After Zephyr Breeze is captured by a foreign empire, Fluttershy must find a way to free him and help bring peace to two kingdoms.
In the forest kingdom of Thicket, there lives a young mare named Fluttershy. Everyday, after her lessons in forest magic, Fluttershy sneaks away from her home and goes to a small grove to share a meal with her best friend, a layabout named Discord who has feelings for his dear friend.
One day, while Fluttershy is away, her brother and twelve stags from Thicket are captured by a foreign empire, and held within the dungeon of a secluded castle to the north. Now, Fluttershy's only hope of ever seeing her brother again and maintaining peace between the two kingdoms rests in the hands of a stalwart archer, a mysterious bard, an unwavering knight, and the lord who keeps Zephyr Breeze locked away.
(Concepts of this story come from Dungeons and Discords and IDW Comics)
There was no country nor kingdom filled with more mystery and steeped in more culture than Thicket. Thicket was the land of the deer, better known to the ignorant masses as the Druids. They were a people with a special sort of magic that connected them with the plants and allowed them to speak to the animals that pervaded the continent. Though, not everyone in Thicket was a deer. Three families were made up of ponies. One such family was the Shy family, and there was no member more known in the Kingdom than Fluttershy.
Today was a very odd for her, as she had a day off. It was impossible for Fluttershy of Thicket to name the last time she had a day off from her endless studies and familial obligations. As far as she knew no one in Thicket, except for her father and brother ever had a day off. The forest and kingdom needed constant care after all, and every citizen had a role to play. Yet, here she was working in her kitchen, cooking not for her family but for a friend, which was odd in Thicket. Then again, most of her life was odd.
Her father was a man from Equestria through and through. If not for him meeting and falling in love with her late mother, he would still be living there. Her brother, despite being born in Thicket, was not interested in their mother's culture. This was thanks to their father, carting Zephyr breeze to the ports that were scattered across the outer edge of the continent. The sights and the people had captured Zephyr's heart, and Fluttershy was certain that once she married a good man, they would leave the kingdom in search of a life more accommodating to their tastes.
Not Fluttershy though. Her heart belonged to Thicket. The forest was pure, the animals gentle, and the folk were kind and hard working. However, she often longed to do more for her kingdom. As of now, Fluttershy was a novitiate, a priestess in training. Her one job was to study and grow, until she would be ordained, as her mother was before her. She also tended to her family's needs, such as cooking them meals when she could, while they spent their time cleaning after her and caring for the house and garden when they weren’t running a business.
Finally, there was one task that Fluttershy loved completing. It was tending to her closest friend, Discord. Like most of the things in her life, he was odd. Though, this was because Discord was a rare creature called a draconequus.
Today, she was bringing him three loaves freshly baked bread, two small cakes, fresh fruit from the forest, and two cucumber sandwiches, his favorite. She also packed some tealeaves, which they could brew once she arrived at his dwelling. Discord had a small spring close to his land, with fresh clear water flowing freely.
Sneaking past her father and brother, who were hard at work reviewing their ledger for an upcoming trip, she left her home and hurriedly made her way into the forest. She always did feel bad about hiding Discord from her family, but if there was one thing he liked, it was his privacy. Once she was deep enough into the woods, she slowed herself to a trot. She was alone with nature, so she may as well enjoy it. If there was one thing that the current priestesses were sure to teach their students, it was to appreciate the beauty of the woods.
Fluttershy took a deep breath of the fall air, as she felt her already joyous spirits rise high. The great trees that surrounded her, cast large shadows using their branches, that blanketed the forest floor in a gentle pattern of light and darkness. All around, leaves were in bloom and she could here the gentle flow of a river. The birds were singing, the small critters were prancing, and trees seemed to be healthy and strong. Surely, there was no better day for a picnic with Discord.
As Discord shifted in his bed, he let out a happy sigh. He was free. He had no job to attend to, no family to care for, and no friends that he needed to care about, except for one. Fluttershy was special case, though. All he had to worry about was finding enough food to eat and making sure that his fire stayed lit. And what made this life possible? He abandoned every responsibility and friend he once had and moved to a cave in a far-off continent. This might seem selfish, but he had a good reason for doing it. He and a few friends had a minor disagreement. Surely, he did the right thing.
His cave was comfortable enough. Spacious even, despite stalactites and stalagmites being littered everywhere. At the mouth of the cave, he, and more accurately his friend, had planted special flowers that warded off most insects, especially mosquitoes. He despised mosquitoes. They also looked nice as well, a deep purple with bright yellow centers.
His daily routine included sleeping most of the morning away, meeting with Fluttershy, doing what he described as “Discord Things” and before going to sleep to repeat the cycle. Some might say he was wasting time, and they would be right. He could afford to do this of course, he had upwards of a 200-year lifespan. Most draconequi had long lives and was only around sixty-one years old.
While some creatures might find draconequi to be horrifying sights, they were actually quite pleasant. Not the ones that Discord personally knew however; those draconequi could rot for all he cared. Nevertheless, the normal draconequi were mischievous, but not malefic, rude, but playfully so. Discord was a mismatch of animals, with a snake tail, a lion and eagle talon arm, a goat and lizard leg and two types of horns sticking out from his pony head. He had a tuft of white hair and a sole patch, though he was thinking of growing a beard.
He slowly lifted himself from the small, dust-covered cot, and stretched out his limbs. There was nothing like sleeping half the day away as he waited for Fluttershy. She was such a sweet little mare, that she seemed to make his chest flutter. He was sure that he was sick, but he kept it quiet. There was no sense in frightening her. Fluttershy had habit of worrying too much about him and it was suffocating. There came a slight rustle outside the cave, followed by soft grunts.
A smile crept onto his face. Fluttershy was right on time, as expected of his friend. He quickly crouched down low and did his best to stay quiet. There were several rocks to hide behind, and all he had to do was chose the right one. After that, he would pop out and surprise her. Discord loved surprises and knew that she loved them just as much. He waited patiently and Fluttershy soon came into view.
Some might find her breath taking, but he was above such thoughts. Her gentle, sky blue eyes would attract most stallions, but not him. Her voice could enchant most animals and men, but not someone like him. Her pink hair, which had flowers and vines woven into it were fitting, but not attractive to him in the slightest. Even her soft yellow coat and green dress did nothing to tickle his fancy, though he could see why some men would fancy her.
He chuckled to himself as he watched as his friend enter the cave, calling out his name.
"Discord?" She called. Fluttershy had on her back a basket, probably filled with all types of food for the two of them to enjoy.
Discord licked his lips at the thought of the feast, even as he slowly moved towards the entrance, circling to the back of mare. When he was behind her, he pounced, scooping her up in his arms, eliciting a sharp, yet quiet yelp. As he did so, his tail caught the basket and placed it to the side.
"Discord!" Fluttershy giggled, as the creature pulled her close into his chest, "let go!" She put her hooves against his chest but found herself incapable of pushing away from his gentle, yet strong embrace.
"Oh, but why would I let go? You know how much I love to see you," he said, resting his head on top of hers.
"Does the reason that you love seeing me have anything to do with the fact that I bring you food?"
"Maybe," He looked up towards the ceiling, trying his best not to seem selfish. His tail, however, wrapped around the basket's handle and lifted it towards him. "Since we're on the subject though, did you happen to bring anything good?" he asked, the hairs on his tail forming something of fingers that opened the basket.
"I have a few cucumber sandwiches, tea, and some chocolate cake."
Discord's smile grew three sizes. There was nothing better than one of Fluttershy's chocolate cakes, especially when she backed nuts into it. "Oh, such a sweetheart. How is it that a monster like me made friends with someone like you?"
"You're not a monster, just different. A bit lazy, but I find it sort of charming!"
That was something else he loved Fluttershy, she could never say anything bad about anyone. She was much too kind a soul for such things.
Still, seeing as she had just called him lazy, Discord now had to prove her wrong. He gently placed Fluttershy down and swiftly set a place for them to eat. "Lazy, I scoff at such an accusation!" Discord declared, putting out recently cleaned plates he kept in trunk. "Kind ma'am, you have wounded my honor, and therefore, you shall have second choice in what you get. Tis the honorable thing to do!"
"If you're going by what's honorable, wouldn't it be honorable to let the lady go first, even if she was rude?"
Discord's smile fell. "Oh poo. You're right. Very well, have your pick of the spread." He picked up the basket and began to spread the meal around the table, while the tea brewed. Fluttershy got a few sandwiches and poured herself something to drink, leaving the rest of the meal for Discord.
Discord greedily took everything else, save for the cakes, which he would share with Fluttershy. They always shared the dessert. They casually ate their meal, pausing to talk about small things, like their day or the animals that Fluttershy had seen while coming to visit Discord.
"Discord, I've been meaning to ask you, where did you get your pendent?" It was an odd subject to bring up, but she was curious about the trinket, ever since she first met him. He wore an old green tunic, with a sash around him where a faded and tattered quiver once hung. The quiver and the bow now lay in the back of the cave, covered in dust. The crystal hypnotized her some days. It would sometimes capture the fire just right and burst in a wonder of color and light. It was a magnificent crystal in the shape of a jagged cone and smoothed out at the tip. The top of the tip was a pure purple that slowly turned white as it came to the flat base. Holding it was a wire Discord had clumsily wrapped it, with a chain.
"This? Oh, it's just a token from my home country. It's all very sentimental. Sometimes I wonder why I even keep it."
"Oh. You never talk about your home. What was it like?"
Discord began to rub the back of his head as he thought about the question. "I don't like to talk about it. I didn't exactly leave on good terms with everyone."
"Oh, I understand. My father is usually at odds with my teachers, the guards and everyone else in the village, so is Zephyr. Do you ever miss it though? You're home I mean."
"Sometimes. I think I miss the power more than anything."
"Power?"
"Oh, my sweet, little Fluttershy, you have no idea what it's like!" Discord said, biting into his sandwich. "Back home, I was effectively a god! I could create everything sans life with a snap of my fingers, I could cast all the spells I wanted as if it were nothing, and I lived in a mansion! But now look at me now, rotting away in a cave, hoping that I'm not forgotten by my only friend and left to starve."
"But can't you cook or forage?"
"Me? Oh Fluttershy, I think we both know the answer to that."
"Is it because you're too lazy?"
"See? You do know me. If I'm honest, I'm glad I left. Out here, I'm free from all that responsibility everyone wanted me to have. Not to mention all of them were just the worst!"
"I don't think responsibility is that bad, and they probably just thought that you needed to do your part."
"Says the girl that wants all the responsibility in the world," Discord said dryly. "Aren't you shy? Don't you need to interact with people on a daily basis with what you want to do?"
"Yes, but everyone in Thicket is so nice! And I won't do much, I'll just answer questions when people seek council. I can do that easily. It's talking with them outside of that that I have trouble with. I don't want all the responsibility in world, I just want to do my part for my kingdom. That's how it is in Thicket."
Discord scoffed. "It's work though. I don't understand how anyone stands work. It's so hard and boring and hard! Much easier to goof off."
"But it's essential," Fluttershy responded. "Not to mention fun in some cases. Especially in Thicket. It's our duty to make sure the kingdom and the forest stay healthy. Sometimes that includes taking care of cute little animals. Just on my way, I saw a bird flying for the first time!"
"Essential? For some maybe. Around here, the forest is doing just fine on its own, thank you very much! No druids or deer needed."
Letting out a small chuckle to herself, the two continued to talk long into the day, until Fluttershy noticed the shadow's outside growing longer and deeper.
"Oh, Discord, I think I might need to start getting home," she said standing up from her seat. Almost instantly, Discord collected the plates and put them in her basket before handing it to her.
"Say no more, my dear. Don't take too long. I don't need anyone asking too many questions! Like where you've been."
"I know. I'll see you tomorrow!" Fluttershy said, as she left the grove.
Discord waved goodbye before heading back to his cot, laying down and resting until later that day. He would do then a few Discord Things, and it was safe to say that it wouldn't take very much effort to do them.
As she left the grove, she wondered how long it would take her to reach home. By her estimate, it would take two hours if she were quick about it. Fluttershy was not a very strong pony, not in the slightest. Though she could fly, she was not swift, as her father said that ponies in Equestria were. While she ran through the thick woods, she stopped a moment. There in a hollow space in a tree slept a mother rabbit and a litter of kits. She watched them for a few moments, which turned into a quarter of an hour, before shaking her head clear.
I can't admire them for long, she thought to herself. Her father while loving, would be furious with her if she were home after sundown, especially when they discovered her absence. While she kept that thought in the back of her head, it did not stop her from stopping several more times to smell the flowers that grew in small patches of sunlight or admire the animals that scurried around the woods. She truly was a slave the forest's beauty, as most people were in Thicket. The smell of beeches, pine, maple and oak, the sounds of the trickling streams and rushing rivers, the feeling of the breeze through her hair was nothing short of enchanting.
One event stopped Fluttershy cold in her tracks. In a noose, slowly being strangled, there was a fox cub. It struggled and squeaked as it tried to escape, but only succeeded in tightening the noose around its neck.
Fluttershy felt a dagger plunge into her heart as she watched the terrible sight. Not one soul in Thicket ate meat, so no one in Thicket had a need to hunt. In Fluttershy's mind, this had to be the doing of gargoyles and centaurs from the eastern and western coasts, the people of the northern kingdom, Dawn Peak, or hunters that lived in the forests against the wishes of Thicket. What angered Fluttershy most was that hunting in Thicket's land, which encompassed most of the continent, was strictly forbidden. Putting aside her anger though, just as it maybe, she quickly disarmed the trap and saved the fox. Fluttershy did her best to tend to his wound, making a mash of certain plants to ease the markings on its neck, and sent it off on its way, receiving a most humble thanks.
By the time she returned home, the sun fallen beneath the trees. She opened the front door to her family's home slowly, as not to make a sound. Fluttershy thought that, if she could make it to her room, she could avoid any questions that might involve her trips. It didn't matter how quietly she entered though; her father and her brother were there waiting for her. She could feel her father’s glare drill into her while her brother’s soft cackles grated on her nerves.
Her father was a bearded man with a steely gaze when angered. Her brother, who had something queer in his makeup, towered over her and was a few inches taller than her father. Zephyr Breeze seemed happy, even smug. He was a bit of a problem child a few years ago, coming home drunk in his late teens on some nights, and so it filled him with joy when it was his sweet, innocent, perfect little sister in trouble.
Her father's glare hardened, causing her to shrink.
"I-I know. I shouldn't have sneaked out, or at the very least been home before sundown it’s just-"
Her father held up a hoof, silencing her as he pointed to a spiral stair case, leading to a higher section of their home.
"Someone's in trouble," Her older brother sang, snickering to himself as she marched herself past him. She tilted her head upwards, as if to let him know how little his opinion mattered to her. Fluttershy went up the stairs, and gently hovered into bed. She let out a sigh as she nestled into her sheets and covers, knowing how much trouble she was going to be in when she inevitably snuck out tomorrow to see Discord.
She suddenly felt a small something jump into her bed, before nestling itself against her cheek. It was a small white rabbit, and a friend that she'd had since last year. He was an odd thing for her to have. As pets were frowned upon in Thicket. However, her status as a novitiate and pony granted her some leeway with their customs. "I'm fine Angel," she lied. The bunny looked at her glumly, as he pointed a paw downstairs. "I took too long getting home, he has a right to be angry."
There came a series of squeaks and thumps.
"No, that’s just being Zephyr. He's always a little smug when I get in trouble."
There came another squeak and Fluttershy gasped loudly, before stifling a giggle.
"Angel, language!" She said through her hooves. She smiled, which elicited a smile from angel. "Don't worry, they'll be over it by tomorrow. They always take a day to calm down." It was something that Fluttershy adored about her home. Nothing was ever out of order, and everything and everyone was predictable. It gave her a sense of control over her life. A nice laid out plan for her for her to follow. She would take her father's disappointed and worried look without complaint, visit Discord the next day, and come home before sundown if she didn't linger to appreciate the forest. For now, she resigned herself to stay in bed with Angel until her father called her for supper.
If there was anyone in existence who was lazier than Discord, than such a mantle could only belong to Braeburn Apple. This was not a natural sloth though. He was willing to work; there was just not much for him to do. He had more wealth than he could ever spend, no house to clean, much to his sorrow no bride nor children to comfort or care for, and he never had to worry about the weather or growing his own crops. The part of the forest he lived seemed to care for him as if he was its child: shielding his sleeping spots with branches and leaves so thick, rain could not hope to penetrate. Fruit and other vegetation seemed to appear when he hungered, and there was plenty of water for him to drink, which came from a spring that never dwindled. It also gave him a place to hang his cloak and rest his head when he was tired. Some would think a hammock made out of vines would be uncomfortable, but these vines grew in a forest filled with magic and other divine forces. As such, they were as soft as a mattress, but twice the strength of steel.
Truly he was lucky, for almost no other mortal had received such blessings and privileges. Then again, it was difficult to say if any other stallion had been allowed into the Fairy Queen's Forest, realm of the mysterious fairy race, or breezies for those more used to Equestria’s word. Fully grown, they were scarcely as large as a human’s finger. They fluttered about most of their day, growing plants and taming beasts, caring for their forest in a similar way to Thicket. But they dare not shy away from crafts and other mortal pleasures like the druid kingdom did. They could weave fabrics and forge weapons that could guard against nearly any spell or weapon.
Of such crafts, Braeburn owned two. Close to him was a harp that never went out of tune, and a lute that when strummed, hummed beautifully. The harp was woven from branches, with the strings made of silver. The lute was carved from an ancient tree, old and powerful. They were also enchanted, for the breezies thought it necessary for Braeburn to cast charms on others and the land, though those spells were rarely used. Around the forest was an impregnable wall of thorns and vines, which kept all but the mightiest creatures away. The only true way to enter the forest was to own something of the breezies, and that meant earning their trust.
As he snoozed most of the day away, there came a calling for him. "Braeburn!" The voice called over and over. Suddenly, a young girl ran into his clearing. She called his name a few more times before climbing into the hammock herself. Her name was Strong Heart, Braeburn and the breezie’s ward.
Strong Heart, whom Braeburn often called Little Strong Heart, was a bison, a very rare creature. Plagues and near constant war had decimated the bison’s numbers across the world, and now, only a handful of tribes existed, most in Equestria, and a few in Arcania, the homestead of the Gargoyles and Centaurs. Years ago, there was only one tribe left in Thicket, but, for reasons Braeburn and the breezies rather not say, they had all perished, leaving only Strong Heart to carry on their bloodline.
"Braeburn, I'm bored," Strong Heart grumbled, laying her head on his chest. "Can we go into town?"
Braeburn sometimes left the forest to go to one of the port towns to the east or west. Usually he’d find a tavern, play a song or two, and have a drink with whomever was there at the time. However, the trip often tired him out, and bringing along Strong Heart would surely strain him. "That's an overnight trip, sugarplum," Braeburn said, almost unwilling to move. He didn't even look up at her from under his hat.
"I know, and that's the best part! We can get dinner and breakfast the next day at an inn!" Strong Heart couldn't explain it, but inns and taverns had some sort of magic about them. Not the kind of magic that the breezies or forest had. The atmosphere and music had an energy that was lacking in a uniform society like the Fairy Queen's Forest. While the fairies' songs where gentle and soothing, and beautiful by every definition of the word, the music that Braeburn and other mortals played seemed to force everyone to dance and sing, cheer and laugh into the night.
"Ain't my cooking good enough?"
"It's good, but you can't beat those pancakes! A girl can only survive off simmered fruit and vegetables for so long. Besides, the town is so much more alive!"
"Girl, we live in a forest," Braeburn said as if to chide her. "There ain't nothin more alive than nature."
"You know what I mean!"
"I know, I know," Braeburn said with a gentle chuckle. "Tell you what, we'll go in a few days, you can even order dessert if you want, but fer now, I have a lot of nothing to do, and you know how hard it is to do nothing."
"A Few days, but I get dessert," Strong Heart said, humming to herself. "Deal."
"You gonna get off me now?"
"No, I think I'll stay and do nothing with you. Beats doing nothing by myself." And so, they stayed, swaying in the breeze. That is, until Strong Heart began to get restless. If there was one thing that she was terrible at, it was doing nothing. There was nothing in the world that was harder to do than nothing. Braeburn, be it either great skill or merely determination, had mastered doing nothing, but she was just a calf. She began to shift and stir, before finally saying, "Can you tell me a story?"
“Why would I do that when I’m trying to relax and do nothing?” Braeburn asked, trying his best to sound annoyed. He was failing miserably. In truth, he detested doing nothing, and relished the chance to sing a song or tell a story. Still, no sense in outright spoiling his ward.
Strong Heart began to piece together a response so flawless, that it was impossible for her not to hear a story. “You’d tell me one because I want one?”
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Braeburn said.
There was a sudden change in the forest as little creatures began to creep from the trees. They were small, about the height of a human child's finger and had antenna poking out the tops of their heads. They floated through the air using their fragile wings, all converging on Braeburn and Strong Heart. These little creatures were young breezies, hardly seven years of age. Their small voices rang clear with their demands. All wanted a story, agreeing with Strong Heart’s request. But not just any story, a story that that came from the outer world. The breezies all landed on Strong heart, using her as a seat as the hammock swayed in the breeze, all while Braeburn chuckled.
He could very well say no, and no breezie would argue. They had too much respect for Braeburn to do so. It was the same reason Braeburn had been given his comfortable life, for Braeburn held the title of Fairy Champion.
"Hold your horses, hold your horses! Just let me think for a minute," He said stifling a laugh. There was nothing quite like seeing Strong Heart covered in breezies. They were all as adorable as his littlest cousin, Apple Bloom. "Alright, my cousins love this one. Once, there lived a maiden far in the east-" As he began to weave a tale, drawing in the young crowd that had gather atop of him, Braeburn was sure that his life couldn't get any better. This would soon prove to be the least true thing he’d ever thought, but that was a tale for another time. For now, it was in the forest that Braeburn lived, and in the forest where he remained.
The forest was not as peaceful as the kingdom of Thicket. Creatures and foul beasts roamed the wilds, looking for their next meal, be it something as insignificant as a rabbit or as noble and mighty as a deer. While Thicket itself never seemed to worry about such beasts, it was not so for other kingdoms, such as Dawn Break. Dawn Break was a kingdom to the north, a Territory belonging to the Nudonian Empire, a small nation if there ever was one, but with the territories under its rule, it was feared among the greatest kingdoms in the world.
Dawn Break was a relatively new country, existing only for a century and a half. It had been won via a peace agreement between Nudonia and Thicket, on the condition that the two kingdoms respect the other’s boarders, and that the people of Dawn Break never hunt upon Thicket lands. The people of Dawn Break received two sections of the forest to be used as they saw fit and the northern fields which Thicket had no interest in.
It was now a country that was beloved by its people from the humblest little filly to the mighty lord that dwelled in Dawn Break Castle. Of course, being so close to Thicket’s great forest meant that a bevy of dangerous and vicious beast would sometimes wonder out into a farmer’s pasture.
Of the many creatures, none were more feared than the warg. What was a warg? A warg was akin to the wolf. Their fur was black as the night sky and their eyes were glowing and soulless. Their backs were lined with thin, long thorns and spikes that could shoot out at predators and prey alike. A warg’s claws were said to be able to rip into a pony’s hide with ease and their teeth could reduce nearly all flesh to ribbons.
How unfortunate and terrible it was when a warg had come out of the woods two weeks ago. At first it only attacked sheep and cows, livestock. But on the third day, before the sun had set, it had happened upon a mother and her child. By the time their patriarch found them in the field, they were nearly unrecognizable, save for blood stained clothes and trinkets that they were gifted on their birthdays. When the farmer sent word to their lord, weeping and broken, the lord did not hesitate to send some of his best men to slay the beast. Many soldiers, upon hearing the mission, thought the death cruel and needless and they worked endlessly to track the beast. One group were sent to guard the pastures and farm houses, the second tried to track the beast, though their hunt was normally halted when the beast escaped into Thicket’s territory.
However, today fortune had smiled upon them, and the beast was being driven into Nudonian land. Gallopers, strong stallions and griffons armed with spears and shields, jabbed and prodded the beast after luring it with a roasted hog. The warg let out snarls and barks as it rushed across the field. Without proper footing, it was impossible for it to shoot its spines at its attackers, and with so many, it would leave itself open to a deathly strike. Soon, the soldiers encircled the beast, pointing spears towards it while hiding behind great iron shields. If the beast lunged at them, they would prod it with a spear in an attempt to skewer the foul creature.
The spines on the beast’s back raised and shot out every which way. Needles clanged and bounced off the shields but soon all became quiet as the warg began to circle its new enclosure until something caught it felt a new presence. Its ears and nose twitched. It smelled of sulfur and coal, things that had it crouch low in anticipation of a fight. High in the air there came a red blur that soon crashed down into the center of the ring.
It was a dragon. His landing shook the very ground on which they stood. Under his grey cloak, was a few pieces of armor. Two steel boots and two gauntlets were all the armor he needed, at least in these lands. The rest of his garments were simple cloth. His armor, Nudonian in make, looked dull and was a dark silver, but it was stronger then the armor of nearly all other nations, save for the mithril mails of Equestria, the Adamantine armor of Arcania, and the human metal orichalcum, which was used primarily by the now extinct race. Nudonian armor was forged from titanite, named after the mighty beasts that were said to rule the Earth ages ago.
The dragon was on all fours and sneered at the beast who roared back at him. His name was Garble Ironscale, a youth of only twenty-three, though he was as respected as a man thrice his age. Throughout the land, he had been known by the masses as the Spider Slayer, the Axe Wielder, and Beast Hunter. Garble stood up and from under a grey cloak, drew forth a silver axe. Its edge was sharp, and on the opposite side was a hammer head. The handle was long, fitting for such a heavy looking weapon, but Garble found no difficulty wielding it with only one hand. He had named the weapon Bahamut’s Fang, after the patriarch of dragonkin.
As Garble approached the beast, it shot forth three quills, a warning to its opponent. Garble let the quills hit him, unaffected by them even as they seemed to stick into his body. This was because Ironscale was more than just a name, it was a description of him and his clan. His hide was so thick, no weapon, save for a dragon slayer spear could pierce it.
Taking out the quills and dropping them to the ground, Garble swung his axe and hit the beast square in the face. It let out a yelp before shaking its head to regain its wits and lunging, hitting Garble in the gut and sending him sliding across the floor. The beast pounced and landed atop Garble, snapping its jaws close to his face. Quick as he could, before it was able to bite again, Garble shoved the handle of his axe into the beast’s maw to keep it at bay. Meanwhile, the men held their ground. If they broke formation, there was a chance that the beast may escape again, and if that happened, they would lose more days to this hunt and risk losing more soldiers and civilians.
Letting out a grunt, Garble managed to kick the warg off him, before scrambling to his feet. The warg seemed to recover quick and let out a roar before dashing towards the dragon. Garbled allowed the warg to bite down on his arm. It was naught but an itch to him, even as it began to shake and grind its teeth. He made sure to align the axe perfectly with the beast and swung. The blade tore into the warg’s hide, diving deep into its back. His arm was released as the beast let out a howl of pain. Garble tore his axe from it and allowed it to scamper to the far side of the ring. It whimpered and growled as its vile blood leaked from the wound. However, the wound itself was not as fatal as one would have thought, at least not to a warg.
Garble dashed towards the warg, who shot out spines and slashed with his claws. Garble dodged and smashed the warg’s leg with his axe’s hammer head. There was a snap, the beast yelped and fell to the ground. It tried to escape in vain, moving only a yard before collapsing. The warg began to whimper and whine. Its chest raised and fell as it took deep breaths, as if it would somehow relieve it of its pain.
Seeing Garble approach, scowl plastered on his face, the spines on the warg's back raised, but Garble ignored them. The beast, feared by commoners and squires, was now a pitiful mess of fur, quills, and blood. Despite its show of force, it looked towards Garble as if begging for its life. Coming before it, Garble merely raised his axe, its edge gleaming with fire in the sun’s light, and brought it down upon the warg’s head. There was one last pathetic whimper, before the field grew silent. There was sudden clattering as weapons and shields fell to the ground, followed by the soldiers themselves.
Garble tore his axe from the corpse and turned back to the group. They all sat on the grass and breathed heavily. Garble followed their example and fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
“Bout time we killed that damned beast,” a pony said, drinking from a water skin. “Couldn’t you just raze the damn thing when we first saw it? Could have saved us time, you spiny bastard.”
“Oh, quiet your trap. If he did that then the fire could have harmed the fields and cascaded into the wilds. Not to mention he could have roasted our sorry hides. Could you imagine how those deer would react if he set the forest ablaze? Besides, he’s not the reason that beast got away so many times.” A griffon said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “It’s that damn deer kingdom. Those cultists think that if we attempt to hunt on their land, it’s an act of war! Bunch of religious fools, as if they’re even using those woods. A warg comes, murders a woman and child, and before we could stop it from slaughtering anymore livestock, it managed to slip away into the wilds! I say damn the whole kingdom!”
There came numerous murmurs of agreement, and a near chorus of curses and insults, all directed towards Thicket. Many cursed the kingdom, some cursed Gaia Everfree’s name, Thicket’s patron Old God, and the name of the King, the noble Aspen, his forefathers and his descendants. Hardly anyone in Dawn Break liked Thicket, mostly for laws that stifled them greatly. They were forbidden from hunting in the woods for any reason, meaning that chasing after a wild beast like a warg was impossible once it escaped into the wilds. As far as any of them were concerned, it was not the warg that murdered that poor woman and young child, it was Thicket.
Garble, while he did enjoy the occasional mockery and scorn of Thicket, was much too tired to say anything. He simply rested on a patch of grass and began to drink and eat what little food he could spare. All he wanted now was to strip himself of his armor and relax. The hunt had been much too long for him, and he longed to return home to Daybreak Village. There, his little sister Smolder lived. She was the last surviving member of his family aside from him, and to say the two were close was an understatement. If he was excited for anything, it was being allowed to share a meal with her again, be it at home or at a tavern. Though he had to agree with his cohorts, Thicket could burn for all he cared. In fact, the world may be better off for it.
Soon, after the men had rested and filled their stomachs, and one of the soldiers skinned the warg, they rejoined with the other group, who were led by an old gargoyle. He was almost one-hundred and seventy, scarred across his body, and wore an eye-patch that covered his right eye. It had been stolen from him long ago when he encountered a manticore while on patrol. Despite his injury, he had risen through the ranks and had become the most trusted knight of Dawn Break’s Lord. Upon his back was a great steel bow, and upon his belt a long dagger.
“Captain Silver,” Garble said, tilting his head down as a sign of respect.
“Garble, I take it that the warg has been dealt with?” Silver asked. Immediately, the warg’s bloodied hide was unraveled before the captain, who smiled. “Good, good, and who gets the hide?”
“We drew lots for it, Captain,” Garble explained. “Gridler got lucky this time around.” The griffon, who was rolling up the hide, smiled and fell in line with his prize.
“I see. Very well, if there is no other business left to take care of, then let us move out. Most of us are not needed. Three of us will stay behind, make sure that no more wargs come to slay and slaughter the livestock nor that they murder any farmers.” The three chosen were two griffons, and a unicorn. They took refuge in the old guard house while the rest of the group moved on towards Dawn Break Castle.
The group sent a letter ahead of them to tell their lord of their success and imminent return. While most of the soldiers, including Captain Silver, would go to Dawn Break Castle to rest their bodies, Garble and two other men had the blessing of their lord to return to Day Break Village and see their families for a day or two.
“I envy you, Garble,” Captain Silver said, coming up next to him. “Part of me wishes that I could return to the village, but alas, I must give a full report to the lord.”
“I can’t wait to just sleep for a day,” He responded. “Smolder’s probably gotten a little lonely to. I know I miss her.”
“As do I. Such a sweet girl, but fierce as her brother is. Do send her my regards, Garble, and see if the two of you can’t make a nice steak when I return home in a few days.”
Garble chuckled a bit and smiled. “I’ll make sure she knows.” A steak would be good. Smolder would especially love to have a cut. This was not an unreasonable request, as Smolder was Silver’s ward, as Garble had once been. Garble had long since turned 21, the age that boys often became men. However, he still was under old Silver’s care, if nothing more than to keep an eye on his sister until she could be given to another. Smolder was confident for a young girl, and Garble was often proud of the young woman she was becoming, though he was a bit overprotective at times.
The two dragons stayed in Silver’s home, which was spacious enough for the three of them, as Silver was often at Dawn Break Castle. Though Garble now had more legal control over Smolder, being her elder brother, both dragons often respected Silver’s wishes.
The journey lasted a full day, but soon, after parting with Captain Silver and his troupe, Garble came to Day Break Village. He wasted no time going towards Smolder’s lodging. Thanks to his reputation, and his good standing with the mayor of the village, he was able to make sure Smolder had somewhere comfortable to stay while he was away. He knocked on the door twice and on the other side stood a shocked pony. She was a regal alicorn, with hair the color of spring, a mixture of greens, blues, and light pinks, braided with care. She was a pure white, though not as tall as some would have expected. Her name was Celestia. Many men and women, even most of the guards feared her for some reason or another, but children loved her for the treats she often shared and stories and songs she would recite.
“Garble? What are you doing here?” She asked, looking at him curiously.
“I’m here to get Smolder, why?”
“But you sent the squire to pick her up, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t send a squire,” Garble said. “I told Smolder that I was going to pick her up.” Fear and anger gripped is heart as a scowl formed across his face. “Who was the squire?”
Celestia thought for a moment. “Gallus, I think his name was. Smolder seemed so happy to see him to. He said you asked him to take her home since you were tired from your hunt.”
“Oh, that little bastard!” Garble cried, running away from the house. Garble had been away from his home for almost two weeks chasing after a warg, and despite facing down the beast, it was nothing compared to the knowledge that Smolder was alone with Gallus Featherstroke.
He didn’t know exactly what it was that could happen to her. She was an Ironscale after all, and he had given her, and trained her to use, a dagger to defend herself. Not to mention that Nudonia was a peaceful nation, especially the Dawn Break territory, and no boy that had even a fraction of honor would do anything to a girl without her consent. But there were always some dark thoughts in the back of his head that there was some shadow lurking, waiting for the right time to take his sister. And who could blame him? Dragon slayers, vile and sadistic, had slain his parents when he was but a ten-year-old child and his sister was two. She was all that he had now, and he would rather be damned then lose her or have something horrid happen to her.
Worse, it was Gallus who came and spirited her away. Gallus, a detestable griffon in Garble’s opinion, was a bit sarcastic and quick witted. Under any other circumstance, he and Garble might have been friends. However, at least in Garble’s opinion, the boy couldn’t be trusted in the slightest, especially around Smolder. (As far as Garble was concerned, no boy under the age of thirty could be trusted with Smolder, but that was beside the point.) His sister used too many honied words to describe the boy, but Garble knew his true nature: manipulative, conniving, and perhaps even lustful.
As he approached his home, Garble heard a small giggle towards the back. Unmistakably Smolder’s. Yet, it was so high pitched and coy, that he could very nearly hear the blush that his sister likely had staining her cheeks. He quickened his pace and his axe began to clank against his shield, sending echoes across the small estate. He heard a soft scuffle, and by the time he made it to the back of their home, he could only find Smolder, sitting under a tree, reading a book. She wore a very light blue dress, something he’d bought her for her birthday last year, and a golden. necklace with a small fire ruby embedded in the center. It had once belonged to their mother. Not that she ever wore it in her last few years, as it was a gift to her from their father when the two were young.
He snorted, sending out a small cloud of smoke into the air. “Smolder, what are you doing here?” He asked. “You’re supposed to be with Celestia!”
Smolder looked up from her book and her face lit up. “Garble!” She cried, not caring for the question nor the scolding. Jumping to her feet, she rushed and embraced her brother. The hug was genuine, and Garble, despite his worry and anger, didn’t hesitate to return it.
“I missed you to, Smolder,” he said with a smile, before his face became a shade darker. “Why did you leave with Gallus?”
“That? That was just Gallus being Gallus. He thought he could pull something, so I sent him packing. I’ve just been enjoying the day since then. It’s so nice out I thought I might read a book.”
“I heard high pitched giggling, your giggling.”
“Me? I got to a funny part in my book. Come on, Gar-Gar, what do you take me for?”
“A young girl being taken advantage of by a silver-tongued snake. A snake who you likely hid.”
“That is very accusatory,” Smolder said. “I was just reading a book! It’s not something you or a priest would be proud of- hey that’s mine!” Smolder shouted as Garble pushed past her and picked up the book.
“Smolder, I don’t read often, but I thought books at least need words in them!” Garble said, showing his sister that the book was blank. What he was holding was a new diary she had received from Gallus not an hour earlier, but she was not about to let him know that.
“Garble, you just got home. Are you really going to be interrogating me after two weeks of not seeing each other? Can’t we do something? Go to a tavern, or have some tea and treats? I know you couldn’t have been writing poetry while you were gone. Why not read me something?” Smolder looked up at him with pleading eyes. “We can talk about this later.”
Garble let out a sigh. Gallus was either hiding, or had fled and was very close by, and she knew that it was only a matter of time until he found him. Yet Garble would die if it would make Smolder happy. If leaving it be would give her some relief, and she not mention his name and Gallus stayed hidden, he would do it. “You’re lucky I haven’t seen you in two weeks. Just tell me he’s gone. Not hiding, not lurking, loitering, prowling, or skulking. Gone.”
“I promise you, he’s long gone,” Smolder said.
“Okay, then let’s get some lunch.”
Garble playfully nudged his sister forward, earning him an excited laugh. As Smolder walked towards the house, an apple fell from the tree behind them, before there came a slight rustle, followed by a soft gasp and curse. Garble let out a sigh as his sister froze mid step.
“Gar-Gar-” Smolder began.
“Do not. Gar-Gar. Me,” he demanded. Walking to the tree, Garble smashed the trunk with his axe’s hammerhead, causing it to quake. Smolder cursed silently as she heard a few apples, leaves, and a blue griffon fall out. Garble was quick and caught the griffon by his neck. “Featherstroke, nice to see you. How’s your grandpa and cousins?”
“Ironscale,” Gallus choked, barely able to speak. He gripped Garble’s wrist and tried to dig his talons in to free himself, but it was futile, Garble’s hide was too thick, and his grip was too strong. “Good, they’re all good. Grandpa Gruff is still a drunk, so that’s fun. Gabby is still overworked and Gilda’s still a total bitch, but you don’t choose your family, they choose you when you’re an infant and you can’t say no.”
“I don’t actually care, Featherstroke. What are you doing on my property, in my tree?”
“This isn’t your proper-”
“Answer the question. The way I see it, either you were trespassing and sleeping on Captain Silver’s land, you were spying on Smolder while she read a blank book, or you were trying something with her while you thought I was away.”
“You’re framing this in a way that always makes it seem like I’m the badgu-ah!” Gallus gasped as Garble’s grip tightened.
“Answer the damn question.” He was about ready to spew fire upon the griffon, and crush his windpipe, when Smolder cleared her throat loudly. Garble turned and stared at his sister, who tapped her foot on the grass as she glared daggers at him.
“Garble,” She growled, “let him go, now.”
Grumbling, Garble obeyed. Gallus fell to the ground and began to cough and breathe deeply, only to have Garble grab his arm and yank him to his feet. “I’ll see you at training tomorrow,” Garble sneered.
Gallus let out a soft groan as he tore himself from Garble and flew off into town.
“Did you need to do that?” Smolder groaned. “I’m not some misty-eyed maid from the castle, I know when to stop him from trying stuff!”
“Yeah, I did! You’re a bit too young to be courting, especially when it’s someone like him!” Garble said. “He’s a soft shrimp! I can name ten guys in the guard that are made of tougher stuff!”
“First of all, I’m nearly sixteen. Most girls start at around my age. Secondly, when you suggest someone, you want me to court guys twice my age who I have no interest in!” Smolder groaned. “Can we at least get some food before we argue about this?
“Fine, but don’t think we aren’t discussing the crap you pulled today! Leaving with Gallus, do you know how worried I was?”
“I’m sorry for worrying you, but all we did was talk, and he flirted with me a little, nothing life threatening. Besides I have a dagger, so if he tried anything, I’d just use that on him.”
That one statement brought a half smile to his face. “Come on, I really could use something to eat after that,” Garble said, unable to argue with Smolder’s logic. He wasn't about to let the court though, that was still a no. He started towards the house, followed by his sister, who paused and looked back at the fading blue spec in the distance.
Letting out a soft, disappointed sigh, Smolder caught up with her brother and kept to his side, a bit bitter that her time with Gallus had come to an early end, but happy that her brother was home at last. If only Garble could learn to accept her and Gallus, then the two of them could court and never have to worry about Garble stumbling upon them. Despite that wish, and her lingering anger, one thing remained true: She couldn’t be happier to see her brother.
Cotton Tail was a rabbit of renown amongst the small critters of the wood, from the playful rabbits to the greedy squirrel. He could outrun every predator, out wit ever hunter, and charm most deer that lived in Thicket. But of his personal exploits, his proudest moment was evading the Beast many moons ago. None of his kin, the kits or the hares, knew exactly what the beast was, only that it brought death to their kind and deceived their defenders, the Druids.
For generations, he had prowled about the forest, slaughtering them one by one. There was always a sound that echoed through the forest whenever a life would be taken: a twang. Whenever there was a twang, something fell dead, boar, rabbit, squirrel or avian. Cotton tail sniffed there are and listened carefully, there seemed to be no predators around and he couldn’t hear a twang of any kind, now could he smell the Beast’s vile and pungent scent.
He hopped a few feet, found some greens to munch on and thought about what he would do for the rest of the day. Suddenly, there then came a slight rustle in the bushes, and Cotton Tail straightened. He sniffed the air. Nothing had changed, save for a slight bitterness that hung low. That smell, it was unmistakably the Beast. With its heart racing, Cotton Tail turned and ran as fast as he could, but it was far too late. There came a twang, and Cotton Tail was no more.
His draw and release would be the envy of the world if he ever bothered to showcase them. The rabbit could have gotten away had it been a single second quicker and had his draw and release been just one-half a second slower. Discord knelt down and ripped his arrow out of the rabbit’s limp body and attached it to a carrier that housed other rabbits that he’d killed.
Considering that rabbit is all that he was able to find today, he’d had the worst luck with his hunt, or Discord Things as he called it when Fluttershy was around. The worst luck he had was finding one of his traps, which had a single pink hair near it, dismantled and the tracks littered about the sight. Worst of all they looked like fox tracks, and he did love roasted fox, especially when there were no boars about his little woodlot. He would ponder who it was that destroyed his trap, but it was obviously Fluttershy.
Part of him desperately wanted to be angry with her, but how could he be? She was the kindest girl he’d ever known, so it was impossible to even think of a negative word to describe her with. Not that he was in any position to say what she was, he was a liar after all.
“My bow and arrows? I hardly use them!” He would say, knowing he was going to hunt almost after she left. “Meat? I detest the very concept!” He would cry, having just buried the entrails and bones of his game last night. “I really do love this Fluttershy! It’s about all I eat all day!” He would say, earning him a smile, even though he had some jerky lingering around somewhere in the back of the cave he was dying to eat.
But how could he in front of her? He knew she wouldn’t judge him for such things, but he knew how it would make her feel. Disgusted, horrified since she would know how he procured his food, but still understanding. Fluttershy was always understanding with him. However, he could see the look on her face though. It would ask why, why was he so cruel to her little forest friends, how could he hunt on Thicket’s land, slaying such innocent creatures, and how could he lie to her for years? They were supposed to be friends!
Discord groaned as all these questions invaded his mind. He had trouble naming anything else that caused him as much stress. There was only one thing that he could do: he put them in a box that existed in the back of his head and ignored them. This was the answer to most of his problems when he felt guilty about Fluttershy and lying to her, which was often.
The sun was slowly setting, and the air was getting cooler. Discord let out a sigh as he headed towards his cave. He skinned and gutted his haul, before stuffing the carcasses with herbs, sewing them shut, and skewering the them. Then, as carefully as he could, Discord placed each one over his fire. Instantly the smell of roasting meat filled the air and made his mouth water. Surely, though it would be a small meal, it was one well earned, so very well earned.
All that was left was making sure that no one would find out about his hunt, especially Fluttershy. Entirely Fluttershy. And all he had to do was make it seem like his bow and arrow had never been touched. For some this would be difficult, but not for Discord. It was easy to keep up his lies, if not tiring at times, and it was all thanks to his little trinket, the one thing that he kept from his old home.
Draqunicui were marvelous and mighty creatures. They could warp reality and do the impossible with a mere snap of their fingers, but only if they were in the confines of their homestead. Should a draqunicuss leave their boarders, like Discord had, they were rendered powerless.
However, someone like Discord always hated penalties, and so he had come up with a way to still be able to warp reality to an extent. It was not like what he could do in back home, but it was enough. It was all thanks to his trinket. It was such a valuable, indispensable little trinket, that carried a piece of his homeland with it. The power it gave him was just enough power to cover his tracks.
Discord gripped his crystal and focused. He envisioned what he wanted his came to look like, with his bow and quiver in the back covered in cob webs. Taking a deep breath, his eyes began to glow white, and snapping of fingers, there was a flash. There in the back of the cave, was his weapons. Letting out a deep sigh, he collapsed to the floor and began to breathe deeply. It was a fraction easier that time, a very slight fraction easier. It still took much out of him. He would need to sleep and eat, and he would be right as rain the next morning before Fluttershy came to bring him lunch.
All he could do now was think of his marvelous roasted rabbits that were cooking over the fire and Fluttershy’s little smiled. Oh, how that smile upset his stomach. Perhaps he was sick again, and he just got over it earlier today, right after Fluttershy left. Sure, he was in a state of complete loneliness after that, but he didn’t feel sick, just lonely.
Discord dragged himself to his cot and collapsed. The rabbit was smelling heavenly, but they still had time to cook. Not that he could complain, his cot was warm and welcoming. His plan for the next day played through his head like a vision from the future. He would eat a fine supper tonight and see Fluttershy tomorrow, before repeating the process. The thought of Fluttershy gave him that feeling in his stomach again. He had to get to bed early if he wanted to be rested for tomorrow, and as active as he usually was for Fluttershy.
Hunting was tiring though, as his magic drained him. If he wanted to be properly lazy for a few days, then all he had to do was find just a single boar. Once he did that, it would take but a single arrow, two tops. Discord’s aim was always true, and his arrows flew far. Once the boar had been caught, he would have a feast, more so if there were piglets with it. He could carve them all up, dig an oven underground, wrap the cuts in cloth to keep them from getting dirty and in a few hours, enjoy a delectable meal. He could then dry the rest of the meat out and subsist on it for days. If he was fast about it, he could also make salted pork, bacon, and so many other things. It was making him hungry just thinking about it. The rabbits still had some time to cook though. Perhaps it was time to get some rest. He was sure that once he woke up tomorrow, it would be just another lovely day and nothing would change. What Discord couldn't have known was that he couldn't be anymore wrong.
There was one tree in Thicket that all druids knew by name: The Heart of the Forest. It was an ancient wood, one as old as Thicket itself, said to be planted by a god when the kingdom was established so long ago. The Heart of the Forest was home to the King and his family. It towered above all other trees in the land, and its white, pink and green leaves and flowers clear for all citizens to see. Within this castle, carved with the utmost care, were a plethora of rooms and sanctuaries, where the novitiates trained and studied. At the center of the tree, was the Soul of Gaia, a sacred plant that all knelt before when they could. Near the top of the tree, was Thicket’s throne room, where the King himself resided as he watched his kingdom grow and prosper.
But all was not well, yet few knew how dire it was becoming. King Aspen, ruler of Thicket, sat upon his throne as he tried to keep a calmness about him for the sake of his subjects. A rotten stench hung in the air that made him gag every so often, though almost no one else noticed. His people, and even his son, went about their daily lives, ignorant of the terror that slowly invaded their homeland. The only other ones not oblivious to the scent were the Druid Priestesses. They called the foul stench the Rot, a sign that their forest was suffering from neglect. King Aspen and the Priestesses carried a burden each day as they tried in vain to stop the Rot, but they knew that it was futile without their grand priestess, Tulip Shy. She had passed away a little over nineteen years ago, leaving a hole in Thicket’s hierarchy.
Had she not passed so tragically, perhaps he would smell the wild flowers that his son described when visiting the Flower Grove with the novitiates, or the beech and pine trees that grew in the northern tip of the Kingdom that his beloved wife once loved. Instead, he could only smell the black claw of death slowly strangling his forest.
Part of him wished he could blame this blight on the breezies to the west, Dawn Break to the north, the ports built by the gargoyles, centaurs, and the ponies on the eastern and southern coast, or the humans, vile creatures that once dwelt in dark caverns. He knew better.
The breezies were mere legends, made up by their forefathers to trick children into never straying far from home, lest the breezies snatch them up with thorny vines and drag them off to never be seen again. Moreover, the Nudonians and port folk had lived by Thicket’s laws regarding the forest for generations, never once changing or arguing with them. Finally, the humans had been extinct for over three millennia, though their city ruins still stood tall. It crushed his heart, but he knew the Rot was because he and the priestesses were failing their people.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked towards an attendant, a young doe that stood patiently by his side. “Maple,” he said in a near whisper, “Please, bring me the Priestesses.”
“Right away, my King,” she said, bowing to her liege.
The doe left, only to return with five priestesses. Four of them were deer; the remaining one was a pony named Tree Hugger. Each one bowed before him, waiting for their king’s request. It still frightened him to his core, seeing only five maidens before him. Thicket used to have ten priestesses including their Grand Priestess, but tragedy after tragedy had befallen them. Now only six were left. The sixth, Briar Rose, a pony, was on a retreat in the forest, being called there by the voice of Gaia, or so she said.
“Rise, good priestesses,” Aspen raised his hoof upward as he fixed his gaze on Tree Hugger. “The rot is worse today than it has been in years. I ask you, how might we treat what ails the forest?” Part of him found it shameful to be asking others what could be done to help his kingdom, however, the rot was not something a king could solve. It was not a nation that he could wage war against, nor was it a murderer in need of judgment, and it certainly was not a riot in need of suppression.
As the Priestesses described it, the rot was punishment for the constant neglect of the forest. There were trees in the forest, special things that needed constant care. Gaia’s Hearts they were called, ancient woods that were strewn across the kingdom. Once, every thousand years, a new Gaia Heart would bloom, and a priestess, any priestess would be sent to christen it, adding it the array of hearts that were kept and loved by Thicket. Because of the Hearts, the forest was fed, and the plants thrived, even in the coldest, bitterest winter. But, once christened, only the Grand Priestess, the living symbol of Gaia Everfree herself, could maintain such a thing. Once a year, every year, the Grand Priestess would make her way across the kingdom, and perform a ritual six times, one for each tree that existed, before honoring the Soul of Gaia itself with the entire kingdom in a rite that known to all. The prayers said and the offerings given would strengthen and revitalized the hearts and the soul and keep the forest healthy. However, since the Grand Priestess had passed, and a new one had yet to be ordained, such a task could not be fulfilled.
“We’d need, like, a grand priestess for that,” Tree Hugger said with her eyes closed. “The vibes we send to the forest aren’t like the ones from her.” Unlike the rest of the priestesses, who stood at attention, Tree Hugger tilted from side to side, never swaying too far in either direction, but never still.
Every other priestess still wondered how it came to be that someone like Tree Hugger became a priestess. Not just any priestess, but the one in charge of molding the next generation. Not to say ponies were inferior. Anyone could learn forest magic, so long as they respected the laws of Thicket. However, Tree Hugger seemed to be less focused than the others and lacked basic respect towards authority.
“As, uh, eloquent as that was,” one of the priestesses said as she gave Tree Hugger a look, “she is correct, my King. Only the Grand Priestess may alleviate the Rot. The only other way, if we found and christened a new Heart, then, perhaps it would help, but the chances of that are minimal. But be sure that we work on finding a new priestess, but the process takes time, as I know you know.”
“And there is no way that we can expedite this?” Aspen asked. “Please, if you would tell me, how goes the novitiates’ progress? Surely, one of your students shows potential.”
“It’s all good, but it could be great,” Tree Hugger said, swaying in her spot. “The deer are passing all their tests, but they’re just passing, they’re not excelling. My niece, that kid can make a flower bloom faster than anyone can, but the animals hate her. Tulip’s kid is the complete opposite. I mean, she can get a flower to bloom and all, but it takes a while. The animals love her to death though. She’s super in tune with them.”
“She means Gloriosa Daisy and Fluttershy,” one doe quickly clarified.
“I know of whom she speaks,” Aspen said.
“I know. And I know what you’re wondering, my King, but none of them have shown that spark that Tulip had, nor the Grand Priestesses that came before her.”
Aspen lowered is head a little, but turned to Tree Hugger, praying that she might have the slightest inkling which young girl was worthy of the title of Grand Priestess.
“Sorry Aspen, they all need to get better before I can even think about making the decision. I can’t go off and rush things. Their auras are all tense and their chakra’s need to synch with each other by, like, a lot. If we confirm them now, they’ll likely make things worse. Side’s nothing harshes a mellow like someone else getting to accept that title. When Tulip got it, my sister and I were out of whack for days.”
Aspen let out a disappointed sigh. Part of him feared little things. What if one of the students died or got sick? What would happen to their kingdom then? What worried him most was if one of the maidens lost the resolve to be a priestess. They would need to train a new one in her stead. It would be years before they could chose the next Grand Priestess, and by then, the Rot could reach it’s crescendo, leaving nothing but a devastated forest behind.
Images flashed through his mind of rotting trees and sickly animals, crying for their protectors, but not being able to do anything. It was a cruel tradition that he needed to abide by, imposed on the first king of Thicket by Gaia Everfree. When Thicket needed a new Grand Priestess, the King and the elder priestesses had no other choice but to confirm ten new priestesses. There were to be no more, and no less. The first of the ten confirmed would become the Grand Priestess, the group’s leader and the King’s Advisor. The second would be the teacher for the next set of novitiates.
King Aspen laid his head back against his throne, as he nodded. “Very well, continue at your own pace,” he said. “But should you see a chance to hurry them along, all I ask is that you do so with those that can and, if you have time, help those that can’t. I don’t know how long we have.”
“Will do.” Tree Hugger hummed as she turned and sauntered out of the room.
“Tree Hugger, the King has yet to dismiss us,” one of the kneeling doe whispered through gritted teeth.
“I know,” Tree Hugger said blissfully. “But I need to check something and meditate for a bit.”
Self-study. It was a strange term, foreign to the ten novitiates. Each of them sat somewhere in the Library, a grand room with shelves upon shelves of Thicket literature and religious texts, and then one, decrepit shelf that held texts of other nations. Most prevalent being the Old Lore, and human texts. Human writings were vile pieces of work, so she was told, and that anything that came from the hand of the dead race should have been destroyed along with them. However, these books served as a reminder to the people of the enemies that they had.
Fluttershy had the writings of the third Grand Priestess open. Oak Leaf been a wise doe and had a better understanding of the trees and flowers than any other priestess before or after her. Yet, even these writings did not help Fluttershy all that much, and she was beginning to despair.
Was she cut out to be priestess? She could talk with animals, sooth them, heal them, and lull them to sleep when needed. She could even turn into a tree, though such a thing was rather boring and was meant for a druid to hide at a moment’s notice. However, she was unable to connect to the plants as the others were, especially Gloriosa Daisy. Gloriosa had mastered the plants, having them grow for her, strengthening them, and having them bear fruit at her command. A true priestess would be able to do that in her sleep.
Fluttershy often wondered if her being chosen to be a priestess was not in part to her mother’s legacy. It was said by the eldest of all the deer that it was like seeing their Goddess incarnate when they looked towards Tulip. Even the deer who jeered and scorned her brother and father, often sung her late mother praises, be it of her virtue or beauty.
She couldn’t possibly be like that, could she? She was a great animal caretaker, but what use was a priestess that couldn’t commune with the forest? Fluttershy shook the doubts from her head. She was Tulip Shy’s daughter. Her mother was a great priestess, and so would Fluttershy once she was ordained. She needn’t be ordained Grand Priestess, it was enough to know that she was a priestess.
There came a tap on her shoulder that earned her attention. Behind her was a guard, dressed in light robes light golden and orange robes and a deep green sash across his chest. In his light blue aura, several books and scrolls of Thicket Lore along with stories and legends of Gaia Everfree. He was tall, a light brown with tall horns. He was a well-known guard to those in the king’s home, nearly twenty-four years of age. His name was Forest Spear.
“Afternoon, Little Flower,” he said with a smile, bowing his head. “Might I sit with you?”
Little Flower was a term in Thicket that was meant to be endearing, meant to describe a young woman’s growing beauty, her gentleness, or in the case of her father, her fragility (She was is only daughter, and youngest child, so it made sense that he would still see her as needing him). Fluttershy hated being called Little Flower by most anyone. She didn’t mind it when her father called her it, and her brother could just barely get away with it when he used it mockingly. Thinking about it, perhaps she wouldn’t mind terribly if Discord called her Little Flower. But Discord was her friend, and Forest Spear was simply a guard she knew.
The other novitiates never quite understood Fluttershy’s reservations though. Forest Spear was the greatest warrior of their generation. He had protected the kingdom using his magic, fought off bandits and invaders of all kinds, and even warded off beasts when an occasion arose that a priestess couldn’t handle. Nowadays, once King Aspen took notice of the buck, he was often seen accompanying the young Prince of Thicket, Bramble. Most doe would swoon at the mere mention or sight of Forest Spear, but he never showed interest in anyone save for Fluttershy. Fluttershy was normally happy when Forest Spear came about, not to say she liked him, but his presence normally came with a visit from Bramble. Being in line to be the next king, all the novitiates knew him by name and vise versa, and all kept on friendly terms. Fluttershy especially. Bramble was too adorable not to love.
“Forest, good afternoon,” she said with a smile. “I don’t mind, at all.” While she didn’t like being called Little Flower, Forest was a decent enough fellow, and it would be rude to just send him away. “What are you reading?” She asked.
“Old lore regarding Royalty and certain practices,” Forest chuckled to himself a bit. “Bramble has been asking me about such things, so I thought I might be able to refer him to some books if they have what he wants to know.”
“Shouldn’t he just ask King Aspen?” Fluttershy asked.
“King Aspen has been preoccupied for a few weeks now, Little Flower. Important business regarding the forest and the priestesses. And Prince Bramble’s tutors aren’t so well versed in such matters. They teach him to read, about our laws, and other such things, but they know nothing when it comes to high lore. What about you? I thought novitiates were to be learning under Lady Tree Hugger.”
“She said that we should focus on self-study for today. Find a place that we’re struggling in or are unfamiliar with and work on it. I can’t commune with plants all that well so that’s what I’m focusing on. Not that it’s helping all that much.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Me, I don’t know if I’ll be able to help Prince Bramble at all. Now that I think about it, perhaps you might be able to help him.”
“Me?”
“You are knowledgeable on the lore of Thicket, no?”
“W-well, yes-”
“Excellent! Maybe when I’m escorting him later in the week, I’ll bring him to you. I’m sure that he wouldn’t mind seeing you.”
“I-I’m sure he wouldn’t, I wouldn’t mind seeing him again, but, Forest, I know about royal duties, but I don’t think that means that I’m qualified to teach the prince about them! Not yet anyway. At least not until all of us are ordained.”
“If that’s the case, then perhaps we could research the topic together? I’m sure that we could learn something that could sate Bramble’s curiosity.” Forest placed his hoof upon hers, only for Fluttershy to pull it away. His smile faltered a bit, but it soon returned as he moved his seat a hair closer to her, which was a hair to close in her opinion. “Perhaps we could meet sometime later in the week, say after sundown?”
It was this part of the conversation that Fluttershy often dreaded. She could feel a slight, uncomfortable shiver roll down her spine as she considered ending the conversation then and there. “Oh, w-well I-um-I don’t think that-that-”
“Fluttershy, there you are!” Someone called. The voice was loud, obnoxious, and lacked any reverence for the library. Forest and Fluttershy turned around to see Zephyr Breeze approaching them. Fluttershy couldn’t be happier to see her brother.
Zephyr quickly walked up and embraced his little sister before looking towards Forest with a raised brow. “Oh, Forest, it was you. Flutters, I didn’t know egotistical foot soldiers were in your repertoire of friends.”
And just like that, any joy she felt not moments before faded into oblivion. Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut, praying to Gaia her brother wouldn’t say anything further. Her brother had a habit of causing a few hiccups from time to time anytime he opened his mouth outside of their home. Fluttershy could only pray that the situation wouldn’t escalate too fast.
“And it still shocks me to my core that a fair novitiate is related to the Bum of Thicket,” Forest said, stepping towards the stallion.
The Bum of Thicket, that was a name that her brother could do without. Every deer in Thicket knew who Zephyr Breeze was. Being Fluttershy’s older brother, it was impossible for them not to know, but he was infamous in another way: Zephyr Breeze was a clerk for his father’s shipping company. In respectable places like Equestria, Dawn Break, or even Arcania, a clerk was a fine profession. But in Thicket, there was no such things as shipping companies and clerks, as Thicket’s folk never had need for such things. As such, he and his father were gifted a title no one in the family cared much for: the Bums of Thicket. (The only reasons that they were tolerated was because of Fluttershy.)
Pushing his sister aside, Zephyr glared at Forest Spear, before smirking and raising a brow. “Do you think this is smart, mocking Fluttershy’s own blood? Do you think that my father or I would let you anywhere near her acting like this?”
“Very Equestrian of you, hiding behind your father and little sister. In Thicket, we confront our problem head on. Like if we take issue with weak men.”
“Well, I am a pony. Maybe a quick kick in the ribs will show you what Equestrians can do.”
“Is that a challenge?” Forest asked. It would bring him, and all deer across the kingdom joy to see Zephyr breeze struck and beaten, especially in a fair match. Forest Spear was certain that even Fluttershy would enjoy it. (Fluttershy would not enjoy such a thing. In fact it would burn the bridge he and Fluttershy shared, which was already decrepit.)
“I think that’s enough,” Fluttershy said, coming between the two. “Forest, please forgive my brother, he can be-” she paused thinking of a word that wasn’t too insulting. “-he can be unique at times. Perhaps it’s time you and I part for now.”
“That’s Fluttershy for ‘get lost’.” Zephyr said, earning him a grumble from his sister.
Forest snorted at Zephyr but bowed low before Fluttershy before taking his leave. “Until next time, Little Flower.” With that, he took his leave and his books with him to find Prince Bramble.
“Is it possible for you not provoke him?” Fluttershy asked.
“That depends, can you actually make it clear that you’re not interested in him like that? We’re guys, we’re stupid, Fluttershy. If you aren’t clear with us, we keep coming.”
“What are you even doing here? I thought you hated the library. I know the record keepers take issue with your volume.” Fluttershy saw one such record keeper glaring at them.
“Why, I’m here to see my kind, wonderful, little sister, of course!” Zephyr hugged her close and smiled a wicked little smile. “Plus, it’s a little after three and father would like you to come home. Guess who’s grounded~!” He said in a singsong voice.
Grounded, but she needed to visit Discord! And her brother, despite being her savoir, was enjoying her misfortune a bit too much. “I’m nineteen,” Fluttershy said in an angered whisper.
“Yes, Nineteen and unmarried! And I’m twenty-six, and Dad is Forty-six. So, as far as Thicket is concerned, Father and I get to make decisions about what you can and can’t do! Isn’t that great!?”
“Unlike in Equestria?”
“Exactly! Once you’re eighteen the worst we can do is mutter our disapproval or kick you out of the house.” He let his smile fall. “If you really want me to treat you like we’re in Equestria, I could just fetch Forest Spear and tell him that your parting was a bit premature. You seemed to be having so much fun with him!”
Fluttershy’s eye became like saucers. “No!” She nearly shouted, drawing a plethora of glares and scowls. After an apology, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “No, grounded is fine,” Fluttershy said, before letting out a sigh. She closed her books and left with her brother home.
As soon as Fluttershy entered their house, she did not go to her room, she did not wait somewhere quietly reading or studying, nor did she ask what was allowed. She just began to bake.
Zephyr hmm’d and hummed as he watched his sister toil away. “Fluttershy, I don’t think you fully grasp the concept of being grounded,” Her brother said, looking over her shoulder. “You’re acting like once you’re finished baking, you’re leaving our quaint little treehouse. Which, according to father, you’re not allowed to do until further notice.”
Fluttershy ignored him until a wonderful meal was made and wrapped in special leaves to keep it fresh. She placed it all in a wicker basket and balanced it on her back before approaching her father’s study.
“You’re not supposed to go in there while he’s working,” Zephyr chided. “Besides, he’ll just tell you to stay here.”
Again, Fluttershy ignored her brother and gave the door a knock. It silently opened, and there at a desk sat her father, and piles upon piles of scrolls and ledgers. “Whatever it is you’re going to ask. The answer is going to be no,” Gentle Breeze said, keeping his focus on his books.
“Father,” she said in a soft voice, approaching the desk. “May I please go out for a little while?” Her father looked up at her and raised a brow. “I know I sneaked out and worried you yesterday, it’s why I want permission this time. May I please go? I’m just visiting a friend. I know I haven’t mentioned them much, they like their privacy, but they’re kind and I like seeing them.”
Gentle Breeze leaned back in his chair, and Zephyr waited for the no. It never came.
“Father, are you actually thinking this over? Spare the rod and spoil the child,” Zephyr said. “Do you really want to go back on your word, so early? Especially after I stared down Forest Spear no less! That took guts and I would like that to mean something!”
“You stood up to Forest Spear. Hmm. Was your sister close by?” Gentle Breeze asked, knowing his son could only be so brave if he knew that he wouldn’t need to put his money where his mouth was.
“You-What-that-I-Yes. She was right next to me.”
“So, she made sure you couldn’t dig yourself too deep into a hole.” He looked between his two children before letting out a sigh. “Fluttershy, you can go visit this friend of yours-” Zephyr groaned as Fluttershy smiled, “-so long as you’re back and hour before sundown,” her father said.
Instantly Fluttershy’s smile faded. “But that’ll only give me half an hour to-”
“An hour before sundown!” Her father repeated, almost shouting. He took a deep breath as he watched his daughter flinch before shrinking. “Fluttershy, I don’t ask you where you go, I don’t ask what you do, I overlook your little adventures every time you think you’re pulling the wool over our eyes when you try to sneak out. I don’t think it’s unfair to at least have a set time for you to come home. I get worried about you. I understand you’re learning this forest magic, but the wilds- the forest is still the forest. What happens if you encounter a warg, or a manticore, or a bug-bear?”
“A bug-bear, Fluttershy!” Zephyr added.
“I’ll just talk to them, and if that fails, I could always fly away.”
“Fluttershy, father is trying to have a serious conversation with you. Would it kill you to not make jokes?”
Gentle Breeze slowly craned his head to glare at his eldest child. He tossed a book at his hooves. “Zephyr, recheck that ledger until Fluttershy and I are done talking.”
“Yes, Father,” Zephyr said, sitting on the floor and opening the book.
“Fluttershy, I want you to be safe. I know you can talk to animals, but I still worry that something else might happen to you. Storms, bandits, Nudonians, a drunken moron!” Fluttershy raised a brow at the last one. “It could happen!”
She let out a sigh. “I understand, but I’ll be fine. I always am. But if it will ease your mind, I’ll be back before sundown, I promise.”
“Good to hear. Because if you’re not, you’re not going out for a week. Deal?”
“Okay. I love you daddy.” She gave her father a hug and kiss before running out of the house.
Gentle Breeze trotted out after her, watching her disappear into the forest. There was a sudden aching in his chest. It was frightening how similar Fluttershy was to her mother. Tulip rarely took a moment to rest, and was often out doing something for someone, be it the kingdom or Zephyr. It was the same as Fluttershy. She was learning to care for an entire forest, caring for her family and caring for her friend.
“You know, with the amount of effort she puts in every day, one might think that she’s visiting her boyfriend,” Zephyr said.
Gentle Breeze scowled and shuddered. “Zephyr, I do not need that image in my head.” Unfortunately for Gentle Breeze, the image was seared into his mind for the next week.
Once, twice, thrice, block, parry and- Before Gallus could counter, Garble swung and smashed him across the face with a wooden sword, sending the griffon tumbling to the ground. Gallus slammed his fist against the stone floor and cursed. It was unfair how Garble could just decide whom he sparred with. Normally it was up to the captain to decide, and it was generally kept fair. How Garble was able to get away with sparring with a sixteen-year-old (nearly seventeen in a few weeks) was beyond Gallus's comprehension. Not that his fellow squires ever felt bad for him. Quite the contrary, they were envious of Gallus’s 'privilege', all because Garble happened to get lucky on a mission a few years ago. From what he heard; Garble stomped on a spider. Yet, here he was, lorded as a hero. Even the captain respected him greatly. Gallus would go as far as to say favored.
"Come on, you want to be a knight, right? Then stand," Garble said. “Girls don’t want a weak children as their mates.”
Mate. At least he knew for certain that this was about Smolder. Gallus flapped his wings and lifted himself from the ground. He readied his sword, and glared down at Garble, which would have seemed more daunting had his opponent not done the same.
"Don't think you can intimidate me," Garble sneered, flying slightly above Gallus, who in turn lifted himself higher. This continued until the two of them were high in the air. Gallus swung his sword first, only for Garble to block it with ease. They began to push against each other, their wings flapping to keep themselves balanced. It was only when a single shekel dropped from one of their pockets that they drew attention to themselves.
"What on earth are those two doing?" Captain Silver asked himself, witnessing their detestable actions. "Garble, Gallus," He shouted, spreading his wings and flying towards them. "We are not practicing aerial combat. Both of you fly down now!" The boys glared at each other but did as they were told. Silver gave them each a look, before landing. "Is there a quarrel I should be aware of?" Silver asked.
"No," Gallus said. "Just a friendly competition."
"A competition? That would imply a wimp like you has a chance at winning!”
“Enough!” There came two strikes, one hit Gallus, the other, which was harder, Garble. “I care not for what this is, but consider it finished," Silver demanded, slamming the tip of a sheathed saber against the ground, sending a harsh echo across the field. "The military is for men and knights. I shan't be training petulant children who mingle their personal lives with their lives on the battlefield! Especially when one of those children should know better, Garble."
Garble felt a small twinge of shame wash over him. "I apologize, Captain. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn’t! Go again; keep to the basics, and if either of you instigate the other, I will see to it that you never train with each other again, or that you only train with each other," Silver said, turning towards Gallus for the last part. He turned to view the other knights and squires, while muttering to himself. "Friendly competition, bah!"
While Garble watched Silver leave, Gallus went for a strike, only for Garble to quickly turn and block the hit. Garble pushed Gallus off and began to swing at him repeatedly, each one precise and swift. Gallus was able to block several blows, but Garble got in a hit on his arm, before striking him across the chest.
Gallus held his hurt body as he grunted and struggled to stand. "Freaking sociopath, I wasn’t even trying anything with her," Gallus sneered quietly.
“We both know that’s not true,” Garble said.
“Are you going to kick the crap out of her to? Teach her a lesson?”
Garble scowled and Gallus was struck once more. “You let me worry about Smolder,” Garble said with a low growl.
Part of Smolder hated learning to be a proper lady, but considering she was able to explore the castle, and learn to read and do math, it was a small price to pay. Garble was especially relieved that she had an education. ‘Strong and smart, I swear guys are going to be throwing themselves at you!’ He would say.
Garble saying it annoyed her greatly, because Smolder already had someone in mind to wed once she was old enough: Gallus, and Garble hated it. She didn’t know why he had such an aversion to the griffon, but he did, and he was not budging. She had a few conversations with him about her desires, not that they went anywhere.
“I like him, so I need you to tolerate him,” she would say.
“No,” Garble would say. "You are not courting him."
“Garble, I want you to let us court.”
“Not happening,” Garble would say. “Why not have an evening with Spear Jabber? He's nice.”
“No,” Smolder would say. “I want to have a say in who I date. I don’t need you trying to auction me off to your colleagues!”
“And I’ll let you have a say, but you can’t choose Gallus,” Garble would say.
It would continue like that for an hour before they would agree to disagree and have dinner.
Smolder stared out the window of the classroom, watching Gallus and Garble clash. Clash was a bit kind to Gallus though. Garble was not giving him an inch, and in fact was mostly keeping him down. Gallus once came close to nicking him with a slash, only for Garble to counter at the last second before he spun and smashed him with his tail. She winced as the griffon fell the floor. “Damn it, Garble, leave him alone,” She said in an angry whisper.
“Watching your brother?” A soft voice asked. Ocellus, a niece of a diplomat in Dawn Break, was one of her classmates, and sat next to her with a book opened. She was a Changeling, often called a Changedling by Equestrians, as she lacked black chitin and was less cruel and devious in selfish ways. Changelings were a breed similar to ponies, but had insect qualities about them, like their wings which were akin to a beetle’s, large eyes, and the ability to turn into just about any other person of any other race.
“Yeah, I think he’s doing great, but he's being too hard on Gallus. Again.”
"You’re annoyed at that?" Ocellus whispered. “Don’t you usually laugh when your brother beats someone up in training?”
“Yeah, when it’s not Gallus,” Smolder said with a sigh.
"Ocellus, Smolder, focus!" A sharp voice said. It was their teacher for the day, Ember Brightcrest. Ember was the only other dragon in Dawn Break aside from Garble and Smolder. She was a fair maiden, with fierce eyes and a pink gown. She also had two curved horns or would have had them had her left horn not been missing, and no wings to speak of. She had been living in Dawn Break with her Father for seven years. She was only twenty, young for a dragoness, and devoted most of her time to her job, which encompassed anything the lord of Dawn Break requested of her.
Today’s lessons were on Equestrian literature and lore. Smolder referred to them as filler work, considering that she had no real use for such things. She and Ocellus returned to their books, with Smolder occasionally looking out the window.
“Has he budged at all on letting you two court?” Ocellus asked in a whisper.
Smolder looked up at Ember, who had her face buried in a book while taking notes. She scoffed. “Yeah, cause if Dragons are known for anything, it’s being understanding and willing to change. The reason he’s kicking the crap out of Gallus is because Garble wants to make sure he’s strong enough to take care of me if we get betrothed and marry before an altar.”
“I was just wondering,” Ocellus mumbled.
“I know. I’m sorry, it’s suffocating though! Garble tortures him for the audacity of liking his little sister! And Garble’s the worst! I’m too young and fragile to court Gallus, but he’ll try to set me up with guys like your uncle! It’s annoying.”
“My uncle isn’t the worst person in the world. He’s really loyal once you get to know him.” Smolder gave her a look. “Right, right, that’s not the point.”
“Have you ever just tried to visit him during practice? They usually break by the time we’re halfway through lessons.”
“Yeah! Why didn’t I think of that? I could sneak down to the field, give him lunch, a kiss, honied words, and then watch when Garble pounds him into the ground!”
“Well, you could just pretend to visit him and then go off to visit Gallus.”
“Good idea, except I can’t be in two places at once.”
“Why not let me worry about that?” Ocellus was suddenly engulfed in flames. All that remained was another Smolder.
Smolder simply grinned. As shy and obedient as she was, Ocellus still had the devious mind of a Changeling. What made her special was the willingness to use that mind to help her friends. If only she was able to actually impersonate someone. “It’s a good idea, but he’d see through you in a second. You can’t really act like me and-”
“Ocellus!” Ember cried, looking up from her book.
“Sorry!” Smolder-Ocellus said, turning back to her light blue, changeling self.
“See, I would have added something snarky-”
“Smolder-” Ember growled, almost standing from her seat.
“Alicorn and friendship are good, dark alicorn and division are bad. Fire of friendship is good, ice demon spirits are bad. Equestria has interacted with humans a total of three times. Humans are good and bad. There, I just saved us 200 pages of reading.”
“Name the three most known humans and the first two alicorns,” Ember demanded.
“Humans: Molly the Healer, Hugonaut the Steal, the Pale King. Alicorns: Nova and Quasar.”
Ember glared at Smolder and sighed. “You all can have a five-minute break.”
“See? You need to be a dragon to even think about doing that to anyone,” Smolder said to Ocellus.
“I see your point. I might not be able to pull you off. How do you know so much about Equestrian lore though?”
“Celestia taught me all about it when I was younger, this is basically review for me. I do have something you can do for me though.” Smolder leaned in and whispered in Ocellus’s ear. The changeling’s eyes went wide before giggling to herself. She nodded and the two returned to their studies. The lesson lasted for about another three hours, before there was a small break. Three girls, each with a tie to the castle in some form or another gathered in a group to talk, chat and enjoy their lunch. Meanwhile, Ocellus and Smolder went towards the door.
“And where do you think the two of you are heading?” Ember asked.
“Down to the training ground to visit my brother.”
“No,” Ember said. “I let you two go, then those three get it in their heads that they can go, and then I have nobles and knights breathing down my neck because they flirted with the morons with spears and-”
Smolder took a rolled-up piece of parchment from her dress and held it up for Ember to see.
Instantly, her eyes became saucers, as if she had seen a large pile of gems and gold trinkets. It was something she wanted. A poem, a very good poem in her opinion, written by what she could only assumed was a brilliant mind, belonging to what she could only assume to be a handsome artist that spent his day studying and reading philosophy. How unfortunate for her, though she was not privy to it, that any poem she read and loved was written by one Garble Ironscale, someone she considered to be a twat, if not a violent moron the likes of which she’d seen only in her father.
“Is that a new one?” She asked, leaning in a bit.
“Written just for you,” Smolder said, smirking as she waved the parchment in front of Ember’s face. This was a lie. Garble had made Smolder promise that she would not show anyone the poem. In fact, if the poem was written for anyone, it was for Smolder and Smolder alone. “Of course, if you don’t want it, I could just use it as kindling-”
“No! No, let me have a look at it, just to make sure your friend isn’t slacking off.” Ember quickly snatched the poem and saw Smolder grinning towards her. “Fine, you can go, just be back quick.”
“Mind if we go as well?” One of the ponies asked, coming to Smolder’s side. “It’s so boring here, and visiting the guards would be interesting.”
“No,” Ember said.
“But that’s not fair!”
“Life isn't fair. When you have access to something I love and can’t normally get, we can talk. Until then, back to your seats.”
“Well-”
“Dammit,” Ember said, just as she undid the poem’s ribbon. “What now, Smolder?”
“Ember, it would really help me, and tick off Garble, if you let them come with us,” Smolder said.
“It would tick. Off. Garble.” She began to tap the poem against her chin as she became deep in thought. “And why would I want to do that?”
“Because he treats me like a hapless hatchling, who’s so fragile he can’t let a boy near me lest their gazes break me in two, and last I heard you can relate.”
Ember gave it just a moment of thought before saying, “You all have ten minutes.”
Training lasted well into the afternoon before anyone was given a break. Garble didn’t know why but beating Gallus into the ground was strangely satisfying. Perhaps he would write a poem about it. How to start it though? Perhaps ‘the vile griffon crashes upon the ground, the brave knight smiles.’ That was a nice sentence. Garble looked around, and found several small groups forming. With nothing better to do, and know real friends to talk with, he listened in on conversations going around the field.
“Did you hear about Gilda? Heard she was brought back on a stretcher. Apparently, some bandits roughed her and her team up good before escaping into the wilds,” one group said.
“They escaped into the wilds. So, they’re Thicket’s problem now. Hope they kill each other.”
“Still, makes you wonder if them bounty hunters are worth what the lords pay them for a head.”
Garble rolled his eyes. Gilda Featherstroke and her merry band of thugs, beaten by bandits and brought back on a stretcher. Why was he not surprised in the slightest? Possibly because tracking down bandits was a job for actual guards and soldiers, not bounty hunters that just picked up a knife and decided to fight.
Then something else caught his ear. “He went off to the ruins for a while with Baast. You know how he gets when he makes a breakthrough,” One of the older guards said in a whisper.
“Great, meaning we’re left with-”
“-Tefnut, yes.”
Tefnut. Garble had no comment to give. He would simply follow Captain Silver’s lead for the time being. If Tefnut had something minute for him to do, perhaps he could burden Gallus with it.
Then there were the squires and newly knighted. “Did you hear about Gallus?” Garble glanced towards the group talking. He certainly didn’t hear about Gallus. Garble prayed that it was something that would turn his sister away from him.
“He’s courting Smolder!”
“Guy must be a lunatic. I tried talking to that girl once, Garble looked ready to rip my throat out.”
“Have you tried talking to Ember? You think Garble is bad, go to her house and talk to her dad. Guy’s a mountain!”
Gallus was courting Smolder, of course that was the rumor. Garble muttered a curse under his breath. Why did Gallus have to be just a failure? Couldn’t he be a filthy cheater? (Not that he seemed like one, but still) The conversation went on a bit longer, focusing on whether Garble was just using training as an excuse to beat Gallus, which he was, or if he was readying Gallus for a career in the military that would allow him to become a well-known knight. Garble would rather be run through with a dragon slayer spear.
"Oi! Garble,” A gargoyle called, “your sister’s looking for you!"
Perking up just a bit, Garble stood and saw Smolder, breaking away from three fillies, who playfully flirted and drew the attention of several squires and guards, leaving him and an approaching Smolder by themselves.
“Smolder, what are you doing here?” He took a quick glance towards Gallus, before turning back towards Smolder.
“What, I can’t bring my brother a well-earned bottle of water?” She asked, holding out a bottle.
Garble took a single sip before downing half the container. There was a hint of cherry flavoring to it, something that only Smolder knew he loved. “Thanks,” He said. Garble turned back towards Gallus to see him in the same position as before.
“Come on, you think I’m dumb enough to try anything with him in front of you? Give me some credit, Garble!”
“Because hearing that lifts my spirits beyond all reason.” He said, rolling his eyes. He glanced at the fillies, who seemed to have drawn nearly all the young guards towards them, as they offered them water and feigned interest in them. Much like how ponies are, they seemed to adore the attention and cared only for that. One though, saw him and gave him a wink making him shudder as if he’d just been violated in some way. He focused on his sister. “There’s an ulterior motive to this, Smolder. What is it? You don’t bring the ponies unless you’re planning something.”
“Well, I was talking with Ocellus about her uncle earlier today.” It was just enough to give Garble pause. He lifted a brow but leaned his head in an inch.
“You were?”
“Yeah, and after hearing what she had to say, I was thinking, why don’t I have dinner with him? It might be nice.”
A smile broke out upon his face, as joy welled in his heart, but it quickly faded. There was something off about his sister, but he didn’t know what. Perhaps it was that Smolder was offering to date someone that he would like. But there was something else, something that made his innards twist and his stomach quake. “What’s the catch?” Garble asked, raising a brow.
“You leave Gallus alone for the rest of the day.”
So, it was Gallus related, just not the type he was dreading. There was no plan for her to see Gallus, at least not one that was obvious. He looked back at Gallus again, who was dabbing his welts and bruises with a moist cloth. He’d dealt out much, much worse to better men. The fact that Smolder was worried for him proved that she wasn’t applying the same standards she would to other guards to the griffon.
“No complaints?”
“No complaints if you leave Gallus alone. No taunts, no hits, no ‘training’ with him. I’ll put on one of my nicer dresses, smile, and have dinner with some thirty-year-old that likely wants to use me as a food source.”
“He’s actually thirty-four and really well off.”
“The number going up does not help your case,” Smolder said with a sigh as she folded her arms.
“Okay, okay, you win. I’ll leave him alone, but you have to be ready the moment Pharynx gives me notice.”
“Deal. I’ll be watching you.”
“You’re supposed to be learning.”
“It’s Equestrian history and lore! Celestia drilled that into my head years ago!”
“Ugh, fine. You can be such a brat sometimes.”
“And you can be a jackass, but I love you anyway.” Smolder gave him a hug before regrouping with her schoolmates and walking back towards the castle. Garble turned to let Gallus off the hook and deliver him the good news. Or, he would focus on the dinner aspect of things and leave it at that. One of the two. Probably the one that involved the statement: ‘Sorry, my sister is dating someone that can actually look after her. Good day.’ Either way he and Gallus were no longer sparring. Except, Garble was unable to do anything because Gallus was gone. He began to grind his teeth together as he turned and watched his sister saunter off to the castle. If it turned out that he had been talking to Ocellus the entire time, Smolder would be lucky to leave her room in the next month, and Gallus would be lucky if bruises were all he got from their training.
As Gallus nursed his wounds and steadied his breathing, he pondered the state he would be in upon returning home. The answer would be a sorry enough state that Gilda would bust a gut upon seeing him, along with Gabby freaking out. Worse, there was still half a day to go, and he was still practicing with Garble. If it weren’t for Captain Silver keeping a close eye on them, there was a chance that Garble would much crueler. But there was the captain, glaring at the dragon with his one eye, warning him, even if he couldn’t see it, to take things easy. Part of Gallus wanted to go to Silver for permission to court Smolder. She was his ward after all, but there was a chance that he would be like Garble and then he’d be dead by day’s end.
Suddenly there came a nipping at his arm. He looked to his left. From far away, hiding behind a well and holding a few pebbles in magic, was Ocellus. She quickly ducked out of sight. Gallus looked towards Garble, who was still talking with Smolder. He could sneak away for a moment. Just a moment. Gallus gave his wings a flap and went towards the well. “What is it Ocellus?” Gallus asked.
She shifted in her seat, looking around to make sure they weren’t being watched. “Smolder wanted to give you a message, well, a few messages. First and foremost, she’s sorry for Garble. Second, she wants to meet you tonight.”
Gallus perked up at the latter prospect. “Where does she want to meet? Can’t be at her house.”
“She said the Oak. I don’t know what that means.”
Gallus smiled to himself. The oak, an old tree on a hill overlooking Day Break Village, was where Gallus and Smolder first met about five years ago. “It’s where we first met.”
“Awe!” Ocellus sighed. There was an aura of affection around the griffon, light and pure, that sent her heart aflutter and made her a little hungry. She shook her head clear. “Finally, she’s really sorry.”
“About?”
“She’s maybe going to have dinner with my uncle in exchange for Garble leaving you alone for the rest of the day.” Ocellus braced herself for something to happen, only to find that Gallus didn’t seem to care. “Are you not mad?” She asked.
“No. Why? Should I be worried?”
“Yeah! Uncle Pharynx is really nice once you get to know him! And he’s really strong and loyal. If he tried hard enough, he could get Smolder to like him!”
“Your uncle’s thirty and would likely use her as a meal. I don’t think Smolder’s into that.”
At that Ocellus’s cheeks inflated. “He nibbled on someone’s love once, and she consented to it while he wasn’t disguised! It’s not like he put her in a cocoon or anything. And there are many types of love we can feed on,” Ocellus said. She began listing off all types of love that she could. “Paternal, sibling, if someone could impersonate Smolder well, they’re fed for life. Love for a country, of your fellow countrymen, and familial love for extended family!”
“What’s the delicacy that really feeds you though?” Gallus asked, already knowing the answer.
“Love for a husband or wife,” Ocellus muttered, defeated.
“Thought so. Tonight, at the oak. I won’t be late.”
A large, dark shadow suddenly fell over Gallus. The griffon lost all color in his face, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.
“Late for what, squire, a party?”
The voice sent a chill down his spine. Gallus slowly turned himself to face Garble.
Garble growled lowly as he stepped forward, forcing Gallus to take a shaky step back. “What are you doing here with her?” Garble asked, tilting his head towards Ocellus.
“I-We-I-” Why was so hard for him to talk? There seemed to be a toxic cloud around Garble that choked him with every breath. His eyes seemed to glow with fire, and he seemed like a giant now, nothing like what he seemed like on the training field.
Garble, meanwhile, didn’t even know how angry he seemed. To him, he was simply asking a question. However, there was a different thought going through his mind. He knew that Gallus was a loser, and a weakling, and would not amount to much in his career as a guard or knight if he made the cut. But now, a small part of him wondered if the griffon was sneaking around his sister’s friend. Or they were relaying a message to one another, from Smolder. It was just a matter of time before he had his answer. If he exerted enough pressure, someone was bound to break. As he took another step forward, that someone became Ocellus.
“We’re dating!” She cried. She didn’t know why she said that specifically, nor why she screamed it. It was just the easiest explanation that she could come up with, considering that they were two adolescences sneaking off to a private area to talk, and a dragon seemed like he was about to murder Gallus. She couldn’t very well say, ‘Your sister is using my uncle to satiate your need to control her, while making plans to sneak out to meet Gallus where they first met, and it sounds really romantic and I can literally taste the affection. Also, I might be there to nibble on their love because it tastes really good.’ On one hand, she had very likely doomed Gallus, on the other, her outburst didn’t blow up the world like she expected it to.
That didn’t negate the fact that she could feel the betrayal and bewilderment that Gallus was feeling and the utter contempt for the both of them that permeated Garble’s being. “I’m sorry,” she said, swallowing a lump in her throat. “I panicked and-!” Ocellus fell silent as Garble turned to her and began to pet her head in the most assuring manner he could. It did nothing to mask the rage he was feeling.
“No, this is good. Honesty is good. Did you know Smolder agreed to have dinner with your uncle? You just make sure everything is set up between them, okay?” He moved on to Gallus. He gave him a smile, and then attacked him without much warning. The first strike was fast and collided with the side of Gallus’s face, the second was an upcut that went into his gut, leaving him winded. The griffon fell to his knees as he struggled to inhale. Before Gallus could regain his senses, or think about how Ocellus had likely killed him, he was picked up and slammed against a wall. “I made a deal with Smolder, so I’m not going to kill you. But I will give you one warning: Stay. Away. From my sister.” He leaned in and sneered in a whisper, “And keep to the changeling trollop.” He dropped Gallus to the ground and left, leaving the two to finish their affair.
How unfortunate it was that he ran into Ember. He could already feel his body burning at the mere sight of her glare. Every fiber of his being prayed she had seen nothing of his assault, and that this was just her wanting to say hello. He was not a changeling, but even he could feel her disgust.
Ember had not come to say hello and was even less thrilled at the current situation than Garble was. For the time being, she had forwent reading the poem that Smolder had given her, opting to make sure her students all returned to her in a timely manner. When Ember saw that Ocellus was not part of the group coming back to class, she acted. Considering that Garble now stood before her, she knew that she had made the right call. Ember continued to glare at Garble, craning her head to the side, watching the figures of Ocellus and Gallus. Ocellus, naturally helped her friend to his feet as he seemed to wheeze and gasp for air. Her glare hardened, and before Garble knew it, he was on his back slamming down into the hard, cold, stone floor.
“What was that for?” He said picking himself up as soon as he comprehended his position.
“For the crap you just pulled. I saw everything.”
‘Of course, she saw everything,’ Garble thought to himself, cursing his draconic instincts. “Did you hear everything to?”
“No, but knowing you, it was probably your fault in some way. Let me guess, he looked at you wrong, maybe said something that was too cute, or maybe you just felt like being a fool. Did kicking the crap out of him make you feel good?” She said, pushing a finger against his chest.
“More than you know!” He said out of instinct. Her hand whipped across his face, eliciting a regretful sigh. Even Garble knew the slap was deserved. Ember pushed passed him and went towards her student and Gallus, leaving Garble to his own devices.
Garble grumbled to himself as he marched away from the group. Aside from angering Ember and making her think even less of him, the past seven minutes could have been worse. In fact, he even smiled to himself. Gallus was a two-timer, not just a loser like he expected. Pride was welling up in his being. He was right about Gallus. The griffon was vile, and no one could say different, especially Smolder. And he’d be able to let her know by day’s end. He could only imagine how she would react. He could see it now: her denouncing him on the spot, coming home, going to her room and- Just like that, anything resembling positivity had faded into oblivion.
The poor girl; his little sister was going to be devastated. What was Smolder going to think when she found out? If she could even think. If she even believed him. He could already see her crying her heart out, wondering what she could have done different as if she was the problem. This was, unfortunate, her first love. Could he even consider taking her to Pharynx’s anymore, considering who was involved with such the affair? Garble felt a pit form in his stomach. Was she even going to be ready to try again anytime soon? Heaven forbid she just locked herself in her room for the rest of her life.
He had been right about Gallus, and now he wished he’d been wrong. Garble punched a nearby wall, leaving cracks in the stone where he struck. Why did he need to be right about Gallus?
“What took you both so long?” Smolder asked as Ember and Ocellus entered the room once more.
“Your brother’s a fool, that’s what took us so long,” Ember sneered as she took a seat at her desk. She unrolled the poem from earlier and began to read. “Continue studying.”
“Oh no. What did he do?” Ocellus took a seat next to Smolder, letting out a whimper. “Ocellus, did he catch you two talking? Did he hit Gallus? Oh, I am in for it when I get home, aren’t I?”
“Yes, yes, and no.”
“Care to explain?”
And Ocellus did. And Smolder slammed her palm against her forehead.
“Why did you say that?” Smolder groaned, sinking in her seat.
“I panicked. It just kinda slipped out.”
“But courting?” Smolder buried her face in her hands for a moment before letting out a final groan. “Okay, I’ll have to find some way to make sure my brother doesn’t kill Gallus, but other than that, we can still work with this.”
“How? You’re going to the house of the changeling trollop that stole your boyfriend!”
“Dragon pride. I made a deal; I’m sticking to it. Even if the deal was to help a ‘rat bastard’ like Gallus.”
“But Gallus-”
“I know he’s not, but Garble doesn’t know that. Besides, I’m mad at you for having an affair, not your uncle.”
“So, we keep to the plan?”
“Yes, just act sorry and adorable.”
“So, I should be myself.”
“Exactly.” Smolder looked towards Ember, expecting her to be giving them the evil eye, only to find that their teacher had given her undivided attention to the poem. Smolder had yet to read it herself, and wondered, just what had captured her attention. Knowing Garble, there was likely a reference to the dragon lands in it, and being a dragon, how could Ember hate it?
Meanwhile, Ember kept reading through the poem repeatedly. It was one of his best in her opinion, though perhaps the subject matter made her a bit biased. Did he know that she read his works? She assumed it was a he. She hoped the poet was a he. Who was he though? And to know a term like Precious Gem, they must have done research into the dragon lands. A name was all she needed. Ember scanned the room and saw that her students were engrossed in their own books or conversations, not paying her any heed. She smiled and hugged the poem close to her chest, eyes closed as she tried to put a face to the poet. He was shy, that much was sure. From his works, calm and thoughtful, gentle and kind, Intelligent and articulate- There came a soft cry of anguish, and Ember was ripped from her thoughts.
She walked over to the window, only to see Garble taking out whatever baggage he had on three guards. He was brutal in his assaults, moving swiftly and keeping low to the ground. He forwent a wooden sword and relied on his fists, dodging two of his opponents with ease while beating the remaining one with quick, swift blows before throwing them aside and focusing on another target.
In her long list of potential suspects, Garble was one person that she could rule out. Returning to her seat, and blocking out the cries and grunts, she closed her eyes again and imagined the poet. He had to be someone handsome, with a deep voice. Someone that, hopefully, her father approved of and who he wouldn’t try to fight as was the Dragon Lands’ custom. Not that they were in the Dragon Lands, but her father didn’t seem to care for that.
“Are you done daydreaming?” Smolder asked, ripping Ember from her imagination. She jolted awake and stared at her, annoyed. “Come on, I need the poem back.”
She looked out the window, only to find that the sun was almost ready to set. Ember's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. She had been dreaming about the mystery poet for almost three and a half hours. Training had ended for the day, and now the guards and squires would proceed to their daily rounds, taking over for those that had been working since dawn. Some were lucky enough to go home, but those were the men that had just returned from the warg hunt and the squires. “Actually, can I keep this one? I like it a lot.”
“Okay, no problem, I’ll just tell them I lost it. They’re really shy about their work and hates it whenever anyone but me reads it.”
"I could tell. It’s probably guys like Garble who give him grief for writing. Morons like him can’t even start to grasp the concept of art.”
“Yes, Garble would be hard on these.” Smolder had to fight a growing smile. Garble hated nearly everything he wrote. ‘This is the worst! I could do better,’ he would say. So, it was technically true that he would insult the poet.
“Think you could tell me who writes all of these poems? I wouldn’t mind getting to know them a little bit better, maybe even learning to write them myself.”
The poems belonged to her brother, made by her brother, and given to her by her brother. Ember hated her brother but loved his poetry. Garble would love to teach anyone to write poetry, especially if they were a girl. But Ember didn't need to know that, nor did Garble need to know about Ember.
"Sorry, they made me promise not to say," Smolder said with a shrug. This was true, though Garble had no idea that anyone besides Smolder read his poetry. "I mean I could betray their trust; they’d just never give me a poem again. Why? Thinking about a mate?"
Courting that would be nice. Get to know the real poet. Ember couldn’t deny that she would love to. She smiled as her cheeks darkened a bit. “Maybe. Knowing that, are you sure you can’t tell me his name?”
Smolder smirked. “Can’t. They really want to keep their anonymity.” Also, if they’re going to make it a hassle to see my boyfriend, they can be damn well sure that I won’t take a gamble that might gift wrap them a dragoness like you! It could very well turn out that the poet’s true identity could sour the poems for Ember.
“You’re the worst,” Ember said with a smile, shaking her head. There was a sudden knock at the door. There stood Garble. Ember’s eyes narrowed. “Speaking of the worst, your brother’s here.”
“Yeah, I can see him. I’ll see you next week.” As Smolder approached her brother, her mood turned more and more bitter with every step.
Garble saw that she was upset, likely having heard about his assault on Gallus. He felt a sudden weight stack on his shoulders. How was he even supposed to approach the subject of Gallus’s infidelity. It was best to just tell her, even if she didn’t believe him. He scratched the back of his head, wondering how to even approach the subject. “Smolder, we need to talk.”
“Ocellus already told me everything,” She said, walking past her brother.
“Everything could mean a lot.”
“She told me about what you saw.”
Garble let out a sigh. “If that means what I think it means, how are you holding up?”
“How do you think? Let’s just go home, Garble.”
She sounded angry and upset, and Garble could feel his heart breaking in two. “Yeah. Let’s go home,” he mumbled. Why did he need to be right about Gallus?
The sun was past its peak and Discord still sat in his cave waiting patiently. Well as patiently as he could. It had to be four, maybe five by his estimates, and still no sign of a certain yellow Pegasus. She was late, too late if he were being honest. Discord began to run through each possibility as to why.
Most made him want to grab his bow and rush out into the forest in a bid to find her. She could be hurt, accosted, lost, or maybe it was her father. Fluttershy did have a bad habit of adoring critters for too long. If she returned home too late, then there was a chance, a very good chance, that she was confined to her room for a short while, a few days at most. He eyes his bow, as a sinking feeling in his stomach began to fade. That was it. That had to be it.
She was in her room, pouting in a very kind and gentle way, talking to her pet rabbit, and likely complaining about her brother. The thought of her safe did not keep his heart from sinking. He could count the days he didn't see Fluttershy on one hand, and the thought of not seeing her days in a row? It was almost foreign concept to him.
Letting out a sigh, Discord decided to look on the bright side of things. He would now be able to hunt unimpeded for at least two or three days. Maybe he would be able to stake out a watering hole, catch a few boars or maybe a manticore if he was careful enough. They were dangerous pray, but a grown one would provide him enough meat to last a few nights, even if it was a bit gamey. Come to think of it, it tasted like richer pork when roasted correctly. Reminding himself of the feast he could have, Discord approached his bow and quiver and cleaned the cobwebs off of them.
As he slung his equipment over his shoulder, there suddenly came a call.
“Discord, are you up yet? I brought some lunch!” There was a pause. "Or dinner!" she called.
Fluttershy!? Dammt she was just late! He thought to himself. What was she going to think when she saw him? His eyes looked down at his pendent. She wouldn’t see him, not like this anyway. Discord quickly grabbed his crystal and snapped his fingers. In a small flash of light, the bow and quiver were back where they belonged, covered in cobwebs, leaning against the far wall. And with that snap, most of his stamina left him, leaving him weak and weary. He stumbled for a moment before stealing himself.
His bed, he just had to make it to his bed. If he could make it to his bed, he’d be home free. Taking pained steps as his vision went blurry, Discord fell on top of his cot, breathing heavily and keeping his eyes closed. It looked like he was sleeping all this time. Genius if he’d say so himself.
“Discord?” Fluttershy asked coming into the cave. She saw him in bed and tilted her head to the side. “Discord, it’s so late in the day! How are you still sleeping?”
“Wha- Oh, Fluttershy, you’re early. I was having such a wonderful dream!” He said stretching himself out. I had a dream that I was not in intense pain from warping reality to put a bow back in its place so you wouldn’t know I hunt forest critters every day to feed myself. Pork is the best when its med-rare by the way. I know that because I’ve killed and eaten so many boars.
“This entire time though?” She squinted her eyes for a short bit only for them to go wide. “You looked drained! Pale even. Is everything okay? Are you sick?” She began to feel his forehead. He was burning up. “Poor thing,” she said, giving him a hug.
Little did she know that this was a side effect of him using his magic and over exerting himself.
“It’s nothing!” He said. "Just need some rest, water and a small snack."
“Discord, you’re sick! You need rest, medicine! I shouldn’t have taken so long. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, it’s quite alright, nothing to be sorry about. I’m just tired. Not sick, tired.” Discord could feel his body tense as Fluttershy moved closer. There came a fragrance that he could smell too clearly. It twisted his stomach into knots, even though he knew that it likely came from the flowering vines she had woven into her hair. It was a pleasant distraction from his aching body.
“You sound just like my father when he’s sick,” Fluttershy muttered, adjusting the blanket over Discord’s lower body. She began to stroke his head in a bid to calm him as he shifted and turned slightly red. Discord would be a lair if he’d said that he didn’t like the attention. “Oh, You must be starving! I wish I made soup. Do you think you can hold down solids?”
“Of course, because I’m not sick, just a little warm and tired.” Discord said, groaning as he tried to lift himself up. That did not help his case, not one bit.
Fluttershy quickly laid out all the food in front of him. To his shame, mostly because he had drained himself, he ate everything; every last bit of food, and Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind that she was left with nothing. She even spent a few minutes scouring the edge of his home and found various leaves that she brewed into a tea.
“Drink this,” She said, pouring the brew into a small cup, “it should help with the fever, and maybe even settle your stomach.”
“Thank you, but I cannot stress this enough, I’m not sick, I’m just tired.”
“I know.” She rolled her eyes and adjusted his covers over him. She looked towards the sun and watched as it slowly made it’s way towards the horizon. Maybe just fifteen more minutes and then she would head home. And soon, even those fifteen minutes faded. Fluttershy let out a sigh.
“Is something the matter?” Discord asked, sitting up in his bed, a small portion of strength returning to him.
Fluttershy looked down and away. “I need to leave, that’s what’s the matter.”
“So soon?” He asked. “It’s hardly been an hour!”
“I was late getting home yesterday. If I’m not home before sundown, I won’t be able to leave home for a week.”
“I see,” he said looking downwards. It was like that old saying that everyone in his home country: All good things must come to an end. And a visit from Fluttershy, was a very good thing. He let out a soft sigh, something that Fluttershy had no trouble hearing.
“I promise I’ll come back tomorrow. Until then, just stay in bed and rest.” She wrapped him in a hug before saying, “I’m so sorry, Discord.”
“Oh, think nothing of it!” Discord urged her. “Even if I was sick, I’ve been sick before and your mother never worried. She would just laugh as I milked it for attention.”
That brought a smile to her face, a very small half smile. Fluttershy stroked the side of his face gently, lingering for just a moment before turning away and leaving.
When she was out of ear shot. Discord let out a groan of frustration. He played the short meeting back in his head moment by moment and felt nothing but shame. “What were you thinking?” He said to himself. “‘Oh, you look drained Discord, is there something wrong? Being the nicest, most caring mare in the world, I care about you more than anything! How can I help?’” he said, mimicking Fluttershy’s voice poorly. “Why don’t you just let me eat everything, leaving you with not only nothing, but also allowing you to scavenge plants for an admittedly delicious, nutritious tea? That should help! Thank you, that will be all!” He clapped twice as if he were dismissing a servant. “How am I going to make it up to her? That’s right, I’m not going to, because I’m a lying bum in a cave!”
Discord shifted in his bed and muttered curses against himself. He lay his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. Though his belly was full, he was still too tired to do much of anything. Not that he wanted to do anything. Fluttershty leaving so soon brought him a great deal of sorrow, especially since she was worrying about him. He would show her tomorrow that he was fine, and after a long rest, he would be fine. Maybe he would even grow a pair and let her tell Zephyr and Gentle Breeze about him so that she could stay without being yelled at or punished if she was late coming home. Or at least they would know where she went.
But that could wait until tomorrow. He would see her again tomorrow. She probably wouldn’t be able to stay long again, but they would have tomorrow, and the next day and all the days to follow. It would just be him and Fluttershy.
He closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. Or so he thought. He awoke not too long after, laying in a familiar patch of land in his home country. The sun was shining, the meadow was as green as he remembered, and all around them, the flowers bloomed as their scents lingered in the air. The light was warm, the breeze was cool, and- Them, why was there a them? He looked down. Around his body were the arms of Fluttershy.
His heart began to flutter a bit as he looked down at her, her form rising and falling as she took small breaths. He put an arm around her and began to stroke her shoulder. She let out small coos, and shifted an inch, before looking up at him, her eyes glistening from behind her hair. She smiled and rested her head on his chest.
“Morning,” she said, smiling at him.
That smile. He adored that smile. Discord shifted some and cupped the side of her face with his talon, stroking her cheek with his thumb. She seemed to hum gently as his eyelids lowered and she wrapped an arm (Leg? For-leg? Discord was often unsure of what to call it in some circumstances) and a wing around him.
“Did you have something to tell me? You looked like you had something on your mind today.”
He did. He had something obvious to tell her. Seeing her bathed in the sun’s light made his heart quiver. The shimmer of her eyes made his throat dry and her gentle touch sent a shiver of excitement and anxiety down his spine. What else could he say, other than that he-
Discord’s eyes snapped open as he shot up from his bed. His heart was pounding, his ears were burning, his stomach was queasy, and his cheeks seared his hands upon touching them. The worst part? He was drenched in sweat. His covers were a bit moist and he was unable to find a comfortable spot without feeling a chill somewhere on his body. This was not strange, especially when he had a dream that shook him a bit. Breathing heavily, he dragged himself to one of his food stores and ate the last remainders of his rations and went to the pond. He gulped down water, like he had just exited the desert lands of Anugypt.
He rested on the bank of the pond, playing back the dream in his mind. It was certainly an experience. Such an experience. Yet there were parts that were fuzzy all the same. What did he want to say to Fluttershy? In the dream, it had been clear as day. Now, it was like a disturbed pool, blurry and distorted. Perhaps one day he would remember, but until then he would put the thought aside and rest.