Revenge of the Shunned

by Prisoner 24601

The Vision

Firestrand walked the distance of land from the lake to Zecora’s hut several times before actually knowing what he was going to say. New Everfree was a very touchy subject in Ponyville. It was where all the shady criminals and con-stallions hang out. He figured that the subject was also touchy to the natives of the forest itself, possibly giving them the bad reputation they have today. He chose his words very carefully. He would start out all nonchalant, being a bit gloaty about the killing of the Timber Wolf king, and then explain exactly the situation there. But there was one problem: he didn't even know why he was going to New Everfree.

The words just popped up in his head: maybe I should go to New Everfree. Maybe the locals know about the benders of the golden stone. But he didn't know how to get there, so he decided to ask Zecora for directions. Surely she would know where the Capitol city of her own country would be. But he was still short on why he actually had to go. He tried to think if excuses, like maybe he was just curious, but then what would bring that curiosity to his mind? Maybe he needed some materials, but then Zecora could just lend some to him. He thought and thought over in his head, occasionally trying to think of excuses for his excuses, but nothing made sense. So he decided to just go the easiest, most dangerous, and possibly the most unbelievable way out: tell the truth.

The words had been nagging at him ever since he started thinking of excuses for his excuses, but now he actually had to try it. He held his head up high, chest puffed out, and remembered his protocol. He walked through the door to the hut, a wide grin on his face, and leaned against a shelf of plants and spices. Zecora hadn't even noticed hs existence, so she was a little bewildered when she heard the stalli speak up, " Well," he began, with the best hero articulation he could procure, "It's done. He's dead, and that's the end of that. Now I'm the Timber Wolf King." he purposefully tripped on his words and thought them over, "now what does that mean?" he asked.

Zecora was over the shock of this unexpected visitor. Frankly, she didn't believe she would ever see him again. She, in her usual rhymes and riddles, said, "so you have slain the beast? This means you are their king, at very least. But now, my friend, you've found the clue, and now my thoughts, I'll reveal to you. You may be wondering, who are these benders? But I can answer in simple render."

Firestrand wasn't even sure if that last rhyme made sense, and started wondering if Zecora purposefully spoke in riddles, to keep a mysterious feeling around her. By his biggest question was how she even knew about the clue, or whatever she said.

But regardless, Zecora kept talking in rhymes, saying, " to get the answer to your query, you must face, what makes many wary. Deep in the woods, far south of here, lies a town many have come to fear. This town is called, New Everfree, and it's sight alone, kills most's glee."

Now Firestrand was wondering how she knew he needed to get to Everfree, and he didn't even have to say anything more than 'I killed a Timber Wolf.'. He was pretty happy he did 't have to be lame and take the easy way out. He just kept listening to the zebra's rhythmic speaking.

"Once you get to this once happy town, you must start to ask around. Find a party, to soul-forge mountain. There are many trips there, so don't be lounten. Once you reach the Amber halls, you must face the horrific crauls. Find chief Ambersmith goldenhammer, and bring his creation a whopping bammer. There you will find the third prophetic clue, and you will journey to the third mystical crew. Tis is all the help I can give, I hope it's enough to help you live."

Once the zebra stopped talking, Firestrand just lulled over the words in his head. He tried to defuse them from their riddle tombs, but he was still stumped on the word lounten. He wasn't much of a writer, but he was pretty sure Zecora just made that word up. He couldn't tell. He was also confused with the words 'Crauls, and Bammer' but he got the just if what she was saying: he had to get to the Amber halls in Soul-forge mountain so he could kill an Ambersmith, whatever that was, and find the third clue. Simple enough. And he got directions: just go south. He still had one question, though, so he asked out of the silence, "How did you know all this?"

Zecora's head drooped as she said, "My history is something I try to keep inside, but since you are persistent, I'll certainly abide. You see, long ago, when the sun once reached us, we had an argument, and the princess released cruss. Cruss is never ending night, a scourge to all Everfree, and so we made a pact, to restore the glee. If one is to find the five lost clues, then one can bring an end to our blues. And so, we planted the five rhythmic riddles, in hopes that somepony, would crack their brittle. And now there's you, stout to help, and just in time, as we need to ghelp."

Now Firestrand was sure Zecora was making up words for the sake of her rhymes. There was definitely no way the words Cruss and ghelp existed. Nonetheless, Firestrand was satisfied.
*****

After fond farewells to Zecora, Firestrand was on his way south to New Everfree. He automatically had doubts as he glumly walked through the dark woods. His fears got the best of him at times, and he illuminated the dark areas around him, just to see a rat, or lost rabbit. He was wondering how the Ponyville pets even made it in there. If they could get in, why couldn’t he get out? He sighed, and continued his way drearily to New Everfree.

After what seemed like days, the maroon pony came upon something peculiar: a few pieces of charred wood, and bones here and there. But the bones didn’t belong to Everfree monsters; they belonged to ponies. He was horrified as the picture of Basalt’s skeleton, the whole situation that got him in this celestia-forsaken forest, flashed into his mind. To lull his rage, he pelted the small skeleton with flames. Then he looked up, as the light didn’t illuminate a treeline; it illuminated a clearing. This place was full of fallen ruins, both made of wood and stone, and charred skeletons. Firestrand wondered what pony (Besides him, of course) could do this as he walked past the history in motion. Not many ponies knew this, but Firestrand could easily tell what had happened without even looking. The whole thing flashed into his head at once, as he fell to the ground in surprise and shock.

He was not in this lost city. Instead, he was in Ponyville. and he wasn’t really a he. He was a view, almost a fishee in an invisible cloud. He was in somepony’s house. It wasn’t his crummy hotel room, that much he could tell by looking at it. It was fancier. He believed he was in the bedroom. Hs suspicions we confirmed with the sight of a bed behind him. In this bed, he recognized a pony: a blue stallion, in his prime. As he was sprawled over the bedsheets, the vision caught sight of his flank, and Firestrand recognised the pony he was watching a Blues, by his note cutie mark. He was surprised to see that his cloud of vision moved with his thought, and so he sent it through the door to the bedroom. If Blues was there that meant...

Sure enough, his marefriend Roseluck was cooking breakfast. Firestrand could almost smell the delicious bacon and scrambled eggs sizzling in the skillet on their stove. Rose was always up at an early hour, fixing breakfast, doing chores, and catching up on personal time while Blues slept. She didn't feel like he was taking advantage of her, as she did these things out of her own free will. All Blues' day consisted of was kate waking, eating breakfast, watching some TV with Rose, and finally, heading to work at the radio station. He didn't take anything Rose did for granted, though. He complimented every meal, spent as much time with her as possible, and never asked her to do any extra work. If he needed a job done, he did it himself. This is what kept their relationship strang. Anyway, Rose came out of the kitchen, holding a plate in her mouth filled with scrambled eggs and bacon. But she didn't wear her usual smile. She was frowning, obviously gloomy with something. She sat her plate down on the coffee table, and turned on their television. She watched her favorite show: My little human: Bipedalism is Magic. Many put her down for watching a show designed for fillies, but there was another broman that she knew: Lyra. Although, she was on the verge of obsession with the show. She even went to the conventions. Ugh. But Blues supported her.

Firestrand Still wasn't sure why she was gloomy; even the multi-colored, shaded humans didn't cheer her up. His question was answered when he looked out the window. He saw nothing but snow. But not even the good kind of snow. Not the glistening white powder that falls apart in your hooves, perfect for sculpting and melting. No, this was slushy snow. Dark grey, gloppy, and down right depressing in every manner. Then he heard a single name: "Firestrand...". The voice came from a woman, but it wasn't Rose. It sounded like this woman was exhausted, like she'd just given birth, or something, and it wasn't Willow's voice, either. That ruled out every mare he knew, besides Canus, but the voice didn't fit her either. But he couldn't deny that the voice had a certain ting to it in his brain. Like it was something he should know, but was too stupid to figure out. It angered him that he couldn't place the voice, until there was another, far more recognizable male voice, saying, "I like it... Firestrand...kinda got a fearsome feeling to it, don't ya think?"

This was even more confusing. Why would a couple ponies he didn't even know be talking about him? It didn't make sense. He exited the house through the window, discovering that his vision could go through walls. He went through Ponyville, and saw the same snow. More ponies were exiting the streets to the safety of their homes, and the voices continued, "I'm so happy..." the mare said, bringing up tears in her voice.

Then the stallion said, "I couldn't be more so. He's so perfect in every way that... "

Suddenly the conversation stopped as Firestrand saw in his vision that there were two ponies he knew: two small filly Pegasi, but he recognised them in their adult forms: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. This must've been from the past. The two fillies hovered through town, hiding under rain gutters frozen shut, and between toe close houses into an alley. Then the conversation began again, with the mare saying, "Let's go home..." and the stallion replying, "no, we can't. You're still in a lot of stress. Here, I'll take him... "

Then the vision caught something new. It teleported to the Ponyville hospital, where the stallion he assumed to be the one from his voices exiting the door to the street. He held something cradled between his hooves and belly, a small blanket with a dark hole. Out of this hole, he could see a faint glow, and two illuminated red eyes. He immediately recognised this newborn as himself, Firestrand. But then that meant that this stallion was...

...his father.

He tried to shout out to the pony, but he couldn't hear. Then he saw something. A small strand of blue and white hair.

And then it was over. The vision blurred out of existence, and Firestrand awoke still in the ruined civilization. He looked up into the sky, where he saw a bright moon overhead. When he came here, it was daytime. How long was he out? An hour? A day? A week? He was unsure. Instead, he stood again, overwhelmed with this overflow of information, and carried on to New Everfree. He needed to get there soon, as that broken down town spooked him.