The Burden of Hope

by Mykola

Chapter 6: Three

The pegasus looked over the spire of light that was visible from the cave that she took refuge in, as she tried desperately to count the stars that lay like leaves on the ‘tree.’ Looking at the light burned her eyes, it seemed to her to be at the same time a glorious and an offensive sight… she didn’t understand how that was possible, when it seemed to her to have once been her home. How could she forget her home?

“You have been staring at Grad for quite some time.” The Purpose spoke, “It is where your people live.”

“The ones who abandoned me?” The pegasus asked.

“Indeed… there was a time, I remember where none feared to do the right thing. There were plenty of noble ones, heroes and stalwarts. In those times all rendered unto each other equally, they offered what they possessed to those who had nothing… but then it became their priority to focus on their own achievements, and their desires. It led them down a path of hurt and pain, and this once great city tore itself to pieces… and now? The survivors cobble themselves together in hope that they will be able to survive the coming storms that they brewed against themselves.”

The pegasus sat in silence as she considered what the Purpose had said. She remembered so little about a place where she felt the embrace of… of whom? No, she was ABANDONED--abandoned? Where did that come from? That thought wasn’t hers, it belonged to somepony else, something else. She tilted her head towards the Purpose as it seemingly stared back at her.

“I understand your confusion, lost light…” The Purpose sighed, “I wonder myself as I watch it endure every passing storm, what fate will finally claim it. Their suffering, though self-inflicted, is very regrettable.”

“If they did it to themselves, what do we do?” The pegasus asked liked a little foal.

“We?” The Purpose hummed, “We do what we can to remove them from their sorrowful state… we must see them tried and broken, then we shall raise them from the ashes of their corruption. Shall there be any other way, lost light?”

An uneasy feeling turned in the pegasus’ stomach, before her mind compelled her to speak a word that did not feel to be hers:

“NO.”

---

Void stared over the cityscape of Grad, as his breath was caught with every glimpse. The new light looked as a curious foal would over all he could see from where he was standing. Buildings that reached up into the sky, to monoliths that took up entire blocks. There were wonderfully painted domes and fluttering banners tied to raised roads. He looked at one of the seven ‘Nameless Vigils’ in awe of the detailed carving that lined every edge and face, as he could’ve sworn that it radiated with some mystical force.

“You keep looking.”

Void swung around as he returned to his senses with an appeased grin, as he immediately recognised it was Hush. The Administrator smiled as she walked up to join Void, “I understand… when work gets too frustrating, I walk over here to take a breath and relax. It really helps to put everything in perspective.”

“So, you govern all of Grad?”

“It’s… complicated.” Hush sighed, “Functionally we are a democracy, but given our circumstance: yes… I govern all of Grad. The emergency status of our situation has moved me to be the first and final say with all decisions. Plenty of decisions need to be made on the fly, even if they are hard ones.”

“I’m surprised the weight of that all hasn’t broken you, yet.” Void absentmindedly said.

“Like I said: a lot of visits to this little corner and plenty of ‘breathers.” Hush responded, “We are dealing with a lot, all of us… it’s one of the reasons why the General Prosecutor goes on his ‘Burdens,’ he believes it helps clear his focus and temper him for future conflicts.”

“Burdens’ help somepony to calm themselves?”

“It’s not quite like that, the Iron Order has a long and ancient tradition where they meditate for days. They take the time to appreciate what they have, rededicate themselves to the cause of righteousness and strengthen themselves to the challenges that lie ahead. It’s all incredibly symbolic of offering their weaknesses in hopes to temper those into strengths.”

“So, the Iron Order is that old?” Void asked.

“Well, yes… we just really don’t know how old it is. Forge can be unfortunately vague about plenty of things and so we are left to what remains of our libraries. What we know at least about the origins of our nation is that the Iron Order played a central role in its founding, they are what helped establish the values that our nation would cling to.”

Void quietly contemplated what Hush said as the Administrator stepped back from the window as she turned her heel and headed back for her desk. The new light glanced back momentarily to Hush as he rubbed the back of his head, sudden thoughts and questions swirling through his already concern infested mind. Void felt as if he should ask the Administrator, before a certain thought supplanted everything else: that she was busy and he ought not to bother her.

“How could we have lost everything?” Void impulsively asked as he quietly chastised himself.

There was a long silence before a sharp sigh dispelled the quiet. Void turned his attention squarely on the Administrator, as she seemed to contemplate what specifically she should say. The new light knew that it was likely a difficult subject… especially for the one whose vested interest is the preservation of Grad’s society. The Administrator nonetheless seemed to manage a smile as she faced Void once more: “Well, that isn’t a specifically easy thing to explain… but fortunately, it is one of the few areas where we have managed to succeed. Certain archives have been recovered and investigated, mostly in connection with somepony known as: Atheov.”

Atheov? Why does that seem so familiar?

“Mostly it is engineering and architectural manuscripts… we are guessing that this Atheov was one of the few geniuses of a time past, the one who helped construct our golden era. With the knowledge we have discovered, we have been able to reconstruct the old city and establish such defenses as the wall. Our self-driving carriages even to automated city monitor systems, all that knowledge stems from the research that we tirelessly do.

“Small fragments of our history have been recovered as well, but unfortunately those are the parts that remain the most vague… we only have a few events that we can tell have actually happened, and even fewer names associated with our nation. We’ve done what we could in that department, though certain areas such as defence and architecture have been prioritised. But that doesn’t mean we’ll stop our efforts.”

“It’s remarkable, really!” Void paused, as he considered whether or not he should ask more about Atheov: “When I woke, and I was warned as to the state of Grad… I was thinking I was going to be seeing ruins, but seeing this?”

“It always takes the breath away,” Hush chuckled, “we truly are fortunate for the hooves that have been afforded us in her reconstruction. It is our duty to keep her in one piece, Void, and to contribute to her growth.”

“I feel as if I know something about Atheov…” Void finally said, as the warmth seemed to evaporate from the room immediately, “I’m sorry… it just feels as if I know who Atheov is.”

“In time you’ll understand, new light.” Hush simply responded, “It is common for those who have been pulled from the dead to feel a connection to something, but unfortunately we do not have answers for that… I’m guessing you felt a connection to Forge?”

Void felt his heart skip a beat as Hush mentioned that, as he nodded his head.

“Peculiar,” Hush smiled, “everyone who has been resurrected as felt a connection to Forge. Perhaps we’ll be able to figure out that mystery with you. But for now, I need to focus on my work… I’m certain the Iron Order has been gathered now and that they’re looking for you to join them.”

“Hush,” Void swallowed as he focused his attention, “I just wanted to thank you for taking the time you have. I promise, I’ll--”

“Please, Void… don’t promise me, promise this place. This people.”

Void stared into Hush’s eyes for quite some time as he contemplated what was said. He had already pledged himself to the duty of Grad’s defence, but it occurred to him then the seriousness of the duty that was assigned. It wasn’t to a singular pony or cause, rather the welfare of all those who should seek the refuge that Grad provided. It went beyond just agreeing to stand beside Proud Defender or Snowstorm, it meant standing in the front lines before all those who dared to dream.

It was then that Void rendered his response: “To Grad.”

---

The dark crawled through the abandoned village as the snow swirled innocently around the dark, as if the white attempted to convince the black to stop its path. The dark nonetheless pressed on, as if it was ignoring the very thing that was pleading that it stop. It was as if the dark laughed and pressed the knife into the exposed side of the snow as it eventually came to a halt in the heart of the village. The dark figure looked around as it lifted its hoof over its head to draw back the hood that covered its head.

“Been some time,” the dark spoke to the nothingness, “sorry that I’ve not been true to my promises… that I wasn’t here when I promised to be.”

Silence answered.

“Plenty of places have been hit by some fellow that’s calling himself the Purpose: Steadhoof, Southward… even Grad.” The dark paused, “Nothin’s been stirring in the Known, but they’ve always been oblivious to the games we’ve been playing here.”

Silence.

“I’m thinking, though… no, I’m certain that there is some new factor in play. I’ve felt the radiation spikes, and I know that ain’t some coincidence. Here I was thinking it was gonna be a two sided war, but now we’ve got some perfect mysterious third vector… and you gotta know what that means.”

Silence.

“I’ve gotta investigate this… I just need to know that I’m not alone; I’m gonna figure this out, why in this battle between the light and the dark that there is just a… why there is another.”

The low wind howled briefly as the snow was upset for just a moment. The dark stared at the white crystals as they nestled gently on its greatcoat, as it looked down longingly at the unique patterns that now adorned its clothes. The dark sighed as it turned its head to a specific home that was reduced to rubble, its roof collapsed and the shattered windows jutting out like knives.

“And, I figure I’ve not said it enough…” the dark said as it lowered its head, “but I’m sorry I couldn’t stop this, that I didn’t… I should’ve… but I remember my promise. Our promise, really.”

The dark stood still for a few extra moments, before it turned around and stepped out of the village and made its clumsy path back into the dark and twisted woods. It adjusted its path as it made out the spire of light and the stars that danced above it, as the dark huffed out some empty threat. It had been through Grad through its different phases, it even remembered the times that the miserable plot of land was known by a different name. It had witnessed an evolution of a place that thought it could inspire greatness, but the dark knew better… it was a place where cowards hide.

But it was the place where that ‘other’ had run to.

And the dark needed to know what this ‘other’ was, because as far as it was aware this third was the end of this petty conflict.