The Burden of Hope

by Mykola

Chapter 9: Calm

Author's Note:

Realise this one is a bit big, but the end for this part is in sight. Thank you to everyone who has read so far, I truly appreciate it!

Void glanced down at the different formations at the walkways below, noticing that instead of callous military shouting he would have imagined to hear, there was laughter and jesting. The new light stopped, looking down at the officers and the troops that assembled themselves in unique ways. There wasn’t one formation that was the same, and each unit appeared to be comprised of different species: ponies, zebras, deer, yaks, griffons…

“How much do you know your history?” Void found himself asking impulsively, his sight lingering on the formations down the way.

“You know we don’t really know anything, Void.” Snowstorm responded, “Why do you ask?”

“How were we brought together?”

“What, the different species? Well… we don’t know. Forge keeps saying it’s the ‘exile,’ but that is all we can get out of him about that.” Snowstorm stopped, “I don’t really bother myself with it, because it’s just… beautiful.”

“Beautiful?”

“A lot could be said about Grad. She ain’t the easiest place, but I’ve learned to never underestimate her people. They focus their efforts to ensure that everypony has a safer place to live, they don’t divide themselves into different species and keep to themselves… they recognise that Grad is their home before anything else.”

“But… it was mentioned that there were factions that broke Grad apart?”

“There were…” Snowstorm sighed, “what I know about that time is that it wasn’t about the species, though. Griffons weren’t contending with the zebras, nor were the deer warring with the ponies. They set themselves in ways that they believed that Grad should be run, and that caused problems. Either they wanted a King or Queen, or the Lord General to lead them. Then there was the management of resources, there was the fear of the plague that is the Dark.

“Forge did what he could, but even the old vigil realised that he couldn’t do it alone. He separated himself from our society and waited for the humble to approach, for those that were willing to listen. That’s when Defender humbled himself and sought out Forge, who came back. It was at that point in the terror that was ravaging our lands that Grad’s people listened, and they recognised that they couldn’t divide themselves over issues when they knew what the real problem was.

“They reinstitutionalised the Parliamentary system that had been created before, and set it to an emergency state until we can push the Dark way from our shores. After that, we’ll be able to hold what would be our first election in who knows how long… and life can move on from this ugly moment.”

“So all power is vested in the Administrator?” Void asked. It confused him a bit that if they were to reestablish the society that they once had, that they would have put it in as tight of a grasp as a King or General.

“Well, yes.” Snowstorm said, “But no. There are twelve ministers which have the power to eject Hush from power, but as soon as they do so then they are removed from power and Forge must select thirteen new individuals to lead Grad. Hush intentionally selected from her critics though, so maybe that might happen before this is all over.”

Just as soon as Snowstorm finished, the two were met by an impressively decorated bunker which displayed a series of flags that bore distinct symbols. One was of a torch, another of a shield crossed with two swords. There was one of a stylised star, a fourth which had seven pillars. Above the gated door, there was a solitary sign that simply read: ‘armoury.’ Snowstorm nodded her head toward the door, as if inviting the new light to enter the armoury first. Void hesitantly approached the door that he pressed in on it with his hoof, the heavy metal door slowly pushing into a tightly arranged room as two heads immediately turned to meet Void.

Void stepped through the portal as he was quickly followed by Snowstorm, who gently closed the door as the two attendants of the armoury quickly stood at attention. It was a zebra and an earth pony decorated in grey camouflage uniforms, both wearing white bands on their forelegs. The zebra quickly looked over the poor state of Void’s armour, cringing every time she spotted patches of rust that riddled his greatcoat or armour.

“I see why you’ve come,” the zebra sighed, “the state of that kit is unacceptable!”

“I’ve never seen a series like that!” The earth pony cried, “It must be centuries old!”

“I hope that it isn’t centuries old.” Void sighed, “That would complicate matters a lot more than I’d like them to be.”

“Isn’t that true for all of us?” Snowstorm chuckled, “The Lord General would like to see to it that this one has something a little more appropriate. I figured I could trust my favourite tailors for the job!”

“This kit is hopeless.” The zebra flatly stated, “Historic though it may be, nothing is going to adequately patch it. This one will need a new uniform.”

“This one?” The earth pony laughed, “What are we, royalty? What’s your name, guardsman?”

“Void Walker.” The new light responded.

“Somepony has a terrible taste in names, I’m wagering that was the Lord General’s doing?”

“I think it’s nice.” Void sighed, “You have any other recommendations?”

“Don’t mind Silver, she’s just jesting!” The zebra responded, “As for your kit, young Walker, I reckon we’ll be able to retain a greatcoat in the design.”

“For the record: I am fully serious about that. Anyways, the greatcoat a favourite among the patrol. Not too heavy, not too light and adequately warm. It isn’t as compatible with much of the armour choices, but it’ll still hold itself well…” Silver stopped, staring at Void’s eyepatch, “And that really oughta go. Ever considered a helmet?”

“Wasn’t my first concern when I woke up. I just realised that my eye really hurt and that keeping it covered was the only thing that alleviated the pain.” Void replied, “But you think you’ll be able to fashion another one?”

“You want to keep an eyepatch?” Silver laughed, “We’ve got you covered, now… best you take off those rags, ‘young Walker.”

Void looked around as eventually he uncomfortably went to remove his armour and greatcoat, as the damaged metal plates clattered on the concrete floor. The unicorn pulled off his greatcoat and let the tattered clothes fall down to the floor, and for the first time looked at his exposed body. His grey coat was crossed with a black and white patterning, which all seemed to be connected to the mark that he bore on his flank.

All attention in the bunker immediately honed in on the symbol that flickered with the ‘stars’ that marked the side of his face and hooves: it was of a double-headed eagle with sharp wings and tail feathers which clenched a star and a black sphere in either claw.

Some emptiness pinged in Void’s mind, before dozens of worried cries echoed in his ears.

“Well,” the zebra dryly said, “that’s unique.”

“That’s quite the mark...” Snowstorm said, looking up at Void, “any idea what it means?”

“No.” Void responded without any real thought, “I don’t.”

“Anyways…” Silver said after a prolonged silence, “we’ll get you fitted with a better coat and I’ll start going over the armour with you, and once we’ve done that you should be clear. That sound good?”

“Yes.” Void again responded flatly as he slowly tore his gaze away from the strange mark, “That’ll be appreciated, thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Silver winked, “just doing my job!”

---

Void adjusted the straps on his steel-hoofed boots as the ties came equally around and comfortably set on the sore hooves. Reaching up to test how far he could stretch out, the new light found an unpredicted range of motion that was impossible in the greatcoat that he previously wore. The grey and white patterned fabric felt secure and provided an easy warmth, as Void finished by straightening out the coat a bit more. He looked up at the griffon, pony and zebra that were watching him as he offered a quick grin to show his attitude.

“Easier on the joints?” Silver asked.

“It’s missing a bit of rust,” Void replied sarcastically as he glanced at Snowstorm, “but it’s definitely a lot more comfortable.”

“You’ll have to give it a few hundred years before it wears to that point,” Snowstorm rolled her eyes, “so do you agree to stay with us until that point?”

“Sure, you have a few years to spare?”

“We get it!” Silver cried, “Don’t forget to keep that coat well maintained, Void! It won’t need elbow grease, but it’ll need basic care. If you need any help with that, Nyaruguru and I should always be here.”

“If you need a better fit, we’ll fix it in just a bit.” Nyaruguru scoffed, “Glad to be of service, guardsman! Just promise you’ll put it to good use.”

“I’d have no other intention!” Void smiled.

The door pushed open gently as all the heads turned to meet the new figure as Void immediately recognised Light Bearer. He offered a quick greeting before he noticed that the usually calm features of the unicorn were twisted into a look of concern. He wasn’t the only one as Snowstorm stepped forward, as the griffon glanced quickly between the other three. The warm interior seemed to cool and it was all too noticeable.

“What’s happened?” Snowstorm asked, foregoing any greeting.

“We are being summoned to the southern district.” Light Bearer replied quickly, “There is a… situation which we have reason to believe if not corrected, then we will be facing a second ‘Forgetting.”

“H-how?” Snowstorm stuttered, “Have they found a source?”

“I do not know, Arbitress. The Lord General has summoned us to investigate the issue, but if we are able to find this ‘source,’ perhaps there will be a method of discovering what happened to lead our nation to forget what it was.”

“When did this happen?” Void asked.

“An hour ago.” Light responded quickly, “Arbitress Snowstorm and I will head to the quarantine zone to investigate. Void Walker, I will have to ask that you find a unit to fall under. When our investigation is concluded, then we will reunite.”

“What?” Snowstorm asked, “We’ve agreed to act as his vigil, we can’t just leave him!”

“I am certain that Void Walker will be perfectly fine.”

The griffon and the unicorn turned at the same time to look at the new light, as Void shifted uncomfortably. He eyed Light Bearer with concern as he attempted to make out specifically why she suggested he stay behind, when Snowstorm advocated for the idea that he joined them. It seemed odd to him, but Void couldn’t argue with Light. He stood still as the griffon eventually sighed with resignation and turned toward the door that led outside.

“It’s fine.” Void replied simply as the griffon turned back and offered a quick smile.

“Of course it will be,” Snowstorm responded as her eyes seemed to drift toward Light, “why wouldn’t it be? We’ll see you soon, Void!”

And with that the griffon exited the armoury, as Light stood perfectly still momentarily. The unicorn eventually moved to depart, before she turned back and bowed her head humbly to the remaining three: “Thank you for your understanding, and please excuse my interruption.”

“Nothing to be worried about…” Silver awkwardly responded as she and Nyaruguru exchanged puzzled glances.

Light quickly departed from the armoury following that. Void looked toward Silver and Nyaruguru, as he perhaps expected the pony and zebra to have insight as to what just happened before he quickly determined that neither of them had a clue about what that encounter meant. The zebra quietly walked back around to the table that he had sat at before Snowstorm and Void entered into the armoury as Silver seemed to just stand petrified.

“Well,” Void started, “I guess that means they want me to wait with a unit. Have any idea where I’m supposed to go?”

“You haven’t been given an assignment?” Silver asked, “The Lord General is always certain to organise the newbies into a detachment.”

“I was meant to be with those two, I guess things changed?”

“Aye, things are odd. I haven’t seen them act like that before, it seems to me as if Light is really concerned about something…”

“Concerned?” Nyaruguru asked, “That is putting it lightly… I’ve never seen her that stiff. Never.”

“Well then, what could it mean?”

“What could it be?” Nyaruguru blinked, “Well, she’s afraid of something.”

“Afraid?” Silver chuckled, “She’d be offended if you suggested that! With every right too! She’s stood with the Lord General against the Dark more times than we can count! Certainly she isn’t afraid of another ‘forgetting!”

Void sat there quietly as Silver and Nyaruguru debated the issue, as he tried to piece together what was going on. Clearly he had no idea about the complexities of anypony’s personality here, but to him Void leaned more toward what Silver was suggesting… but even then that didn’t entirely add up when considering that they both agreed that she had never been so rigid when it came to addressing these issues.

No, there was something more to this.

Void turned his head towards the door as he slowly started to head outside.

“What? You’re going to leave without a thank you?” Silver asked.

“No,” Void said as he spun around immediately, “of course not! Really, I appreciate this! It is far better than what I had been wearing.”

“No need to thank us,” Silver ironically said, “just doing our little part! Get out there and show them what Grad is made of!”

“And please, before there is any rust,” Nyaruguru winked, “come see us!”

“I promise.”

“Oh, how can I forget!” Silver cried out as Void tilted his head curiously in the direction of the earth pony as she disappeared behind a few crates. Eventually she emerged with a strange looking mask dangling from her mouth as she approached Void and placed it in his hoof. Void looked down at the strange mask, as he looked back up for an explanation.

“It’s a scrubber.” Silver responded, “Ever since the forgetting there has been a dark mist that surrounds Grad. If you breathe that corrupted air, it has a tendency to… well, corrupt you. Brainwash you and turn you insane. So just a fair warning, if you ever see a heavy dark mist: pull this over and attach a filter… at least then, you won’t fall to the Dark.”

“It… corrupts you?” Void asked puzzled.

“We don’t understand how it works. All we know is that it… yeah, corrupts. It twists whoever breaths it, and then they just disappear. Patrols head out hourly to see whether or not it is encroaching any further.” Nyaruguru explained, “So just keep this mask handy, and if you ever see a dark mist… you know what to do.”

Void nodded his head grimly as he pulled the mask over his head and rested it gently on the grey scarf he wore as Silver handed him two extra filters, which Void clipped to his satchel. The stallion turned his head back to the door that he dared exist only seconds before, as his gaze lingered for a moment. No, he needed to do what was expected of him as he took brisk steps toward the exit.

“Thanks again,” Void said, “take care, Silver, Nyaruguru.”

He didn’t hear a response as he stepped out, as the new light glanced down the spiraling walkways that led to the main gathering floor where several units were stationed. Void drew in a deep breath as he made his way down.

---

There was an uproar of laughter as Void walked by one of the units as he suspiciously glanced over to the group, before satisfying himself that they were not laughing at him but at one of their clownish members. As he walked by, the new light quietly considered which he should dare to approach. There was at least a few distinctions between the teams that Void saw, and that was whether or not they generally were stuck to the ground or if they could take to the air. There were a few groups that comprised both, but not many.

“Ay, you lost new blood?” A voice called out. Void stopped as he turned to meet its speaker as he saw that it was a yak.

“Not lost, but I was just told to join myself to some group.” Void responded.

“Just anywhere?” The yak chuckled, “That’s not how I remember Defender running things!”

“Well, I’m supposed to be with Snowstorm and Light--”

“Oh! You’re that one!” The yak interrupted, “One of the new lights! What was your name?”

“Void.”

“A lot better than mine,” the yak frowned, “I’m Linebreaker, one of Defender’s lucky few! Aside from the point, brother, if you need a place to reckon yourself, feel free to join with us!”

Void looked behind the massive and impressive size of Linebreaker to the team that accompanied him. Two ponies, a zebra and a griffon. The four others waited casually as either they were toying with something or sitting down within the barracks that they were provided. Void looked back to Linebreaker who offered a smile that was missing a few teeth, as the new light bowed his head politely.

“That would be appreciated,” Void responded, “thanks.”

Linebreaker motioned to Void to follow him in as he stepped inside the moderately comfortable barracks, which was strewn with a series of personal items. There were pictures, notes and a solitary banner of what appeared to be a fortress’s wall that lined the grey interior of the barracks. Void looked over these items carefully before he cocked his head to one side, as if puzzled by the arrangement of the room.

“What’s your name, new blood?” One of the ponies asked.

“Void Walker.” The stallion responded.

“Void Walker?” The griffon asked, “Your decision or Defenders?”

“It’d be Defenders.”

“You’re one of the lucky few, then…”

“He’s also one of the new lights!” Linebreaker exclaimed as he nudged Void in his side, “Would you believe that?”

“Not hard to see,” the pony yawned, “side of his face is the night sky.”

“Don’t act as if you’re not the slightest bit curious!”

“Oh, I’m interested. Just tired.”

Void glanced around the room once more before he found that the pony was staring intently at him. It was only when they looked each other in the eye that the pony smiled, as something seemed to flash in the eyes of the pony.

“I wouldn’t have believed there’d be another.” The pony said with some odd power, “But here is another! What’d you say your name was, kid?”

“Void?” He offered with more of a question than a statement. Something seemed the slightest bit off about the pony that he was speaking with as the air seemed to cool, and whispers seemed to echo. Void didn’t understand what the whispers were saying, but it seemed they only occurred when this pony spoke.

“Void?” The pony assessed quietly to himself, “Yeah… far better than what plenty got stuck with. So, Linebreaker here mentioned you’re one of ‘em… those who’re brought back from the jaws of ‘the dark.”

“Yeah, I did!” Linebreaker re-enforced, “With any luck, he’ll be the one to break the storms!”

“High hopes…” The pony chuckled, “don’t mind me saying, Void… I have no reason to doubt whatever tricks you’re hiding up those sleeves, but do you know what you’re able to do?”

“I-I’m not sure.” Void said, trying to shake the incessant whispers from his attention, “I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Time’s key.” The zebra offered.

“We all know that there is plenty of that!” The strange pony responded, ”Well, ‘course not for everypony. Abouts how long have you been breathing, kid? I’d reckon no more than a day.”

“You mind not being a downer?” Linebreaker sneered, “You’ll scare the little lad!”

“I just fancy to tell everypony what they oughta know…” The strange pony smiled, “ain’t that what guardsmen are for?”

Void eyed the strange pony that only offered that confident smile, seemingly irreplaceable by any other expression… something seemed too strange with the way that this pony was holding himself. Linebreaker and the others didn’t seem to mind the way that he was acting, and so Void reluctantly chalked it up to it was just the way he was. If this pony was a threat, then why would they allow him into the defence force? Why would Defender trust him to defend Grad?

“Don’t mind what the guardsman is saying, Void.” Linebreaker responded, “He’s just seen a lot... So! Clearly you’ve met with Defender! He ever mention me?”

“No,” Void responded, “at least not by name?”

“Ah, he’s too kind!” Linebreaker laughed, “I’ve been around for a long time. He was there to stop the Warlords when they started popping up to challenge his authority. Defender figured he’d prove himself lord over the lords, and so he challenged this fellow: Lord Ablui, a yak like myself to this headbutting challenge. Everyyak thought that’d be suicide! But Defender reared back his head and with the strength of a thousand yaks, knocked the horns off of Ablui! It was enough to convince ‘em to support the Administrator!”

“He… just battered in the head of a yak?” Void asked.

“I’m sure there is a tiny bit of exaggeration in the story,” the griffon shook her head, “but yaks respect strength. We needed to show that Grad was strong.”

“I saw it happen with my own two eyes!” Linebreaker growled, “It oughta have happened!”

“You’ve seen a lot with those two eyes.” The griffon sighed, “Remember when you said that you saw the sun?”

“I thought I did!”

“... but you didn’t.” The zebra finished with a chuckle.

“That’s different from seeing something that actually happened!” Linebreaker responded.

“Precisely, but sometimes looks can be deceiving! Sometimes we exaggerate what we see, because it makes it sound better that way!”

“You calling me a liar?”

“Not lying if it's an exaggeration, I’d just say it’s ‘storytelling.” The tired pony responded as she stretched out.

“And we all know I’m the best storyteller!” Linebreaker followed up, as a chorus of laughter broke out.

Void turned his head to try to see what the strange pony was doing, before he realised that the pony had disappeared. He blinked and rubbed his eye, but as certainly as the pony had been there: he was gone. Void didn’t understand how the pony could just vanish but before he tried to ask, a sudden red flashing light and siren blared. Immediately, everyone in the barracks jumped to attention and started to attach their equipment. It was all one fluid movement before the pony, griffon and zebra charged past Void and left him and Linebreaker.

“Well, what are you waiting for!” Linebreaker roared, “We’re moving!”