When Twilight stumbles on an ancient tome telling them the last known location of the legendary pony alchemist Arcadês, Twilight and her friends simply must go and learn her secrets. What they gain though, is far more than any of them ever dreamed.
The great earth pony alchemist, Arcadês, sought to discover the secret to immortality during the reign of Discord. Little is known about the legendary alchemist today during the Age of Friendship, as all records were believed to have been destroyed amidst the chaos of the Mad-King's reign. Now, so many years later, Twilight discovers a record that marks the last known location of Arcadês who, in that very book, is given the title "the Immortal." Twilight had followed the book expecting to find journals or perhaps potions. Instead, she found a story.
What follows is the tale of a troubled pony, seeking for their place in the universe. What do you do when your mind is shaped by your world and your world is one of insanity and chaos? What do you believe when nothing is believable? And how far would you go to reach an impossible, improbable dream?
Pre-Readers: RobiPony and duckboy416 Cover Art made by Spirit Shift. He's a very quick artist who wastes no time in completing commissions!
Given the Death tag because of the central theme in the story and the Sex tag for implications and clinical discussions about sex.
Twilight read aloud from the journal as she walked along the forest trail, eyes sliding over the words with gusto. "In the lands south of the town of Tell Tale— that's the old name for the city of Tall Tale," she paused to clarify before continuing her reading, "— and flush with the Smokey Mountains, we encountered the last known location of Arcadês the Immortal." Twilight let out a small squeal of excitement, a noise that was mirrored by Starlight not far away.
"Arcadês! Maybe we'll even find her textbooks!" Starlight exclaimed, rushing to Twilight's side to read over her shoulder for the fifth time. "I can't wait!"
From behind the two, Rainbow Dash sighed in boredom from her place beside the other girls. "And why are we coming along again?" Rainbow asked, rolling her eyes. "It's not like we even know who this pony is."
Twilight lowered the book and stopped walking, looking back to her friend. "Arcadês was a legendary pony alchemist who tried to create a potion of immortality. As the legends go, she vanished into the Zebra Tribes never to return. But this book says she did come back to Equestria!" Twilight's eyes sparkled with her excitement. "We might be able to find the secret of immortality!"
That stole Rainbow's attention. She darted right up to her friend, trying to read over Twilight's other shoulder. "Wait, what? Immortality?"
"Now, why in tarnation would anypony leave a secret like that way out here?" Applejack tossed in, stepping over a small ledge and hurrying to catch up to the others. "And where'd ya find that musty ole book anyhow?"
Twilight smiled proudly. "In a secret chamber in the Castle of the Two Sisters."
Rarity gave a small shudder before hopping over the same ledge as Applejack. "Isn't that... unwise? Don't forget what happened the last time a secret book was taken from that library."
Twilight chuckled an starting walking again, putting the book back into optimal reading position. "Oh, don't worry about it, Rarity. I went over this book three times with detection magic. There's not an ounce of magic in these bindings; just knowledge."
Rarity let out a small sigh of relief as Pinkie Pie darted right up to her side. "But immortality? Is nopony going to say how awesome that sounds?" The pink pony exclaimed right into Rarity's ear.
"Y-yes," Rarity said, giving her ear a rub. "Being forever young and beautiful does sound rather magnificent, but..."
"But then, what about everypony else?" Fluttershy chimed in from her place over the other two, hovering casually over them. "All our friends and family. We'd leave them all behind." She shook her head sadly. "I'd never want to see so many animal friends come and go. It'd just be too much."
Rainbow, overhearing all this, let out a defeated noise. "That's a good point, Twilight. What good is this immortality stuff, if we can't give it to everypony?"
Twilight passed the book over to Starlight, who eagerly took over the reading. "It might not be for us, but that doesn't mean it can't be useful. Look at Celestia and Luna; their immortality has let them keep Equestria in a state of peace for centuries, aside from the odd hiccup here and there."
Starlight paused, then looked over. "But... what about Nightmare Moon? Immortality in the hands of somepony evil..." Twilight opened her mouth to reply, paused, then closed it.
"We should still look," she finally said, taking the book back and resuming her walk. "Arcadês was an Earth Pony who used curative potions and brews. She was known as one of the only pony alchemists outside of the Zebra Tribes... And then she went and trained under them." Twilight let out another squeal. "If her journals are in this location, just think of what we could learn about potion making! What advances could we find in the texts of a master like Arcadês?" She hurried her steps almost unknowingly. "It's all so... so exciting!"
"Twilight," Starlight said, but Twilight kept talking right over her.
"I mean, just think about it. Arcadês was alive when Discord ruled Equestria. She wasn't even here for Luna's rebellion and the thousand years of peace."
"Twilight."
"And her knowledge was said to surpass even that of Mage Meadowbrook! She was a genius in the field of alchemy, and—"
"Twilight!" Starlight shouted, cutting Twilight off. The Princess of Friendship turned to her, a little surprised, but Starlight just smirked and slipped a hoof in between a few trees, pulling the brush aside. "We're here." Beyond was a massive cavernous opening, protected from the elements by an overhanging cliff and the plants below.
Twilight looked back to the book, scanning the text again, muttering the words under her breath. She looked up at the cave, then back down again, giving a small nod. "I think you're right, Starlight."
"W-wait..." Fluttershy drifted down to the ground, shaking slightly. "You never said a-anything about going into a spooky cave."
Rainbow landed beside her, putting a hoof over her. "You'll be fine." Fluttershy didn't look like she believed a word of it.
"Arcadês was last seen here, according to Celestia and Luna's journal. She met the two sisters here, a chance meeting of fate, and then departed into the caves." Twilight paused a moment, then looked at the cave mouth. "Though... Why would Arcadês go into a cave like this?"
Applejack walked over to Twilight's side. "Well, I ain't too keen on this whole business, but..." She gave Twilight a little smile. "You are. And I ain't gonna question it; if'n we need to go in a cave, we'll go in a cave." She looked over to Fluttershy.
Rarity, who moved to stand beside Applejack, gave the southern pony a small nod. "Though... we could use a lookout, just in case something uncouth tries to follow us inside."
Fluttershy perked up, then blinked and sagged again. "No, I couldn't. I won't stay behind while the rest of you go in." She sat up a little more, trying her best to look brave. It wasn't very convincing, but the other girls all gave her supportive smiles. "I'm going in too."
"Woo-hoo! Cave party!" Pinkie shouted down into the cave, listening to the echo. "It goes reeeeally deep." She said back to Twilight. She turned back to the cave and shouted again, then turned her head and listened to the echo. "I'd say somewhere around 1,600 feet, or so. Give or take a few." Twilight gave her a confused and awed look, to which Pinkie simply shrugged. "You learn these things, growing up on a rock farm."
Twilight had no argument there; it was a fine point. She'd also learned to never question Pinkie Pie's ways. She motioned to the girls, giving them all a big smile. "Together then."
The cave opening was wide enough for the seven mares to walk shoulder to shoulder, stepping down into the darkness. All at once, three horns ignited with basic light spells, illuminating the way. "Together," the other six said in almost perfect unison, then laughed that they were all thinking in sync.
The only sounds were the echoes of their hooves. Flying had become dangerous, with stalactite hiding in the dark, ready to give them a shock. Everypony kept close to the unicorns, who illuminated the way for them effortlessly.
"There as so many paths..." Rarity said quietly, staring at another side passage as they passed it. "Are we sure we can find our way out of here?"
Fluttershy let out a little whimper and Rarity quickly corrected herself. "I mean, of course we'll find the way out, but..." She looked down, inspiration striking. "Well, my hooves are getting positively mangled by this uneven ground."
Starlight looked back, instantly reading the situation. "We're following the largest passage and keeping as straight as possible."
"And I've been leaving a trail of balloons," Pinkie added. Everypony turned, giving her matching incredulous stares.
"And you didn't think of telling us... why?" Twilight asked. She wasn't upset – it was a brilliant idea – but she would've liked to have known.
Pinkie just shrugged. "I guess it was just kinda second nature." She pulled another unfilled balloon from her mane and tossed it down beside her. "Don't worry Fluttershy. We got this."
The meek mare smiled and hummed a song. "We got this together~."
"Exactly," Rainbow said, moving to her side. "Just be cool; it'll all be okay."
"Twilight, you need t' see this..." Applejack's tone – one of sheer awe – drew everypony's attention. She was staring down one of the side passages; no larger than two ponies wide, her jaw slightly slacked.
Along the walls and floor was a thick mucus – slightly transparent, with a luminous, light-blue hue. It almost looked as if a giant slug had slid through the tunnel, only this slug's slime was moving. Rarity let out a blatant sound of disgust, but Fluttershy instantly perked up, her previously frightened eyes taking on a joyous gleam.
"Amorphi!" She exclaimed, flying down the tunnel towards the slime.
"A-what-now?" Applejack asked, looking over to Twilight, who's moved to her side to look down the passage herself.
"Amorphi – also known as slime-ponies..."
"Those don't look like no ponies to me..." Applejack said with a slight tremor in her voice. "Even I think they look kinda gross."
"They're a monster indigenous to deep caverns and damp places," Twilight said, looking over to her friend with a smile, "and they don't always look like ponies. Their bodies are mutable; they can be whatever shape they want to be."
Meanwhile, Fluttershy was hovering over the puddles of slime, looking from one to another. She began to hum softly and all the puddles began to vibrate slightly along with her voice, before rising up from the ground like strange, living water and changing into shapes that could almost be seen as pony-ish.
Rarity made another disgusted sound, and this time, a whole tunnel full of pony-like slime heads turned to look at her. She cringed back only to be blocked by Rainbow, who looked ready for a scrap. "They violent?" She asked, obviously hoping for a yes. This walk had been slow and boring, and she was itching for some excitement.
"No, not usually." Twilight shot back and Rainbow deflated. Fluttershy was among the slime-ponies now, humming her tune. The song seemed to sooth the amorphi, who melted slightly at the sound. "But... I have no idea what Fluttershy is doing..."
"Amorphi take in sounds through vibrations," Starlight put in. "Songs, with their rising and lowering pitches, are like a massage I imagine."
Fluttershy started talking to the amorphi out of earshot, flying back over when they were done. "So, uh..." Fluttershy landed in front of the others, kicking her hoof. "S-so I know which way we need to go."
"Excellent!" Twilight shouted, drawing the attention of the amorphi. They started towards her, then stopped and sank back down into shapeless puddles.
"B-but t-they said a few other... things." Fluttershy cleared her throat. "I brought up the name Arcadês to them, and..." Twilight leaned forward, hanging on Fluttershy's next few words. "T-they said she's still alive."
"She did it!" Starlight shouted once they were away from the amorphi. "Hah! She actually cheated death!"
The group followed Fluttershy now, who walked with the assured confidence of somepony who knew the darkness held no horrors for her. If there were Amorphi here, and Fluttershy was friends with them, then nothing in these caverns would dare harm her.
"So, this pony's still kickin', huh?" Applejack looked impressed, despite herself. "Maybe there's somethin' to all this immortality stuff."
"Don't get your hopes up," Twilight said simply, "amorphi aren't known for being very bright..." She shook her head, slightly. "At least not younglings."
"Those were children!?" Rarity asked in a horrified voice. "How big are the parents?"
Twilight laughed a bit. "Amorphi don't have parents... At least, not as far as we know..." She continued in silence for a few steps while she collected her thoughts, trying to find an easy way to explain it. "Do you know what 'osmosis' is?"
"Isn't that where you make someone stare at a watch until they fall asleep?" Rarity asked, genuinely confused.
"That's hypnosis," Starlight said with a smirk. "Believe me, you don't need a watch."
Twilight cleared her throat; she didn't want to think about that comment right now. "It's cellular division." Rarity looked even more confused. "Look, one amorphi can make young amorphi by splitting bits of themselves off. The bigger the amorphi, the more bits they can spare to make new amorphi."
Rarity wasn't confused by that; just disgusted. "These things are so—" Many words jumped to Rarity's mind on how to describe these monsters. However, Fluttershy had stopped and was looking back at her with a mildly reproachful expression. "—N-not my style." Rarity finished lamely, but it was enough to pacify Fluttershy, who smiled and continued leading.
"I know they're a little hard to get used to," Fluttershy said as she lead them, "but amorphi are very friendly and almost never eat ponies when there are alternatives." After that statement, there was a very long pause.
"Soooooo," Pinkie broke the silence, tossing out another balloon. "How much longer, Fluttershy? I'm almost out of balloons here."
Fluttershy stopped, then looked over to a passage, turning down it. "Right past here." She poked her head through, then motioned the other girls up. "It's so dark, I can't see my own muzzle."
Twilight and Starlight both rushed to help; beyond this cavern the secrets of a legend – maybe even the legend herself – was waiting for the group of friends to discover them. As the light from their magic touched the chamber beyond, they noticed instantly that it was much bigger than anything they'd encountered thus far. The ceiling was lost to the darkness, and before them stretched a massive underground lake. Applejack let out an appreciative whistle that echoed through the monstrous chamber over and over.
And made the lake shiver.
"U-uh... Sugarcube..." Twilight, who'd been snapping her head left and right for some clue about Arcadês location, looked back to Applejack with a curious expression. Starlight was by her side, her eyes wide and frightened. In fact, every one of her friends were all staring in the same direction; right behind her. Twilight gulped and slowly turned back around.
There, only a few feet away from her, was a massive pony-like head. The lake wasn't filled with water, but the massive form of a colossal amorphi. Rarity gasped and fainted – or at least pretended to – while Fluttershy's eyes lit up like candles.
Twilight started to back up, but a tendril of slime snapped up behind her, halting her retreat. Frightened, she took to the air, hoping to escape this massive monster, but the tendril snapped up, grabbed onto her hoof. It was just as slimy as she imagined it would be, but it was strangely solid as well. She hit the ground with a puff of lost air and all her friends snapped out of their dazes.
"Twilight!" Rainbow shouted before hurdling herself at the amorphi. She tried to punch it, but her hoof just got stuck in it's slimy surface. She followed that up with a kick and a shout, but the other hoof became just as stuck. She tried to pull them free, but quickly realized that the ooze around them had hardened, trapping her inside. "Help!"
Pinkie darted to Rarity, shaking her in an effort to wake her up. It seemed that, at least this time, the fainting spell was actually real. Starlight blasted a beam of magic at the creature, but its body simply parted, the beam flying through the gap where it'd been only a moment before. Applejack, seeing what happened to Rainbow and how it dodged Starlight's attack, decided to go another route. She was about to buck a stalagmite into the writhing body of the slime lake when Fluttershy glided past her, into view.
She flew right up to the slime head, giving it The Stare all the while. "Hey! Leave my friend alone!" She shouted, her eyes wide and menacing. "There's no reason to be such a big meanie!"
The slime blinked. It actually blinked. It was the only expression the amorphous face had made this entire time, but for some reason, its genuine shock and confusion made Starlight chuckle. She hadn't seen The Stare in action before, but she had to admit, she was obviously impressed.
The slime drew its tendrils back from Twilight and released Rainbow, while the massive head moving further out into the lake. It was then that Twilight and her friend's realized that they couldn't see the other shore of this lake. It was that massive. This amorphi was that massive.
Things began to shift beneath the slime-pony's outer layer. Things vaguely resembling organs and bodily tools began forming inside the gelatinous mass. It opened it's mouth, closed it again, and took a breath. The sound of air filling it's temporary lungs was loud enough for the seven ponies to hear. It sounded like putty being squeezed between two hooves. Rarity, who had woken up moments ago, nearly fainted again.
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but these creatures are positively repulsive." She shuddered from head to toe. "Aside from general icky-ness, they look like an absolute fright and... and..." She shuddered a second time, giving her head a shake. "To quote a friend: nnnope!"
"Ight offere! Ouzer brakii und khellid."
The voice sounded like the rumble of the earth. For a moment, everypony stopped and stared at the amorphi, which continued to speak in the same rumbling tone. "Andra ight nomon!"
Starlight had no idea what was being said, but she knew she'd heard that way of speaking before. This was a language she'd had experience with, if only briefly. "Twilight, is that...?"
"Old Ponish..." Twilight's words came out quietly, not because she wanted to be quiet, but because she was absolutely breathless. "It's speaking Old Ponish..."
"Well, what did it say? Is it gonna eat us?" Pinkie was cowering behind Fluttershy now, who had returned to the group.
"Rarity, it says you offended it. It then asked why we're speaking the language of 'its children.' And then demanded to be answered..." Twilight shook her head in amazement. "I can't believe it... an amorphi using receptive bilingualism?" She took two more steps closer to the creature, speaking to it in it's native tongue.
"Halla. Ight Twilight Sparkle, ano rethi ighth rijanaft. [Hello. I am Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends.]"
The slime-pony shivered, as close to amazement as it seemed to be able to express, and responded. "Halla, Twilight Sparkle. Wurt drel timmal? [Hello, Twilight Sparkle. What is the year?]"
Twilight felt her curiosity swell in her chest. How old was this amorphi? Obviously, it was ancient, but just how ancient...? "Urt drel nenth timmal en drel Seol Hreich dril Seil Srathasi. Heth agathest ert ost?[It is the ninth year in the Second Reign of the Two Sisters. How old are you?]"
The amorphi's laugh was like a rock slide, echoing through the cavern like thunder. "Drel Seil Srathasi! Ight pliat weilun. Ight heltier numbre dintal, Twilight Sparkle. [The Two Sisters! I am glad they are well. I stopped counting a millennia ago, Twilight Sparkle.]"
"What're they saying?" Rainbow whispered to Applejack.
"Shh!" Applejack whispered back, eyes fixated on the conversation in front of her. It was like history was crawling straight from that pit, into their laps. Even Applejack was wrapped up in it's mystery.
Meanwhile, a nagging thought was plucking at the strings of Twilight's mind. "Dro yu knelest ert cenest drel mesit perchit triel Arcadês drel Emortiel? [Do you know where we can find the lost journal of Arcadês the Immortal?]"
The slime seemed slightly taken aback. It sloshed in it's cavernous bowl and recovered itself as quickly as it could. "Arcadês drel Emortiel? Drol perchit es volitare. Curo dro disest rethel? [Arcadês the Immortal? Their journal is long gone. Why do you seek them?]"
Twilight searched for the right words, giving her head a small shake. "Ighth rijanaft ighthi del unkonen emortieles. [My friends and I are seeking the secret of immortality.]" She stood a little straighter, staring up at the slime-pony. "Ert proctro? [Are you its guardian?]"
The slime-pony didn't reply, but for the second time, emotions flowed across it's shifting form. It looked down and away from Twilight, as if ashamed. "Ne, ight net. [No, I am not.]"
Twilight stared at the slime for a moment, adjusting her thoughts. She'd been certain this slime was the guardian of Arcadês secrets, but that didn't seem to be the case. Just as she was about to reply, another idea crept into her mind like a worm through an apple. She was staggered by the implications, actually stumbling back in shock, barely catching herself from tripping over a rock. "By Celestia... It's her..."
"What? What is even going on?" Rainbow Dash complained, tossing her hooves up in defeat. "Are we fighting this thing or not?"
"No!" Twilight spun on her hooves, eyes wide. "It's Arcadês! She's the amorphi!"
There was another very long pause. Everypony stared at Twilight as if she'd gone crazy, but the slime rose up to it's full imposing height again, staring her down. "Quiest corict, Twilight Sparkle. Ight remnatest Arcadês drel Emortiel.[You guess correctly, Twilight Sparkle. I am what remains of Arcadês the Immortal.]
Starlight took a step to Twilight's side, reading the emotions passing over the two speakers. Without a word, all of Twilight's other friends surrounded her, supporting her silently.
Twilight dug for the words in Old Ponish, but her tongue felt swollen and useless. She was standing before not the journals of a legendary pony, but the pony herself, in a different form. She was speechless.
"How did this happen to you?" Starlight asked, knowing the slime understood modern Ponish, even though it didn't speak it. "If you're Arcadês, how did you become an amorphi?"
The slime sank back down, until it's 'chin' rested on the surface of it's body, staring level with the ponies before it. "Yu unkonen infernil ano forcil. Ight de pasiel droth, ist yu hertch tu ighth gisechicht. Yu trell le ighth specish, Twilight Sparkle. Du trat, und ight de trus yuth drecthen und mal... [You seek knowledge and power. I will grant both, if you listen to my story. You will be my voice, Twilight Sparkle. Do this, and I will answer all your questions and more...]"
"The ground eye of a Cyclops," Arcadês said to herself as she put the ingredient into her brew, "so as to see clearly." She looked over to her patients, a Unicorn and his two fillies. The little pony's coats were slightly greyed – muted from their normal hue – and their eyes looked empty and joyless. "Better make that two."
She added in another dosage, stirring the potion inside her cauldron with care. "That smells dreadful." The unicorn put a hoof around his fillies, pulling them back slightly. "You can't expect them to drink that foul brew, can you?"
Arcadês rolled her eyes, chewing on the inside of her mouth. Most of her ingredients were pure showmareship, but she kept the illusion of mysticism strong; ponies were more likely to believe that a potion made up of mystic ingredients would save them, rather than hearing names like Mugwort, Sandalwood, and Peppermint.
"They will take it, yes," she said simply, not pausing in her stirring.
"I have half a mind to call the guards on you, you filthy mud pony." The unicorn scowled, turning his nose from her cauldron as if the aroma was unbearable. "And I need to pay you to force this poison on my children?"
Arcadês stopped stirring. Wordlessly, she drew her spoon free, tapped it on the side of her cauldron, and immediately began putting it and her ingredients back into their respective places. With only the sounds of her hooves to break the silence, she began packing her saddlebags for a trip to town.
"Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?" The unicorn stepped forward, eyes suddenly wild.
Arcadês continued packing her bags, not turning to face the unicorn. "This mud pony stands between your family and The Discording. Me and my potions are the only thing keeping you, your children, and your wife sane." She shut the saddlebag as roughly as she could, turning to stare balefully at the unicorn. "We are not three tribes, but one whole. We may be under the cloven hoof of a dictator, our heroes might be gone, and life might seem bleak, but we are all still ponies of Equestria. I will not stand here and be insulted when all I'm trying to do is help you. I have ingredients to buy and pick, if you've nothing better to do than spout your fury at me."
She shut the other bag slowly, knowing what would happen. She counted up in her mind, wondering how long it would be until the unicorn cracked.
"F-fine!" The unicorn shouted, just as Arcadês reached twenty-three. "W-what do you want me to say?" He looked down and to the side, obviously ashamed. "Will an apology be enough? Because I am truly sorry. This is all just so..." The pony trailed off, bowing his head down so his horn touched the dirt floor of Arcadês' hut. "Please, save my family... I beg you."
Arcadês donned a secret smile of relief before turning back, masking her expression behind a scowl. "It'll have to do." She opened and re-opened some of the various containers around her home, drawing out several more ingredients. She measured each with care, before applying her actual magical reagents. The potion coughed up a billowing green cloud and Arcadês stepped back, so as to not inhale the fumes. "Push them close to the cauldron. They don't need to drink; only breathe."
The unicorn paused in confusion, then did as he was told, sliding the two fillies into the miasma of green smoke. They coughed at first, but soon their breathing steadied. They stared forward as if in a daze, and for a moment, Arcadês wondered if she'd failed. Then, very slowly, color began to return to the coats of the two fillies. Their eyes grew more aware – perhaps a little frightened – before they started backing away from the cauldron.
"D-daddy?" One of the two fillies spun around, spotted her father, and rushed over, hugging him. The second, smaller filly followed suit moments later. "Daddy!"
Arcadês felt her heart swell, but she kept a grim expression on her face. She had a reputation to maintain. "Now... my payment?" The unicorn blubbered as he passed over the pouch of bits. She didn't stare or poke fun; he was a good father, despite his attitude.
But such was the way of life in Discorded Equestria; or, as the Mad-King called it Discordia. She stashed the bits in her saddlebags, then turned back to the unicorn. "You said your wife had a resurgence?" She asked simply, cutting right to the point. She opened a window, letting the cloying green smoke start to escape. "How bad is it?"
The unicorn pushed his fillies aside, focusing all his attention on Arcadês. "Bad. She started un-eating a cake before I came here." Arcadês chewed her lip and stared into the middle-distance. Acts of chaos that pronounced were a sign of advanced stages of The Discording. Had her prior cure failed? She began passing ingredients through her mind, piecing together a mental picture of what she'd need.
"You'll bring her to me within the hour. Don't be too early and don't be too late." She looked to one of the fillies, who was staring at her from behind her father, suddenly expressive and bashful. "Leave these ones with a friend if you must, but don't bring them along."
The stallion gave her a curious look, but nodded in agreement. As he left, Arcadês moved to her saddlebags and pulled them on. She'd been worried about this situation, ever since the stallion walked in and told her his wife had suffered from The Discording, despite her efforts. Had she been too late? Quickly, she hurried to get the reagents she needed before the unicorn and his wife arrived.
Many would claim that Equestria was beyond salvation and if Arcadês had her way, she'd dose all the naysayers into a hundred-year slumber rather than listen to their doom and gloom. She trotted into the Everfree Forest, eyes resolutely forward. This was the best place for unusual reagents and had been where Arcadês had found the herb she'd used to cure The Discording for the first time.
She'd been the catalyst for hope among ponies. From all over Equestria they flocked to her home town Resting Rocks to get her cure. She distributed it as best she could, but she was one pony, screaming into the madness. Herbalists from all over attempted to recreate her work and only a handful ever succeeded, and never with the same potency as her. It was little solace to know that The Discording was curable, when the cure was so difficult to attain.
And yet, hope was there. Arcadês pushed aside a branch, eyes downcast in an attempt to find the herb she sought. She'd given the sickly black, spiked weed it's name – Everfree's Shackles – because of how they weakly grasped at anything close to them – especially living things. When mixed with Poison Joke, Herobane, and several regular medicinal plants, they produced a sticky green paste that could be ingested to rid the patient of The Discording.
She smiled, seeing several of the persistent weeds meekly wrapping around a small sapling that was easily overpowering them. Perhaps Arcadês was crazy, but she felt their actions were almost... alive, somehow. She chuckled to herself; of course they were alive. All plants were alive. But these weeds, they moved almost constantly and sought to strangle things in their limp grip. It was almost like they wanted to destroy the forest, but couldn't be bothered to muster the strength. Or perhaps they just weren't strong enough to win.
"I know how you feel, little weeds..." Arcadês pulled the weeds up, snipped them at their base, and placed the clippings into her saddlebag. She continued doing this for about twenty minutes, before she hurried back home. She'd need to brew up her medicine before the unicorn arrived, else she might seem less than competent.
In terms of chaos, Resting Rocks was a rather tame place. The land was still corrupted of course, but thanks to Arcadês' presence, most ponies there were normal. There, the villagers were cured and protected from The Discording, thanks to their closeness to the alchemist. But some refused her help and succumbed to the chaos, while others were simply unaffected by the medicine. Arcadês didn't know why this was the case, but medicine was fickle like that.
Mortar and pestle clacked together as Arcadês ground the Shackles into a black and green paste. She kicked back with her hoof, pressing her bellows to prepare her fire for the mixture. One by one she added her ingredients, muttering their names to herself by habit. This poultice was far more complex than the one made for the fillies earlier. They hadn't been fully in the grips of The Discording yet and the earlier stages were much easier to cure.
Careful to not touch it directly, Arcadês began grinding some dried Poison Joke into a powder, still fueling the bellows. She counted each press with her hoof, until the fire was just where she liked it. Adding some water to her cauldron, Arcadês added in the powdered Poison Joke, setting the Shackles aside. For some reason, they had to be put in last. Deciding she might as well make a whole batch of the cure, Arcadês began grinding more Poison Joke, letting muscle memory and habit take the wheels while she considered things.
It had been almost twenty years since the Pillars of Equestria had vanished. Twenty years under the cloven hoof of Discord's reign. He'd swooped in almost as soon as the Pillars had gone missing, dethroning the ruling council, snatching the crowns from the princesses-to-be, and taking his place as Equestria's ruler. Not that he took that position very seriously; Discord was afraid to commit to the role of leader and instead chose to simply spectate as the world went mad.
However, despite the misery and discomfort ponies lived in, Discord was strangely good in some ways. Many common illnesses had been eradicated thanks to his alterations of the normal world. He had created a plethora of new plants and other reagents for Arcadês to use, some of which proved to be more than slightly useful. And, above all else, Discord wasn't violent. Insane, most certainly, and cruel as well, but he never harmed anypony without reason. It seemed, from what Arcadês could tell, that chaos was an art-form for Discord, and to harm his audience would be to detract from his work.
Despite all this, Arcadês found an intense loathing for the tyrant burned into her very soul. She'd seen his Discording pull apart relationships and shatter families. Ponies either drowned themselves in unhappiness as they watched their loved-ones devolve into chaotic versions of themselves, or became brainwashed by the chaos bubbling in their brains.
She shredded the Herosbane, a thick leaf with pasty white sap in the middle, and began squeezing the sap directly into the cauldron, mixing as she did so. Her tail swished behind her as she felt a sizzle shoot through her cutie mark. Sometimes, one just needed to take a moment to enjoy their destiny, and Arcadês loved brewing potions. The mark of a good medicine-mare was the good she did for the ponies around her, and Arcadês was one of the best.
She was nothing unique, as far as she was concerned; only the situation dictated her value. She had gotten her cutie mark when she'd accidentally mixed together a poultice against Cockatrice Pox without even realizing it. Her parents had been so proud, they'd carried her through the streets of Fells Point and shouted out their praise.
But that was a time before the rise of Discord. Now, doors were oftentimes shuttered for fear of spreading The Discording among one-another; for the first ten years or so there was no known cure for it. Arcadês was lucky to be one of those immune to the magical ailment, but her parents...
Her father had succumbed first, going from a quiet, peaceful stallion author into a loud, boisterous, and unbearably smug musician. Normally, nopony would've cared about this, except his songs weren't very good; aside from being just generally awful, they almost exclusively were about either himself or Discord.
Her mother took her daughter and everything she could pull in a cart, and fled the village, hoping to escape The Discording by living alone. She succumbed eight months later, after a Discorded traveler tap-danced over their cart. She began howling at the moon, which would prove agitating, since the moon and sun infrequently changed places. She'd scratch herself like a dog and slowly lost the ability to speak. Arcadês, only fourteen at the time, was forced to leave the heavy cart and press on alone.
After almost stumbling into the cure several years later, she'd gone looking for her parents. Her father had found another wife, started another family. She had left him, his new wife, and her three half-siblings in the Discorded state that had become normality for them. Taking them out of it at this point would only harm them all in the end.
She'd never found her mother.
Back in the present, Arcadês added the last of the Herosbane and stirred the mixture until it was well blended. The powdered Poison Joke latched onto the pasty texture of the wet Herosbane sap, forming globs inside the cauldron. Arcadês continued to stir until this blend of magical herbs became almost gummy-like in consistency before adding in the mundane herbs.
She measured everything carefully, planning on making precisely enough to dose fifty ponies total. She smiled herself as the potion took on a slight luminescence; a sign that she was doing things right. She was about to add in the Shackles when there was a knock at her door. Pausing, she looked over to the water clock on her shelf; it had been well over an hour. She'd lost track of time and hadn't realized how long she'd been working.
But why was the unicorn so late? He wasn't a local, so she didn't know him or his family well enough to presume their personalities, but surely he cared enough about his wife that he'd get her here as soon as possible. She set the final ingredient down slowly, wondering about possibilities. He could've been Discorded himself and became melancholy, taking his time rather than hurrying like he normally would. Her condition might have worsened and he'd had to struggle to get her here. The worst possibility she could predict was the chance that she'd harmed herself while he was away and he'd needed to take time to mend her injuries. It wasn't uncommon with those lost in the throes of The Discording...
She opened the door, ready to greet her patient, but she froze with the words she'd meant to say lodged in her throat. After a second to recover, she finally spoke. "What... happened to her...?"
"I-I don't know," the unicorn sputtered, eyes wild and terrified, "she wasn't like this when I left her to come to you!"
The pegasus' body was warped. Flames danced at the end of her mane, filling the air with the scent of burning hair. Presumably, it was growing so fast that the fire never reached her head, but Arcadês was in no mood to study this latest affliction. Her hooves had half-shifted into strange claws, she had developed strange pink-ish rashes over her otherwise pristine green coat, and her pupils were almost snake-like slits with no irises.
This... The Discording never changed a pony's physical appearance, aside from the common draining of color. But this mare was as vibrantly colored as she always probably was, if not more. Her coat practically gleamed, as did her eyes. She tilted her head to the side and a long, thin, forked tongue slithered from between her lips to taste the air.
"Entropic transformation? Not good." She took a few steps back, adding the Shackles into the brew. She'd liked to have measured the roots accordingly, but her nerves were fraying, and this situation was getting worse by the second. "Get her inside. Now!"
The pegasus mare laughed as she destroyed Arcadês' couch, then re-built it by stomping on it in reverse. Arcadês felt sweat forming on her brow as she watched. This wasn't chaos. This was madness.
"Have you tried water?" She asked, hurrying to grab new ingredients. She didn't know what this was, but it wasn't Discord's usual work. "Of course you did," she answered herself before the unicorn even spoke. "What was she doing before you left? Tell me everything."
The unicorn began explaining things that baffled Arcadês. Commonly, a pony afflicted with Advanced Discordance will act perpendicular to their normal personality. But this, this was nothing like the opposite of the pony Arcadês had cured before, but somepony entirely new. She'd burned down a part of the inn they were staying at with fire breath. She'd sung choir from the rooftop, while families hurried to evacuate their valuables. She'd laughed at her husband's burns as he pulled her from the wreckage.
The local inn was gone. The unicorn's mane was damaged and his coat was peppered with burns, but despite all this, his only concern was for his wife. "You have to save her, Arcadês! Please!"
Arcadês would've normally rolled her eyes – now he remembers her name – but fear was settling into her chest. The Discording curse had strange means of spreading from pony to pony and not everypony was susceptible to the ailment. If this was a new kind of curse – perhaps a twisted version of the original – then Arcadês might not be able to...
She shook her head before she completed her thought. She was Arcadês, the greatest earth-pony alchemist in all of Equestria – or, at least, what remained of it. She took in a breath, steadied herself, and turned to face her patient.
The mare's muzzle had elongated in the seconds Arcadês had turned her attention away and contained a fresh row of sharp teeth. She breathed out a gout of fire that Arcadês barely dodged, hitting the wall. Arcadês quickly grabbed a bucket and splashed some water on it before it could spread. What was happening to this mare? "Hold her down," she said clearly, but the unicorn was frozen in fear. "Do you want to save her or not!? Hold. Her. Down!"
That was enough to get the unicorn out of his own mind. He rushed to his wife's side and pinned her with magic. As he did, his magical aura – a faint sky blue – began to shift in color to a sickly-looking purple. Arcadês shouted for him to stop, but he was already trapped. He flailed and struggled as if frozen in place, obviously trying to break free from whatever held his muscles rigid, but the curse spread to him like wildfire. He screamed as his body changed before Arcadês' eyes, his teal coat giving way to the same rashes as his wife, only these were more of a greyish-arctic blue color. His horn blackened and his mane ignited, searing the roof above him. His muzzle elongated with a series of snaps, a noise the wife certainly hadn't made. He threw his head back and roared, blasting a small pillar of fire into the roof of Arcadês' small hut.
Grabbing anything on hoof, Arcadês made a break for the door. She scooped up a hoof-full of the Discordance cure into a vial as well, just in case she could test it on one of these two. She froze, turning to look at the two ponies. If she left now, they could hurt themselves, or each-other.
The mare turned to meet her gaze, hissing at her, and Arcadês felt her blood run cold. They weren't ponies anymore; they were something... new; something vicious and destructive. The wife's wings – which had become featherless and reptilian in the time since Arcadês last looked – spread wide and boosted her off the ground. She snarled before taking flight through the fresh hole in Arcadês' roof, her blazing mane soon the only thing the alchemist could see in the dwindling night.
She looked back to the unicorn, who seemed to be locked in a fit of pain. She watched as his blackened horn crumbled, disintegrating right off his head. Knowing this was her one and only chance, Arcadês sprinted at the stallion and tackled him to the ground, pinning him as best she could with her legs and one hoof. "Stop! You need to stop!" She tried to force the vial into his mouth, but the stallion bucked against her. He was strong, stronger than he'd been before, certainly. If she didn't have the inherent strength of all earth ponies, she would've been thrown off effortlessly. "Think of your daughters! Do it for them!"
For a moment, the stallion's eyes seemed to clear. He paused, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape as if he was about to breathe fire on her. Arcadês took her chance and shoved the vial into the stallion's open mouth. "Please work. Please, Gods old and new, bring him back."
He guzzled down the poultice and Arcadês pinned him properly, staring into those too-clear eyes. A second turned into a minute. The potion didn't normally take this long. Arcadês continued to pray, but she saw the fear and hopelessness drain into the stallion's eyes. He knew it wasn't working. She just hadn't accepted it yet.
All at once, any semblance of the previous pony fled the stallion's eyes. He shifted his body and pushed Arcadês off himself just enough to squeeze a leg underneath her. With a hearty push, he threw the earth pony off him, sending her crashing through the door to her hut. As she recovered herself, Arcadês watched as a pair of reptilian wings, ones similar to the ones on the other creature, burst from this creature's back. The rashes had spread and Arcadês finally realized they were scales, replacing the pony's skin and making his coat fall out.
The stallion gave a loud, vicious roar before taking off into the night sky after his wife. Arcadês collapsed to the ground, watching the two vanish into the night sky as her life burned in front of her. Arcadês had lost ponies before, but always when it was their time. She'd never had anything quite like this happen to her. She felt tears swell in her eyes, her body shaking with grief. She screamed her sorrow into the night, but no one heard her and nopony came.
The Everfree Forest was, as always, a calming place for Arcadês. She wandered the forest in a daze, her coat and cloak covered in the soot of her old hut. She'd dug through the remains and recovered all that she could, but most of her herbs had gone up in the blaze. She had managed to recover several doses of the anti-Discordance poultice from her cauldron and had been collecting more Shackles – as well as any other useful herb she could see – as she walked, but she wasn't sure how much good it would do her; if the Discordance had changed so drastically, what good would any of it do?
She dragged her hooves as she walked, eyes downcast. It was no mystery that this forest was dangerous. Aside from the oddity of it caring for itself, it was filled with creatures of Discord's creation; animals merged together to suit his sick sense of humor. They thrived in these woods, breeding and feasting, ensuring that they would be a danger for generations to come.
And what she had just seen was just another example of Discord's handiwork. It would take her many years to learn that those two ponies had been irrevocably transformed into the first two dragons to ever exist on the face of Equus. If she'd known then what she knew now, she might have laughed at the irony of it all; Discord's creations would outlive him.
She had no real destination. She had no idea where she was going. She was just letting her hooves take her wherever they seemed to please. Once or twice, she had to change course to keep from walking into or falling off a cliff, but for the most part, it was all forward progress. One step after another.
She eventually found herself on a high cliff, looking down at the ground below. The thought of jumping never occurred to her; Arcadês knew that, despite her failure, other ponies would need her alive. So few could recreate her cure and so many were afflicted. She started to turn, but a strange flash caught her eye.
Looking back, Arcadês squinted her eyes at the cave across the massive ravine. There was definitely a glint down there, a sparkle of light amid all the darkness. In fact...
Arcadês looked up to the night sky. There was no light, nothing to cause the sparkle she was seeing inside that cave. And yet, when she looked back, she saw it again. Her hooves began to guide her, walking along the cliff face, eyes locked on the cave. She looked away just long enough to try and find a way down; when one didn't present itself, she would snap her eyes back to the cave and repeat the process.
Eventually, patience and perseverance payed off; Arcadês stood before the massive entrance to the cave, her eyes wide with wonder. The inside was lined with purple-ish crystal – not too uncommon in Equestria; a land where crystals were abundant and oftentimes even bothersome. But that wasn't what had Arcadês so enraptured.
There, at the far back of the cave, was a small tree. Not a normal tree, but one of crystal, shining and twinkling like the night sky. She tentatively walked forward, both in awe of this majestic creation and perhaps a little frightened of it. Could something so beautiful – so alluring – not be a trap? She stepped right up to the tree, her eyes roaming over it from top to bottom.
It had no leaves, but it bore five branches outwards. On each branch was a small, pebble-sized crystal of a unique color. And there, in the very center of the tree, was a sixth; a dazzling purple crystal that simply radiated power.
No, the whole tree was giving off that energy. Arcadês was an earth pony and had no link to magical powers, but the energy given off by this crystalline plant was enough to make her whole body tremble. With this power, she could overturn continents. With this power, she could defeat a God.
Her eyes widened. She could defeat Discord.
She smiled, perhaps a little manically, staring at the crystals. She reached for the one in the center, but slowly, her hoof lowered. The tree wasn't grown yet. She lowered her head, staring at the base of the tree. There she saw two symbols; a sun and moon. They meant little to her as she turned over ideas in her frazzled mind.
How long would this tree take to reach maturity? And would she be alive to see that day? Thoughts began to swirl in her mind and slowly, a motif began to form amidst the paints of her obsession. She looked back up to the tree, gently trailing her hoof over it's trunk.
"You called me here, didn't you? I'm here for a reason." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "But to use you properly, I will need time. Won't I? Time I don't have." She stepped back several steps, bowing to the tree. "But I will. I know why you called me here. Somepony needs to defeat Discord. Somepony needs to wipe his evil off the face of Equestria."
Arcadês grinned, looking back up to the tree from her bow. "That somepony will be me. I will find a way to get more time, if it means cheating Death himself. I will stare into the eye sockets of the Reaper of Ponies and I will laugh." She stood up suddenly, charged with purpose. "I will become immortal!"
The final sentence rang throughout the chamber, echoing for what seemed like forever among the crystals. Immortal. Immortal. I will become immortal.
Arcadês never returned home. Likely, all the ponies of the village either assumed she'd died in the fire or ended her own life in the Everfree. It didn't matter. Arcadês had been born anew with her new purpose. She felt bad for leaving Resting Rocks to the ministrations of Discord, but her purpose was to help more than just the village now. She would save all of Equestria.
She turned her head to the west; to an untamed land ruled only by those strong enough to endure it. She hiked up her saddlebags and began walking. She knew where she was bound; in the lands of the undiscovered west, there was a legend of a sub-race of earth ponies known as Zebra. The zebra were master alchemists – even a young zebra could supposedly trump her talents. They lived in tribes and shunned outsiders.
But Arcadês needed them. Equestria needed them. She'd plead her case. And there, with the help of those mysterious and powerful ponies, Arcadês would transcend the very Gods, both old and new.
Two years. It took her two years to find the land of the Zebra Tribes. They were nomadic by nature and Arcadês was fairly certain they kept scouts available to watch for travelers and move to avoid them. After some time, she'd taken to moving stealthily through the savanna they called home, learning to spot signs of their travel and follow them. Like a huntress, she stalked her prey and eventually, she found one. A zebra.
The stallion was below her, drinking from a small stream amid the dry and dangerous land. She watched as he lifted his head, looking both ways, before departing to the east.
But she knew that trick already. The zebra would head east, disguise his tracks, then double back in another direction; she'd lost a trail more than once because of something so simple. Arcadês was no woodspony. She hated roughing it through the savanna, but she had little choice. Only the zebra tribes could help her gain the knowledge she needed in time.
She stalked the zebra as he did what she expected, walking some distance, then masking his trail as he ventured north-west. She followed from afar, as silent as she could.
But, again, Arcadês was no woodspony. Her hoof found a dried piece of wood, which snapped tellingly under her weight. She cursed as the zebra snapped his head to her and took off into a nearby patch of tall grass.
"Not this time," she said to herself as she charged after him, her hood falling off her head and sand kicking up into her eyes. She saw flashes of his white and black striped coat among the dried plants, but never got a clear look at him. "Wait!" She shouted, hoping he'd listen. "Please, I need help!" She dove into the grass, hoping to find a sign of his passage. "My homeland is in danger and I need to save it! Please, I have to go to your tribe. Only you can help me!"
A hoofprint and some displaced grass caught her eyes. Another trick? Arcadês followed the trail, moving as quickly as she could, eyes darting this way and that whenever she could spare a small moment. She saw him and pounced without thinking. He had stopped – maybe to listen to her, maybe because even he was lost among these plants – and she wasn't willing to risk him vanishing again.
She heaved for breath from her place over him, staring down into his surprised face. "Please. You need to help me." She said through her labored breaths. It was like her lungs weren't getting the air they needed. She hadn't had a good meal in weeks and she'd gotten little sleep in her pursuit of this zebra. She knew what was wrong, but she couldn't stop it. She should've taken better care of herself, but Equestria needed her. "Please... please..." Arcadês said weakly, feeling the world twirl, even though she was still. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed.
Wetness on her forehead. A dampened cloth of some kind. Arcadês knew the feeling of them; she'd used them daily back in Resting Rocks. She kept her eyes closed and listened.
There was the sound of wind blowing through something – possibly an open window. She peeked one eye open and was met by a sleeping face just inches from hers.
"Gods!" She jumped back and instantly regretted it. Her whole body ached; she knew what it meant. She'd been so hungry, her body had actually started to eat itself. She was weakened and hurting, but she also felt well hydrated and less hungry than she'd been before.
"You," she said simply. She could tell that this was the same zebra she had been chasing through the tall grass. He leaned back from where he'd been resting his head, yawning.
"Yes, I am me." His ponish was broken and difficult to understand, but it was most certainly ponish. "You said you were needing help, yes?" He rose and stretched before walking over to a nearby counter. Arcadês' mouth watered when she saw what was there; a loaf of homemade bread and several edible plants. "You were very much hungry." She wanted the bread – knew it would swell up and make her feel more full than she'd felt in months. But thankfully, the zebra knew his stuff. He returned carrying a bowl of soup, a simple broth that tasted odd but warmed Arcadês' insides.
Better to not gorge herself. Start slow. Build up to the bread.
"Y-yes," she said between slurps of soup, "I've been looking for the Zebra Tribes for..." She tried to remember how long she'd been searching, but she'd lost track of days. "A very long time," she finished lamely before taking another long sip.
"Why did you seek us?" He asked, tipping his head to the side. His mane style was unusual, braided in such a way that Arcadês had never seen before. It looked so strange that she almost wanted to reach out and touch it.
"I... I should tell you my name first." She laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. She'd sought out the zebras, finally found one, then had to be rescued from starvation. It was almost pathetic. "I'm Arcadês Herbswood. I come from Equestria."
"Mm," was the only response the zebra gave, watching her intently.
"I, uh..." She suddenly felt very nervous. Was this a test? "I'm an alchemist." She sat up a little straighter. "I make magical and mundane potions and study the nature of metals, reagents, and their connection to the body. I've come here to seek your help; I've heard legends that the zebras are possessing of a rare knack for this kind of art. Equestria is in trouble and I believe I have the power to save it."
The zebra stared at her in silence for a moment, then nodded. "My name is Zethrim; you seek the Shaman. She does not study metals, but potions? Potions are the way." He motioned to the door. "You are weak, so go slowly."
Arcadês climbed from the bed, giving herself a little shake. Her whole body ached from the chase through the savanna, but her head hurt worse. She knew this feeling. One time, she'd dosed herself with a drug to make sure she knew what it felt like. She even recognized the taste. This was...
"Syrian Rue and Foal's Breath... A truth serum? You drugged the soup!" Arcadês accused, not moving from her spot. She stared at Zethrim, who turned to look at her.
"We do not give trust easily. Now I know the words you spoke are true. I will tell the Chieftain everything he must know to secure you a place here among our tribe. If you seek to save lives, we will not turn you away."
Arcadês was furious for a moment. She went to speak, but bit her tongue. Did she really want to spout her true feelings about this situation to this zebra? She'd burn these bridges she'd built faster than the cornflower grows. The zebra seemed to notice her struggle and smiled.
"I am sorry we were made to breach your rights and heart. We get many... visitors, and not many of them come for good." He motioned for her to follow. "Come. I will take you to one who can answer your questions."
Arcadês conceded his point. At least they were giving her a chance. She hurried to his side as quickly as her weakened body would allow, stepping into her new life among the Zebra Tribes.
"Waiiit a minute!" Rainbow interrupted Twilight, who blinked in surprise. "That can't be the truth."
Arcadês reared up slightly, their expression looking vaguely offended. As they'd told their story, their expressions had slowly returned, until they were as expressive as any pony. "Drol perchest drel raienel onest suspice te? [Why does the prismatic one doubt me?]
Twilight looked back up to Arcadês, then back to Rainbow. "Why do you say that?"
"Because," Rainbow said confidently, "in the story of Flash Magnus, he distracted a pair of massive dragons so Commander Ironhead could lead a small group, and save a pair of their friends who were captured. He was given the fireproof shield Netitus to defend himself and distracted the dragons long enough for his comrades to be saved. So, if what you're saying is true, then Flash Magnus couldn't have fought dragons back then, which would mean his entire legend is all a lie! So you'd have to be wrong, right?"
As Rainbow puffed out her chest, Arcadês simply stared at her in disdain. "Erest foala wer keil al driel epiics sallas estel driel flammel? Wuldrest keil driel epiics salid triel un emortiel? Maled keilest en drel Elden Poni wie wol, feldest min foala. [Are you a foal who believes all the tales told over the fire? You would believe the words of a tale over the words of an immortal? Perhaps you believe in the Olden Pony as well, you fearful little filly.]"
Twilight turned to stare at Arcadês, an angry glint in her eyes. "I won't repeat that. You won't insult my friends if you want us to stay here, Arcadês. She said nothing to deserve that." The slime drew back slightly, then bowed it's massive head.
"Wait," Rainbow said, looking between them. "It insulted me?" She took to the air, hovering just off the ground indignantly.
Arcadês looked back up to Rainbow, staring at her in silence. Rainbow crossed her forehooves and stared back stubbornly. "Presumest. Nichest haben naeg spocish mit othre en agat timme. [I apologize. I have not spoken with others in a long time.]" They sank a little lower into the lake, their eyes downcast.
"They say they're sorry, Rainbow Dash." Twilight relayed, and the rainbow pony slowly lowered back down and took her seat. "But they are right. There is something called information entropy." Twilight didn't notice, but the word entropy made Arcadês shiver slightly. "We have no records to prove the story true and... sometimes information fades away or is embellished to make the tale more gripping."
"As interesting as the legend is," Starlight interjected, joining into the discussion, "why would dragons ever foalnap two ponies? They aren't interested in prisoners."
Rainbow blinked, then crossed her hooves again. "So what? Maybe the dragons wanted a snack or something."
This time, Twilight shook her head. "Dragons prefer to eat gemstones over ponies. Furthermore, why were members of the Royal Legion on the other side of the Dragon Lands? It just doesn't add up."
Rainbow looked between the two of them, then groaned and threw her hooves up. "Fine! Ruin my story!"
Starlight smiled. "Nopony said anything about ruining it. The legend is a gripping story of Flash Magnus' greatness. It's a story fitting of his adventures. But maybe we could ask him and the other Pillars what really happened when we next see them."
Arcadês suddenly shot up, their pony-sized eyes massive with unreadable emotions. "Drel Supartes en Ekwostria er lebendig? [The Pillars of Equestria are alive?]"
Everypony looked to Twilight as she responded. "Yes, the Pillars are alive. They were trapped in Limbo after sealing away a great threat. We rescued them and defeated the evil they had locked away."
Arcadês sank back down, their eyes drifting over every pony present. They said nothing, but the expressions they showed told everypony that they were just now realizing how much they had missed, all these years in solitude.
"I still can't believe you were the first pony to find the Tree of Harmony." Applejack tossed out from where she was relaxing. The ground was rough, but not too rough for the farm pony to find it uncomfortable. "I might'a been a bit skeptical myself, if you hadn't described it and its cave so well."
Twilight had to agree; she'd never considered the possibility of other ponies stumbling on the Tree like that. But, now that she considered it, it almost had to have happened; how else did the tree get discovered. "But you didn't tell anypony about it... did you?"
Arcadês was strangely silent, making Twilight feel a little uneasy.
"I, um..." Fluttershy spoke up, lifting a hoof. "Not to offend you, Arcadês, but..." She shook her head very slightly. "I-I also think you might have been mistaken about something. Discord wouldn't do the things you said he would. It's just... not like him."
Arcadês reacted instantly. They shot up again, this time in anger. The lake that was their body roiled and sent up hundreds of tendrils, each able to wrap around a pony's midsection effortlessly. Their expression was one of pure, unbridled fury. "Wurt canoc knelest driel Discord!? [What could you know of Discord!?]"
Twilight was making swiping motions over her neck almost instantly, but Fluttershy ignored her. "Discord is my friend. I know most everything there is to know about him." She hovered off the ground, matching her height with Arcadês' head. "He broke free from his stone prison and we reformed him. He uses his magic for harmony now, instead of just for chaos."
Arcadês began to scream their words, sending rocks tumbling down from the roof of the cavern. The ponies had to cover their ears from the volume of it all. "Hert as schwindler! In betrager! In snek! Ight Solltie noc bewhit drel Seil Srathasi mit herth ende! [He is a liar! A deceiver! A snake! I shouldn't have trusted the Two Sisters with his destruction!]" The amorphi began pulling themselves from the lake towards the entrance.
"No, stop!" Twilight flew up in front of her, hooves outstretched. "Fluttershy is right. Discord fights for us now. He even helped us defeat an old enemy – Chrysalis – not too long ago. He's not just Fluttershy's friend, he's our friend." She motioned to all the other ponies, who were nodding in agreement.
"He doesn't like violence," Fluttershy said, joining her friend in front of the amorphi. She struggled for a way to describe Discord to the amorphi that wouldn't anger her or offend her further. "He... To Discord, chaos is like art. Why would he hurt the ponies he wanted to experience his chaos?" She looked over to Twilight. "T-there... has to be another reason for what you saw. Discord wouldn't ever make ponies that different... W-would he?" She asked the last part of Twilight, who shook her head.
"He might be vain, strange, and not a little untrustworthy, but..." She trailed off, her voice laden with begrudging acceptance. "He's not the type to harm anypony without reason. I can't imagine him making ponies into something as destructive as dragons."
Arcadês snarled, but sank back, eyes darting from pony to pony. The amorphi didn't say anything else, but they clearly hadn't let the matter die either. She looked warily over to Fluttershy, then back to Twilight again. As the two ponies drifted back down among their friends, Arcadês gave her head a small shake – not uttering a word – before she began telling her tale once more, as if there'd never been an interruption.
"No, no, that is all wrong. How many times must I sing this song?" Shaman shook her head, her mohawk of a mane swaying back and fourth.
"No," Arcadês rebutted, standing with a sassy posture. She gives a small, airy cough before continuing. "While the potion cures Lockjoint, if the patent is suffering from Withershins instead, it'll only exacerbate their symptoms." She shredded a piece of a nearby leaf, grinding it into a powder. "It's likely this sickness has thrown his Air out of harmony with the rest of the elements in his body. That explains the labored breathing. More likely than not, it's Withershins."
"But then, you simply must explain. What about the weakening in his brain?" Shaman asked insistently, moving to the other mare's side.
"A simple reaction. The Withershins is mimicking the symptoms of Lockjoint by weakening his strength, but the real risk is that his body is reacting too strongly to the illness. Normally, Withershins is just an annoyance – like Manemange or Lickyend – but his deteriorating mental state is due to his body rejecting the illness stronger than normal, draining his essence of Air from his body and weakening his spirit."
"Come, come now, you needn't jest. I am not like all the rest. Use the words you want to say; do this or you must go away." The zebra mare scolded Arcadês, who sighed, then smiled ruefully.
"Right, I keep forgetting... You don't fall for the mystical double talk, do you?" She laughed, sliding the powder into a brew she had been working on. Shaman was close to her age – a hale and healthy thirty-six – but she was a certainly a few years older and far more experienced in the world. "Zeke's problem, if you want my honest opinion, is that he's too..." She rolled her hoof. "Much of a stallion."
Shaman raised an eyebrow and Arcadês continued. "He's going off to see Zalia down by the waterfall every night," she said simply, going back to her brewing. "He's exhausting himself and it's making his Withershins worse. He's not sleeping enough and that's making him simple-minded and irritable. Then, there's also the effect the lack of sleep is having on his body's ability to defend itself. He needs to realize that Zalia's flank isn't the whole of the world and that he's sick and needs to stay in bed."
The zebra nodded, as if she'd known this all along. Very likely she had. Over the past three years, the shaman of the Galloping Winds tribe had tested Arcadês in ways far more obscure than this. At first, Arcadês had been amazed and shocked by the oddities of Zebra culture. For instance, ponies of importance gave up their names, instead adopting their title as their name. The shaman was simply Shaman; the chief, likewise, was Chief.
Furthermore, zebras were far more passionate about their relationships than the ponies in Equestria proper. Arcadês was fairly certain this was because of two factors: firstly, the zebra tribes seemed to have more stallions than the average village in Equestria. Why this was, Arcadês didn't know, but the ratio of stallions to mares was far closer to evenly balanced than the mare-heavy society of Equestria. Secondly, the tribe was small and parenting new ponies seemed to be a matter of great pride. Arcadês had helped deliver more babies in the past three years than she had in her entire time at Resting Rocks.
"You've done very good, if I do confess. Zeke's love for Zalia is giving him much stress." Shaman laughed, throwing her head back. "He is young and full of zest; he is quite the hooffull, if I might jest."
Arcadês looked sidelong at the zebra from her position by her potion. That was another peculiarity that she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to. Ponies here had no concept of monogamy; relationships were purely open and zebra shared partners like one might share a meal. It was all so casual to them. And yet, love was something they cherished with such amazing intensity. Arcadês just couldn't understand it.
"Have you checked on the herb I requested?" Arcadês asked, hoping to change the subject. She had no time for physical or emotional tethers.
"Hm, some agitation I do perceive." The shaman walked around Arcadês with a small smirk. "Perhaps two hearts begin to interweave? Tell me, have you seen to Zethrim yet? He follows you around like a cute little pet."
Arcadês stirred the potion with more intensity in hopes that it would hide her flustered expression. "Did you look into the Shackles for me? How are they growing?"
The zebra sighed softly. "Alas, that plant does not like our sun. I fear it's course has long ago run."
Arcadês cursed under her breath. That'd been her last stash of Everfree's Shackles she'd brought from Equestria. The herb hadn't proven neither hardy enough to survive in the new climate, nor nearly as useful in brews here. The plant had begun displaying a strange peculiarity – namely that it seemed to reject any plant that Arcadês tried to brew it with from this place. It was the strangest thing, but mixing the Shackles with any plant from the savanna caused the whole potion to turn into a sickly-black sludge that had little to no purpose. When the shaman had first seen it, she'd called the herb evil, but Arcadês had explained how the Shackles had saved many pony lives back in Equestria. If anything, that herb should be sacred.
"Well, so much for that being an ingredient in the Mad-God's Dilemma." She muttered, taking the spoon from the potion and checking it's color.
"I still believe that is a dreadful name. Does mocking the Gods not bring you shame?" The shaman put a hoof on Arcadês back; a worried gesture from a friend. "I fear for your soul, dear friend of mine. Great pains come to those—" Arcadês shrugged her hoof off and added the next ingredient into the brew. "—who mock the divine."
"I don't mock them, Shaman," Arcadês countered, continuing her mixing, "I just believe that they've failed us. Equestria suffers, ponies die, and the Gods sit over us and watch. Isn't Discord the God of Chaos? Why have other deities not risen to dethrone him?" She felt her voice raise an octave, but she didn't care. "Why did I need to watch ponies die?"
A gentle hoof rested over hers. Arcadês hadn't realized it, but she'd stirred the potion so hard that some of it had spilled onto the table she'd had it resting on. "I... I'm sorry." She stepped back from the potion, looking over to her friend. "Thank you for your concern. But the Gods likely see me as insignificant; I'm a speck on a canvas. So what does it matter if I speak ill of them?" She shook her head and let some of the weight leave her voice. "But thank you. It means a lot that somepony like you cares."
"Arcadês, you have a good, strong heart. Sometimes, you just need to be shown where to start." Shaman gave a little chuckle and nodded. "But you are very much like our little Zeke; you injure yourself digging for what you seek."
"I maintain my health very carefully, Shaman," Arcadês shot back, standing up a bit straighter. "I don't plan on dying before I brew my potion." She looked back to her brew on the table; it was her latest attempt at the Mad-God's Dilemma. "But I do fear I may need to cut corners if I'm going to finish it. No brew ever seems to blend properly."
The shaman clicked her tongue. "It is not of ailments of the body that I speak. You seem to think that love will make you weak."
Arcadês gave her head a small shake, playing the statement off with a laugh. "Weak, no. But will it consume my time – time I need to dedicate to my potion. Yes, it will." She repeated, turning and putting her hoof up onto the table near her latest potion. "This next batch shows some signs of forward progress. If nothing else, I may have discovered a cure-all potion that works on most every common disease. At least the ones here in the savanna."
Shaman raised an eyebrow at that, moving close to Arcadês' side. "If this is true, then we have much to do. Please, hurry up and show me this brand new brew!"
Arcadês laughed at Shaman's sudden shift in interest. One quick way to end any conversation about her love-life was to turn the topic to some potential benefit for the tribe.
She added the final ingredient to her latest attempt, stepping back in case it exploded... again. The color shifted from a pale brown to a shimmering blue; a sign that the magical reagents were balancing well and weren't unstable. She let out a sigh, patting her forehead with a cloth. "I was worried we'd need to repair the hut again."
The shaman didn't seem to hear her; she stared at the potion with hopeful eyes. "A brew that could help all my people; all that I could do with just a mortar and pestle..."
Arcadês looked over to her, then back to the potion. "Don't sing my praises yet." She moved over to a box, drawing out a squirming, sickly animal. She'd been amazed after her brief time in the savanna to find that these animals were nothing like the intelligent, sometimes expressive animals of Equestria. More often, wild animals in these plains would prove either evasive or hostile. And still, the zebras loved them, as ponies of Equestria loved their own furry companions.
"Calm down, little fella," Arcadês said around the animal's scruff. It flailed weakly at her, then gave up as they reached the table. Shaman took the creature in her hooves, and there it didn't resist any longer. It stared up at the shaman with almost hopeful eyes and, for a moment, Arcadês thought it might be able to understand that they were trying to help.
It was a breed of squirrel indigenous to the heated plains that burrowed under the earth to escape the hot sun. But this animal was extremely ill; it's coat was covered in splotches of missing fur and the skin underneath was ragged and mangy. Arcadês had tried curing him with other methods, but it was simply the animal's time. Unless it wasn't.
Arcadês scooped some of the brew into a spoon, putting it against the squirrel's tiny mouth. "Go on, little guy," she said around the handle. "Drink."
The squirrel eventually did, making a gagging face at the taste of the brew. Nopony said it would taste like fresh fruit. The squirrel's expression grew serene and Arcadês leaned in, her expression brightening. It looked like all it's pain was just... melting away! She was about to shout in joy, but the shaman turned, starting to walk away with the animal cradled in her hoof.
"W-wait, where are you going? We still haven't seen—"
"This animal's time has passed," the shaman said with quiet reverence. "I will go and see to his last."
Arcadês slumped down to a sitting position, defeated. She'd been working on that brew for three months. She felt rage burn in her chest; she couldn't even save a squirrel anymore. Snarling, she swung her whole upper body, flinging the potion off the table and smashing it's container to the floor. Alone, she wept into her forehooves, feeling as helpless as the day she'd left her old life behind.
Arcadês coughed, and not only from the smoke her latest brew was giving off. It tasted like bad breath smelt, but she'd been coughing for about a week now, despite her best efforts. She held her breath and retrieved a cloth, covering her nose and mouth before returning to the cauldron.
"Arcadês?" Zethrim's voice had become completely familiar to Arcadês in her five years in the Tribe. It'd been two years – and many more failures – since the day she failed to save the squirrel. "Arcadês, are you here?"
Arcadês stepped back from the cauldron, pulling down her mask. "Back here, Zeth. I'm working on a potion." She could hear the zebra step into her modest hut, then push aside the curtains Arcadês had made to block her ingredients and brewing space from the rest of her home.
"When aren't you. Ugh. It smells much like a wildebeest's scrotum," Zethrim noted idly.
"How do you know what wildebeest scrotum smells like?" Arcadês countered with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"Trial, error, and an unfortunate hiking accident," the zebra replied, giving her a playful smile back. "Is this attempt your latest?" He motioned to the cauldron with a hoof.
"Hm? Oh, no." She chuckled, taking her face-mask off properly and setting it aside. "It's a potion Shaman asked me to make; it cures Blackbite – a nasty little illness. Chief's son apparently caught it down by the river and we're keeping him separate from the rest of the Tribe until he's better."
"Sound thinking," Zethrim said with a nod, then just... stood there, idly kicking a hoof.
"Can... I help you?" Arcadês asked, giving a polite cough and trying to look more like a proper hostess.
"I... Arcadês, there is a thing I want to say to you, but," he hesitated, shaking his head. "At the eastern waterfall, meet me when the sun reaches it's zenith. Please?"
Arcadês tilted her head, getting both a sinking and swelling feeling in her chest. This wasn't uncommon when Zethrim was around for too long. "Alright. I'll be there, I promise."
"Good," the zebra shot back with a wide smile. "Very good." He turned, nearly tripped over some of her tools, then hurried to the door. "See you then!"
Arcadês re-applied the face mask, returned to her brew, letting her mind drift back to her work. She began combining ingredients in her mind, blending in local incantations and rituals that might change the nature of her brews. She coughed and shook her head, looking back to the potion.
Confident it was done, she leaned back and began filling vials with the mixture; Blackbite was hard to extinguish and it spread like wildfire if exposed to other ponies. She'd made extra to prevent such an experience. Setting them aside, she leaned out her window and whistled; a sign to nearby runners that she was finished.
A nearby zebra rushed to her door and Arcadês delivered the potion to them. "Tell Chief to give Zale one vial every time either the sun or moon is at it's zenith. Any more or less and the potion will either not work or make him more ill." She leaned in, pressing her muzzle to the nearest zebra. He shied back, eyes a little wild. "And, Zeke," she said angrily. "If I see you peeking on me from the bushes while I bathe one more time, I will personally fling you off the nearest cliff. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-yes, master Alchemist," the zebra stuttered out before galloping off with her cure. This wasn't the first time she'd needed to threaten Zeke in such a way. He was overly flirtatious, even by zebra standards, and Arcadês had no time for such frivolities. She walked over to her table and blew out the candle. She had about an hour before her meeting with Zethrim by the waterfall.
Arcadês believed that the place the Tribes had stopped for this half-year was far more beautiful than anywhere they'd stopped before. From majestic cliff-side vistas, to the waterfall and rivers that the tribe used for bathing and washing clothes, Arcadês was overcome by the beauty of the natural world in it's untainted splendor.
Zethrim waited for her beneath the waterfall, staring into the pool at it's base. He kicked a hoof, not noticing Arcadês as she approached. "You are a terrible hunter, Zethrim," Arcadês remarked, making the zebra jump. "Twice now I've crept up on you." She grinned a little, eyes flashing dangerously. "Remember that first time? I could've jumped on your back and you wouldn't have even known I was there."
Zethrim smiled over to her. "Until you put your hoof on a twig, if I remember, scaring away every animal in eyesight." He turned back to the water, motioning her over.
Arcadês complied, moving to stand by his side. She stared down into the pool, looking at her own reflection. She could see signs of her age. She was young still, by pony standards, but she looked far older than she was. Her hair was slightly grey from stress, while wrinkles around her eyes told a similar story. She seemed perpetually tired and felt ten times worse.
She wasn't even fourty yet, but time had made her lax in her self-care; she'd no time for it, diverting the hours of exercise and medical practice into more time spent on the Mad-God's Dilemma. She rubbed one of her eyes, hoping it would make her look younger, but all it did was irritate the socket.
"So, why did you bring me all the way out here, Zeth?" Arcadês asked, looking over to her friend.
Zethrim kicked a hoof again, staring at the lake. "What do you see in your reflection, Arcadês? Are you proud of what you've accomplished?" He looked over to her and locks their eyes, his own shimmering brightly. "So many lives saved. And still you sacrifice yourself, offering greater and greater pieces of yourself to save even more lives. You are a hero, Arcadês." He smiles and Arcadês quickly stares back down.
"Am I? I don't see it that way," She says, coughing once she was done. "I... I fail just as much as I succeed, Zeth. I let ponies and animals die."
Arcadês saw Zethrim's reflection as he moved to her side. She felt his body press against her and his hoof fall over her back. "You do not fail. Some fates cannot be changed, no matter how skilled the hand of the healer. This is the way the world turns. It is the pattern of life and death in all things – It is natural."
Arcadês shakes her head, but leans into Zethrim slightly. "I still fail, Zeth."
Zethrim is quiet for several seconds, before pulling Arcadês to him in a one-hoofed hug. "Arcadês, what would you say... if I asked you to love me?"
Arcadês blinked, looking over to him with wide eyes. "I... I-I..." He stared back at her, a faint blush on his cheeks.
"I love you, Arcadês. You are driven and honest and good. You risk both your body and soul for the well-being of others."
Arcadês shifted her head to stare straight down, blushing not in embarrassment, but shame. She was the pony who had vowed to surpass the Gods, wasn't she? She was the one she saw in her reflection – with a blank stare in her eyes and obsession in her brain. Was that the pony Zethrim saw? Or did he see what he wanted to see?
"I... I can't, Zeth." She stepped away slightly. "I don't have time for a family. For love. I—"
"I know all these things," Zethrim interrupted, turning her to face him with his hoof. "And still I will ask. Will you love me, Arcadês? I do not expect children. I do not expect the kind of love my kindred share with one-another. I only ask that you keep me in your heart."
Arcadês fell back on clinical, medical terms to ease her troubled thoughts. She felt her heart throb against her sternum. Adrenaline pumped through her system and her face reddened with blood. None of this was helping. Had she been another pony, in another time, she would've been Zethrim's wife. She would have given him children and lived among the Tribes forever. But that wasn't the world she lived in. Her reality was much bleaker. She looked away, but felt the desire in her chest.
"N-no family?" She asked, looking back to him, giving a small cough. "Just us?"
Zethrim nodded, putting a hoof over his chest. "By my blood and body, I do swear."
Arcadês looked down again, this time to the growing greenery at her feet. Life, simple and pure. She trailed her hoof over it, then nodded. "I... Very well. Yes, Zethrim. I will love you, if you'll have me."
The zebra hooted loudly, sweeping Arcadês into a hug. At first, she had no idea what to do. She normally loathed physical contact beyond her treatments, but with Zethrim, it sent a spark through her. Her whole body shivered and ignited. She held him close, feeling her love for him – the feelings she'd forced deep down into her chest whenever possible – burst fourth. She nuzzled her head into his, closing her eyes.
"I... know of some herbs that can prevent pregnancy... Perhaps we—" She cut off, stopped by a particularly vicious coughing fit. She pushed off Zethrim, not able to stop. Her breath grew reedy and thin, her world spinning as she coughed more and more. Dizzy and surprised, Arcadês collapsed, but didn't black out.
When the coughing finally stopped, Zethrim was there, kneeling beside her. "Arcadês, are you unwell?" He helped her to her hooves and wiped something from her face. "You... a-are bleeding from your mouth..."
Arcadês' eyes shot wide and she wiped her lips. Blood stained her hooves; not much, but enough. She felt a chill shoot through her and pushed herself up suddenly, galloping back to the village as fast as she could.
Shaman sighed from her seat, giving her head a shake. "Of this illness, you could not have known. From our land, the savanna, it is sown." She rose, walking around Arcadês once. "It has not been seen for many years... I have only heard legends from my peers."
Arcadês coughed again, shivering now. The coughing had become more frequent and violent over the past month, while Shaman tried to figure out what was wrong with her. "How do you know?" She asked, her voice hoarse. "Couldn't it just be a normal cough that I made worse by overworking myself?"
The shaman sat across from her again after examining her whole body. "I wish it were so, dear Arcadês. But this illness has caused your body much stress..." She motioned with a hoof to Arcadês' mane. "Your mane is greyed and the color of your eyes fade..." She looked down slightly, lowering her hoof. "I fear the tale of your end is made..."
Arcadês straightened suddenly, eyes wide. "No. No, I can't die!" She jumped up, but broke into another coughing fit. It continued until she collapsed again, heaving for air.
The Shaman watched her with a sorrowful stare. "We... have no cure, not anymore... But there is a remedy, mentioned in our folklore." She tried to smile – a reassuring gesture Arcadês had faked more than once – but let the smile fade, knowing it wouldn't help. "It will not cure you, my dearest friend. I fear it will only prolong your end."
Hope drained from Arcadês. She didn't bother standing up. "How long? How long till I die?"
Her companion rose, trotting to a set of books along the walls and opening one labeled Ancient Curatives. "With a potion a day, perhaps you will stay by our side for as long as three years, I pray. This is the best I can do; I offer my best for you." She shut the book softly. "I am sorry, truly. For you, I will go above and beyond my duty."
Arcadês nodded, looking down and away. "I understand, Shaman." She rose, coughing lightly at the small action. "I... need to think about all this. When will the first batch be ready?"
The shaman closed her eyes, as if the sight of Arcadês suffering hurt her. "Tonight, this process I will expedite." She opened her eyes, tipping her head to the side. "Alright?"
Arcadês nodded, turning to leave without another word. Shock had stolen what fear she had left.
Zethrim was waiting outside, obviously nervous. When Arcadês exited, he spun to her quickly. "What did she say? Are you alright?"
Arcadês stared at him in a daze. "I have something called Rattle Cough..." She looked back down, giving a small, pitiful cough. "I'm dying. There's no known cure."
Zethrim mouthed the words Rattle Cough with a faint look of horror, before covering it up. "Then find one!" He put his hooves on her and pulled her close, a terrified look in his eyes. "If anypony can, it's you! Please... I can't lose you, not after all this..."
Arcadês looked at him, his misery snapping her out of her trance. She smiled a sad, self-deprecating smile. "And my potion? What of the Mad-God's Dilemma?" She stepped out of his hooves, walking along the road. "No, I won't stop my research to find a cure. I just—" She started coughing again. Zethrim quickly shifted at her side, moving to support her. She gasped when she recovered her breath. "I just need to work harder and faster... Finish the potion and save myself from this..." She stood up straighter, hurrying towards her hut. "And I could use help."
She smiled back at Zethrim, eyes struggling to cling to even a shred of hope in these dark times. "Shall we share a hut, Zeth? I could use a full-time assistant..."
The zebra smiled through his obvious pain and nodded. "I would love that, dear-heart..."
