The Stone Chisel Way

by King Genesis

Clamoris, the Nightcrawler

Arc II - Chapter X - Clamoris, ther Nightcrawler

"Open your eyes."

Stone Chisel does that and finds out he has fallen asleep when he gets fulminated by sunlight. There's no more hut, no more campfire, but he and Discord are still chained to the dark crystals which have become bigger and bigger. He looks at everyone, still with their auras which make them invisible. Tirek is waking up Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis is looking right at him, tied. Discord has also woken up by the time he starts moving his body with no hooves. "You know what, Stone Chisel?"

The robber looks at the ram with hatred. "What?"

"While you were sleeping, I was thinking about you."

Everyone gets surprised at that phrase. The ram? Thinking about the pony? What? "Really?" says the pony, chuckling.

"Yes," he answers, now looking at the pony blinded by sunlight. "You made me remind of my father, now that we have something in common. How curious, isn't it?"

Stone Chisel raises his eyebrows. "I would raise my hooves if I had them."

"That's what made me think too," he says. "Today's a different day for me. If we arrive at my lands on time... it won't be a day to be a mule... that's why I want someone else to be it."

Stone Chisel now opens his eyes widely, waiting for a conclusion, and at that right moment... he feels pain inside him and starts coughing while feeling that something is coming out from his insides. A second later, four bumps start getting out of his body. The pain and the shock make Stone Chisel feel so bad he almost passes out while sweating and engulfed in a wave of nausea. Everyone looks at how four new hooves come out of his body, and how he slowly moves them once the pain ends. He slowly stands up, trying to remember how he used to move and starts jumping while being chained. The real Stone Chisel is back.

"I decided to swap Stump Chisel with Discord's mule again," he says. " However, if you dare to run away from me and your whole body will be consumed by a dark magic crystal." And in that right moment, the dark crystals where Discord and Stone Chisel were chained bury themselves on the ground... except for a small piece which Tenebris uses to chain both prisoners. The chain is now magical... darkly magical.

Stone Chisel looks at Discord behind him and raises his eyebrows, pointing with his eyes to his left. Discord knows he's planning to run away, so he, without commenting anything, shakes his head. "Now, follow me. I have some lands to take and you need a bell to use."

Stone Chisel's new hooves start shaking a bit but he still goes on, carrying Discord on his back, this time with a dark crystal chain which feels heavy and really cold. While trotting, following Tenebris in silence, Cozy Glow appears next to him. Stone Chisel looks at her and tries to get her off, but Cozy whispers:

"Sorry."

He shakes his head, furiously. "Why in the hell did you have to tell him about my father?"

"It was my alibi," she answers. "To let him know we talked about only that while he was out... isn't it a good idea?"

The thief sighs while listening to the filly Cozy Glow, and takes a breath to say: "It's not bad... but... you shouldn't have said that."

"That's why I came here to apologize."

He smiles. "Since when do you apologize for something?"

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, come on... I'm not that bad. Thank me I'm doing this for you, at least."

"Twilight Sparkle doesn't say the same."

"Stone Chisel," says the beast with a low voice. "Come here."

Cozy Glow looks at him with fear and confusion and he does the same before trotting away. While getting nearer the ram, Discord passes by Chrysalis, who nods her head while looking at the draconequus. The God of Chaos smiles while looking at that and stops grinning when his mule stands next to Tenebris. She has accepted, maybe. Will she be that bait soon? Both the pony and the ram are now walking behind the centaur, the changeling and the filly. "Yes?" asks the robber.

"I called you to tell you a story."

"A story?" He raises an eyebrow. "About what?"

"My father."

He opens his eyes. "Your father?"

"Yes."

He chuckles. "Was he as d-bag as you?"

The ram looks at him, confused. "I don't know what you mean with that word, but I could say he was a really crazy night ram... who I eventually agreed with."

Stone Chisel's attention specifically focuses on the final part... agreed with what? Or whom? "Agreed?"

"Let me tell you about him."

He sighs, closing his eyes, trying not to listen. "Why?"

"I want you to know about what I've got through to become who I am."

"A genocidal monster?"

"...who looks for revenge. Who saw his community die. Who knew his father was right..." answers, almost sarcastically. "Father... his name was Clamoris."

"Clamoris?" says Tirek from behind. "The Night---"

"The Nightcrawler."

"Really?" says the centaur, raising his eyebrows. "Was he a night ram?"

Tenebris gets mad. "Of course, you imbecile. What did you think he was?"

"Hey," he snorts. "Don't you dare to call me imbecile. I thought he was just a normal ram, not a foolish frog. I wasn't so wrong, after all."

The ram just chuckles. "I won't make any commentaries."

Tirek stops, feeling his eyes burning with anger. He clenches his fists, almost shaking them, showing his strength, but Cozy Glow from behind calms him down, whispering in his ear: "Calm down," she says. "Wait until we arrive."

Meanwhile, Tenebris starts speaking about his father...

Clamoris, the Nightcrawler.

---

"I was born on the edge of a river, surrounded by trees, thousands of years ago. I've been counting each day inside that statue for a long time... so I may have an idea for how long I stayed locked up with no freedom, with no love and strength... but I'm not sure. I've lost track of it.

We were a community of ten or fifteen night rams, and the only things we knew about were the river and the trees. We were scared of the outside. We saw flying creatures in the sky, such as griffons, falcons or foolish pegasi and we felt attacked. We had to defend ourselves.

That was our real problem. We were a very closed community. We didn't even talk the same language as the other creatures. The only things we ate were fish or algae from the river. We didn't know how to reap, how to cook and how to build. We had a more-than-basic knowledge of magic too. We are souklat unáe creatures, I mean, we are creatures whose magic increase and improve when they unite with another soul, another being. Two becomes one, but after that... we didn't know anything else. We didn't even use our magic so much, we just used it for fishing. It was just fish, algae, the moon which we loved... and the souklat unáe which was almost useless at that moment.

Until my father decided to reach further.

He got tired of just living on the edge of the river, surrounded by trees, feeling scared or attacked when looking at flying creatures from the sky. He wanted to expand our lands. He wanted our species to become bigger, but no one believed in him, or I could say... no one wanted to believe in him. He wanted to talk to the creatures from the sky. He wanted to make friends with all of them... but no one, especially my mother, Lacrimam, believed in him.

I eventually became the middle spot between my mother and my father's arguments. Both of them tried to convince me about their opinions, and I felt so confused and sad I thought they were out of their minds. Every day was arguments and torture... until one day, my father left the river. Left the trees. Left the community."

"... And that's it?" interrupts Chrysalis, something that angers Tenebris.

"No," he says. "And let me keep talking, you."

"At first I thought he died because he never appeared again and that only made the community much more scared of the outside. Nobody wanted to leave the edge of the river. My mother didn't even let me look at the trees.

Until one day, he returned. He came back alone, with a small papyrus that talked about the other creatures' language, so I could say he learned something basic... and with the most shocking, disappointed face I had ever seen. I'll never, never forget that face. That gesture... I swear it could be the only thing which can give me goosebumps nowadays."

"Golly," says Cozy Glow. "And why was he with that face?"

"We asked him why, and he answered that he met another species, a much bigger community, which was much better organized and had more tools and food than us... the ponies. He came across somepony whose name I will never forget... Flash Magnus."

"That's a pillar of Equestria," says Stone Chisel. "One of the six."

Now Tenebris looks at the pony. "Whoever he is... firstly, he is not a pillar of Equestria but from the pony world, and secondly... I bet he is now dead, but if he was alive... almighty moon... I'd love to destroy him, piece by piece."

That phrase was so shocking it left everyone with no words, and Tenebris takes advantage of this to keep telling everyone the story...

"Flash Magnus told him the ponies had a Kingdom which controlled everything of Equestria, and my father asked him for help with all the words he learned about the ponies' language. He wanted his community to expand, to know the new world he has just discovered, he told him who he was, what he was, where he was... but, this damned Flash Magnus told him everypony of the Kingdom already knew who we were, what we were and where we were. Every one of us. They knew about us all this time... but never came to us. Never talked to us. Never were there. My father Clamoris even asked him for help, despite Flash Magnus never granted it all of that time... but..."

"But?" says Chrysalis. Tenebris shakes his head, with a lump in his throat.

"He told my father it was not the right moment to ask for help... and he left Clamoris alone. My father, with that face, returned to the edge of the river with that phrase, that answer, right on his head."

"It is not the right moment to help you."

"We felt so closed, so apart... and at that moment, when Clamoris told everyone what Flash Magnus told him... we felt insulted. We felt we were treated like nothing... litter... waste of flesh and bones... he decided not to leave the river again, despite he wanted to. He was right... he knew he was right, we had to talk to other creatures... but felt so disappointed he decided not to do it again.

We became more closed than ever before. All of us were absolute hermits, and our lack of communication, of knowledge about other communities, ended up killing us."

Everyone is now walking on some small meadows, leaving the savanna behind. "Why?" asks Cozy Glow.

"One day the rams appeared. Not the night rams, I mean, the common rams. The ones whose fur is not dark blue. The ones who are not souklat unáe creatures. It was a great chance to start socializing, increasing our community... but our lack of communication with other creatures made us feel we were attacked, and, at the same time... the rams casually thought the same. It ended up in a war. A war for nothing... just for fear, for lack of communication. It turned into a massacre, a carnage. Few creatures survived, including me... but then I found out my parents tragically died there. I found my father agonizing, and that's when he told me his final words... which every day rumble in every part of my body. Every single day."

"And what did he say?" asks Chrysalis. Tenebris turns around, to look at everyone.

"He said..."

"Talk to other creatures."

---

"And that's the story of Clamoris, the Nightcrawler," he says, and then he looks at Stone Chisel, the thief, right in his eyes. "Did you like it? I didn't hear any commentaries from you... and from Discord... but well, Discord's commentaries don't have any value."

Discord growls at it, without saying anything, and Stone Chisel only shakes his head. "I mean..." he says. "Flash Magnus may have sounded really rude when he said that... but I don't think that was intentional."

The ram raises his eyebrows. "You think so?"

"Yes."

"Well..." he says, laughing. "What's done, it's done... isn't it? And then I started talking to Rushkwa, decided to learn the ponies' language and teach it to my community, to ask Celestia for the United Kingdom thanks to my father's ideas, and blah, blah... you know what happened."

"And there's something which confuses me right there," says Stone Chisel, almost interrupting him. "You said Celestia answered you that she didn't want to make the United Creature Kingdom because that would be something too hard to control... and you immediately said it was a lie and you declared war..."

"Yes," he answers. "I did what I have to do. What does confuse you?"

Now the pony looks at the ram, angrily. "What if she wasn't lying?"

The ram laughs loudly this time. "Of course, she was lying."

"And how do you know that? Huh?"

"They left us alone, always. She wouldn't want to share her power with a stupid, lonely community."

"You were the ones that wanted to be alone!" shouts the pony. "If all of you were like your father Clamoris, I bet you everything would have been 100% different."

"I disagree," he says aloud. "Ponies didn't and still don't care about us. They want all of the power for them and just for them."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he shouts, stopping his trot, and pointing at Cozy Glow in front of them. "That filly came out of a School for All Creatures, don't you know? They are helping other communities to turn Equestria into a united kingdom, just like YOU wanted to... you fucking stupid!"

The ram angrily snorts at the robber. "Too sad that's not my main objective right now. I have something else in my mind... and you know what I mean."

"Hey!" interrupts Cozy Glow, looking to something from the top of a meadow. "Look over there!"

Everyone takes a look and finds a really attractive city, filled with shiny blue and purple buildings. Further away, near the small buildings, there is an enormous, shiny castle of crystal. "It's," whispers Chrysalis. "It's the Crystal Empire."

Tenebris finds out that, much further from the castle, there is a small river surrounded by a couple of trees. He chuckles while looking at it. "Oh, lands," he adds. "I missed you... but first...

... let me take those repulsive beasts off you..."

Comments

[Pete100]

Tirek stops, feeling his eyes burning of anger. He clenches his fists, almost shaking it, showing his strength, but Cozy Glow from behind calms him down, whispering on his ear: "Calm down," she says. "Wait until we arrive."

Why is he angry?

We are souklat unáe creatures, I mean, we are creatures whose magic increase and improve when they unite with another soul, another being. Two becomes one, but after that... we didn't know anything else. We didn't even use our magic so much, we just used it to fishing. It was just fish, algae, the moon which we loved... and the souklat unáe which was almost useless at that moment.

Were they the only kind?

Now Tenebris looks at the pony. "Whoever he is... firstly, he is not a pillar of Equestria but from the pony world, and secondly... I bet he is now dead, but if he was alive... almighty moon... I'd love to destroy him, piece by piece."

So, he’s saying that he’s the pillar of the pony world?

"He told my father it was not the right moment to ask for help... and he left Clamoris alone. My father, with that face, returned to the edge of the river with that phrase, that answer, right on his head."

"It is not the right moment to help you."

"We felt so closed, so apart... and in that moment, when Clamoris told everyone what Flash Magnus told him... we felt insulted. We felt we were treated like nothing... litter... waste of flesh and bones... he decided not to leave the river again, despite he wanted to. He was right... he knew he was right, we had to talk to other creatures... but felt so disappointed he decided not to do it again.

Maybe they were busy?

"One day the rams appeared. Not the night rams, I mean, the common rams. The ones whose fur are not dark blue. The ones who are not souklat unáe creatures. It was a great chance to start socializing, increasing our community... but our lack of communication with other creatures made us feel we were attacked, and, at the same time... the rams casually thought the same. It ended up in a war. A war for nothing... just for fear, for lack of communication. It turned into a massacre, a carnage. Few creatures survived, including me... but then I found out my parents tragically died there. I found my father agonizing, and that's when he told me his final words... which everyday rumble in every part of my body. Every single day."

So, the war started because they didn’t have communication skills?

"He said..."

"Talk to the others."

What does he mean by “others”?

The ram angrily snorts at the robber. "Too sad that's not my main objective right now. I have something else in my mind... and you know what I mean ."

I’m confused on this man’s motives.

[King Genesis]

10558975

Why is he angry?

He can't stand Tenebris anymore. I'd have the same mood if I were him. Hehe.

Were they the only kind?

Maybe.

So, he’s saying that he’s the pillar of the pony world?

Yes. Only for the ponies, not for him and other creatures that live in Equestria.

Maybe they were busy?

Maybe, and that's what Stone Chisel discusses him for.

So, the war started because they didn’t have communication skills?

Yup. And confusion. Oh, pure confusion.

What does he mean by “others”?

Other creatures.

I’m confused on this man’s motives.

I'm too. That ram's crazy.

[Pete100]

10558984
And what did his father mean by “talk”?

Also, will his motives be revealed anytime soon?

[King Genesis]

And what did his father mean by “talk”?

To socialize.

Also, will his motives be revealed anytime soon?

He has already said them, but he's so blinded by anger the only thing he cares about is killing the Princesses and nothing else. His anger's making him lose his mind a bit.

[Pete100]

10559069
“A bit”?

Also, are having trouble hitting the reply button?

[King Genesis]

10576564
Whoops, sorry. I replied to you by phone and didn't even find out.

A bit? Well, um... That can be debatable.

Sorry for not answering you quickly, I've been busy these last two weeks. I'll publish next chapter on this week.

[Pete100]

10579762
Oh ok

[Yubella]

Now the pony looks at the ram, angrily. "What if she wasn't lying?"

She was

[Yubella]

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he shouts, stopping his trot, and pointing at Cozy Glow in front of them. "That filly came out of a School for All Creatures, don't you know? They are helping other communities to turn Equestria into an united kingdom, just like YOU wanted to... you fucking stupid!"

Nah man, as long as it was sun butt it would have ended the same