A Trip to the Zebra Homeland
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
― Gautama Buddha, Sayings Of Buddha
For several weeks Greymane traveled to the southern shore line near Eternity's Crossing in a little area called Brittle Shores, though he was a three week distance from Stableside on the city's eastern side by hoof Greymane knew that he would need passage to the Homeland of the Zebras by boat. Though Xiuhtecutli had often said that it would be wiser, as well as easier, to simply teleport him. Greymane however, felt that it was better to travel as he was simply because he wanted to track down any information on the Order of Balance. For the time being he knew that word of his death would soon make its way across the world, he wanted to use this to his advantage and catch a single scout off guard in the hopes he can get some information. Over the years he had returned they were careful enough not to draw any of his attention to them, and Greymane felt this was strange. He knew that they would go into hiding but their leader was not beyond causing a bit of chaos to draw Greymane out; but his continued silence since his return, as well as after his assumed death, was only making him worry that the Order was going to do something on a much larger scale.
As he arrived at the coast line in the early hours before the sun rise he found signs of an old fishing village that had been abandoned, though its dock showed signs that it had been used in the recent years. As the sun started to rise he could barely make out the mast of a ship as a dense thick fog came rolling in along side it, looking at the ship he could barely see some glowing horns and the occasional pegasi telling him they were using the weather to their advantage. And that tolled Greymane he stood a chance of remaining unseen by the public for just a little while longer. As they docked Greymane used the fog the pegasi had brought in to walk up to them unnoticed. As he neared their ship he could hear them singing and though he didn't catch the start of their little tune the rest of it made him smile:
Suffers who suffer all
Can swim upon the desert
Where avarice have ravaged all
In spite of good intentions
Don't fill your mouth with gluttony
For pride will surely swell
But nothing's unforgiven in the four corners of hell
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
Envy and its evil twin
It crept in bed with slander
Idiots they gave advice
But sloth it gave no answer
Anger kills the pony soul
With bitter tales of lust
While pavlov's Dogs keep chewin'
On the legs they never trust
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
But It's the only life we'll know
Blagards to the bone
So don't wreck yourself
Take an honest grip
For there's more tales beyond the shor~re
Ah the years rolled by and several died
And left us somewhat reelin'
In and out came crawlin' out
And spewed upon the ceiling
So what became of rebels"
That sang for you and me
Grapplin; with their demons
In the search for liberty
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the seven deadly sins
Taking a moment as their song came to an end Greymane did what he could to learn about the crew by examining the ship itself, looking up at their flag he could mostly tell it was white as snow but closer to the base of the mast waiting to be hoisted up was a black flag that had the Jolly Roger upon it.
Though most pirates had been taken out over the many years he was gone, Greymane recalled how a few groups found ways of surviving for a little longer in the final weeks he was still around. But the trick of bringing in a fog to keep themselves hidden was a simple one that the seventh Greymane had taught to a small band of privateers in exchange for safe passage from them. He even recalled how the last time he traveled on a ship controlled by pirates who used this trick, at the time he had gained the respect of the captain and crew though he never saw them again. As he came closer to the ship many of the pirates stared down at him and thought about how easy it would be to kill him, as they started to move their captain came out on deck and shouted about how she would gut them and use their entrails to decorate her cabin if they were not doing their job.
As the captain came into sight Greymane immediately compared her to the last pirate captain from a thousand years ago, and though their appearance was near identical Greymane knew that it wasn't the same pony on more than one simple fact. The years where one thing but the main difference was the captain from that era was a stallion and the pony that stood before him was clearly a mare, though they both had the same level of command over their crew the last captain he met commanded through respect and trust. She was commanding through respect and fear, though it was effective Greymane slightly frowned at such a thing thinking the crew was holding themselves back.
Standing at the base of the ramp as it rested on the dock Greymane called out to the captain who looked down in disgust, "I wish to pay for passage to Zebra home land, I don't care the price I only ask that you do not tell anypony that I asked for your services."
Though his request was meant to keep the fact he was alive hidden from his enemies the captain had thought it was for a more nefarious reason, "As they say..." Walking down the ramp she gave a small smile as she tried to call him a criminal without actually saying it, "...all deeds born in the dark soon make its way into the light. If ye want to travel on me ship the price be five thousand bits, and if ye want us to keep quiet it be another thousand for each member of me crew. And it be the nation of Unyasi ye be wantin."
Knowing the captain wanted to take advantage of the situation Greymane was not above playing her game, "I count only seven besides yourself, how's this for a deal I'll give you fifteen now and another fifteen when I get to Unyasi." Looking at the crew he could see their greed in their eyes as they all slowed down in their work causing the captain to snap at them again to get them back to work, "But if that isn't good enough then perhaps I can take my business elsewhere."
Having a good look at Greymane the captain notice that he had no large sack on him and therefore questioned how he would compensate them now and then again later, asking through telepathy he requested Xiuhtecutli to place the exact amount for the first payment on the dock with in the dense fog as he reached behind himself and pulled the bag forth.
As the captain stared at the size of it she almost questioned if the bag was in fact full of bits, almost as much as she questioned how he could carry such a bag of that size, "I would first like to check that bag to ensure ye're not pullin' a fast one on us."
Pushing the bag towards them Greymane took a step or two back to make them feel safe, as the captain inspected the bag she found no fault in what she touched but asked what made Greymane believe they would just take the bag and leave him where he was.
"Quite simple, I have proven that I can pay the first amount and I have promised the same amount for when we arrive." Giving a slight smile full of confidence on the thought he had his ride, and also because the amount he promised them in total was nothing more than a simple drop of water in the ocean by comparison to what was in his cave.
Over the countless years when the Greymanes had taken enchanted items and artifacts they also stole many things worth great value, so the total amount of bits they had collected over the years was an unknown quantity simply because they didn't care too much for it; though a rough guess to be estimated in the ballpark of two empires at the least. It wasn't until the thirtieth Greymane that they felt it was time to start using it for anything they could think of, however the amount they spent or even given away was never enough considering how much they had to steal to keep the truth hidden.
With a smile and a sigh the captain signaled for her first and second mates to come and take the bag, "Welcome aboard the Twisted Serpent, ye will have to carry ye own things aboard and don't expect any hospitality as ye will be bunking with me crew." Her words though true almost seemed hollow to Greymane as she walked back on board, "We be shovin' off in a few hours once we've resupplied."
Watching the first and second mate take the bag into the abandoned village Greymane figured that they had some supplies near by, before she knew he was on board the captain made her way to the top of the ramp only to stop and look back as she asked if he was having second thoughts.
As she looked back she couldn't find any sign of him and was soon just as astonished as her crew to find him sitting next to the mast the second he spoke, "It's rare that I have second thoughts, but this is not one of those moments." Though they almost wanted to question taking him on board they felt a strange calming feeling come over them, "And don't worry I have nothing to bring aboard the..." Pausing for a moment he allowed the captain to say the name of the ship, "...right the Twisted Serpent, good name."
As the captain guided him to where the crew ate and slept he recalled how the last pirate ship had traveled on shared the same name, but thought it was just a simple coincidence though he still felt more than just welcomed. Several hours later the ship began to leave the port as the pegasi swirled around keeping the fog on them, as they left the shore line Greymane looked back only to see a cobalt blue stallion with a light blue mane standing at the end of the dock. Before Greymane could ask Xiuhtecutli to investigate this stallion he began to leave going back toward the north, with a hmph Greymane shrugged it off thinking that it was a member of the Order trying to keep tabs on him.
And yet he soon questioned this thought knowing that if any of them were there the day all of them thought he died, then there would be no reason for them to try keeping track of him. Recalling what Ronwe had told him about Celestia’s secret group he began to question how a group like them could keep such an eye on him without ever being noticed, and why now had one of its members willingly allowed themselves to be seen. This was a matter for another time for now he had to focus on the task at hoof, once in Unyasi he knew that he would have to start going into every tavern and hole in the wall to learn what he could. And even if he learned anything he would have to be careful to keep from being noticed by the Order, especially since they were far more spread out than they were a thousand years ago.
For the time being his greatest fear is that they could be behind the attacks in search of the artifact, and if this was the case then they had become more bold having heard he was dead even if the news was only about a four or five months old. By the time they felt they were far enough out the pegasi did what they could to clear the fog around them, as it cleared they could see a storm off in the distance and though they could just sail through it and be at Unyasi in about a week the captain didn't want to chance it being worse than they thought and chose to turn slightly toward the west. As they hoped to avoid the storm they found themselves caught up with in what was arguably the worst storm of their lives, though the pegasi could not fly in the storm it was clear that they had to do what they could to try and pull up the sails from on the ground with the earth ponies and unicorns.
In the moment they thought all was in their favor a lighting bolt struck at an odd angle and cut through three of the lines they were using to hold up the sails, if that wasn't bad enough the unicorn who was trying to tie up the mast found himself holding on for his life as the waves tossed the ship about.
As the captain began to shout orders to try and save the life of her crew she watched as Greymane walked out on deck and looked around for just a moment, "If ye don't know what ye doing then get below deck, I have enough problems trying to keep me crew alive right now without some worthless landlubber gett’n in the way!"
As lighting stuck again it came near to hitting the unicorn breaking off a section of the beam that held part of the sail up, as the unicorn screamed for his life the beam fell ripping the sail as it seemed to land on Greymane. As it came close to landing lighting stuck once again and in the flash of light Greymane vanished before the crew as the beam hit the deck where he was standing, crying out for help once more the young unicorn began to fall only to find himself being snatched out of the air. As Greymane did what he could to save the young unicorn he asked Xiuhtecutli to do what he could to keep the ship afloat for as long as possible.
Looking around the captain found Greymane was swinging her cabin colt to safety on the deck itself, once they landed Greymane called out to the captain, "If you all do what you can to raise the sails I'll do what I can to tie them up."
Though she didn't like having orders barked at her she knew this was not a time to argue against it, as she began to shout at her crew to one of her shipmates asked if she was turning over command of her ship to some landlubber who just got lucky, "I still be in charge of this ship, and this be a matter of survival. Now do as ye been told less we all find ourselves in Davies locker!"
As they went back to work they watched as Greymane ran up the mast to begin tying everything he could down, as he reached the last rope they watched as lightning struck showing a large silhouette of a cloaked figure holding a scythe while the lighting bolt attempted to strike Greymane only to miss.
As he tied the last of the ropes down he could feel the artifacts clawing at the back of his mind as the harsh winds blew past him nearly knocking him off, *You cannot save them, but then again you're not trying to save them; no you're trying to prove a point. You think if you can save even the worthless wrenched of lives then you can save this world. You must know by now that you are not this world's savior, you are it's harbinger of destruction, you will burn its lands, you will make its oceans run red with the blood of all living things. And we will be the ones to guide you once you have fallen to us once again.*
Quickly recovering from his fall Greymane did what he could to take hold of the nearest bit of rope and swing himself to the mast as he whispered to himself, 'That is not true, I will not fall to you again, I would rather die than to do be your puppet.'
Taking hold of the mast Greymane watched as lighting stuck in the distance showing a large mountain like structure that was about half a mile away, calling out to the captain he pointed in the direction of what he saw.
As they looked in the direction they watched as a lighting bolt light up the sky turning it into the brightest day for just a second showing them the way, "All right ye worthless blagards get below deck and start using the oars, if we want to survive we ain't got much time."
As they ran below deck the captain went to the helm to steer the ship towards their last hope for survival, as Greymane came down from the mast he called out to the captain asking her if there was much else to help her with. Though she wanted to tell him to be done and go below she found herself having trouble with the wheel, though she could ask for help, she was too stubborn to ask for it believing that it was her ship and she could command it even in death. As she fought the wheel trying to turn it lighting stuck again and with the last bit of light Greymane could see the silhouette of the reaper standing right behind her waiting to take her, rushing up Greymane grabbed her and pulled her back as the wheel finally gave in and began to spin out of control.
As the two of them rushed the wheel to get a good grip on it Greymane could feel the artifacts once more as the wind blew harshly causing the mast to bend and crack, *If you save them now they will only die horribly later, why not just spare them that fate like a good savior and slaughter them all where they stand.* Without thinking Greymane gave a single thought that made the artifacts laugh as the wind howled, *We don't know which is funnier, you lying to yourself about your true nature, or the fact you think you can resist us for much longer. You know we are still apart of you even now, you can feel us upon your body, you can feel the surge of our power in your blood. Accept it, we are one, we are the fate of this world and you were destined to be our host.*
As Greymane and the captain began to turn the wheel with all they had Greymane cried out as the thunder clapped downing his words, and though the captain never heard him she caught a moment if his lips moving as he said 'GREYMANE!'
After about an hour of fighting the storm they found themselves in the shelter of a large cave, thought it was large enough for the ship to come in completely in its current condition the shipwright felt taking it in half way was good enough. As he started making repairs the others alongside Greymane and the captain went further into the cave to rest up and eat a meal, as they walked Greymane noticed there was a few more than the original seven he saw when first boarding the ship. By his count there was in total twelve of them counting the shipwright and the three that stayed with him to make repairs. Once they set up camp the ship's cook prepared a meal as the captain and two others began to play a bit of music to lighten the mood, though they were all tired and hungry most of the crew plotted to kill Greymane and take what all he had for getting them stuck in their current situation.
The captain however chose not to be apart of their little plan simply because of what she had seen him do, to add to it her suspicions of him only grew having seen him mouth the name ‘Greymane' not that long ago. Knowing she didn't hear exactly what he said she felt that he could have actually been praying to the old ponies tale as if he revered Greymane as a saint of some kind or even a god, and if that was the case she felt uneasy having somepony who was part of a cult on her ship. As she continued to play without noticing or thinking she changed the tune she was playing to one she rarely ever played, it wasn't until the other two changed how they played that she noticed.
As she stopped Greymane walked up to her asking her about that song, "What of it, it be a tune passed down from me family over the generations. I don't much like playing it but if ye got's a problem with it then the ocean be right out there, and ye can swim the rest of the way."
Telling her he knew that song only raise her suspicions even more seeing as to how it was a song that was passed down through her family, asking how he would know of it he said he shared that song with a captain of a ship called the Twisted Serpent many years ago.
As they bust out in laughter the captain nearly took offense to his statement, "Listen lad this song be near on over a thousand years same with me ship, the only reason she still floats is because every crew she's ever had has taken good care of her to ensure she stand the test of time. And I'll give ye this much this tune was taught to one of me family but only the tune not the song itself, though I do have the old diary and the page that had the song is missing."
Asking her to humor him only made her a little angry, snapping back she said the only pony that could come close to singing the song without knowing its words was her mother the last captain and she only hummed the song. Looking at his smile she almost got up to punch him but thought what the hey as she started playing the song again, as she played Greymane walked toward the opening of the cave to see the storm had finally died out, revealing a clear sky full of stars and the brightest full moon any of them had ever seen.
To the pirates it was a good sign to Greymane all he saw was Luna as he hoped she and the others were safe, after a moment of taking in all that was before him Greymane took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and started to sing,
Candlelight dies at the window
And the night wind blows soft from the sea
Though I lie in your arms, I'm a thousand miles away
On the waves sailing fast, sailing free
Now I'm bound for the heart of the ocean
I'm riding the sea in my soul
In the dark and the deep
She will rock me to sleep
Down below... where the black waters roll
When the sea birds cry out in the morning
And the sun lays its kiss on the sand
I'll be drawn to the shore
Like so many times before
As I long to be far from the land.
Now I'm bound for the heart of the ocean
I'm riding the sea in my soul
In the dark and the deep
She will rock me to sleep
Down below... where the black waters roll
I can still hear your voice on the trade winds
I can still taste your tears on the foam
But the lure of the tide that I'm feeling inside
Will not rest till my heart finds its home
Now my heart is the heart of the ocean
There are storms from the sea in my soul
I'm restless and deep
And before I can sleep
I must go... where the black waters roll
where the black waters roll x 3
As he finished the song the captain stood up dropping her instrument as she ran over and pinned him to the side of her ship, "It's impossible..." Having a good look at him to compare him to the description from not just the old ponies tale about him but also what was recorded in the diary that had been passed down through her family she looked under his cloak and saw he had no cutie mark, "...tell me this is impossible that this is just a dream."
As her crew began to surround him thinking she was finally on board with their thought as she asked if he was really Greymane or if her suspicions were false, "I am, and that is the reason I am paying you to keep the fact I am here a secret. I have many enemies in this world and they would tear you apart for just having seen me."
Though the crew themselves could not believe what they had heard many of them accepted it having seen first hoof what he had done during the storm, they knew such acts were not simply possible by an earth pony nor any other type of pony for that matter. But from an old ponies tale nay a legend it made perfect sense. Having heard that he could out live an alicorn would mean that he had not just the training to pull off what he did, but also the many countless and endless years of experience from his line of work. Putting their weapons away they knew that he simply allowed the captain to pin him where he was, they believed that if he wanted to he could have beaten her with but a single tap anywhere on her body.
"Well over a thousand years that is when you last sailed on this ship. And just as it was documented in the diary ye saved everypony on board from a storm that should have sank me ship, and not just that ye saved me crew without a thought or care of ye own life. I had often heard there was no honor among thieves and yet ye seem to have honor greater than that of any soldier or guard that me crew and I have ever seen..." Letting him go she took off her hat and held it over her chest, "...it is an honor to have the greatest legend on me ship, me crew and I truly welcome ye aboard the Twisted Serpent."
Seeing them bow to him reminded him of how those who wish to make the world a better place but ended up becoming crooks, as he smiled he placed his hoof under the captain's chin as he looked her in the eyes, "And I thank you for having me aboard your ship captain..." Looking around he could see he had earned their respect for having done what he did, though some of them still blame him for what had happened, "...forgive me for taking a bit of leave from all of you, I grow tired and wish to get some rest."
Though he didn't lie to them he knew that he would not sleep this night, at least not with the artifacts making attempts on his mind. Xiuhtecutli had often asked Greymane if he was doing okay in the recent days since his return from the void, his questions came from the fact that the artifacts didn't make direct attacks on the mind in a similar manner to when one pony reads the mind of another pony. Their attacks start at the subconscious part of the mind slowly working their way to the conscious part, the reason for this is to make the ones who posses them believe that any thought they have is theirs and theirs alone. Though Xiuhtecutli could block mind readers from entering his advocate's mind, the artifacts were on a whole other level remaining subtle till the last second. And these attacks were impossible to see coming and even more so to stop.
He feared for his advocate knowing that if he went without sleep for too long he would not be at his best, *Perhaps you should wear the medallion, there is an old theory among my kind that unless two artifacts are not in agreement then the one being used has dominance in the mind of its host.*
Though he knew how Greymane felt about using any artifact after what had happened he hoped he would at the very least try something to block out the attacks, *Tell me...* Pausing for a moment Greymane could feel the warmth in his heart that came from the song as the thought of Luna filled not just his mind but his heart and soul as well, *...she is safe isn't she?*
With a sigh Xiuhtecutli knew his advocate was trying to dodge the topic but simply indulged him for the moment, *Without a shadow of a doubt. And before you can ask so are Twilight and her friends.*
Looking at his advocate he feared that his war with the artifacts could not be won that easily so long as they had something to use against him, but he knew that so long as Greymane felt that Luna and the others were safe then he at the least had something to smile about and give him hope. Knowing there was not much he could do for his advocate Xiuhtecutli chose to keep an eye on the pirates should they attempt to do anything else. As he did this Greymane went down below where the cargo was to find a dark cramped place to rest his body for any events that should befall them. Though such a location was uncomfortable it spelled seclusion and ensured safety for him, it also made it harder for anyone to simply come at him sense no one would know where he was for the time being.
As he tried to lay down he looked up and saw the same young colt he saw on the train the last time he was heading to Canterlot and again when he was being drowned by Asmoday, reaching out to talk to the young colt only made him question who he was and how he kept showing up as he did. As Greymane tried to talk to him he watched as the young colt ran away from him, trying to catch up to him Greymane watched as he jumped from the crates and in mid air he curled up into a ball as he bit his tail and vanished before hitting the ground. Sliding back into his little spot Greymane shook his head thinking it was just his lack of sleep getting to him, lying down in the small space he closed his eyes to get what little rest he could. Sadly he knew that whatever dream he had would soon turn into the worst nightmare in all the world, it wasn’t just his self loathing that caused these nightmares but the artifacts as well.
These nightmares were meant to tear him down and cause him to question anything and everything he did, and each little bit of what they did was to drag him back to them with the belief that bearing them and wielding their power once more.
Closing his eyes he laid there listening to the sound of the ship rocking back and forth on the water, before too long he started to dream but this wasn't anything like what he feared would happen. In his dream he found himself in a maze similar to a crypt he once discovered, through the maze was meant to deter grave robbers and get them so lost they would die with in its confines. With in this maze Greymane could hear someone calling out to him who this was he didn't know, following the voice for a few hours he found himself staring at a pony made completely out of shadows and smoke.
Walking around this pony Greymane kept his distance as it slowly turned into a buffalo and started to appear physical, "I know what you seek, come find me in the desert."
With a smile Greymane felt it was an artifact wishing to be found, "Even if you do know what I seek it doesn't mean that I will come to you. Besides I don't know where in the desert you are."
Though the buffalo gave no visible expression in his voice he sounded cheerful to the point of nearly laughing, "I am located South West of what is now Bareback Gulch, South East of what is now Talonpolis, North West of what has recently become Appleloosa, and North East of Rockwington. As I said I know what you seek, come find me when you finish with your current endeavors."
As a bright light enveloped the small area Greymane woke up far more well rested than ever before, this only made him wonder what could have caused this or if perhaps his own mind was trying to tell him something. The one thing he did know for sure was that it was not an artifact that seemed to want to control him, at least that's what he hoped for if he could hope for anything more than just the happiness and safety of those he cared for.
Walking up to the main deck he was greeted by the bright light of the sun and the captain calling out to him in a respectable yet cheerful tone, "I was wondering where ye ran off to, it not be long now before we be near the coast of Unyasi. Sadly I must tell ye that we cannot dock at any port as the local guard will come for us, and all other places to dock are either cliffs; or have jagged rocks hidden beneath the surface of the water."
Pulling his hood over his head Greymane thanked her for the ride, *Xiuhtecutli, if you can give them the second half of what I owe them.* As a ring of fire appeared next to him they watched as it slowly rose up from the deck of the ship without burning a thing, as it dissipated and left their sight they saw another large sack sitting next to him. "Here is the other half of what I owe you, and don't worry I'll swim from here."
Before they could tell him it wasn't necessary for him to pay them he had already dove off the side of the ship, once under the water he swam half the distance popping up above the water for some air. As they watched him swim away the pirates covered their ship in a light fog as they began to take off to return from where they first picked him up, it was wasn't very long before Greymane found himself under the docks unnoticed by anyone. Swimming to the far side of the docks he found a small secluded area covered by a bunch of crates allowing him to climb out of the water, once on dry land he did what he could to find the local taverns hoping to learn anything and everything he could.
Once in side of the closest tavern he sat down where he had the best chance to listen to the crowd talk, though there was a lot to take in from the merchants, sailors, guards, and even a few tourists. Sitting there for about an hour Greymane managed to overhear the group just to his right talking about the recent attacks on the villages. Sitting there he didn't learn much but what he was able to find out was that somepony was trying to gather as much information on the situation as well, though they were in one of the cities near the border the only reason this news made it over here was because it was a young filly offering a rather substantial reward for any and all information that was worth its weight.
Taking that as his clue to leave Greymane went to the edge of the city hoping to find another tavern with more information than the last, it was several hours before he found the right tavern to have the most information. It was a shady, rundown, hole in the wall where only some of the worst the city had to offer drank from. Walking in he felt all eyes were on him even if some of their heads didn't move, though some appeared to be simple cut throats others just seemed to be hard workers down on their luck, while most were like him in the only fact they were thieves and nothing more. Ignoring the how everyone was trying to keep an eye on him Greymane sat down next to the bar itself, looking at the tavern owner he dropped a small bag of bits on the table and asked what he knew about the local villages.
Picking up the bag the tavern owner felt its weight saying that his memory was a little fuzzy as he tucked the bag in his own pocket, putting down another one about twice the size of the first one Greymane asked again but inquired about anyone else who was looking into the same thing. Picking up the sacks again the tavern owner said there was nothing could remember but if there was some way to jog his memory then there might be something, as the others in the tavern chuckled at how Greymane was getting played by the keeper they were all unaware that Xiuhtecutli was floating next to Greymane in his astral form reading all of their minds since they had first walked in. Though many of them knew something about the attacks they were all mostly in the dark, the tavern owner however knew nearly everything but was paid rather well to keep his mouth shut.
Though he was paid enough to set him up for life his greed was getting the better of him, *There is a city that was built near fifty years ago that is the closest to the border where the attacks are happening, the young filly in question has a hot pink coat and a crimson mane. She paid him to keep quiet but he's hoping he can get double out of you to loosen his lips, also the bandits attacking them are two mixed groups one from Saddle Arabia and the other from Camelu but as to why they are attacking he does not know. What he does know is there is another tavern located on the South by Southeast end of a town called Papua New Whinny, that's where most of his information is coming from or was till just recently.*
Giving a slight smile Greymane sighed as he looked at the tavern keeper, "Thank you for your time, sadly that is all the bits I have." As he walked out Greymane figured a little compensation of his time was in order, *You said he was paid to keep his mouth shut, where is he keeping his payment?*
Looking back at the tavern owner Xiuhtecutli searched his mind as the tavern keeper thought about how he swindled Greymane out of the amount he did while giggling under his breath like an idiot, *In the basement, there is a group of barrels located in the Northwest corner full of bits. About four in total.*
With a sigh Greymane knew that all four were not his total payment if he had hoped to make double off of him at the least he was given maybe two and a half, *We'll just take three, and find me an orphanage.*
Going around back Greymane found a door to the cellar of the tavern locked up, though the lock was rather new it was like most any other locks, reaching into his sack he pulled out a lock pick and had it open with in moments. Walking down into the cellar Greymane was careful not to make too much noise as he made his way to the corner Xiuhtecutli claimed them to be in.
Having found seven barrels sitting in the corner Greymane was reminded of an old saying, 'It is easier to hid a tree in a forest, than it is to hide a needle in a hay stack.' Putting his ear next to each barrel as he knocked on them to try and find the right ones, it didn't take too long for him to find the four he was looking for, as Xiuhtecutli returned Greymane began to roll them towards the door without giving his next action a single thought.
*Perhaps I should just teleport them for you, less of a chance you get caught and we remain undetected.*
Though Greymane agreed with this he felt as though he should deliver the barrels himself but thought about how much time was wasted on gathering the information they wanted, and to add to his problem the Order had a head start on them, *Alright then, but only because of how our situation is.*
Wanting to keep his advocate hidden Xiuhtecutli gently blew on the barrels while casting a teleportation spell, standing there Greymane watched as the barrels and bits slowly turned to dust and where carried away on a gentle breeze. Slipping back out Greymane looked around the edge of the city to find himself a map of the nation, though his search didn't take that long he found the next stage in his trip to be the longest by far. After looking at the map he knew that he had just come out of the ocean, so he could only guess the city he was in was Whoazambique since it was the only one marked to be near the ocean.
That is unless of course the city he was in was too small they didn't mark it on the map, or perhaps too new that the map he had was not up to date. Either way he could see his next destination was clear across on the opposite side of the country near a river, looking out at the savanna he knew that only a fool would try to cross it without any clear knowledge of the terrain or lack of supplies.
Though Greymane was not that kind of a fool he pulled the medallion out of the small sack and sighed at the sight of it, 'To think that over a thousand years ago I sought you out for a good cause, and now here I stand questioning it because of all the pain and devastation my actions have brought. The old sayings where that immortality comes at a cost that all come to regret, and only those worthy of it shall obtain it. But what does that say about me? I was never worthy to be immortal I tried to steal it, and for that a price was set and nearly collected on because of what I had done. I know Twilight and the others, as well as Luna and Celestia say they don't blame me; but what of the families of those who did get harmed that day? And if any of them knew the truth about me...' Gripping the medallion Greymane could feel the sinister laughter clawing at the back of his mind reminding him of that fateful night, '...will they still call me a friend? No the better question is, will they still see me as they always have or will they see the monster I know to dwell deep with in me?'
Though his thoughts were full of self loathing and regret Greymane put the medallion around his neck and tucked it under the collar of his cloak so that no pony could see it, running off into the savanna some of the local guards tried to stop him simply because they feared he would die without the proper guide. Greymane wasn’t too worried about getting lost with his knowledge of the many times his predecessors had traveled through the area, and even if he did know his way around out there the local guard could see he didn't have any of the basic essentials such as canteens of water, food, or even camping gear. Having taken off before they could react gave Greymane a rather good head start but Zebras were known for having great speed, their only down side was even with their training Greymane had years on them and was currently immortal allowing him to run for a much longer time than they could. Before too long the guards gave up on trying to catch him simply because he went further than their posts allowed of them, as they walked back they sighed at the thought of how the savanna had claimed another young fool who didn't know his limits.
It was several weeks before he came to the capital of their nation called Zevera, stopping in the city to rest Greymane began to take off the medallion only to feel his body begin to take in his non stop marathon across the savanna. Nearly dropping to his flank he realized that unless he kept the medallion on he would have to take on the consequences of his immortal actions, and this meant he could have ended up laying on the ground till his body was ready to move. And that was time he didn't have. Taking a sip from his gourd Greymane could feel his body slightly recover allowing him to remove the medallion and only feel as exhausted as if he completed a day's work back on the Apple Farm, Walking around he found a small place with a vendor selling information about the city. And yet Greymane felt she knew a little more his suspicion caused him to plac a small bag of bits on the table but said nothing, looking at the the bag she saw that he was wanting information that wasn't meant for the ears of those around them.
Opening the bag to have a look at the amount she soon slid it behind the counter as she carefully walked over as if her bones would break any second and open the door on her left, "I'm sorry I don't have what you're looking for out here in my stall, perhaps I may have it inside. Please come in and have a look around if you wish."
Thanking her for allowing him in Greymane did what he could with the little time he had to check her out, looking at how she carried herself he could tell that she faked her frail movements into making others think she was not a threat. A classic tactic to fool the young and stupid, to add to it though her cutie mark was real Greymane took notice that her cutie mark had nothing to do with her buying or selling of information let alone being a vendor of any kind. Her cutie mark was similar to that that of a brawler and her heavy hoof steps clearly proved that.
As he entered the back room he came to a door where the mare stopped him and pinned him to the wall, "Behind this door is the pony you want to ask your questions, if I have even the slightest feeling that something is wrong. I will break down this door and you will wish we never met."
Before she knew it Greymane slipped out of her hold and was patting her on the shoulder, "Then I shall make sure to return your hospitality with the greatest respect I can, after all I am a guest here."
As Greymane walked through the door the vendor was stunned to see somepony had simply slipped through her grasp, in her experience this was the first that this had happened and she thought it a fluke as she walked back out front still believing she could take him if it came down to it. Walking into the room he was greeted by an old zebra who asked why the Order of Balance had sent him when she swore she wouldn't give out any information, looking at her he could see she was blind and recalled how in his youth the blindest of ponies could see nearly ten times better than anypony else, the reason for this was because when they lost their sight they did what they could with the remaining senses they had. It was nearly common back then for him to find somepony who could keep him on the tips of his hooves simply because they couldn’t see, and thought it was rare for most to do this it was even far more rare that some developed the skill to tell when somepony was lying just by hearing them speak.
Letting out a sigh Greymane did what he could to get what information he could out of her, "My superior simply wanted to ensure that you recalled this little deal, and also believed you might have been with holding out on something. And believe me when I say this, they don't like it when they've been cheated. So if there is anything I shall take it back to my superior."
Watching the sweat slowly start to roll down her face Greymane watched as she bit her lower lip these were all clear signs she didn’t have the skill he worried about, "Well there is one thing I may have forgotten to tell that little filly..." Staring at her Greymane feared the worst having just learned that the Order was looking into the situation but also the rumors that they had a filly doing the job to be true, "...according to legend a long time ago there was a village that was on the verge of death from a prolonged drought, when things seemed hopeless a pony with a dark grey coat, and a light grey mane and tail wearing a dark grey cloak. He had come to them with a golden staff decorated in the rarest of jewels, and a cauldron pitch black they say you could peer into the void just from looking at it. Wielding the staff this pony took what little water the village had and boiled it in the cauldron, without warning once the water came to a boil this pony kicked it over. And as the water poured over the land it became green, lush, and even filled the river we know even to this day in the south. But as I said this was just a legend which is why I didn't think it was of any importance."
Thinking back to the days he spent studying all that his predecessors had left behind he recalled how the Tenth Greymane was trying to hide three artifacts, the first he managed to do with out any problems by hiding it in a cave that connected to an active volcano even with a flame protection spell you would die from the heat. The other two however had to be hidden in plain sight, so to him this legend was just more information that put him just slightly ahead of the Order. Thanking her for her time he swore he would do what he could to ensure she would not have to worry about another visit from them, walking out he stopped by the vendor and asked what she knew about a young filly that had come by here recently.
Looking at Greymane she scoffed as she said he should know more about her as Xiuhtecutli read her mind, *The young filly the Order has gathering information has a bright pink coat and a dark blue mane and tail, but she had a cutie mark with weight and scales.*
Sighing as he laughed Greymane tapped himself on the head as he smiled, "Right... silly me, I almost forgot who they had in charge down here, thank you for your time."
Walking off Greymane stuck to telepathy as he asked Xiuhtecutli if the filly they were now trying to track down was even remotely still in the town they were heading to, *To the best of their knowledge she is still there, she came through here looking for information about the attacks but she wasn't subtle about it in any way. In fact that’s why the vender was overprotective and threatened you, her and the mare you just spoke with are grandmother and granddaughter. The vender was just worried for her safety.*
Letting out a sigh filled laugh Grey knew what it was like to keep the ones you love safe at any cost, though the vender was in need of a bit of training in subtlety. Looking up at the sky Greymane knew that tonight was a new moon and so the savanna had no light, though this made it easier for him to travel without being seen he could feel the fatigue taking its toll on him. Paying a coach for a ride to Papua New Whinny he climbed in back after hearing the driver say the trip would take about a week to two weeks depending on if they beat the rainy season, laying down in the back Greymane humored Xiuhtecutli's theory that he had mentioned some time back and put the medallion back around his neck before trying to get some sleep.
As he lay there no dreams came nor did any nightmares, it was dark and it felt good for once to just simply sleep.
Waking up to the driver banging on the sided of the coach Greymane poked his head out the window, "I'm afraid we have to turn back..." Pointing up at the sky that lay before them the driver feared they would never make the rest of the trip before the storm hit, "...if you're fine with waiting till the storm ends I will give you a ride then, other wise I will refund the rest of your payment."
Getting out of the coach Greymane asked how far they had traveled only to hear the driver say they had made it halfway, tossing him a few more bits Greymane thanked him for the ride and said he would try to make it the rest of the way on hoof. Though they thought he was out of his mind they didn't try to stop him as they feared for their lives knowing that some rain storms in the savanna can be unforgiving, as they raced back to Zevera in the hopes of beating the in coming storm Greymane did what he could to race against the clock hoping to make it to the next town. As the storm came in it started like any other a light drizzle with some winds, and the occasional flash of lightning followed by the clapping of thunder. But unlike the storms in Equestria there were no pegasi to keep the storms in check, these were closer to being like the weather of the Everfree Forest.
As the storm picked up Greymane could see the city just barely out of sight, from his distance it was more like a small dot on the horizon.
The closer he got the harsher the storm became causing the terrain to become too damp and muddy for most ponies to walk on and though he could have just spoken to him the thunder and the wind was drowning out any and all vocal sounds, *I do believe that it is time you stop being stubborn and let me teleport you.*
Looking up at Xiuhtecutli as he surveyed the area only to notice that the weather was only going to get worse Greymane nodded, *Fine but let's make sure nopony sees us upon arrival. As far as we know we still have the element of surprise and we need it as much as possible.*
As his eyes began to glow Greymane could feel his body become like the rain as he drifted and fell into the city, once in a back alleyway with in the city his body began to reconstruct itself with the falling rain. In most cases when Xiuhtecutli casted this form of teleportation it could take longer depending on how heavy of a rain storm it was, or if there was a body of water near by. However due to how heavy the rain was falling Greymane was reconstructed in no time at all, he did how ever feel slightly strange as if he had taken a bath with poison joke. This was one of the few forms of teleportation that Greymane did not like too much, mostly because it takes him a while to get use to having been a liquid for a short period of time.
Though most of the spells Xiuhtecutli uses to teleport him tend to make him take various forms most didn't have negative effects, but for the leviathan race it was common to use the strongest element in their area when teleporting if they didn't want to be seen. As Greymane regained his composure a couple of ponies saw him stumbling in the alley, laughing they thought he was drunk and trying to find a place to lay down.
As they left Greymane started to walk normally though he still felt a little light headed, *How I hate it when you use that spell.*
Flying next to him Xiuhtecutli gave a slight sigh, *Better it be that spell than one that lets off too much light, besides using the wind could have sent you anywhere, and trying to use the earth would have taken far longer, thanks to this rain the water is everywhere and is to our advantage.*
Shaking his head to try and get some clarity Greymane started walking hoping to find the tavern they were looking for, though all they had was a direction to go on odds that there was more than one was rather good.
Walking out of the alley Greymane took notice that the town was elevated by a good three feet above the rushing water, chances are the walkways were a rough five to seven feet off the ground for rain storms, looking down at where solid ground should be he saw nothing but muddy water rushing past him as the rain continued to get heavier. Using what paths were open for the time being Greymane made his way to the southeast end of the city to start looking for the tavern, but to his luck he discovered at the least three in the general area. Taking the closest one to him he saw a young filly who was just a little taller than half his size, though he didn't get a good look at her through the cloak she had on Greymane notice that the base of her hooves were a shade of pink and her tail was a dark blue. Taking to the roof tops Greymane began to follow her hoping she would lead him to where she called home, as she started to make a turn lighting stuck showing a silhouette of Greymane on the wall next to her. Looking up she saw nothing but her fears took hold of her causing her to run for her life, before long she made a wrong turn down an alley and found herself at a dead end when another bolt of lightning flashed through the air showing Greymane's shadow as he landed behind her.
Trying to escape him she attempted to climb the walls only to slip do to the excessive rainfall, as she fell she waited to feel herself hit the ground and feared that she might fall through the boards to be swept away by the rushing waters to her death. As she waited for the cold embrace of death she started to feel the warmth of another pony holding her as she heard a steady heartbeat, looking up at Greymane she was breathless as she squirmed out of his hooves, and in her mind she believed drowning in the rushing waters below was preferable to being in Greymane's presence. As she cowered for her life in a corner Greymane could see was a unicorn and her cutie mark was indeed a set of weight and scales. But unlike the ones the Order of Balance uses hers appeared to be real, to him this was strange as they had always used false cutie marks in the past that appeared near genuine but always had some mistake that they could never resolve.
Thinking he made a mistake Greymane reached down to try and help her up only for the young filly to curl up tighter, "If you're going to kill me then kill me and be done with it. I know you don't grant a last request but I must ask that you make it quick and painless."
Sitting down next to her he feared the answer he sought, "Tell me, what makes you think I would kill you. I value all life and wish to protect it."
Looking up at him she nearly screamed at the mere thought of his words, "Your false words are as poisonous as the venom of a hydra, I know who you are the ancient one tells the story to all young foals. Most think you're just a story to scare us but we all have seen what you have done, each year a group of us is taken to the old hide out where we are shown your hoof work." Standing up with a mix of hate and fear she looked down at Greymane unsure of what he was up to, "So tell me Crimson how long do you plan on toying with me?" Asking her why she called him Crimson she scoffed as she took hold of his collar and removed his hood, "How can you not know, the ancient one said that it is what he once called you and has even said that only he can protect us from you. He has also told us that he is the only one with the power to end you once and for all. The night you attacked he said he did what he could to save as many lives as he could while you laughed as you slaughtered so many, since then you have always been known unto us as the Crimson Stained Stallion."
As she looked him in the eyes she could not see any joy from having heard any of this, nor could she see any intent to kill. All she could see was regret, self loathing, and yet beneath it all she could see compassion, empathy, and strangely enough love for some pony who she couldn't tell.
"I know of the night you speak, and not a day goes by that I wish I could undo what I have done, but I do what I can to find redemption for it knowing that the road will be long and winding with many trials." Wrapping his hooves around the young mare he could feel her start to tremble while at the same time he felt the artifacts clawing at the back of his mind telling him how she was a threat to him and needed to be eliminated, "But believe me when I say I am not the monster he has made me out to be. I know that you may not listen to me when I say this but there are somethings in this world that we have no control over, and some of those things tend to try and control us. Even when we ourselves believe we cannot be controlled by anypony or anything."
Before too long the young mare calmed down and followed Greymane into the closest tavern to get out of the rain, once inside he ordered two non-alcoholic warm ciders to talk over. As they talked she learned that he wasn't any where near what the Order had made him seem to be, quite the opposite in fact and it showed in his voice, his expression, and how he listened to how she got to where she was right now in life. Starting out she could recall how her family once lived in Canterlot and her father loved to take trips out into the country during the fall season to watch the leaves turn so he could paint the fall colors as though the colors themselves were alive, each year they took this trip and each year they all enjoyed it they were happy. Then one night a group of bandits attacked them at their little cabin, her father did what he could to help them flee but it wasn't enough. Though she lost her father that night her and her mother were saved by the Order but in exchanged they demanded they do something for them, her mother couldn't do it do to the injuries she had taken during their escape. So instead they had her do it simply because she was and still is young enough to do the tasks they requested of her, they had even gone so far as to say that if she did all they asked of her then in five years time the two of them would be free to go, sadly that was that was ten years ago.
Looking at how she gulped down her cider Greymane slid his to her knowing she needed it more than him but knew that the attack from the bandits was not as simple as she thought, in fact he believed that they orchestrated the attack to force her into this situation. Though he had no clue as to why or any evidence to support his thought.
"Tell me, do you know what they are having you look for or even why?"
Pulling out the messages that had come in for her as well as a map of the local area with an 'X' dotting where she had already looked into came to a total of ten villages dotting the area at the least so far, "All they've said is that it is a powerful enchanted item, and that with it they could do far more of their work than they could ever do one their own." Lowering her head she sighed at the thought of helping them as well as her own plans, "I had thought that if I got it for them I could use it to free myself and my mother, but I know they won't just let us go so easily. So I thought that I could take it for myself and come up with a plan to save my mother later on."
Seeing the pain in her face and hearing how distraught she was only made him feel empathic to the fact that even now the Order was tricking others into doing their dirty work, "You have a good heart and I know what it's like to want to protect those you love and to feel helpless and powerless when you can't, but I know the pony you have come to call ancient one and he will not keep his word. Nor will trying to use the item he has sent you after against him work either, I however can help you free your mother and get both of you somewhere safe, but I ask only this in exchange." Slowly drinking the cider she tried to calm herself knowing that she would be indebted to not just somepony else but somepony who till just a rough hour ago she feared was going to kill her, "I ask that you trust me and keep the fact I exist a secret so long as you live."
With a brightened smile finding its way across her face she knew that though he asked for something easily given, it has come to mean the whole world to both of them. For her it meant getting her mother back and being free from the Order, for Greymane however it meant his continued time on this earth though however much of it was just borrowed he didn't know nor did he care to know. The only thing he cared for now was ensuring that those he had come to love and call friends were safe, as they talked into the night the young mare soon fell asleep and though Greymane had most of the information he needed, he couldn’t help the feeling that he couldn't just let her stay where she was or unprotected, whether or not he knew it when he met her out in the rain she was somepony he now had to protect for the time being. Paying for a room to share Greymane carried her to the room where he let her rest, and though he needed some sleep as well he couldn't rest without studding the map she had or the letters she received. All of it pointed to the fact that they were looking for the staff but for what reason he couldn't figure out, thinking back to the days he spent studying all the books his predecessors had left behind on the island Greymane recalled how the second mentioned that her father the very first Greymane carried the staff with him till the day he preformed a ritual to save Xiuhtecutli in exchange for his own life.
From then on all of the Greymanes up until the tenth carried it with them wherever they went, though it wasn't documented what had happened he did managed to piece a bit of it together. Around the same time the tenth Greymane had adopted the eleventh Greymane was the same time the staff went missing, however there was another artifact that was mentioned to have been hidden at the same time The Cauldron of Life. Though not much information about this artifact was documented by the tenth Greymane for reasons unknown, what he managed to figure out from the legend the old mare in Zevera had told him, the cauldron had the power to bring life back to a location and possibly even the dead.
But as to how it was done couldn't just be as simple as boiling water, there had to have been more to it than that simply because each artifact can make a choice and for the power to bring forth life there had to be a key to it of some kind. But all he could guess was since the tenth had the staff and the cauldron the answer was simple, the staff gave him what he needed to use the cauldron upon his own will. But if there was one thing Greymane did know about life was that it had to have a balance of its own, so if there was such an artifact to bring forth life then there was one that could bring forth death at the same level. And what's worse was that it could be very subtle as well, as the sun started to rise Greymane began to plot out the path he was going to take and what he might do when the time came once they located the artifact.
Walking towards the door Greymane did what he could to think of a way to keep her safe while at the same time retrieving the artifacts, his only solution was to have her stay in the room till he returned with the artifacts ready to be taken away unnoticed. As she woke up Greymane smiled at her as he greeted her, having a light jump she was somewhat shocked to find he didn't kill her while she slept only to recall how they talked the night before. Smiling back she greeted him with a nervous chuckle while having trouble making eye contact, before long she asked how they were going to deal with the situation. Telling her that she was going to stay put till he returned didn't go over too well as she took hold of his cloak and tugged on it, telling him that she was going with him didn't sound like a good idea to him either after all the Order knew them both and if she was caught working along side him that was bad for her mother.
Telling her this fact didn't work either and in a way Greymane smiled to see a little of himself in her, "Face it you need me just as much as I need you, I can spot other members of the Order just as well as you can; and I know where they all are and what some of them are up to."
Letting out a sigh filled laugh Greymane turned around and patted her on the head, "Stubborn like myself, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing..." Sighing as he turned around to open the door Greymane thought about how her knowledge would be useful to have for the time being, "...very well you can tag along, but you have to listen to me. If I say hide then go hide, if I tell you to run then you run, I don't want you to get hurt out there."
Nodding with a smile she followed closely behind him hoping he didn't try to lose her as they left the tavern, once outside she pulled out the map and began circling a few locations some of the other villages had been forced into telling other members of the Order about. As she tried to tell Greymane where they should begin their search he chuckled as he started walking towards the west, running in front of him she stopped Greymane asking what he found so funny.
Pointing at the map Greymane said that they were all looking in the wrong area, "How would you know? It's not like you've been here before..." Pausing for a moment she recalled how the Order had often mentioned that he was immortal and had lived for countless thousands of years, "...have you?"
Looking back he smiled, "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. But what I know is that we head west for now." Though he didn't completely lie to her their destination was one of may his predecessors had gone to and thanks to the spell on their diaries he could walk alongside them in their memories, though there was no consequences to this spell one thing he has learned over the years is that even in death the memories they felt should not be shared remained untouchable, "The reason you can't find this item is because I have hidden it, I came here to learn how close you were in your search so I can evaluate whether or not I should reclaim it and take it somewhere else in the world. And if I have no choice then I would deal with the bandits as well."
Lying about having hid the artifact himself was a simple ploy to make her believe that he was in fact immortal, and though he didn't like having to lie to her Greymane knew that in order to have her trust him more her belief that the leader to the Order of Balance could kill Greymane had to be broken. Greymane knew he was just as mortal as anyone else but the illusion he wasn't had to be preserved so the Order didn't get too bold and start attacking as they pleased, though they had numbers the likes of which he could not face alone their fear in him was deeply rooted in their core beliefs. It is because of this their leader pretended to be cautious in his actions when he himself simply wanted to watch the world cower at the mere thought of him, but with Greymane still alive this could never come to pass.
As they traveled through the savanna Greymane was careful to make sure she rested in the shade whenever possible, to him it was near nothing to be out there in the heat, during his time in Tartaros he had been tossed into the ever burning flames countless times and had to endure heats that would baked many alive. Though he was cursed at the time he could still feel every bit of it, there wasn’t a single bit of his experience in that never ending plain of the eternally condemned that didn’t often find it's way back to haunt him however rare it was.
During many of their breaks in the shade the young mare would often catch Greymane practicing some kind of motion while standing on just his back hooves, as their trip took weeks she often tried to imitate what she saw only to struggle with it and become so frustrated she would often bang on the ground. At the beginning of the last week Greymane watched as she kept trying to get the motions right only to fail, and though he had been aware of her trying this for the past few weeks he couldn't help but watch her to see how determined she was to get it right. Knowing that they were further ahead in their search than the Order Greymane felt taking a little extra time to teach her a thing or two wouldn't hurt too much of their time, Xiuhtecutli however was against this action saying that to train today's allies is to teach tomorrow's enemies how to take him on. With a light laugh he walked up to her as he told Xiuhtecutli that even if that was the case as of right now she needed to learn how to defend herself should they have no choice but to fight, in her he saw the same stubborn attitude he had but her determination was almost greater than his and for good reason.
Trying again hoping she could get it right she fell over from exhaustion only to be caught mid fall by Greymane, "Take a break and get some rest, and in an hour if you feel like you want to try it again I'll teach you."
Asking Xiuhtecutli to keep an eye out for danger was his own paranoia telling him that something seemed off about the whole situation, and for her cutie mark to be as real as it was had ate away at the back of his mind and up till now though he did what he could to ignore it. As she slept Greymane thought back to an old spell the fifteenth Greymane had come across in her travels though to her it seemed rather harmless, it was a tracking spell that could be cast on anypony and they would be none the wiser unless they found something that marked them. At the time she had discovered the spell was created by one of the kingdoms of her era to keep track of their soldiers but the project was tossed aside, the reason for it was recorded in a file with the spell itself.
Though the documents went into far greater detail the most basic of it was because it was far too costly to use, and they didn't have enough ponies at the time whose minds could take the continued strain from having to watch over their targets. To add to their problems the spell could only be used by one pony to track only one pony at a time, so its limited use meant they would have to have just as many users as there were soldiers which is why they never used the spell. As she started to wake Xiuhtecutli came back with some of the worst news he had for the moment, though to him and Greymane it was next to nothing in comparison to what they normally deal with.
*There are three scouting parties tracking us, though they are not using normal methods such as hoof tracks left by us or any disturbed piece of plant life. They are keeping their distance to about three maybe four miles at the most, how they are following us without using normal tracking methods I am unsure.*
Rushing over to the young mare he lifted the back end of her cloak to have another look at her cutie mark, "How did you come to get this mark?"
With a nervous laugh she blushed as she thought back to it knowing that what she was about to say sounded silly, "Well they have a spell that helps to draw out your hidden talents and when they use it your cutie mark appears."
Trying to tell him that she knows it sounds silly she tried to explain the ins and outs of the spell as they had explained it to her only for Greymane to place his hoof on her cutie mark to hide Xiuhtecutli's attempt to lift one of the tracking spells from her, "They lied, this is a tracking spell they've been using to keep an eye on you. I've seen this only once and they were clever enough to hide it as this damn mark, so long as the spell remains active the mark itself stays." Though it burned for only a moment she was astonished to see her cutie mark vanish as he removed his hoof, "They never planned on letting you go this much we knew, but what I feared is that they never trusted you enough to just let you wonder about. I'm even willing to bet that they do the same to every last one of their members, though the reason for them doing this to their own could be different."
As the first tracking spell was removed Xiuhtecutli took notice that they began to move a little faster towards them signaling to him that the ones using the spell where with their group, as the second spell was removed Greymane wrapped one hoof around her while taking hold of one of his powders and telling her to hold on tight and to keep her mind clear. Looking at his right hoof she watched as he pulled an ounce sack off his hip and threw it on the ground, as the smoke enveloped them she tightly closes her eyes but her mind became filled with fear as they teleported away from their current location.
As they re-appeared further down the savanna the young mare found herself stuck in a tree while Greymane was looking up at her, "When I said to clear your mind I meant it, even the tiniest of thoughts can send you anywhere within five miles. You're lucky it wasn't towards them."
Climbing the tree Greymane instructed her to take hold of him as he broke off the branch that held her in place, once the branch was broken Grey held on to her tightly allowing her to safely climb down. Once on the ground he looked at her and he could see the shame that filled her every being, sitting there she thought about how she nearly messed up their mission to beat the Order and get her mother back.
Knowing how she felt Grey started to gently rub her head as he sat next to her, "It’s not your fault you didn't know, I had known them to use fake cutie marks in the past but I hadn't seen any of their work since the last time I had faced any of them. But even then I knew it was only a matter of time before they tried something."
Looking up at him eyes full of tears she thought of her mother and how she not only jeopardized her one chance to save her, but had also smashed the one bit of hope she had left for freedom.
Gripping Greymane's cloak as she buried her face in his chest she started to cry uncontrollably believing there was nothing left she could do, "I've done all they asked and more, I feared you the most and here you've tried to help me and they almost caught us because of me. What hope is there now? My mother is still their prisoner and they know I'm traveling with you, there's no hope left is there?"
Allowing her to cry till she had exhausted herself Greymane sat there knowing how she felt, "I once walked in your hooves along time ago, there was a place I called home, there were a lot of ponies I called my family. When I heard that we were going to lose our home I went out to work hard and save all of them, I failed doing things honestly but in the last moment when I felt like giving up that is when I learned that sometimes you can't do everything on your own. It's best to seek help when you needed it especially when things are their hardest, right now you need help and I will help you but first you need to help yourself by taking the first step." Wiping the tears from her eyes she watched as he took the stance she had seen him take so many times before, "When you are ready you may join me and I will teach you enough of what I know to help you take your next step."
Watching him she saw that his stance was as solid as a rock, yet his movements were like water as he almost seem to dance while moving like a leaf in the wind. After an hour of watching she stood up on her back hooves almost falling over, taking hold of her Greymane widened her stance and lowered her body telling her to bend her knees. Slowly moving her through each little step and motion she felt as though she was learning to dance, though everything about it felt like she was drawing power from the ground around her. Before too long Greymane stopped moving her through each step to allow her to get the motions herself, after several hours she collapsed tired from everything.
Worried this was the best she could do nearly made her cry as she thought that if this was her limits then saving her mother was further out of her reach than she thought, "You did well for your first session, and though you have a long way to go I see much potential in you."
Helping her to her hooves he took her near the campfire where he was trying to boil water out of the mud, though she had heard of this being done this was the first she had ever seen it.
Passing what little water he got out of it to her she thanked him as she drank it all, laying down next to him it wasn't long before she fell asleep, *Your lucky I noticed them, this young mare nearly cost you your life. Come sun up I suggest you leave her here and continue alone.*
Snapping back at Xiuhtecutli for his words didn't come from his willingness to just want to help her, it came from his own self loathing from not being able to save the orphanage and they both knew it.
*I decide when I'm done helping her, not you. Besides what could happen if I just left her alone out here, she could starve to death or die of dehydration, or worse.* Placing his hoof around her as he looked down he could see a resemblance to one of the young fillies from the orphanage that made him believe he was still protecting one of his little sisters, *I couldn't protect or save them but that doesn't mean I should just let her go on believing that she can't do the same, I won't let her suffer what I had to go through not at her age and not because you say to leave her.*
Looking down at her Xiuhtecutli could see the singe on her coat where the spell was only hours ago, *She may have been their captive and their servant for some time but she is still one of them, I'm willing to bet she knew all about the spell and was trying to lead them right to the artifact. I bet she was their bait.*
Without thinking Greymane began to speak in the ancient leviathan language as he let his own hate for himself consume him for having lost the one's he called family still believing he was the cause of their death, *VEN ON PAN'ADINDO MINO KILEN'POULANA!*
With a sigh Xiuhtecutli knew that when he taught Greymane this language if he said something then it held more weight than in any other tongue, to the leviathans when they spoke in this language it wasn't as though they spoke from their throats, hearts, or minds. To them this language came from the soul, so when they said they would do something in this language they upheld it till the task was complete or they died whichever came first. However there were a few rare cases where it lasted several generations within their race, so for Greymane to use the language meant he refused to listen and was bent on doing what he believed to be right.
Sighing at the thought his advocate knew what it meant to speak in his tongue didn't make him feel better about the situation, in Xiuhtecutli’s eyes the young mare was one of them and this was all just a trick. But he had no control over Greymane and his actions so there was not much that could be done, other than sitting back and watching everything unfold as he tried to protect him while hoping for the best.
Early the next morning they took off continuing their trip, at the moment Greymane knew that they had a far greater lead on them than they could ask for or ever hope for. At the same time they didn't know Greymane was the pony she was traveling with, all they most likely knew is that he was just some unlucky traveler. Before too long they came to a tree near a mountain formation and it was here Greymane felt it was best to rest before continuing, as he sat there to get some rest she continued to train herself in the hopes she could come at least one step closer to saving her mother. As Grey continued mentoring her on each little step he focused heavily on teaching her how to control her thoughts and emotions so that in a fight they did not control her, as the sun set and the moon started to rise Greymane looked up as he thought of Luna causing his heart to fill to the brim with warmth.
"Have you trained many ponies before?" She asked hoping to be his first student even if she was his first since coming back out of hiding.
With a sigh he brought his eyes down from the moon and on to her, "Forgive me I know it's a little late to be asking but what is your name?"
Nearly losing her balance as she blushed the young mare recovered her balance as she continued to practice, "Ember, my name is Emberglow. My father named me after what he saw in the setting sun one evening, mother loved the name and I never thought about what it meant."
Smiling he said it was a good name that belongs to somepony who has much potential, "Ember I want you to attack me." Letting out a light chuckle she asked if he was joking, "No I'm not joking, I want you to take all that you have learned up till now and attack me."
Walking up to him she prepared herself for whatever could come next, as she tried to attack him she watched as he moved in, out, and all around of each attack, for several minutes all Greymane did was weave in and out dodging her as she did her best to land one little hit on him. In the last moment she watched as he didn't try to dodge instead he allowed the punch to come at him as he gently brushed her hoof aside and twirled around her extended leg till he was behind her with his hoof on her back.
Letting out a pride filled sigh Greymane smiled as he patted her on the back, "You did well for your first time, and no you are the first I have ever trained. Though I will teach you to defend yourself and protect the ones you love I cannot teach you everything I know. Now that you seem to have the basics of the stance and some of the movements down I shall start teaching you how to block and strike."
Taking her stance again she waited for Greymane to attack her but watched as he shown her how to take an incoming punch, kick, or buck and use it to her advantage, it took most of the night before she learned how to move around attacks like he did. But as the sun started to rise she knew enough that she could fight on the same level as Greymane, or so she thought, it was true that Greymane did what he could to teach her but he knew that it would take much longer to have her come close to even a fraction of the skill he possessed. Though she would never come close to his skill Greymane knew that if she took what she had learned and continued to practice, then she just might one day be able to give him a decent run for his bits.
As the sun began to rise they soon found themselves surrounded by zebras with spears, clubs, and sling shots aimed at them, as she backed into Greymane she feared what these ponies would do as a young mare came walking up with a staff that had various items tied to the knot at the top.
Walking up to Greymane she spoke in her native tongue as she felt his face and even pushed it around a little before speaking in the common tongue, "It has been far too long since you've come here great one, though many generations and moons have past your actions of saving us have not been forgotten." Looking around they could see that many questioned what the young mare had said knowing that the description between him and the tenth where completely different, "Please forgive this young foolish mortal shaman, but please tell me why do you chose this appearance and not the great form you came to us in all those years ago?"
Smiling as he set his hoof on her shoulder he looked her in the eyes and could see that he wasn't just looking at his physical appearance, but in some small way what had passed down from the tenth his personality and it was this personality that she saw, "I have many enemies in this world and I wish not to draw their attention, and what would it say of me if I brought them here because I wished for you to know who I am at first glance."
Giving a gentle smile he hopped they bought his words knowing that the tenth Greymane, though he was an alicorn, has been dead for countless years. As their weapons lowered they guided them to a water fall near the head of the river that was near the mountain, following the shaman and warriors into the fall they found a cave that was hidden by the raging water. The further back into the cave they got the more Emberglow began to worry that they didn't believe him, Greymane however knew that he had limited time to start gathering as much information about their village and what all the tenth had done here as to hold the illusion that all the Greymanes where just one pony.
Before long they came to an opening in the cave that led them to one of the most beautiful oases anypony had ever seen, recalling the memories of the eleventh Greymane he recalled how he was a zebra who had come from such a place and then it all made sense to him. When tenth Greymane came here he hid the staff with them because they were hard to find, to add to it if the legend the old mare had told him was true then the Cauldron of Life was also here as well and they knew not what was in their possession.
Though this was the best he could hope for Greymane could feel something caressing the back of his mind as all the blanks began to fill themselves with knowledge he didn’t have at first, *Who are you that you can reach me like this, and yet you do not try to control me?*
Feeling this gentle touch Greymane could hear a laugh as though it was a teacher laughing at the cleverness of their student, *I know not which I find funnier, the fact you ask such a question knowing the answer. Or the fact you bring my sibling yet you chose not to use the power held within, is immortality truly that scary for you when there is no price to be paid?*
Before he could answer his train of thought was interrupted when a young yet rather large bulking stallion stood proud at the top of the cavern to the right of him, "It is as the old shaman has said the Great One has returned, and with his return a new age for us all. Now my fellow warriors, now is the time that we pick up our weapons and go forth to conquer this land. To conquer and reclaim what was once our home!"
Though there were few of them many rose their weapons as they let out their battle cries the shaman they followed cried out for them to stop, "Your wrong to say that, yes the old shaman's words are true and the Great One has returned to us. And yes this means a new age for us all but it means an era of peace and enlightenment for us, when the Great One first saved us even then he spoke against violence and war. He often said that we should avoid it as much as we could and only fight to protect ourselves and our loved ones. My children as the young shaman hear me when I say that the old shaman would not agree to such a thing like war, that she has always spoken unto us with love and compassion. So I ask you all this, if she loves, if she teaches the same thing that the Great One has then why would she tell us to kill? And if the Great One has always spoken against violence then why would he tell us to kill?"
As the two of them went back and forth Greymane could feel the staff tell him that the old shaman they speak of was in fact still alive and is waiting for him, stepping forth he called out saying that he would like to speak with the old shaman himself. Escorting him to the old shaman Greymane saw that many of the villagers bowed to him out of respect, as he came to see the old shaman he noticed that she seemed to be just slightly older than most ponies around them. In fact she appeared to be rather young, however her eyes where a milky grey showing that she was blind and in her eyes was where he saw that she was much older than she appeared.
Waving her hoof she asked to speak with Greymane alone they closed the curtain as he sat down, "I know you're not the same one who came here, the staff has shared much with me since the day he gave it to me." Looking at her he almost questioned her age as she chuckled, "The staff of Wisdom sits before you in my possession, and yes the Cauldron of Life is here as well. With the two I have lived since that day guiding these young ones and trying to keep them safe..." Giving him a smile she set the staff down allowing Greymane to see that the legend was not accurate at all when it said the staff was made of gold and decorated with jewels he saw that it was similar to that of a fallen branch, "...it's rather funny, it's called the staff of wisdom. But the staff does not grant wisdom, it grants knowledge beyond all comprehension. Your predecessor gave me the staff because I showed wisdom to lead them down the right path yet at the time I was unaware of it. Oddly enough when he did he said unto me ‘That wisdom is relative, and knowledge is absolute. But to have one without the other makes no sense, and to claim to only need one without the other is ludicrous.’ I found it strange then and now, but even still I agree with him."
To many her words would not have made much sense but coming from one Greymane it was almost as if they were meant to come to him as though the tenth had foreseen what was going to happen, thinking on her words he pieced together that to say you are wise when you are not knowledgeable in what you are saying is just as crazy as saying that you have knowledge but you lack the wisdom to use it properly makes you a fool. But he questioned what any of it had to do with him or if he was just meant to pass it on to some pony who needed to hear these words far more than he did, asking about the two young ponies out there that we're arguing about going to war or staying here Greymane watched as a frown came across her face.
"I don't know how long I will live, and I have trained many young mares to take my place when the time comes, and though this village has listened to them these young colts however..." Giving a pain filled sigh she reached for her gourd to have a little water, "...they have grown increasingly aggressive wanting to go to war unaware of what may await them out there."
Standing up he turned around to walk out of the tent as he slightly chuckled, "I can help solve that problem right now if you like, but to do that I may have to scuff up one of your proud warriors."
Laughing at his statement as he walked out she shouted that she wished she could still see so that she may watch the young arrogant and foolhardy be put in their place, walking out of the tent he looked down at the training circle and watched as the stallion who was shouting about going to war moments ago beating young colts into the dirt telling them that they needed to be strong. Tapping Ember on her shoulder he whispered to her to pay very close attention to how he handled the stallion.
Walking into the training circle he caught the stallion's hoof before he could strike another colt, "You say they need to be strong, but true strength does not come from your muscles because it cannot be found in the body. It comes from having heart and the willingness to stand up to protect those you love." As the stallion laughed at his words he mocked while pulling his leg out of Greymane’s grasp, walking back to his best trained warriors as he pointed saying that love has no place on the battlefield, "Very well then how about this, best me here in this ring and I will not only support you I will personally train ten young colts to take with us. However if I best you then you have to give up your dreams of going to war."
Though he didn't think he stood a chance against Greymane he did however feel that if luck was on his side then whatever secrets for war he had could be put to a much greater use, accepting the deal everypony cleared the ring as many more started to watch from all around them upon the ascending rings. As they circled each other the proud stallion got many of the warriors cheering him on shouting and chanting that he break Greymane or as they called him Great One, but the others kept silent hoping that he best the young stallion to bring an end to their unnecessary war long before it could start. Walking around the circle Greymane could tell just from looking at him he was more than just proud and arrogant, he was also far too eager to prove himself and this war he wanted was what he believed would do it bring him honor and glory. But Greymane feared that if he got just the smallest taste of war then he would never want to stop fighting, looking at his cutie mark Greymane noticed he was a brawler mostly suited for charging in and using his size to his fullest.
For Greymane this was all he needed to win most brawlers had the same weaknesses, if they become too lost in their own rage they tend to beat themselves up for you by tiring themselves out.
Letting him believe that he had the advantage Greymane turned his back and looked up at the cavern and how the sunlight glistened off the still wet plants, "This place is lovely, it holds such beauty that must be cherished as much as possible..." Taking advantage of Greymane's willingness to look around the young stallion charged him only to watch as Greymane kept an eye on a gentle stream of water falling in front of himself giving a slight reflection of what was behind him. Jumping into the air as he flipped back to bounce off the young stallion's head forcing him to run into the wall Greymane continued to look around, "...I wonder how much more beautiful it looks in the moonlight." Looking up toward a young filly he pointed at her with a smile on his face, "Tell me what does this place look like under the full moon."
As the young filly explained as best she could the crowd started to take notice as to how Greymane willingly split his focus to give his appoint a handicap, "Don't you play me for a fool, you wanted this fight so I demand that you fight."
Charging Greymane again he watched as Grey used his cloak as a means to blind him for a second as he dodged, "The way you described this place under the moonlight makes me wish I could stay long enough to see it for myself." Not wanting to waste his energy running into the walls and being laughed at the young stallion ran up to Greymane and at the last second threw a punch with his right hoof only to watch as Greymane simply caught it and stood there like it was nothing, "Do you see it yet, I took a moment to learn about this place and already I feel as though I have been here for years. Yet you have been here your whole life and you know nothing of the beauty that this place holds, it is the single greatest treasure you will ever know."
As the young stallion rose his other hoof and tried to punch Greymane he cried out how Greymane needed to stop messing around and fight, as his other hoof came close he watched as Greymane brushed it to the side and twirled around following it up with hitting him in the side of the head with the back of his left hoof. As his hoof struck him across the face Greymane used the built up momentum to continue through by lowering his stance and kicking his appoints legs out from under him. As he started to fall he watched as Greymane continued to spin on his front right hoof. Gaining in speed till his back hooves came around Greymane kicked him towards a wall, as the young stallion hit the wall Greymane pushed himself off the ground with the hoof his was spinning on and landed on the first ring above himself. As he landed Ember noticed that she was not just learning to defend herself but she was learning from a true legend how to restrain herself in the event her opponent refused to stop.
Looking down at the young stallion as he slowly started to get back up with the help of his best warriors everypony soon turned and looked up at Greymane who had stopped smiling and slowly became an empty stare, "When I first came here to save your tribe I did so not out of pity nor for my own personal glory, I did so because I valued life and wished not to see any of your ancestors die." As they looked at him they could see the anger in his eyes though it did not take hold of his expressionless face, "You take the gift I gave you and you wish to throw it away, that brings pain to me to see and hear that. However I cannot stop you, the path you walk is your own and I cannot keep you from it. I can however request that if you wish to take this path in life that you walk it alone and that you do not take any of the innocent lives who wish not to have anything to do with it and let them find their own paths."
Angered the young stallion stumbled forward as he said that their fight was not yet done, "All you did was play and get lucky I didn't tear you apart, if I had gotten my hooves on you..."
Tapping his right hoof on the edge of the ring he stood on they all watched as a rather large piece broke off and fell to the ground, "I played around to show you that you never had a chance of besting me, I knew it from the start and I didn't wish to harm you any more than I had to. But you refused to see it before I had to do more than what I wished, and if I am this strong because I care, and because I love, and wish to protect all that I can with all that I am. Then tell me this..." As they looked at Greymane they watched as the anger in his eyes washed out with the tears that soon followed as he sat down full of sorrow, "...how much stronger are my enemies who can fight on nearly the same level of skill I do, I gave you as many chances as I could to back down they won't. Believe me when I say that you stand no chance against them and they have even less care for life than you do, you want to go out and make a name for yourself in battle they don't, you want to conquer for pride and glory they just want to conquer because they want everything. They don't care about your pride or honor so please find peace and hold onto it for as long as you can. And if you have to fight then only do so to protect those you love."
Looking around the young stallion saw that any and all support he had was now gone, as well as any hope for finding glory on the battlefield. Walking up to him Ember almost burst out into ecstatic joy and wanting to ask him how he did all of that, only to be stopped as she saw Greymane looking into a pool of water at his own reflection with nothing but disgust for what he saw.
Raising her hoof she reached out to try and touch him only for the young shaman to take hold of her, "The old shaman wishes to speak with you, please come with me."
As she went with the young shaman Greymane continued to stare at his reflection in disgust as the memories of that night flashed before his eyes, till all he saw of his own reflection was what he had become that night. His eyes where a crimson red with very no sign of his iris but very little of pupils remained, his body and cloak had become covered in blood, sitting there he frowned at the thought of what he did as his reflection laughed.
Sitting there he thought that what he saw was not who he truly was only for his refection to speak to him as he felt a clawing at the back of his mind from the artifacts, *How did it feel to use our power once more, did it feel good, as your blood rushed did it feel like you were about to reach the heights of ecstasy? Oh yes we know you tapped into, what little of our power is left in your blood. Face it Greymane despite what lies you come up with we are your destiny, we know you far better than you know yourself. Just give in to us, make this easier on yourself and give in to your true nature and embrace the future.*
Nearly crying out he almost struck the pool of water only to stop and watch as his reflection turned into the tenth Greymane as the staff called out to him, *I see what I hear through the grapevine is not just some rumor, you did fall and you fell hard.*
Looking at the image the staff had chosen for its self made him slightly smile as he lowered his hoof, *Taking that image to try and make it easier to talk to me?*
Smiling back at him the staff sighed as it recalled all of the Greymanes that carried him till the day they parted, *No I just enjoyed this host the most, he was never short of laughs even when things were their worst, I know my siblings tricked you and I know you've blamed yourself. But hear me out when I say this, if they were still alive not a single one of your predecessors would turn their backs on you. Contrary to what you believe every last one of them would stand next to you to help you rise back up to move on, I know this to be true because even though out these many years I still hear about what they did and how they did it. Yes each of them are different but one thing remained constant throughout the years even to you, not a single one of you will let those closest to yourselves suffer.*
Looking at the staff he stood up as he started to turn around, *It's easy for you to say that when you don't know how my choices cost so many innocents their lives and nearly cost so many more in Equestria, each choice I make has only made the situations worse...* Sighing as he looked at the many lives the tenth had saved then and even now from beyond the grave brought a small smile to his face, *...but thanks for the vote of confidence and telling me what I needed and wanted to her. But next time do me a favor and tell me what I should hear, tell me the hardest truth.*
As he walked around Ember had finally started talking to the old shaman, "What do you mean I can't help him? He's doing so much for me the least I could do is talk to him and maybe find some way to help him."
Grunting as she heard the young mare wishing to aid him but knew nothing of what awaited her nor of what it took to truly help him, "I know you mean well young one but to truly help him one must first know what he has gone through, what he has endured up till now and how he still has to fight his own inner evil that torments him to this day. The demons in Tartaros know of it far better than any living pony simply because they enjoy the pain all of it brings to him, if anything they would use it against him in the worst way possible for their own amusement. Though I have no idea as to why they haven't tried yet."
Looking at her Ember tsked as she clenched her teeth, "You say that we can't help him but that's only because neither of us have tried."
Turning around she opened the flap to the tent and watched as Greymane seemed to just wander aimlessly as the old shaman sighed, "The reason why I say we can't help him is because to help him means he has another option, and he already knows there is no other option. He is fighting a war within himself and he is slowly losing with each passing day, he knows that time is not on his side and that the evil within him will try to control him. He's come to terms with this and has already planned to save us from himself when the time comes, and he will do it by making the one choice only he can."
Looking back at the old shaman Ember asked what she meant only for things to become deathly quiet between them, "You can't be serious… there's no possible way he would. I mean to do something like that?"
Though she couldn't see the old shaman made eye contact with Ember, "He will do what must be done to protect us, even if it must be the ultimate sacrifice. He will not try to alter this so don't believe you have the power to when you know nothing of what goes on."
Looking at him Ember nearly started to cry knowing that to the Order he was known as the Crimson Stained Stallion and was used to bring them fear, to these ponies he had saved their lives and was seen as a hero. And yet to the world it was mixed feelings that only came to one shared thought, he was a thief and many wanted to watch him die. And sadly she knew this to be true though Ember wished she could help him.
The two songs in this are Seven Deadly Sins by Flogging Molly and Heart of the Ocean by Gaelic Storm for any who wish to hear them here are the links for them.
Seven Deadly Sins by Flogging Molly
Heart of the Ocean by Gaelic Storm
also 'ven on pan'adindo mino kilen'poulana' translates to 'she is within my protection'.
Stats
Page generated in 0.023 seconds
Total duration
969 users online
2,270,140 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Okay, I'm going to be a little blunt here.
As far as I've seen, there are three continuing problems with this story: improper grammar, clunky exposition (though much, much less of this in the more recent chapters), and slightly rushed dialogue. I just don't feel as invested in this story as I should.
Example A: Improper Grammar.
Should look more like
Or something.
Example B: Clunky Dialogue.
Should resemble
Or
The songs were a nice touch, but after seeing the author's note: I'd rewrite them. One of the rules of FiMFiction is no copyrighted songs. I've dodged that by writing my own lyrics into familiar tunes, and I recommend it here. I think you're creative enough to handle it.
Also, sorry it took so long to get back to this. It's been hectic lately.