When Scootaloo is injured and sent to the hospital, Rainbow Dash decides to cheer her up by telling her a story about an ancient pegasus hero, Hyracles.
A foolish daredevil attempt sends Scootaloo to the hospital with broken limbs. The physical scars will heal, but the emotional ones run far deeper.
Rainbow Dash arrives to cheer her up, but when even she fails to reinstall faith in Scootaloo, she decides to tell her a story from her fillyhood, a story as important then as it is today. A story that helped make Rainbow Dash the mare she is today.
"Long ago, back when the princesses had yet to arrive and Equestria was a land overrun with monsters and crazy magic, the ponies cried out for a hero. An ancient god and a mortal pegasus mare give birth to that hero, one whose adventures will help shape the nation for all time. Her name is Hyracles. This is her story..."
Rainbow Dash burst through the hospital doors like a bolt of lightning. She rushed to the front desk where the receptionist had to duck for cover. The pegasus began speaking a mile a minute. “Where is she? Is she okay? Is she alive?”
The receptionist begged her to calm down. “Take it easy, Miss Dash. I’ve been told to expect you and tell you that everything is okay.”
But Rainbow was pulling at her own mane. “Okay? OKAY?” She grabbed the receptionist by the shoulders and hoisted her into the air. “My little buddy almost died and you’re telling me to take it easy? What’s wrong with you?”
“Miss Dash, please!” The receptionist pleaded. “If you don’t calm down I’m afraid I cannot let you in to see the patient.”
This seemed to snap Rainbow out of her hysteria and she slowly lowered the receptionist to the floor, albeit on her side of the desk. Rainbow apologized to her and began to take deep, soothing breaths like Twilight had shown her. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” Her eyes bulged, traces of water threatening to overflow. “I just heard and then I flew all the way from the other side of town and…oh I...” She covered her eyes.
The receptionist dusted herself off. “As I was saying, Miss Dash, your friends arrived earlier and told me you’d be stopping by. Dr. Horses is tending to the patient as we speak and informed me that she’s doing well. Now I can let you in, but only if,”
“Room 312,” Rainbow said, reading off the names of the guest list on the counter. She spotted AJ and Rarity’s names and quickly zipped down the hall.
“Miss Dash!” The receptionist pony called out. She huffed. “Pegasi. I swear they’re more feathers than brains.”
Having been well-acquainted with this hospital, Rainbow Dash easily found the room she was looking for. She flew down the halls so fast that patients and employees had to duck. “Sorry!” She cried half-heartedly. She only cared about one thing at the moment. Upon reaching room 312, she spotted her two friends standing outside the door, talking amongst themselves.
“Rarity. Applejack.” She came to a halt so fast that her friends cringed for fear of being bowled over. “I just heard the news. Is she okay?”
“She’s awright, Rainbow Dash. Our sisters are in there with her right now.” Applejack motioned to the glass window that provided a view of the room. Rainbow Dash peered through to see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle alongside a hospital bed, speaking to the pegasus therein. On the other side of the bed was Doctor Horses and Nurse Redheart, the latter of whom pointed out Rainbow Dash’s arrival. Seeing her, Dr. Horses gave her instructions and went to door.
“Miss Dash, good to see you again.” The doctor closed the door behind him.
“How is she, doc?” Rainbow fell to her knees before him.
“Ah jus’ told you she was fine,” Applejack said behind her. She gave Rarity an exasperated look and the unicorn stepped up.
“Rainbow, darling. Scootaloo has been in the best of care since she arrived. Dr. Horses has been seeing to her care personally. Isn’t that right, doctor?”
“Hm?” The male unicorn, looked up. “Oh yes. You needn’t worry, Miss Dash. Scootaloo will make a full recovery. In about a month.”
“A month!” Rainbow Dash cried, causing the ponies to cringe.
“Yes, a month.” Dr. Horses massaged his ears. “I’m afraid she suffered a fracture on both her left hind leg and right wing. The leg will heal faster, but the tendons and muscles of a pegasus wing are far more complex and will take more time to heal.” He looked over his notes. “Provided she takes her medication and doesn’t stress herself, she should be flying again in about two months.”
“But she can’t fly at all,” Rainbow Dash spat out. She winced as she said that, as if she’d just revealed a terrible truth. She finally got off the floor and sat down on her rump, head slumping. “She never could fly. She just flutters around.”
Dr. Horses shrugged. “Well then, she’ll be fluttering around in about two months.” He regarded Rainbow Dash with a stern glare. “Please keep the theatrics to a minimum here, Miss Dash. You are in a hospital and I will not have your antics disturbing my patients. Any action to the contrary will see you banned from future visits, is that understood?”
She nodded.
“Good.”
“Can she go inside, doctor?” Rarity asked. “I’m sure Scootaloo would love to see her.”
“Why shoot, Rarity. Rainbow’s the only thing that li’l filly’s been talkin’ about since she got here.” Applejack went on to say, “Why she’s the reason’s she’s here in the first place.” Applejack realized what she said and covered her mouth with her hat, which still earned her a death glare from Rarity.
“What Applejack meant to say, darling, is that Scootaloo has been waiting for you. With the doctor’s permission, I’m sure it would be okay for her to see her now.” Rarity bashed her long eyelashes at Dr. Horses, who cleared his throat and pulled at the collar of his shirt nervously. “Yes, well, she can’t have more than two visitors at a time. The patient needs to rest.”
AJ removed her hat from her face. “That’s awright, doc. Me an’ Apple Bloom hafta be headin’ back t’ the barn anyways.”
“And Sweetie Belle has some chores to do,” Rarity mentioned. “Those drapes aren’t going to clean themselves.”
Applejack looked at her.
“What?” Rarity asked.
“Sometimes, Rarity, ah think ya only keep Sweetie Belle around as a source of cheap labor.”
Rarity chuckled aloud. “Oh, Applejack. You make it sound as if I pay her to work for me.”
The earth pony rolled her eyes. She walked to the window and tapped it twice to get the fillies’ attention. After saying their goodbyes, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle left the room.
“Hi, Rainbow Dash,” Sweetie Belle said.
Rainbow Dash looked at them anxiously. “Has she been asking about me? Was she afraid I wouldn’t come?”
The fillies glanced at each other momentarily.
“Nah,” Apple Bloom said. “She always knew ya’d come. She jus’ wanted t’ ask ya what she’d done wrong.”
“Done wrong?” Rainbow looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
Sweetie Belle began to rub the back of her neck. “Well, she tried to do a variation of your Sonic Rainboom using her scooter and…things kind of went downhill from there.”
“Literally,” Apple Bloom muttered.
“How downhill?” Rainbow asked them.
“You know the big hill beside Whitetail Creek?” Sweetie Belle asked. Rainbow nodded her head. “She landed on the hill behind that one.”
Rainbow gasped. That hill was one of the tallest in Ponyville. She’d flown over it several times when she was cloud-busting. Rugged and unkempt, it was one of the few spots that ponies seemed to avoid on a regular basis. Rocks jutted out of it like thorns and needles, and there was a sheer drop on the other side. “Why in the world would she try to perform a Sonic Rainboom on that deathtrap?”
“She said she felt the need,” Sweetie Belle said.
“The need?” Rainbow pressed.
“For speed,” Apple Bloom huffed, obviously finding the whole scenario ridiculous. “In all honesty, it was one of the dumbest things Scootaloo ever did. No offense,” she said after seeing Rainbow’s expression harden.
“We tried to stop her,” Sweetie Belle pressed. “But Scootaloo can be pretty stubborn.”
Frustrated, Apple Bloom spoke up. “More like reckless! Ah don’t know what she was thinkin’, Rainbow Dash. She could ‘av gotten herself hurt worse than she did! She jus’ had t’ prove herself.”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “But she just got her cutie mark. What more does she have to prove?”
Behind her, Applejack said, “Maybe ya can find that out. She’s always tryin’ t’ impress ya. Always tryin’ t’ be the next Rainbow Dash.”
Rarity agreed. “You really need to sit down and have a nice long chat with that filly. I shutter to think what might have happened to her if the girls weren’t there. Why if Sweetie Belle tried anything so silly just to emulate me…I don’t know what I’d do with myself.”
Sweetie Belle gave Rarity an odd stare. “Um, Rarity. You don’t ever do anything dangerous.”
“Really? And what would you call assembling a new line with an outdated sewing machine?”
Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Poor logistics planning?”
Applejack chuckled at that. Rarity, however, was in no laughing mood. “Come now, Sweetie Belle. We have much to do back at the boutique. We shall visit your friend again in the morning.”
The unicorns took their leave.
“Bah, Rainbow Dash,” Apple Bloom waved. “Tell Scoots we’ll see her in the mornin’.”
“Ya go easy on the little filly, kay, Rainbow?” Applejack said as she escorted her sister.
Left alone with Dr. Horses, who during this whole time was reading his notes, Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “So can I go in, doc?”
“Hm? Oh I suppose so.” He opened the door. “Nurse Redheart. Our patient has another visitor.”
Rainbow waited until Nurse Redheart had left the room before entering. “We’ll be back to check up on you soon,” the doctor said. “Just remember that visiting hours end at nine. If you need anything, Nurse Redheart will be just down the hall.”
The nurse winked at Rainbow and followed the doctor down the hall. Alone with at last, Rainbow Dash approached the bed. Seeing Scootaloo in that bed, her broken leg elevated while her wing was in a cast, Rainbow could feel her heart breaking. Scootaloo was more important to her than she’d cared to to admit, like the little sister she always wanted but never had.
“How’s it going, Scootaloo?”
Her head propped up on a pillow, Scootaloo smiled. “Hey, Rainbow Dash! I knew you’d come.”
“Of course I was going to visit you. What you’d think I’d leave you all alone to be entertained by those nerd ponies?”
Scootaloo laughed. Then she winced as pain shot through her broken limbs. “Ow! Don’t make me laugh.”
“Sorry!” Rainbow apologized. She took a seat next to the bed. “Does it hurt?”
“What this?” Scootaloo motioned to her leg with her hoof. “Nah. It’s just a scratch. Doctor says I’ll be up and at ‘em in no time.”
“Two months, Scootaloo.”
“What?”
Rainbow sighed. “Dr. Horses says it will take two months for you to heal completely. That’s a long time.”
But Scootaloo waved it off. “Eh, what does he know? We pegasi are made of sterner stuff than that. You just watch me. I’ll be doing more death-defying stunts before…”
“What were you thinking?” Rainbow exploded all of a sudden, silencing the boastful orange pegasus. “Were you trying to get yourself killed?” Rainbow was on her hind legs now and towered over the bed. She was livid, her eyes burning with rage. “Trying to perform a Sonic Rainboom on the ground is not only crazy, it’s stupid! How could you even think…?” Seeing Scootaloo’s eyes water with tears at that moment, Rainbow settled down. She sat down and did the breathing exercises Twilight taught her. “Look, what you did was very dangerous, Scootaloo. What were you trying to prove?”
Scootaloo wiped the tears from her eyes. “I just wanted to…to show my friends that…” She sniffed loudly.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Hey, little buddy.” Scootaloo looked at her. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
The little pegasus sniffed again. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I guess deep down I knew it was dangerous. But I had to try.”
“To try what?” Rainbow pressed her.
“Ever since we got our cutie marks, we’ve spent our time helping ponies learn about their destinies. Just look at mine.” She leaned to the side somewhat so that her cutie mark was apparent. A tri-colored shield with a thunderbolt inside a pegasus wing. “I’m not even sure what my own cutie mark is telling me.”
Rainbow didn’t understand. “What are you talking about? You help ponies discover who they are.”
“But what am I, Rainbow Dash? What does this mean?” She motioned to her cutie mark. “Apple Bloom is an Apple and she’s the heart of our team. Sweetie Belle has a beautiful singing voice and she’s going to be a star one day. Just look at my cute mark. A lighting bolt and a wing. I can’t fly and I sure can’t perform any Sonic Rainboom. So what am I supposed to do? What is my destiny?”
Rainbow was shocked to hear this. “So you thought that by doing something dangerous, you’d figure that out?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
“Getting yourself in the hospital doesn’t make any sense, Scootaloo.” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms over her chest. She kept her voice steady but stern. “If you had any questions you should have just come to me, or even Twilight. She’s good at solving the whole destiny thing, being a princess and all.”
Scootaloo looked ashamed. “No. This was personal. I didn’t want to get other ponies involved.”
“Look, Scoots. I’m not usually one to say this, but you’ve got to open up about your feelings. It’s a lot better, and safer, than almost getting yourself killed.”
Scootaloo faced the window. Outside, the afternoon was giving way to evening. Crickets could be heard, their song carrying across the wind.
“Scootaloo?” Rainbow followed her gaze to the window. Propped up next to it was her scooter, mangled and bent out of shape. Rainbow winced. “Ouch. That must have been some crash.” When Scootaloo said nothing, she placed a hoof on her head and began to pet her mane. “Talk to me, kid. Otherwise I’ll just get bored. And you do not want to see me bored.”
Finally, the little filly said, “It’s like I said, I don’t know what this cutie mark means. How am I supposed to help other ponies discover their true talents if I don’t even know what mine is? At least if my cutie mark had a scooter it would make sense. What does mine say about me?”
“What does it say about you?” Rainbow laughed out loud. “It says you’re the toughest little filly around.” Rainbow stood up. “You’ve got the moves!” She stood on her hind legs and began to box. “You’ve go the mojo.” Rainbow posed as if standing in front of a camera. “Ain’t no harder working pony around!”
Scootaloo blushed at the complements. “Thanks, Rainbow.”
Seeing she was making some headway with her disturbed charge, Rainbow Dash returned to her seat and said, “Look, maybe your cutie mark doesn’t make sense yet, but it will. It just takes time. Trust me, kid. You’re going to light up the whole sky.”
But Scootaloo’s mood remained dour. “I can’t fly.”
“That doesn’t make you any less special. Not to me. Not to your friends. Not to any pony.”
“But it does matter. To me.” Scootaloo sighed, defeated. “No offense, Rainbow Dash, but you’ll never understand what this is like. I’m a pegasus who can’t fly. It’s like a unicorn without magic. Or an earth pony without…uh,” she groaned. “Maybe I should have the doctor remove my wings and call it even. At least then I’ll make sense.”
Rainbow wasn’t having any of it. “Now you listen to me, kid. You are a great pegasus. You have to stop letting the fact that your wings don’t work as well as others make you think you’re not worth anything.”
“Says the pony who performed a Sonic Rainboom when she was just a filly.”
Rainbow Dash became frustrated. “Geez! Would you forget about the Sonic Rainboom for one second? It does not define me because I don’t let it. Even without it, I’m still the coolest pegasus who ever came out of Cloudsdale.” She pointed to the scooter. “That thing doesn’t make you special. You make it special. The same goes for pegasus wings. Without us they’re just a bunch of feathers. We move the clouds. We create rainbows. We control the skies.”
Scootaloo tried to stretch out her broken wing and winced for the effort. She slumped in her bed. “I know what you’re trying to do, but…” she groaned. “Just forget it.” She turned away from Rainbow Dash. “You’ll never understand what it’s like trying to live up to some pony else’s expectations.”
There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence in which Rainbow fumed. She reached over and turned Scootaloo back around, gently. “You listen and listen good. You have no idea what it was like growing up in Cloudsdale. Life wasn’t easy for me then and it isn’t’ easy for me now. You want to know why?”
Scootaloo shook her head.
“Because I’m still living in some pony else’s shadow.”
Scootaloo was shocked. “Really?”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, kid. Really.”
“Whose?” The filly asked her.
Rainbow opened her mouth to say something, stopped, and looked out the window. Her eyes became distant, like she was looking at a another point in time. Finally, she gathered herself and took another deep breath. She’d really have to thank Twilight for these breathing exercises.
“I’m going to tell you a story. It’s about a pegasus just like you.”
Scootaloo stood up straight. “Really?”
“Yup. She lived a long, long time ago, back when Equestria was just starting out.” Rainbow Dash lowered her voice. “This was long before the princesses arrived. Back then, the three pony tribes were all alone in a land full of monsters and crazy magic. Things were so tough, that the ponies cried out to the old gods to send them a hero.”
“And did they?” Scootaloo asked, her eyes wide with fascination.
“And how? Not only did they gods send them a hero, but a pegasus pony at that. This was no ordinary pegasus, because she was blessed with super awesome, amazing abilities!”
Scootaloo became disinterested. “This pony doesn’t sound anything like me.”
“Quiet you!” Rainbow Dash bopped her on the head. “I’m in the zone.” She looked around. Her eyes fell on the lamp on the night stand next to the bed. Rainbow shade back so that the light was full on the adjacent wall. Situating herself beside the lamp, Rainbow lifted her hooves so that their shadows played across the surface of the wall. “The child of a god and a mortal pegasus, this hero would one day grow up to become the greatest in all of Equestria.”
Now listen here, kid. A long time ago, Equestria wasn’t as cool as it is today. The three pony tribes: pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony, were finally working together for once as they began settling their new home. The thing is, they weren’t the only ones there.
Back then, Equestria was filled with all kinds of monsters, and they all loved ponies…for lunch. It didn’t matter how fast you could fly, how much magic you had, or how strong you were; being a pony meant you were at the bottom of the food chain. Sucks right? Imagine having to fight each and every day just to stay alive. A lot of ponies probably thought they were better off where they came from. Sure freezing to death sucked, but it beats being a manticore’s afternoon snack.
The ponies toughed it out. It wasn’t easy at first. You have to remember that these ponies used to be enemies, and it ain’t easy sleeping next door to some pony who not long ago would have stolen your food, or taken your land just a few days before. But having a common enemy is a great way to make ponies work together. Each tribe began to depend on the skills of the other two; the strength of the earth pony which farmed the land and fortified the walls, the magic of the unicorn which created defensive spells and lit the night, the flight of the pegasus which allowed them to scout for danger and keep the weather under control.
Forced to live together to survive, it wasn’t long before the three tribes became one and it was pony vs. everything else out there. The monsters back then weren’t impressed with us. Who is scared of their food? Times were tough, so tough that within one generation there were fewer ponies living in Equestria than had arrived during the Great Migration. A lot of those pilgrims died on the way. Timber wolf attacks, Saber cat ambushes, bad weather, natural disasters, and good old-fashioned disease and hunger—which probably killed more ponies than anything else.
By the second and third generation, there were hardly any ponies left who remembered a time before the monsters! There was a lot of land back then and too few of us. We were scattered all over the place, which made us vulnerable. Ponies were living in fortified villages with high walls and booby traps. There was no trade because a pony would have to be insane to travel outside the walls. Ponies lived only on what they could grow, and in some cases, hunt. Don’t give me that face, kid. You’d be surprised what looks good when you’re starving.
Now instead of one country, you had a thousand little towns and villages and maybe a couple of cities. That’s where the Founders settled, but even they couldn’t keep the country together. You couldn’t tell a pony where they could live anymore than what they could eat or what clothing they could wear. Those outside the big cities were on their own and they knew it. If you ask me, I’d have gone with them. I hate crowds.
Now like I told you before, there were no princesses back then to protect or unite us. The ponies looked to their old gods for protection. I don’t know how much you learned in Miss Cheerilee’s class, but when I was filly they didn’t teach us much about them. A lot of ponies thought it was bad mojo to keep worshiping them after Celestia and Luna came around. A few places still do, though. If you ever go to Cloudsdale, there are statues to the gods Fillysophia and Cadenza. I once visited an earth pony village that was celebrating the festival of Dioneighsus.
What? How do I know so much about the old gods if they didn’t teach us at school? Well, let’s just say that’s a story for another time, Scootaloo. Maybe I’ll tell you later. But let me get back to this one. Where was I? Oh yeah…
Each pony tribe had their own bunch of gods which they offered prayers to back when they were still living up north. Now that they they were living together, the names got all mixed up and half the ponies couldn’t remember what a lot of the gods did, but one thing they all agreed on was that the gods protected them, and that was why they were still worshipped even then. Ask Twilight when you get a chance, I’m sure she’s got a book or fifty about ancient pony mythology.
Right now, I’m going to tell you about the coolest god of them all. His name was Divine Thunder. He was the king of the old gods.
The story goes that when he was born, his father, the king of the Titans, tried to devour him as he did the other gods. But his mother saved him by putting a rock in place of the foal, having his dad eat that instead while Divine Thunder was hidden away in a cave on a mountain. There he was raised by dragons, taught how to fly and command the clouds and the weather. When he was ready, Divine Thunder returned to defeat his father and rescue his siblings. But weren’t they eaten, you ask? Remember these are gods. They’re not going to kick the just bucket because they were eaten.
Together, the old gods defeated the Titans and imprisoned them in Tartarus. So grateful were the other gods that they made Divine Thunder their king, at least that’s what the ancient pegasi believe. We all have wings here so we’ll just keep that to ourselves, alright?
So, the gods created ponykind. They gave us protection and in exchange we would worship them. But when the ponies began to stop praying to them, the old gods grew weak. That’s why the windigos were able to become so strong. Without the gods to protect us, the windigos created the Great Freeze that nearly wiped us out. Some of the pegasi believe that it was Nocturnia, the Goddess of the Night, that visited Commander Hurricane in his dreams and told him to seek out a new land for his people. She probably did the same thing for the Founders of the other tribes, although they won’t admit it, even though most admit that Nocturnia was most likely a pegasus goddess.
Now that ponies were in trouble again, they began to worship the old gods like they were new. The gods became strong, but were unable to directly interfere with mortals. They protected us from demons, hell gods, and all kinds of crazy things I can’t even imagine. But if you were face to face with a Timberwolf, well, you were pretty much on your own. It’s not that they didn’t care about us. It’s just that the old gods wanted us to be tough. That can’t happen if they stepped in for every little thing. It’s like overprotective parents with their foals. I can’t even imagine how Fluttershy would have survived back then.
So the old gods decided they would have champions fight in their place, ponies that had wicked cool powers like speed, strength, or eggheadedness. These champions were their children after they…ahem…I’ll explain that part to you when you’re older. Yes, older, Scootaloo. Don’t pout. There are things even I’m not ready to tell you just yet.
Anyway, the champions would go out and fight monsters and make Equestria a little bit safer. But times were still tough and some ponies started fighting each other all over again. If two pony communities found a safe place where they could grow food and build new homes, only to have the other claim it as their own…you can guess how that turned out. The worst part is that the Founder Cities were either too far away or had too many problems of their own to stop these fights. Don’t believe everything the textbooks tell you, kiddo. Life after the first Hearth’s Warming Eve wasn’t all dancing and sing-alongs. The Founders couldn’t hold us together. The old gods couldn’t stop us from being ourselves. Harmony cannot solve every problem. Being an Equestrian in those days sucked.
Have you ever heard the saying, “a wing and a prayer?” It comes from the old days when pegasi foals used to fly for the first time. We call it First Flight now, but back then, any pegasus that wasn’t strong enough to protect the Herd wasn’t considered a pegasus. All pegasi needed to fly, so they would take the young fillies and colts to the edge of their cloud cities and kick them off. No junior flight school then, little buddy. You either flew or become a messy stain on the ground. All parents could do was watch from the sidelines and offer up a prayer that their kid would take flight, that their wings åwould work. A wing and a prayer was all they had. Since then, it became a saying for whenever somepony tries to hope for the best in a desperate situation.
And this was a VERY desperate situation.
Divine Thunder knew something had to be done. He knew that if things went on the way they did, ponies would begin to lose hope, maybe stop offering their prayers to the gods, and eventually kill themselves to death. He knew that it would take more than a wing and a prayer. He knew it would take more than champions. Equestria needed something to rally around, to help them see that they can be so much more.
Alcemare shivered by the fire. The midnight blue-colored pegasus mare pulled the hood of her cloak tight about her wings, adding what little wood remained into the dying embers of the fireplace. Outside her simple mud-brick home, the wind howled perpetually. She was reminded of the stories her great-grandmother used to tell her about the dreaded windigos who once forced ponies from their original homeland. They had been enough to keep her awake at night when she was a filly, fearing that a windigo would sneak into her room and eat her.
Alcemare missed her granna. She missed her family. The founding of Equestria was supposed to be a new beginning for ponykind, a chance at a better and more comfortable life. Alcemare stared at the table, her empty table, and wondered just what about this life was supposed to bebetter. Most of her family was either dead or gone. Thinking back, her granna was the only one to have died a peaceful death, of old age and surrounded by loved ones, the last of the “Old Guard.” Her generation was almost gone, the first ponies who came to Equestria during the Great Migration.
According to her granna’s stories, their family had once been what could be considered pegasus nobility. While not monarchal like the unicorns, the pegasi had once lived under a strict caste system and her family had belonged to the warrior caste. This meant that they were responsible for protecting the Herd from all threats and were highly regarded. When the pony tribes began intermingling, however, one of her ancestors had married an earth pony, marking the family as impure, and they were banished from the Herd.
Alcemare’s family never fully recovered from the shame. Her mother died giving birth to her youngest sister, leaving Aclemare and her siblings in the care of their aunt, an earth pony who was anything but loving. When she died during a diamond dog raid, Alcemare had to look after her sisters and brother all by herself. She had done her best, but raising three kids hadn’t been easy, especially when she was just a filly herself.
Her brother joined a mercenary group when he had been old enough, promising to make a fortune and send bits back to the family. Alcemare hadn’t heard back from him in years. Her youngest sister had perished from a fever. The despair had become so great that Alcemare’s second sister ran away with some traveling troupe, possibly never to return. If it hadn’t been for Amphitroton, her husband, Alcemare would no longer be here.
Amphitroton, a former soldier and veteran of countless battles, had been looking for a place to retire. He was a handsome pegasus, rugged face, chiseled features, the kind the mares would swoon over, and swoon they did. Every available mare in the village practically threw themselves at the stallion’s hooves, but he only had eyes for one lady, Alcemare.
After their courtship, they marred and spent several blissful years together. But when the village had come under attack by more diamond dog raiders, Amphitroton had left to join the defenders. Winter had settled then. No pony had seen or heard from the warriors in weeks and Alcemare began to fear the worse. Then, on a peculiarly warm night, her husband returned to her. Amphitroton explained that the ponies were about to undertake a major engagement against the diamond dogs and that he needed to see his wife for fear that he’d never get a second chance. That night had been the most amazing of her adult life.
The next morning, Amphitroton was gone. A few days later, Alcemare learned that she was pregnant. When the village defenders finally returned, all they had left of Amphitroton was his shield and sword.
A sudden stirring in the next room caught Alcemare’s attention. She begrudgingly removed herself from the fireplace and walked across her modest house to a hanging curtain. Pulling it open, she found the source of the commotion wailing in the makeshift crib she’d fashioned herself.
“There’s my little one.” Alcemare reached in to pull out the crying foal. She made sure to wrap the baby in her blanket to keep away the cold. “Hush now, little one. Momma’s here.” She sat down on her rump and began to rock back and forth while holding the baby. The foal continued to mutter and fit for a while longer. Alcemare began to hum a hymn her granna used to sing to her when she was a filly. The magic still worked and soon enough the foal was fast asleep.
Sighing contently, Alcemare placed the sleeping foal back into the crib and closed the curtain on her way out. She rubbed her trembling shoulders and decided it was time to collect more firewood. She wrapped a scarf tightly around her neck before stepping out, taking one last look at the curtain, for Alcemare needed constant reminder of why she put up with so much hardship. She blew a kiss and stepped outside.
The night was cold. The wind bit hard at her exposed face and Alcemare forced herself to acclimate, her breath fogging before her. The village was quiet, its high walls patrolled by the militia who kept an eye out for signs of attack by raiders or monsters. Alcemare walked to the small shack beside her home where she kept the firewood. Located in a fertile valley, the village wanted very little in terms of firewood, which came in especially handy when winter came about. The weather in this new land was unpredictable. Even the pegasi, once masters of the skies, had difficulty controlling it. It had become so difficult that many of them had abandoned their traditional cloud homes in favor of more “reliable” lodgings on the surface.
A pegasus militia pony flew overhead. He offered Aclemare a wave as he passed by and she returned the gesture. The village was made up of mostly pegasi and earth ponies, with but a sprinkling of unicorns. The horned ones seemed to prefer the mountains which offered better protection than the open fields and plains favored by their earth pony, and now pegasus, cousins. Of course there were dangers in those mountains as well; balroggs and frost giants, and gods know what else! One would think this entire country had it out for ponies and wouldn’t stop until they were wiped off the face of the earth.
Alcemare rummaged through her stockpile, which was meager at best. She was just stacking them together when she heard a shrill cry in the night. A foal was wailing…no, screaming! Alcemare knew at once it was her own baby and dropped the wood she had been gathering. She ran faster than she ever thought a pegasus could manage on the ground, bursting through the door so hard she almost broke it.
“Little one!” She looked at the curtain where she saw shadows, long serpentine shadows, surrounding her baby’s crib. “No!” Alcemare charged for the curtain, her heart sinking at the thought of what she’d find. This couldn’t be happening. The gods couldn’t be this cruel. They can’t take away the last thing she cared about on this world!
Alcemare threw the curtain aside, her breath caught in her throat.
Two massive serpents, each longer than the span of Alcemare’s wings, lay dead at the foot of the crib, their heads crushed and their forked tongues lagging out. There was blood everywhere. Barely breathing, Alcemare slowly approached the crib, her hoof steps slow and weak. “L-Little one?”
The foal was sitting up, her face and body covered in serpent’s blood. She seemed unharmed and even smiled at her mother as she approached the crib. Crying out, Alcemare grabbed her baby and pulled her into a tight hug. She didn’t know what happened, couldn’t fathom it…all she cared about was that her child, her precious, precious child, was safe.
“Thank the gods!” Her baby snuggled her tiny face into her mother’s neck, giggling as if it had all been a game. Alcemare kissed her baby on the head. “Thank the gods!”
A warmth entered the tiny room. Like an invisible fire, mother and child were covered in a glowing light that seemed to originate from everywhere at once. Alcemare watched, wide-eyed, as a pegasus pony materialized right in front of her. Glowing like some bright ember, the pegasus had a gray coat of fur and blonde hair. Her wings barely flapped as she hovered over the crib, a winged slipper cutie mark over her flank. She carried a saddlebag that seemed to be made out of stardust, bits of it sprinkling over the crib and making it glow. Atop her head was a strange-looking helmet that reminded Alcemare of an overturned pot with a red plume on top.
“Behold! I am Horsies!” The glowing pegasus said.
Alcemare cleared her throat. “Um…excuse me?”
Realizing she had been facing the wrong way when she spoke, the pegasus, Horsies, quickly turned around to face Alcemare. It was then that Aclemare noticed the strange shape of her eyes, which were yellow, but one forever turned in the opposite direction of the other.
“Oops…my bad!” Horsies cleared her throat again. “I am Horsies and I…wait.” She leered curiously at Alcemare. “Are you Alcemare?”
Alcemare nodded slowly. “Y-Yes?”
Horsies wiped her head as if she’d been sweating. “Whew! I finally got the right pony this time. All these houses look alike.” She puffed out her chest, sticking one arm behind her back and one over her chest. “I am Horsies, messenger pony of the gods!” She proclaimed.
“The gods?” Aclemare gasped. “Horsies?”
“Uh-huh. That’s me!” Horsies threw up her hooves and kicked out her legs. “I deliver messages all over the place. From Mt. Equus to Tartarus. You name it, I’ve been there.” Horsies noticed the pony cradled in Alcemare’s arms. “Awww. Is that the future savior of Equestria?” She hovered closer, her wings hardly moving. “How cute!”
Alcemare instinctively pulled back. “Future savior? What are you talking about?”
“Oops. Silly me. I’ve got a message for you.” Reaching into her saddlebag, Horsies pulled out a parchment which she then unfurled. Clearing her throat, the strange pegasus said, “Dear, Alcemare. Congratulations on giving birth to the hero of Equestria! You must be very proud and we here at Mt. Equus are pleased to announce that you are now eligible for the Maternal Savior Retirement Plan, which is immediately activated upon your imminent demise. Benefits of this package include a timeshare in Elysium, eternal life, dental coverage, and free pruning. Please note that all free pruning opportunities are only available in afterlives endorsed by Mt. Equus. For questions about the location nearest you, please contact our customer service branch upon death. Additional services,”
“I’m sorry, what?” Alcemare stared dumbfounded at the messenger pony. “Can you please go back to the part where my baby is the savior of Equestria?”
Horsies lowered the parchment she was reading. “I already explained that.”
“No you didn’t. You just appeared out of nowhere right after my child was…” Alcemare gasped. She glanced at the dead serpents. “Those snakes tried to kill my baby! How is she still alive?” She looked up at Horsies. “Did you…did you intervene?”
“Me? Nah.” Horsies blushed. “I’m just an immortal messenger pony.”
“But what happened? Where did these snakes come from and why did they try to eat my baby?”
“Well they are snakes, Miss. Alcemare. Eating ponies is kind of what they do. As for the ‘where did they come from’ part, we’re still working on that.” Horsies looked at the dead serpents and gagged. “It’s a good think she has super strength. I sure wouldn’t want to fly into these things in a dark alley.”
“Super strength?” Alcemare looked at her pony. The little foal’s blue face beamed at her. “Her?”
“Well doy! She is a half-god after all.”
Alcemare flared angrily. “What are you talking about? She’s not a god!”
“Half god,” the deity corrected.
Alcemere narrowed her eyes. “Explanation. Now!”
“Okey-dokey.” Horsies put the parchment away. “You see the boss, that’s Divine Thunder, king of Equus, lord of ponies, the big guy on the cloud,”
“I…know…who…he…is,” Alcemare spoke through gritted teeth. Not one minute of conversation and already she was infuriated by this whimsical deity.
“Oh good. Anywhoo, he was flying around one day, scoping the scene, when all of a sudden he saw a beautiful mare.” Horsies smiled suggestively, “Guess who that mare was.”
“Me?” Alcemare asked, sheepishly.
“Bingo!”
The foal in Alcemare’s arms giggled at that.
“He liked you a lot, but saw how sad you were when your hubby went away to fight those diamond dogs. So he decided to kill two birds with one stone. He changed himself so that he looked like your hubby-wubby and visited you that one night. The next day, he snuck out of bed like he usually does and headed back to Mt. Equus. You got to see your stallion for one more night and Bid Daddy Thunder got rid of his itch. Two birds. One stone. Get it?”
Alcemare stared at Horsies in horror. She began to back away. “You mean…that wasn’t Amphitroton that night? It was Divine Thunder?”
“Yup! Boy howdy, did he have a lot to say about you when he got home. Said you were the best he’d ever had. That didn’t make Queen Jealoustia happy, I’ll tell you what.”
But Alcemare didn’t hear any of it. She was so distraught she she fell to her rump, clutching her baby. “Amphitroton. He…he never came home.”
Seeing the look on her face, Horsies flew over and patted Alcemare on the back. “Oh. I’m so sorry, Miss Alcemare. But Amphitroton died a long time ago. He died before Divine Thunder came to visit you.”
Alcemare began to cry. “No.” Her voice was strained, as if of thirst.
Looking over at the far wall, Horsies spotted a sword and shield. “Those are his?”
Alcemare didn’t respond. She just kept crying. Horsies said, “If it’s any consolation, he died a hero’s death. Many ponies in your village owe their lives to him. You should be happy.”
“Happy?” Alcemare yelled. She got up, glaring daggers at the diety. Horsies backed away, intimidated despite being immortal. In her arms, the baby began to wriggle uncomfortably. “My husband is dead, I was rapped by a god, and you say I should feel happy?”
“You weren’t raped.”
“I didn’t know it was Divine Thunder. I never would have slept with him otherwise. How dare he take the face of my beloved? Who does he think he is? Who…”
Outside, thunder boomed. The entire house trembled. Dogs began to bark and there were several shouts of surprise. Both Alcemare and Horsies cringed and huddled on the floor, their heads bowed. The baby began to cry.
“You shouldn’t talk that way about the boss,” Horsies said. “He’s the one who sent me to tell you the good news.” The messenger pony took flight again. “Look, I’m just the messenger. I know this may not be what you want to hear, Miss Alcemare, but it’s the truth. Your foal,” she pointed to the crying baby whom Alcemare held defensively, “Is the child of the king of the gods. She killed those snakes with her bare hooves because she’s so strong. She’s going to grow up to become a champion, the greatest Equestria has ever seen.”
Alcemare tried to comfort her baby, whispering soft things in her ears. She felt a warm hoof on her shoulder and looked up to see Horsies smiling at her. “I don’t understand everything the boss does. But I do know this: your kid is going to do a lot of good in this world. Things are getting worse out there. Equestria needs a hero.” She looked at the foal. “Your baby is that hero.”
“But why?” Alcemare asked through tear-filled eyes. “Why my baby?”
Horsies shrugged. “Don’t know. Things just worked out that way, I guess.” She cleared her throat. “Listen, you don’t have to worry. Part of the reason I came here was to tell you that whoever tried to kill your foal will be found and punished. I’m also here to tell you that from now on, that foal is under the protection of Divine Thunder. No creature may harm her until she is of age and able to look after herself. Look.”
Alcemare did. Atop her baby’s forehead was a glowing mark of a golden thunderbolt. The mark of Mt. Equus. The mark of Divine Thunder. It disappeared soon after. “No monster or demon can hurt her. But she’s still mortal and that means she’s still able to feel pain and fear. She can get sick, hurt, or even die. This means you must look after her as you would any normal child.”
Alcemare glared at Horsies. “She is a normal child. She’s my child!”
“Don’t kill the messenger.” Horsies fluttered about. “I’m just here to tell you you’re not alone anymore. Amphitroton was a hero and your filly’s going to be an even greater one. She’ll keep getting stronger. Pretty soon you won’t have to worry about her anymore.”
This time when Alcemare looked at her, Horsies saw not anger, but pain. “What is it?”
“She is all I have left in this world,” she said in a voice that was barely a whisper. “She is and always will be my child. To have her put her life in danger to save a country that’s done nothing but take from me Is not right.” She looked at her baby, her big fushia-colored eyes wide and happy. Alcemare smiled despite her sorrow. “Please, choose somepony else.”
“It’s not up to me, Miss Alcemare. If it was, I’d leave you two alone.” A sound of thunder ripped through the sky. Horsies covered her mouth. “Oops! Sorry, boss.” Her next words were meant to console the aggrieved mare. “She’s going to be amazing, Miss Alcemere. Look at that. She killed two snakes all by herself and she’s just a foal! Imagine what she can do when she grows up. She’s going to change the world. She’s going to make Equestria a better place. Just watch.” She leaned toward Alcemare’s ear and whispered, “And know I’ll be watching over her too.”
Alcemare looked up at Horsies. The deity smiled, glowed, and disappeared, leaving a bunch of dust that glittered all over the place.
Alcemare held up her baby, the future hero of Equestria. She giggled and kicked her tiny legs as if the news had excited her. Alcemere just stared at her. “So the king of the gods has claimed you as his own, has he?” She looked up at the ceiling, knowing Divine Thunder was staring back at her. “You take the face of my beloved, enter my bed, father my child…and the best you can offer me is the promise of glory for my only child? Well hear me, king of Equus!” She held up her baby. “This child will always be mine, for though our shared blood runs through her veins, it is I who will name her.”
She thought back to her granna’s stories, about the myths and legends of ancient pegasi. Names were highly respected among their kind, so much so that there was a time when a pegasus child had to earn his or her name in battle. There was story that always fascinated her, about the first pegasus hero to fly the sky, the one who all pegasi warriors used to call out to before they went into battle. “The glory of our people! I name this child, Hyracles!”
Thunder boomed again, though whether in acceptance of or disagreement of the name, Alcemare did not care. She had at least taken that much away from Divine Thunder for in naming the child she had in affect claimed her forever.
“Hyracles,” Alcemare said, looking at the amazing bundle in her hooves. “My daughter.”
From atop the tallest mountain in Equestria, what future generations would refer to as the Canterhorn, sat a throne of clouds in which rested a magnificent city. Bathed in all colors of the rainbow, this metropolis was home to the great deities of Ponykind, the ancient gods who watched over their children since the beginning of ages.
As it stood, there was a troubled cloud over the city. Literally. A large black cloud boomed and thundered, sending bolts flashing above the palace, a multi-structured building whose roof could have held up a modern city. Statues of the gods lined the parapets like sentinels, the storm doing little to stem the shine that radiated off their sheen surface like sunlight.
From inside the palace, a host of celestial equines were beginning to gather for a summit imposed by their king, Divine Thunder. Among them was Fillysophia, goddess of wisdom, peace, and friendship. The unicorn goddess had her face buried in a book while she walked, which is why she didn’t see where she was going and bumped into a mass of muscle.
“Oof!” Fillysophia winced as her book slammed into her muzzle. She fell back on her rump in a very undignified manner, eliciting snickers from the various gods around her. She was dressed in a gown of flowing lavender silk, the fabric having been made from the night sky itself, the stars flickered before returning to their full sheen, gently rolling along the surface like a living mosaic. Fillysophia quickly fixed her tiara, gently moving strands of lose hair out of her eyes before glancing upward.
“Stunning!” She cried.
Her brother, donned in red and gold armor from head to hoof, peered down at her with his magnificent blue eyes. “Filly!” He said, quickly extending a hoof to help her up.
She glowered even as she accepted his hoof. “You know how I hate that name. It makes me sound…mortal.” Her gaze fell to her book which she quickly picked up with the use of her magic, placing it in a saddlebag she carried with her. Much like the ponies they protected, the gods of Equus each resembled one of the three pony tribes: pegasus, unicorn, and earth. As unicorns favored intellect over brawn, careful calculation over rash action, and possessed an affinity for the ether they dubbed “magic”, Fillysophia was one of their patron gods.
Of course, they were also a tribe of skilled warriors and that’s where her brother came in. Stunning Shield, the god of war and of heroes. Unicorn warriors would call his name during battle and offer praise to himwhen they won, which was usually a lot. What they lacked in strength and numbers, the unicorns more than made up for in technique and grace. Also, it didn’t hurt that they were the best metal workers in all of Equestria. Having focused their settlements in the mountainous regions of their new home, the unicorn tribe had access to the rarest metals that allowed them to forge weapons and armor that were the envy of the other tribes.
Stunning Shield removed his helmet, releasing his cobalt blue mane over his well-pronounced shoulders. Despite the bulkiness of his armor it fit him like a second skin and didn’t deter his movements in the slightest. It was lighter than silk and yet stronger than any steel the mortal ponies could ever hope to make.
Holding his helmet under his arm, Stunning walked beside his sister. “I’m sorry. I just can’t help it. You’ll always be my little sister.”
Rolling her eyes at that, Fillysophia’s eyes glanced across the room. “Father isn’t here yet,” she stated more than asked. “Makes sense. Why show up for the congregation that you yourself called?”
Stunning’s face grew grim. “He went to Tartarus to meet with our uncle. You know how those two are.”
“Tartarus?” Fillysophia stopped. “Why is he meeting with King Umbral?” She scratched her chin while her brother turned around to look at her. “Father never sees him unless something big is going down. Something like…” she gasped. “The Titans! Are the Titans escaping again?” Her outburst caused half the room to gasp. All the gods feared the Titans, the mighty creatures that ruled the world before the rise of Equus. It had been Divine Thunder who had led his brothers and sisters to victory against them in a war that lasted centuries, culminating with the Titans being imprisoned in the pits of Tartarus. There, King Umbral, lord of the dead, made sure they remained there for all eternity, less they rise up and attempt to destroy Mt. Equus.
“Keep your voice down,” Stunning said in a raised whisper. “Things are tense enough around here.” He looked left and right before speaking to her again. “Something has Father worried and I think it has to do with what’s happening down on Equestria.”
One of the goddess’ eyebrows went up. “Since when is something not happening down on Equestria?”
“Come on, Fillysophia. You’re the goddess of wisdom. You of all goddesses should be well-informed as to the goings-on of mortals.”
She blushed at that. “Yeah well, I’ve been kind of busy too.” They began to walk again. “The unicorns have been creating new spells. Just the other day I had Nocturnia help me enter the dream of a mage who was having trouble finishing a very special cantrip, one which will be able to turn metal, any metal, into gold.”
“Sounds like some spell,” Stunning admitted.
“It is. It’s called alchemy.”
“Al-chemy?” Stunning repeated the strange word.
“It’s a type of science. They’re…”
“Sci-ence?”
Fillysophia rolled her eyes again. “Please, Stunning. I know you’re the god of war and all that, but you’ve got to catch up with the times. Science is the wave of the future and I’m going to make sure that unicorns are at the forefront of this new age of discovery.” They made their way to the refreshment table. After pouring themselves a cup of ambrosia, the nectar of the gods, the two siblings walked over to the balcony where they had a sweeping view of the mortal world beneath them.
Fillysophia sighed. “Look at it, brother. Those are our ponies down there. They fight, they struggle, and yet there’s very little we can do to help them.”
Stunning’s reply was pragmatic. “If we do too much, they become dependent on us. They need to be tough. This new home they found may be beautiful, but it is dangerous and not for the weak. The other races will take it from them if they don’t learn to stand up for themselves.”
“I know. I know.” The goddess leaned on the railing. The wind caught her midnight-black hair, running through it like invisible fingers. It also kicked up her gown, providing a glimpse of her cutie mark: an open book and quill with a black feather.
“Plus,” Stunning went on, resting his golden helmet on the railing, “We can’t directly interfere in mortal affairs due to our treaty with the demons.”
Fillysophia nodded. The gods had a peace treaty with the demons that stated that neither side can become deeply involved with mortal affairs. Oh they can influence events on the mortal plane, gently nudge ponies on the paths of righteousness or evil, but they cannot openly support sides during a time of war or fight enemies on their behalf. That was all on them.
“Still, I wish we could do more. They really need our help, Stunning.”
The god of war agreed. “Maybe that’s what we’re about to do. Father wanted us all here for a reason. Perhaps he agrees that now is the time for action.” When Fillysophia looked at him, he said, “There are still some things we can do. There are new champions rising across Equestria everyday. Their numbers are small but growing, and their victories are inspiring ponies to fight back.” A large smile appeared on his face. “Don’t lose hope, sis. I’ve seen some of these ponies in action. And let me tell you, they are really kicking some flank down there.”
“Always thinking with your muscles, huh Stunning?” A soft, female voice said behind them. The siblings looked back to see a bright pink pegasus mare wearing a lovely white gown that cut down the sides so as to provide a view of her long legs. She was absolutely beautiful, a goddess without equal, as she should be.
Stunning lost his voice. “C-Cadenza!” The flush of red on his white cheeks was all too apparent as he addressed the goddess of love. “When did you get here?”
“Just now. I must say I’m surprised at you, Stunning Shield.” Cadenza swayed her hips as she approached him, eyelashes fluttering. “Wearing all that armor to a family get-together? Don’t you get hot under all that metal?”
Stunning was hot alright, though it had nothing to do with the armor. Beside him, Fillysophia looked away so as to hide a smile.
“Not really. I mean, I like wearing armor. It suits me.” He smiled awkwardly.
Candenza stopped mid-stride.
“Suits me. Get it?”
Fillysophia groaned. Really, brother?
Candenza put on a friendly smile. “Heh-heh. Suits you. Yup. Funny.”
Stunning Shield didn’t move. He couldn’t. He knew he just lost points with that bad joke and didn’t know what to do next. Luckily, Fillyophia subtlety kicked him with her hind leg and he snapped out of it. “Oh…Filly! You’re here too.” Looking to Cadenza he asked, “Cadenza, have you met Fillysophia?”
“We’ve met,” Cadenza giggled.
“We’re family,” the goddess of wisdom deadpanned.
“Yes…because we’re related. Just like every god here. One big happy family. Heh. Whoo!” He began scratching the neck of his armor as if it had suddenly become too itchy. “Love that family of mine.”
Wanting the awkwardness to end, Fillysophia spoke up. “I’m going to get some more nectar. Why don’t you two catch up, seeing as you’re one big happy family and all?” Snickering, she winked at Cadenza as she left the balcony, hoping her brother would have enough sense to throw himself off should he make another horrendously bad joke. No god likes to feel embarrassed, least of all around his little sister.
The congregation was filling up as more and more gods began to arrive. Looking around, she spotted Dioneighsus, goddess of parties and all-around good times, entertaining ponies as she balanced herself on a large ball while throwing flaming knives into the air, her confetti cutie mark apparent for all to see. Horseperides, goddess of the harvest, was having a discussion with Nocturnia, goddess of the night and of dreams, over by the fountain which depicted a group of mares dancing in the forest. Vulcanus, the blacksmith of the gods and creator of objects and weapons coveted by all, resembled a living mountain. The gathering parted before him like a wave as the massive stallion made his way over to a table filled with treats. Solaria, goddess of the sun, her tail and mane made of living flame, stood alone at the end of the room beside a pillar. She looked around nervously for fear of burning someone had made social gatherings rather awkward for her.
Fillysophia decided to go talk to her when a tall, regal unicorn god approached her. “Ah, Fillysophia. How have you been, my dear?”
“Uncle!” Fillysophia forwent all forms of etiquette and threw her hooves around her favorite uncle. Torrent Swirl, brother of Equus and Umbral, god of the seas and one of the most powerful gods in all of Equus. His long white beard tickled Fillysophia as she hugged him, and the great god put an arm around her as well.
“It has been too long, my dear.” He smiled as she let go. “How have you been?”
“Well enough. I’ve been filling my parchments with a host of new spells my unicorns have been creating.”
This made Torrent laugh. He stroked his beard gently as he listened. Whereas most of the gods wore only minor clothing or nothing at all, Torren Swirl donned a long, billowing blue cloak that shimmered with many bright stars. In fact, Fillysophia had based her gown off of her uncle’s attire as a way to show her love and admiration for him. But the most striking thing about him was the, pointy blue hat he wore atop his head. It was as tall as he was and glowed with stars, just like his cloak. Only a hoof-ful of ponies had ever seen his cutie mark: a large rolling wave beneath a field of stars.
“The Fates chose well when they deemed you the goddess of wisdom, my child. You are indeed the brightest goddess of your age.”
Fillysophia blushed at the compliment. “Thank you, uncle. But I’m no smarter than any pony else.”
“You know better than to correct your elders. I speak the truth, and while humility is a valuable trait it can also be a detriment to developing one’s full potential. You should take pride in your accomplishments. Remember that your followers love kindness, but they respect confidence. Never forget that.”
“I won’t.” She truly loved this stallion. Of the three brothers, Father was the most powerful and Umbral the most cunning, but Torrent was wisest, which explains why Fillysophia enjoyed his company most of all.
“Now then, we should talk before my brother arrives. He will no doubt demand everyone’s attention, which will leave us no time to catch up. Tell me about your studies. I hear many things under the sea.”
As Fillysophia and Torrent Swirl talked, a pair of hateful eyes glared at them from the darkness of a shadow-filled hallway. It began to move with purpose, the power from that gaze enough to steal the light from the very walls all around it. In fact, it was this same power that had created the booming storm outside, shaking Mt. Equus to its foundation.
Gods ceased in their conversations as the mountain trembled. Cups and utensils fell to the floor. Dioneighus lost her balance, falling on her back and nearly being impaled by her flaming knives as they fell down with her. Luckily, the mare was nimble enough to twist and turn her body at odd angles to avoid the blades.
Several rattled comments and hushed whispers later, a tall figure began to exit from the darkened hallway. Easily the tallest mare in the room, and the tallest deity by far, her horn shined a vehement red as her gown fluttered about her. She took long and deliberate steps, each eating the distance between her and the front of the room as quickly as possible. When the other gods saw who it was they immediately bowed, or stepped away, or bowed and stepped away. A few did neither, resorting to baleful glares as the goddess stepped past.
Queen Jealoustia was a stark-white pony with green and black hair that seemed to move of its own accord. She wore no smile, did not acknowledge any of the other gods as she walked, her eyes dead seat on the throne of Equus. Sitting beside a table to feed her animal companions, a pegasus goddess winced as one of Jealoustia’s hooves nearly stomped on a tiny chipmunk. Luckily, the goddess was able to pull her tiny friend away just in time. The chipmunk whimpered and clunk to the goddess, as did the other animals, for this creature that had just walked by was far more fearsome than any of the beasts below.
Torrent Swirl and Fillysophia were unaware of the queen’s approach, their backs to her, as they regarded the golden throne of Equus. Torrent Swirl was giving his favorite niece a history lesson, the goddess listening intently, all while Queen Jealoustia spread her wings as if to encompass them both…for unlike all the other pony gods there, she was the only one, besides her husband, to possess features of all three tribes: thick hooves, a horn, and a pair of wings.
“Boring the girl, are we Torrent?” Jealoustia’s voice was low but powerful, the tremor shaking the ground beneath them. Fillysophia literally jumped, having been completely unaware of her approach until that moment. Torrent, however, remained undisturbed and unshaken. He casually glanced back at his sister, the queen of Equus.
“Pleasure of you to join us, sister.” He didn’t hide the contempt in his voice. He offered her a fake smile which she recognized immediately for its insincerity. “If you don’t mind…”
“I do mind, dear brother. You see, everything that happens, both on and off Equus, is my business.” She strode around until she was between him and the throne, literally looking down on him. “And I have to admit that I don’t much care for what I’ve learned.”
“Pray tell,” Torrent said. He spotted Fillysophia cowering off to the side, the unicorn deity trembling before the sight of her queen. “What have you heard?”
Jealoustia lowered her head until it was mere inches from Torrent’s. “Don’t play coy with me, Torrent! You know damn well what it is I speak.”
“You mean the Sirens?” Torrent feigned ignorance.
“I mean Hyracles!” She growled. Much of the room had fallen silent, the crowd’s attention focused solely on the confrontation before them. “That brat has been running about Equestria doing whatever she pleases while my husband does nothing! Just the other day she destroyed one of my temples, burning it to the ground, and wounding many of my priests.”
Torrent stroked his beard. “As I recall, those priests were secretly a cult that was recruiting young colts and fillies to fight for your army. Enlistment wasn’t voluntary, if I’m not mistaken.” There was a glint in his eye. “As for the temple, didn’t it once belong to Solaria?”
Hearing her name, Solaria looked away as several gods looked her way. She quickly hid behind the pillar, but her radiance shone through, lighting up to either side.
“Solaria!” Jealoustia spat. “What does she do but raise the sun? Not all creatures fear the day. It is my power and my followers who protect the ponies from those beasts that would eat them.”
“And in turn, you demand they forgo worship of all the other gods and pay homage only to you. Those that refuse or otherwise question your absolute rule are henceforth banished from their respective homes and villages to make due out in the wilds, where said beasts you mentioned are never quite fully diminished by those loyal followers of yours.” Torrent tilted his head sideways. “Give a pony a choice between the chain and the sword, and he’ll usually choose the one that doesn’t cut too deeply. Though I imagine the sword would be much quicker and far less painful than enslavement.”
Jealoustia’s eyes flashed. “How dare you?”
“How dare I what?” Torrent glared up at her, completely unafraid. “Speak my mind? Ask questions? The very things you seem intent on suppressing in all beings, pony and god alike? Perhaps that is why Hyracles dislikes your temples and your cults. She prefers to let ponies choose their own destinies.”
Jealoustia bared her teeth, which were as sharp as fangs. “She defies the will of Equus!”
“She defies you.”
“SILENCE.” Using the royal Equus Voice, Jealoustia’s outburst brought all conversations to a close. The storm outside boomed and the train came crashing down so hard that the roof visibly shook. Those on the balconies quickly rushed inside for fear of being drowned. All torches, candelabras, and light dimmed until the only thing glowing, besides Solaria’s hair, was Jealoustia’s eyes, a perpetual red of hate.
“You forget yourself, brother. You address the queen of Equus, and your mistress. You will bow to me and show the proper respect.”
“And if I refuse?”
Jealoustia’s eyes narrowed into slits, twin stars of violence on the verge of going nova in that very room. But Torrent Swirl remained impassive, unwavering, before the storm. He was god of the sea, one of the original deities who fought against the Titans, and as dangerous as they came when enraged. The tip of his horn glowed a deep blue, and for an instant one could make out the roiling sound of the sea crashing against the shore. For the longest time, nothing happened.
Then there came a ruckus as a pegasus god came barreling into the room. Horsies smashed into a brazier, knocking it over and causing several of the guests to leap out of the way. She rubbed her head as the impact shook her to the core. Wearily, the divine messenger approached Jealoustia. “Hey, queenie. I have a message for ya from the big guy.” Rummaging through her saddlebag, Horsies produced a small parchment which she offered with a shaky hoof. “It’s a bit wet because of the rain Some weather we’re having, huh?”
“Um…sugercube. Ah ain’t the queen.”
Horsies let her vision come into focus and found herself staring at an orange earth pony goddess wearing a cloak of brown and green with an assortment of fruits drabbed over her person. “Ooops. Sorry, Horseperides.” Horsies bowed her head in head in apology and took flight. When she spotted the queen, she immediately went over and offered her the rain-soaked parchment. “Here’s your message!”
Angrily, Jealoustia snatched the parchment from Horsies, making her yelp and take cover behind Fillysophia who was standing a good distance back from the older gods. Using her horn, Jealoustia opened the parchment and read it to herself before being taken aback. “What!” She crumbled up the paper with her magic and threw it to the ground. “That cur! Who does he think…?” She yelled, “This congregation is over! Get out! All of you!” Without explaining, Jealoustia spread her wings and took off towards the balcony. Gods and goddesses took cover or hurried to get out of her way. She entered the storm, but the rain and thunder did not touch her. The wall of water seemed to part as she passed, allowing her undeterred access to the sky. Only when she was a good distance away, going to a place only she knew, did the water return in full force, drenching the city and its inhabitants.
Fillysophia walked towards her uncle. “What happened?”
Torrent Swirl’s horn lit up and he picked up the crumbled parchment. After reading it over, the wizened deity said, “Hm. Well that is interesting.”
“What?” Fillysophia leaned forward. “What?”
“What she said.” Horsies leaned in behind Fillysophia, eager to learn more.
Torrent glanced at them both. “It seems my brother has just declared war.”
“On who?” The two goddesses asked.
“The queen,” a big smile spread across his face. “He’s sent Hyracles to slay the hydra.”
