Chapter 4
Inside the Jakhowl home of Aurarora, nighttime had arrived. As such, the jakhowls and their guests began to head to the village to get some sleep. One of the few who wasn't heading for it was Heart, who was sitting on a large rock next to one of the streams that flowed through the biome. He wore a giant frown, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the water, the plopping sound doing nothing to lift his mood.
"Problem?" He jumped and turned to see an orange jakhowl elder walking up to him. "You seem upset. Is our home not to your liking?"
"No," Heart sighed as he glanced away, "It looks great. And that's the problem." The elder tilted his head at this, "Its so...perfect. Ace, Mira and Springer...they'll probably stay cuz of it."
"I see," the elder replied as he sat down beside him. "And you don't want them to stay?"
"I don't want them to leave," Heart responded, "If they stay, that means they'll be leaving Ponyville. I'll never get to see them again."
"Ah...I understand." The elder slowly nodded, "I know how you feel. I can tell that many of the jakhowls here are curious to see the outside world, especially after seeing the memories of your friends. I fear that they'll leave and chose to never return."
Heart's head shifted back to him at this, "Yeah...I guess so. I mean, you could come and move into Ponyville. I'm sure we could find a place you could all live." The elder frowned at him. "What? It'd be great! There's a canyon near the town you could move into. We could dig out the walls into cave homes for you or maybe build large houses for you if you prefer that. The canyon can get big in places, so it'd be able to house you all without issue. You could still be together and be within walking distance of the town."
"As charming as that sounds, I doubt you could convince an entire population to simply abandon their home. As nice as your home appeared in the Aura-Scape, it is not where we belong. And as scared as I am for the younger, less experienced jakhowls' adventurous sides, I doubt everyone will leave."
Heart looked away again, letting out another sigh, "It's not fair. I've lost so many ponies already. My parents. My first home." His anger rose at the memory of a certain somepony, "Her. Now I'm gonna lose Ace, who's like a brother to me. Mira can be fun, and Springer's helped me just as much as Flash is. And now they're gonna be gone."
"You must not think your friendship with them is that strong," the elder instantly said, Heart's head whipping back to him, "if it were then you wouldn't be so worried about losing them. Them staying here wouldn't stop you from being friends, would it?"
"Wha-no!" Heart shook his head, "But I might not get to see them again!"
"I doubt that would happen. I saw how close those jakhowls are to those in this kingdom. Even if they chose to stay here, they probably wouldn't want to stay the rest of their lives. We jakhowls have been trapped in this place for a hundred and fifty years. Now that we're free, I suspect some will explore this world the best they can. And one of those places will likely be your home."
"So you think they'll come back?"
"If they feel there's a reason to come back. So don't go getting grumpy around them, or they'll think you don't care."
Heart opened his mouth at that, only to close it. He thought back to everything recently, noticing he probably hadn't been very fun to be around, so Ace and Mira might not want to be there with him. But they might still want to be around Soul and the others, so there was still a chance. "Thanks," Heart flared his wings at this before looking back at the elder, "What's your name again?"
The elder chuckled at this, "Name's Core. It was nice to meet you." Heart nodded and took off, leaving Core to sigh as he leaned back and stared at the light glowing crystal ceiling. For some strange reason, talking to that colt had removed his own fears. He was sure now that the jakhowls would return. They would spread out and enjoy the world, but this would always be where they called home.
Twilight hummed as she studied the rock she had picked up, using her magic to examine it and nod. She was currently in a hut that the jakhowls had offered them all, which wasn't much better than the rest of the buildings in the village. But it was better than nothing, and they were willing to accept that. The hut was a single room illuminated by a small crystal that apparently came off the one up above them. It seemed the crystal was continuously growing, but pieces on the end tended to break off, the tree catching them all before they could hit anyone below, and the jakhowls used these crystals as temporary light sources during the night.
Twilight wasn't the only one there. Spike, Flash, Soul, Ace and Mira were also there, Ace and Mira telling Soul all about what they had learned and Soul was doing the same, telling them about their discovery of the umbrum being the ones that sealed the jakhowls. Flash was simply sitting against the wall of the hut, while Spike was finishing a letter to Celestia that Twilight had asked him to write. And as Twilight continued to study the rock, she put her hoof to her chin as a smile appeared on her face.
"I got it." she spoke up, "I know how long the jakhowls have been sealed away."
"You do?" Ace asked as they all turned to the alicorn.
Twilight nodded. "Yup. The age difference in the two rock sides is roughly one thousand three hundred and fifty years, give or take a decade or two. That means whatever spell was used to seal them away made time in here run ten times as slowly."
Flash tilted his head at that, "So...like a hundred and fifty years passed in here, fifteen hundred years passed outside?"
"That's right. Very good Flash." Twilight giggled, "Looks like teaching math has helped you learn it."
"Oh, stop it." Flash grumbled as the others all laughed, "Anyways, you're saying their...what, five hundred something years older than Springer's tribe was?"
Twilight nodded back, "Yes. But that also means they are five hundred years younger than the jakhowls in the Lost City, give or take."
Flash glanced down at Ace and Mira, "Looks like you two are still the oldest jakhowls we know."
The pair laughed at this as Twilight put the rock away. "I'm sure Sirius will want to know this. But we should probably get some sleep and tell him in the morning." They all nodded while Flash looked out a nearby window, wondering where Springer and Heart was.
He got one answer when Heart arrived at the hut, stepping through the door. "Hey everypony," he muttered out.
Flash frowned at him, "You okay?"
"Um...I think so." Heart nodded as Ace and Mira turned to him, "Sorry. Guess I let my emotions get the better of me." He then walked up to Ace and Mira, suddenly hugging both. The sight made them all blink, Soul then slinging her hoof around her brother.
Meanwhile...
Springer was at the bottom of the tree, leaning against one of the large roots as he stared at the sights around him. As he did this, he sensed a presence, making him turn to see Mirage. "You should be getting some rest. You've had a long day."
"Could say the same for you," Springer replied, "I know from experience that teaching Ace and Mira isn't easy. You were able to get Mira to learn the basics of that move in a single day. Took me months to teach them the Aura Blast."
"That is always the hardest one to learn," Mirage responded, "Though from what I saw, you were able to do it from the moment you were hatched." Springer shrugged at this as Mirage looked over at the same dark landscape he was staring at. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Its amazing," Springer chuckled in a low, deep tone, "I...I've dreamed of a place like this for so long. A place where I could meet others of my kind." Mirage saw the frown appear on his face, a tired expression creeping onto him as he added, "When I received Ace and Mira's eggs...I was so overwhelmed. I couldn't believe there was a chance for our race." He put a paw to his temple at this, "And now I'm here. Its so amazing and...I still can't believe it. Heck, I'm worried that any minute now I'm gonna wake and find it was all a dream."
"Well, it isn't." Mirage chimed, "You...you're not the last of your kind anymore. And we're gonna need you to help us get used to the outside world."
Springer blinked at her at this, a bit of surprise showing in his expression, "You saw my memories," he slowly said, "You've seen everything I've seen."
"That's not the same as experiencing it." She glanced away this, now staring at the ceiling of the biome, "Seeing those memories of yours...it made me realize just how much in the dark we are about this world." She looked back at him, "I know I was...rough at our first meeting, but after seeing those memories...I'm starting to understand what us jakhowl need to do next. We need to learn as much as we can."
Springer nodded at this, "I understand. And I want to help you all with that. Though uh...I need help too." Mirage raised an eyebrow. "I...don't know anything about jakhowl culture other than the Aura Blast is meant to be the first thing we learn." Springer lightly laughed as he showed her a small smile, "If I help you all learn about the outside world, can you teach me everything that makes a jakhowl a...well, a jakhowl?"
Mirage smiled and nodded, only for a bulb to go off in her head. "Come with me for a second." She gestured for him to follow, the jakhowl soon cutting into a sprint, Springer flinching for a second before following.
Flash laid beside Twilight as they all slept away, though he was still awake. Heart had asked Ace and Mira to come visit them if they chose to stay in Aurarora, surprising the pair since they weren't even sure if they were actually staying. Twilight told them they would talk about this in the morning when they could bring Springer into the conversation After that, Spike had finished off the letter telling Celestia everything they had learned. It would likely not be until morning that they got an answer, so the they chose to go to sleep. But Flash couldn't seem to drift off for some reason. He simply laid there, thinking about what Heart had said about them staying there.
He imagined what life in Ponyville would be like if Springer chose to stay in Aurarora and it caused his stomach to churn. Springer had been his partner for so long, he didn't know what life with him gone would be. He couldn't help but feel uncertain.
"Flash." the pegasi's ears perked up as he sat up. "Flash." He quickly realised that he wasn't hearing someone talk. They were talking into his head. A jakhowl was communicating with him. "Come to me." The voice was feminine and Flash slowly got up, being careful not to wake Twilight or the others as he headed for the exit. "This way. Turn left and go down the street."
Flash followed the voice, wondering who was calling him, but not feeling anything in the voice that told him to be wary. All he could do was follow the instructions and make his way through the village.
Mirage had led Springer through the biome until they reached an area at the very back of the cavern, where a small forest could be found. Springer hadn't really noticed it before since its position had shielded it from sight behind the central tree. "I thought you said that tree was the only source of wood?" He asked as he followed Mirage.
"These woods are special," she replied, "We do not cut the trees down because of what they are."
"What they are?" Springer raised an eyebrow and stared at the trees. He noticed the trunks had a series of patterns in the wood, but they didn't look like they had been carved into it. Instead, it was as if the trees had grown with these patterns on them. And when he placed a paw on it, he suddenly felt something connect with him. It was like his aura had been grabbed by another.
"Can you feel it?" Mirage asked, "The pull of the ancients?"
"Pull...of the ancients?" He could feel this new aura connecting with his, and a part of him told him to pull away, but he had a feeling he didn't need to worry. Instead, he allowed his aura to flow. When he did, the markings on the tree suddenly started glowing. He gasped at this as the light flowed through the entire tree and caused it to light up.
That included the roots, and it quickly spread to the next tree, then another and another. Springer could only watch in amazement as the entire forest was consumed by a soft blue glow that made him feel something. In a split second, it was as if uncountable number of voices were whispering in his head. That many voices should have been impossible to understand and distinguish from one another, but he found that if he concentrated, he could make out what the voices were saying.
"What is this?" He asked as he pulled his paw away from the tree as Mirage continued to walk through the woods.
"Do you know what your tribe did with their dead when they passed away?" Springer tilted his head at this, only for Mirage to continue, "If they were anything like us, they would have burnt their dead and scattered them around the base of trees like this."
"Wait..." Springer glanceed around, "Is this a graveyard?"
Mirage shook her head, "I wouldn't call it that. When a jakhowl dies, the aura they wielded infuses itself into the body. This creates an echo of who they were in life, containing all their knowledge and wisdom for a limited time. If left, that echo fades and their wisdom is lost forever. But if the body is cremated and the ashes fed to these trees within seventy-two hours of death, the echo will become a part of the tree and its memory shall remain as part of the forest."
"Wow..." Springer whispered, "I had no idea jakhowls could leave something like that behind." He then put a paw to his chin, remembering how Shade told him that Tricksters transferred memories through runes, only to look up at the trees and think that this could be the jakhowls' version of that. 'Did my tribe do that? Is there a forest out there somewhere that holds our memories? I mean, I know what happened to mom and dad, so they might not have left anything...though considering today, any miracle can happen.'
Those thoughts were put on hold in his head as he continued to follow Mirage, only to see her stop at a glowing tree. She put her paw against it along with her forehead. "This is where we spread my mother's ashes." Springer hadn't been expecting that, but he probably should have expected it given he hadn't seen a female jakhowl like Mirage anywhere.
"I'm sorry," was all Springer could say. "I...uh...well...how did it happen?" He instantly flinched at his words, unable to believe he actually asked that. He hit himself on the forehead as she wasn't looking, but stood normal as Mirage turned to him.
"When I was young, sickness infected the village." Springer had a feeling he didn't need to know anymore, but she continued. "My mother caught it along with a few others. It wasn't widespread, but it was enough to...to take them from us." She looked down. "Our healers did everything they could, but the illness was too much for them. My mother and several others died."
"I'm sorry," Springer repeated as he moved over to place his paw on the tree next to Mirage's. He once again felt the tug of his aura, wondering if her mother was communicating with him. "I never got to really know my parents. Even though I've managed to meet memories of them a few times, I never got to know them. Luna told me stories about my dad and Ruby has talked to me about my mom...but it's not the same. I guess since I didn't know them, I can't really miss them like you can."
Mirage once again put her head against the tree. "I was really young when she died, but I remember so much. When we used to swim in the river and play. Her brushing my fur. Looking after me when I got hurt. She was amazing." She looked like she was about to start crying. "I shouldn't be so upset. It's not like I lost both my parents."
"Did that happen?" Springer asked.
Mirage nodded, "Razor Fang." Springer grimaced at this, "He lost both his parents to the illness. He wasn't the nicest pup before then, but after that...he got a lot worse." Springer sighed at this, knowing what that meant.
"I see..."
Flash continued to follow the voice as it lead him through the village, only to walk into a small hut. He glanced inside, only to find it was illuminated by a single light source. A crystal ball sitting on a stone table, glowing with aura energy. Sitting behind the table was the elder, Crystal Clair, who didn't even look up at him and was constantly staring at the orb.
"Welcome," she slowly said, "I've been expecting you."
"You have?" Flash asked, "Did you see that in the future?"
She shook her head, "No. I was the one that called you here."
"Oh." Flash let out a hum before sitting down on the other side of the table, Clair continuing to look into the crystal orb. "Why did you call me here?"
"I can sense great uncertainty within you," Clair replied, "You worry for the future, do you not?"
"How could I not," Flash sighed, "Springer might stay here. I'm happy he found this place, and I know he'd be happy here, and I know I have no right to try and stop him from staying, but...I don't know. Springer and I have been partners for so long. He was there beside me whenever I faced off against my biggest challenges. I could always trust he'd be there when I need him. But now that he might stay here...I guess I'm just nervous about the future."
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," Clair nodded. "I understand. You two have relied on one another for so long, that it would feel like separating you both would make whatever challenges you both faced in the future a thousand times harder." Flash nodded back, "I saw how strong your connection is through the Aura-Scape. But you must be careful. A connection can become a shackle if you rely too heavily on it. While you two together are clearly a near unbeatable team, you must not let yourself become too reliant on that team, or you will find that when the two of you are not together, you are unable to stand against even the weakest of opponents."
"I know that," Flash replied. "I've faced that harsh reality many times before."
"But it is not just the future without your friend I can sense you are uncertain about. What else do you worry about?"
Flash flinched at this, a memory bubbling to surface as he remembered when he was given a glimpse into his student's future and by extension, his own. "I...I got to learn a bit about the future a while back. I was told that it's a great future, but...I'm not in it. Knowing something like that is coming is..."
"I see," Clair nodded, "So, you wish to learn about the future?"
"I...don't know," Flash slowly said, "I've seen where that road takes you. My friend, Twilight, once got a glimpse into her future. And when she saw it, she became so terrified by it that she almost drove herself crazy trying to change it. But that just led her to make that future happen anyway."
"Yes. One often finds their destiny on the road they take to avoid it."
"Can you please say something that I wouldn't find in a fortune cookie?" Flash asked.
"I have a suggestion," Clair pointed at the orb, "My abilities to see the future can be spread to others. Place your hoof on the orb and I will allow you to get a glimpse into your most likely future."
"Most likely future?" Flash asked, "What are you talking about?"
"The future is constantly in flux. Every decision we make can have a drastic effect on it. The simplest choice can have a big impact. Being at a crosswalk and deciding to go left could result in you becoming the richest pony in the world, but choosing to go right could make you a bit-less pauper. There are a hundred decisions to make between that choice and the outcome, but that single choice can affect how the future plays out."
"So you're saying that what you show me could happen, but then I could make a choice that could make it impossible?"
"Exactly," Clair nodded, "My ancestor was the most powerful seer in our tribe. Only she could see something that was set in stone. But I only have the power to see what will happen based on the past and present. So, if you don't like what you see, you can be sure that there's a chance it can still be undone. So, what do you say? Care to take a glimpse into your possible future?"
Flash sat in silence for a moment, wondering if he should tempt fate by seeing what was coming. What if it was all good and seeing it would make that good future never happen? But what if it was also horrible and the only way to stop it was to see it coming. Weighing his odds, Flash eventually nodded. "Let's do this."
Clair nodded and reached out to touch the orb, Flash doing the same. As soon as they were both touching the orb, Clair spoke, "Look into the sphere. Do not think and simply let your mind drift as you stare into it."
Flash did so, staring at the swirling light within the orb and trying his best not to think of anything. He simply followed the lights as they moved in random directions around the orb, unknowingly falling into some kind of dream state. Eventually, everything except the light disappeared, and Flash found his mind being pulled into the light. And in the blink on an eye, he was no longer in the hut.
Instead, he found himself standing in a void of the light inside the orb. "Did it work?" He glanced around, but saw nothing but the light around him, "Clair?" She didn't answer, Flash blinking in response before something began to appear out of the light in front of him.
It was a structure of some kind. One he felt he recognized. The light had turned into a fog that was slowly receding, allowing him to get a better look at the building that was coming into view. And as he moved closer, his eyes went wide as he realized what it was. "No..." he whispered, "It can't be."
It was the Castle of Friendship, but it was in ruins. The tree-like building had been completely knocked down, the trunk of it lying shattered around the building as the structure on top now lay upon the ground and had large holes in the walls while the star-shaped top was hanging from the building with many cracks and missing pieces. Flash couldn't believe what he was seeing, and things only got worse as more of the fog slowly faded away. He turned to see that the School of Friendship was also nothing but rubble in the side of a hill. "How could this happen?" He spun in the direction of the town and saw that more fog was fading, allowing him to fly toward Ponyville. And as he did this, he was greeted to the same sight as the castle and school.
The whole place was a wreck. Not a single building was left standing. Town Hall, Sugarcube Corner, Rarity's Boutique. They had all been destroyed. This wasn't a town anymore. It was a battlefield.
"Why?!" Flash asked, "Who did this?!" And as he yelled this, the pegasi spun around to see a new figure in the fog. "Who's there?" He reached for his sword, only to realize he didn't have it in this dream. "Show yourself!" The figure didn't need to move, for the fog around them began to disappear. And as it receded, Flash went wide-eyed, "Void..."
The one previously known as Shadow Corrupter stood before him, looking just as crazy and enraged as the last time he had seen him. Flash thought he had died when Heart blasted him, but it seemed it was all for naught. "Did you do this?!" The defender yelled, "What did you do to Ponyville?!" Void said nothing, "Answer me!"
In that moment, Void's form began to shift. It began to glitch and morph, only for a black mist to cover it as it took a new shape. And when the fog began to fade again, Flash saw a new pony appear within it. A pony he had never seen, but recognized instantly. Himself.
It was a bleach gray version of him, with short blue hair and eyes of red and green. "You...you're the version of me Twilight and Starlight met. The one from another timeline. What are you doing here?"
But as he asked this, Flash's form changed again. It reshaped itself into another pony, another Flash. This Flash looked more like the real one, only his coat and mane weren't as bright. His cutie mark was different, the shield being yellow with a blue lightning bolt over it. Flash knew he didn't recognize this one, but the cowardly look on his face made the Royal Knight uncomfortable.
That is, till the pony changed into another villain from Flash's past: Shake Shocker. He was then replaced by Big Score, then Rickashay, then Boulder, Electra, Doom Raizer, Banshee and Storm Blade. Almost every serious villain that Flash had ever faced before. And after Storm, they changed back into Void before switching back to dark Flash.
"What the-what the heck is happening here?!" He yelled, "I just fought a bunch of these mooks recently! Why are you showing me this?! Heck, who are you and why did you do this?! ANSWER ME!" But the villain didn't answer, instead just exploding into a cloud of darkness that shot toward him. Flash gasped as he tried to fight back, but the cloud struck him before he could and everything went dark.
The next thing Flash knew, he was back in Clair's hut, staggering back and falling to the floor. The jakhowl raised her head from the orb, now sensing a great deal of fear within him. "Are you alright?" Flash began to pant, his heart racing a mile a minute. He took several deep breaths before controlling his breathing. The defender soon got up and sat back down in front of her. "What did you see?"
"I...I saw my home...in ruins. Not a single building was left standing, and...all my friends were gone."
"Was there anyone else there? The one that caused it?" A look of uncertainty appeared on his face as he looked down at the floor.
"There was. A villain I thought was dead. But then...then he changed into somepony else. Another villain. One I've never seen, but heard about. Then he changed again, and again and again. It was the same figure, but they kept changing." Clair just stared at him as he glanced back up at her, "What does this mean?"
"I don't know. I've never heard of a vision like that before. I can't be sure what it means. I can only guess."
"I'm willing to take a guess if it helps me figure out what's going on."
Clair nodded back, "It's possible that while the event you saw is likely to happen, the one there during that event is still unclear."
"So Ponyville's gonna be destroyed?!" Flash yelped.
"It's likely. As I said, simply seeing it in my orb could have changed the events of it happening. Or, it could have set those very events into motion. The future is difficult to understand. But like I said, the figure you said is still in flux."
"So any of them could cause the destruction?"
"Maybe. Or maybe they have nothing to do with what happens to your home. Can you honestly say that any of the ones you saw have the power to destroy an entire town?" Flash crossed his hooves at this, thinking about each one. Void could definitely destroy the town if he found a way to regain his former power. The evil version of him probably could as well, same with Doom Raizer. Banshee and Electra...maybe, same with Shake Shocker. But Score and his group couldn't do that, even if they worked together. The same with that other Flash he saw, though he was still curious about him.
"No," Flash shook his head, "Not all of them."
"So there's a chance they have nothing to do with the destruction. Another problem with seeing my visions is you have no idea when in the future this could take place. It could happen tomorrow, or twenty years from now. Anything between now and then could happen to destroy your home and it would be out of your control."
"I guess," Flash sighed, "I was hoping seeing the future that would make me feel better, but this is just making me feel worse."
"So, what will you do now?"
"I'm...not sure. I should tell Twilight what I saw, but then she'd go nuts trying to do every little thing to stop it. No," he shook his head, "I'll keep this to myself...for now. And if I think something that caused that future is about to happen, then I'll tell her and the rest of my friends."
Clair nodded and Flash got up, giving her his thanks before stepping out of the hut. And when he was gone, Clair felt her own curiosity get the better of her and looked into the orb, focusing on Flash's future for herself. Doing so caused a vision to appear in the sphere. This image was of Flash, surrounded by a bunch of ponies carrying strange looking weapons much like his sword.
Those ponies were all lying on the ground, looking like they were in a great amount of pain. Flash showed nothing but fear on his face for them, only to look up at another figure. This figure was surrounded in darkness, its identity hidden as she saw Flash charge forward before being surrounded by light.
The vision then ended, making her gasp. She had never seen such a thing, but she knew whatever was going to happen to Flash, it was going to be big. And she could only hope he would have the strength to overcome it.
Springer and Mirage continued to stand by the tree her mother was buried under, both standing in silence as they paid their respect to the jakhowls of old. And after a bit, Mirage spoke up, "Do you think the ponies could have helped them if we weren't sealed away in here?"
Springer went wide-eyed at the question, only to glance away, "Um...maybe. I guess it depends on what the sickness was. Pony medicine is pretty good, although I've never been to a doctor."
"You never had any kind of medical check-up?"
"Oh, I have. But it was done by a vet."
"A what?"
"It's a doctor, but they focus on animals. And since our anatomy is closer to a dog then a pony, Ace, Mira and I have been relying on her to keep us healthy."
"I see." Mirage let go of the tree and moved away. "I hope these Princesses you told us about are willing to send some of these vets here to help us. I don't want anyone to lose their family like I did."
Springer nodded back, "They will. The princesses care about all creatures that live in Equestria, even if they're not ponies. And Luna has a special love for our race." He stepped in front of her and smiled, "The ponies only want to help us. If you believe only one thing I'm saying, it's that. The ponies are our friends."
The pair stared into each other's eyes, only for Mirage to nod, "I believe you. And not just about the ponies. I believe you about everything." She spun around and stared to walk away, Springer moving with her. "You...Mira and Ace. I'm glad you came. Came to help us find our place in this world."
"No problem," Springer chuckled.
"But..." Mirage turned back to him, "Will you stay?" Springer blinked at this, "You clearly love the home you managed to find with the ponies, but if what I saw in your memories is true...Aurarora needs you here. I know my father will not force you to stay, but I hope you do. I believe you have much to teach us, and we can teach you just as much. You three would be welcomed here."
Springer glanced away at this, the thoughts of staying here and saying goodbye to his life in Ponyville now entering his head. To stop being a Defender of the Peace, and to all the friends he made that he never got the chance to say goodbye to. "I...don't know yet," he sighed, "I'll need to think about it some more."
Mirage nodded as they reached an area of the forest that had a waterfall. The liquid was flying out a hole ten meters up, pooling down into a small lake below it and rolling into a stream that connected to several others. "This is where I come to be alone," Mirage moved over to the side of the water and sat down. "It's such a beautiful spot."
"Sure is," Springer sat down next to her. They both smiled as they looked out at the water, which was reflecting some of the light from the crystal. Springer didn't know if he was going to stay, but he definitely would want to come back to this incredible place.
The pair simply sat there, both beginning to tell the other about their own worlds. And before they knew it, the duo were laughing and joking well into the night, telling crazy stories between the two. But as they did this, a certain jakhowl was standing behind a tree.
Razor Fang glared at the two, having heard everything Mirage had told the outsider about their tribe. "This is going too far. I have to stop this...now."
And with that, he walked away with a snarl on his face.
The next morning...
As soon as the sun was up, or the crystal glowed brighter, Sirius had called the elders, Mirage and their guests to the Tree of Ancients. Ace, Mira and the twins were playing with some more young jakhowls, so the adults decided to let them keep having fun.
And as they met, Chrome told everyone about what they had discovered the previous day. "Umbrum?" Springer asked, turning to Flash. "The umbrum are the ones who sealed the jakhowls away?"
"Yup," Flash nodded. "We're sure of it. Their wall of memories has a pretty good painting of them sealing the jakhowls inside the mountain."
"So it wasn't ponies who were our enemies all those years ago?" Clair asked, the others nodding as Spike asked another question.
"Do you think they're the same umbrum that are trapped under the Crystal Empire?"
Twilight tilted her head at that, "It's possible. According to my analysis, you've been gone for fifteen hundred years. The Crystal Empire was lost a thousand years ago, and from what Sombra told us, he did what he did because of the umbrum that were trapped under the Empire. But since we don't know how long they were trapped for, we can't be certain."
"What exactly are these...umbrum?" Core asked, "Do you know where they came from?"
"Yeah," Flash nodded. "But it's...complicated." The jakhowl's expressions told him they were willing to listen. "Okay, so the world was created by two powerful entities. The Sacred Light and Corrupted Shadow." The jakhowls seemed surprised by this, not having learned about this during their Aura-Scape with Springer. "They created everything you see. Whenever one created something, the other would create its exact opposite to keep the world in balance."
"Does that include us?" Sirius asked, Flash nodded.
"Yup. I'm told the jakhowls were a particular favorite of the Sacred Light." They all smiled at that, "And in contrast, the Corrupted Shadow made the Tricksters to keep everything in balance. Then, they chose to live in the world they created. To do that, they made forms for themselves to inhabit. The Original Alicorn and Original Umbrum. And from them, the pony and umbrum race came into being."
"Interesting," Sirius replied, "And you're saying these umbrum are now gone?"
Twilight nodded again. "There are some sealed under the Crystal Empire, but other than that, we're pretty sure they've all died out."
"Good," Sirius respodned, "Then we don't have to worry about them attacking us again. I guess it's a good thing the seal lasted as long as it did."
Twilight then took something out to show them. A scroll. "Actually, Princess Celestia thinks she knows why you've been freed at this time. You might actually owe your freedom to a criminal." Everyone blinked at this as she continued, "When you looked into Springer and the pup's memories, did you see what happened with a pony named Cozy Glow?"
"Yes," Sirius nodded, "She attempted to take control of the kingdom by getting rid of all magic."
"And it's possible that by doing that, she sucked away the magic in the seal. I'm willing to bet that's when the rock trapping you began to give away. It broke apart just enough so that when the magic returned, the seal was too badly damaged to become re-enchanted. After that, it was just a matter of time before the seal broke completely and you were free."
"So...something good did come out of Cozy almost destroying the world," Flash sighed and shook his head, "Who knew?"
"I see." Sirius slowly said, "Does your princess say anything else?"
Twilight nodded and unrolled the scroll. "She says she and Luna are both happy you're back and excited to meet you, if you wish to meet with her. She's also confirmed what we suggested about you becoming official Equestrian Citizens. You'll be granted all the land in the surrounding area to do with as you please, offered any kind of aid that you want or need, and be offered full membership into the United Federation of Creatures."
"This is sounding too good to be true," the green jakhowl elder chimed in, "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Indeed Cress...but I think this is something we should try. It is an excellent opportunity to re-establish the jakhowls into the world." He turned back to Twilight, "Tell your princess I look forward to meeting her whenever she is able to discuss the finer details." Twilight nodded and took out another piece of paper and quill to write just that. "Which leaves us with just one thing left to discuss."
He turned to Springer, the jakhowl flinching at his stare, "What?"
"I can sense you're feeling conflicted. And I have a feeling I know why. You are unsure about remaining here or returning to the home you have spent your entire life in." Springer went wide-eyed at this, only for Sirius to add, "I can understand. The ponies have treated you well. I can see why you wouldn't want to stay goodbye to them."
"Er...yeah," Springer turned to Flash and Twilight, "It's hard to chose."
"Well, it's obvious which one you should choose," Sirius told him. "Both."
"Huh?" The group looked back at him, the elder laughing at their confused expressions.
"You said the ponies have the power to transport themselves great distances in a matter of moments, did you not?" They nodded back, "Well, then you shouldn't have any problems coming back and forth from here and this Ponyville."
"Wait..." Twilight leaned back at this, "You want us to set up a Rune Gate so Springer, Ace and Mira can come and go as they please."
"Why not? Is it difficult to create one of these gates?" Twilight shook her head, "Then I see no reason why Springer can't use one to come and go as he pleases. We won't need him here all the time. He can stay here a few days and help us get acclimated to this world, then return to your home and spend time doing whatever he needs to do there. I think that should be a perfect method for him, wouldn't you?"
They all turned to Springer, seeing tears almost appear in his eyes, "It is. Thank you."
"My pleasure," Sirius smirked, "You have been through a lot in your life. More than any jakhowl I have ever seen. You lost your first family before you even hatched, so it wouldn't be right of us to make you abandon your second family." They all smiled at him as Sirius took a deep breath. "I think that's enough for now. You still have much more of our home to enjoy. And maybe you'll be willing to take a group of our best jakhowl fighters out to show them the surrounding area. If we will be gifted this land, we'll need to know about every inch of it."
They all nodded and got up, all but Sirius leaving the tree. Once the last of them were gone, Sirius let out a long sigh. He was glad he had lived to see this time. His daughter would get to enjoy the outside world and peace between his home and the ponies was a certainty. He couldn't wait to see the world himself. "I hope I get the chance to see this Crystal Empire they were talking about."
But as he said this, he slowly got up as he felt something. He walked over to the exit and glanced outside, only to see nothing. "Hmm?" He stepped back inside, only to sense the presence again. And as he felt this, his mouth was suddenly covered before a surge of pain shot through his back and all the way through his body before splitting out his stomach.
"You old fool." The voice made his eyes go wide, only for the weapon stabbing his stomach was pulled out, making him fall over. The elder slowly turned his head at this, now seeing Razor standing over him. "The jakhowls don't need you ruining their lives." He kneled down in front of him and took something out. A cloth. "Those ponies will destroy us unless we destroy them first. But a weakling like you would rather bow down to them and become their slave. Well, I won't let you bring our noble clan down."
"Razor," he coughed as he felt blood fill his mouth, "Don't do this."
"It's over," Razor hissed, "War is coming, and I'm gonna be the one to lead us to victory."
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Well... Sh*t
Will Springer and Mirage get together in this series?
Look like Razor Fang is the Big Bad of the story after what he did to Sirius.
It's nice to see Springer and Mirage developed their bond. (Through, that may be threatened by Razor's action)
I am surprised there's a blood in this story since the rating is E and I don't know if I know any story with E that have blood on it.
Here's highlights
Core got a point, if Heart act grumpy all the time, Ace and Mira might wouldn't come back to Ponyville (for him at least)
Awww…. After what happened with Cozy, Heart really need a hug.
Look like Flash's not the only one about being conflicted regarding Springer staying in Aurarora.
Oh great, not him!
If that's not enough for Razor to be Big Bad, I don't know cause this guy is definitely Strong Strike 2.0 as he went too far by killing Sirius (Mirage's only living relative and her dad) and about to blame this on Ponies.
Why do every tribes always have that Xenophobic guy? Fangpire, Strong Strike and Razor Fang?
What nooooooo I liked Sirius, damn you jackass!!!!
I knew things were going too well, whatever happens to jackass I hope it hurts, 10 times over!
On the other stuff I'm glad Heart got some much needed comfort after all the crap from S8 finale, not to mention a glimpse into the possible future Flash needs to deal with & a preview of what I think it's gonna be S9 Legion of Doom!
And now some Highlights before the incoming fight! :
Young Royal Knight trainee needed this, I approve!
Ladies & Gentlemen.............introducing S9 Legion of Doom!
You rotten piece of crap! You're going down Jackass!!
Looking forward to Springer taking this false king down next time, till then Banshee!!!
A lot of fun stuff here. I liked how Springer spent more time with Mirage and she was able to show him their version of burial grounds, while explaining more of their culture through cremating their dead. I think it is slowly becoming clear that Mirage is meant to be a love-interest for Springer, and I love their interactions here as they slowly bond.
Then there is Flash visiting Crystal Clair, and her speaking to him about what his future has in store for him. It was certainly a lot to take in, and all the villains Flash saw almost feels like they could be members of the Legion of Doom in the next story and Season 9. Void and the Evil Flash being among them is certainly a red flag, but I'm a bit unsure as to why Mean Flash is there, since he didn't seem that evil on his own and the last we saw of him was him deciding to live his life instead of trying to get revenge. It is also a bit interesting that the canon members of the Legion of Doom (Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow) weren't seen in his vision. I guess we'll just have to wait a little bit longer and see.
But then, we get that bombshell of an ending. Right as it seems everything is going okay and an alliance between the Jakhowls and Ponies is as good as established, that bastard Razor seemingly murdered Sirius! I knew he was going to be the Big Bad of the story! He's been looking for a fight ever since Springer and the others arrived, and now he's deluding himself into thinking he's doing what's right by murdering one of his own. I don't know what he is planning to do next, but he is probably going to frame the ponies and Springer for Sirius' death. Hopefully they can prove they all have alibis though, and their interactions with the other Jakhowls in Aurarora will help convince everyone of their innocence.
This is adorable. In a way it is similar to why I love pairing Spike and Ember together, Spike teaches her about friendship and she teaches him about dragon customs. Same basic thing here, Springer can teach Mirage and the others about the outside world and she can teach him more about Jakhowls.
Yeah, Jean de La Fontaine said something similar to that once, though I remember it best from Master Oogway.
This totally counts as a date. You can't say it doesn't.
Like Captain America once said, “Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time." Razor proves it right here. Though it is pretty clear that Razor is only doing this for himself, because he's deluded to think he is the leader the prophecy foretold. But if anything, he's just making himself into the threat.
Man I can’t wait for the next chapter
Is anyone else getting “Surf and/or Turf” flashbacks? Also the Jakhowl graveyard reminds me of the “Tree of Voices” from Avatar
Oh it is coming, only because you're being a paranoid psychopath and an egomaniac, Razor.
Oh shoot! Please tell me that Flash had Lightbringer on his person the whole time. A frame-up is the last thing those guys need to be dealing with.
Also, I knew things were going too smoothly for them not to suddenly go south.