Previous Chapters
Close
Watch1,216 words
How1,372 words
I1,773 words

I

"Why do you help all of these ponies?"

"Because it makes me feel good." The Wanderer said. "If they are in need, then it's only fair to spend those extra moments to help out."

Princess Celestia fell silent at that. The two have been trotting for a bit now, the town they left behind nothing but a speck in the distance. It bothered her somewhat that this stallion, dropped everything he was doing, every intention he had, and helped ponies he had never met or even heard about. She didn't even think he knew the name of the town. But, when he announced that they were done, he had this satisfied smile. She just couldn't wrap her head around it.

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you."

"How did you know!?" Celestia demanded. "Do you possess mind-reading talents? It is forbidden to use such magicks without consent!"

"Relax Princess, you're too high strung. I simple looked at your face."

"My...face."

"Yes." He chuckled and adopted a pose. "I possess a forgotten art of an age long past, the art of looking upon a pony's face and discerning everything he would ever need."

"You're being ridiculous, I have lived for much longer than you and I have never heard of such a thing."

"Ah, but have you? Lived, that is."

"Another silly notion. I am positive I have lived more cycles than you have."

"Alright," he had a cocky grin, it infuriated her.

"Fine! How have you lived longer than I, if you claim to only have lived for 600 years?"

"Oh, but I never said that I lived longer. I merely asked if you have lived."

"What is this nonsense you speak of!?"

"What's this? The more annoyed you get, you unconsciously revert to old tongue?" He chuckled, before skipping away, leaving a very flustered mare behind.

"You are infuriating." She pouted.

"I know." He fell silent, but that self-assured smile was still plasted all over his buckable face.

Princess Celestia looked away before that urge became too irresistible. A dead stallion would do her no good. Instead, she cast her gaze over the landscape around them. The rural areas were very different than the climate in and around Canterlot. For one, it was less stuffy and the wildlife looked more wild and natural. It was interesting to say the least.

Then, something caught her attention. A bear, just a bound away from the forest's edge, rose up onto his hindlegs and started scratching his back on a tree. It grumbled with pleasure and the way the bear's paws twitched, Celestia knew the tree was hitting the right spots. She sighed wistfully. A massage would do wonders for her tension right now. Then her eyes floated back to the Wanderer, her shoulders tensed up immediately. She took a calming breath and opened her mouth, perhaps she should try this again.

"Wanderer?"

"Hmm?"

"I have experienced this leaf life, you so treasure, I still do not get it."

The Wanderer sighed, shook his head, then straightened his neck. "Alright, what did we do just now?"

"We visited a village."

"And did what?"

"And helped them weed their garden."

"Why did we do that?"

"Because you asked the mayor if they had any jobs. I don't see how this is relevant."

The Wanderer paused in his wanderings, forcing Celestia to stop as well. He turned to face her and looked her dead in the way. Normally, ponies would have trouble staring royalty in the eye, but this stallion did it like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Princess, you are the sole monarch of this very large country. Surely you can think for just a second and understand what I'm getting at."

"Alright, Wanderer. I shall humor you."

"Right, so let's start at the very beginning. We were walking on a road which happened to lead to that particular village."

"Yes, and then you decided to help, dragging me along."

"But why did I want to help?"

"Because...the settlement appeared to be in disrepair. Many of the wood was old, buildings were falling apart, some were uninhabited."

"Exactly. And then? Where did the wind bring us then?"

"Well...since you wanted to help, the best pony to ask would be the town leader, or the mayor. She said we could help if we pulled up weeds and bad seeds."

"True. And after that?"

"We offered our help again."

"Ah, but you see, something changed with that sentence. The first time you said 'you' as in, I was the sole pony in charge of that situation. In the second situation, you offered as well, hence, the 'we'. Why is that?"

"I...I don't know." Celestia's ears folded, suddenly unsure of herself.

"I don't know either." The Wanderer shrugged before taking off yet again. The Princess scrambled after him.

"How can you not know? This was your idea!"

"Immortal as I may seem, I am still a pony. I am fallible just like everypony else. I am not all knowing, like everypony else. I am prone to exhaustion and other weariness that comes from everyday life. Just. Like. Everypony. Else." The Wanderer chuckled at Celestia's confused expression. "What I'm getting at is that there simply is no simple answer. Why you wanted to help can only be answered by looking within, or perhaps, it is a simple answer. Who knows?"

Celestia pondered that for the next hour.

***

The time for Night had arrived and they were still a day's trot away from the nearest settlement. The two stopped by a large tree and Celestia moved the celestial objects to their proper places. Despite only being with him for two days, Celestia knew what was expected of her and got to work without being asked to. While the Wanderer swept away a space for the two of them, creating a hollow of sorts, she went off the beaten road to look for firewood. She unconsciously started ruffling through the bushes using her hooves and wings, completely forgetting about her horn.

When she returned, she had acquired a healthy supply of wood as well as a berry bush she found on the way back.

"There was no need to take the entire bush." The Wanderer commented, taking the wood and placing them in such a way a campfire would be able to thrive.

"It was an accident...I kicked the bush, thinking the berries would fall off." Celestia explained, embarrassed. "I didn't know what else to do besides bringing the bush with me."

"I see." The Wanderer chuckled then created a spark. The tinder easily caught fire and soon enough, they had a fireplace. "Your bedding is prepared."

"Thank you." Celestia nodded, before lounging on the prepared bed of leaves and moss. 15 days ago, the idea of sleeping outside on nothing but foliage was abhorrent, but now, it felt like luxury. Perhaps the Wanderer had the right idea of wandering for days without end, if comfort has been redefined through exhaustion and work.

"It's a beautiful night." He commented, looking up from the fire. Celestia followed his gaze and took note of the glittering sea of stars. It certainly was beautiful. Then her gaze strayed to the moon, where the mark rested. She sighed and looked back to the fire. What a simple life, fire has. Its purpose for its existence is just to be hot, to burn. Then it would die after all the fuel runs out. "Not a fan?"

"Hmm?" She looked up, although not all the way.

"Not a fan of the night sky?"

"Too...too many memories."

"Hmm, I can imagine. Forced into an impossible position, the winds changing all around you, and then before you know it, all that matters is taken away."

"..." Celestia stayed quiet, not even surprised that he knew.

"After that, well, the only thing that matters after that, is whether or not you decide to live. And by that, I mean enjoy life for what it has to offer."

"It sounds like you've been through this before." Celestia finally said, letting a tear slip past her defences.

"Several times. I'm immortal, remember?" The Wanderer shook his head, his casual smile slipping into a straight line. "I do not grieve, I do not regret, I do not cry. I smile and remember. I remember the good times and the bad times. They may be unpleasant, but they are memories, treasured ones at that. They define who I am, whether I choose to or not. That's what it means to follow the wind, to not fight it. To glide through life, remembering each and every stop with a quiet fondness, to take everything seriously, but in such a way one doesn't appreciate the silliness that life throws as well."

"That...that's something. You have a way with words."

"I suppose." The Wanderer fell to his side, his eyes reflecting the light of the fire, flickering with intensity as well as being playful. "I knew a baboon, crazy guy. He had a way with words to. He said to me once; 'the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.'"

"He sounds like a good friend."

"That he was."

Silence enveloped the two as they gazed up at the stars once more. Now that twilight was over, darkness ruled supreme, coupled with the stars way above. Celestia wondered what they were, those far away beings. Ancestors? Fireflies? Burning hot gas? It didn't really matter, she concluded after a ponder. They can be whatever they want to be.

***

"PRINCESS!"

Celestia jumped up with fright. She had just finished raising the sun when a pegasus crashed landed into the dirt next to her.

"Are you alright?" She asked, gently prodding the poor stallion with her hoof. The Wanderer chuckled and slowly made his way to the fallen pony.

"I'm...I'm great. Yep." The mysterious pegasus said, before collapsing back down. "I've got...I've got a message from...from Raven...gaaaaaah, I am so tired."

"What's the message?"

"I...I...wait, lemme just..." The stallion heaved himself to the left and then unceremoniously flopped onto his back, exposing the exhausted pegasus' face as well as a mail bag. Celestia reached inside with a hoof and withdrew a letter.

After skimming through it quickly, she turned her attention to the Wanderer. He grinned knowingly, bowed graciously, then continued on the road, off into the sunrise.

"Where...where's he going?" The pegasus wheezed out.

"He's following the wind."

"...alright. Well, what are you going to do?" He coughed once, then slumped back into a ragdoll, struggling with his breath.

"My wind has changed directions."

"...what?"

Author's Note:

I has returned from my weeding...literally. I was weeding on the weekend.

79 views

Previous Chapters