The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Such Forbidden Knowledge

Starlight's thoughts finally fell to the sidelines as Valey returned, a large group of her own in tow. Wallace Whitewing was there, Morena and Diego at his sides, and the restored Puddles too. Saffron followed along to the side, walking next to Shill with Randorf and Pierre at their backs. "Yo!" Valey called, waving from beneath her rain poncho. "Got a big crowd! Think we're in the mood for going somewhere fancy?"

"Quite the reunion," Wallace rumbled, the ground vibrating slightly from his massive stride. "Getting this many friends together at once is good for the soul."

"We're not lacking in money," Shinespark said, raising an eyebrow at Valey. "Somewhere fancy?"

Saffron shrugged. "If you're up for it, I know my way around Grandbell's establishments. Might even be able to get in somewhere without a line, on account of the power being so flaky. After this afternoon, I bet a lot of folks are just staying home."

"Arguably the smart course for us," Morena replied. "But who's afraid of the dark?"

Maple smiled, perfectly dry beneath Starlight's crystal umbrella. "Not me!"

More pleasantries were exchanged, and a long walk later they were at the embellished door of an establishment most of the way down the walls of the city. A stallion with a well-groomed mane watched them from the doorway, counting and doing mental math. "Would four tables be appropriate, or do you wish for five?"

"Four?" Saffron blinked, doing a count of her own. "There's only... what, nineteen of us? Twenty?"

"Eh, that could get crowded if we split it three ways." Valey nudged her. "Four's good, dude."

The waiter nodded, leading everyone sans Wallace up a staircase to a balcony, the big griffon flying around. Everyone was arranged, and Starlight found herself sharing a table with Maple, Amber, Saffron and Shill, a menu quickly deposited before her in a forest-green telekinetic aura. She squinted, reading it over.

"Starlight, look." Maple nudged her, pushing over her own menu. "They have grilled pineapple here."

Amber was leaning over their shoulders in an instant. "Wait, they do?"

Saffron leaned back and chuckled. "That a favorite of yours?"

"It has a special significance to us." Maple smiled fondly. "I've made it for a lot of special meals with my friends. Not all of them for happy occasions, but it's almost a tradition."

Amber grinned. "Since we don't have this big of a get-together every day and the company's as good as it is, care to go all in?"

"Main course," Maple agreed. "Now we'll need something on the side, though it says it comes with other things..."

Starlight nodded, passing her menu to Maple. She'd have that too. Saffron spotted her staring, though, almost before her eyes could even unfocus. "Hey there, sugarcube. Looking a little overwhelmed, there?"

"Huh? No..." Starlight blinked, snapping back to attention. "I mean... maybe. Why?"

"Just saw you looking like you wished you could be somewhere quiet, is all." Saffron shrugged. "I'll let you think if you've got stuff on your mind. Just wondered if you weren't talking for a reason."

Starlight folded her ears. "It's fine. I-"

She was interrupted by a voice from behind Saffron: male, not Gazelle, and arrogant enough it could be mistaken for him in a heartbeat. "Looks like I've walked in on a party?"

Maple and Amber instantly looked up, and Shill flattened her ears and retreated halfway beneath the tablecloth. An annoyed look instantly spread over Saffron's face. "Howdy, Yulio," she said, not turning her head. "What brings you by?"

"Aah! Not sounding happy to see me, there." A yellow-brown stallion with a likely-dyed golden mane winced in return, holding up a hoof in apologetic defense. "Just wanting to make a good first impression, is all! Here I was, minding my own dinner, when familiar faces walked in the door? I only figured introductions were in order."

Maple and Amber both blinked. "Hi?" Amber grinned uncertainly, keenly watching Shill's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

Starlight was far more interested in another detail: the black sword brazenly clasped to this Yulio's side.

"Pleased to meet you lovely ladies." Yulio returned the grin with a polished one of his own, leaning an elbow on the table and extending a hoof to Amber. "A lot of fighters about today. Friends through the tournament? I would have recognized you if you were competition, but a cheer squad always warms my heart to see."

Starlight narrowed her eyes as the sword bumped against the table. It was right there... "Yep. We are," Amber replied, keeping a trained friendly face. "So what's your history with our friends?"

Yulio apologetically shrugged, getting off the table and shaking his head. "Oh, you know how it is. There can only be one champion, and as much as getting knocked out stings, it happens to almost everyone. An inevitability, really. But I assure you, there are no hard feelings between us. They're all only in it for the fun of the battle, after all."

"I hate to break it to you, but that's not exactly your call to make," Saffron replied, shifting in her chair to better sit between Shill and Yulio. "And a reminder that there are rules against starting scuffles in public."

"I had no intention of that...!" Yulio took several steps backwards. "Merely wanted to say hello. Come chat me up sometime, ladies. I'm at that table over there. Always do love a friendly face."

He trotted off, the sword at his side sticking in Starlight's vision. That didn't belong to him, and whyever it was that she could remember it and none of her other friends could, she wanted it back.

"Well, there's a sour note," Saffron muttered, patting Shill reassuringly on the head. "Don't pay no mind to that stallion. He isn't worth your time."

"Bad history?" Maple guessed.

"He cheated during our fight in the tournament," Shill sighed. "Don't worry about him. He won't hurt you as long as you're not direct competition for the top."

"But he will if you are?" Amber glanced at Valey's table, the batpony loudly chatting up Harshwater, Randorf and Diego.

Saffron nodded, ears flat. "Only inside the ring, mind. Outside, he plays pretty fair, if a little rude. But inside, he wants to win. No honor holds him back."

"I need to use the bathroom," Starlight mumbled, slipping out of her chair. "If they come to take our order, I'll have the pineapple too."

Maple assented, and Starlight slipped away, starting off in the wrong direction so it wouldn't be obvious she was looking for Yulio's table. She slipped through the restaurant, eventually coming across her target: the well-groomed stallion was sharing a corner booth with two thick mares who were likely twins, both sharing his shoulders.

Starlight stood and watched as he chatted them up, and one of the mares noticed her first. "Looks like you've got an admirer, sugar."

"Mhm. That's never happened before." Yulio chuckled, then blinked when he saw who it was. "Oh, well hello there. You were looking at me earlier! I always have time for an up-and-comer." He flashed a grin. "What can I do for you, little one?"

Starlight wasn't about to beat around the bush. "Where did you get that sword?"

"You mean this?" Yulio lifted the black sword, polishing it with the edge of a hoof. "Family heirloom. It catches a lot of eyes."

Starlight narrowed her eyes. "You found it laying somewhere in Stormhoof on the night the tower got invaded."

Yulio's eyes widened for a split second. Both mares started to protest, but he quickly silenced then with outstretched hooves. "It's fine, ladies. Though you've clearly seen this sword before. Embarrassing truth be told, there are a few holes in my history with it... Excuse me for a second. I'd love a word in private with my fan."

Starlight blinked in surprise as Yulio suddenly freed himself from the booth, ushering her up another staircase to a second balcony that was dark, roped-off and filled with chairs stacked on tables. He effortlessly ducked under the rope, pulling her along, and then set her down and stared at her with concern. "Who are you and why are you the only person who knows I haven't had this my whole life?"

"I don't know!" Starlight shied back slightly as he held the sword up. "But I do remember it. My friend used to have it and dropped it that night."

"Interesting..." Yulio pursed his lips. "Does your friend remember this?"

Starlight folded her ears. "No, but I do. Do you even know what that does? It's dangerous."

"I've figured a few things out." Yulio rubbed the blade. "So what do you want from me? This sword back?"

Starlight swallowed.

"You can see how that might be difficult, since everyone will magically think you've stolen the blade of house Yulio..." Yulio flourished the blade, showing off its edge. "Let's get a few other questions out of the way before discussing ownership, little fan. Not that I'm saying no. Just... this sword is a very interesting thing that's happened to me." He stared at his grayscale reflection in the flat of the blade. "First off, why does everyone think it's mine and only we know it isn't?"

"I don't know," Starlight replied. "I think it's something the sword does. I remember this happening before, and I don't know why."

Yulio rubbed his chin. "Interesting... And what does it mean when you or your friend the owner tries staring into it for too long?"

"Huh?" Starlight squinted.

Yulio quickly grinned. "Oh, so it seems you didn't know about this part? Fascinating. Tell you what, little fan. Tell me something useful, something maybe your friend figured out that I haven't, and I'll tell you what the sword told me."

"It told you something?" Starlight took a step back, feeling her coat stiffen. "It talked to you?"

Yulio whistled idly. "Information is a commodity. Tell me something I can use, and I'll indulge your curiosity."

Starlight winced. "You know what it does to ponies?"

Yulio lazily twirled the blade. "I may have tried it out a time or two. Not on tournament contestants, of course. It's blatantly magical, and I haven't exactly gotten a fight yet since I picked it up. Give me something better."

"Well..." Starlight swallowed again, certain she didn't trust this pony to do anything except look after himself. "Do you know what it does to batponies?"

"The flying rats?" Yulio raised an eyebrow, flipping the sword idly with a hoof. "Well, I can't say that I do. Should be easy enough to test, though. What else have you got?"

Starlight glared at him... and then at the sword. You don't belong to him, she aggressively thought. You belong to Gerardo. Or me.

Yulio chuckled. "Relax, little fan, I'm just seeing what I can-!" Suddenly, he fumbled, dropping the sword point-first. It impaled itself in the ground between them, hilt protruding straight up.

"Woah!" Yulio blinked several times, narrowed his eyes, and drew it back out of the ground, blowing any dust off the blade. "Not usually so clumsy. Why don't I give you your treat, we say you didn't see that, and call fair enough fair enough?"

Starlight cocked an eyebrow.

Yulio brought the sword back to his side, hilt facing backwards. "Now, not that I'm keen on parting with this, and you don't exactly have a brand to do this yourself..."

He tapped the sword's hilt against his cutie mark.

Flash!

With a little burst of light, Yulio and the blade both gleamed. Suddenly, the sword was floating, as if held in a telekinetic aura. Only Yulio was an earth pony, and instead of an aura around its hilt, there was a tiny, flat, transparent ring of floating runes, a larger one mirroring it softly rotating around the stallion's barrel. The sword flickered faintly with light, all coming from the triangular hole in its hilt, and feebly glowing there Starlight could see a replica of his cutie mark.

"A surprise, from the look on your face." Yulio waved the sword around without moving, the blade floating all on its own. "So I doubt you'd be able to tell me anything about why I'd get the idea in my head to do this, just from staring into it all this time. Or about the way I feel when I'm doing it." The lights in the sword winked out, as well as the ring around Yulio, and he caught it as it fell to the floor. "Oh well. I'll remember you, little fan. Remember to root for me in the tournament."

He turned around and left, and soon Starlight was alone, her mind moving at miles per minute. The sword having that kind of hidden potential wasn't remotely surprising to her. Gerardo had held it for years, after all, without a cutie mark to test with, and if anyone had found its secret before, it had likely been forgotten. But two other thoughts kept doing battle for the foremost space in her mind.

First, Herman had held a self-levitating axe. She had been blind at the time, and never seen it in action. Did it look remotely the same? She hadn't a clue, but couldn't imagine that kind of magic was easy. And second, a figure stared up at her from the depths of her memories: the altar in the sea cave where she had been given the Nightmare Modules in a dream. The spirit she had talked to there had shifted through many different forms, and one of them had been herself, hovering on wings of rune-shaped light. If that wasn't just a dream but was based on magic that really existed, something that could come true...

No. Not the most important thing to think about. Starlight shook her head and headed for the stairs, ready to get back to her friends. All she knew was that that sword wasn't a good thing to leave laying around.

Comments

[Quinch]

Doodedoodedoo... wait... HOW many chapters?!
Welp.... not finishing this tonight.
-files it under read it later... over a long period of time-

[RoboRed]

Starlight was far more interested in another detail: the black sword brazenly clasped to this Yulio's side.

Awww hell.

[Alchemik]

Of course it has more features. Why wouldn't it? That sword is trouble.

[Quinch]

9779487
And so, about three years ago, I found this fic while browsing FimFiction on my night-shift break.

[Czar_Yoshi]

11437806
Hey, that's almost as long as it took me to write it!

[whizzball1]

Starliiiiight, why did you tell him that it does weird things to batponies?

[sploopy slooder]

why doesnt starlight......just take the sword? if it wipes memories so easily thered be no downside.