edits to this chapter to solve the problems with Luna.

The first is changing that offending scene from hired professionals to an angry mob. That changes it from an armed rebellion which demands an immediate military response to normal criminal activity the courts can handle. I'd also suggest making it turn out later that the mayor did legitimately try to follow through on Luna's instructions in good faith, but word got out and a faction of the town acted on their own to show exactly why the deliberations of the courts are important for legitimate justice and to highlight splits in public opinion.

The second is injecting a bit somewhere with a team of lawyers doing research to determine her options for dealing with Ponyville. It makes sense that Luna isn't super familiar with how to deal with this legally which is slowing her down, but there's no question the power is there once she finds it. It really doesn't take much to acknowledge that, probably just one sentence, but it gives her back her agency and changes this from her being implausibly powerless to being understandably delayed by the bureaucracy that was developed in her absence.

10249741

Maybe turn the Bounty Hunters into something akin to the Pinkerton Detective Agency? Maybe the Mayor hires them to keep the Faction that opposes them being here in line, but said faction managed to come up with enough money to get them to instead try and capture them or if they resisted kill them?

But I agree Luna seems to be panicking more then she should be, she is trying to do this herself with minimal help and it’s not working.

Celestia's seeming lack of care for this all is a bit more worrisome for me. Luna's impotence seems to be by and large due to her being new to the political scene, both in what she can do and what ponies believe they can get away with from her, so ponies pushing farther than might be wise is something that doesn't surprise me. Politics often is a game of trying to see how much you can get away with and going one step further every time, after all. But Celestia doesn't have this problem, and yet all we've seen her do, when genuine lives are at stake and the power of the Diarchy is being openly ignored if not outright rebelled against, all we've seen Celestia do is... scold Twilight. After that, nothing. Not a peep.

10248050
Assuming he gets past Shining Armor to get it. As pointed out it's entirely possible he might be on Twilight's side in all this.

10249712
All this is only really serves to divert blame away from her and excuse her actions by saying it is divine willbor a higher power. But in truth all we see is Luna and she isn't a divine being or angel. To trust or believe that this Mark and what she's done (and not done) is part of a divine plan she is enabling first requires HER ti be trustworthy, and she isn't. She is deliberately harmful, unwilling to do the right thing, and incompetant. The last two also apply to Celestia.

Additionally, the Mark of Cain is thematically inappropriate for Walker despite his fratricide. Exact interpretation will vary, but Cain obscured his crime until his actions were uncovered and refused to admit guilt/wrongdoing. Walker on the other hand has never deliberately concealed his crime, he simply did not tell everybody because it wasn't relevant to the situation, and thia was never out of some desire to commit evil and get away with it. He has also been portrayed as feeling guilt and telling himself he was wrong for doing what he did, the opposite of Cain. Really, the only conclusion I can make is that instead of doing him any good the Mark of Cain was placed on him by Luna to act as his own personal Tantabus and torture him forever in the same way she is doing to herself.

Finally read up to this chapter. I like some of it, but there's so much exposition that it left my head spinning. I mean, there's a reason why it's often avoided in stories or dished out sparingly because outright telling the reader what is going on and what facts are and aren't there can be difficult to memorize or even... well frankly, care about. I know that sounds mean, but a detailed scene between two or more beloved characters will trump any exposition any day of the week.

Still, I can't wait for more. :ajsmug:

This chapter has a canon-error:

The Mirror and other similar mirrors were originally (as of a few years before the start of the Show) in the Canterlot-Palace. Sunset Shimmer ranaway threw 1 of the Mirrors. The Diarchy gave the Mirror as a gift to the Crystal Empire. After the events of EG, Twilight Sparkle came into the possessions of the Mirror. The Comics cover Sunset Shimmer running away through the Mirror.

Luna needs to assert her authority.

10249200
Good will went out the window when they tried to assault their own princess.

At this point, they are in active contempt and think they are the law. Absent of a new constitution or power transfer, this is still a kingdom. The last straw is the mayor of rockville sending mercenaries after them. That is straight up treason.

Luna needs to put this down.

10247745
Abe started strangling Jeremiah as well as one starting said fight. I do not consider it murder.

10247310
Luna has no respect or perceived legitimacy. Celestia has ruled with a light touch that most ponies forgot they are a monarchy. At this point, heavy action needs to be taken. And ponies need to go jail.

10252007
Yes Celestia has been too light with twilight. And she and Luna need to know how to put their hoof down on a matter and make it clear they are the boss. Twilight stayed in ponyville to learn the magic of friendship but she doesn't look beyond her friends. Rainbow was right to scold everyone. Fluttershy was cruel.

Hope to see more of this story soon. I didn’t even know this chapter existed. Just out of curiosity, what’s with the bounty hunters? Who hired them and can they legally even do that in Equestria?

Is this story dead? It’s been two years with no new updates or news on the story…

11369317
offline last seen May 27th, 2021
Been gone a while... might not be coming back. Gana slot this story in my growing Dead Stories library.

Login or register to comment