A group of refugees make a desperate plea for a savior and accidentaly summon forth a recently deceased human. Who upon reaching Equestria, possesses not a pony, but a mountain.
A group of religious refugees fleeing the oppressive diarchy desperately pray to Gaea for a savior and accidentally summon a recently deceased human. Who upon reaching Equestria, possesses not a pony, but a mountain. Now responsible for an entire lost tribe, our protagonist will have to protect them while also figuring out more about this new, strange world.
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Death was not what I or seemingly anyone thought it would be.
In life I had always assumed that if I wasn't going to hell for not believing in any one god, I’d just stop existing completely. What I got instead was rather disappointing, as well as confusing to say the least. Instead of burning for all eternity I merely floated through what felt and looked like space.
Not even some sort of mystical space but just regular ol space.
Galaxies, stars, nebulas, and even distant planets could all be seen around me, yet I couldn't move towards any of them. With no manner of propulsion and nothing to do you may expect I would go mad, yet I felt no panic, or concern for my situation. Though those feelings may have simply been the first thing which left me during my stay in the void.
Most of my memories were gone as well, or at least they had lost all of their definition, becoming muddy. It was like a photograph fading slowly in the sun, losing its sharp colors, and the majority of its details. Even my personality was slowly melting away, gnawing at the small parts of myself and leaving behind only what I assumed was core to my very being.
What I did know was that I had lived to a ripe old age, had married, had kids, and generally seemed to be the mothering sort. Though I couldn't recall if my partner had been male or female, I knew we had loved one another fiercely. As I had also loved my possibly adopted children, whose names and faces now eluded and confounded me.
Still, all of that wasn't enough to make me upset, leaving me to slowly disintegrate as I passed through what looked like the far edge of the milky way galaxy.
Then something changed, and I heard a plea that tugged at my heart strings.
“Please mother Gaea, save us. If not myself then at least the children,” whispered a desperate feminine voice.
Though I knew not my name, I could tell that it wasn't Gaea from the fact I had been human, and the way it stirred no recognition within me. Even still, I couldn't help but wish desperately to answer their call despite it not being directed at me per say. The strain in their voice was both familiar and agonizing, signifying a kind of desperation that one only found when facing down death itself.
So intense was my desire to help that I began to search the void for the source of the voice, fully expecting to find nothing.
“I beg of you, oh great spirit of the earth. If you save us I swear to serve you for all time,” whispered the same voice, which had grown even more desperate over the past few seconds.
It was small, but I could feel the origin of the voice, somewhere distant, yet close at the same time. With a vague sense of direction in mind I tried to move towards it and was surprised when I actually managed to do just that. After all this time I was suddenly moving under my own power, and though thrilling, I cared not for the small achievement itself.
There was someone out there that needed me and though a part of my being thought my efforts were futile, I refused to believe such a notion. If I could move, I had agency and If I had that, then there was at least the chance that I could aid this stranger. With herculean effort, I pushed my way through the void, fighting against some strange gravity which tried to pull me back to where I had been.
With no frame of reference, nor body to speak of I struggle to describe what it was like, only that it felt akin to trying to run through waist deep water. My efforts werent wasted though, as I could feel my being start to accelerate towards a distant star orbited only by a single planet. Though time was hard to measure without a physical body, I could sense that whatever window that had opened was now rapidly closing.
“Please, mother. I can't do this without you. I’m not strong enough to protect them on my own. I need your help,” pleaded the woman who sounded as though she was barely holding back the urge to sob uncontrollably.
Pouring everything I had into following the voice, I rapidly began to approach the planet which grew larger by the second. Until I could make out the small moon which orbits the planet, as well as the distinct shape of a single large landmass at the mostly water covered planet’s center. Numerous islands dotted the space around it, though none could rival the enormous super continent which dominated the pale blue dot’s surface.
Following the source of the voice I surged towards a distant point sitting near the very top of the continent. There I saw open tundra, scattered hills and an enormous mountain range vaguely reminiscent of the himalayas in their stature. I briefly wondered who would live in such an inhospitable place before I heard her once more, the person’s voice filling me with an intense drive.
“I’ve devoted my entire life to your worship. Even when turning my back on you would have saved our village! Please, if you ever existed or ever cared, then please save them!” she shouted, tears no doubt streaming down her face.
A moment of hesitation flickered through me as I wondered just what I was getting myself into, but it quickly vanished. There was an honesty in that voice, one that told me all I needed to know, assuging my worries and filling me with righteous indignation. Whatever I was about to delve into, this creature was innocent and kind, that I knew for certain.
Breaking through the cloud cover, I saw numerous mountain tops below me, in the midst of which sat a pristine valley. One that was green despite being surrounded on all sides by towering snow capped peaks. The strangeness of it all piqued my curiosity, but I chose to leave that thought alone for now, for I could see a distant shape on the far side of the valley.
One that was vaguely humanoid, though it had only a head and a single massive arm as well as twin bumps upon its chest. As I neared the strange formation I could tell that it was merely an odd but completly natural outcropping of rock which only slightly resembled a person. That didn't matter though, for it was the creatures beneath it which I found far more curious than even the enormous stone formation.
A small band of what looked like a hundred or so horses were crowded around its base, some which appeared wounded. Though they had but sticks and rocks to defend themselves, they stood between the weaker members of their group and a small cadre of armored horses. Some had wings, others horns while the majority had neither and though I felt like there were some strangers in their midst, I had little time to study them.
For I felt myself being pulled towards the humanoid shaped chunk of rock, its grip so tight on my being that I could do little before I slammed into it. A moment passed, then another, before suddenly I opened my eyes and looked around to find myself gazing down on the scene I had witnessed earlier. From this vantage point I could tell that a female was kneeled at the base of me, and was weeping openly.
Several others were praying along with her all while the few males nervously stood between them and the armored ponies.
“Lay down your stick and I promise to let you live,'' shouted a tall horned horse which strode towards the line of desperate rag-wearing survivors.
“So you can enslave us or kill us for not following your religion? Never!” yelled back a younger looking male who held only a shard of what looked like polished bone.
“Come now, you must see reason,” implored the armored pony, who smiled widely. “I have chased you for days now. You have no food, no water, and no hope of surviving without the guidance of the sisters. Give up and we will share our provisions with you.”
“Don't listen to him Glad Heart!” shouted a female. “He said the same back in Hearthome and then butchered everyone like animals!”
The armored pony sighed, his gold and silver shoulders falling. “One just had to get away. I knew it,” he murmured bitterly.
My eyes narrowed, my lone fist tightening dangerously as I watched the scene unfold beneath my titanic stone form.
The armored ponies slowly fanned out, their metal armor gleaming in what little sunlight pierced the cloud barrier. Each one was armed with a spear, as well as what looked like a short sword, all save for the ones who lacked either horn or wing, they only had heavier looking greeves. Their formation was tight, and with only a few hoof motions, they had been directed into surrounding the small group of survivors.
“Alright heretics. This is the last time I’m going to make this offer,” bellowed the horned horse from earlier, the stallion standing tall, his floating spear gripped in some manner of strange orange field. “You will die either on the stake, or by my blade and though my patience has run low after these trying few weeks I will allow you to choose how you will perish.”
“It is you who are heretics. Your gods are mortal mares!” shouted the weeping pony I saw earlier. “You call us heretics yet you worship that which walks among you!”
The armored stallion bristled at the comment, his cocky smile vanishing in an instant. “We worship them because they are real! When has your earth spirit answered your prayers? When has your god done anything to help you?”
The soldiers let out a hearty yell of agreement while the refugees only shrunk even closer to the stone cliff face which lay below me.
“She is real, and she will save us!” yelled the female, her vibrant green mane flapping in the light breeze.
“You don't even believe the words you speak,” spat the male. “Allow me to show you what true conviction looks like!”
I had heard enough, and with a single swing I brought my enormous stone fist down on the horned horse. Several tons of formerly inert stone slammed into the pony, squishing him flat and crushing the two unfortunate soldiers who had been standing too close to him. Armor crumpled like paper beneath my might, their bones shattering and bodies being turned to pulp in a single horrifying instant.
It was like crushing a trio of grapes beneath your fist, and when I lifted my enormous limb there was nothing recognizable left of them. A silence hung over the group, and as one they looked up to me, some with fear, others with adoration, most with confusion. I cared not one way or the other, and merely utilized this moment of quiet to scoop up a handful of armored ponies.
The second they left the ground the silence was broken and the soldiers tried to organize some kind of resistance, while others merely screamed in panic. The ones in my grasp tried to escape, but I was too fast and closed my fist, crushing them with the ease one might squish a small group of ants. Tossing aside their broken bodies I noticed that the soldiers had broken into two groups, one of which was forming into a tight circle formation below me while the other ran away.
Opening my hand, palm down I crushed the cowardly group in a single titanic swat of my massive stone limb, killing them all. The earth shook with the weight of the blow, and horses struggled to stand as bits of rock rumbled down the mountainside. By the time I lifted my stone arm back up the remaining soldiers had erected some kind of barrier over them.
I had no idea how they had managed such a thing, but it didn't matter, and after cocking my fist, I punched them with all the force I could muster. I didn't even notice the shield as my stone fist flew straight through it, instantly killing every single remaining soldier and crushing them flat. Not only that but I destroyed the ground under them, knocking the rest of the still living horses from their hooves.
Pulling back my fist, I reached up and wiped the gore on a bit of snow which had fallen from further up the mountain. Looking down at the former battlefield I noticed that my attacks had left sizable indents in the ground, and rendered the previous attackers little more than red smears. None had survived, nor was even a single one recognizable, their weapons and armor having been utterly annihilated by my attacks.
Glancing down at the terrified horses I noticed that the majority of them were either currently vomiting, pissing themselves, or had their faces pressed against the ground and were praying. Only a very select few still stood there in shock, having not moved since the killing had begun only a few seconds ago. For a moment I wondered what to do, and though I had no mouth, I decided to try speaking.
“Greetings, children.” I uttrered, my voice sounding like two great rocks grinding against one another.
I narrowed my gaze and focused on the tiny pony, immediately realizing that my initial impression of her was somewhat off. Her mane and tail were a raggedy green while her fur was an off grey, and her eyes had the coloration of rust. She also lacked any wings or a horn, sporting only a thin pair of cracked glasses which hung from a thin silver chain that went around the back of her neck.
Like most of the horses, she wore clothing that had definitely seen better days with her coat having gotten covered in mud. She also had a pair of saddlebags on her back, and what looked like an odd pair of tattoos emblazoned on either flank. Focusing a little closer on these images I noticed that they were of a quill and ink which had drawn a stylized A on her side.
“It is,” I replied after a short pause. “Your devotion has woken me from my slumber.”
The pony gasped and planted her nose firmly against the ground. “Please forgive us. We just wanted to escape the inquisitors.”
The rest of her group quickly followed suit, prostating themselves before me and sobbing as if I were about to kill them.
“Worry not children,” I began, adopting a slightly motherly tone to my voice in hopes of assuging their worries. “It is a good thing you have woken me. Too long have I slumbered.”
“Are you sure? If you require a sacrifice I implore you to take me and let the others go,” urged the green haired mare.
“Don't be ridiculous,” I replied. “I need no such thing. Your prayers are more than enough to sustain me.”
A palpable sense of relief washed over the crowd, and I noticed that more than a few parents were releasing the death grips they had on their children.
“Is that truly all you need from us?” asked the brave mare.
“That and a promise,” I continued, making it up as I went. “That you will be kind to one another, and protective of the land you now find yourselves the conservators of.”
“Of course! We promise!” declared the horse lady, with the rest of the group quickly following suit and shouting or whispering their agreement.
“Good. Now tell me of these miscreants that had been so doggedly pursuing you,” I implored, gesturing vaguely to one of the smears of red which covered the flat expanse of rock before me.
“They were inquisitors,” shouted a tall, wingless, and hornless male horse. “They laid siege to our city of Stone Burrow and drove us from our land.”
Angry mutters rang out through the group and from their murmurings I gathered that the siege had not been a clean thing. Mentions of sickness, underhanded tactics, and campaign of treachery were ubiquitous throughout their discussion. I absorbed it all and socked it away for later, deciding to focus on my current line of questioning for the moment.
“How many of you survived?” I inquired.
“Thousands, though that number fell continuously as those zealots hunted us for sport,” spat the tall male I saw earlier. “There are likely more survivors out there, but they will be scattered across the three provinces by now.”
“All of your servants know of the valley of dreams however, so if they still live they will come,” offered the mare.
“What are your names?” I asked, gazing down at the two who stood apart form the others.
“Earthbreak,” offered the male, who stood a little taller.
I inspected him closer and noticed that he had a distinct nordic air about him that I couldn't quite place. His mane was a mix of gold and a rusty red color, as was his tangled mess of a beard and tail. At one point he had likely worn a full suit of armor but so many pieces had been removed that there was only a breastplate left and a few plates left on his back legs.
Standing taller than most, he had the look of a warrior, unlike the mare who seemed to be a clerk or beurocrat of some kind. The male also had white fur, though a strip of grey ran down his face and continued all the way to his chest where it vanished. The last bit of info I noticed from him was that he had a shovel jammed into the earth for a mark which sat at the same spot the mare’s did.
“And Quick Quill,” added the mare.
“What do you plan on doing now?” I asked, scanning the small crowd.
“We had hoped that you would allow us…” Quick Quill paused, and glanced behind her, reading the room and gathering a consensus. “To remain here.”
“And protect us, if possible,” Earthbreak stated.
I nodded slowly. “Of course. I will do everything in my power to ensure you live happy and peaceful lives.”
If I thought they had released a collective sigh of relief before I was sorely mistaken. The group literally exhaled as one, with several more weary adults collapsing completely. Children released cries of joy, the few who had weapons either sheathed or dropped them and one female even began sobbing unconftrollably.
“Thank you Gaea, thank you. I swear to you we shall be the most devoted followers imaginable,” Quick Quill claimed.
The ensuing mass of prayers, and shouted affirmations made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
“We have more pressing concerns,” I replied simply. “Who were these sisters they spoke of?”
“Alicorns, if you can believe it,” Earthbreak remarked bitterly. “Supposedly they defeated the god of chaos, Discord himself and now rule the realms for some reason.”
“Shouldn't you know this? It’s common knowledge,” Quick Quill asked, only to immediately cover her hooves with her mouth. “I mean-”
“Hold. You are fine,” I interrupted. “My slumber was deep and I…”
I trailed off for a moment, my mind churning as I tried to come up with some excuse as to why I was asleep. My first inkling was to blame it on the sisters but they didn't seem to have been on the world stage for long. Unlike this god of chaos character who has probably been around for some time.
“Discord forced me to sleep so deeply that I forgot myself, and my children. I hope you can forgive me,” I murmured.
The lie didn't feel good to utter, but at this point I had the safety of potentially thousands of refugees to deal with. Their faith was useful, and I would not discard their religion until they were in a better position to do so. Either way it seemed to go off without a hitch as the crowd of ponies muttered angrily about Discord, having seemingly bought it completely.
“Of course mother Gaea. We are all just happy to see that you are awake once more,” Quick Quill exclaimed, to the agreement of nearly all of her flock.
“So,” I began. “These alicorns, are they going to be a concern? What abilities do you and your fellows possess?”
Earthbreak and Quick Quill exchanged a look, prompting the male to step forward.
“I doubt the sisters will be a problem for us as they have larger concerns than one heretical city on the borderlands. As for the alicorns themselves they have the abilities of all three tribes plus unique magic that only they can use,” Earthbreak explained. “Our own abilities are-”
I soon learned that they had largely been a mining city, one home to many craftspeople and skilled engineers. Though only a few of their number survived, and escaped the wrath of the inquisitorial forces chasing them, they counted several amongst our current number. An important fact that I made note of, including that there were very few farmers who had managed to make it out.
Food is going to be an issue, but for now foraging will suffice. I thought to myself, noting that there were several merchants who had escaped, though they lacked the majority of their goods. Only whatever they could carry on their backs had made it, with all their carts and wagons having been ditched somewhere along the way.
We might be able to find them scattered about the valley or near this periless pass they keep mentioning. I ruminated, listening intently as they talked about their skills and the supplies they had escaped with. A couple picks, some tools, and even some heavier equipment, these people clearly anticipated having to rebuild their whole city from the ground up.
“-And that just about summerizes everything,” Eaerthbreak finished.
“Do you have any other community leaders? Or is it just you two?” I asked.
“Oh I’m no leader,” Quick Quill was quick to exclaim. “I’m just a clerk who worked with the magistrate. If anyone it’s Earthbreak here who is our leader. He led us out of the city and kept us safe.”
“Ha!” scoffed the stallion. “I barely managed to do that. If anything it was your faith who kept us going.”
A hearty amount of agreements came from the crowd, who began chanting the mare’s name proudly. Quick Quill herself seemed embarrassed by the attention and shrunk inwards, hiding as much as she could behind her raggedy mane.
“I was just doing what I thought was right,” she murmured.
“Lets leave the poor dear alone now, eh?” I offered, giving Quick Quill a soft smile.
“T-thank you mother Gaea,” she muttered.
“For now you two shall remain in charge, the rest of you should do what you can to relax, tend to your wounds and eat what you can,” I encouraged, waving a hand out over the crowd. “You’ve come far and deserve the chance to simply rest.”
“Don't slack too much. We’ll still have to create a search party for the group which split off after that last attack,” Earthbreak exclaimed, only to wince and glance up at me. “If that is alright with Gaea here.”
“Leave that to me,” I declared. “Just take a moment for yourself. I can handle this.”
“Of course. I didn't mean to assume otherwise,” Earthbreak quickly added.
I ignored his blubbering completely, and attempted to figure out more about my surroundings using my new senses. I figured that since I was a mountain now, that I should be able to detect caverns or caves which were connected to me. Though difficult at first, after I imagined that I was sending out a radarlike pulse I was able to find something.
And not just one thing either, as there were numerous cave systems beneath the surface. So large were these networks that I got the sense that this entire valley had likely been the top of a volcano at one point. I hadn't been the biggest geography major, and my memory wasn't fantastic but I knew the tell tale sign of old lava tubes. There was even a vast empty space somewhere near the center, though I couldn't quite feel that far away.
“Do you think she fell asleep again?” A random horse whispered.
I again ignored the creature and reached down, digging my fingers into the rock wall along the edge of the flat area beneath me. It barely took any effort to dig into the landscape, and with a heave I removed an enormous section of stone. Placing it safely off to the side I gestured to the now open cave expectantly, a small smile on my rocky face.
“I do not have suitable accommodations for you at the moment so please accept this cave as your temporary home. I think you will find that there is a large cavern beneath us which will be able to serve you adequately. At least for the moment,” I exclaimed.
“The great mother shelters us within her stony embrace!” shouted one rather zealous horse.
“I… we thank you, mother Gaea,” Quick Quill exclaimed. “We shall move there quickly.”
“Though before you do…” I interrupted, reaching my hand further up the hill and brushing away several meters of snow, revealing nearly a dozen berry bushes that had been hidden beneath. “Please send someone to gather some fresh fruit.”
“Of course,” Earthbreaker replied, turning towards the crowd and quickly picking out several uninjured members of their party in order to do the job.
“I can't thank you enough earth mother,” Quick Quill exclaimed in a hushed tone, her nose falling to the earth once more. “You’ve already done so much for us.”
“Keep your gratitude for…” my mind raced as I tried to come up with some excuse to keep them from grovelling every time I lent a hand. “The final day of the week. I can't have you interrupting your work just to offer me thanks.”
“Of course, as you will it,” Quick Quill immediately replied, head bobbing eagerly.
I gazed down to find that the majority of the horses had begun to move into the caves, with the miners taking the lead. I didn't worry about them too much as I could tell that it was not a treacherous descent, nor one filled with obstacles. In fact it wasn't even that cold down there, which just made me wonder how dormant the volcano which had made the super caldera in the first place.
That was a question for another time however, as there were more pressing concerns. The most important of which was their missing companions, who may very well be in danger.
I reached down and tapped the ground next to Earthbreak, grabbing his attention.
“Where did you last see your missing friends?” I inquired.
“Oh uh. East I believe,” the stallion turned and pointed in that direction. “Somewhere near the forest, though I can't be certain.”
I hummed thoughtfully. “Continue organizing things here. I shall seek out your wayward neighbors.”
“I will, and please find our missing ponies. I shudder to think what would happen if the inquisitors located them,” the stallion offered before immediately hopping back to work, joining Quick Quill as they began to order people around.
What was that odd look on your face? I thought, my gaze following Earthbreak. Was there someone in their midst you now miss?
I put such considerations from my mind, and tried not to think about how adorable it would be to see the little ponies kiss. It would be cute as heck, I decided and I made a note to play matchmaker as soon as I could justify doing so. Maybe I could even hook Quick Quill up with someone, the mare looked like she had given her entire life to her job.
Focus. I reminded myself.
Staring out at the valley before me I was immediately struck once more by how big the entire thing was. It was huge, big enough to contain multiple cities, and with walls high enough to make overland travel all but impossible. Though my gaze was drawn to the few passes I could see which would allow someone to enter or leave, I looked elsewhere.
Namely at the overall shape of the thing which indeed reminded me of a crater or caldera. It was just so huge that it felt almost otherworldly for some reason.
This prompted me to whip out an old trick I somehow remembered when you use your thumb arm and sun to measure distance. I then remembered that I was far bigger then normal so after a few tests to see how large my new form was I realized something.
This valley was roughly over a hundred kilometers across, though I couldn't be certain. Tricks taught to you by bored grandparents werent exactly precise, but my methodology was sound. That was definitely something I would have to contemplate at a later date, as it meant the area was large enough to support a rather prosperous city state.
Another time. I reminded myself before focusing my gaze elsewhere.
I started my search in an unusual direction, that being behind me.
For one I was just curious if I could even turn around, and the second reason was that I was just plain curious. What I saw was both surprising and unsuprirsing, as there was just another mountain, albeit one that was larger than all others. Towering over the surroundings it went so high that it pierced the cloud cover, and presumably kept going for a while.
The sides were nearly sheer at points, and nothing grew up there, nor were there signs of anyone having tried to climb it. The only useful bit of information I gathered was that there was a stream further up, one which could probably be diverted with minimal effort. I would just need to either grow a longer arm, or somehow move, neither of which seemed possible at the moment.
I filed away that information for now, and silently enjoyed the fact that at least I had my back to the metaphorical wall. Plus it kinda made me feel a bit like the eye of Sauron, what with my ability to see incredibly far if I focus. A reference I didn't even know I was capable of making, though one I was glad to have as the lord of the rings was a great series.
Pushing aside my urge to start quoting Tolkien, I continued to inspect the valley, starting with the closest part. The flat expanse of rock directly beneath me wasn't overly large, probably just big enough for a half dozen houses if needed. That being said there were five separate plates of various degrees of flatness which connected it to the bottom of the valley.
These levels were divided by a thin trail which wound up the side, a path as treacherous as it was narrow. I’d need to expand that, though if I did, I could create an entire city minas tirth style with very little effort. All I’d need to do would be to add a wall along the edges, some gates, and a wider series of paths and it would be nearly impossible to assault.
Such considerations wouldn't be useful for a long time however, and I focused on the ground at the base of the incline. For nearly a dozen kilometers there was what looked like rocky plains, where little grew save for shrubs and stubby grass. I couldn't see anything wrong with the soil however, so simply removing the stones would likely turn it into perfectly arable land.
Though I wasn't a farmer, and didn't exactly know a lot on the subject, so I once more refocused my attention elsewhere.
Scanning from left to right I noticed that a good thirty or so miles away there was what I could only describe as a rocky wasteland. Nothing green grew, not even grass. Holes filled the area, and a single muddy creek ran through the center of it all. I was about to look away when I noticed that there were signs of movement, so I narrowed my gaze, focusing on it.
What I saw was as confusing as when I first saw the cadre of strange ponies worshipping me. Only this time the weird dog people didn't seem to be much for prayer, and only seemed interested in digging. As soon as they emerged out onto the surface they angrily popped back beneath the surface, seemingly looking for something.
Whatever they were looking for didn't concern me, as there were no signs of any wayward ponies over there. Turning away, I noticed that there was an odd building nearby, as well as one of the three exits to the valley. The structure was made of stone, only that didn't exactly do it justice, as it was not built from rock, but rather carved from it.
Cut out of the hard exterior of the mountain itself, the thing looked like the entrance to some ancient dwarven city. I could even see inside slightly, where I noticed that there was a short hall supported by enormous marble columns. At the end I saw what appeared to be a giant set of double doors, each big enough to admit an elephant with ease.
That wasn't all though, as the entire place was immaculatily decorated, and there was even a short road extending out onto the valley. Time and disrepair had taken its toll on that however, though the entrance remained resplendent save for all the dust. The humanoid figures standing in recesses along the walls were also visible, though fine details couldn't be made out due to the angle.
They didn't appear human however, as I could see that one had hooved feet and horns on their head. Minotaur, I swiftly gathered, which was slightly disappointing since I was not about to meet a dwarf, though a minotaur was a close second. Evidently they were not the wild beastmen from myth if they had managed to construct such a thing.
My heart yearned to explore the entrance more thoroughly but I filed that away for later.
Turning next to the small mountain pass nearby, I noticed that it was conspicuously close to the giant doors. I suspected that it was likely artificial given its placement, though I didn't inspect it any further at that very moment. Instead I continued on, glancing past the plains, forest and grasslands beyond to where I noticed several houses.
Not hovels, or leantos but honest to god homes built from wood and constructed with care. They were mostly hidden in the rocky slopes halfway up a mountain on the far side of the valley however. This seemed to be purposeful, as if however lived there was attempting to live away from the prying eyes of others.
An assumption made even more likely given the fact that there were no roads leading up to the small hamlet. Only a small dirt path which wound up the side and was rendered mostly invisible by the careful placement of several bushes. Though once more intrigued, I looked just long enough to see if there were any ponies in the area, and after finding none I moved on.
To where I saw another path leading through the mountains, this one more well maintained then the other I saw earlier. It was suspiciously close to the tiny, seemingly uninhabited village so I put that thought aside for now, only for something to catch my gaze. A single solitary creature had leapt from a cliff and was gliding towards the ground at an incredible speed.
Its slim, athletic form was mostly hidden from beneath the tight, form fitting black armor it wore. From what I could tell was that this was likely some kind of avian that had much in common with a pony. Sporting hooved back feet, clawed forelimbs, and a pointed beek, it seemed like an intelligent carnivore of some kind.
Its appearance didn't last long as it swiftly disappeared into a nearby thicket, vanishing beneath the many boughs.
Just another thing to study at a later date. I thought to myself before continuing on. Right, let's start from their tracks and go back from there. Enough lollygagging.
Starting back at the bottom of the hill leading up to my resting spot, I easily tracked the mass of hoof prints back to their source. Which went near the woods, then arced back to the right, avoiding several minor obstacles before reaching the largest entrance to the valley. This time it wasn't a tiny little turkey trail running through the boonies, but an honest to god pass cut from the stone.
It had evidently not been maintained though, so boulders and shale had filled it almost completely. At one point it had likely been a simple matter to get from one end to the other, but that time had long passed. Now whoever tried to pass through it was only slightly better off then roughing it through the untamed wilderness all around.
There were no signs of ponies however so I backtracked, paying closer attention to the tracks. Sure enough, I located where a mass of hoof prints split off and went into the woods, driving a spike of worry into my heart. None were particularly deep however, giving me a bit of hope that at least no inquisitors had moved to follow them.
This might not be the boon I hoped it was however, as the forest likely contained enough dangers by itself. Without of course, adding a bunch of crazed religious zealots aprently ready to massacre children at the drop of a hat. That thought wedged itself deep in whatever equivalent to a brain I now had, and I sped up my search.
My gaze narrowed, and I willed myself to see through the mass of green which obscured my vision. Doing so seemed to drain a pool of something at the base of my soul, though it felt relatively full at the moment so I ignored it. Scanning for any signs of movement, or the recent passage of any lost little ponies, I quickly found something.
Though it was definitely not a pony, as it resembled a large, unpleasant rooster with the wings of a dragon. Its body was strange, as if whatever cruel being that had made it had simply mashed a chicken and a winged serpent together. Incredibly ugly, and with a temper to boot, it was currently chasing down a partially petrified wolf that had strayed too close to its lair.
The wolf wasn't going to make it far, and I didn't stay to watch in order to confirm, turning my gaze northward. Nearly a kilometer away was what looked like a creek, one which was occupied by the usual assortment of critters. As well as what looked like an enormous crocodile the size of a fully grown bull, and covered with a heavy layer of rocky plating.
It was hard to even spot, as its exterior was covered with moss, and small plants, making it blend in with the ground. Only its beedy emerald eyes could be seen poking out from the mass of green that covered its hide. Thankfully it didn't seem to have chowed on any ponies lately, and the area around its resting spot was undisturbed by hoof prints.
Moving on I found what looked like a chimera hunting nearby, its three heads all seeking out prey. It was surprisingly difficult to spot amidst the sea of foliage, despite a good quarter of its body being striped like a tiger. The other side at least had some kind of camouflage as it had the heavy, shaggy fur of a grizzly bear.
Its tiger head was low to the ground, nose sniffing constantly while its partner, the bear head stood a little taller. Its tail was that of a king cobra only it was the size of a python and grew from the chimera’s backside. This dark shape zipped around, checking under rocks, and peeking up into trees in the hopes of finding sustenance. Its claws were unbloodied, as were its fur, and it hadn't seemed to have caught anything recently so I ignored it.
It wasn't long before I found more signs of movement, only to be disappointed when I discovered yet more animals. These two rivaled the chimera in size, which itself was nearly as big as a sedan and likely twice as heavy. Their relative sizes were about the only thing they had in common however, as one looked like a giant mole and the other an odd mix of bull and serpent.
The mole creature stood as large as a grizzly, which was slightly smaller then the bull naga that was a good two feet taller. It also didn't seem quite as fast as its opponent, though its hide showed no signs of damage despite getting hit repeatedly. The horned snake beast lashed out with a headbutt one moment, and a visious swipe of its tail the next though neither left a scratch.
The mole tried to retaliate, but was much slower than its enemy who dodged out of the way. Seeing that this was going poorly for it, the mole beast used its two enormous sets of claws to begin digging. Within seconds it had constructed a surprisingly deep hole, and vanished into it, leaving the bull behind.
I didn't pay attention to what happened after however, as I was once more on the lookout for any ponies. I did not however find any ponies, though I did see a small pack of what looked like two headed wolves relaxing in a small clearing. Though perhaps wolves werent quite the right word, as they had the floppy ears of a domesticated dog.
Either way there were no signs of a recently eaten pony in their midst, or any hoof prints so I continued on. And on, and on, with my irritation rising the longer I failed to find any sign of the missing ponies. Their tracks were nearly impossible to see after more than a few feet into the forest, and worse still the woods seemed rather lively today.
I even made out the shimmering form of what looked like a flaming bird, though I put it out of my mind. I knew that if I looked for more than a second or two I’d inevitably end up studying the strange phoenix-like creature for far too long.
Movement drew my gaze towards a crevice visible in the midst of the forest, one home to many creatures. Enormous eels made their homes in the stone walls while enormous birds reminiscent of rocs flew about the top. There were even odd looking triceratops creatures who were hunting by throwing rocks using their tails.
Each sight was more curious than the last, though I ignored it all, even the one with the giant worm creature. A difficult thing to do, let me tell you as this thing’s face split apart to reveal rows of teeth and several tentacles that shot from its throat. Its coloration was also bizarre, though I stopped myself before I could continue my inspection of the football field sized critter.
Focus. I thought to myself.
Turning my attention once more to the forest, I noted that I could feel whatever reserve I had beginning to grow dry. Searching such a wide area so quickly was taking its toll, and I began to worry that I may not be able to locate them.
Then I found what appeared to be an enormous bear made of stars, a sight which I would have usually ignored. Except for the fact that it was attempting to stick its paw inside what appeared to be a cave. One that contained the terrified faces of nearly three dozen ponies all crammed into one tiny little space.
It must have been tight, and I was immediately tempted to demand Earthbreak take a group over there. That was until I realized that they were probably around thirty or more kilometers away, meaning any rescue attempt we may launch would be in vain. The ponies I had with me were already exhausted, and barely able to crawl into the cave I opened up a few minutes earlier.
Even now I could see that they were barely able to keep their hooves under them for even a few feet. A fact which I could not avoid, no matter how much I wanted to.
And I did wish I could ignore it, as being able to watch them struggle in vain against their attacker made my blood boil. Sure I may have just met these strange creatures but they were so innocent and pure that it was hard not to grow attached to them. I just wanted to reach out and crush that stupid bear so badly that I couldn't help but slam my fist down against the rock wall.
“Wh-what was that?” Quick Quill shouted, sprinting over to me.
“I have located your friends, but they are being attacked by some manner of strange purple bear,” I replied. “Don't move. I’ll protect them.”
“But I-” she began, but I didn't hear her.
I barely even registered the hushed whispers that rang out through the group though I did pick up the words Ursa and Major from their midst. They meant little to me, and I focused myself on doing something to protect those poor ponies lost in a dangerous world.
The feeling of burning some manner of energy returned, and this time I embraced it, giving it all it needed. My eyes closed completely, my body fell slack, and for a moment I felt as though I were in two places at once. When I looked around once more I found that I had inhabited a chunk of earth several meters away from the monster.
Alright, now let's show this guy who's boss around here. I thought to myself.
Before I could strike at the bear I needed to acquire a body, as I was currently inhabiting a section of the ground. For a moment I was a little confused as to what I could do in this situation, and then I felt something shift. My awareness of self which had been distributed over a larger area, condensed down to a single, vaguely humanoid shape. It was difficult to describe, but was akin to going from being a semi liquid blob of sentience to something more solid.
Once my awareness was in a single more realized spot, I focused simply on freeing myself from the earth. I assumed this would be a herculean effort given how tough the resistance of rock normally was, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Instead of having to smash my way out, I simply shrugged off the weight which had settled on my shoulders. I then stepped up and pushed the last of the earth which had hung from my side, the dirt chunk crumbling when it hit the ground.
“Much better,” I muttered to myself.
I took a moment to look myself over, resisting the urge to immediately charge in to help the ponies. What I found was a relatively normal form that differed from a human’s in the way that it was made of rock and stood at a good fifteen feet tall. I could also feel a band of minerals running through my midsection, giving me a small extra layer of protection.
With that done, I balled my fists, and began sprinting towards the bear who had yet to notice my presence. Between us was only a thin layer of trees protecting the small dirty grove I had risen from and the cave area beyond. The immature saplings stood no chance of surviving my charge, and crunched loudly under my weight.
This however, did get the bear’s attention, and it turned away from the cave just in time to catch a shoulder to the face. I hit the animal like a runaway freight train, slamming it into the stone wall with enough force to send rocks tumbling down from further up the side. I could feel something crack within the beast, and it released a great howl of agony, but it was not the one hit kill I expected.
The creature’s hide was incredibly tough, and even several tons of stone hitting it did little. I wasn't about to let up with only a single hit however, and while it was still reeling I stepped back and slugged it in the face. Stone chipped, and its skull bounced audibly off the stone wall, but it didn't go limp, though I could feel something organic crunch under the impact.
A second later and it turned to roar at me, though the effect lost some of its intimidation due to the fact that its jaw hung limply. No matter how powerful the creature’s voice was it would never dissuade me, and I responded by punching the beast in the stomach. The force of the blow temporarily lifted the enormous creature’s feet from the ground, and when it landed it stumbled for a moment.
With the air driven from its lungs, the bear heaved and swiped at me, though the attack was half hearted. I made no attempt to dodge, and merely trusted that my rocky hide would work, which it did. Though even then, I was a bit surprised when I felt a good chunk of stone go flying from my bulk, knocked loose by the attack.
With that in mind I redoubled my efforts to kill the beast quickly, delivering a series of cross strikes to its head. Knocked back and forth, with repeated, thunderous cracks, I saw teeth, spittle and blood go flying with each hit. My confidence was shattered when the bear growled, and charged me, shocking me enough to leave me unable to respond in time.
The beast knocked me down, dropping me to the ground and pinning me under its massive bulk. Though it wasn't much larger than I, the magical monster was somehow even heavier than me. Left with few options, I punched its sides, but found that with so little wiggle room, I couldn't build up enough force to do much damage.
The bear ignored my attacks, and focused on retalitating against me. With one huge paw holding my right arm down, it swiped away at the free limb, hewwing off large sections. Within seconds the entire limb was almost ready to come free from my body, triggering a sense of desperation in me.
“You can do it Gaea!” Screamed a young pony child. “You can beat that stupid evil bear!”
The kid’s cry of encouragement was met with a resounding yell of affirmation, with nearly every pony shouting something similar. I wanted to tell them to run while they could, but was distracted by a feeling of warmth filling my chest. With it came renewed strength, and a resolve that was almost intimidating in its raw intensity, even to me.
With that urge filling me, I shifted my legs under the bear, and before it could react, heaved it over my head. Sending the thing flying, its cries of rage turning into a confused yelp as it slammed through a tree and into the ground. Where it scrambled and tried to get its footing under it, only to topple back over almost immediately.
I counted my lucky stars, and hopped back up, my one arm nearly falling right off my body. I ignored that however, and merely continued on, charging at the animal before it could gather its bearings.
Once more my shoulder met its gut, only this time I followed through, driving it to the ground before leaping atop its back. Again I rained blows down up the beast, though this time I was a bit more targeted in my attacks. Each time my fists descended, I aimed them at the base of the bear’s skull, causing the creature to become disoriented.
Its claws raked the ground, and its cries grew panicked, the bear flailing wildly as it tried to throw me off. With my legs wrapped around its midsection, I was not going anywhere however, and I continued punching down on it. Even after my entire left arm cracked and fell off due to the abuse, I kept punching it with every last bit of strength I had.
That lasted only a few more seconds, as my steed began to run wildly into the woods while bucking like an enraged bull. I struggled to stay on while still hitting it so I resorted to just bringing down the bottom of my fist against what I hoped was its spine. Each strike had enough force to send shockwaves through the beast, though it wasn't laid low by the attacks.
Instead, it just continued to sprint off into the forest, slowing on occasion to try and toss me off. Its efforts were largely wasted, until I struck the branch of a rather impressively large tree with dark green bark. Then I was sent flying, knocked clean off the animal’s back and onto the ground with a great thump, the ground rumbling due to the force of my fall.
I leaped back into a stand, fist cocked back and ready to strike.
The bear did not return however, and I could hear its great bulk trundling through the forest away from me. Partially invisible, it’s bulk was shrouded by the canopy, and the uneven, rocky terrain that I found myself in. Even still, I could tell from the rumbling in the ground that it was not intent on returning, no matter how close it had come to lunch.
Loosening my stance, I walked back to the cave, and found that the ponies had remained there, waiting for my arrival. The second they saw me, a cheer went up, and I felt a bit more strength enter my very weary body. This was all I needed to stand a little straighter, the sting of almost losing my first real fight fading by the second.
“She did it! I knew she would!” cried the same young pony from before.
An older, middle aged, and slightly effeminate stallion stepped forward, a wide smile on his face.
“I can't believe Earthbreak’s stories were true. I thought for sure you were just some old wive’s tale passed down by that dogmatic grandmother of his,” he exclaimed in a slightly reverential tone.
I looked him up and down, noting that he looked a little ragged, with his light pink coat having been scuffed and one eye sporting a large bruise. He was also rather slim, and had the physique of someone who wasn't exactly in the most physically demanding field. He also wore what looked like an old uniform consisting of a red shirt with a white collar and cuffs at the top of his forelegs. His tail was almost completely missing, while his similarly wheat colored mane remained intact, its curls hanging down his neck. I could also see that upon his flanks were a pair of crystals accompanied by two notes beside each of the stones.
Despite his appearance, the young stallion’s golden eyes gleamed with hope, and a small bit of trepidation. As did the rest of the adults, who looked up at me and no doubt wondered if their prayers had been answered. Or if I was something out of their nightmares.
“I have been sleeping,” I announced, my voice rumbling through the ground. “I am sorry, my son.”
“Daughter, actually and the name’s Crystal Cadance,” corrected the pink earth pony.
“Apologies. It seems as though that bear knocked a few screws loose,” I replied.
“What happened to the others?” asked another of the adults.
“They are protected,” I answered. “Your pursuers have been… dealt with.”
“Then were finally safe?” whispered one of the children.
“Not quite yet,” I declared. “First we must return you to your fellows. Follow me.”
“Wait!” Crystal called. “We have injured.”
I followed their gaze back to the cave and saw that a trio of ponies lay awkwardly at the far end. One sported a broken leg, and no other injuries, while another had nearly been disemboweled. The last of the three was suffering the most grevious of injuries, as they were missing both of their forelegs. None of them was looking particularly good, but it was the final two that garnered my sympathy, and curried my rage.
For a moment I felt the urge to chase down that bear and give it another few thumps, but I restrained that desire. Instead I focused on the three ponies at the back, silently appreciating the fact that their fellows had tried so hard to help them.
“Bring them out,” I commanded, gesturing to the cave. “I will carry them to your camp, but not until I’ve guided the rest of you out of the forest.”
“But mister Short Sale is hurt real bad,” whispered one of the younger colts.
“I cannot sacrifice all of you for one,” I declared simply. “So gather yourselves quickly and be ready to run.”
I didn't think my command would be headed, only to be surprised when several ponies broke off and headed to the cave. There they started to gather up the injured as best they could, their movements gentle, and restrained. While they worked, I knelt down and extended my hand onto the ground, pressing my stony fingers together.
A few seconds later the three injured ponies were hauled onto my open palm, with the majority of the helpers leaving. All save for Crystal Cadance, who hesitated, glancing back at the most injured of the trio.
“Are you a doctor?” I asked.
“Singer actually, but during the siege I was trained as a nurse,” Crystal Cadance answered.
“Good enough. Hop on,” I stated.
The earth pony nodded, taking position next to the unconscious double amputee and elevating his front half up slightly. With that done, I rose up, and brought my hand close against my chest so that they wouldn't accidentally fall off.
“Follow in my footsteps, and shout if you see anything amiss,” I declared. “I should be intimidating enough to keep the beasties off our trail but that doesn't mean you can be idle.”
“We won't,” declared another of the adults.
“Good, then we run,” I replied.
Immediately after declaring that I began to lightly jog back in the direction of the mountain. My thunderous footsteps were followed by nearly a hundred much smaller ones which were hot on my heels. I turned my head around to find that though my pace was brisk, the ponies were keeping up with me.
The children had been stowed on the backs of their parents or caretakers, while pegasi took to the sky. Each and every one of the ragged survivors were tired, exhausted even, but they marched onwards without complaint. Burdened by almost any supplies at all, they were moving quickly, and thankfully none fell behind.
Confident that they werent about to run into trouble, I turned my head back around and looked down at my charges. Who all looked to be in about the same state as before, with only the unicorn with the broken leg at least somewhat conscious. He was, however, struggling, and seemed to be either in shock, or recovering from it, as his head occasionally lolled weakly on his neck.
“Is there anything else you can do for them?” I asked.
“No,” Crystal Cadance replied. “I’m afraid the most I can do is keep their bandages tight, and try to stop them from bleeding out.”
I hummed thoughtfully. “Tell me about them.”
Crystal Cadance smiled as she straightened the crippled stallion’s mane. “This older gentleman was at one time the most ruthless business pony in the city, though that all changed during the siege.”
“Oh? Do tell,” I encouraged, hoping to distract a bit from the grim circumstances we found ourselves in.
“It was like a switch was flipped in Short Sale’s mind,” Crystal Cadance muttered. “He donated every last gold peice he had, and then emptied his storehouses, giving everything he had to the people. Then he went around the city, pulling strangers out of rubble, singing to children, and generally doing whatever he could to help. Even when facing the bear, he still risked his life to save little Tippy Taps, though he lost his forelegs in the process.”
“Sometimes we only show our true selves when under pressure,” I remarked.
“I suppose so,” Crystal Cadance agreed.
I didn't pay her anymore attention, and left her to tend to the wounded while I observed our surroundings a little closer. I was pleased to find that every living thing that wasn't a pony, gave us a wide, fearful berth. Birds scattered at the sound of my footsteps along with small predators and anything with functional legs for that matter.
The rest of my charges were also sticking close, and after counting them all to confirm this, I relaxed slightly. Turning back to the front I noted that we were nearing the forest’s edge, and that there were few creatures that stood in our way. What few remained were swiftly moving away, either that or taking wing and ascending up, into the clouds.
I wanted to pick up speed, and to start running the last thirty odd miles back to base but restrained myself. That was until I entered the plains fully, along with the rest of the ponies, their number unchanged since when I found them. I didn't like leaving them, but it was unlikely that they would face any more challenges, these three however were far from out of the woods.
“Hold on,” I whispered.
Crystal Cadance nodded.
I put my head down, pulled my hand a little closer, and began to sprint with all the speed I could muster. Dust was kicked up along with large clumps of dirt the size of a pony. The earth trembled beneath me, and I knew that my coming could be heard for miles in all directions.
Subtlety was not my strong suit however, nor did I have a reason to try and change that now.
So I continued on, running up towards the rest of the refugees with all the haste I could muster. I could even feel the reserve of energy I had, beginning to fade somewhat, as my stride was boosted by whatever magic I could muster. My metaphorical tank was beginning to grow empty, and my vision was starting to blur slightly, but I did not get up.
From one plate to another I leapt, jumping straight over the minor obstacles in a single bound. In no time at all I had reached the top, where the rest of the survivors had fearfully assembled. Upon seeing me return, they initially qualed in confusion and a small amount of fear, though that all turned to shock when I placed my hand upon the ground.
“Do we have any medical supplies or bandages?” Crystal Cadance immediately demanded. “Short Sale doesn't have all day!”
“Right away dear!” Earthbreak replied. “You heard the mare, grab what little we got left and make it snappy.”
I breathed a non existent sigh of relief, and laid down on the ground, watching as the various ponies scurried about. First aid boxes were pulled from the caves, a space was cleared, and the three injured ponies were being tended to.
I watched as the stallion with the broken leg was stablized before being knocked out by a mix of smelling salts. The mare with the deep claw marks in her belly had her bandages changed, and a potion gently deposited down her throat. This seemed to stop the majority of the bleeding, and turned her twitching, restless sleep into something far more restful.
Mister Short Sale on the other hand, was not doing quite so well, and was shaking vigorously. Not only that but his face was pale, and though his eyes were open, they stared right through me. I could tell that they were running out of options too, as the few ponies with medical experience began to bicker with one another.
A single glance at Crystal Cadance was enough to tell me that there was little hope left for the stallion. The singer’s gaze was distant, and she stared down at the broken male with pity in her golden orbs.
That won't do. I can't let someone die on my first day on the job. I thought to myself. Though I’m not exactly sure what I could do in this instance.
Magic had to be the answer, and though I didn't know how exactly it would fix things, I was determined to try. After all, it seemed to react to my will, rather than some formula, ritual or secret words.
So I reached forward with a single rocky finger, and pressed it against the stallion’s chest. I then pushed as hard as I could, giving nearly everything I had to the fallen male. For a moment I thought the effort had been wasted, as he continued to twitch and spasm, blood pooling around him.
Then something changed, and his stumps shed their bandages, a thick scab of crystal covering them completely. His eyes closed, his body stilled, and his sporadic breaths became slow, measured, healthy. A bit of color returned to his face as well, though I knew instinctively that he wasn't quite out of the woods yet.
That was all I could do however, as I was growing weary, my body becoming so heavy that my head thumped against the ground. I tried to hold on, to stay awake, but within moments I felt my consciousness slip away, swallowed by the blissful embrace of sleep. Leaving me with one final view of the confused and scared faces of my flock, as well as the serene smile on Short Sale’s lips.
Dreams have always been a strange thing for me, or at least that's how I remember them anyway. They had always been prophetic, but then again, the state of memories from my first life were vague at the best of times. Certain bits stuck out, like Aragorn’s speech before the battle of the Black Gate, and a lengthy weekend visit to an uncle’s farm.
The dream thing though, that I was fairly confident was not stolen from some book or movie I had seen. This fact felt real, tangible, and drawn from experiences that were my own. So it wasn't a surprise to me when I began to experience vivid hallucinations while my mind was traveling the endless void of unconsciousness.
The actual images themselves though, that was something I had never seen before, nor did I have any context to draw on. The only connecting fabric was that they were all paintings, hanging from a wall that slowly passed me by. Like a conveyor belt of art I watched as various pieces traveled in front of me in a slow, but deliberate motion.
The first of which was perhaps the simplest, yet the most obtuse in its meaning. For it was of the valley I found myself in, only it was almost cartoonish in its appearance, with big arrows pointing to random places. One directed my attention to the middle of the forest, the other to where I had seen the strange village on the cliff. There were others, but I didn't get a chance to memorize them before the painting passed me by.
Replacing itself with the image of a small chained pony working beneath the yoke of nearly a dozen masters. With a pickaxe in hoof, the unicorn struck the ground while bearing many wips upon its back while crying out in agony.
From left to right, there was a dark alicorn whose shadow had eyes of its own. Her opposite was close to her side, the bright white, imperious alicorn standing taller than her sibling. Next to her were a trio of creatures that were oddly similar in their demonour. Starting with a black dragon notable for the cruel sneer on its face, a humanoid dog whose whip was coiled at its side, and a minotaur who had no weapon at all but who gazed down with hate at the pony.
The last creature was a mere shadow with glowing purple eyes, orbs which promised death to all they gazed upon. Then the painting was gone, replaced by a small image of a crystal that spun slowly within its frame. That disappeared a moment later, along with the wall and nearly everything else, returning me to the void.
Thanfkully I was not alone for long, nor did I experience the awful sensation of having bits of my essence being bled away a second time. My company was only a voice, though it was joined by others not long after. Their words started off muddy, but as more people joined in, they became clearer, and more defined.
Even still, they never quite became as clear as crystal, but I could feel their intention. It was a prayer, one guided by the calming presence of Quick Quill. Some in attendance were desperate, others frightened, but what united them was their guide, and the undercurrent of hope they all had.
I gotta wake up. I thought to myself. My ponies need me.
With a powerful application of will, and more effort then I would have thought necessary, I lurched towards the light. Dragging my mind from the darkness, and towards the waking world like one may pull a teenager from bed in the morning. It was difficult, but not herculean, and after a bit of struggle, I felt something solid beneath my fingers.
I then opened my eyes, and gazed down at my flock, vision slowly clearing until I could make out what was happening. Only to immediately find myself so shocked that all I could do was stare down at the events unfolding before me. Quick Quill, had a knife in her hooves and seemed intent on stabbing the still form of Short Sale.
“That won't be necessary,” I boomed.
The dagger clattered to the ground, and all looked up at me.
“You’re… you’re awake,” Quick Quill muttered.
“What did I tell you about sacrifices?” I replied.
“That they werent needed?” the mare answered, wincing and looking away. “We were just… worried. Your body collapsed into a heap. We thought you were gone, and that the only way to bring you back was to give you what you gave to Short Sale.”
“So you thought you would go against one of my first commands?” I shouted, fingers balling into a fist. “That an insult would rouse me from my slumber?”
“Don't- don't take it out on her,” Short Sale muttered. “I volunteered.”
I grit my non-existent teeth and inspected the crowd closely, noting that nearly half of them flinched upon my gaze settling over them. As I inspected them each in turn, my anger turned to pity, as I beheld the desperation on each of their faces. I was a life line, their final salvation and I had vanished after what probably felt like a minute to them.
“How long was I asleep?” I asked.
“A day,” Earthbreak replied. “They- we, were growing worried.”
I hummed thoughtfully, my mind churning with thoughts as I tried to come up with some manner of convincing lie to tell them.
“I am still waking up so to speak,” I began. “Such an expenditure left me weak and forced me to slumber once more, but it was your prayers, not your sacrifice that roused me once more.”
“I’m so sorry,” Quick Quill muttered, the mare falling to her knees and sobbing. “I should have listened, I should have calmed everyone instead of panicking.”
“Fret not,” I interrupted. “You are in desperate times, and so we should forgive a desperate move.”
“I almost killed one of our own. How can I go on knowing I was ready to do that?” Quick Quill muttered.
I hummed a deep, vibrating hum, and gently plucked Quick Quill from the ground before bringing her up to eye level with me.
“Look down on them,” I ordered.
The pony obeyed.
“What would you give to protect them?” I asked.
“Anything,” Quick Quill replied without hesitation.
“Even a part of yourself that you could never get back,” I continued. “Though grim, your resolve is commendable, and your selfless nature is something to be praised. You must simply guide those urges into a more well thought out path.”
“I.. understand,” Quick Quill murmured.
“Do not hate the cornered wolf for biting you, hate the circumstances that brought you both to that point,” I finished, placing my hand back on the ground and allowing the pony to step away from my palm. “Now then, let us put this grim business behind us, yes?”
A murmur of agreement rose up over the crowd.
“Remember, it is your prayers, and your thanks that give me the strength to resist the siren song of sleep. Not rituals, or sacrifices, just words that come from the heart,” I exclaimed.
The ponies remained silent, each contemplating what had happened in their own way.
“Now then,” I interrupted. “Let's start rebuilding, hmm?”
“But what about our prayer? Shouldn't we keep praying?” shouted a random pony from amongst the crowd.
“Save that for the end of the week. Now let us focus simply on filling your bellies, and putting roofs over your heads,” I declared.
Another cheer went up and though this one was more subdued it was far more hopeful.
The next day happened to be Tuesday, or at least that's what I was told by a helpful child playing with rocks near the base of the mountain. The sight made me feel happy, as at least he was joyful enough to play, but the fact that the only toys he had left were stones was a bit depressing. Either way I made a note to remedy that little problem at my earliest opportunity, and directed my attention towards the main gathering.
Who were all standing over my discarded body which was still mostly intact, though small chunks had fallen off. Peering a little closer, I noted that a few of the ex miners were picking at what had been my chest cavity at one point. This was enough to spark my own curiosity, and I leaned down in order to find out what all the fuss was about.
“Don't tell me I struck gold by accident,” I remarked with a chuckle.
What few ponies didn't notice my shadow looming over them, jumped in surprise, and turned around to look up at me.
“We werent doing anything, we promise,” exclaimed a hasty young mare.
I held up a hand and cut off the flood of excuses, and apologies I could feel were coming.
“It is a mere hunk of rock now. Do with it as you will,” I declared. “I am merely curious as to why you all are so curious.”
“There are crystals inside of your old body,” offered a burly older mare with a grey mane. “Look mighty important too, like the kind you can use to grow a whole bunch of stuff.”
“Grow, crystals?” I asked, looking a little closer at the older mare.
Who nodded dutifully, unbothered by my focus upon her. “I ain't never worked with them myself but my grandfather used to tell stories about the pink crystal found in the valley of dreams. Supposedly you could cultivate these hearth crystals like wheat, and shape it into a whole bunch of different things.”
“What exactly could you use it for?” I asked.
“Tons of stuff,” replied the mare who gestured around her with a hoof. “Why we could grow whole buildings, or shape it into weapons, armor or even household stuff like furniture. Only trouble is how long it takes. That and it can't exactly be reused or nothing. Once it takes a shape it holds that shape until its dying breath.”
“Fascinating,” I muttered. “Well feel free to extract it and use how you see fit.”
“But what if it's tied to you somehow?” Quick Quill offered. “It was in your chest. It could be important.”
“I can sense that there is more of this stuff out there,” I replied. “So that will be a conversation for another time. Now then, what did you need help with?”
“We were hoping you could locate us some more berries, or something. We have enough food for a few weeks but if we find more of our wayward neighbors then we might be in trouble,” remarked an older stallion that I recognized as Short Sale.
The male was half laying on a rock, his front half propped up on the stone which had once been a part of my head. Now it was inert, though thankfully the male was not, and I could see that he looked surprisingly good. Not great, as he still didn't have any forelegs, but his color had returned and he looked to be on the mend.
“An excellent idea,” I commended. “And after that?”
“I’m not sure,” Short Sale muttered.
“It would be nice if we could build some rooms in the cave,” Earthbreak remarked. “The lack of privacy is a little annoying.”
I noted that the large male was glancing at Crystal Cadance rather longingly when he said that. His desire for a bit of space was understandable given the fact that the ponies were more or less sleeping in one giant pile at the moment. It was warm enough in the caves, but few areas had been properly cleared, leaving the place littered with stalagmites.
Or was that stalactites?
Regardless, I was already thinking up a plan on how to cordon off a few of the side tunnels into family homes. It wouldn't be perfect, but in time they would be able to hew what stone got in their way and turn it into a true house. That would take time however, for now I focused on how exactly I was going to turn that dank cave into something more livable.
I shook my enormous head, dismissing the notion.
“Right then, let's look for something you can forage,” I muttered half to myself.
Wednesday rolled around fairly quickly, with the rest of the previous day being occupied by assisting in any way I could. The ponies lacked the tools necessary to harvest the crystal in my discarded body so I had reanimated it. This time I had focused on creating a much smaller, more densely compacted form that could fit into the tunnels. It ended up being roughly six feet tall which put me a full head and shoulders above even the biggest pony.
“Hey what are those things on your chest?” asked a curious voice.
I looked down, my armload of stone and musings temporarily forgotten, washed away by a sharp eyed child. She was one of the foals I had saved from that bear thing, and also one of the few who viewed me without fear. It was almost a little annoying to be honest, the kid was an endless barrel of questions and curiositiy.
This was a good thing, don't get me wrong, but ask any parent what their most hated word in the English language is, and they would reply with “Why”. Either that or “Treat”, honestly it's a toss up.
“These are called breasts, and they serve the same purpose as your mother’s teets do,” I replied, choosing to avoid subtlety in hopes of eliciting fewer questions. “Though obviously mine are made of stone.”
“Oooh,” she muttered. “Hey, why don't you look like a pony?”
I paused, and thought about it while staring down at the filly.
Her fur was almost white, though it had a pinch of yellow that made her stick out of any crowd like a sore thumb. Her eyes were a deep pink, and her hair was the same shade as a blueberry that was ready to be picked. Tied into a tight braid, her hair was long, nearly reaching her knees, and matched the tightly bound tail that swung back and forth.
Damn she is cute. I wonder what her cutie mark is going to be? A big question mark probably. I thought to myself. Hopefully she doesn't grow up to become the riddler.
“Hey are you okay?” she pressed.
“Err yeah. Sorry about that. I was just staring off into space,” I replied.
“But you were looking down,” retorted the child.
“It is simply the form that is most efficient for the job,” I answered.
“Wouldn't an extra set of arms be even more efficient?” asked the filly, who wiggled her forehooves at me.
I sighed, and was about to come up with some other excuse when Crystal Cadance appeared.
“Nigma, what are you doing here? I thought you were helping Earthbreak haul stone,” exclaimed the mare in a slightly disapproving tone.
“Aww but that's boring,” whined the foal. “Do I have to?”
“We’ve all gotta pull our weight around here,” Crystal exclaimed.
The filly groaned. “But I don't wanna do that. I wanna play with Gaea.”
“Tell you what? If you manage to clear all the rocks Break needs to get rid of I’ll bring you berry picking tomorrow,” Crystal Cadance offered. “How does that sound?”
“Can I eat as much as I want?” asked Nigma, the filly, her eyes glowing brightly.
“If you do a good job,” Crystal Cadance replied.
“Yesss!” screeched the child as she sprinted back towards the cave like a bat out of hell.
I chuckled as I watched the kid run. “You know you’d make for a wonderful parent.”
Crystal’s features tightened, and I could tell that she was doing her best to not let her pain reach her expression. Not like it mattered though, as these ponies werent exactly very good at hiding their emotions. Sure it may work on one another, but their faces were just so large that even a twitch of pain was like a grimace for someone who grew up as a human.
“I wish that was possible,” Crystal Cadance muttered, a hoof going to her stomach. “But some things just aren't possible.”
“You werent always quite so pretty, were you?” I asked, doing my best to be subtle for once.
Crystal chuckled. “I guess you could put it that way, yes.”
“You never know,” I remarked. “The future might be a scary, dark place but it holds wonders beyond imagining.”
“I suppose,” Crystal murmured.
The pony looked up at me with a curious expression as if attempting to read the almost completely blank stone that made up my face. Without facial muscles, or anything other than two dots for eyes it wasn't like she could divine much anyway. Not like that was even possible mind you, as I myself was unsure if I could actually help in this regard.
Despite all that I had hope that as time passed and I explored my powers, I would be able to help.
A part of me said that doing so would be a good way to secure their loyalty, but that was secondary. Their faith may fuel me but I was already looking forward to the day that it was no longer necessary. That was not a conversation I wanted to have, but worrying about such a talk at this point felt a bit silly.
I had nearly a hundred ponies to look after and this was a very dangerous place.
I strode down the long tunnel at a slow, unhurried pace, my gaze swinging this way and that. Though there were many jobs to do and plans to think up, I had at least an hour or so of free time. Granted, I was using that free time to try and think of new ways to help my little ponies, but that hardly counted.
At the moment I was simply observing them, and walking amongst them as they settled in for the night. All but a trio of watch ponies were bedding down or relaxing amongst their fellows. It was an adorable sight, watching all those ponies gather into small groups and chat amongst themselves.
In one narrow branching tunnel I observed a mother and father holding their sleeping foal and smiling fondly. Arrayed around them was what limited personal effects they had managed to bring with them. The side passage had thankfully been cleaned out, meaning that it was at least a roughly square room without any spikes sticking out at odd angles.
Imperfect, but getting there.
I moved on and nearly stepped on a middle-aged mare laying near the wall, her hooves sticking straight up in the air. The sight would have been distressing, had I not heard the loud snoring that was coming from the pony. Others like her lay in slightly less awkward positions, lying beneath what few blankets that had survived the journey.
Continuing deeper, I passed by a slightly larger branch that itself had two smaller sections jutting off from it. This one contained a herd nearly six strong, whose members were either laying in a heap or were sipping tea while chatting. It was an adorable sight, and I exchanged a brief wave with the three chatting ponies who thankfully didn't bow or anything like that.
I could tell that they wanted to, but between my stern order not to and their own exhaustion, they didn't. I watched them for a moment longer while my mind wandered down the path of curiosity.
These herds I had learned, were fairly common, especially amongst the poor who gathered together for safety. Pooling their resources, these odd family units were fairly common, as the ponies had a more lax view on child rearing. Though it irked me slightly for reasons I couldn't quite put my finger on, it was still a good idea and certainly wasn't immoral.
I chalked up my discomfort to whatever lingering humanity had stuck in the back of my mind. Unlike the rest of me which remained from my old life, this small speck was something I was eager to rid myself of. I wasn't on Earth, and the customs of my home were not only different, but here they would be most unwanted.
With that thought in mind, I walked on, making my way down deeper into the earth, careful to avoid any more sleeping ponies. Though I was tempted to stop a few times, especially near Crystal Cadance and Earth Break’s home, I resisted that urge. Not only was it late but I could sense that they were becoming rather intimate with one another at the moment.
I didn't even have to look or activate any of my powers, I could just feel the passion through the door. Though perhaps door was a bit generous, as it was a simple slab of stone fitted into the entrance to their tunnel home. Regardless, I could sense their love beginning to bloom and felt slightly invigorated by the sensation.
There was something about the knowledge that they were relaxed that gave me a bit extra pep to my step. They were at home, even if that home was a series of winding tunnels that gently sloped into the earth.
Regardless they were happy, so thus I was as well.
A few minutes later and I had reached the end of the section of tunnels that were habited by ponies. Here what little supplies they had managed to locate or haul with them were kept, piled into heaps amongst the natural stone. With all the focus being on the rest of the tunnels, here it was much more winding, with few stalactites being removed.
Here I was tempted to stop but didn't, as there was an odd pull coming from deeper within the earth. I could sense someone was down here, someone who was feeling a bit… lonely. With my attention turned forward once more, I trod slowly but surely down the winding path.
There, deep in the bowels of the earth I found a rather startled young mare who was trying to hide behind a rock. It was a sorry sight, with their body trembling so bad that I could almost hear their teeth chattering from where I stood. A candle sat smoking nearby, having quickly been snuffed when she no doubt heard me approach.
“Come on out little pony,” I whispered. “I won't hurt you.”
The pony seemed to consider my offer for a moment before peeking out from around the corner and igniting the candle. She then peered up at me, revealing that her tiny golden eyes contained as much fear as they did curiosity. Stepping out from behind her cover revealed that she wore leather armor, and had at her side a dagger.
The rest of her supplies, like a bow and quiver of arrows, rested against the wall next to a sleeping roll. It was a rather sorry sight, but what really grabbed me was the fact that I couldn't recall seeing this pony before.
“You have been avoiding me,” I reasoned.
“I… have,” murmured the mare, pawing the ground nervously. “I did not wish to trouble you with my presence.”
I hummed softly, before seating myself on a small jut out of rock. “Come, sit. Let us talk.”
The mare reluctantly did so, sitting down next to the candle, and removed her dagger before fidgeting quietly in the near-total dark. After she had done so I noticed that her fur was a light green, her mane was the yellow of wheat and her cutie mark was of two crossed arrows. She was also fairly well-muscled and she clearly knew how to use her dagger given the ease with which she handled it.
“You were a guard,” I began.
“I was a tracker,” she corrected, her tone low and scared. “I had been conscripted by the inquisition to help them locate those who had um… escaped.”
“You mean my flock,” I offered.
The pony winced and nodded.
“Yet you joined them,” I pointed out.
“I couldn't in good conscience do what they asked of me but refusing would mean death,” she murmured. “I did what I could to lead my squad astray but they caught on quickly.”
“Left with no other choice, you joined the refugees,” I reasoned.
“No,” she replied softly. “I could have ran or hid. I’m actually quite good at that, contrary to what you might believe.”
I chuckled. “Go on.”
The pony fidgeted with her hooves. “I could have left, returned home, and gone on the run, but I couldn't. I had to help. So I um… did that.”
“Yet now that they are safe you have not left,” I pointed out.
“I don't want to,” she admitted. “In my old life, I had a cottage and a mountain of debt left from my gambling mother. Here at least I have the chance to aspire to more if you will allow it.”
The ponies voice was hopeful, but quiet, weighed down by guilt.
“You wish to live amongst the faithful, but you have hidden from my sight. Why? Do you fear retribution?” I pressed, careful to make my tone kind and not accusatory.
“Um sort of?” she admitted. “I admit I really don't want to get squished, but I also don't think you would do that.
“Well that's good,” I muttered.
“I just didn't know what to do,” she remarked. “So I did what I always do when I panic, I hid.”
I laughed aloud. “Silly girl. You need not dwell in shadows. Noone will bear you any ill will for your part in this.”
As the mare ruminated on what I said, I mentally went over what they had told me, considering it carefully. I hadn't detected any outright lies, though they also hadn't quite been one hundred percent truthful. Their own guilt wasn't considerable though, so I chalked it up to ponies being overly emotional little cuties.
“Alright,” she muttered after a long pause. “I’ll do it.”
“Wonderful,” I declared, sticking out my hand. “It's good to have you aboard.”
“T-thanks,” she muttered, awkwardly shaking my hand with her hoof. “The name’s Fleet Hoof by the way, and I am- er was. A ranger.”
“It's good to have you, Fleet Hoof. Let's find you a nicer spot to sleep,” I offered, rising from my seat and gesturing back the way we came.
“Thank you so much. You have no idea how creepy it is down here,” Fleet Hoof remarked. “I swear I heard something scratching on the wall.”
I raised a nonexistent eyebrow at this and walked over to the wall in question while Fleet Hoof gathered their belongings. Leaning close, I used a bit of my power to send out a pulse beyond the stone barrier and into the space beyond. I was immediately surprised to find that there were indeed more tunnels back there, ones which were quite extensive.
A quick check on my own internal map discovered that I had indeed discovered these before. I had merely assumed they were a good distance from the current series of passages my ponies inhabited. This turned out to be incorrect, as only five or so feet behind the wall lay this other series of underground spaces.
“Gaea?” whispered a voice.
I turned around and waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It's nothing. There is indeed a tunnel not far from this one but there is a good five feet between it and us.”
“Oh uh, that's good. Do you know if there's anything living back there?” Fleet Hoof asked.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “It doesn't feel like it, but my senses haven't fully returned to me so I cannot be certain.”
“I’m not sure what's worse. If my mind made it all up or if there actually is something down there,” Fleet Hoof murmured.
I hummed thoughtfully to myself but said nothing, merely considering my possibilities. It certainly was feasible that there were things living back there, but I couldn't detect any connection to the surface. Whatever was living back there was in a closed ecosystem, meaning it either evolved down there or got trapped somehow.
“Let's get moving. I think the Quick Quill was just putting on some tea,” I exclaimed.
“Oh that would be wonderful,” Fleet Hoof remarked.
Friday was a bit different, as I decided to spend the majority of my time playing matchmaker. Now I know what you’re probably thinking, but I couldn't help myself, work may need to get done but ponies in love are adorable. I guess there was also an argument to make about needing to increase our numbers, but that was secondary in my mind.
There were other benefits like making them happier, and thus increasing their loyalty to me, but again, that was tertiary. I just liked these adorable little buggers, and seeing them get all goo goo eyed at each other was funny. To that end, I was watching Short Sale observe a trio of ponies all chiseling away at the entrance to the main tunnel complex.
Inside they were widening chimneys in order to improve the air quality while others were generally making it more orderly. These three were increasing the width of the entrance with the intent being to allow carts the ability to enter. To this end, they were hacking away at the stone with picks, removing chunks of stone to be carted off elsewhere.
“Greetings, Short Sale,” I announced.
“Oh crap,” Short Sale winced. “You just about scared me half to death.”
“Good thing I didn't. I don't think I can heal death,” I remarked.
Short Sale chuckled. “Wouldn't that be nice.”
“Quite,” I replied, leaning down in front of him and gesturing to his stumps. “May I take another look?”
“Of course,” he answered. “They were a bit itchy after those odd crystal scabs fell off, but other than that I can't really complain.”
“Well you’d certainly have the right to whine at least a little bit,” I remarked.
The stallion chuckled again. “True. Though there ain't much point to complainin. Lotsa folk got problems we can't exactly fix.”
I nodded and did my best to listen to him while I inspected his injuries a little closer. Though initially, I had done this only as an excuse to talk to him, I had found something strange. A tiny nub of crystal had sprouted from the center of each of his stumps and was growing outwards.
“You seem to be sprouting crystals,” I pointed out.
“What now?” Short Sale exclaimed, hastily inspecting what remained of his forelegs. “Well, would ya look at that. How did I not notice that?”
“I don't know,” I admitted. “I think it is seeking to replace your damaged limbs somehow.”
“How do ya know that?” he asked.
“It's odd…” I murmured, inspecting the tiny crystal closely. “I can feel my magic lingering inside of you as if it is still attempting to heal you.”
“But I’m fine now,” Short Sale declared.
“I wouldn't say that,” I replied, tapping on his stump leg.
“Huh,” Short Sale muttered. “Do ya… do ya think I might be able to get my legs back?”
“I’m not sure, to be honest. I’ve forgotten so much of my own abilities that I can't be certain what is going to happen. Either way, I wouldn't poke at it,” I warned.
“Good thinking,” he agreed.
“So,” I began again, leaning down close to him. “Let me guess, it's the older mare with the grey mane?”
“I er, what now?” Short Sale murmured, his face turning a shade redder.
“The one that's caught your eye,” I explained. “Or maybe it's that younger stallion next to her.”
The stallion sputtered like a child caught with the hand in the cookie jar. “I would never- I mean if he was open to it but I’m not really that type of stallion.”
I sniggered at his discomfort. “So it was the old miner then?”
“I uh…” he gulped and nodded. “Yeah, that's her.”
“I knew it,” I proudly exclaimed. “So what's your plan of attack?”
“Attack?” he asked.
“Yeah. Unless shes already taken,” I offered.
Short Sale coughed into his hoof. “Uh no. She's single.”
“So… what's your plan?” I pressed.
“Nothing? She's from a well-respected family, and I’m a cripple,” he dejectedly muttered.
I wished I had eyes just so I could roll them. “Do you think family status means anything now?”
“Err no,” he admitted. “But-”
“And do you think she would view you negatively for your injury?” I continued, not giving him a moment to speak.
“I uh…” he frowned. “No, she wouldn't. She's not like that.”
“So got any other excuses?” I asked.
His frown deepened, only to vanish a moment later and be replaced with a small smile. “No, I guess not.”
“So what's your plan?” I repeated.
“I think… I think I’ll ask her to go star gazing some time,” he murmured.
“Tonight,” I corrected.
“That's too soon. Were all too busy for that,” he retorted.
“How long would star gazing take, an hour or two?” I pressed once more.
He sighed. “There's no winning with you, is there?”
“Nope,” I declared. “I’m just going to keep badgering you until you do it.”
Short Sale chuckled and shook his head. “I guess I don't have a choice then.”
“You really don't,” I answered.
He sighed. “Could I ask you a favor?”
“No I can't make her fall in love with you using my powers,” I replied.
He blinked, opened his mouth to respond, and then erupted with laughter. “You know if the old pastor told me that Gaea was actually a cheeky busy body, I would have told him he was nuts. Yet here we are.”
“I will have you know that I am merely looking out for my little ponies,” I exclaimed, hand over where my heart would be.
“I also wouldn't believe him if he told me you were actually this personable. I expected a god to act more aloof, and distant,” he continued.
“Would you like me to be?” I asked.
“Hell no,” he answered without hesitation. “You may not be what any of us were expecting, but no one really knew what to expect. We were always taught that you were the silent protector, the mother of all, who keeps her faithful safe but they never mentioned what you were like.”
“It has been a long time since I spoke to someone directly,” I remarked.
“What was it like back then anyway?” he pressed. “My father was a bit of a history buff and spoke on and on about the ancient times when you looked after the old earth pony tribes.”
“Different,” I muttered, mentally scrambling for an excuse. “My memories are scattered, but I feel as though it were simpler back then.”
“That it would be,” he agreed.
We sat in silence for several seconds, neither saying a word while we watched the ponies work. Stone was hauled away, water which had at one time been snow from further up the mountain was distributed. Ponies came and went, all while we sat there quietly, merely observing it all without saying a word.
“You know,” I began.
“Hmm?” Short Sale murmured.
“She's got a really nice butt,” I commented.
Short Sale turned several shades redder. “She uh… really does.”
I snickered to myself before standing up fully and patting the stallion on the back. “Best of luck.”
“Before I forget, would you mind carrying me to the west side of the mountain just after dinner?” he inquired, still blushing profusely. “There is a wonderful sitting spot over there.”
Saturday was a bit more exciting, though perhaps that wasn't the best word to use. It began relatively normally, with me waking up from a short bout of meditative silence. While in that state I was aware of my general surroundings and could sense my little ponies but my thoughts were dulled.
It was a nice discovery, as it conserved my energy and allowed me to spread my perception over a wider area. Because I was able to perceive more, I picked up the scream almost immediately. It took me mere moments to locate its source, and begin constructing a plan to aid the pony who had cried out.
I immediately recognized them as one of the self-appointed berry pickers who were scouring the area for more of the tasty fruits. His simple basket was ruined and was currently being used to attack a wolf that was biting down on the pony’s leg. I chastised myself for not paying more attention and focused on creating another body in order to assist him.
Thankfully there was a deposit of the strange crystals only a few feet from the struggle. Pushing my essence into the surrounding stones, I felt a brief wave of nausea mixed with vertigo. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, but I ignored it, and the alarm bells warned me that I was low on energy.
I had a pony to save, and little worry about my reserves of power.
With a heave, I burst forth from the stony ground and stepped out of the crater I had just created. The sudden explosion seemed to pause the struggle for a moment, as the wolf glanced out of the corner of its eye at me. The pony immediately felt a wave of relief, though the creature attacking it had yet to release its hold on his foreleg.
The second my eyes landed on the furry predator I immediately recognized that it had seen better days. A thick band around its neck was hairless, and its thin body was covered with what looked like whip marks. Whoever had been attempting to break the animal had either given up or lost control of it, either way, it was up to me to put it down.
Though my heart broke for the poor creature, it was attacking one of my little ponies and thus its life was forfeit.
I sprinted at it, clearing the distance in a matter of heartbeats, my thunderous footsteps giving the beast pause. Its starvation-induced mania kept a powerful hold on the creature’s mind, however, and even as I neared it, the beast did not let go. In fact, it seemed to bite down even harder, desperate to acquire a meal before I managed to reach it.
The scream from my little pony was all the push I needed to cross the distance, my hand grabbing the wolf by the neck. I then slipped two of my enormous fingers into its mouth and pried open its jaws. It tried to resist of course, but I was far too strong, and the starving animal was forced to release its hold on the pony.
Who stumbled back, cradling his injured leg while I dealt with the wolf now flailing in my grasp. Its claws scratched at my stony hide, its teeth tried to bite into my fingers, but I was made of shale, and not flesh. So it found little success in its attacks, carving away a few loose hunks of rock and that was about it.
I switched my grip and grabbed it by the head before twisting sharply, snapping its neck with a loud crack. The beast immediately went limp, collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut. I continued to hold it, ensuring that it was indeed dead before finally laying it on the ground.
“Thank you mother Gaea, thank you!” cried the stallion.
“Be still. You’re bleeding,” I commanded.
The stallion winced, and fell back to the ground, his hoof cradled against his chest. Blood poured from the wounds, leaving the pony’s green fur an odd mix of colors. It was an unpleasant sight, one which made my heart ache for the young male.
“Hold out your leg,” I ordered.
“Y-yes, mother,” he muttered through clenched teeth.
He stuck out his shaking hoof dutifully, wincing when I gently took hold of it between my fingers. I focused my remaining power on healing his wounds, though I knew my energy levels were very low. I knew this would cause me problems, but again, that didn't matter, as I had a pony to attend to and a wrong to right.
Thankfully by then, I had a bit more practice with my healing abilities, having spent time mending small injuries as practice. Paper cuts, bruises, and sprains were now relatively easy for me, though this injury was in a league of its own. Regardless, using that experience I was able to heal the pony without having to brute force it as I had in the past.
I was rewarded with the sight of new flesh regrowing and covering the holes made by the wolf. These gauges were deep however, and I couldn't heal the injury perfectly. Scars would remain, but at least I had been able to deal with the majority of the damage.
His relief was palpable, and through the tears, he smiled at me. “Thank you, mother Gaea. Thank you so very much.”
“You’re people have made a compact with me, and thus I am duty bound to protect you,” I replied, leaning in and pressing where my lips would be against his head. “Relax now, the worst is over.”
“I won't forget this. I swear I’ll be the best follower you’ve ever had,” he professed.
“I know you will,” I exclaimed.
“Hey is everyone okay!” shouted the voice of Quick Quill.
I looked over to find that that my unofficial second in command was running toward me. With her was Earth Break, and Crystal Cadance, as well as a few others armed with whatever they had handy. Shovels, picks, a kitchen knife, they seemed ready for a fight, or at least they were trying to look like they were.
“Were fine,” I replied. “Isn't that right?”
“I’m okay,” whispered the stallion.
“Praise Gaea,” Quick Quill muttered. “When we heard you scream we immediately assumed the worst.”
Their admiration gave me strength, but it was too little too late, and I could already feel sleep beginning to claim me. My limbs grew heavy, my mind filled with fog, and I couldn't help but catch myself just before I fell asleep.
“Are you okay, mother?” whispered Crystal Cadance.
“I used up too much energy,” I murmured, my voice slurring. “Sleep claims me once more. Remember, stick to the schedule, and take tomorrow off.”
“I’ll make sure everyone’s assembled in the church,” Earth Break declared.
“I leave things in your capable hooves,” I whispered before falling into the sweet embrace of sleep.
I awoke to the sound of music, quiet and distant at first, but rapidly becoming louder as I reentered the waking world. This time I had no weirdly foreboding dreams filled with strange imagery and weird portents, only the darkness of unconsciousness. Thus it felt at least from my perspective, that I nodded off, only to immediately hear the sound of singing from somewhere far away.
The song, at first, was wordless, though it gained definition as time passed, until finally, I could hear it clearly. It sounded almost like a hymn sung by a choir, but more upbeat, and less reserved than the ones I could faintly recall from my previous life. Where the others were soft and reverent, this one was animated with verses focused on giving thanks.
Though I knew the ponies had few instruments, I could hear what sounded like an entire orchestra. The strangeness of it all only increased when I felt my sight return and I beheld a room filled with ponies. Only there was no orchestra here, only a pair of ponies playing a beat-up old guitar, and some metal barrels fashioned into drums.
The rest of the band seemed to come out of thin air, with no clear reason as to how this was all happening. Noone was using magic, as all horns were dull, yet the orchestra played on, oblivious to the fact that they shouldn't even exist. I stowed those questions away and merely observed the small chapel as well as its inhabitants.
Nearly every last one of my little ponies were gathered within the largest side tunnel and were seated in long rows. At the forefront stood Quick Quill, the mare guiding the song by waving her forehooves in the air, though her flock needed little direction. Everyone seemed to know instinctively what to sing, and what notes to hit, even without any song sheets for them to read from.
It was beautiful, both lyrically, and compositionally. My wonder only grew when I realized that was just the chorus, and a lone pony rose from the rest. I recognized them as the stallion I had saved from the wolf, which was exactly what he sang about as well.
His voice was pure and true, singing a recounting of the events before concluding with his thanks. Then the chorus returned once more, only to fall silent when another lone pony stood amongst their fellows. This time it was Fleet Hoof, who seemed to have been accepted by the others at this point as they looked upon her with pride.
Again she told of how I had helped and again she gave her thanks before rejoining the surging chorus. Though it wasn't quite a chorus per say, as it changed a little with each retelling, the tales of those who had spoken joining the main song. This pattern continued with each pony singing how I had helped, and praising me for having done so.
They weren't all quite so grandiose as the stallion whose name I had forgotten, but they sang regardless. A child praised me for giving hope to her parents, an elderly stallion thanked me for making him tea. A second foal sang their gratitude for playing with them while their mother was busy cooking a healthy meal over a fire.
Big or small, they all gave me thanks, filling my energy reserves to levels that I had never experienced before. What I had thought to be the maximum amount I could contain within me was quickly blown past as the song continued. I felt more alive than ever before, and I sensed that I now had access to abilities that I had not had a minute ago.
Then along came Short Sale, who was helped up by a certain ex miner who had a greying mane. His praise was the most powerful of the lot, and he sung with such passion that I would have cried had I had tear ducts. Matching his intensity was Crystal Cadance who stood soon after he had sat back down, taking Short Sale’s spot once more.
Crystal’s voice was the stuff of legends and made me imagine an angel had entered this tiny, magically lit cavern. I was reminded that my nature was not truly divine, but her song was as close as close as one may come. When her verse was done, noone rejoined the chorus, as noone could top her, and the pony sang it alone one final time.
With that, the orchestra played for another thirty seconds, winding down until finally falling into silence. That, I realized was my cue, and with startling ease, I constructed a body from the wall next to Quick Quill. This time I didn't need to burst from the earth or punch my way out of the ground, I simply stepped forward.
A cheer went up, and more hearty praises were thrown my way, though I quickly silenced them with a raised hand. I gestured for Quick Quill to seat herself amongst the others, an action she quickly carried out. Once she was seated, and the crowd had grown silent, I extended my arms outward.
“Your love is a potent thing, my little ponies,” I declared. “Your song was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard, and this congregation is truly heartwarming.”
I smiled out over the crowd, observing as some ponies dabbed at the corners of their eyes while others hugged those they loved. It was an endearing sight, one which made me feel even more protective of them and their adorable little faces.
“You have taken my words to heart, and helped to awaken parts of me that have been left dormant,” I continued. “Even now I can feel strength flowing through me, strength the likes of which I can scarcely remember having.”
“Woohoo, go Gaea!” someone shouted.
I chuckled, my laughter sounding almost like a boulder rolling downhill. “Remember this day forevermore as the day of rest and relaxation. Though it is important that you come here and sing the song of your heart it is not just my day, but our day.”
I extended an arm out over the crowd and gestured to everyone present. “You have earned a respite from the darkness of the world. So think not on what you have lost or your circumstances but face forward and imagine all that will come to be.”
“So go, play with your children, tell the pony who's captured your heart how you feel, run through the hills, and eat until your belly is full,” I continued. “You have earned this, my children.”
With the final word leaving my mouth I raised a fist high into the air and caused a unified cry to rise up from the crowd. Hooves pounded against stone, and everyone present joined in, yelling their joy for all to hear. It went on for nearly a minute before finally dying down, though their smiles remained, plastered firmly to their faces.
“So go! Revel my ponies!” I shouted,
With love burning hot in their hearts, they stampeded out of the room, leaving behind only a couple of stragglers. It was quite hilarious and reminded me of a pack of children who had just been told that cake was being served in the other room. It made my heart swell, and I looked down at those who had remained with beaming pride.
Short Sale knelt at the forefront, the stallion helped along by the grey-haired mare he had been watching the day before. From the way she held him I knew that his feelings had been reciprocated, he didn't even need to utter a sound.
“I just wanted to thank you again,” he began. “I took your advice.”
“I can tell,” I exclaimed, leaning down to his level. “You two look adorable.”
“I uh… thank you,” Short Sale murmured.
I leaned a little closer to the mare and whispered. “I’m counting on you to look after him for me. I don't want him doing anything crazy and losing the rest of his legs now, ya hear?”
The mare grinned, revealing the fact that she had a few missing teeth near the back. “I’ll make sure this silly old stallion is well cared for, mother. Maybe even give him an heir so both our families can continue to serve you.”
I laughed aloud, joining the mare while Short Sale merely blushed and looked away. “Well said miss…”
“Deep Delve, of the Delve family of miners,” she replied, bowing slightly. “Guess I shoulda introduced myself before.”
“It's quite alright. I’ve been doing my best to ask all of your names but we’ve been busy haven't we?” I offered.
“Speaking of getting busy,” Deep Delve began, picking Short Sale up and throwing him across her back. “I just installed a door on my room, and was hopin to show Short Sale what it looks like from the inside.”
“Say no more,” I replied.
“W-wait. We just started going out, shouldn't we wait or something?” Short Sale asked.
“At our age, we can't wait for nothin. Unless your sayin no,” Deep Delve offered, glancing over her shoulder to the male.
“Well, I uh… wouldn't say that,” Short Sale murmured.
“Then let's go. We gotta long hard day ahead of us,” Deep Delve declared.
“What have I signed up for?” muttered Short Sale.
I watched the pair go, playing close attention to his new mare and committing her description to memory. The earth pony had a braided short grey mane, eyes as black as coal, and a cutie mark of a chasm next to a pickaxe. Her body was well muscled, and she stood taller then most others, with an impressive width that put the majority of stallions to shame.
And on her back was a wiry stallion who was as old as she was, but who weighed probably half as much as she did. It was a humorous sight and one which made me wonder what kind of children would come from their union. I had been able to gather that neither had ever married nor had they had kids, though something told me that was about to change.
“Thank you again, mother,” Crystal Cadance exclaimed.
I looked down, only now remembering that the singer, her partner, and Quick Quill had remained.
“You have already given your thanks. No need to waste your breath,” I replied, waving a hand in the air.
“Still. I appreciate it,” she repeated.
“I’m amazed at all we’ve been able to do in only about two weeks,” Earth Break offered. “We’ve got a decent stock of food, the caves are far homier than I would have ever thought possible.”
“And we’ve been able to save a good number of our missing members,” Quick Quill offered.
“Things are only looking up from here,” I added.
“Speaking of which. I was hoping to discuss what plans you may have for the coming weeks,” Quick Quill began. “We have no immediate concerns, but if we find any more refugees we are going to run out of room down here.”
“That is a discussion for tomorrow,” I stated firmly. “Today is about relaxation, so go. Enjoy the warm weather and don't make me order you to do so.”
Quick Quill chuckled as she ducked into a low bow. “If that is your will, mother Gaea.”
“It is,” I replied.
The mare trotted hastily out of the room, a smile growing across her usually reserved face.
“So,” I began, turning to the final two ponies. “Why are you two here and not off having a bit of private fun?”
Crystal Cadance blushed and cleared her throat awkwardly. “I-er we were hoping to talk to you about what you mentioned before. That is of course if you remembered that little conversation we uh had not long ago.”
“Pardon my partner,” Earth Break interrupted. “She gets rather verbose when she's feeling awkward. We were hoping to discuss curing her little ‘infertility’ problem.”
“Uh, yes. That was what I wanted to talk about,” Crystal Cadance muttered, her face now several shades redder than usual.
“I have not forgotten,” I began. “My powers have grown significantly, but I require more practice before I attempt something so… invasive.”
“Oh,” Crystal Cadance whispered.
I leaned down and gently cupped her chin, raising it up so her eyes met my own. “Worry not. Your time will come soon enough and when it does I expect you to birth enough foals to have your own private army. Is that understood?”
“Yes, mother Gaea!” Earth Break declared, pounding a hoof into his chest.
“I um oh wow. I always did want a big family I suppose,” Crystal Cadance murmured.
“Good. Then you better get practicing!” I declared.
“Yes Ma’am!” Earth Break shouted.
“I suppose we didn't have anything else- woah!” Crystal Cadance yelped as she was hoisted over Earth Break’s back.
“You heard our goddess, let's get moving!” Earth Break exclaimed.
“I can walk to you knowww!” Crystal Cadance cried as she was carried bodily out of the room.
I merely laughed, and watched them go, following in their hoof steps a few moments later. Stepping into the long winding tunnel lit by glowing magical lights, I found that I was not alone. Quick Quill stood to my right, her smile remaining as bright as the moment she had left the first time.
“You know,” she began. “The preachers always told us how accepting you were, and how much you valued motherhood but they never said anything about accepting what some may see as alternative forms of relationships.”
Though her tone may have sounded slightly judgemental, her face betrayed no negative emotions. Rather it was a mere statement of fact, indicating to me that there were others out there who may disagree with my stance on love. I assumed that she was speaking of these other religions, as they were the most likely ones to have spread such intolerance.
“Love is the most beautiful thing in the world,” I remarked. “Those who would stifle it are never doing so out of kindness. To deny someone a part of who they are is always cruel and born of a desire to control them in some manner. To resist such systems is the highest form of righteousness, and to aid someone in their journey to their truest self is the greatest kindness.”
“That is… very well said,” Quick Quill murmured.
“There are qualifiers of course, such as everyone involved being willing, and an adult but that goes without saying,” I finished.
“So…” I began, adopting a teasing tone. “Has anyone caught your eye?”
The middle-aged mare chuckled. “I’m afraid I’ve never really yearned for the touch of another. So I think I’ll go and try to find a game of cards to join. Someone found several packs in a container of rice the other day.”
“Enjoy, my child,” I offered.
“I will, thank you,” Quick Quill replied before trotting off.
I watched her go for several seconds before placing the avatar I had just constructed back into the makeshift chapel. There it stood, overlooking the long, squarish room with its arms crossed over its chest. I left it there, pulling my being back into the mountain and my first avatar, careful to not allow the other to fall apart once I departed it. Sure enough, it retained its shape and continued to stand there quietly, watching the room.
Now overlooking the valley I began to watch as the ponies played joyously beneath my gaze. Their hearts were filled with happiness, and despite their circumstances, they reveled in the sunlight. Immediately I found myself tempted to inhabit another body and go amongst them, but I resisted that urge.
Something stopped me, a voice, distant and borne upon the wind.
Please, mother Gaea. The distant individual pleaded. The dark one works us without end and I begin to worry about how long we will last in these conditions. The others have abandoned their faith, but I remain steadfast. Please hear my prayer and save us!
Looking down over all the playing ponies, I swiftly took stock of their supplies and found that they were indeed good. Food was plentiful, if a little plain, and consisted mainly of mushrooms, berries, or edible grasses. Building materials also weren't exactly super common, but they had enough for the moment so it wasn't a pressing issue.
Which meant I could ignore those concerns, for the most part, putting those little problems off for later. The prayer I had received, however, was busy rolling around in my stony skull, dashing aside all such minor considerations. Save, of course, for rescuing whoever had uttered that desperate incantation from somewhere within the valley.
I paused for a moment and considered telling the ponies to pause their descent deeper into the earth but brushed it aside. They weren't about to start building or being productive today anyway, so that didn't matter one bit. With the last of my worries placed in a box and put aside, I focused on making a new body, one different from the others.
Those last ones had been reactions, built out of necessity and without any real consideration or thought put into them. I had simply been grabbing what lay around the crystal, gathering it together, and shaping it into a vaguely humanoid shape. That would not do this time, as I needed something that could be quick, but was still strong and resilient.
As I thought about what exactly I wanted, I sent out a continuous wave of pings, searching the surrounding area. Sure enough, I was able to locate a deposit of what felt almost like metal, yet not exactly. Gathering up my energy, I held in mind an image of a feminine-shaped human who didn't stand quite so tall as the other bodies I had built.
With that thought firmly in mind, I pushed my essence into the crystal and pulled hard at the surrounding metal deposit. I felt the same wave of vertigo as before, but it was more brief, and far less intense than usual. Then I was complete, my body having been constructed from a hard rock and a good amount of iron.
Despite my increased power, I was still forced to punch my way out of the earth, my body having been built a good distance underground. Thankfully the upper layers of rock were easy enough to knock aside, allowing me to easily escape my earthly prison. Emerging out into the open air once more, I looked around to find that I was a little ways from my primary avatar.
The western side of the mountain lay before me, while behind me there was a small rocky outcropping. The rest of the area wasn't really of note, so I brushed any thought of inspecting it from my mind. Focusing instead on the task before me, I strode quickly back in the direction of my little ponies, stopping once I located a group of them.
“Greetings my children,” I began, kneeling down in front of the family of four. “Would you assist me in delivering a message? An urgent concern popped up which I must attend to immediately.”
“Of course,” replied a tall, lanky stallion. “What would you have us tell the others?”
“Inform them that I have gone to check on an errant soul and might not be back for a little while. However,” I paused and held up a metallic finger. “Do this only if I do not return by sundown. I do not wish to ruin the revelry.”
“It will be done, mother,” exclaimed the male, who ducked into a low bow.
The rest of his family all mimicked the gesture, which I waved off before making my way in the direction of the forest. Sprinting as quickly as possible I found that my top speed was far, far greater than the last time. No longer was I some massive hunk of stone held together by a little magic and my willpower.
This time I was a carefully constructed mostly rocky creature that had a far more slim physique. Yes, I was still a good three times as tall as a pony, but I wasn't quite so blocky, nor were my limbs as cumbersome. As I ran I got the sense that this form was every bit as compact as I had hoped it would be, with a dense interior protecting my crystal core.
I also got the feeling that my shape was slightly different though I couldn't be certain of that right away. Seeking out a small pond of water gathering in one of the many shallow divots that littered the area, I gazed down. And beheld that I did indeed have a more armored exterior than the last times I had built a body for myself.
My outer layer was covered in what may have looked like armored plates to most, the crude ore I found having fused together. It was still rough, and only covered random sections of my body but it was better than nothing at least. I also sported two glowing blue gems for eyes which had not noticed or intended on for that matter.
I didn't quite have the weight of most of my previous forms, but I was faster, more agile, and probably tougher. All in all, exactly as I had been intending.
Pushing that thought from my mind, I recalled the prayer, and from where I felt it originate. Only when I did so, I felt my internal compass begin to spin, turning one way and then the other. It was as if I was standing atop the north pole and looking for north only I knew I was nowhere close.
Stopping, I made a wide circle of my current position and found that I was unable to seek the prayer’s exact location. Then I pulled back, and instead of looking for the person exactly, I focused on the vague direction of their location. That seemed to do the trick as I could feel that they were deep in the forest, probably near its very heart.
With that thought in mind, I began to run once more, my pounding feet shaking the ground with every step. I remembered their plea well, the mention of a ‘dark one’ and being worked implied that they were enslaved to some foul creature. Work could mean many things, but within a forest, the most obvious conclusion was logging, or perhaps mining though that was less likely.
Either way, they didn't seem to much enjoy being made to work, so whatever task was unlikely to be a pleasant one. With that bit of righteous anger burning hot in my breast, I stomped into the forest and proceeded towards my target. Predictably, nothing tried to stop the multi-ton mass of stone and iron running through their midst.
Forest animals kept a wide berth, and even the larger predators eyed me warily, keeping their distance. I ignored them all, bounding over small creeks, fallen logs, and any stray boulders that stuck out from the ground. No obstacle was too large to either be leaped over or swiftly maneuvered around in little time.
Minutes ticked by, and I was starting to become a little anxious when I suddenly felt as though I was near. Again, I got the feeling that something was trying to obfuscate where exactly the prayer’s origin was but I could also tell that I was close. I saw that nearby there was a short cliff, the top of which sported several trees with pink buds growing from them.
That was my target, so with a running leap I gripped the ledge, hoisted myself up, and immediately got confused. The trees before me bore no pink at all, and stranger still, the ledge behind me was completely gone, as if it had never been there. I leaned down and tried to inspect my footprints but was only more baffled when I found them.
They simply… appeared, as if I had been teleported without my knowledge. I didn't know anything about magic, but it felt like there should be something, like a bang, or a strange sensation. Instead, I had been standing in one place, and then I was in another having been transported somewhere else by someone or something.
Thankfully I didn't feel as though I was too far from where I had been a second earlier, so I continued once more toward my target. Again the forest stilled around me, its inhabitants hiding from the great thundering creature sprinting through their midst. Birds stopped chirping, squirrels ran back into their trees, and a stray manticore made a swift exit.
Within only a few minutes I was once more close to my target, only this time I was on the other side of a small creek. I took a step back before sprinting towards the edge and leaping the expanse in a single mighty bound. At about the midway point the world shifted, and when I landed there was no body of water present at all, only a confused-looking bear staring up from its meal of berries.
Face plastered with smooshed fruit, the creature blinked owlishly up at me.
I patted it atop its head before turning and walking away, my mind already whirling with possibilities. Possibilities that were interrupted by the sound of something falling over, prompting me to glance over my shoulder, where I found that the bear had fainted.
I guess drama queens can be any species. I thought to myself.
With that somewhat amusing thought in mind, I began to wander around aimlessly, thinking about what I could do. I was stopped by a distant boom, and I looked up to find that rainclouds had begun to gather above my head. Though they had yet to release their watery payload, I knew it wouldn't be long until that changed.
“Maybe I should just go back,” I thought aloud. “Perhaps the others know more about whatever magic is obstructing me from reaching them.”
Without anything better to do, I wandered back in the direction of home, though I didn't make it far. A scream accompanied by the clang of metal on metal echoed through the trees, alerting me to what sounded like a struggle. That was at least a sort of lead though, so I changed directions and jogged hastily that way.
As I grew closer I could make out more of the voices and shouting that had been inaudible until that point. One side had deeper, growly voices while the other was more of a hiss, though there were a few exceptions to this. The distinct timbre of a pony in trouble could be picked out in the midst of both sides, complicating matters.
I picked up the pace and soon arrived at a rocky outcropping overlooking a deep ravine stained red with blood. In the middle, near a crossing were two groups, one dominated by doglike creatures who stood upright on two legs. While the other was composed mainly of two-legged dragons of varying color, size, and shape.
The dog creatures wore heavier armor and stayed grouped in a tight wedge formation on the closer side of the ravine. Taller than a pony by about two feet, these bestial creatures had oversized arms, prominent canines, and short, stubby tails. Their equipment was rugged and looked heavier than necessary as if they had the skill to make shape the metal but not to do so with any amount of finesse.
Their opponents were a different story altogether, as they were mostly physically larger, and were short dragon-like creatures. Their height and builds had a bit more variation to them, as some had wings, while others were barely as large as a pony. They were also mostly red and various shades thereof, though there were a few black and green ones in their midst.
Their equipment was also much more slapdash, with some wearing finely made but poorly fitted plate mail suits. While others had whatever was handy strapped to their body like tree bark, or random hunks of armor they had likely scavenged. Their weapons followed a similar story, with the dragons wielding everything from professionally made weapons to small trees they were using as clubs. The dog creatures were far more standardized and had halberds across the board with short blades as a backup.
All in all, it looked like a pack of marauders and bandits vs a formal military, but there was one caveat to it all. That being, the ponies amongst them, some of whom fought directly, while most cast spells, or simply waited at the sidelines. Those on the dog's side were almost all unicorns and seemed to be aiding them from the backlines with their magic.
The ones on the dragon’s side were a completely different story.
Where the dog’s ponies were at least lightly armored, and only slightly injured, the other ponies had been given nothing. Nude save for collars, or muzzles, they bore obvious signs of having been enslaved. Whip marks, untreated wounds, and worst all, brands marking them as the property of various dragons. Used as shields, or healers, these ponies were abused, desperate, and clearly wished to escape.
I knew what I needed to do, though I couldn't be certain if the dog creatures weren't also in the same enslavement boat. Either way, they were at least being treated better and didn't flee even with no dogs in striking range to ensure they didn't run. There were clearly some minor signs of coercion, but I could sense that there was more to the story that I was missing.
I couldn't wait any longer, as a large black dragon wielding a massive slab of metal in the shape of a sword was approaching the dogs. With a sweep of the blade, he knocked aside a pair of the armored creatures, sending them flying through the air. With their formation broken, the other dragons were swift to push in on their sides, with two slipping through to the ponies in the back.
I took a few steps back, lowered my body, and did a quick mental calculation. After determining my plan wasn't completely insane, I sprinted towards the edge of the cliff and put all my strength into a jump. For a moment I was airborne, my metal and stone body flying towards the two dragons reaching for the ponies.
“What the heck is-”
Was all the dragon was able to mutter before I landed atop him with a thunderous crash, his body turned to pulp. Before his friend even had a chance to realize what had happened I leaped out of the small crater I had created and uppercut his head from his body. The dragon’s arms flailed randomly, and his legs continued walking a few paces before his headless corpse toppled to the ground.
I didn't stay to watch the grim display as I was already sprinting towards the confused mass of soldiers. Dog and dragon alike paused their grim melee, a wave of panic rolling over them. The dogs reacted first, with their leader barking an order, and getting them to group back up.
They seemed to be preparing to defend themselves against me, but they weren't my target so I ignored them. The dragons, rather predictably, weren't interested in coordination, or group tactics, with some fleeing while others stayed to fight. The first brave fool I encountered hefted a large cleaver and tried to strike at my legs with a sideways swipe.
An ax chop from my right hand cleaved through his scales, clavicle, and into his chest cavity, stopping there. The dragon toppled to the side, his eyes wide with confusion bordering on panic. His closest ally tried to fly away rather than help, and I rewarded his cowardice by gripping his legs. I then pivoted my body and threw him with all the force I could muster into the nearest tree. His scales and slapdash armor proved little help and like a bag filled with wet meat, he exploded across the towering oak.
This all occurred within mere seconds, but it had been enough that the rest of the dragons were utterly terrified. Even the largest dragon attempted to run, the towering male shouting to retrieve the slaves they had tied up nearby. I wasn't about to let this happen, and I sprinted towards him, using one of his now squished minions as a springboard.
The dragon wasn't completely without sense, however, and he pivoted at the last second, bringing his weapon up to block. The huge slab of metal shattered beneath my fist, which continued on into his chest, cracking his scales but stopping there. He was made of sterner stuff, however, and before I could continue my assault, he swung what was left of his weapon at me.
This turned out to be a wasted effort, as the shattered hunk of metal didn't even dent my dense exterior. A right hook knocked his jaw clean off his face, and a left caved in that side of his cheekbone, pulping his eyeball. I could tell that his gurgled scream was some plea for mercy, but I wasn't exactly in the listening mood at the moment.
So I leaped into the air, and brought the bottom of both fists down on his head, driving it into his neck like a stump into the earth. The crunch of bone, and crack of scales could probably be heard for miles, but I didn't give it any mind whatsoever. I simply looked for another target and found it in the form of three dragons who had scooped up their slaves.
Reaching down, I grabbed the dragon’s stump of a sword and whipped it at the first dragon. The spinning hunk of shattered steel slammed into his side and kept going, piercing his torso and pinning him to a tree. Where he lay gurgling, his allies sprinting into the woods along with their captives.
They didn't get far, however, as I was faster, catching up to them in only a few short seconds. Using my speed, I grabbed the next dragon's head and brought it down to the ground, dragging it across the earth. Scales, muscle, and bone went flying, and within an instant, I had ground his head into little more than a bloody pulp.
I turned and leaped up, ready to kill the final foe only to find that he had his short dagger pressed against the pony’s throat. That, for once, gave me pause, and I raised my hands in an effort to placate him for the moment.
“D-d-don't move!” he shouted, arm shaking so bad I thought he may slip. “J-just stay where you are!”
I eyed him carefully, observing the young female clasped in his arms. The pony was barely old enough to be considered an adult, though she had a steely expression on her scarred face. Her horn bore an iron ring that presumably disrupted magic, while a muzzle kept her from biting anyone. Whip marks, covered her sides, while a brand had replaced her cutie mark, further enraging me.
“L-let me go and n-n-noone has to get hurt!” he yelled.
As I was wondering how best to handle this creature, the unicorn mare lowered her head suddenly. She then brought it right back up, driving her horn into the dragon’s right eye and causing him to scream in pain. His clumsy swipe missed its mark as the pony had already scrambled out of the way.
Allowing me the chance to surge forward and grip the dragon by his arms and legs. With one set of limbs in each hand, I raised him above my head and pulled as hard as I could manage. The male barely managed a scream before he was in two separate piles of bloody viscera.
My immediate response was to comfort the pony, but I doubted my appearance would be very comforting. Plus I had dragons left to kill, so I sprinted back into the clearing and began searching for more enemies. The only ones I saw were a single winged one attempting to fly away and a rotund fellow making a break for the treeline.
I ripped a small tree from the ground, and with a swift set of chops, I removed the branches, and trunk. I then pulled my arm back, and with a heave, sent the enormous javelin into the flying dragon’s midsection. As he fell screaming from the sky, I turned to his final remaining ally and started to run towards him.
Along the way, I scooped up a large boulder, and upon reaching the ravine, I stopped. With my arm cocked back, I took aim before heaving the cottage-sized stone at my target. The huge rock flew unerringly to its target, who stopped briefly when the shadow fell over him. He had only a split second to look back before he turned into a fine bloody mist.
My immediate response was to begin searching for more enemies, but when I found none, I turned to the dogs. Who closed ranks and raised their halberds towards me, readying themselves for my presumed charge. That never happened, however, as I was busy doing a head count on the enemy dragons laying around me.
Between me and the dogs, we had managed to deal with nearly all of the cowardly dragons. Only one had managed to escape, though I had no idea where he had managed to get off to. A pulse through the ground brought up a single signature though it soon vanished past the strange teleportation barrier.
I stomped a foot in anger, and dearly wished I could grind my teeth, as it certainly felt appropriate. A young unicorn stallion armored like his canine allies interposed himself between me and the hairy beasts.
“Stop! They aren't your enemies,” he pleaded.
Right then. I thought to myself. Time for diplomacy.
“Worry not, my child. I was not angry at them, but rather the lone dragon who escaped my wrath,” I exclaimed. “Though he will not do so forever.”
“Oh,” he muttered. “Well, that's… good.”
“Wait, child? What is going on here, specialist Danger Diamond?” barked the lead dog I noticed earlier.
“I uh, assume this is-” he began only to be interrupted by one of the former slaves.
“Gaea! Mother Gaea it's you, it's really you!” she exclaimed, the pony throwing herself at my feet and sobbing. “The others had given up hope, but not me, I never lost faith!”
The other former slaves all gathered around, though not all were quite so thrilled to prostrate themselves before me. I was an intimidating sight after all, given how much blood and viscera hung off my body in crimson chunks. The other ponies soon joined, though they weren't quite so fervent in their worship as those who had been under the yoke of the dragons.
“This is the god we worshipped, er worship,” Danger Diamond explained.
Looking a little closer, I could tell that he had a slim, waifish physique, and a narrow face. His fur was white, his mane an off grey, and his eyes were as black as the darkest of coal. Upon his flanks, painted over his armor, were two sparkling white diamonds.
“You need not go back to worshipping me if you do not wish it,” I cautioned. “Your faith is not mandatory, nor is your thanks.”
“I erm… okay,” he muttered to himself.
“Heretic! Who would deny her divinity after witnessing her wrath?” shouted the red-furred mare that had thrown herself at my feet.
I wanted to rebuke the mare but took a moment to look her over first. She was the least injured of the slaves, though I could sense that she bore fewer physical scars from her enslavement. Her eyes had a wild desperation in them that spoke of intense mistreatment, and something else, something… enraging.
I knelt down and cupped her cheeks, holding her in place as I inspected her injuries closer. The fur around her neck was worn down, and angry red marks could be seen beneath her crimson fur. She was also missing a section of fur just above the ends of her hooves, signaling that she had been bound for some time recently.
Gazing down at her svelte, feminine form I could tell that the ponies would consider her attractive. She had a supermodelesque physique with wide hips and a pair of teets that were larger than most. I ignored the sexual connotations of these attributes and focused on the injuries she had sustained, quickly coming up with an unpleasant realization.
“M-mother?” she stuttered.
I pushed my magic into my hand and began mending her injuries, starting at the less severe and going from there. The worst of which was internal, though I dare not mention what exactly the nature of this damage was. I merely healed it as best as I could before looking over to the next of the former slaves.
Unlike the supermodel pony, this one had likely been used as a mage given his thick collar, tight muzzle, and the blank look in his eye. Lead around by the throat by a leash, the ponies he had been enslaved alongside were attempting to free him. I finished the job for them, before laying my hands atop his back and pushing my magic into his battered body.
As I expected, his mind had receded into his body, turning him into an obedient servant that didn't think for itself. This enraged me, but I poured that emotion into my healing, mending what injuries I could, though that didn't include his mental scarring. That was not something I was capable of, so I continued on, healing and removing whatever slave gear was left on my ponies.
Only when they were all okay did I realize that there were two injured dogs that still needed a bit of help. However, they weren't quite so willing to let a blood-covered golem three times their size to lay hands on them. A nod from their commander allowed me to mend their broken bones, getting them back on their feet after suffering more than a few shattered ribs.
“Apologies,” I muttered. “I realized that there were injuries left to treat.”
“It's no problem at all,” muttered the dog. “Just uh, warn me next time.”
I held up a finger and made the group pause while I went over to the ravine. There I knelt down and washed myself of the worst of it, staining the shallow creek a dark crimson. Once my body was mostly free of viscera, I walked back over to the group and nodded.
“Sorry about that. Now then, let's get a few things out of the way first,” I motioned back towards home. “The majority of the refugees that made it to the valley survived, and have found shelter on the east side of that mountain.”
Several ponies sighed in relief while one even fainted from the sudden rush of emotions they felt.
“We will have time to discuss the individual fate of anyone you may know later, now I have questions for you all. Starting with you,” I pointed to the dog leader.
“What about us?” he asked slightly defensively.
“What is your history with my little ponies?” I demanded.
“His homeland is falling to ruin,” interrupted Danger Diamond. “Some of us unicorns were captured in order to help search for the gem which kept their underground city stable but we’ve since come to an agreement. Isn't that right?”
I reserved judgment and turned my gaze upon the dog.
“Uh that's right,” he began, straightening his back. “Our elder was desperate, and in our desperation, we were less than kind in our actions, though we’ve since realized the error of our ways.”
“So if they wanted to, they could simply leave at any time?” I asked.
The dog winced and looked away only for Danger Diamond to interrupt once again.
“Once we locate the sunstone we can all go home, and the Shatterfang clan will help us rebuild,” Danger Diamond pressed.
“Err yes. They will have our full backing as our allies,” continued the dog.
“And you are, who exactly?” I pressed.
“Hypereas Umberblood,” replied the dog, thumping a fist against his chest. “Captain of the fifth outrider division and loyal soldier under the command of her lordship Capricio Redfist.”
I stared silently at the dog for several long seconds, waiting for his resolve to break. When it didn't, I rose back to my full height and looked down upon the gathered group of dogs and ponies. From a glance, I could tell that the unicorns being employed by the furry warriors were mostly on board with their agreement.
“Where do you think the sunstone is?” I asked.
“We believe that the lord of the forest has taken it. Though not all of my kind believe this is the case and comb the area in search of the stone,” Hypereas replied without hesitation.
“And the lord of the forest is…” I pressed.
“He calls himself Moldrod the mighty,” whispered one of the former slaves. “And he controls the town of Lakeside as well as his brood of dragon raiders that came down from the calderas of the far east.”
At the muttering of the dragon’s name, many of the former slaves shivered, though none moreso than the red-furred pony I inspected earlier. She shook like a leaf in the wind and seemed ready to bolt the moment she heard so much as a stick snap under hoof. More distressing was the way her tail tucked between her legs and I swiftly knelt down next to her.
“What is your name, dear child?” I whispered.
“C-crimson Heart,” whispered the mare.
“What do you think we should do?” I inquired.
“I…” she hesitated a moment. “I believe you should kill that vile monster, take the sunstone, and make allies of the dogs.”
I could tell that she was biting back the worst of her anger and refusing to give voice to what she truly thought. I didn't want to push her too quickly, however, so I simply nodded and stood back up.
“Then that is what we shall do,” I declared.
“Really?” Danger Diamond blurted.
I nodded. “If that is how we escape this situation with a mutually beneficial result then I see no reason as to why we should not attempt it.”
Hypereas breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed the grip on his weapon. “That is… good to hear. I admit when I saw you I feared the worst.”
“Don't get me wrong. If so much as a single pony has been abused I will dash your entire civilization against the rocks,” I replied while glaring down at the dog.
To his credit, the soldier barely flinched. “I am certain that won't be an issue. We are not the honorless barbarians that you have already so expertly dealt with.”
“I most certainly hope that is the case. There has been quite enough violence already,” I replied.
“Moving on,” Danger Diamond offered.
“Yes, moving on,” Hypereas echoed, pulling a map from a hidden pocket. “We had detected an energy surge like the kind sent out by the Sunstone at these four locations. We searched this one, but have yet to get to the others.”
“Then I shall do so on the morrow,” I offered.
“Not now?” Danger Diamond asked.
“I have ponies in need of a good meal and pleasant company,” I retorted, gesturing to the former slaves. “Unless you would have them walk back alone, through the woods.”
“N-no!” Diamond shouted. “Of course not. I was just… confused.”
“Pardon the barb,” I offered. “This entire situation has left me… quite angry.”
“Understandable,” interjected Hypereas. “This debacle is regrettable and I hope that we may remedy it without the need for further violence.”
“So once I have this sunstone thing where should I bring it?” I asked.
“Deliver it to the badlands,” Hypereas answered, pointing back to the bumpy bit of land to the north of where the refugees had set up base. “We will see you coming, and take things from there.”
“That is acceptable, though I am curious as to why this rock is so important to you,” I pressed.
“As Diamond so helpfully mentioned. It is the only thing keeping our city from falling to ruin. It keeps the roof up, and allows us to grow crops beneath the earth,” he explained.
“Fascinating,” I murmured, noticing that Diamond was blushing slightly. “In time I would like to hear more about your city, your people, and this stone but that must wait I’m afraid. Now we have larger concerns to attend to.”
“Of course,” Hypereas conceded. “Though time grows short, and we must move quickly I would not stand between your charges and safety.”
I nodded, a bit of respect for the dog worming its way into my heart. “Then I bid you good day, good outrider. I hope to see you again soon.”
“As do I,” Hypereas exclaimed, snapping off a quick salute. “Come on. Lets get any injuries treated, the dead burned, and anything of value brought back with us.”
I turned back to the former slaves and knelt down before them. “Now then. Who wants to go home?”
I was immediately flooded with a chorus of agreement, which warmed my heart and gave me strength.
“Gather together any among you that is too unwell to walk, while the rest of you prepare for the journey ahead of us,” I commanded.
The ponies scampered about, swiftly assembling those few who were unable to make the trip without assistance. In the end, only three ponies were in this group, the mind-broken stallion I inspected previously, an older male that had been used as a pack mule, and Crimson Heart. Though I knew she sported no injuries so great that she could not walk without assistance, I did not mention such out loud.
“Are you ready?” I asked, leaning down and opening my hands.
“We are,” Crimson Heart replied.
With a gentle hoof, she guided the mind-broken stallion, and the older male onto my open palms. Though not quite as large as before, I was able to carry them all with little difficulty even if it wasn't quite as comfortable. The others had all assembled before me by the time that I rose back to my feet standing ready and raring to go.
“Take it slow. We have all day to get back,” I told the group.
More murmured agreements were uttered, and after pointing the way back we began to move in that direction. For a long while, no one said anything, but I could tell that Crimson Heart was growing uncomfortable. So I considered briefly if I should mention something, or perhaps inquire about what she knew of Lakeside.
Then I pushed that aside.
“Tell me about your life,” I began.
Crimson Heart blinked and looked up at me. “Well I was um, a pleasure slave to-”
“No,” I interrupted. “Tell me about your life before all this.”
The pony settled back down into my hand and looked off into the distance. For a while she said nothing, giving me flashbacks from the last time I made such a journey as this one. But then she smiled, and chuckled faintly, her laughter sounding almost like the faint tinkling of bells.
“I was a dancer,” she replied after a long pause. “The troupe I was a part of was small, we barely managed to get a show that wasn't a simple tavern or small concert hall. It was fun though, none of us were hurting too bad for money, and social housing was in abundance during those days so it wasn't a big concern if we ran out.”
“What was it like?” I asked.
“It was… a dream,” Crimson murmured. “My friends and I always wanted to entertain others, to sing, to dance, to play music. Whatever our passion, it was all meant to help ease the burden of others, and to help them get through the day.”
“One day you will be able to do so again,” I promised. “Though that may not be for some time.”
“I would like that,” she whispered.
“For now though I would ask that you help in any way you can without pushing yourself. You will need time to heal and come to terms with what has happened,” I continued.
“B-but mother. You saved my life. I can't just do nothing,” she implored.
A bitter snort reminded me that the old stallion was still awake, unlike his companion who had drifted off to sleep.
“She’s just being practical,” he remarked. “If ya went back to work right away you’d be distracted, prone to accidents and the like.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “And you wouldn't want to make any problems for others, would you?”
“No, mother,” Crimson Heart whispered.
“Good,” I exclaimed. “Now try to rest your eyes, it will be some time before we reach the safety of the mountain.”
I plodded as quietly as a nearly two-ton heap of rock could manage, my charges held gently in my hands. The others were walking ahead of me, their pace lethargic but thankfully not slowing down any further. It was clear that they weren't ready for a long trek, but were emboldened enough by their newfound freedom to ignore the aches and pains that ailed them.
I estimated that they would just barely manage to get back before they started collapsing from exhaustion. This was unacceptable, and I was already trying to think of some way that I could carry them all without dropping anyone. While I contemplated my predicament, I noticed that the group had gone quiet for the most part, with only a single whispered conversation being had.
I didn't want to eavesdrop so I merely let them talk, focusing instead on the three ponies in my hands. Crimson Heart had closed her eyes, though I could tell that she was not asleep due to her constant shifting. The broken stallion was completely gone, the male snoring loudly, relaxed completely for the first time in what had likely been a long time.
Only the older stallion remained alert and awake, his hooves gripping the edge of my hand. He peered intently out at the mostly quiet forest, studying the many shapes that darted through the darkened wood. His attention prompted me to scan my surroundings again, but thankfully the effort was unneeded as there were no predators nearby.
I was tempted to speak to the male, to ask him about his life, and his time, and perhaps even acquire new information on Lakeside. I resisted this urge, however, merely allowing him a chance to relax. He seemed to have the mental fortitude necessary to speak of his experiences, but I didn't want to take away his chance at tranquility.
So I walked on in relative silence, listening to the insects, and distant birds that called out to one another. After several minutes we managed to reach the edge of the forest, allowing me to peer above the short trees that grew there. What I saw was an advancing wall of rain coming down from the mountain and across the plain.
Like a great wave of water, it created many deep puddles and a considerable amount of difficult terrain. It was then that I realized I must put my half-concocted plans to use and leaned down, placing the backs of my hands on the ground.
“I am going to carry you all back, but to do so I must find something really quickly,” I warned.
“We are about to get rained on,” remarked the old-timer.
The broken stallion gazed forward, watching as the rain rushed towards us.
“I’ll be right back everyone,” I warned.
I could tell that some wished to contradict me and demand that I stay with them, but their loyalty won out in the end. Instead, they simply stood there as I jogged away, making a beeline for a downed tree I had spotted not long ago. Picking it up, I turned it over and found that it was nearly perfect for my plans.
The first thing I did was split it in half, after which I scooped out the dirt and muck that had collected in the hollow center. Once that was done, I walked back over to the group of ponies and knelt back down once more. With the two sections of tree laid out on my arms, I extended my hands and placed them against one another.
“Quickly, find a spot to sit,” I urged.
“You heard her,” barked the older stallion.
The group swiftly got into position, seating themselves comfortably without too much overcrowding. One of the mares that had been used as a pack mule even had enough rope to secure the tree to my arms and ensure they didn't roll. In the end, it was a bit slapdash, but it was enough to seat everyone, so I was happy with the result.
By the time I rose once more and began to trod towards the distant mountain, the rain was upon us. Coming down hard, and cold I knew instantly that this would likely make a few of my ponies sick if I did not move quickly.
So that is what I did.
“Hold on everyone,” I urged.
I gave them only a few seconds before I began to move as fast as I dared. I started with a light jog but soon picked up the pace, reaching a comfortable running speed. My charges were jostled slightly, but I made sure to bend my arms just enough to keep them from getting knocked off.
Without having to worry about anyone getting underfoot or slipping from my grasp, we were able to reach the mountain quickly. As we approached, I noticed that one of the watchers posted ran off, likely to alert the others of my coming arrival. Sure enough by the time we reached the final plate, a small crowd of ponies had gathered near the mouth of the cave.
Wearing what little clothes they had, they watched and waited until I knelt down before them, arms outstretched. My charges were quick to disembark and make their way toward the waiting hooves of their loved ones. The sudden arrival was met with many tears, heartfelt words of thanks, and more than a few gasps of shock.
I stayed at the back, merely observing as the group of recently freed slaves was ushered inside. Only once they were all dry did Crystal approach me, the mare wearing an oversized cloak likely fitted for her partner and not her.
“Thank you, mother Gaea. Once more you have saved us from slavery and darkness,” she greeted.
I waved a hand dismissively. “Save it for Sunday.”
“As you say. Though I am curious as to what happened to them. They said very little about their time in the forest,” Crystal continued, glancing over to the cave entrance.
“The less said the better,” I murmured. “It… wasn't good. Furthermore, we have a complication with a few other captives, and the diamond dogs they now serve mostly willingly.”
“Mostly?” Crystal pressed.
I imitated a sigh and gestured to the cave entrance. “Come. I will fill you in while you are not standing out in the rain.”
“Of course,” Crystal agreed.
We moved over to the safety of cover, and I began filling her in on what had all happened. It took a few minutes to tell her everything that occurred, but once done she stood there silently, a pained expression on her face.
“Those poor, poor ponies,” she muttered.
“There are more,” I stated.
“What do we do? We have no weapons, or armor, we dropped everything that might have weighed us down. I think a few survivors were guards or soldiers but there can't be more than a dozen of them total,” Crystal blurted.
“I’ll go,” I replied, rising up to my full height. “I have no need for swords or the like, nor do I require sleep.”
“True, but this Moldy guy, he can't be a pushover. To gain control over so many dragons would mean that he’d have to be quite strong, and fairly old as well,” Crystal pointed out.
“Irrelevant,” I retorted. “They have my ponies, and no matter how big or how tough he is, he must die.”
“I agree, but this is a whole order of magnitude larger than a couple of inquisitors, or a hoofull of raiders,” Crystal pressed.
“I will be careful, but this is not something I can ignore,” I declared quite firmly.
Crystal sighed and nodded. “I know, but I can't help but feel like this dragon is going to be a bigger problem than any of us realize.”
“It will be fine,” I stressed. “Just go help the others get situated, and tell your boy toy to put a few more watchers out on the cliff.”
“I will,” Crystal replied.
“Good, oh, and remind them to stay out of sight. If they find you guys while I’m not here, things will not go well,” I pointed out, my words heavy with importance.
“I know mother. Just, stay safe,” Crystal muttered before turning around and going back inside.
A sense of pride welled in my chest, making me wish I could smile or pat the departing mare on the back. I made a note of doing so later once I was inhabiting a smaller body, and maybe even giving the girl a hug. She had certainly earned it.
Brushing off such motherly notions, I turned my attention back to the task at hand, that being the various points of interest the diamond dogs had noted for me. Upon thinking of the furry warriors I had spoken with not long ago, I began to worry, my mind conjuring images of their betrayal. Yet the ponies they had amongst them trusted them, maybe not completely, but it was there and I felt it clearly.
“Trust is a two-way street,” I muttered to myself.
Taking off back in the direction of the forest, I focused on just getting there quickly while also not slipping along the way. A feat that would have been impossible had I still been human. Though thankfully I was a multi-ton golem made primarily of stone with bits of metal so some mud didn't slow me down.
I merely thundered through the rain, my anger giving me the determination to push on despite the foul weather. As if detecting my dour thoughts, a bolt of lightning pierced the sky a second before the thunder rolled over me. I wanted to turn around, head back and relax in safety but the knowledge of what the dragons had done to my ponies drove me on.
With thundering footsteps, I ran to the first location marked on the map that I had been shown. I’m not sure how I knew exactly where it was, but I just did, on an almost instinctual level no less. It was like there was some arrow hovering above the ground before me, pointing me in the direction I wished to go.
Eventually, I reached it, having not run across any wildlife, save for a blood-red salamander the length of a pony. The slimy critter didn't stick around long and quickly retreated back into a puddle, where it watched me pass. After that, there had been nothing but thunder, the pounding rain, and my simmering hatred for those who had done harm to my ponies.
Upon seeing that I had found the deep ravine from Hypereas’ map, I came to a quick stop. Glancing around, I found that it looked completely normal, albeit a bit dreary given the weather.
A deep trench had been cut out of the land, sliced out by the swiftly running creek that was found at its base. There, nearly thirty meters down was the waterway itself, its banks overflowing with the sudden influx of rain. Normally it looked to be only a meter or two across at its widest point, meaning that most creatures could hop across if needed. I don't know why I thought of that anecdote, but I did, and I quickly pushed it out of my mind.
Inspecting it a little closer, I found that many caves lined the walls of the ravine, though none seemed very deep or very large. A pulse confirmed this, informing me that save for a few birds, none called this place home. That seemed to be the end of it, and without anything to go on, I found myself stuck.
Then a thought occurred to me.
Lakeside was probably on the side of a lake which meant that this ravine might flow into it. That was a good lead, but I wasn't sure which direction to go in as they both seemed to lead in the same vague direction. Deciding to leave it to chance, I waited until another bolt of lightning shot through the air, and I headed in that direction.
Wandering to the right, I found that after a few bends, the land descended slightly before leveling off once more. It was at this point, where the ground was flat that I felt a force begin to assail my senses. My vision was the first to start waning, with everything becoming slightly muddy and distorted.
I tried to shake it off and focus, but it only got worse, making me feel as though I was drunk or had been drugged. My hearing went next, with the thunder and rain gaining an odd warbling like I was listening to it through a tunnel. Again I tried to shake this off but it soon became so bad that I couldn't tell which direction the thunder was coming from.
There was no way I was going to give up, however, and so I attempted to push through the miasma that had beset me. My vision flickered in and out, while strange noises rang in my metaphorical ears. Then, just as I thought I was breaking through, my balance slipped through my fingers.
Stumbling blindly through the woods, I tried to stay on course but I quickly realized that I had no idea where I was. This continued for several minutes before everything started to clear. I heard the rain clearly, and saw the forest before me in sharp detail.
Only, I was nowhere near a ravine, and in fact, was standing in a slightly swampy area. I tried to get my bearings by looking around but the fog remained for nearly a minute longer. After finally gathering my senses I searched my surroundings for a second time.
I was still in a swamp, still lost, but I could at least stand upright without almost falling over again. A pulse told me that I was a fair distance from the ravine, despite how little time had passed since I had departed. For a moment I simply stood there, confused and discombobulated.
Then I shook my head and focused on going to the second location, intent on finding another clue. I was still unnerved by the experience but was determined to find something, anything to help me figure out what was going on. A few short minutes later I was able to reach the spot in question and was standing in the midst of a cropse of redwoods.
The towering trees were old, but not so old that they were much larger than the average tree. Still, they were tall, and would likely tower over their surroundings, had they not grown in a slightly lower section of the forest. My inspection of the surroundings abruptly halted upon spotting the bottom segment of a redwood chopped down by artificial means.
The stump stuck out like a sore thumb, doubly so when I noticed that saw dust-covered sections on the ground nearby. Once felled, the thing had likely been cut up into smaller pieces and dragged off, if the deep gouges left behind were any indication. Searching around, I was able to locate a discarded hatchet likely forgotten by the loggers.
Hefting the small ax up, I peered intently at it, noting that it seemed quite well made. Built for a creature with hands, and who was about as tall or taller than the average human being, it was quite sharp. I was tempted to take it with me back to my ponies but decided against it as I wanted there to be no indication that someone had found the logging site.
So I went back to the stump and found the drag marks from the tree. I quickly extrapolated where they were going and found that they were headed to the same location I was when I had been following the ravine. Clearly, someone or something was attempting to keep me at bay, though how was an unknown to me.
I couldn't be affected by poisons or the like, though I was still able to be influenced by magic. Or at least I assumed as much since no one had told me they were attempting to cast a spell on me. I wasn't about to let this get me down, however, so I focused my will, put my head down, and charged into the woods.
I didn't make it more than a dozen meters before the dizziness returned. Holding my arms out, I focused completely on just running forward as quickly as possible for as long as I could manage. It felt like I was on an intense cocktail of drugs, but I felt as though I was breaking through to the other side.
Then my foot caught on something, and I found myself veering wildly off course. I tried to correct this, but I couldn't figure out which direction I had originally been heading in the first place. My attempts to go back the way I came probably backfired, as I soon felt my senses returning to me.
This time when I looked around, I found that I was in an entirely new location. Surrounded by trees, and bushes, I couldn't make heads or tails of where I was. A pulse scan told me that I wasn't quite as far away this time. I was still a good distance from where I had begun though which was disconcerting.
“Right then,” I muttered to myself. “To the third location.”
Walking back to the logging camp, I quickly located the spot I had entered the barrier the previous time. My attempt to hide my footsteps was mostly wasted, unfortunately, as they were clearly visible. I decided not to think too much about how much of a stupid idea it had been to even attempt stealth and focused on the task at hand.
Following my footsteps deeper, I waited until I felt the first wave of nausea, and looked down. Sure enough, my tracks stayed straight for a little longer, though it wasn't far before they began to veer off course. At that moment I was only a dozen or so feet into the nausea zone, and I could feel a mental map of the area forming.
From the points, I’ve been to I could tell that my target lay directly in front of me, which made sense. A settlement of such a size wouldn't have a secondary logging area, and the wood would likely be processed on sight or close by. Sure it wasn't a perfect assumption, but it felt like a fair one in my mind, and I decided to act on it.
Taking a step back, I located the drag marks from the felled tree and walked along it. Sure enough, it was a straight shot for nearly a mile, the woodcutter having found a perfect corridor in the trees. Whether it was artificial or natural, it hardly mattered, as it would serve my purposes well enough.
“Here goes nothing,” I whispered to myself.
Trodding the long path, I took strong confident steps until I hit the first wave of nausea. I pushed past it and continued on until it became debilitating, at that point, I carefully knelt down. Once on my hands and knees, I started to crawl forward, creating a deep furrow in the earth in the process.
I grit my metaphorical jaw, and pushed on, utilizing every last bit of willpower I had to just get to my destination. It felt like I was butting my head against a wall, but I was made of stone, so I was fairly certain it would break before I would. My sense of balance was completely gone, and the feeling was starting to dull in my legs, so I simply pulled myself forward.
After an indeterminate amount of time, I felt my arm bump into what I assumed was a tree. Correcting my course as best as possible, I crawled further towards my goal, or at least I hoped I was. More time passed, and though I was battered, and my senses all but destroyed I stubbornly refused to succumb.
After what felt like forever, the waves of nausea became so powerful, so present that I felt like someone was hitting me in the head with a club. Yet still, I did not give in, forcing whoever, or whatever I was pushing against to change tactics. As suddenly my senses started to return to me one by one, though I was still being pushed back by some kind of more physical force.
Standing back up, I lurched forward and swung my fist at the source of the barrier. For a moment I thought I was going to hit nothing but air, but then I felt resistance. By then I was able to see clearly, which allowed me to notice that there was nothing before me but empty air.
Though even then I was being pushed back as if I were fighting a particularly powerful series of waves. Not one to let up, I continued swinging and hitting some invisible barrier, until all of a sudden a crack appeared before me. It wasn't in anything, but rather was suspended in mid-air, hovering like a lightning bolt frozen in time.
“You will not keep my ponies,” I muttered.
My fists slammed repeatedly into the barrier, creating a second, then a third crack, followed by a fourth. When a fifth appeared, I heard what sounded like the sudden cry of a woman from somewhere far in the distance. The cracks soon became so numerous that I was able to see what looked like a mostly opaque dome of magic. The cracks then turned to shards, creating a ten-foot wide opening in the shield that had tried to keep me out.
I wasn't about to celebrate quite yet so I walked hastily through the hole, before stopping and looking around. The drag marks lay before me, but they soon disappeared once they met a crumbling gravel road. Ill maintained, and clearly very old, the pathway went straight for a bit before turning gently to the right.
Before continuing on, I glanced back at the barrier and noticed that it hadn't repaired itself, or at least that's what my assumption was. The thing was invisible, and though I could have checked, I chose not to lest I had to repeat that entire debacle again. Which wasn't exactly high on my to-do list as just one attempt had robbed me of considerable strength.
My energy stores weren't low per se, but they had taken quite a beating. It wasn't enough to be worrying, but I made a note to take it easy until Sunday rolled around again. I didn't want to know what happened if I ran completely out so far away from my little ponies.
Would I wake back up in the mountain? Or would I just die, again? I thought, only to shudder in some strange facsimile of a twitch. Let's not think about that.
I pushed onward, all while trying my best not to think about the potentially grim end I might meet. Focusing on my surroundings, I distracted myself by studying everything I passed starting with the trees.
They were beautiful and reminded me of a hiking trip at some point in my previous life. All I could remember was that I had gone somewhere near a lake, though that was about it. Baseless assumption or not, I chose to believe it and tried to walk as quietly as I was capable of. I had little hope of being silent, but I could at least make it seem as though a large armored person was walking the road rather than a huge stone golem.
It wasn't far before I picked up the sound of a faintly running creek somewhere to my right. After a few minutes the road forked, and the treeline broke, revealing a three-tiered town nestled against a large lake.
The right fork didn't go far before ending at what appeared to be a large ruined house which itself sat atop a cliff. Surrounded on all sides by the swiftly running creek I detected earlier, the waterway traveled under a bridge before me. It continued on, becoming a waterfall not far before widening slightly, and passing under a second bridge. Finally, it widened a second time, passed under another stone arch, and entered the lake after about a mile or so of travel.
The narrow stream of water cut the town in half, with an older and more well-cared-for section being to my right. The left had structures that were newer and likely constructed by uncaring hands as they looked far less visually appealing. Barely more then shacks with rooves, they were arranged randomly, the shanty town occupying a mostly cleared area of the forest.
The other side of the creek was notable for a few things, the first of which was a large villa that sat atop a cliff. Separated from the rest of the town by a sharp drop, and tall walls, it was made of several connected structures. Constructed in a sort of feudal japan style, with large sloping rooves, and prominent archways it also had an oddly European feel to it.
Towers of stone dotted the walls, and the interior courtyard was largely devoid of decoration or plants. I ignored it for the moment and allowed my gaze to linger over the rest of the town starting with the older district. It contained homes and structures obviously built by the first settlers to the area, as they were tall and orderly.
Built in long, orderly rows, and with wide stone boulevards, it looked like a medieval era town or small city. One complete with a large dock where a half dozen sailing ships were moored, waiting for the chance to be used. There was also what looked like a mine to the right, at the bottom of the tiers, but I ignored that for the moment.
My attention had been grabbed completely by a small island just off the coast where a large tree stood, its many branches reaching for the heavens. At first glance, it looked like some manner of willow, though I couldn't remember if I had ever seen one with rainbow leaves before. Its trunk was also the color of polished silver, and where its roots broke the ground I spotted bright gold.
Its startling beauty was countered somewhat by the fact that magical black chains bound its form to a large altar of some kind. Upon this stand sat a large fiery red stone that burned with a cruel inner light that emanated hatred. It made my metaphorical skin crawl to look at, and there was no doubt it was the cause for the tree's apparent bondage.
I pushed that out of my mind for the moment and made a note to investigate it later. For now, I needed to finish the inspection by actually studying the people that dotted the area below me. No longer focused completely on architecture, and the layout of the village, I was immediately angered, a feeling which grew stronger with each moment I looked.
Everywhere I looked I saw ponies in chains, though they weren't alone, as I saw what seemed to be griffons as well. They were joined in bondage by a single enormous chimera-like creature that sported three heads, one a lion, another a goat, and finally a snake that grew where a tail should be. I also spotted a minotaur in their number, the towering bull person physically chained to the blacksmith’s station they worked at.
The most numerous of the various slaves were ponies, but even a brief glance was enough to tell me that something was off. There were too many of them present, meaning they had captured some from elsewhere, perhaps even a few of the inquisitors. Fewest in number were the griffons, as only a single family of them could be seen interspersed amongst the town.
It was at this point that I noticed a pack of diamond dogs being led out of the distant mine by a long chain. The ex-soldiers were haggard, and clearly exhausted from their forced labor, yet their draconic tormentors drove them on regardless. This was a scene I saw play out dozens of times all over town, with the scaled raiders leading their slaves around, uncaring to their condition.
It was a disgusting, revolting, and utterly enraging sight that made my metaphorical blood boil. I wanted nothing more than to head down there and begin slaughtering them all like cattle, but I held back. That was until I noticed something odd about the slaves that worked around the manor house.
They were nearly all female, and more importantly, they were almost all pregnant.
I saw red and before I knew it I was sprinting across the first bridge, down the steps, and towards the small villa. It didn't take long for shouts to go up, alarms to be raised and the first foe to stand in my way. The dragon was fairly large for his kind and was nearly as tall as I was, but I didn't care, nor did I care about the way he was inhaling deeply.
The bath of fire I received cascaded over my stoney form to little effect, and I charged blindly through the flames. Until I was within range, and with a titanic punch, removed the dragon’s armored head from the top of his body. His brain matter turned into a fine pink mist, and my foe's body stood there as if struggling to realize that it was dead.
I didn't turn to watch it fall, and continued sprinting towards the iron wrought gate that stood between me and my ponies. Putting my shoulder down, I prepared to body check my way through it all while arrows rained down against me. The pitiful projectiles did nothing to slow me, and with a crash, I blew the gate from its hinges, sending it flying.
Slaves and draconic masters alike looked at me in terror, with the ponies fleeing while their tormentors remained. A scattered, confused defense was attempted, with the raiders struggling to find weapons before I descended upon them. I didn't give them the opportunity, however, crushing the nearest dragon underfoot with a single stomp.
His closest ally reached for the sword belted at his hip, and I reached for him, grabbing him around the midsection. Hoisting the slaver into the air, I turned and splattered him across the manor walls in a spray of bloody organs. My rage was not satiated yet, however, and I immediately pounced upon a terrified dragon as it tried to run away.
Grabbing the thing by the skull, I gripped his shoulders with the other hand before pulling as hard as I could. Skull, and spine alike were torn free of the dragon’s fleshy prison before being tossed aside. The clatter of a sword against my side alerted me to the fact that some fool had attempted to harm me.
To his credit, he didn't flee the moment I turned on him, though he froze, arm raised above his head. A limb which I gripped, and with a single tug, removed it from the rest of his body. While he was reeling in pain, I flipped the arm around and used the jagged bone sticking out as a spear, jamming it into its owner’s belly.
As he gurgled on the ground, I sought out the next target which could sate my rage and found it. A pair of more heavily armored, and armed dragons were charging forth from the main house, each one sporting scales as black as night. Unlike their comrades which were mostly red, or some variation of such, like orange, or a deep scarlet.
It was clear to me that these were the leader’s guards or elite soldiers of some kind, and that they were confident. I crushed that confidence by sprinting at them with all the speed I could muster and leap upon the first one. He had been prepared for a fight, a duel between himself and a fellow warrior, but I was not a skilled fighter, merely a berserker.
He brought a shield up to defend himself but as I was flying through the air I brought my arms up and crashed down on him. My fists pounded his shield to scrap, and my body slammed into him with enough force to shatter nearly every rib he had. I didn't wait to see if that was enough to kill him, and repeatedly brought my fists down upon his head, shattering his helmet.
Only when his face was a mass of blood, and his friend was chopping at my back did I roll off the first dragon. His ally, now thoroughly shaken by my display of brutality, was quick to get back onto the defensive. The shield he had was visibly stronger, and glowed faintly, though that didn't intimidate me one bit.
Throwing myself at him with a furious cry, I slammed my fist into the shield with all the force I could muster. It crunched but held together, and the second blow added another concave dent to the enormous wall of metal. He tried to swing at me, but the power behind my strikes had knocked him off balance and the swipes of his sword barely did anything.
I wouldn't have cared if they did, as I simply kept punching until I felt something crunch, and I heard the dragon cry out. I had pounded straight through the metal and to his arm strapped onto the inside, shattering the limb. The shield hung limply at his side, blood oozing from his mangled limb and dripping onto the ground.
He didn't have long to consider his options before I punched him hard in the chest. Like before, his defenses held for the moment, though he was knocked back, and his breastplate was dented. Over and over I threw myself at him until I could feel his bones snap, and blood erupted from his mouth. I took a step back and with a mighty snap kick, sent him flying into one of the houses, the entire front half of his body a mix of blood and broken steel.
I turned and immediately began to search out another target, but found that the remaining dragons were quick to flee the moment my gaze landed upon them. I was about to start chasing the closest one when I heard the thump of heavy footsteps behind me. Turning towards this newest foe I found that a quadrupedal dragon was exiting the keep like center structure.
With a long tail and the head the shape of a pit viper, the dragon sported several odd features. The most obvious of which was the four long fangs that emerged from the top and bottom of his mouth. These long spikes of white bent slightly at the end and had golden rings placed upon them as decoration.
That wasn't the only jewelry the male wore, as he also had many bracelets, rings, and necklaces, all of gold. The shiny precious metals contrasted greatly with his dark black scales, and dull grey underbelly. Which in turn made his bright emerald eyes, and the large stone that hung from his neck stick out all the more.
The stone was the most interesting, as it felt familiar to me for some reason, and I deduced that it was what I was searching for. That didn't matter, however, as the sight of several cowering pregnant slaves peeking out from around his bulk enraged me. Picking up the large sword dropped by the first of the elite guard I had killed, I flung the thing at the newest target. A single one of his large thin wings batted the weapon aside, however, sending it flying into a nearby wall.
“So you do have some modicum of intelligence,” cackled the dragon. “Perhaps you can explain why you are in my villa, slaughtering my men.”
“Corpses don't talk,” I spat.
Before this new foe could speak again, I charged him, fist cocked and hate burning hot in my chest. His confusion lasted just long enough for me to reach and slug him across the face. Only then it was my turn to be baffled, as I didn't feel the satisfying sound of my fist cracking his skull. The only damage I seemed to do was to knock loose a single one of his jagged fangs, the tooth landing on the ground with a dull thump.
I kept swinging regardless, uncaring as to how effective I was and merely hoping to push my initial advantage. The dragon was fast, however, his head bobbing left and right, avoiding my clumsy swings with deft ease. He then inhaled, and with a snort, shot a plume of bright green mist into my face.
Stone melted, and sizzled, as the acid bit deep into my rocky features, leaving me open to a shove. Stumbling backward, I swiped the weirdly hot liquid from my face, clearing my vision. Just in time to see that my opponent had grown twice as large as he had been a moment earlier, easily standing as tall as I was.
I knew the tides were turning, and so I pushed on, desperate to get an advantage before I was beaten. This time I swung not for his head but his body, hoping that the quadrupedal creature wouldn't be quite so quick. He wasn't, but he didn't need to be, as he blocked, or batted aside each of my strikes with the ease of an experienced boxer.
Within a few seconds, he had grown to nearly double my height, and there didn't seem to be an end to it either. It was at this point that my fear beat out my rage, and I leaped at the dragon, hands reaching towards the stone hanging from his neck. Like the rest of his jewelry, it to scaled up along with him, quickly escaping my reach and leaving me with nothing.
“Corpses may not speak,” he boomed, voice powerful enough to buffet my body. “But neither do rocks.”
A great clawed hand descended upon me. Left with no other options but to flee or fight, I raised my arms in an attempt to brace myself. It was effective, for only about a second, before my right arm shattered, the acid having eaten right through it.
There was a crack, and a moment later I was lying on my back, a gigantic claw crushing the rest of my body. I squirmed and struggled, but my efforts were in vain, the dragon was simply too large and had too much mass for me to resist. Still, I fought, even as he inhaled once more and leaned down, cheeks bulging slightly with stored acid.
Just when I thought he was going to kiss me, he exhaled and a plume of acid melted the entire top half of my body. The sensation of being burned away was incredibly unpleasant and I would have screamed had I the chance of doing so. Instead, I could merely twitch as my form was turned to a slurry of acid and now liquid rock.
Then I was alive once more, and like the last time I slowly came to, it took some time. In the distance I could hear talking, followed by singing, and then more talking, this time slightly subdued. Throughout it all, I felt my reserves refill, and eventually reach the same level as they had during the first Sunday service.
The only difference was that I heard a few new voices joining the choir, ones I easily recalled. Those saved from the dragon raiding party were present, and though most added to the song some were quieter. A few only spoke briefly when prompted through their heartfelt thanks to me personally but still fueled me almost as much as the others.
It gave me the impression that they were perhaps a bit unconvinced of my divinity, but still appreciated what I had done. It was a nice affirmation that when I had secured a home for my little ponies that I could begin moving them to something more secular. I would still require thanks but by then I should have done enough to earn me such kind words without deification being necessary.
My senses only completely returned to me when things were beginning to wind down. Though when they finally did, I felt as though someone had planted an axe directly in my forehead. The pain was immense but thankfully brief, becoming only a dull throb at the back of my mind after only a few seconds of agony.
“And though she has been gone for nearly a week, we hold strong to our beliefs, and sing her praises still!” shouted the young preacher I had seen not long ago, the pony standing atop a tall wooden chair. “For she is our mother and the mother of all living things. Gaea!”
As the crowd cried my stolen name the last lingering cobwebs were swept away and I stumbled forward. The body I had borrowed was the same one I had left behind in the church from last time though it felt lighter for some reason. Looking around the room, I found that all eyes were on me and that a hush had fallen over the large crowd.
“I am sorry, my little ponies,” I began. “For leaving you for this past week.”
“No apologies necessary, mother. We live to serve,” exclaimed the foal.
“Regardless. I come bearing unfortunate news though first I must ask what has happened in my absence,” I continued, glancing expectantly around the room.
When no one immediately answered, the preacher cleared their throat. “The week has been unusually quiet. We spotted a dog search party but they did not approach the mountain, nor ascend the steps.”
“Interesting. He must assume I’m dead,” I wondered aloud, only to realize the sudden shock I had caused amongst my followers. “Apologies, everyone. I did not mean to startle you all but that is part of the bad news I bear.”
Everyone sat patiently, watching and waiting for me to continue speaking.
“The ‘lord of the forest’ as he likes to call himself bested me,” I exclaimed. “I underestimated him and overestimated my own abilities. It seems as though I have not fully awoken after all.”
“Nevertheless,” I continued, stepping forward. “I have discovered how to breach the veil that surrounds Lakeside, and have located your missing neighbors.”
“Oh, thank goodness,”
“How are they?”
“Is Sun Dancer still alive? Is she hurt?”
I held up a hand, quieting the slew of questions thrown my way.
“I know not the specifics, only that they have had terrible things done to them. Things that after they were discovered drove me into a terrible rage,” I continued, clenching my fist so tight my fingers started to crack. “But that has passed and I’ve used my brief slumber to come up with a plan. One which I am certain will free Lakeside from tyranny and return your lost friends to you.”
Another round of shouted thanks and scattered yells of everlasting appreciation were heard. Near the front, I noticed the familiar shape of Crimson Heart, though the pony was draped in white fabric. She almost resembled a nun in a way, though the cloth had clearly been intended to cover a table at one point rather than a pony.
Her chosen garb was not what drew me to her, however, rather it was the fervent prayers she was uttering beneath her breath. It was an intoxicating sound, and I couldn't help but focus on it, drawing on her devotion without even trying. I stopped myself just as quickly, though I noticed that she seemed slightly fatigued after the event and swayed briefly before sitting straight once more.
“Apologies,” I muttered. “I cannot stay and speak to you all. Your friends and neighbors cry out for freedom and I must answer.”
“But what about us?” Crystal asked, standing amidst the rows of followers. “What happens if you were to fall again? What would we do?”
“Heresy!” spat the young preacher. “You dare question your mother?”
“Relax,” I quietly exclaimed, placing a hand on the child’s shoulder. “I encourage questions and discussion. Though I am wise and know much I do not know all.”
The kid rankled a bit under the condemnation but quickly relaxed.
“That is a good question, Crystal,” I continued after a short pause. “Though I am certain of my coming victory I would ask that you prepare to receive many wounded, and desperate ponies in need of help.”
I glanced to Crimson Heart expectantly and shared a small, knowing nod with the mare.
“The suffering done unto your fellows is great, but not insurmountable. They will require care, and compassion from you all but I know you can do this,” I pressed on, stepping forward. “You are strong and resourceful, but above all, I know the flame of compassion still burns hot inside each of you.”
There were some smiles, and a few nods and the majority of adults present were seemingly aware of what I was referencing.
“But first I must return and finish what I started,” I declared, raising a fist. “Now go, go and be merry. For soon you shall receive your lost brothers and sisters.”
The crowd cheered briefly before setting off, flooding out the back in an orderly, but still quick fashion.
“Wait a moment,” I whispered, clutching Crimson by the shoulder. “I would like to speak with you.”
“And me?” asked the young preacher.
I smiled and knelt down to his level.
“Soon we will discuss the messages I wish for you to bear unto the world, but that time has yet to arrive,” I whispered. “Hold fast, young one, and be patient.”
He squirmed briefly but nodded after a moment of indecision. “Okay, good luck mother.”
“Thank you, dear,” I replied, patting him lightly on the back.
I watched the child go, and rose slowly from the ground while at the same time Crystal approached me.
“I don't like this,” she remarked nervously. “You were gone almost an entire week.”
“I am sorry to worry you. It was a failing on my part. One I hope to rectify rather quickly,” I replied.
“Because of the dogs?” Crystal pressed.
I nodded. “They have little time, and if we were able to gain them as allies we would further cement our place here and free more of your friends from their agreement.”
Crystal sighed and rubbed her temple with a hoof. “I know this is what's best, but I wish it was unnecessary. Why must people be so cruel to one another?”
“Not all are so blessed that they walk the path of love,” Crimson Heart whispered. “Some have let fear, and greed into their hearts.”
“That is true,” I agreed. “But not the whole story. Many of the dragons under the forest lord’s sway may be simple cowards and be no more evil than you or I. Time will tell how deep the corruptive influence of their master goes.”
Crimson Heart bowed her head. “One may hope.”
“I suppose you’ll be leaving then,” Crystal offered.
“I will, but not before I speak to Crimson, alone,” I added.
Crystal glanced at Crimson and then nodded. “Right. I’ll leave it to you then. Best of luck, mother. We hope to see you again very soon.”
I watched her go briefly, before glancing back down to Crimson. “I see you have donned the cloth as it were,” I pointed out.
“Oh um, yes,” She muttered, grabbing at the fabric. “I know it's silly but after everything the feeling of people looking at my nude body. It…”
“You need not explain yourself to me,” I interrupted. “And for what it's worth I approve. I also had hope that you could perhaps offer a sympathetic ear and warm company to others who may have been placed in similar situations to yourself.”
“I understand completely mother,” Crimson Heart murmured, bowing her head. “I will endeavor to create a space where we may heal from our wounds in comfort and seclusion.”
“The others, have been through terrible things but they will not understand. Not completely,” I continued, my tone solemn. “Treat these new arrivals as you would your own flesh and blood sisters, or brothers if you find any stallions who suffered similar fates.”
“Of course,” Crimson Heart declared.
I nodded. “Thank you Crimson Heart. In time I hope to get your siblings more help but for now, a place and a sisterhood will be a great boon to them.”
“Just being here has already lifted my heart considerably, mother,” Crimson Heart exclaimed.
“That is wonderful to hear. Now I must go, but please work with Crystal to prepare everything for what is to come, they will need your perspective,” I added.
Crimson Heart nodded. “Your will be done.”
I nodded once more and turned to depart, walking back out into the caves and amongst my little ponies. I wanted to stop, talk, and play with the little ones, but I urged myself onward, all while I sent out another pulse. This time I was seeking a particularly dense mineral vein, one that would help create a rather unique body for a rather unique problem.
By the time I reached the cave exit, I had located exactly such a deposit further down the mountain. Bringing my placeholder form down there, I summoned my power and reached deep into the earth. Clutching it tightly, I molded a squat, four-armed form around the mass of rock I had specifically chosen. It took more power than any of the other bodies I had created, but in the end, it came out exactly as I had desired.
Emerging from the stone, it clambered out of the shallow pit with its four long, gangly arms. Its main body was round, almost circular, and it had only a small bump for a head at the very top of it. Standing not quite as tall as my previous incarnation, this body had a nearly perfectly smooth exterior, save for several shallow holes it sported seemingly at random across its front.
Dividing my attention between bodies both new and old, I sprinted the smaller one back to the church. While I waited for it to reach its target, I finished crafting the internal workings of the new form, taking great pains to get it right. By the time the previous statue was returned to its spot, I had finished my work and fully inhabited the new form.
My first step was slightly awkward, as my center of balance was a little weirder than the others. Regardless, after some slightly humorous waddling, I figured it out and was able to walk without looking like a newborn. I then paused, and flexed, causing a dozen spikes to shoot out from my hands, arms, and torso, each one of which was long, metal, and barbed.
I stood there, silently inspecting them for a moment before withdrawing them with a clunk.
“This will do,” I muttered to myself.
Finding my way back to the hole I had punched in the barrier wasn't difficult, though I found it had shrunk slightly. Likely healing after my rather forceful entity, I had to duck to get past it without damaging it all over again. I didn't want to spend so much as a single ounce of unnecessary strength though so I took my time.
I also spent several hours winding my way through the woods and going on a wide, circuitous route around the lake. Once on the other side, I peeked out from amongst the branches and confirmed that I was where I hoped to be. Sure enough, my sense of direction had been correct, so I slowly walked into the water, my incredibly dense body sinking immediately.
Soundlessly, I plodded across the lake bed, observing all the confused fish that passed me by. I also took note of how clear, and fresh the water though there was the odd piece of trash that grabbed my attention. Discarded skins from some fruit, a cracked barrel that was no longer useful, or the occasional bit of driftwood slipped by on the current.
Clearly, the dragons were making no effort to properly maintain the lake and were using it as an oversized dumpster. This annoyed me, but I pushed that feeling deep down inside with the rest of the rage I already felt. Pushing further on, I soon found myself swallowed utterly by darkness, my body compressed by a surprising weight.
I was a mound of metal and stone so it wasn't like it bothered me, though it was a bit of a shock. I hadn't thought that the lake would be quite so deep, yet here I was, trudging through the blackened depths with little to guide my way. That didn't concern me, though brushing against something very large, and very scaly did.
I froze, and felt the shape glide past me a second time, before rubbing against the other side of me. That seemed to satisfy the creature’s curiosity, as it soon swam off, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. Whatever that had been, it had been big, very big, larger than even me and that was an impressive feat.
A thought for another time. I mentally reminded myself.
Trudging onward, I made slow but steady progress towards my target on the other side of the lake. It took a while, but eventually, the ground sloped upwards, and I was able to see clearly once more. It was also rounded, and not altogether very large, signaling that I had indeed reached the small island just off the shores of Lakeside.
Peeking my head just barely above the water, I saw two dragons standing near the water’s edge, neither particularly alert. Armed, and armored, the creatures leaned on their weapons or squatted while speaking to one another.
“By my father’s bones, this post sucks,” one of them murmured.
“If I had a ruby for every time you said that-”
“You’d have a horde bigger than the bosses’, I know,” interrupted the first one. “I just don't get it is all. This spell thingy is supposed to be super strong right? Why does the boss need us looking after it?”
“Cus the boss doesn't want anyone touching it. Especially after that stupid rock thing came outta nowhere,” muttered the second one.
“That was weird. Ya hear it killed Scorch? Tore him apart with its bare hands,” remarked the first.
“Aye, I heard,” replied the second.
“Whatever. I’m just glad it's dead. I had to do a shift of clean-up duty and nearly hurled after I found a bit of the guy dangling from the ceiling,” exclaimed the first dragon.
The larger, more grizzled dragon stood up suddenly. “Look here, new guy. The best way to make this shift go by is to bring some dice or cards but since you screwed up we can't have that so why don't you just sit there and watch the lake or something?”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” muttered the younger of the two red dragons.
Dunking my head beneath the water, I watched and waited until I saw a confused-looking face gaze down at me. Then I sprung, surging from the water and grabbing the dragon around the throat with my claw-like fingers. His buddy heard the splash of water and turned around just in time to get his throat grabbed like the first guy.
Hefting the two from the ground, I watched with grim amusement as they choked and sputtered. They pounded their arms against my own, and flailed wildly, their efforts utterly useless.
“Alright now here's what's going to happen. One of you is going to die, and the other is going to warn your boss of my arrival. Who gets to live I hear you asking?” I began. “Good question. You see the worst of you will perish.”
“Who among you has killed a pony before,” I began, studying their features closely.
The skinnier one didn't look quite as guilty as his comrade but he did still wince.
“Were they fighting back, did they deserve it, were they innocent?” I asked.
The younger of the two began sobbing and had gone limp while his ally simply stared at me impassively. In those scarlet orbs, I saw neither guilt nor shame, only a deep longing to kill me and destroy all I held dear.
“Well then, we answered that,” I remarked.
I dropped the skinny one, twisted my grip grabbed him around the midsection, and threw him before he had a chance to gather his bearings. I watched him soar through the air for a full second before splashing only a few feet from the docks of Lakeside. I then turned to the heavier set dragon and began to squeeze, cutting off his oxygen and causing him to panic.
“You've been bad. I can sense it,” I remarked, reaching down and grabbing his right thigh. “In the afterlife, you will drown in your sins, but before you get there you will simply drown.”
I grabbed and squeezed, snapping the bone before repeating the motion with the rest of his limbs in rapid succession. His cries of agony were like music to my nonexistent ears, the shrill scream carrying over the gentle waves of the lake. Then with a heave, I tossed him as far as I could, only this time I aimed in the opposite direction.
Weighed down by armor and a longsword, the dragon sunk like a stone, quickly disappearing out of sight. Bubbles rushed to the surface in waves, once, twice, and then finally after several seconds, a third time. After that, there was nothing, no movement, no more bubbles, only quiet broken by a distant commotion.
“Now then,” I muttered, turning to the chain-bound tree. “How to free you?”
I eyed the tree closely, searching for anything out of the ordinary, besides of course the glowing chains that bound it. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful it was, or at least how beautiful it could be provided it was not chained up. The glowing steel marred the ancient tree’s faintly shimmering bark and clashed with the gentle grace of its boughs.
A part of me wanted to stay and gawk at the supernaturally pretty plant but I turned my attention downward. Seeking out any piece of the chain that seemed weaker from the rest of the thick links of metal. There was no lock, and no end or beginning to it, however, only a continual loop that secured the tree to the ground.
“Brute strength it is then,” I muttered aloud.
Stepping up to the tree I grabbed a length of chain in all four of my arms and tried to pull it apart. I was immediately disappointed but not surprised when I found that I could not harm the metal. It was simply too strong and didn't seem to strain at all even when I used all my metaphorical muscles.
“Come on you,” I murmured to myself.
Readjusting my grip I tried to pull a bit of chain off the tree but was once more disappointed. Expertly woven and intertwined with the plant’s branches there was no safe way to remove what bound it. Even if I removed all of its extremities, the noble vegetation would find itself still trapped in bondage.
“It's pointless,” whispered a faint, vaguely feminine voice borne upon the wind. “The spell is too strong.”
“If you think that's going to stop me then lady you don't know me,” I retorted, grabbing the chains once more.
“Lady? I… No, it does not have that kind of strength,” the slightly baffled voice replied. “It can only be removed by the hand that placed it.”
“Of course, there would be some kind of magical bullshit involved,” I muttered mainly to myself. “Nothing can be easy in ponyland.”
“I am not sure what you mean, but that doesn't matter anymore. The dark one is coming, and he will destroy you. I am sorry I failed you,” declared the voice, which dissipated at the end, as if drifting away on a soft summer breeze.
“He will try,” I replied.
I gave the chains one last half-hearted tug before turning around just in time to see a dark shape loom overhead. A moment later and a familiar and slightly amused, dragon landed in front of me.
“I thought you dead, or at least destroyed,” he remarked. “You must be coming from somewhere nearby. Perhaps after I kill you a second time I will have to seek that location out.”
I took a moment to eye the dragon up and down, noting that he was only a bit taller than me at the moment. He wore the same amount of jewelry as last time and had the same maleficent look in his emerald eyes. The tooth I had knocked loose had grown back, leaving no trace that we had even fought at all.
“Funny,” I began, extending all four arms and approaching him. “You kind of have to live to see tomorrow to do any of that.”
“I will enjoy crushing your arrogant spirit,” he spat.
I immediately broke out into a sprint, charging directly at him with my arms spread and ready to grab him. While I ran at him, the dragon reared back, and inhaled deeply, preparing himself for a titanic eruption of acid. Rather than dissuade me from my chosen path it only emboldened me and I continued to run directly at him without flinching.
Even when he exhaled and spat a cloud of green directly in front of himself I simply barrelled right through it. I exited it a moment later, almost completely unharmed thanks to the fine layer of crystal I had coated myself with. I hadn't recalled much from my old chemistry classes but I did know that there were certain materials that were resistant to acid. I knew glass was up there, so with a bit of intent and a whole lot of luck I had called forth something similar.
This took my opponent by surprise, the dragon blinking in shock and giving me enough time to close the distance. Though larger than myself by several orders of magnitude at that point, I was unbothered by the increased bulk. I simply launched myself at his midsection, arms extended wide, with the top two reaching towards his wings.
The dragon had just enough time to brace himself, but only slightly. Despite his preparation, I still knocked him back, my internal core of pure lead weighing more than even he did. Like a cannonball to the chest, I knocked my foe clear off his feet and sent us back into the lake.
Confused, and with the wind knocked out of him, he wasn't able to put up much of a fight as I pinned him. My metal arms extended and wrapped about his wings, securing them against his back and leaving him even more off balance. I was also able to bind one of his forelimbs, but it was a tenuous hold at best.
That didn't matter much, as the dragon was just barely able to keep his head above the surface of the water. His free arm grabbed a hunk of land, and pulled hard, dragging him toward the safety of the small island. I wasn't about to let this happen, and with a thought, I activated part two of my plan.
“Auugh!” screamed the dragon as over a dozen spikes pierced his scales and sunk deep into his flesh.
Not all had been able to find purchase in the dragon’s body but that didn't matter as a majority managed to do so. The sudden shock of being impaled caused his grip to falter, and I twisted my entire body, forcing him to relinquish his grasp entirely. With the added weight on his chest and no viable way to keep his head above water, the dragon plunged into the depths.
I felt his panic keenly and worked to make it grow by driving my spikes as deep as possible into his flesh. The barbed spines ripped and tore at his muscle, quickly turning the bright blue water a dark shade of crimson. His frantic struggles only made things worse for him as he worked the metal hooks into joints and under scales.
As we rapidly sunk into the cool depths of the lake and bubbles burst from his mouth, I almost thought my victory was secure. Then he began to grow, pushing against my constraints as his form bulged in an attempt to return to its natural state. I gripped and thrashed as best as I was able, but I could not stop him from enlarging himself.
Though I still weighed him down considerably, he soon became so massive that I felt like a child clinging to one’s mother. The process must have been agonizing as my barbs tore flesh, and ripped off scales as he grew. Yet he pushed on, using his unbound limbs to clamber toward the surface in search of precious oxygen.
I knew that if he were able to fill his lungs once more, the fight would be over and I would surely lose. So I abandoned the grip I had on both his wings and upper arm, shifting all my attention to his midsection. This may have seemed like a foolish move, but It was a gamble that paid off after I squeezed down with all six of my limbs.
Ribs cracked, and I forced out what little wind remained in the dragon’s lungs, causing an eruption of bubbles. I followed it up by immediately wrenching the dragon to one side, adding confusion to injury. Sure enough in his panicked state, the dragon kept trying to swim upward, while unknowingly getting no closer to the surface.
Mostly blind, and completely desperate, a swimmer may not know which way is up, a fact I put to use.
Though we were close to the water’s surface, I continued to twist, and angle the dragon downward. With his lungs burning, he knew what was happening, and that his mad attempt to escape the depths had been stymied. The male’s lungs no doubt burned, and his mind wanted nothing more than to breathe in once more.
I gathered as much when I felt his chest inflate for the first time since I had tackled him several minutes earlier. We were close to the surface, but not close enough and I knew that he had just consigned himself to a watery fate. His struggles became weaker and more directionless as his body realized that it was not oxygen that it had taken in.
Freeing two of my arms, I reached back and gripped tight the delicate bones around the base of his wings. A sharp turn snapped them, rendering two of his six limbs utterly useless. I then repeated this motion, breaking one of his arms, and then doing the same with his tree trunk-sized legs. It was difficult, but with him slowly sinking to the bottom of the lake and being unable to fight back it was not impossible.
With that done, I grabbed hold of his good arm, stepped off his chest, and stood on the slanted side of the island. Though the dragon hadn't known it, I guided his flailings in just such a way so that he didn't get far from the spit of dirt. Using all my strength, I hauled him back onto the land and splayed him out on his back, arms spread wide.
With a punch, I forcibly ejected the water from his lungs and hoped that he wasn't already dead. Thankfully someone was listening to my prayer, as his chest heaved and he began to cough. Vomit and water spilled from his lips, the dragon ejecting the contents of what he had eaten and drunk over the last few hours.
I merely stood off to the side, waiting for the moment when he seemed to realize what had just happened. That took a while though, as I soon discovered that I had likely collapsed one of his lungs during the fight. There was other damage, but my gaze didn't linger on the many new wounds he sported but his face.
“You bitch,” he muttered, his voice barely rising above a panicked wheeze.
“Aww good. You’re not dead yet,” I remarked.
“What-” the dragon paused and coughed hard, the movement causing him an immense amount of pain.
“What do I want?” I answered. “Simple. I want you to remove what binds this tree.”
“And in return, you’ll spare me?” he muttered.
I met his gaze, my unblinking tiny black eyes peering into his bright emerald orbs. “You’ll also have to leave, take your dragons with you, and swear to never return but yes.”
My foe’s relief was immediate, though he hid it beneath an overinflated sigh. “You've got… a deal,” he wheezed.
I wish I could have smiled at that moment.
“Good,” I declared.
Grabbing his arm, I dragged his bulk over to the tree, ignoring the pained wheezes that slipped from my foe’s lips. Once the tree was close enough, I took a step back and watched him closely. Sure enough, he did as he agreed to do, and began to undo the enchantment he had placed on the plant.
He did so by locating a particular set of links in the chain, and squeezing down on them while closing his eyes. His fingers glowed faintly, and after a moment of concentration, the chain suddenly fell slack. Without the magic holding it together, the metal quickly evaporated over the course of mere moments.
“It is done,” he muttered. “Now leave me be while I regenerate from my wounds.”
“No,” I replied, stepping over to his unbroken arm.
“No?” he shot back in confusion.
“I know your type, and I know you will just keep coming back until one or both of us is dead,” I explained while grabbing his shoulder in my four arms.
He tried to resist, to pull his sole unbroken limb from my grasp but he didn't have the strength to do so.
“No, you’ve got me all wrong. I swear if you just-”
“You mistake me for someone who cares to hear the empty lies of a dead man,” I interrupted.
A quick twist and a pull tore the limb from its socket, letting it hang limply against the ground. To his credit, the dragon merely grunted, refusing to give me the satisfaction of another yelp of pain.
“You think that because I care for the ponies that I am like them,” I continued, walking down to the edge of the island. “But I am not. I am something far more vengeful, and far crueler. I am these things so they need not be.”
“W-wait,” he pleaded.
“Those who seek to harm my ponies will be annihilated so thoroughly that even the memory of them is destroyed, lost like their bones to the sands of time,” I concluded.
Picking up his tail, I dragged the dragon back into the water, ignoring his increasingly frantic pleas and desperate cries. I didn't stop until I had pulled him to the very bottom of the lake. There I watched as he tried to hold his breath, and swim back towards the island.
His broken limbs and singular functional lung did little for him, save for granting him a few seconds of frantic grasping. Then with a look of resignation, he exhaled, releasing his final breath. I waited, watching him closely until his twitching stopped and the light completely left his eyes.
Only then, when I was certain of his demise, did I pluck the necklace from around his neck and make my trek back to the island. I stepped around the bubbling pit of acid and approached the tree.
“You and I are allies now,” I declared in a firm tone.
“Y-yes my alpha,” replied the faint voice.
“We will speak and reach a more mutually beneficial arrangement in the future but right now I need to know if you can help me contain the dragons,” I pressed.
“I… yes, I will be able to do that,” it replied. “Though my power is limited at the moment I can conjure a turbulent wind that will keep them grounded.”
“Good,” I stated. “And fret not. You have not traded one slave master for another. I merely demand your assistance for the moment but after I will only ever request it, this I swear.”
After a moment’s hesitation, the tree responded. “I believe you,” it declared.
“Let us get the butcher’s work done quickly,” I exclaimed.
Turning my gaze to Lakeside I noticed that the dragon’s death had not gone unnoticed. His cronies sprinted this way and that, carrying off whatever they could fit on their backs. Some hauled chests packed with wealth while others hastily lead away small herds of enslaved ponies. Most were disorganized, but there were a few more orderly groups that were plundering whatever wealth they could get ahold of. Led by larger dragons that had likely once been lieutenants, these bands of raiders would be a painful thorn in my side if they escaped.
I took a running start and leaped from the island into the water. I sunk like a stone and immediately clambered as hastily as I could across the bottom of the lake. It was awkward, and likely looked goofy as hell, but thankfully there was no one that could see me at the moment.
That was until I clambered up one of the posts that held up the dock, and found myself staring at a confused dragon. The male grabbed at a blade, but I was faster, and shoulder-checked him into the lake. I didn't look to see if he drowned, but I assumed as much given the heavy breastplate and leather armor he wore.
Those foolish gawkers that had remained at the water’s edge were the first to taste my wrath.
A portly red dragon tried to run but managed only a few waddled steps before I simply rolled over him. I felt something snap and squelch under me but I didn't remain long enough to inspect the damage. Coming up from the roll, I launched myself at another dragon, crushing him between myself and the wall of a small building at the end of the pier.
Turning back around, I found that a small number of draconic soldiers had gathered nearby. Their commander was a taller, broad-shouldered black dragon that was yelling orders and waving a whip. Behind him, those under his command were leading away several wagons piled high with slaves and valuables.
I could tell that morale was nearing a breaking point as the four terrified, and young dragons in the front were literally shaking. None had that killer instinct that the others did, so I ignored them for the moment and instead focused completely on their leader. Sprinting directly at him, I brushed aside the guards that tried to get in my way before slamming full force into the whip-wielding male.
The shock on his face was delightful, and I had a feeling he had intended on using his underlings as sacrificial pawns. Unfortunately for him, the small group fled the very moment I brushed them, running into the woods with whatever they had on them. I knew they would be a problem eventually, but that was something I could solve later, as right now I had more pressing concerns.
The whip wielder tried to shove me back, and give himself enough room to escape but I could not be budged. I didn't want to waste time on him however and simply tackled him to the ground, crushing him under my immense weight. Pressing forward, I rolled over his body and leaped back up just as the wagons were starting to move.
Or at least one of two was, as the slaves pulling the closest cart were refusing to move no matter how hard they were whipped. The bloody leather arcing into the air drew my ire immediately and I launched into a sprint the moment my feet were under me. Rounding the wagon, I saw the horrified draconic driver briefly contemplate his options before leaping from the seat.
He tried to run, to flee into the woods, but I wasn't going to let him get far.
Rounding the wagon I eyed the wounded ponies closely, noting that they both stared up at me in wonder. Their expressions bolstered my will and gave me hope that not all who had been captured were broken. I would only find out the full extent of the dragon’s cruelty after I had finished wiping them out.
I continued this grim task with the driver, who nearly made it to the treeline before I caught up with him. Grabbing his legs out from under him, I lifted him up and then slammed him against the cobblestone road. I then repeated this motion two more times, at which point he stopped moving.
“Puny god,” I muttered. “Wait, where did that come from?”
I let that question go unconsidered as I sprinted after the second wagon, studying my targets as I caught up with them. The back was stuffed to the brim with precious metals, gold, and anything shiny. Given its size, it had likely been destined for wherever the head honcho kept his horde. Now, however, some enterprising pair of black dragons had leashed together four ponies and were driving them hard.
Despite the frequent use of a whip, the wagon wasn't going very fast, likely due to the weight or subtle sabotage. Either way, it was to my benefit as I could catch up to them even with my slightly awkward, more circular body. I want quite sure how best to approach the situation, however, as I didn't want to inadvertently hurt the ponies hitched to the front.
“Aha,” I muttered to myself.
A dozen or so feet ahead I noticed that there was a slight hill next to the road. That was exactly the edge I needed, and I made a beeline for the top of the green mound with all haste. I reached it just as the wagon was passing by too, putting them at perfect tackle height for several tons of angry stone and metal.
Slamming into one dragon, my momentum carried through to the second and then out the other side of the wagon. Though a tangled mess of limbs, and flesh, I was able to keep them in front of me. Meaning that when we hit the ground, I had a thick wall of draconic bodies to serve as my crash mat.
The first one I hit, died instantly, his entire upper half crushed under my weight. His friend ended up in much the same situation, only in reverse, with his legs shattered, and his pelvis crushed. Pulling myself out of the bloody mess that had been one of the dragons, I immediately turned my attention to the ponies.
Who had slowed to a stop not far, and were either catching their breath or attempting to free themselves from the reigns. They seemed okay, so I glanced back down at the still-living slaver currently screaming semi-coherently beneath my legs.
“I can't feel my legs, oh by the ancestors, I can't feel my legs!” he cried, tugging at the flattened hunks of meat that had carried him from birth until now.
“In your next life, try not to be a slaver. Or else I’ll find you a second time,” I declared.
I didn't wait for a response, and ran back to town, leaving the sobbing, screaming dragon to the ponies he had been whipping a moment earlier.
As I ran, I felt the wind pick up suddenly, going from a gentle breeze to a howling cacophony in seconds. I stopped and looked up just in time to see a winged dragon crash through a tree and hit the ground hard. I made a note to thank the tree, and ask her name the moment I was no longer pressed for time.
“Augh,” he groaned.
The dragon got his hands under himself and started to rise when I slammed into his spine with my full weight. A moment later I rose from the small, blood and viscera-filled crater I had just created with renewed vigor. I sprinted back toward town once again, following the loudest screaming back to a pair of ponies fleeing from their draconic captor.
“Get back here you worthless horses,” spat the scaly slaver.
After the ponies passed, I emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree and lunged at the dragon with all four of my arms. The moment my foe’s gaze went from the backside of the two fleeing ponies and landed on me, terror bloomed. And I reaped that bloody harvest, tearing his arms from his body and letting him fall to the ground screaming.
With the most immediate targets dealt with I took off down the street, ignoring the confused terror of the pair I had just saved. From one foe to the next I went, killing, maiming, or severely injuring nearly every dragon I crossed paths with. Those that simply ran and made no attempt to steal or enslave, I allowed to leave, unmolested. However, those more avaricious found themselves the focus of my hatred.
Skulls were split, bones shattered, limbs ripped from torsos, and bodies pulped beneath my mass. Over and over I killed, following the sounds of screaming, or occasionally the whispered prayers of panicked ponies. Throughout it all, I did what I could to ensure that my ponies were made safe, though I didn't have time to explain. The occasional look of horror on their face when they saw me was painful to witness, but I assured myself that I would remedy that eventually.
I had to focus on those maddened dragons whose greed kept them from simply fleeing like the others. For without the domineering presence of their leader they were like wild animals, taking what they could and burning what they couldn't. Be it due to panic, malice, or simple accident I couldn't be sure, but a few of the homes bore bright red flames bursting from their tops. Each time I used my earth pulse and each time I was flooded with relief when I found out that there was no one inside.
Time soon became a blur of blood and screams, and I scoured the town starting from the dock. It was only when I reached the point of my initial defeat that I met any real resistance. The main gates of the small castle-like structure had been closed, and a plethora of random wooden objects had been piled behind it.
I took one look at the makeshift barricade and ran right through it, turning it into a mass of splinters and broken metal. On the other side, I found a group of dragons hastily piling all the loot they could from the castle into several wagons. Unlike the last ones, these were not being pulled by ponies but rather by the smaller, younger dragons I had occasionally seen.
“It's here, go go go!” called a voice.
I looked up to one of the watch towers and spotted an angular bipedal green dragon already gliding towards the wagons. I wanted to go after him first, but the clatter of steal distracted me. Glancing back to the manor grounds I saw a squad of dragons equipped in heavy armor rushing to meet me. They weren't as big or as strong as their leader, but they were a fair bit tougher looking than the regular rank and file.
They were tall enough to look me straight in the eye and wide enough that they reached even my abnormally wide form. The quartet of soldiers was also not only better armed than most, but also far more disciplined then the empty-headed raiders I’d fought until now. For as soon as they entered the courtyard the draconic soldiers fanned out but remained relatively close to one another.
It was a smart tactic, and their faintly glowing weapons gave me pause, but it would not save them.
I barreled towards the one that stood between me and the wagon train that was preparing to depart. I knew he wouldn't be able to stop me, but I had not anticipated that he wouldn't even try to do so. Instead, he twisted to the side at the last moment, abandoning the block he had been feigning until that final second.
A sweep of his warhammer took out one of my legs, and I tumbled forward. I tried to save my momentum and roll towards the fleeing carts but was knocked off course when something heavy hit me in the side. Abandoning that rather silly idea, I scrambled back to my feet and prepared to fight the soldiers head-on.
They didn't make the process an easy one as their magical weapons rained down against me, chipping away at my crystalline shell. They weren’t strong enough to do much more than make a few new dents but the constant assault kept me off balance. I soldiered through, however, tearing a warhammer from the grip of a dragon and tossing it toward the forest.
While he retrieved his weapon, I launched my assault on the first dragon I locked eyes with. Slender, with narrow shoulders, and wielding two scimitars, he was obviously the weakest link. Though faster than the others, his attacks did next to nothing to my hardened exterior.
I launched a flurry of fists, which he was able to dodge nearly all of, save for the one that really mattered. Struck in the chin with all the force I could muster, he recoiled, raising his blades in a crossguard maneuver. His allies tried to cover him by pounding away at my arms, but I shrugged off their blows like one may ignore the bite of a rather persistent fly.
In the end, their efforts meant nothing as I easily bowled through the thin dragon’s defenses. With two of my four arms grabbing his throat, I quickly crushed his windpipe and left him gasping on the ground.
A second after the first soldier lay dying, his ally returned and struck me with a powerful two-handed blow. Though it may have crushed a living creature flat, it did not even make me stumble. So certain was my attacker that this would not be the case that he stood there, a look of confusion crossing his face as I turned.
I didn't hesitate to press this advantage, and using one arm I yanked the hammer towards me. And just as I predicted, he held on to the weapon despite how foolish the move was. It was only when three of my arms wrapped around his midsection and began to squeeze did he realize how dire this error truly had been.
A powerful, crushing bear hug slowly squeezed the life out of the dragon while his allies attempted to save him. Blows rained down on me, and they even focused completely on one of my arms in an attempt to remove it. They failed, and I only released their comrade after I had crushed every last bone between his shoulders and his pelvis. He limply tumbled to the ground, a few ragged gasps slipping past his lips before he finally fell silent.
Now only three, and with nothing to show for their defense, I saw panic begin to take root in the eyes of my foes. I knew I didn't have time to deal with them all, so I decided to baste these vile turkeys in a healthy slathering of fear.
“Now, how will I kill you?” I asked, turning to one of the remaining dragons at random. “Perhaps I will pull your arms and legs off one by one, or maybe I’ll just fold you in half so the last thing you see is the inside of your own ass.”
“Fuck this, I’m outta here,” he declared.
“Wait, stop we have to hold out a bit longer for the plan to work!” retorted another.
“Fuck you and fuck your plan,” he spat back.
He then took off, but not before throwing his weapon at my face. Not like I cared mind you, it was rather funny to see the coward run off, leaving his two allies to face me alone. Not like they did so for long, as they spared a single glance at one another before sprinting off in opposite directions.
I ignored them and ran off in search of the wagons that had disappeared a minute earlier. The trail they left behind was pretty obvious, even to someone unversed in tracking such as myself. Three sets of deep ruts were visible in the ill-used dirt road, signaling that they had made off with a considerable amount of loot.
As I followed their trail, I began to notice strange irregularities. Most notable of which was the fact that crushed roots were sticking up out of the ground. Shattered branches also littered the road, though the path was too well maintained to be that overgrown.
“Hurry,” came the ethereal voice of the tree. “I’ve used the last of my power to slow them down but I can do no more.”
I made another mental note to thank them again later. After I had a chance to kill a few more dragons of course.
It wasn't long after that I came across the first of the wagons laying ditched on the side of the road. Its wheels were bound completely in a tangle of foliage so thick that the wooden disc was barely even visible. I barely gave the thing a glance before continuing on, noting that the driver had either been recovered or taken off into the bush.
They didn't matter, and so their presence was ignored in favor of chasing down the leader of this little group. After much running, I started to hear voices from up ahead, along with the sound of what seemed to be rushing water somewhere nearby.
“Leave it! Grab what you can and take wing. We make for the eastern mountain pass!” shouted a familiar voice.
“But I can't fly!” yelled back another dragon.
“Then you just volunteered to serve as our distraction!” spat the leader.
I rounded the bend just as a wingless black dragon had a sword stuffed into his hands and was pushed in my direction. His already fragile morale shattered the moment he saw my bloody visage emerge from the foliage.
“Ahh, it's the murder golem!” he shouted.
“Time to earn your keep, wretch!” spat the green dragon I saw earlier.
Giving his wingless companion another firm shove, the drake shouldered a locked chest stuffed full of valuables and took off. As he flapped his wings, and desperately tried to put some distance between us, I was closing that gap. I passed by the cowardly black dragon a moment later, and simply plucked the sword from his weak, awkward grasp.
I then stopped, took aim, and whipped the poorly balanced weapon as hard as I could muster. Though I had aimed at the back of his head, I hit one of his wings. The result was the same though, as he rapidly fell from the sky, his torn membrane unable to keep him aloft.
“Fuck fuck fuck,” he muttered.
In a panic, he threw his ill-gotten loot away and tried his absolute damnedest to fly out of reach. The hole I had created in his wing was far too big, however, and he awkwardly tumbled to one side. He had been ready to hit the ground running, but I was upon him before he could do so.
I grabbed his ankles out of mid-air, and let his momentum continue so he landed face-first in a puddle. He didn't get more than a few seconds to consider his dire circumstances before I made things much, much worse for him. With a heave, I forced his legs to open impossibly wide.
A scream of panic ripped through the air, and I watched in grim amusement as he clawed desperately in the mud. No amount of struggle could stop me though and I continued to pull him apart like a particularly stubborn wishbone. From crotch to shoulder, I tore ligaments, muscles, and flesh, causing his organs to spill out onto the cool ground.
I didn't spare his horrified subordinate a second look and turned immediately back to town.
As I made my way back, I checked and found that the necklace was still safe in one of the recesses in my chest. It had been a snap decision but one I thankfully did not come to regret.
I also sent out a near-continuous stream of pulses in an effort to ascertain exactly what was going on in the area. From what I gathered the situation was more or less in hand at the moment. Dragon survivors were few and far between, and those who had escaped did so alone or in very small groups. Groups that I could tell contained no pony slaves, but did contain some ill-gotten gains from the town. I cared nothing for the loss of gold or other precious metals extracted from the area and didn't prioritize their recovery at all.
I was about to turn my attention to the meeting place indicated by the diamond dog when I felt something. The stumbling hurried steps of many panicked ponies running alongside nearly as many dragons. The group numbered nearly thirty in total, the majority of whom were equine in nature, I briefly wondered how I had not detected them earlier. Then I felt some of them disappear, their hooves and feet leaving the ground completely only to land again not far from where they started.
“You won't escape me no matter how much you glide,” I muttered to myself.
Though I had only briefly managed to locate their position it was enough to extrapolate where they were headed. Using this knowledge I chose to hit them off at the pass so to speak, selecting a gully they would need to cross. There I waited, my body mostly hidden between the steep slopes of the natural barrier.
I didn't need to remain there for long as I sound heard the sound of wings and panicked shouts on the breeze. A few seconds after I first heard them, I saw them, the dragons carrying a pony under each arm while flying against the turbulent breeze. I let the first and second pass over me before I leaped from cover with all four arms extended.
My upper arms grabbed the ponies, while the bottom two grabbed the dragon by the ankles. Using my momentous weight, I yanked the dragon down into the gully, slamming him against the earth. My immediate desire was to crush the offending creature’s head, but I prioritized the safety of the ponies first.
“Wait here, I’ll get the others,” I ordered, placing the two equines down in one of the gully’s many bends.
I didn't wait around to make sure that they understood me, and sprinted back to the fallen dragon. He had scrambled back to his feet and was clutching a long, remarkably well-made longsword in both hands.
“S-stay back. We mean you no-” was all he could muster before I rushed him.
Charging straight past his guard, I ignored the clang of his weapon hitting my head, and grabbed him by the throat. Lifting him off the ground, I slowly began to squeeze.
“You will pay for your crimes, monster,” I uttered in a low, menacing tone.
“I-erk-”
Whatever he had been trying to say was cut off when I tightened my grip, removing his oxygen supply completely. I was about to enjoy the sensation of his throat collapsing when I felt something hit my leg. Rotating my head one hundred and eighty degrees, I looked down to find that one of the ponies was punching me.
“Let him go you stupid thing, he's not like them!” she demanded.
That gave me pause, and I eased up on my grip while inspecting the dragon a bit closer.
He was a spitting image of the leader drake I had drowned less than an hour earlier. Only where his presumed father was enormous and quadrupedal, this one stood on two legs and was damn near emaciated. As thin as a board, he barely had any muscle on his gangly limbs.
“What is your relation to my ponies?” I demanded.
The dragon coughed a few times before regaining enough composure to speak though he could not meet my steely gaze.
“I’ve been working with them,” he wheezed. “Trying to smuggle them out or at least make their lives easier.”
I spun my head around and looked down at the mare whom I just realized was pregnant. “Is this true?” I asked.
“Yes!” she shouted. “He’s been nothing but kind. Heck, he saved my life!”
“How does this complicate things? Just let him go,” shouted the other pony.
“No,” I turned fully to the dragon, my gaze making him flinch though he quickly put on as brave a facade as he could muster. “I require something of him.”
“You can have all the gold my father hoarded, the town, the mine-”
“Silence,” I interrupted. “I care nothing for these material goods. It is only the denizens of the town that I care for. As such, you will serve as the new mayor and will organize the ponies there before they have a chance to panic.”
“What, but I can't do that. Why don't you?” retorted the drake.
I glanced up and noticed that the rest of the dragons and ponies had assembled at the top of the gorge. None had made a move, but they seemed ready to throw themselves at me if it meant their boss escaped. That was good, as at least they were loyal to someone good, if not good themselves.
“I need to return this to the people your father stole it from before it costs them their city. I can't yet be in more than one place so I must count on you to keep order while I do this,” I pressed.
“I can't,” he repeated.
“What's your name, child?” I asked, softening my tone slightly.
“P-puff,” he stuttered.
“Let me guess, a derisive name given to you by your cruel father,” I began, the male nodded weakly. “You are weak in his eyes because you have empathy, you have kindness, but these things do not make you weak. You are weak because you refuse to act as your conscience demands of you.”
“Hey that's not true, he saved our lives!” shouted one of the ponies.
“Yet now when the opportunity arrives for you to ensure that many more ponies survive and don't end up the toys of opportunistic dragons you decline,” I retorted.
“I… I just can't,” he whispered.
I stepped closer, and gently took his hand.
“You can,” I stated in a low tone. “Now that I see clearly, I see the abuse upon you as clear as day. I see a dragon eager to shake off the legacy of his father, to do good, and to help his neighbors. I am not asking that you do anything, I am merely telling you what your heart is already demanding you to do.”
“How do you know all that?” whispered the dragon.
“A mother knows,” I replied simply.
The dragon sighed, and for a moment I thought he might start sobbing. “They’ll never accept me,” he whispered. “I’m my father’s son and a dragon.”
“You and your men will be accompanied by the ponies whose loyalty you have earned and though they may not believe you, they will believe them,” I stated, turning my head to the ponies behind me. “Isn't that right?”
“Y-yes!” the pregnant one eagerly exclaimed.
“You will be aided by the tree of the island, so don't think you're going in this alone, got it?” I half asked, half stated.
“Alright,” Puff muttered.
“Good, now stand up. Find your spine and do what you can to aid my ponies,” I pressed.
Puff stood up straight and nodded. “I’m on it.”
“Good, because I will be checking back in with you soon, and I am even less kind when I am disappointed,” I declared, putting a bit of extra effort into making sure my voice was as intimidating as possible at the end.
The dragon gulped and bobbed his head a second time.
“Good boy,” I remarked before setting off.
Putting the strange scene in my rearview, I sped off, leaping out of the gorge and proceeding back in the direction of the meeting place. While running, I sent out pulses, tracking the small group I had just left and noting that they were indeed heading back to town. It was a small thing, but it made me feel a bit hopeful that these dragons could be redeemed, and that they may aid my ponies. Leaving them behind like that when they were in such a precarious position was not something I enjoyed but it had to be done.
After all, I had no idea what state the diamond dog’s city was in, for all I knew it was already on the verge of collapse. Freeing the ponies they had ‘recruited’ was also an important goal of mine, but it would be moot if the city fell.
Thinking about the city, I began to wonder what it may look like.
From my past life, I recalled that such a thing was either impossible or simply not feasible in reality. Fiction, however, had plenty of underground cities like the one supposedly built by the diamond dog's ancestors. I could even imagine a fairly complete picture of one such fantastical location that occupied an entire cavern. I couldn't remember what it was called, menzo something or other, but that didn't concern me and I pushed it from my mind.
Focusing on the run ahead of me, I made sure to destroy as few trees as possible while also ensuring I didn't step on any small animals that may get underfoot. Thankfully my massive bulk rumbling through the woods was more than enough to spook anything with a pulse. Without having to worry overmuch about what critters may get in my way, I looked ahead, mentally trying to map where I was.
Thankfully with the dragon defeated and the tree no longer under his command, the barrier she had erected was gone. I had assumed that was going to be the case but was still happy to see that my assumption was indeed correct. With that worry gone, I plucked the necklace from one of the holes in my chest and inspected it for the first time.
I immediately kicked myself for not giving it a closer look before that moment as it was beautiful, amazingly so. It lived up to its name and then some, with the interior of the reddish gold gem seemingly containing the fury of a star. Swirling twisting flames lashed out against the inside of the thing as if trying to escape only for the effort to be a futile one.
It was also quite warm, like it had just spent an hour sitting at the base of a fire pit and now sat in my palm. It was also spherical, though it was cut in such a way that it had so many flat sides that it merely felt that way. As I stared into the swirling flames within I felt my distaste for the necklace grow.
The gem was beautiful, but in comparison, the gold necklace that held it in place was a gaudy attempt to match the stone. With a squeeze of my fingers, I broke the piece of gold, freeing the sunstone and removing the one thing that besmirched its beauty. With that done, I tucked the gold necklace back into a spike cavity, though I was tempted to simply toss it aside.
No, stop it. Gold has value, even here. I had to remind myself.
Admittedly, it had far less value after I crushed the delicate metal parts that held the gem in place, but that was secondary. So, like the other concerns and worries that plagued me, I pushed it out of my mind, and focused instead on the path before me once more. Though currently little more than a turkey trail running through the woods, I could sense that it wouldn't be long before I reached the plains. Beyond that lay the badlands, and thus my target, though at the moment I couldn't see any of that.
A few minutes later and that changed, with the foliage giving way to wide open spaces. It was then that I began my visual search for the badlands, and the dog which was meant to meet me there. As I used my binocular vision to look for exactly where I was needed, I noticed a few odd things that seemed out of place.
For one there were a bunch of small, squat structures being built along the rocky walls that fell at the edge of the badlands. Resembling a rather large, semi-permanent camp, they looked to house a few hundred diamond dogs. Some milled about, but most worked eagerly, stacking bricks, hauling mortar, or pulling supplies to their proper destination.
It was a far cry from the mostly abandoned bit of land I had spied not long ago and the haste they moved with spoke of panic. It made me wonder if the city was about ready to collapse, as what else could drive them out in such numbers? There were other anomalies I noticed, like the guards posted at even intervals across the breadth of their territory’s edge.
But there was also the fact that they seemed to be avoiding a good twenty-mile circle near the centermost point that gave me pause. If they were giving such a great berth then it stood to reason they feared the ground collapsing. That was all the evidence I needed for me to know then and there that the diamond dog city was nearing complete destruction.
Making a beeline towards the closest patrol, I raised the gem above my head and turned it slowly. In the distance, I could see their confused bout of defensive postures quickly melt away as realization dawned. Orders were shouted, a runner departed back towards what I assumed was their headquarters at the moment and a familiar dog stepped forward.
I used my binocular vision to inspect him closer, noting that he was the same dog I had conversed with before. Hypereas Umberblood, I recalled, from an outrider division, though that was about all I was able to remember of the male. Either way he seemed to make the same connection I had, as he had placed his weapon on his back and was jogging towards me.
“Is that the stone?” he shouted.
“Yes, I believe so,” I replied.
We came to a stop a second later, my hand lowering so the dog may see that I did indeed have something familiar to him. His wide eyes and gasp of relief were exactly what I was looking for.
“That's it,” he muttered. “It's too bad that you weren't here sooner.”
“Why, has it already collapsed?” I asked.
“No, but it's only a few minutes away from falling apart completely,” He answered.
“Then what are you waiting for? Point me in the right direction and tell me what to look for,” I shot back.
“But just describing it to you would take too long,” he stuttered.
“Then who will be brave enough to guide me in?” I inquired, glancing about.
“No,” Hypereas quickly interjected. “I will not allow any of my squad to take the burden. Take me, I will show you the way.”
I picked him up and roughly tossed him onto my shoulders. “Well, start pointing!” I barked.
“That way,” he exclaimed, gesturing to my left. “There is an old freight elevator we decommissioned just under that fake hill. If we jump down it we may be able to get there in time.”
I was already in motion, sprinting in the direction indicated.
“But what about you? Won't you get hurt by the fall?” I retorted.
“Us Diamond Dogs have adapted to falling into the odd pit or two. Besides, my armor keeps me safe from most injury,” Hypereas stated, slamming a fist against his chest in emphasis.
“Well then, you best hold on tight, because this ride is gonna get bumpy,” I shouted.
Reaching the top of the hill I could feel that it was a loose collection of clay and rock over top of what was likely a wooden barrier. A pulse confirmed my suspicions and so with only a moment to steady myself, I leaped into the air. The resulting impact shook the ground, shattering whatever supports they had constructed to hold the entire thing together.
Without slowing down we began to fall down deep into the earth, debris, and dust following after us. Sure enough, he held on tight, though I added a bit more protection by using all of my arms to hold onto him while also blocking any falling bits of wood or rock. The resulting impact a moment later was even more cataclysmic than the one a few seconds earlier.
I felt myself sink into the stone, creating a deep crater, though I ignored that for the moment. Instead, I focused on keeping my charge safe, my arms more than able to do such a task though I couldn't certain he was okay. I confirmed that a few seconds later after the debris finished falling and I began the slow work of hauling myself out of the crater.
Once free, I rotated my head to see a dazed, but very much unharmed diamond dog holding onto me for dear life. He quickly found his nerve though and straightened up as I moved towards the lone exit I could see.
“Once through take a left, then your second right and we’ll be at the main thoroughfare leading to the city. After that it's not far until we reach Fort Endurance, and the castle heart contained within,” He pressed.
I gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment as I clambered over the last of the blockage and stepped into the corridor beyond. I didn't inspect my surroundings much, merely taking note of the smooth walls, and high ceilings before taking an immediate left. Following his instructions to the letter, we did indeed emerge out onto a wide thoroughfare shortly after that.
Ahead of us were a few formerly relaxed soldiers hauling supplies away from the city. Upon seeing us they moved to block our path, halberds raised while they began to shout orders.
“Clear the way!” Bellowed Hypereas. “We have the sunstone!”
“It's too late, the city is about to collapse!” one of them yelled back.
“It hasn't fallen yet!” My charge retorted.
The group parted before me just as we neared them, meaning I did not have to resort to simply rushing through them as I first thought I would have to do. I made sure not to step on any of their hastily discarded crates, and continued on, sprinting down the road with all the speed I could muster. Less than a minute later and we emerged onto what looked like a long bridge flanked by statues of long-dead diamond dogs. I didn't inspect them closely though, partially due to not wanting to get distracted, but also because my gaze was fixed on the city ahead.
My first thoughts were one of shock as well as awe.
The city had two distinct tiers, with several bridges connecting to the bottom-most level that seemed to house the majority of the residential districts. Packed tightly together with narrow winding roads, there were few paths wide enough to allow a cart to pass through with ease. It was very defensible, but likely didn't make it a great trading outpost, or very visually appealing mind you.
Most structures I could see on that first floor were simple in the extreme, more function over form though that definitely fit the diamond dog character quite well. The second tier was identical in that way, with the main road entering through a wide gatehouse that could serve as a castle in its own right. Meticulously designed walls riddled with defensive positions, and siege weapons spread out in either direction, broken up by the occasional tower.
Small sub-areas for different barracks, or leisure facilities were visible though I paid them little heed at the moment. Rather it was that final castle sitting atop the multi-level fortress that had so captured my attention. Able to overlook the entire massive underground cavern, it sported a domed roof of gold, the only spot of color visible save for the occasional fire I saw burning along the walls of the city.
Walls which were pockmarked by damage, hunks of the ceiling having had come loose and destroyed whole sections. The same was true for various structures big and small throughout the whole of the city. I could see that more chunks of stone were falling even now, the massive boulders annihilating whatever they landed atop.
“Head over there, to that market square on the left. There is a secret passage into the level above located behind a store near there,” Hypereas shouted.
“What if it's already collapsed?” I asked.
“Then I’m dead, and you’ll need a new body,” he yelled back.
I closed my metaphorical mouth and prayed to the real Gaea just in case she actually existed. I would find out if my prayer was unanswered a few moments later when I was able to reach the market he had indicated earlier. Following his pointed finger and energetic shout, I kept moving, redirecting my momentum toward what looked like a leatherworking shop.
Doing my best impression of the Kool-Aid man, I burst through the front entrance and looked around. There was only one door to the back, and it was too narrow for my ginormous frame, not like I minded. There was something cathartic about shoulder checking through solid stone. So I did it a second time, barreling into what looked like a workshop space near the back of the shop.
“It should be behind that bookshelf. Oh and don't worry, the passageway is wide enough for you. It was built to allow an entire company to deploy behind the enemy should we be in a siege,” he explained.
Extending a pair of arms, I running backed my way into this passageway, shattering the feeble wooden barrier that had blocked us. There I was able to look up and see that the tunnel sloped towards the castle, the many hundreds of steps ending abruptly at a wall of debris. Sure enough, the way had collapsed, and I felt a yawning emptiness open in the pit of my stomach.
I was too late. I had doomed their beautiful city to destruction.
“No,” Hypereas muttered. “Please tell me you can move that stone with your goddess powers.”
“I… I’m still weak from slumber but I can try,” I answered.
I had no idea if I could do what he asked, but it sure seemed probable anyway, as I moved around stone when I made my body. I tried to imagine that I was doing that, only in a different way, and focused power into my hands. As the energy built, I began to will the change upon the world, only to be surprised when the barrier moved on its own before I could finish.
The entire thing shuddered, before suddenly lurching sideways, vanishing into the now smooth wall. As the magic slipped from my grasp, I sent out a pulse, eager to ascertain who or what was helping me. The ripple of energy seemed to touch something and it felt as though I had brushed my hand against someone else’s. I got the sense that they were old, weary but benevolent though I couldn't tell you why I got that feeling.
“You did it!” Hypereas shouted. “Hurry, let's keep moving!”
I didn't correct him, as there were far more concerning factors at work here like the city falling down around us. As if responding to my thoughts I heard a loud thud from somewhere nearby, a fallen hunk of stone crashing through the roof of a nearby building. Using that as my starting gun, I took off running, my thunderous steps destroying the stonework and sending bits of debris flying behind me.
At the end of the long tunnel was a door, one left open though I barreled through it regardless. Unlike below, here there was no shop, but rather a barracks of clearly military design. The area had been cleared of nearly everything, however, and the doors had all been left either open or ajar. This likely helped to make sure no one got lost, or left behind, locked in some district or area that they don't have the key to get out of.
“There,” shouted my charge, pointing to a door on the left. “That leads to the courtyard, the ramp upwards is on the right, and from there it should be a straight shot to the castle heart. The way should have been left open for you.”
I continued on, pushing myself to move as quickly as I could within the relative confines of the tight yet not impassable room. It became much easier to run when I emerged out into the courtyard, though I quickly stepped to the right, avoiding a fallen hunk of stone. Nearly as large as me, the enormous rock bounced off the ground, splitting into a thousand smaller pieces.
None of which were a concern to me, as I had already started to make my way toward the ramp leading further up. Stomping up the slanted walkway, I ran through the first open arch, stopped, turned, and ran up to the next. I repeated this motion a few times before finally coming to the wide open gate that stood between myself and the castle.
“Hurry, there's not much time left!” Hypereas shouted.
I sent out a pulse as I ran and sure enough, I could sense that the roof had nearly reached its breaking point. I didn't pay attention as to just how bad it was though, and pushed onward, running deeper into the castle. Following the finger pointing directly ahead of me, I barreled through the half-open door and into the throne room.
“Behind the throne, just plow right through it and the wall behind it!” Hypereas ordered.
I didn't question him, and kept my momentum going, running with three arms extended in the same running back position. The first thing I hit was the rather luxurious wooden chair that had served as a throne, which I hoped wasn't important. A second after that and I slammed into, then through, the wall directly behind the throne itself.
Here I stumbled to a stop, the sudden impact of something truly massive hitting the ceiling above us giving me pause. I focused myself quickly and looked up to find that there was a pedestal about a dozen feet off the ground. Atop which sat three metal prongs that I could tell just from looking at it, would hold the sunstone perfectly.
“Wait, there are traps!” Hypeareas yelled.
I sprinted on regardless, one hand grabbing the sunstone and readying it to be placed back where it belonged. Though my steps were met with a flurry of traps like spikes, darts, or even a few lightning bolts I didn't slow. None were aimed high enough to injure my companion, so I pressed forward, bringing my hand down victoriously upon reaching the top.
The stone clicked into place, and with a surge, secured itself back into its pedestal. A shimmering barrier was emitted by it, pushing out a few feet, just enough to protect itself. It then pulsed a second time, this time stronger, the magic traveling much, much farther. A third followed shortly after, followed by a fourth, my own senses telling me that each thrum of power was reinforcing the cavern roof.
Within a few seconds, the entire thing felt secure, and I finally relaxed. My companion must have noticed this shift, as his shoulders slumped for the first time.
“Is it… Is it done? Did we do it?” He asked.
“It sure seems like-” I began, only to be cut off when I felt the room begin to tremble.
The ceiling released a spray of debris, the masonry raining down all around me.
“We need to go, the castle is ready to collapse!” Hypeareas shouted. “The sunstone can protect itself, but that protection doesn't extend to us!”
Once more I moved on instinct, running back the way I came, giving the sunstone one final glance. Sure enough, the barrier around it had thickened, and though no mage I could tell that the magic was powerful. Yet despite how confidence inspiring that was, I felt a strange sense of dread begin to crawl from the depths of my stomach.
A strange image flashed before my vision, one containing uncountable dark spirits surging across the world. The sun had been snuffed out and the shine of the moon was gone, replaced by a dark expanse of blackness. I felt misery, hopelessness, and despair in incredible quantities, nearly overwhelming my senses in the process.
Then it was gone, and I realized that only a split second had passed, rather than the many minutes that I had felt go by. My stumble was quickly corrected, and I sped back through the throne room, only to come to a grim realization. I was not going to be fast enough, already the supports were beginning to crumble and hunks of the roof were starting to rain down. Hypereas was muttering a prayer under his breath, though I pushed the words from my mind, a plan already forming.
Gathering up the fuzzball, I positioned him so his feet were against two of my hands while the other two held him aloft. Though weird, he didn't resist me, allowing me to shotput him with all the strength I could muster. The furry projectile flew straight and true, vanishing out of the castle gates a moment before I was buried in thousands of tons of debris.
I knew that would not be enough to destroy that body, but I also wouldn't be able to retrieve it, so with a metaphorical smile on my face I abandoned it. Pulling my essence back to my point of origin I allowed myself a moment to simply bask in the pride I felt. I had succeeded, not as well as I would have liked, but I had done it all.
As I lingered in limbo, I couldn't help but continue basking in the moment of victory. A part of me couldn't help but point out where I had erred, and where I had nearly made a grave mistake but I ignored that voice. In the end, I had stopped before anything could go wrong, and now I had a potentially useful ally with both the dogs, as well as Lakeside.
I would have to strengthen those ties and see about legitimizing our alliance with a treaty of some kind but that would come with time. My first order of business would be making sure the city didn't actually fall apart, and that Lakeside hadn't devolved into anarchy. With those two very worrying possibilities now firmly at the forefront of my thoughts, I summoned my magic and found that I was bursting with the stuff.
Feeling the lines of faith I was able to detect that Lakeside was overflowing with thanks for what I’d done. Ponies were giving me great praise and seemed quite appreciative even if their faith was tinged with fear. It pained me to have them fearful of my wrath but I resolved to remedy that soon, but not before I checked out the other curious source.
A small but devoted group of diamond dogs were whispering prayers to me in what felt like a secluded room of some kind. It felt out of the way, and they seemed fearful, though not of me but rather of getting caught. I wasn't sure if the worship of other deities was allowed in their culture but I decided to figure out one way or another soon enough.
To that end, I summoned forth my magic and began sculpting three statues not for fighting but rather diplomacy. I made them as light as I could muster, using my extra power to create an interior mostly constructed of pumice. The holey stone was strong enough for my plans after applying only a small amount of magic.
On top of that, I created a thin layer of marble, which I carefully sculpted to make me appear as lifelike as possible. It was there that I stopped for a moment and considered my options carefully. My first instinct was to create a human, and simply make my new body as beautiful as possible but I resisted that urge.
As tempting as it was to do so, I was no longer human, and thus no longer needed to appear as such. Rather I needed to create something that would illicit awe and wonder, making the viewer see me as the goddess I pretended to be. With that in mind, I turned my attention to the broad strokes that would be the same across all three of my bodies.
Green eyes made from large emeralds found deep underground was the first thing I added. Then was my hair, long auburn locks made that color using garnets blended to create a thin layer over the marble strands. My facial features were next, and I carefully crafted them to appear distinctly motherly.
Beautiful yet aged, kind and wise, it was the visage of a responsible, caring adult.
I marred it somewhat by adding two large rams horns that grew from either side of the statue's heads. I wanted this to serve as a reminder that I was the goddess of the beasts as well, and not just those sapient creatures who could praise me. I left the horns bright white but decided to add a bit more color with the addition of stone flowers sprouting throughout my hair. I used a variety of gems to achieve the colors I wanted, though most were either blue or purple as they were in the largest supply.
My other features were next, and I made sure to make my proportions believable. I was still beautiful, but I added a bit of extra weight here, and wider shoulders than what was traditionally attractive. My bust was modest and not anatomically incorrect, my hips were also a bit thicker, and more motherly.
I made sure to add the odd small scar, or mostly hidden stretch mark, as well as a few callouses on my hands. All of which came together to create someone who all but screamed ‘Mother’! The moment you looked upon her.
That wasn't quite enough though, and so I added in a dress that was slightly longer on one side than the other. Covering nearly my entire left arm, and left leg, it was only half as long on the other side, creating a drape like effect. I then immediately thought better of the dress idea and nearly started over, only to stop myself at the last second.
I had an idea, and with a bit more power, I summoned up more green gems, prioritizing what I felt were the least valuable. These I ground up, and worked into the limestone with a bit of magic, creating a twisting mat of green leaves and vines where the dress had been. Draped in the garb of the forest, I was definitely pulling off the mother earth look that I was hoping to emulate.
I then began to work on the small differences on the three different statues, keeping in mind their final destinations. Starting with the one destined to remain here, at the heart of my burgeoning little kingdom, I gave her the hooved feet of a pony. The one destined for the diamond dogs had clawed hands, and within the mouth, I created slightly more elongated canines. Finally, the one I intended on leaving at Lakeside would carry with her a sword made of incredibly compacted stone.
The thing was heavy and likely would be completely impossible to wield unless they were a very old dragon, or me. The fine details were more or less non-existent, with the crossguard being a simple bar, while the pommel was a circle within which was set a large diamond. It was imposing in its size, but practical, meant to make those remember my promise to safeguard their lives.
With that done, I raised all three from the earth that had bound them and then stopped once more.
Could I really do it? I thought, only to shrug and try my idea before giving it any further consideration.
Splitting my focus, I put a part of myself in each of the three statues and was surprised to feel that it worked. Looking out of the six emerald eyes, I found that I was not disoriented or confused one bit. In fact, it felt a bit natural, though there was still the slightest strain that came with splitting my focus in such a manner. I had more than enough power to burn, however, so I sent the one destined for the dogs off to its home, its pace quick but not too fast.
I then took the other two over to the primary residence of my ponies, the statues holding hands so as to more easily coordinate them. Upon my or perhaps, our approach, I saw the lookouts immediately begin to shout and point, wide grins spreading across their faces. I smiled, and waved back, manipulating the stone so that I could make believable facial expressions.
Before I knew it I had passed the perimeter defenses and was being joined by every pony that saw me approach. At first, it was just the lookouts, but soon the pegasi flyers swooped down, and those who had overheard the clamor came to join. Within a minute I had gained an entire entourage of ponies eager to see me.
“Is that Gaea?”
“Who else would it be?”
“She's so pretty.”
“Is that her sister?”
I smiled, and stopped just outside the cave entrance, turning to the lookout I had noticed earlier.
“Summon Crimson Heart, Crystal Cadance, Earth Break, and Quick Quill please,” I offered, my mouth actually moving as I spoke, though the sound was still created magically.
“Right away Mother!” shouted the pegasus before sprinting off into the cave.
I then knelt down, taking great care to not accidentally injure any of the excitable ponies gathering about my feet.
“Children please, I have much good news to give, and much to announce but I cannot do so until everyone is present,” I whispered from both of my mouths.
“Awww.”
“But I wanna know what happened.”
I rolled my emerald eyes and smiled. “A lot of important stuff is going to happen so I need you all to get ready okay? You won't have to fight but you're going to have to work really hard really soon.”
That seemed to sour the air somewhat, though I looked to see that it had also made them realize the weight of what was happening. With that realization weighing heavily upon their minds, I stood back up and waited for my advisors to emerge. I didn't have to wait long, though it seemed like nearly every last pony that called the caves home had joined them.
“It is good to see you all again,” I called, my statues holding hands, and both gesturing as well as speaking in unison. “As you can see I had a bit of a makeover, what do you all think?”
The crowd hooted and generally shouted their agreement, much to amusement.
“Well, I’m glad you like the new look. I am happy too, as it seems as though the time for fighting is behind us, at least for the moment,” I continued, pausing to let them soak that information in.
“So this lake place, is it free of dragons?” someone yelled.
“I will get to that in a moment, but to answer your question. Yes,” I replied. “Lakeside is free, and most of the ponies that were taken captive by that creature who I will not have named in my presence survived their internment.”
The sense of relief was palpable, and I smiled at that.
“Though the fighting is over, and the diamond dogs’ city is secure, we still have a long road ahead of us,” I pressed. “We have many injured and hurting ponies, ponies who will need medical attention but also kindness and community. Furthermore, the dogs are likely to need our help as well, their city is damaged and may be in bad shape.”
“We got more than enough room here, we could open the lower caverns!” yelled another voice.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but for now I need a group of brave volunteers to go help the ponies of Lakeside,” I declared, only to hold up a finger. “I have already given the order to be ready for this moment however so I will turn things over to Quick Quill, and Crimson Heart.”
Gesturing to the two aforementioned ponies shocked them both briefly, though they quickly gathered themselves.
“Right, I need Iron Haul, Daisy Cutter-” Quick Quill began, though I ignored what she was saying for the moment.
Directing my attention to Crystal Cadance and Earth Break, I leaned down towards them, ushering them closer.
“You two will remain here and keep things organized. The diamond dogs will likely need a place to stay for a bit while they get their own town together, so be ready to house a few of them,” I began.
“And what about food?” Crystal Cadance inquired. “I know we prepared for more mouths but we still don't have much.”
“Lakeside should have a surplus now that they have far fewer mouths to feed. Either way, we’ll figure that out after we’ve taken stock of everything,” I replied.
“Are ya sure you don't need someone to go check on the dogs?” Earth Break pressed.
“I’ve already sent a fragment of myself to manage things over there,” I answered.
“Wow three copies of yourself. You really are starting to wake up,” Crystal Cadance muttered.
“Yes, I feel much more powerful, and after the next Sunday service I feel as though I may have the experience necessary to fulfill my promise to you,” I remarked with a small smirk.
“R-really?” Crystal whispered.
“I cannot promise anything and I will be testing extensively so that nothing goes wrong but I can sense that such a thing is well within my power now,” I stated. “If I’m successful I want you to spread the news of your change amongst the others. If I make such an announcement they may see it as an order or something.”
“That makes sense,” Crystal murmured.
Earth Break squeezed his partner around the shoulders. “Ooh, I’m so excited. We can finally have that big family we always wanted.”
“Big? It's going to be ginormous!” Crystal declared.
I chuckled. “Contain that enthusiasm for a moment. I will still only perform such an alteration after I’ve had a chance to practice.”
“I understand,” Crystal Cadance murmured, a hoof placed against her chest. “We’ll make sure that everything goes well over here.”
“Good. I’m counting on you two to hold down the fort, and make sure that everything runs smoothly in my sort of absence,” I exclaimed, chuckling at the strangeness of my new reality. “In the meantime, I am going to flex my newfound multitasking abilities.”
“Seems pretty impressive, but I don't think you could hold a candle to Crystal here,” Earth Break declared triumphantly. “I once caught her reading, singing, and cooking, all while looking after a sick neighbor kid.”
“Oh stop,” Crystal muttered while blushing profusely.
“Ooh that is impressive, you will have to give me some tips sometime,” I replied.
Crystal turned a bright shade of red and nodded.
Still smiling, I continued the conversation, though I was not focusing on it nearly as much anymore. My attention had shifted many miles away, to where I could sense that my other self had grown close to the badlands. Sure enough, I could see that the same perimeter was set up, only there were even more of the dogs visible on the surface.
For a moment I wondered if the city had indeed collapsed, but even from a distance I could sense that the mood was jovial. Sure enough, upon spotting me, the closest group began to shout, and point, a runner sprinting back to the main group. The rest approached me, their shoulders relaxed and smiles spread across all of their faces.
Raising a hand, I waved back and offered them a greeting.
“Good afternoon fair diamond dogs. How stands your city?” I exclaimed.
“Thanks to you it stands still!” the leader shouted back, the group coming to a stop a few feet away from me. “We didn't come out of it unscathed, but our home is not a pile of rubble, and its all thanks to you.”
“Oh I can't take all the credit, Hypereas risked his very life. All I risked was the slight irritation that came with losing another body,” I replied.
“Ha, if only it was that easy for us mortals,” remarked the diamond dog.
“Hypereas sure is singing your praises though. I swear you’ve made your first convert with that one. If the worship of deities was allowed he’d have already set up a church,” added another.
“Why isn't it legal? They aren't doing anything wrong,” I pressed.
“It's an old rule set after we returned to find the city abandoned,” exclaimed the leader. “The last general thought that religious violence led to the debacle and outlawed it just in case.”
“I think it would be difficult to argue that any worshipper of mine would do something like that,” I stated.
“Hey I agree, but it ain't up to me,” the leader retorted, raising his hands defensively.
“I’m sure that in time you’ll wear on her lordship, but for now well… for now they’ll have to keep those opinions to themself,” added another of the dogs.
“Hmm,” I muttered to myself.
Looking up, I noted that a royal greeting was awaiting me, one complete with rows of soldiers, drums, and even several buglers. The tune felt familiar, like one I would have heard at a military parade in my former life, though the memories were muddy and I couldn't know for certain. Either way, it was all very nice, and I couldn't help but watch with no small amount of interest as an aged diamond dog approached me.
Flanked by numerous guards, and two others who waited on either side of her, she certainly looked impressive. Aged, her once black fur had turned almost completely white, though she still seemed strong, and her eyes were bright with keen intelligence. Body covered in ornate dark grey armor accented with gold and emblazoned on the front with an image of a phoenix, her protection was far more intricate than most of the dog’s armor.
Which had been good, don't get me wrong, the plates on the lookout’s set were sturdy, and it all fit together perfectly. They must have some seriously good metal workers, as well as a more advanced knowledge of smithing than the ponies, I realized. I pushed that thought from my mind and finished my brief inspection of the female striding towards me, starting with her thick cape.
Made from what looked like the fur of some large yeti-like creature, it covered her shoulders and hung low around her ankles. So thick was this cape that it nearly obscured the longsword belted at the female’s hips, the simple bronze pommel and cross guard seeming rather plain in comparison. Though I could see that she rested a gauntleted hand on her weapon, I could tell that she was not hostile and that the action was likely out of routine more than anything.
“Finally we meet,” she bellowed, raising a hand, and silently ordering her retinue to halt. “Or at least I think this is the vaunted Gaea to whom I owe much thanks. Last I heard you were and I quote, a weird ball thing with a bunch of arms and a tiny head.”
One of the lookouts coughed and looked away.
I merely smiled. “Yes, well. A war form is not really required at the moment, so I’ve decided on a more suitable form, one better fit for diplomacy.”
“Well you certainly ain't hard to look at,” declared the queenly individual before me.
“And I assume you are her lordship Capricio Redfist, correct?” I replied.
“That is indeed true,” she stated with a small smile. “Though for the sake of diplomacy, you may simply call me Redfist.”
That seemed to get a small amount of surprise from the gathered dogs, though they restrained themselves from gasping aloud.
“I appreciate it, Redfist. I don't intend on serving as the head of any government in the long term, though for the moment I will take such a mantle,” I answered.
That seemed to give the aged dog pause, though she adapted quickly, smiling and nodding back at me.
“Well since we’re doing introductions, this is my son, Sigvur, and my always steadfast general and oldest friend, Angellion,” Redfist introduced, gesturing to the two individuals behind her.
“G-greetings,” murmured the somewhat awkward, teenage male wearing what looked like the garb of a scribe.
“It is a pleasure to meet the one who saved our fair city. I dare not imagine how much would be lost if our home had fallen,” added an enormous mountain of a diamond dog that I recognized as a female only due to her rather large breastplate, emphasis on the first half of that word.
“It is an honor to meet you both,” I replied, placing a hand over my chest and bowing my head slightly. “Now that we are introduced, perhaps we should retire somewhere more comfortable to continue discussions?”
“No,” interrupted Redfist quite sternly. “I am no more comfortable on the battlefield than I am upon my throne. Or at least I would be, had I a throne to sit on.”
“It's all the same to me, so is there anything you wish to bring up first?” I inquired, giving the stage to Redfist early as I could sense what she wished to say.
“Indeed there are,” she began, the dog starting to pace back and forth. “You have earned my respect and appreciation for your efforts in saving our city. Though it may pale in comparison to the value I place upon my citizens, it would be a devastating blow to lose the last of our vaunted mountainhomes.”
She frowned, pausing briefly to shake her head before continuing. “We will of course be honoring our agreement and allowing any pony to return to your lands, with the promised payment of arms, armor, and training should they desire it or gems if they do not.”
That made my eyes light up, the prospect of gaining several trained soldiers and a few sets of armor would be good. I didn't know how to make metal yet, but if I had a template then perhaps I could change that in time. Those thoughts were quickly brushed aside and I continued to hold a neutral expression, careful to not let my emotions reach my face.
“We would also be open to other possibilities, though I wish to know exactly what you want in return for saving our city,” Redfist unexpectedly declared, stopping and looking up at me.
“Friendship,” I replied immediately. “Ally with us and together we will be stronger than ever.”
That seemed to take the others off guard, though Redfist merely grinned as if she had seen such an event coming.
“That is more than acceptable. We will work out the details later, but for now, let us mark that a tentative agreement has been reached,” she declared, sticking out her hand.
I lowered myself down and gently took the offered limb. “Thank you, Capricio Redfast. You have done my little ponies a great service this day.”
“And you have done us the same,” Redfist replied, shaking my hand with surprising vigor.
“Oh, why is that? Did you expect me to demand your fealty?” I pressed.
Redfist didn't flinch but her general sure did.
“That was a possibility, though I was quite sure you wouldn't demand such a thing,” Redfist remarked. “That didn't quite seem like something this mother Gaea I’ve heard so much about would do.”
“I think you’ll find I make very few demands,” I added. “Now then, I was going to offer you what spare quarters we’ve constructed if you require it. We also have a bit of food as well.”
“We have enough for most, but it will be some time before we’ll be able to ensure the roof is fully repaired and the damage to the city is repaired,” Redfist murmured, scratching her chin with a clawed digit. “If you could house a few of our numbers for the time being I would appreciate it.”
“Perhaps you could even send over a few master diggers, as well as several smiths. We are in need of tools and the like, but lack the raw materials and experience,” I countered.
“Oh yes. That can easily be done,” he agreed. “We will remedy your lack of arms and armor as soon as the forges contain fire once more, but until then we can at least get you some tools.”
“Excellent,” I proclaimed. “Oh and be aware that Lakeside is under my banner as well. The black dragon who ruled it and stole your stone now lies dead.”
“That sounds like a tale worth feasting over!” Redfist shouted, pumping a fist in the air, and causing her guards to all shout their agreement.
“I agree,” I quickly interjected. “Perhaps we should mark this occasion with just such a feast. In a week’s time, you will come with the finest food and drink you can muster and we will celebrate our shared victory.”
“Usually including someone not involved in the battle in the feast would be considered an insult, so I will have to compensate by bringing out the best my people have to offer,” Redfist exclaimed, a sly smile spreading across her face.
“I look forward to it,” I remarked, pausing briefly. “Now then, I was hoping to invite a select few dogs to join me back home, then this body shall stay somewhere nearby should you need to converse with me directly.”
“Most efficient, I agree. In time I will have an embassy constructed but the repairs to our city come first,” Redfist continued.
“I understand completely, now then. Shall we?” I offered, hand extended.
“A most excellent idea, come. We will tell the good news to your little ponies together,” Redfist added.
Switching my main focus back to the bodies I had placed by our main base beneath my mountain, I observed my surroundings. Here and there ponies ran about, readying themselves for the mission ahead while behind me, the sun began its long arc toward the horizon. Judging by how well everyone was doing I concluded that we would only reach Lakeside by evening but that was alright.
The chance of a monster attack worried me somewhat, but all of the forest’s largest critters had been beaten into submission. Some dragons may target us, but I had a feeling they were either busy fleeing or finding some rock to hide under. I would need to further tame the forest and root out the dragons, but that would come with time, now Lakeside needed help.
To that end, I diverted my attention to Crimson Heart, or at least I tried to as she was not present amidst the chaos of the relief party. I thought back and realized that the last time I had seen her she had gone back underground. With that in mind, I let go of my own hand and diverted my more ponylike body to enter the cave system.
My other self continued the conversation I was having with a few curious foals, distracting them enough so I could leave. Following the lingering thread of faith I felt coming from Crimson Heart, I proceeded deep into the caves where I knew a cavern lay. Sure enough, the simple cloth doorway was brushed aside to reveal the vaulted ceiling of the cavern.
Though still clearly a natural cave formation, some enterprising ponies had cleared out the stalagmites at least. There were also signs of work everywhere, someone having started the process of shaping the room into something more suitable for their needs. It wasn't difficult to discover who had begun such a process as Crimson Heart stood not far away, a grim look on her face.
“Ahh mother. I was just gathering a few things and we should be ready,” Crimson Heart greeted, bowing low.
“I like what you’ve done so far. In time, this will serve your purposes quite well I think,” I remarked.
Crimson Heart nodded solemnly. “The walls are porous and easily cleared so we should be able to construct enough tombs for all the mares who are with child.”
I blinked and looked down, staring a little closer. “And why would you do that? I know your access to medicines is limited but surely not all of them will perish.”
“That is possible,” Crimson Heart remarked. “But with a kirin child, it is incredibly unlikely. Either way, I appreciate the time and space we need to ready ourselves for the end.”
“That will not happen,” I stated firmly. “Now, tell me what exactly happens to put the mother’s life in danger.”
“Mother and child,” Crimson Heart corrected. “And I thought you’d… oh that's right the long sleep.”
I sighed. “I’m afraid I have forgotten much, please inform me of what I’m missing.”
“Well simply put, a pony doesn't have the necessary components to give birth to a kirin,” Crimson Heart remarked. “We don't produce enough magic, and the child is usually too strong for our bodies to handle if you get what I’m trying to say.”
I frowned, and knelt down, holding out a hand. “May I?”
Crimson Heart nodded.
As gently as I could, I placed my palm against her side, the pony shivering slightly at my cool touch. I made a note to warm my marble exterior somehow, but for now, I focused on using my magic to study her anatomy. I could immediately tell that she was indeed pregnant, and worse yet I could sense that it was twins, which was likely why she was showing so early.
Sure enough, I could already feel that the pair were drawing heavily on Crimson’s magic, leaving her soul muted and distant. Her soul was also noticeably shrinking, though the process was so slow that it was barely even noticeable. I caught myself for a moment, only now aware that I could sense the lingering cloud of swirling energy I had just called a soul. It had been so natural an assumption that I didn't even think about it until I slowed down, but now that I had I couldn't stop wondering.
Was that really it? Was that ball of mostly reddish energy her soul, and what did that mean? I thought to myself. I need to learn more about anatomy and the pony body.
“Mother?” Crimson Heart whispered.
“It's nothing, may I try something? It should give you a little boost,” I inquired.
“Yes, of course,” Crimson Heart quickly relented.
I closed my eyes and focused on my strange new senses, finding her soul after a moment of searching. After I had locked onto it, I summoned my own power and altered it somewhat, willing it to feel more like Crimson Heart’s soul. Though not quite a perfect match, it was close enough that I felt confident in trying my idea.
I didn't tell Crimson Heart that I had no idea what I was doing, and instead chose to test my hypothesis directly. Pushing it into her body, I willed the energy to near her soul, causing the pony to shudder, her muscles tensing up. She wasn't in pain though, so I continued with my idea, severing whatever control I had over the orb and letting nature take its course.
For a moment nothing happened, then like a set of binary stars, the two orbs began to twirl around one another. Closer, and closer they grew, swirling about so fast that they were nearly a blur. Then, in a brief flash, I saw the orb vanish, leaving behind only Crimson Heart’s soul which now had a small greenish tint to it.
Crimson Heart’s legs began to shake, and I deftly caught her before she could hit the ground.
“What, what happened?” Crimson Heart muttered.
“I did what I could to give you the strength necessary to survive your pregnancy,” I replied somewhat hesitantly. “How do you feel? Does it hurt?”
“For a second there it felt like I was on some kind of magical ride, then I got kicked in the gut but now…” Crimson Heart stood back up and flexed a foreleg. “Now it feels like I’m ten years younger and stronger than ever.”
I backed up and inspected her a little closer, noting that some old scars had vanished. On top of that, she also looked a little stronger, her coat having regained some of its lost luster. She was also ever so slightly taller than before, though the difference was barely even noticeable.
“You certainly look it,” I remarked. “Just hold on a moment while I make sure it took.”
Crimson Heart nodded.
I focused my magic once more and inspected the baby kirin and their mother’s soul closely. Having gained a bit of experience in the matter I could now tell that the draw on her reserves was still strong. Yet, her soul was not shrinking as it had been before, the small red orb pulsing healthily despite the draw on it.
“Good, it worked,” I muttered. “You shouldn't have to worry about perishing quite yet though I will still have to work on reinforcing your body more directly.”
“I’ll be more than happy to be your test subject,” Crimson Heart exclaimed. “If nothing else you’ve added another six months to my life.”
“I hope to add far more than just that, but we’ve at least bought ourselves enough time that I can explore our options,” I replied, only to pause. “Though that makes me wonder, what was the dragon's plan for when you came to term?”
Crimson Heart scowled. “Force feed us a mix of rocks and grain to make our bodies strong enough to bear the birth, while also making the child more dragonlike. Though we’d still die from magical exhaustion we’d live long enough to deliver their child so that was all they cared about.”
“Perhaps this mixture could be refined in some way,” I thought aloud.
“Let's hope so because I saw one poor mare swallow a bunch of the stuff and then spend the rest of the day in utter agony,” Crimson Heart muttered bitterly, a tear forming at the edge of her eyes.
“I’ll experiment more and come back to you,” I stood back up. “For now, let the others know of our progress, I will not have you all despair quite yet.”
Crimson Heart sniffed and nodded.
I leaned back down and gently wiped her tears away before patting her cheeks with her robe. “No tears yet,” I whispered. “Save them for if we fail.”
“I will Mother,” Crimson Heart whispered.
“Good, now then summon what members of the Scarlet Sisterhood you have here and be ready for the trek to Lakeside,” I declared, rising once more.
“Scarlet Sisterhood, what…” Crimson Heart began.
“What? You needed a name and it just came to me. Fitting, no? Scarlet, Crimson, alliteration, etc,” I remarked with a smirk.
“I am unworthy of such an honor,” Crimson Heart murmured.
“It is not an honor I give to you, but a burden. Leadership will weigh heavily on you, as it does myself but like me, you shall carry it with pride,” I stated.
Crimson Heart grinned and bobbed her head, the mare seemingly unable to find the right words to express herself.
“Remember, there may be males out there who need you as well,” I repeated.
“I remember,” Crimson Heart exclaimed.
“Good. Keep your brothers and sisters close, and away from the others, they will need privacy and seclusion but that doesn't mean they need to be locked up or anything,” I declared.
“I understand completely,” Crimson Heart replied.
“Good,” I announced. “Then let us continue to Lakeside.”
I turned and departed, emerging back onto the surface just as Quick Quill seemed to get the last of the organization done. What few wagons we had were loaded with supplies, while the few ponies who had medical experience were assembled. Beside them were a couple of stronger ponies, crude weapons strapped to their sides.
I placed my more ponylike form off to the side and approached her in the body of my sword-wielding form.
“Good, then let us set out. I want to get there before nightfall,” I stated.
“That should be possible, but it's going to be late,” Quick Quill warned.
“That's acceptable,” I replied.
“Alright everyone, let's get moving!” Quick Quill shouted, taking a position at the head of the group.
I stayed at the back and turned to address the remaining ponies who were not coming with us on our little expedition.
“We head to Lakeside,” I began. “Once there we will ascertain the situation, and begin helping those who require it. Once all the metaphorical and literal fires have been put out. I will be taking a full tally of who is all there, so if you have a missing loved one I urge you to have just a bit more patience.”
“When can we speak to them again?” someone asked.
“I will be conveying your words once I have taken care of what needs to be dealt with,” I replied, gesturing to my other self, who waved. “In the coming days, we will be resettling those in need of it and allowing visits but that will only come after I have ensured that the path is safe.”
Though I could tell that nearly a dozen ponies were yearning to ask me questions or make requests of me, they held back.
“Now then, work hard, and do what you can to prepare our home for the new arrivals,” I proclaimed.
A cheer went up, and I took a moment to bask in the adoration before swiftly turning back around. With a motion of my hand, the caravan set out, and we began our long trek to Lakeside, the sun giving the last of its rays to light our path. After stepping down from the last plate, I spotted the medical ponies and moved to walk beside them.
“Good evening,” I greeted.
“You just about scared the beans out of me,” murmured the older male, a hoof going to his chest.
“So that's what I’ve been smelling,” murmured an androgynous unicorn pony standing next to him.
“You know if you ate a bit of grass with your beans you wouldn't fart so much,” offered a short, squat young earth pony mare.
As they bickered I took a moment to examine the trio, noting that I hadn't talked much to any of them until now. The earth pony mare was the youngest of the bunch and had a bountiful mane of bright purple curls as well as an equally bouncy tail to match. She wore a rather beat-up pull over sweater that left her cutie mark visible. The image was of a fang with a primitive scalpel lying across it, marking her as the vet I had heard about from others.
Tender Claws was her name, if I remembered correctly.
Beside her was the older earth pony stallion who I immediately knew to be the lone doctor of the bunch. I had sent plenty of ponies to him but hadn't had the chance to observe him unless in passing until this moment. I made up for this shortfall by inspecting him closely, committing his features to memory while making a note to speak to him again soon.
Though visibly quite old, he hadn't quite reached the point in his life where he started to become frail. His fur which had likely been grey at one point, was completely snow white at this point, and his teal eyes had started to dull. His mane of electric blue was as visibly striking as ever though, as was the bloody bandages that made up his cutie mark.
Stitch Work. I thought to myself.
Finally, there was the androgynous pony I had yet to meet or even see unless they were at the back of various crowds. They had the jaw of a stallion but save for that, had mostly feminine features, leading me to avoid using gendered terms with them. What I could tell for certain was that they were a unicorn, and had a pale yellow mane, golden eyes, as well a two-toned mane of wavey purple hair.
They were also the tallest of the bunch, standing a good few inches over the good doctor, who in turn was a head taller than the vet. The height difference was kind of amusing, though I was immediately struck by the fact that I did not know the androgynous pony’s name.
“Yes well, I hope you three are doing well and are ready to help some ponies in need,” I offered.
“I may have been a great vet but I don't know how much of that will translate over to ponies,” remarked Tender Claws somewhat bitterly.
“Nonsense!” proclaimed Stitch Work. “You have been a huge help to myself, and Bright Eyes.”
The androgynous pony who had been referred to as Bright Eyes nodded.
“I didn't even consider the possibility that little Green Melon would have touched a poisonous snail,” Bright Eyes remarked.
Tender Claws blushed and batted a hoof at the other pony. “Oh, it was nothing. I just remembered what happened to a dog that came in a few years back.”
“Fascinating,” I muttered. “As much as I would love to hear more I was hoping to ask a few questions, starting with why I have not seen you around much.”
Bright Eyes flinched under my direct gaze, but swiftly hopped back up, returning to their bouncy walk. “I like to stay away from crowds for the most part,” Bright Eyes exclaimed.
“That's alright. I wouldn't mind chatting somewhere more private,” I pressed.
“The poor dear just likes their privacy is all,” interjected Stitch Work.
I decided to leave the subject where it lay for the moment and switched gears.
“I was also hoping you wouldn't mind teaching me all you knew about the art of healing,” I continued. “My knowledge has too many holes in it to be called upon reliably I am afraid and I’d like to remedy that.”
“I’m not much of a teacher, but I wouldn't mind showing you what I know,” Stitch Work declared. “It would be an honor to aid you Mother Gaea.”
“I will of course do the same,” Tender Claws professed. “As I said most of what I know concerns the treatment of animals, but I’m sure you’ll find it useful.”
“Of course. The beasts of the land are within my care as well. What about you Bright Eyes? Would you mind teaching me what you know?” I asked as gently as I could muster.
“Well I learned most everything from Stitch Work here but if it could help my fellow pony then of course I’ll add what I can,” they added somewhat reluctantly.
I smiled. “That is wonderful to hear.”
I then launched into a few probing questions about the art of midwifing, and related topics but wasn't able to get far. Quick Quill had raised her hoof, and was motioning towards me so I reluctantly broke off the conversation. Walking over to her, I noticed that we had stopped by what looked to be tracks of some kind, deep ones at that.
“Dragons,” I muttered.
“Seems like it,” Quick Quill added, gesturing to the right. “They just keep going and don't seem to stop until they reach the mountains.”
“Likely fled the valley entirely,” I concluded. “That's certainly not the worst turn of events.”
“They may bring news of our little haven to the outside world, or they might not bother at all. Dragon raiders are rarely welcome outside their own territory,” Quick Quill added.
I hummed thoughtfully to myself as I stared in the direction the tracks went, my senses reaching as far as they could. Despite the power-up, I couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary and quickly gave up my attempt to locate the dragon.
“Either way it’s out of our hands now,” I remarked. “Best to focus on Lakeside.”
“I agree,” Quick Quill stated.
With that, we turned back towards the town, with Quick Quill taking up position at the front of the pack while I hovered near the middle. Using a constant stream of pulses, I tracked everything that moved though I didn't detect anything larger than a racoon. In fact, it was rather abnormally quiet, as if the ruckus caused by the fleeing dragons had scared the woodland critters back into their holes.
Either way it allowed us to reach Lakeside in little time, following the same path I had used twice now. A few more treks and it would be a proper trail, and after that, it could become a road with a bit of work. The idea of connecting the two settlements was a pleasant one but would be something I wouldn't be able to accomplish for a while.
So I set my mind back to simply observing my surroundings and keeping an eye out for danger. Nothing bothered us on the last stretch, though I was able to notice that there was quite a commotion further up. Shouldering my sword, I motioned for the caravan to lay low for the moment, a command that Quick Quill complied with immediately.
With the group settling into the shade of a large willow, I moved ahead, into Lakeside proper. I kept a low profile at first, though I quickly abandoned any attempt at stealth when I saw what was going on.
There, near the docks was nearly every last pony, as well as the few dragons I had spared. An argument had broken out, and judging from the pointed gestures and shouting it was what I feared. The dragon I had put in charge had found themselves the subject of a witch hunt, with the mob of freed slaves trying to hold him at knifepoint. He could have easily broken away, but the ponies they had saved were using themselves as a barrier, stopping their more violent fellows from attacking.
It was exactly the kind of powder keg I feared would happen, and so with a sigh, I signaled for Quick Quill to advance. While they moved from their hiding spot, I held my sword at my hip and strode into town, making no attempt to hide my thunderous footsteps.
Attention shifted somewhat predictably the moment they heard a thousand-plus pounds of disappointed stone walking towards them. I noted that the ponies were pretty split, with plenty of equines just standing around nearby, not moving to stop the mob but not joining them. That particular group seemed mostly made up of pleasure slaves, and those who worked in the houses. I assumed so anyway, as their cutie marks were usually related to the upkeep of a home, or they were, rather predictably, pregnant.
The main bulk of the group wielding the metaphorical pitchforks and torches was a mountain of an earth pony. His cutie mark was of a hammer and nails, though I could tell he hadn't done much construction lately. Rather he had likely been stuck in the mine if the thick layer of stone dust covering nearly every inch of him was anything to go by.
Just beneath the grey covering was a coat of dark orange fur, a short brown mane, and a stubble-covered face. His electric blue eyes burned bright with hate, though I could tell that his confidence waned upon seeing me approach. The other lead instigator in the mob were a pair of more demure individuals, such as a mare with a pile of fruit for a cutie mark and one who had an open clothespin for hers.
The lone female seemed near middle-aged, much like the large earth pony, though he was far more weathered than her. Her deep lavender eyes burned with even greater hate than her companion’s and she did not flinch when she saw me. She just stood there, head held high, hoof brushing aside the mauve curls that threatened to cover her pearl-white fur.
The last individual was unique, as the moment he saw me, he fell forward, bowing as low as he could manage. I caught only a glimpse of his golden orbs before he shut his eyes tightly, and began whispering a prayer. His soft blue fur carried the scars of a severe whipping, or several different instances, if the varied color of the scar tissue was anything to go by. His cloudlike white and grey mane of fluffy white hair was in disarray, as was his general appearance.
The trio faced off against the pregnant mare I had seen earlier, alongside the remaining dragons and a scared Puff. The mare was not someone that I had paid attention to yet, so I made sure to commit her appearance to memory. She was shorter than most, had soft pink fur, deep purple eyes, and long wavey teal hair that ended in curls, through which poked a short horn. She wore a gold and purple saddle, as well as a necklace and bow, both of which were the same mix of colors.
“Greetings, children,” I called out as I approached. “I hope you find freedom to your liking.”
“Yes, Mother! Thank you Mother!” shouted the kneeling scarred stallion.
“That was you?” murmured the pony with the berry cutie mark.
“My mom was right, you really are real. If aunly she lived long enough to see you,” muttered the large earth pony in a sort of Boston accent.
“It was indeed me, now then. Before we get into things, some introductions are in order,” I began, looking out over the crowd and giving them a soft, gentle smile. “I am Gaea, the ponies with me are here to help. The mare in charge of our little relief effort is Quick Quill. If you are hurt or in need of assistance, approach her.”
Quick Quill waved somewhat awkwardly.
“I would like to know your names, if you would be so kind,” I continued, gesturing to the trio that stood at the head of the small mob.
“I am Pinprick, my goddess,” proclaimed the still-kneeling stallion.
“The name is Hamma Swing, and this little fire cracka is Berry Blend,” offered the large earth pony, who gestured to the mare next to him.
“Now with the introductions over, you can continue applying your trademark violence upon those who had escaped your wrath!” Berry Blend shouted, pointing to the dragons.
“She let them go because she believed we could help you all,” retorted Puff’s defender. “But you all are too stupid to understand that not all dragons are guilty.”
Puff winced, and placed a clawed hand on the pony’s shoulder. “No need to antagonize them,” I could hear him whisper.
“I’m afraid I didn't get your name before,” I replied, glancing pointedly at Puff’s friend.
“Royal Ribbon,” answered the mare.
“Well, it is good to finally meet you, now then. What are they guilty of?” I asked, turning back to the trio.
“I've seen a few auf those guys aun guard dudee before, and that lanky aune came to the mines aunce with his dad. Pretdee safe to say they were working with the slavers,” my increasingly favorite member of the three remarked in his adorable accent.
“We will not be free until the last of the oppressors lay dead,” spat Berry Blend.
“He is not-”
I held up a hand, interrupting the fiery tirade about to be uttered by Royal Ribbon which was no doubt directed at Berry.
“Hammer Swing, what would it take for you to forgive these dragons? Would it be enough for you to learn that they were working against their fellows and were actually doing what they could to make things easier on those enslaved by their boss?” I inquired.
“I don't rightly know. If they hadn't done anything else bad and were trying to help then I suppose I'd forgive them,” he replied.
“What about you Pinprick?” I asked.
“If you told me they were worthy of forgiveness I would grant them such,” he answered.
Gonna have to work on some self-confidence with him, as well as therapy. I thought to myself before turning to Berry Blend. “And-” I began.
“There is nothing you could say or do to make me forgive those filthy monsters,” she spat. “I saw them rape, kill, maim, and torture, all for fun. They are irredeemably evil, and deserve to die.”
Each word spat seemed to physically hit Puff, the dragon stumbling back and wilting slightly.
“Perhaps, perhaps not,” I began, striding over to the group of dragons and motioning to one of the five. “You there, come forward.”
The stumpy, mostly red drake winced but reluctantly did as he was asked, stepping in front of me.
“Tell me your darkest sin,” I ordered.
The dragon gulped, and I could see beads of sweat begin to run down from his forehead, which was a bit surprising as I assumed they didn't have sweat glands.
“I… I didn't help my brother when he was being disciplined by my dad,” he muttered, tears forming at the edge of his eyes. “The old drake was ancient, and my brother had a habit of irritating him, so when I heard shouting I knew something bad was going on. By the time I got there they were already fighting, but I didn't move to help, I just stood there. When I finally decided to assist my brother, my father had already beaten him to the point that he couldn't move.”
He sobbed quietly for a few seconds before breathing deeply and brushing the tears from his eyes.
“I tried to heal him but I didn't know much about that kinda thing so his wings didn't come back right,” he continued. “After the migration, I came back to find out he had gone missing and I haven't seen him since.”
“Now, fair dragon. What have you done to help my little ponies?” I whispered, laying a gentle hand on the scaly critter’s shoulder.
“I…” he gulped. “I smuggled a few out. Made a net to fit under the carriage and snuck one in at a time, dropping them off near those diamond dogs since I knew they took good care of the ponies.”
I closed my eyes, and concentrated on my other body, quickly confirming his story.
“Silent Study and Purple Pins thank you,” I exclaimed.
“They made it?” he exclaimed. “Oh thank the ancestors.”
“They have, now would you stand back over there, and make room for the green dragon I see?” I asked.
“Stop this farce,” Berry Blend interrupted. “They are obviously lying!”
“I was able to confirm for a fact that at least half of this one’s story was correct. That seems warrant enough to hear them out,” I retorted.
Berry Bland seemed ready to fire back when Hammer Swing piped up.
“Let them speak. I wanah know more about them,” he declared.
The majority of ponies present seemed to agree with that sentiment, stopping Berry Blend from continuing, at least for now.
“Now then, come forward please,” I exclaimed.
The dragon did so, and began telling a tale about how he had been forced to choose between a friendship and the opinion of his peers. Though he had chosen poorly, he felt deep remorse for his actions, and in the end, changed as a person because of it. He then told us about how he had been secretly feeding those who had been imprisoned for various misdeeds, helping them survive the grueling punishment.
The others had similar stories about how they had failed at some point, and then turned around and helped the ponies. Some acts were small, with very little regret, but very little done to help while others were big dramatic affairs worthy of a novel. It was heartbreaking and empowering, and by the three-quarter mark, I could tell that nearly everyone was won over.
All save for Berry Blend and a select few ponies amongst the mob.
“That was wonderful, thank you Xathrid,” I exclaimed, patting him gently on the back. “You can go back to your friends now.”
“I’m just… so sorry!” he wailed, grabbing me suddenly about the waist.
I smiled, and ran my marble hand down his head, humming softly to him as he cried. After a few seconds, he seemed to realize what he had done as he ran back to the other dragons, blushing profusely all the while.
“Puff. I think it would help if you told everyone more about yourself,” I continued.
I paused and glanced out the corner of my eye to where a small triage had been set up. Quick Quill was handing out food, and helping to coordinate as injured ponies made their way over. It was nice to see, though I didn't pay them much attention for long.
“He doesn't have to do that,” Royal Ribbon intruded.
“I think I do,” Puff retorted, stepping up to me. “And my greatest regret is that I didn't do more.”
The dragon took a breath and looked out over the crowd, who looked back in rapt attention.
“If I was stronger, I could have challenged him,” Puff began. “If I was quicker, I could have robbed his hoard and used it to hire mercenaries to fight back. If I was tougher I could have climbed up the ladder and been able to help more of you all. If I was smarter I could have devised a way to defeat him, and if I was more charismatic I could have talked more into joining me.”
He frowned and looked down. “But I’m none of those things. I did what I could, and the moment I saw an opening to escape, I did so with all the ponies we could more easily help. It took a run-in with Gaea to hit home the fact that I owe it to all of you to stay and help in whatever way I could for as long as I can.”
“Good, good,” I remarked. “Now tell us about a success, maybe about how you saved Royal Ribbon’s life?”
Puff smiled faintly as he glanced at the mare.
“It really wasn't as great a feat as she makes it out to be, but I suppose it's a good story,” Puff murmured.
“You nearly died, yes it was a great feat!” Royal Ribbon retorted.
“Go on then. Tell us, I’m sure everyone’s dying to hear about it,” I pressed.
That earned me a few groans, but I took the silent irritation in stride.
“It was quite simple really,” Puff began. “Royal Ribbon had been caught trying to poison my father so she was sentenced to death by starvation. I interjected and claimed to be the mastermind of it all and demanded that he punish me instead.”
“So that's how you lost all that weight,” muttered one of the miners.
Puff chuckled. “Yes, I used to be quite pudgy. With nothing to do but mope, read, and eat I got pretty round.”
“The story,” Royal Ribbon whispered.
“Oh right,” Puff sighed. “My father agreed, and left me for a hundred days with nothing to eat, and only a couple of canteens for me to stay hydrated. At the end of it, I was still alive, and according to dragon tradition that meant that I was worthy of staying that way.”
“How sweet,” I heard someone mutter.
“After that, my father watched me pretty closely, but I did my best to help, and organize the effort to sneak ponies out,” Puff continued. “Which brings us to now really.”
“Is that good enough for you, Hammer Swing?” I asked.
“It is,” he murmured.
“And you, Pinprick?” I asked again.
He nodded.
“And what about the rest of you? Do you still think he should die?” I continued.
The crowd muttered amongst themselves, none willing to raise their voice in disagreement.
“And what about you, Berry Blend?” I finished. “Do you still think he should die?”
The pony sat there quietly, seething in rage. No, not rage I corrected, but sadness, and anger that wasn't actually directed at him. Seeing this, I knelt down and stroked her back in slow, gentle motions. For a moment she pushed against me, only to give in a second later and begin sobbing quietly.
“Who are you really angry at?” I whispered.
“My old master,” she replied in a low tone. “I didn't see him perish and I feel like he's still out there, ready to come back and claim me.”
“Could you perhaps describe them for me? I dealt with more than a few of them out in the woods,” I inquired.
“He always tried to convince some smaller dragon to do his work for him despite the fact that he was perfectly capable,” she began. “In fact, he was rather muscular, tall, and fairly strong.”
“Bluish black scales, was pretty greedy?” I replied.
“Yeah that's him, did you…” she half asked half stated, the mare staring up at me with wide, eager eyes.
“I may have used him as a wishbone and…” I paused and mimed the action of pulling someone apart.
“What do you mean by…” a grin crossed her face. “Oh, that is funny. Gross, but funny.”
I pretended to clear my throat as I stood back up. “Now then, I presume everyone’s disagreements have been settled?” I declared, glancing about the area.
Sure enough, everyone nodded, agreeing that the air had been cleared though I knew it would take much longer than that for them to heal. That kind of captivity would not be washed away just because they discovered that the remaining dragons were decent enough guys. I wanted to press my advantage and make a show of it though, capturing the loyalty of Puff while at the same time encouraging forgiveness.
“Puff,” I announced suddenly. “Come here, please.”
The dragon dutifully strode up to me, bobbing his head in a brief nod of respect. With him so close I realized that he was a good head shorter than me, but had a large frame. In time he had a real chance of growing large enough to rival his father’s impressive stature.
“You have never experienced family before, not true family anyway,” I began. “So, if you will allow me, I’d like to make you the first of my adopted children.”
“Isn't everyone your children?” someone asked.
“Some of you require a more personal touch,” I replied simply.
“I don't know what to say,” Puff murmured.
“I know our first meeting was less than pleasant but I would love nothing more than to wash that all away and induct you into our family,” I pressed.
“I… yes, I would like that,” Puff remarked.
I stuck my sword into the earth, and knelt down, opening my arms wide. “Come on then. Give your mother a hug,” I implored.
He smiled back and stepped closer, hugging me as tightly as he could.
“I hope that in time you truly will see me as a parent, but until then I’d be more than happy to just be your friend,” I whispered. “And in the meantime, you will have the trust of my little ponies so do your best.”
“That sounds very nice and I will,” Puff whispered back.
I gave him a gentle squeeze while summoning my magic, and using it much as I had with Crimson Heart. Only this time I did not attempt something quite so grandiose, rather I wanted to give him a simple pick me up. The magic took effect like before, with the dragon going weak for a moment only to suddenly start to glow.
The light was there for only a few seconds before vanishing, revealing that the dragon’s eyes were now a bright, vibrant green. His form had also filled out somewhat, though he was still much, much too thin to be considered healthy. I did my best to make it look like this was part of the plan and gave him one last squeeze before standing back up.
“Rise, my son, rise and choose a new, more fitting name for yourself,” I proclaimed.
“I.. don't know what I would choose,” murmured the drake, who was still visibly reeling from the sudden empowerment.
I leaned in close and whispered. “Maybe something ponylike to symbolize your relationship with the mare who has so captured your eye.”
The dragon glanced at Royal Ribbon out of the corner of his eye. “What would you recommend?”
“Something defensive to show how you will protect these ponies like Stalwart Steel, or Balanced Bulwark,” I replied.
“I’ve got it,” he whispered, rising back up to his full height.
“Bulwark the black will be my name, but you all can call me Bull,” proclaimed the dragon.
I began clapping, and soon the ponies joined in, stomping their hooves and shouting their excitement. For nearly a minute everyone shouted their approval while pounding the stone with their hooves. His dragon friends joined in as well, clapping and grinning at their leader.
“Thank you, Mother,” Bulwark exclaimed, bowing slightly. “I will do my best to make up for my failings.”
“You have no failings to make up for, no sin to wash yourself of. You are born anew, and are no longer related to that foul creature who I refuse to name,” I retorted, my smile turning a bit more coy. “But as my child, I will have chores for you to do.”
“Chores?” Bulwark replied in confusion.
“For now you shall do what you can to assist Lakeside, and serve as its interim mayor while we move around our population,” I answered. “After that, you will be free to run for mayor, or you can simply leave. Your fate will be your own.”
“I’ve never been given a choice before,” Bulwark muttered.
Royal Ribbon stepped forward and punched the dragon in the leg.
“He is going to do a wonderful job as mayor. Isn't that right Pu- I mean Bulwark,” Royal Ribbon exclaimed.
Bulwark smiled. “It will be my honor.”
“Good, now I have a few announcements before I let you all retire for the night, and begin recuperating from your ordeal,” I began. “The guardian tree is free, and will aid you should you need it. Furthermore, we will be having a feast in one week’s time in order to celebrate Lakeside’s freedom, as well as the Diamond Dog’s city being saved.”
“Woohoo!”
“Hell yeah!”
“I am already hungry!”
I chuckled. “After we’ve taken a quick census you will be free to return to your homes. In the meantime allow me to formally welcome you into our burgeoning little kingdom, I hope that together we can make this valley a place to truly be proud of.”
A cry went up, and more stomping was had, though it was subdued slightly, the ponies clearly exhausted from a long day.
“With that, I leave things in your capable hooves, Quick Quill,” I added, gesturing to the mare in question.
“Oh right, just uh… form a line, everyone,” Quick Quill exclaimed.
I smiled and walked over to Bulwark where he was standing off to the side alongside his friends. They were joined by a number of ponies, some of whom they had helped, others that were eager to ask him questions. I even caught one rather enterprising pony who was already putting in a request for the new mayor.
I pulled the dragon aside and gave him a sideways hug. “Sorry about ambushing you like that,” I whispered. “I do hope you can forgive me.”
“It's quite alright,” he whispered back. “You wanted to make them trust me, which was exactly what I wanted.”
“Still, was all those theatrics necessary?” Royal Ribbon interjected.
“Ponies love theatrics,” I retorted.
“Fair,” Royal Ribbon muttered, somewhat angrily.
“I’m going to relax and chat with the guardian tree for a little bit. Enjoy yourself,” I implored, giving the dragon one last gentle squeeze.
I turned and departed, leaving the ponies and dragons to begin picking up the pieces of their shattered lives. Passing through the crowd, I exchanged polite hellos before emerging out the other side. Grabbing my sword tightly, I took a running start, and leaped from the edge of the dock, surprisingly without breaking it.
The resulting splash was enormous, though I didn't get to see much of it as I sunk like well, a stone. After hitting the bottom, I walked across the bottom of the lake, brushing past the corpse of the drowned drake I had killed earlier. Reaching the shore of the small island, I strode out from the water and stepped onto the land.
“I see that you’ve begun repairs,” I remarked, noting that the pool of acid had stopped bubbling and was slowly being covered with dirt.
“It is going to take a long time to heal this broken land,” murmured the wind-borne feminine voice of the tree.
I walked over and sat down a few feet from the plant, laying my sword across my lap.
“I’d like to start by apologizing again for being so forceful earlier,” I began. “I should have been a little kinder to you.”
“It's fine,” murmured the tree. “I will accept your apology as you were merely trying to help the ponies.”
“They are hard not to fall in love with, huh?” I asked with a smirk.
“They are quite… adorable,” replied the tree after a pause.
“That they are,” I agreed. “But now that the danger has passed I would like it if we were to reach a more mutually beneficial arrangement, before we get to that I think it best if you told me your name.”
“In times long past they called me, Leaflock,” she answered.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Leaflock. I’d introduce myself but you already know my name,” I exclaimed with a small amount of amusement.
“I…”
I raised a stoney eyebrow. “Yes, what is it?”
“It's nothing,” Leaflock quickly replied.
“Please, speak your mind. I would not have an ally fear what I may say,” I pressed.
There was a short pause where the only sound was a gentle breeze that ran across the island, sending Leaflock’s leaves fluttering.
“I know you are not the real Gaea,” Leaflock proclaimed suddenly. “And I promise not to tell anyone.”
“That is… good,” I murmured. “May I ask how you knew?”
“Gaea, the real Gaea, was brought low by the godblight unleashed by Discord, and finally killed by the pony princesses not long after,” Leaflock answered. “We old trees were connected to her and felt her death as keenly as we ourselves had died.”
“I’m sorry you had to experience that,” I offered, laying a gentle hand on her trunk. “If it makes you feel any better I literally died myself recently.”
“That does sort of make me feel better,” Leaflock muttered.
I sat back down and gave the tree a soft smile. “So, why did you choose to keep my secret?”
“The ponies,” she answered. “I saw them soldier on, bearing great tragedy because they believed Gaea was still out there to protect them. That faith kept them together long enough for you to show up and save them for real.”
“Faith can be a powerful thing, though it requires a steady hand, and careful oversight lest it breed zealous and hateful cults,” I remarked, my mind going back to what few memories I had of my past life.
“I am glad to hear you are taking it seriously,” Leaflock proclaimed.
“Of course,” I quickly replied. “And when the time comes I hope to tell them the truth, and dismantle the religion entirely but that may take some time.”
“I am very glad to hear that,” Leaflock declared.
“So,” I began. “We are having a celebration back at the main base so to speak and I was hoping you would attend.”
“Celebration, me? Why?” Leaflock asked.
“Because you are part of this community just as much as they are,” I answered, gesturing back to the mainland.
There was another long pause where the only sound was the wind, the gentle lapping of the waves, and the distant conversation of the ponies. Then the tree stirred, a branch reaching out and plucking an acorn from somewhere in its foliage. It then extended the limb and placed the seed in my outstretched hand.
“Plant it somewhere with plenty of sunlight, and I will be able to use it to project myself,” Leaflock explained.
I grinned and stood back up. “I look forward to it,” I exclaimed.
“Me too,” Leaflock murmured happily.
As I turned to leave I couldn't help but feel like I had just asked someone out on a date.
The week passed thankfully quite uneventfully, the ponies had many tearful reunions, as well as a few sad realizations. Those who had yet to locate their missing neighbors had begun to give up hope, but I stopped that from happening. Though slim, there was a chance they were still out there, and so long as we didn't have a body, hope remained.
The census came up with a whopping three hundred and eighty-nine ponies, plus about thirty diamond dogs and just shy of ten dragons. The dogs who had come over were mostly the ones I had personally tracked down and invited due to their religious nature. Free to worship as they please over here, they were quickly proving quite devout, as well as amazingly useful.
With their help, the tunnels and caves that housed the majority of our population were now quite homey. More chimneys had been built with the help of the dogs and my own increased control over my rocky domain. By the time we had created enough vents, I was fairly certain I could create entire structures out of stone with enough time and concentration.
That still didn't explain how or why that stone moved when I was at the diamond dog city, but that was a thought for another time.
Who was I to question providence? And yes, I do understand how silly that sounds considering it's me saying it.
Either way, the caves were becoming downright homey, and I had begun testing the possibility of creating stone houses on the surface. They could indeed be made but didn't quite stand upright yet, and without glass, or timber we couldn't make doors or windows. So it was mostly just practice, as it was decided we would wait until we could make those things before we really tried to create better homes.
In the meantime, most ponies were just happy to have a private space to call their own. I even went through and customized most dwellings to how they wanted, adding lofts, extra rooms, or higher ceilings. Again, I wanted to do more, but this was a close second and most residents appreciated the extra effort I put in to really make it feel like the space was theirs.
The food situation had improved, as Lakeside did indeed have a surplus, though that was partially due to the starvation rations most slaves had been on. Now that they were free and allowed to eat three square meals a day they were happy, but also burning through our backlog. To help with that I had begun searching for more food options and had found several relatively quickly.
Ponies were opposed to the consumption of meat, though that didn't extend to fish curiously enough. So with the fish population booming all of a sudden, it was decided that a few boats would be sent out to catch fish. So far so good, though I had received reports that there had been a sighting of the large fish I had brushed up against before. Nothing negative so far, but it had spooked a couple of fisherponies into dropping their catch which was more amusing than truly detrimental.
The other option was picking the plains clear of rocks and beginning to work them, planting what little seed the ponies had managed to save. That would take time though, so it was put on the back burner and that project was currently being used as punishment detail for disobedient children. In time the plains outside would be able to grow plentiful crops, I could sense it, but again it was something for the future.
The final option was to open the lower caves, as I could sense there was something growing down there near what I felt was a large amount of water. It was a promising combination and my mind conjured images of enormous mushrooms like the kind I vaguely recalled from fiction. That was put aside as well, as I wanted to explore them myself, just in case danger lurked within the depths.
Another idea put on the backburner for now, to join the dozen others already sitting there, ignored or forgotten.
And that was about it. I took a bit of time off to wander about the forest hunting wayward dragons though in reality I was just taking in nature. I made a paltry attempt at diplomacy by announcing loudly that I would forgive any of them that turned themselves in. Very few had taken me up on my offer yet, but I had a feeling that would change once they started running out of food.
I was content to bide my time, leaving at least one war form hidden near Lakeside at all times. I wanted to create entire squads of myself who could patrol the area but the strain was a bit too much at the moment. That would change once I had more ponies under my banner but for now, I was content with my three watchers.
This brings us all the way to the day of the first feast, where I was busy making last-minute adjustments while also checking on everyone. I also took enough time out of my day to finally give the preacher boy the list of commands I had promised him. It hadn't been overly long but it took a while as I wanted my wording to be exact, and precise.
No one would ever be able to use my words as justification for cruelty without basically rewriting the entire thing.
“Is that everything?” he asked, tapping his tiny quill against the inkwell and waiting patiently.
I scratched my chin and considered things while also inspecting the child sitting across from me. I hadn't really noticed it before but the kid was much plainer looking than most of the other ponies who had brighter colorations than him. Brown fur, a two-toned slightly orangish brown mane the same color as his eyes blurred together to create an earth pony that kinda looked like mud from a distance.
“No, that's about it,” I concluded.
Pure Heart placed the quill back in the well before looking down at his notes.
“So, to recap you want those who worship you to treat one another and the land with respect. You also want a special emphasis placed upon treating the land with care, so as to ensure future generations can also live there,” he began, pausing to flip a page. “You also don't mind different kinds of relationships or gender expressions so long as they are adults. In addition, you encourage others to seek a partner and to explore themselves.”
I nodded and waited as he flicked through his papers.
“You also abhor the hoarding of wealth and power. I think you went so far as to say to fear those who desire those things,” he continued, pausing to look up to me for confirmation.
“Those who hoard are the cruelest of all, for they see the suffering of others, and refuse to alleviate it,” I replied. “A percent of your personal wealth should be given back to the community, and this percent should be proportional to what they make.”
“That makes sense,” he muttered. “But what about this whole… what did you call it again? Reincarnation?”
“Yes, that is the ultimate fate when you die,” I stated, holding back the tidbit that I knew that this was true from personal experience.
“Odd. The old church said that you went to either oblivion or heaven,” Pure Heart remarked.
“That is a vile outlook on the afterlife,” I retorted in disgust. “To believe that there was anyone so evil that they deserved to not exist… it's cruel.”
“There may be some who disagree with this. They like to imagine that oblivion is a fitting punishment for evildoers,” Pure Heart pointed out, only to stop and clasp his hooves over his mouth. “Not that I am doubting you, Mother Gaea.”
I sighed. “I thought we talked about this already.”
“Oh right, you talked a lot about how questioning you is important and to never follow anyone blindly,” he replied somewhat guiltily.
“Exactly,” I exclaimed.
“Okay, I got all that plus the rest of the stuff we talked about over the week. Are you sure that's everything?” He pressed.
“I told you I am not doing any metaphors, or stories that are actually just lessons in disguise, nor will I add any room for interpretation,” I stated firmly. “I will not have my words twisted and turned into weapons.”
“I doubt that would happen, but I understand your fear,” he half agreed.
“Good,” I replied, standing up from the tiny stone desk. “Now then, I am off to check on the others.”
I paused and turned back around. “Oh, and how is your sister, Glad Heart?”
“She is doing very well thanks to you,” Pure Heart exclaimed. “We feared her leg would need to be amputated after all.”
“No thanks needed, save it for Sunday,” I repeated.
“I remember. And thank you, Mother, for everything,” Pure Heart declared, bowing his little head.
I smiled and departed, my smaller, ‘gossip’ form as I called it, easily exiting without bumping its head on the door. A mental check of the time revealed that I still had plenty of the stuff, so I diverted myself to where the Scarlet Sisterhood had set up shop. Here the roof was higher, and there were a number of rooms already built to accommodate the unfortunate number of sisters.
Nearly forty had chosen to join them, with nearly a dozen of them being male. The scale of the dragons’ abuse was as enraging as it was widespread. Thankfully there were some who had joined whose stay I knew was going to be temporary, likely departing after their rapist’s child was born. I did not bemoan them this, I was just proud that they had chosen to make the best of the shit sandwich life had given them.
Already I could sense that the sisterhood would end up as part orphanage, as some were not keen on raising the child thrust upon them. I didn't mind this at all but was a bit surprised that they were not keen on aborting the child even after I told them such a choice was not an evil one. Ponies simply didn't see things that way, which was nice to witness, even if it did seem a bit on the naive side of things.
That's one bullet dodged. I thought to myself.
Immediately upon entering the convent, I was approached by a pair of ponies I had slowly gotten to know over the past week. First was Crimson Heart, the former slave now garbed in more professionally sewn robes that hid the majority of her form. Royal Ribbon was accompanying her, the stubborn mare smiling while her companion bowed low.
“To what do we owe the pleasure, Mother Gaea?” Crimson Heart asked.
“Just checking in. How has the infusion treated you?” I asked, looking at Royal Ribbon.
“Very well,” she replied with a smile. “It is nice to know that I will actually be there to raise them and watch them grow up.”
“I told you it was a simple procedure. Yet you doubted our Mother,” Crimson Heart shot.
Royal Ribbon sighed. “Can you really blame me? It seemed too good to be true.”
“Sometimes people really are looking out for you, and have your best interests at heart,” I remarked with a grin.
“And I thank you for that. You have no idea how refreshing it is to find out there is no catch,” Royal Ribbon admitted.
“That means everyone who needs it has received it right?” I pressed.
Crimson Heart nodded. “It is done, even though I told you it did not need to be for at least another few months.”
“Though draining, it was worth it to see you all back to your normal energy levels,” I shot back.
“Still,” Crimson Heart murmured.
“I’m fine dear. Though your concern is appreciated,” I exclaimed, placing my hand on her shoulder and giving her a gentle squeeze. “Oh and how are Pinprick and what name did she settle on, Gorehorn?”
Gorehorn was the mare who had stabbed that dragon in the eyeball with her horn not too long ago. Clearly traumatized by her captivity, she was also struggling with anger, as well as other issues, and had thus opted to stay with the sisters. Pinprick was a different case, the stallion having been clearly traumatized but unwilling to acknowledge it at all. I convinced him to stay with the sisters as they were the most pious with the hopes that he would be able to get help there.
“Gorehorn. What an awful name,” Royal Ribbon muttered.
“We must respect a pony’s chosen name,” Crimson Heart began, only for her confidence to flicker. “Even if it is rather brutish.”
“Either way she's doing good, last I saw,” Royal Ribbon remarked.
Crimson Heart nodded. “She has taken to becoming the convent’s defender, and though it's largely unneeded, it gives her purpose so we have not opposed it.”
“Good, a sense of accomplishment is never a bad thing,” I added.
“As for Pinprick… well,” Crimson Heart frowned. “He is as difficult as ever. I don't think we will be able to break through to him for some time. At least he is good with the administration side of things and is always eager to help the other sisters.”
“Could be better, could be worse,” I muttered.
I silently wished psychology had advanced more in ponyland, because at the moment it was dog shit. The old, ‘Suck it up and move on!’ saying was apparently the best advice they had, and any attempt to help someone further was seen as unnecessary. It was something I was aiming to fix, but that would take time, though the sisters were very open to my new way of thinking.
“I will leave you to it then oh and make sure that everyone knows they are invited to the feast. A bit of fresh air would do you all some good,” I exclaimed.
“We will be there, Mother,” Crimson Heart replied, bowing once more.
“I will be up in a minute. I just wanted to speak to Crimson a little more,” Royal Ribbon offered.
“I will meet you up there,” I declared.
Bowing out of the conversation and the room, I made my way towards the church which at the moment was being used as a simple meeting area. A bit of expansion had been done to the place, turning it into a community center as well as a place of worship. With plenty of common areas for ponies to meet and mingle, it was turning out to be a popular place to hang out when you were done with your tasks.
On the way there I saw Bright Eyes standing outside, looking in, as if yearning to enter but for some reason was unable to.
“You know you don't have to be a follower to enter, right?” I announced.
The poor thing nearly jumped out of their skin.
“Don't scare me like that!” they shouted. “You making a body capable of stealth was the worst idea since the bronze bull.”
I chuckled at their little outburst, allowing them time to slow their heart rate and get their breathing back to normal.
“Better?” I asked.
“Yeah,” they muttered.
“So… heading in then?” I pressed.
“I’m… not sure,” Bright Eyes muttered. “I don't think I’ll be welcome.”
“Has anyone here derided you for how you choose to express yourself?” I asked.
“No,” they muttered.
“So, your heading in then, right?” I inquired.
“But the old church said that such expression was wrong and that I had to act and dress in a way that fit my sex,” Bright Eyes murmured somewhat bitterly.
“Is the old church here? Are their inquisitors among us even now, operating in secret?” I asked in mock confusion, looking this way and that as if one of them may leap out at a moment’s notice.
“Hey, sarcasm and biting remarks are my thing,” Bright Eyes shot back, only for their smile to fade a moment later. “And no, they aren't here. I guess my fear isn't exactly logical, huh?”
“No fear is,” I stated. “What will come will come, and no amount of worry will stop it.”
“Pffft, fine, I’ll go inside. But only to make you stop making philosophical remarks at me,” Bright Eyes exclaimed, a small smile crossing their face.
“Attathem,” I declared, patting Bright Eyes on the back and making them groan.
Smiling, I watched as they made their way inside and were quickly invited into a game of cards with a few other familiar faces. Stitch Work was there, alongside Tender Claws, Hammer Swing, and Berry Blend, the group playing what looked to be rummy. It was a small gathering, but one that made me smile as I was happy to see that the Lakeside ponies were integrating well.
I let my gaze wander as I looked out over the room, noting that my chess sets were being well appreciated. The game itself wasn't previously known to ponies, though checkers was, which made sense considering the history of both games. Either way ponies of all ages were giving it a try using the sets I had constructed while I was practicing my stone crafting powers. Some pieces weren't quite as nice as others, but no one really cared as they were just happy to have something to play.
The murmur of conversation was a pleasant sound, and I could tell that the mood was generally positive.
The children were playing with tiny stone blocks that had also served as practice before I worked up to chess pieces. They were simple shapes, and fairly light as they were hollow, but they were well-loved all the same. I could even see what looked like the start of a tiny stone castle near one corner, a group of foals eagerly constructing the outer bailey.
Amongst their number was Tippy Taps, the child Short Sale had sacrificed his legs to save. There was also Nigma there with them as well, the child as curious as ever. They were being watched by Fleet Hoof and Danger Diamond, the pair chatting in a low, hushed tone. Though I couldn't hear what they were saying, it seemed personal, as they occasionally blushed or batted their eyelashes at one another.
It was nice to see them chatting, and integrating themselves with the community. It was even nicer to see that they were expressing interest in someone, and I made a note to tease them, asap. That would have to wait though, as I had noticed a pony I hadn't seen in a while.
Though I couldn't recall her name at the moment, I recognized her as one of the injured ponies I had pulled from the cave. She had received a nasty wound across her belly and had been laid up in bed for some time even after I lent her what aid I could. Thankfully she was able to pull through and make a full recovery. More important still was the fact that several other ponies had gathered around her and were all chatting while playing a game.
One of these ponies was Sun Dancer, a stallion who had been presumed dead and who was actually very much alive. The stallion in question was even leaning against another male, the pair occasionally nuzzling one another in an adorable display. I smiled and allowed my vision to drift, taking in the rest of the crowd before I continued my ascent.
I didn't make it far before I happened upon Short Sale sitting outside his home, a pipe in his mouth. He was joined by a grinning Deep Delve, the mare sitting beside him with her own slightly larger pipe.
“Hey there neighbors. How are you two doing?” I greeted.
“Pretty good, pretty good,” Short Sale muttered.
“Bout the same. Right thrilled about the feast let me tell ya. Feels like we're really getting somewhere ya know?” Deep Delve remarked before puffing on her pipe.
“Speaking of which,” I began, gesturing to Short Sale. “How are your new legs coming along?”
“We're about halfway there,” he replied, wiggling his crystal stumps in emphasis.
Sure enough, they were nearly halfway regrown at this point. It wouldn't be long I figured before he had his limbs back completely.
“And you feel everything?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.
“Yup. Other than being tougher, they act like normal,” he answered. “Kinda makes me wish that bear had gotten the back ones while he was at it. Maybe then I could say goodbye to all my aches and pains.”
“Hey, are you saying you're getting rid of me?” Deep Delve shot.
Short Sale chuckled. “Maybe I am. Are you going to keep smoking all the pipeweed and not tell me?”
“Maybe,” Deep Delve replied with a smirk.
“Like an old married couple already. When are you going to let me hold a ceremony for you two?” I pressed.
“We're not that old ya know. We don't have to rush,” Short Sale exclaimed.
“Yeah I’m kind of enjoying this whole datin thing,” Deep Delve admitted.
“Fair enough but that time will come. I have a feeling,” I replied.
“Maybe,” Short Sale added simply.
“Whelp, that's my signal to keep on moseying my way topside. I hope to see you two at the feast,” I exclaimed, giving the pair a wave.
Which they returned.
“We wouldn't miss it for the world, eh dear?” Deep Delve asked, elbowing Short Sale in the side.
“No ma’am,” he replied with a grin.
“Good to hear,” I stated before continuing my journey.
I made it around the corner and into an alcove. Once out of the way, I pulled my consciousness from that body and focused instead on the ponylike diplomacy form I had created a week earlier. It was standing just outside the cave system my ponies called home, serving as a watcher while the majority of my focus was on my other body.
Once I was focusing on it completely, I walked over to the side, ignoring the conversation going on nearby. Bulwark had arrived, alongside a few redeemed dragons and a good number of the Lakeside citizens who were not already here. While they chatted with Quick Quill, Earth Break, Crystal Cadance, and a few others, I pressed on to where I had planted Leaflock’s seed.
It wasn't far from my main gigantic form, the small patch of dirt hidden away from the majority of onlookers. The number of spots that actually had enough earth to support a tree was few but thankfully the one I located was exceptional. It had a deep deposit of dirt and wasn't far from a natural spring. All while being under the direct gaze and thus protection, of my main body.
I had expected to be alone but wasn't terribly surprised to find that Hypereas was there as well. The tall, slightly lanky, and top-heavy diamond dog was leaning close to the ground, his nose mere millimeters from the dirt. His floppy ears were laying on the dirt on either side of his head while his large paws were spread wide, bracing the rest of his body.
Which was much less muscular than I had first anticipated given how bulky and imposing his armor had been. Now that he wore only a long, sleeveless brown cloak that went all the way down to his ankles I could see him much more clearly. Including the gambeson, a type of padded jacket typically worn beneath plate armor that he still kept on. Despite his new job as a gardener, and advisor he was still unwilling to shed his armor completely.
Out in the afternoon sun with his head uncovered I could tell that his mostly grey fur had bits of purple in it that was only visible in a certain light. His dull orange eyes flicked this way and that, the dog seeking out something that only he could perceive. Upon hearing my approach, and apparently not finding what he was looking for, Hypereas rose back up, using his knees as support.
“Ahh honored Mother, it is good to see you,” he began, only to pause. “Or should I be bowing? I’m still new to this whole thing.”
“Like I keep telling you Hypereas, when it's just us you don't have to use any honorifics. Or to put it another way, treat me like you would your own mother,” I replied.
The dog erupted with laughter. “Oh, I don't know if you want that. My mother was a tough old coot who loved me dearly but did a terrible job showing it,” he exclaimed.
“Could have been worse I suppose,” I remarked.
“No kidding. Our entire population is descended from the lone army that survived and returned in one piece and I don't know if you know this but soldiers don't always make the best parental figures,” he exclaimed.
“True, though I’m a bit surprised you allowed females in combat roles. Many other races seem to relegate that position to males alone,” I thought aloud.
“Then they are fools,” spat the dog. “Female diamond dogs are every bit as strong and smart as males. The only thing they don't have is the obvious, as well as a quite as prominent chin.”
“Noted,” I muttered. “How is our seedling doing?”
“Quite well I must say,” Hyepereas began, gesturing down to the tiny plant that at the moment was only two inches tall and had but a single leaf. “She ain't much to look at right now, but it's been growing pretty quick.”
“Between the fertilizer, the water from the spring, and the high levels of ambient mana I’m surprised it's not growing faster,” I replied.
“You wouldn't want that,” Hypereas quickly retorted. “The bark might split, or it might end up top-heavy and unable to support its own weight.”
“I wasn't being- ah never mind,” I muttered. “So, how are the other dogs settling in?”
“Good. The caves are a far cry from Batheor, but it's nice to create something for ourselves rather than moving into something someone else made,” Hypearas admitted.
“I’ve never actually heard a diamond dog refer to the city in that way. I presume Batheor is its name?” I inquired.
Hypereas chuckled. “That makes sense, as it literally translates to ‘the city’ so most don't even bother using its name.”
“Was it always called that?” I pressed.
“It was once Stjora Helgot Avor Kjungr, or the great hall of kings, but that name was shed after we returned to find the city empty as the name no longer felt fitting,” Hypearas explained.
“That makes sense. Say, why do most dogs seem to speak common so well?” I asked.
“We call it the trade language, and it was important for soldiers to know, thus we all know it,” Hypearas answered. “It helps if the entire army understands the enemy and can tell when they try to surrender.”
“Hmm, understandable,” I murmured.
I was about to ask another question when I noticed that our little sprout had begun to glow a strange ethereal white color. Like fog, it spread out until it was roughly the size and shape of a young human child. Only its head was off, as it was slightly too large while also sporting a flower-filled crown upon its brow. There were no other fine details or features to spot, however, as it was still a sort of fog creature that shifted slightly with the breeze.
“Leaflock?” I whispered.
The fog child took what looked like a breath and placed its hands on its chest before speaking.
“Is this, is this working,” she whispered, her voice warbling considerably at first but quickly becoming stable. “Yes, I think I’m close.”
“Not bad,” I exclaimed. “Though you're a little on the short side.”
Leaflock’s shoulders slumped and I got the distinct impression that she would be frowning if she was capable of doing so.
“I am still weakened from my enslavement and this extension is still small,” she retorted.
“I know. I’m just teasing you,” I replied.
“Hmm,” she murmured.
“You two will be off to the feast then, right?” Hypereas asked.
“I suppose we should, though before we do I need to make one quick change. Leaflock, please remain here a moment,” I exclaimed.
Before she had a chance to respond, I was off, placing my diplomatic body beside the opening to the cave system. I then inhabited my smaller form, and ran back to Leaflock, ignoring Bulwark as well as the others for just a bit longer. Upon reaching the tree spirit, I smiled, and extended my arms, revealing that I was now in a form nearly the same height as her. That being said it was far more detailed than the foggy shapeless mass that she was, as this body was just a scaled-down version of my diplomacy form.
“What do you think, better?” I asked.
“I suppose that you being the same size as me would help with our date,” she replied.
“Date?” Hypereas asked, watching me with wide eyes.
“Indeed,” I answered simply, extending an elbow from my side. “Now my lady, shall we?”
Rather than placing her hand on my arm, Leaflock just stood there, staring at me. “Shall we what?” she deadpanned.
I mimicked a sigh and pointed to my arm. “Just put your hand there and walk with me back down to the feast, if you don't mind,” I offered.
She nodded and did as was asked. Her touch was strange, cool yet pleasant like a summer rain that came at midday. It was nice and had just enough resistance to it that I could feel like she was flesh and blood.
Together we made our way down the slightly winding and hastily made path that lead to the first plate. We were not immediately noticed by those standing around waiting for the feast to begin though that changed when we got close. One of the ponies pointed over to me and said my name before breaking out into a fit of giggles. Others joined soon after, and though most found our tiny forms amusing a good number said nothing and simply smiled.
“Mother is that you?” Bulwark asked, the dragon wearing a cheeky smile. “I’m going to have to start calling you little sister.”
“Watch out there sonny boy. I’m still dangerous you know,” I retorted, cocking a fist and aiming it at his junk.
The dragon chuckled, having finally realized when I was joking and when I was serious. Instead of offering another retort, he knelt down and opened his arms. I accepted the hug and gave him a good firm squeeze.
“It's good to see you Bulwark,” I exclaimed, patting him on the shoulder.
“It is nice to see you as well. Even though we had just seen one another this morning,” Leaflock offered.
“Leaflock I presume,” Bulwark declared. “I was wondering if all your constant fretting was going to be for not.”
“I did not fret,” Leaflock retorted.
“I don't know. You asked me a whole lot of questions about dates and mother here and-”
“Silence,” Leaflock shouted, her voice becoming slightly shrill. “I did not do those things. Do not believe him.”
“I believe you dear,” I replied, before leaning toward Bulwark and flashing him a wink.
“Why did you do that thing with your eye?” Leaflock asked.
“No reason,” I replied. “Apologies, I did not mean to disrupt the conversation.”
“It's no trouble at all,” Earthbreak picked up. “We were just discussing the possible name choices floating around for here as well as Lakeside.”
“Oh? And what's the consensus?” I inquired, trotting over to the table and taking a seat at one of the very few chairs present.
“I was not aware that you were going to rename Lakeside. It seems so… fitting,” Leaflock added, the diminutive fog creature sitting next to me, the spirit barely able to see over the lip of the table.
“Nothing as of yet, but plenty of ideas,” Earthbreak replied.
“I think The Village of Lone Tree is currently winning in the polls, though there was also Haven, Stone Burrow in honor of our old city and oddly enough, Dragon’s End,” Crystal Cadance offered.
“Though I believe it ultimately comes down to Gaea’s decision,” Quick Quill was quick to add.
“I think Lone Tree is beautiful,” I declared, turning to Leaflock. “Don't you think?”
“I do not understand,” stated the tree spirit. “There is more than one tree there.”
“I think we mean-” Earthbreak began, only to be silenced when I raised a finger.
“Let her figure it out,” I interrupted.
“I do not…” Leaflock paused and shrunk slightly. “I understand now and I do not think I deserve such an honor.”
“I think it's quite fitting, and rather amusing considering it's in the middle of the forest,” I added.
“Yeah it does have a nice ring to it, the village of Lone Tree,” Earthbreak declared aloud.
“Leaflock is Lakeside’s guardian spirit and an ally of Gaea so it makes sense to honor her in such a way,” Crystal Cadance remarked.
“What about the names for this place?” Leaflock asked rather forcefully, eager to get the attention away from herself.
“Yeah, what did you all decide on anyway? Last I checked you were thinking about calling it Standing Stone, or something to that effect in order to honor your old city,” I thought aloud.
“Actually we were going in a slightly different direction,” Crystal Cadance cautiously declared.
“Yeah I think the consensus was landing on Gaea’s Cradle, or Gaea’s Rest,” Earthbreak declared.
“Though if you think that is too grandiose there were plenty of other suggestions,” Quick Quill was once again quick to offer.
“I kinda like it, not sure why,” I half muttered. “It feels familiar for some reason.”
“Perhaps it was a prominent city in ancient times,” Earthbreak offered.
“There was something like that,” Leaflock replied, jumping in to assist me. “Though I believe it was a mountain simply called Gaea’s Reach.”
“Oh, that's what we should name this mountain!” Earthbreak announced suddenly.
“Now that might be a bit much. You wouldn't want my ego to run away with me now would you?” I asked, genuinely a bit surprised by the move.
“Do not worry. Your ego is not capable of running off with anything,” Leaflock retorted.
“It is very fitting,” Crystal Cadance pressed, the mare wearing a small, teasing smile.
“Oh fine. The mountain is called Gaea’s Reach,” I muttered in defeat.
“Hurray,” Leaflock declared in her regular monotone voice.
“Help me out here Bulwark,” I whispered, leaning toward him.
“Oh no I’m not getting involved in this at all,” retorted the dragon with his hands raised defensively.
“Ungrateful brat,” I muttered just loud enough to hear.
When he looked at me I shot him a wink, causing a small smile to grow on his face.
“So,” I announced suddenly, looking about the area. “How are the preparations going? I see plenty of tables, chairs for our guests, and pillows for ponies but very little drink or food.”
“Don't worry. I broke into my father’s- I mean the old cellar under the mansion and found the good stuff,” Bulwark declared.
“Also, they should be just about done unloading the hoarded supplies as well as the latest catch,” Quick Quill added, gesturing to the side of the plate where several crates were being unloaded.
“Excellent, and if I’m not mistaken I sense the approach of many padded feet,” I declared.
I turned towards where the first plate sloped down towards the second, the others present at my table following my lead. In reality, I had sensed them minutes earlier and had seen the sentries warning of their approach but I wanted to be dramatic. Sure enough, it worked as we witnessed what seemed to be the entire population of Batheor ascending the stone steps.
Only a select minority wore armor, as most came dressed in similar garb to what Hypereas now wore. Namely, the long sleeveless robe that bore the image of a halberd over a crumbling crescent moon-like circle. This, I surmised, likely represented their weapon of choice and their commitment to defending their capital.
Though the guards were armed and armored, they were relaxed and wielded mostly ceremonial-looking halberds that were too gaudy to be intended for combat. It was quite intimidating the way they moved in lockstep, and wore mostly grim, neutral expressions. For a moment I even worried that we were getting invaded, but then Redfist and her grinning entourage became visible.
Relaxed, and wearing robes like most of the dogs accompanying her, Capricio immediately spotted me. She chuckled and elbowed her son before pointing to me and making what I can only assume was a short joke. I responded by inhabiting my mountainous form above them, and lowering my giant stoney hand over her head, then putting it above my own in a mocking measurement.
That scared the heck out of their guards but made Redfist and her son erupt with laughter. Her general was annoyed but quietly laughed after Redfist elbowed her in the midsection. They then approached our table, while behind them crates of food and drink were being carried into the clearing, adding to the already quite sizable stockpile.
“Hail and well met mighty Gaea!” Capricio called, taking a spot the spot to my right which had been previously occupied by Earthbreak.
Him and Crystal Cadance quickly slipped away during the diamond dogs entrance, likely to avoid the coming political discussions. I couldn't say I blamed them really, I was just thankful that Leaflock remained to my left, while Quick Quill sat next to her. Bulwark was across from us, leaving just enough room for the diamond dog leader, her son, and her general to seat themselves.
“Hail and well met to you too, puny dog,” I retorted.
Redfist slugged me in the shoulder with surprising strength though the core of this body was made of metal so I didn't even move.
“You know normally that would warrant a drinking contest or arm wrestle, but I don't think I’ve got big enough arms for that,” Redfist retorted.
“I don't know. You do have quite the set of pipes on ya,” I replied.
Redfist grinned and flexed her admittedly, rather impressive arms for all to see. “I’m glad to see you can recognize true strength when you see it,” she declared rather triumphantly.
“I don't know Mom. Angelion might have you beat,” Sigvur, her rather soft-spoken son retorted, pointing to the now flexing Angelion who sat next to him.
“Up for that rematch?” taunted the diamond dog general. “It's been what, five years?”
“Seven, and no. I’m still not ready,” Redfist retorted.
Angelion chuckled and lowered her arms.
“Now, if we are done the boob measuring competition, I was hoping to make a few announcements before we began the feast proper,” I offered, glancing expectantly at Capricio.
“So long as you don't make any long-winded speeches or expect me to do the same,” Capricio shot back.
“I’m not known for being a windbag… most of the time,” I admitted.
“Then go right ahead,” Redfist replied while making a shooing motion at me.
I stood up on the table, and looked out over the mostly silent crowd, waiting for the remainder to quiet down. I didn't have to hold my breath for long as everyone quickly seemed to get the message, and stopped their private conversations.
“Children, friends, and family,” I began, glancing from the crowd to Redfist, and finally Bulwark. “These last few weeks have been turbulent for us all, but now peace has been established, and new bonds have been forged!”
A cheer went up amongst the ponies while the dog guards thumped the butts of their halberds against the ground in unison.
“We have not emerged unscathed, however!” I continued. “We have taken losses, we have suffered but we have endured and now we must look to the future. In time we will rebuild, in time we will grow, and eventually, we will create a nation as accepting and powerful as I know you all to be.”
That seemed to make even Redfist nod in agreement, the dogs and ponies alike agreeing with my words.
“Before we get to that a few announcements,” I declared. “The mountain you see before you shall be known as Gaea’s Reach, and the town growing in the caves below us will be referred to as Gaea’s Cradle.”
I held up a hand, cutting off the imaginary response.
“Before you accuse me of egotism, I will have you know that I did not choose those names, though I did give my blessing to the renaming of Lakeside which is now the village of Lone Tree!” I shouted while looking down at Leaflock.
The tree spirit shrunk slightly, seemingly embarrassed yet still proud. The rest of the crowd barked or shouted their agreement, not a single pony raising their voice in disagreement.
“We will also be formally welcoming Batheor and her people into our growing kingdom as an ally, but more importantly, as a friend,” I exclaimed.
Redfist rose from her seat and cleared her throat. “It is not in our nature to extend the hand of friendship to those outside our kind. Or at least it wasn't,” she paused for a moment. “Now that our great city has been saved by an outsider, and we have received critical aid from the ponies she calls her own things have changed. If we had remained isolated our last mountainhome would be a ruin and we would be homeless. So it is with great pleasure that I affirm our commitment to this alliance from now until the end of time!”
Her guards thumped their weapons, her dogs barked, and clapped, while my ponies stomped their hooves and shouted their agreement. I couldn't help but beam, the diamond dog’s statement coming out nearly exactly as I had hoped.
I knelt down. “That was almost longer than mine,” I whispered.
“Bah,” Capricio spat, a grin present on her face.
I stood back up. “Now then, with that business out of the way, I am happy to announce the commencement of the first annual Founder's Day feast!”
The cheer that went up nearly shook the mountain and the outpouring of appreciation and support made me grin from non-existent ear to non-existent ear. Even the soft-spoken Sigvur joined alongside Leaflock and just about every single creature present.
“What are you waiting for? Drink! Eat! Be merry!” I shouted.
With that, the feast began, and I concluded the first chapter of my new life.
“Name?” asked the exhausted-looking guard standing at the entrance to the dark camp.
“Silent Shadow,” spat the irritated pegasus mare garbed in shadowed armor. “I am her Majesty Luna’s chief intelligence officer.”
“Right, right. And what's the password?” asked the earth pony soldier.
“Password?” scoffed Silent Shadow. “I have been on assignment for four months. I have no idea what the password could be. The last one I was told was quote, tangerine.”
“That's not it,” muttered the stallion.
Silent Shadow seethed, her teeth bared and her hoof itching to reach for the large steel mace dangling at her side. She then took a long, slow breath before looking at the soldier standing before her. He was exhausted, with deep rings visible under his slightly lopsided golden helm.
“What's your rank?” Silent Shadow inquired.
“Private,” replied the stallion.
“Okay private, we are going to do a little exercise okay? I’m going to pose a scenario and you’re going to tell me how it's going to play out,” Silent Shadow pressed.
“Uhhh, you really should just have the password. Another spy tried to get in the other day,” he answered.
Silent Shadow grit her teeth even tighter and ignored the comment. “Alright so imagine you were you and you were keeping one of the highest-ranked members of Luna’s inner circle from delivering news that is highly time sensitive to her majesty.”
“Uhh-”
“News that should it be delayed could cost the lives of your fellow soldiers, and potentially lead to the undue extension of this war by months, maybe even years,” Silent Shadow continued. “What do you think would happen to you after it was discovered what you’ve done, hmm?”
The stallion shifted uncomfortably in his post, shrinking slightly under the intense, withering gaze of the intelligence officer.
“You can go in,” he whispered.
“I thought as much. Good night, private,” Silent Shadow proclaimed before stomping off into the camp, a scowl on her face.
A few steps later and she had passed the small ditch, the half-constructed gate, and the wooden palisades being built on either side. Though late enough for the moon to stand high in the sky, workers continued to labor in an effort to shore up their defenses. Most of those working had darker garb or some indicator that they owed their allegiance to the dark alicorn of the night.
There were a few amongst them that called Celestia their primary princess, but they were in the clear minority. Struggling to stay awake, they would stop and occasionally take a sip from a strong-smelling brew. They worked quietly, and with determination, few words needing to be exchanged amidst the bustling camp.
A sudden dull boom, followed by a distant, bright flash startled Silent Shadow from her reverie. Spinning around in place, she stared back at the source of the noise, her gaze immediately landing on what had caused the sound. On the horizon, past the rows of soldiers, tents, and ditches was a fortress illuminated by hundreds of small fires.
The biggest of these fires had engulfed a large tower built into the exterior wall in a mass of flickering purple. The magical flames licked at the stonework, turning the grey stone to slag which melted down the sides. Though a spectacular light show, it did little to actually damage the building itself as enemy casters were quick to extinguish the magical fires.
Silent Shadow dropped her mace back into its loop and took a moment to straighten her outfit. Her dark cape had its creases removed, and the overlapping layers of chain, leather, and plate were put back into their place. The sliver moon badge she wore proudly on her shoulder was also straightened, and polished, ending the short ritual Silent Shadow used to calm her nerves.
With that done, she pushed on through the camp, crossing over a small creek in the process. A few unarmored soldiers were gathering water, hauling it over to where several large pots were sitting atop hot coals. The pleasant aroma of boiled field carrots and musty potatoes tickled Silent Shadow’s nose. Though her stomach rumbled, and she was hungry enough to ignore the scent of rot that lingered in the air, Silent Shadow pushed past the urge to eat.
No, she told herself, pushing on and, passing by more soldiers as she did so.
Large earth ponies hooked up to ropes raised tents, while others heaped mats of straw and grass atop the simple triangular dwellings they had built, creating a roof. Among the squalor of the lower camp worked the armorers, fletchers, blacksmiths, cooks, and medics. Each one tended to another of the army’s needs, though thankfully few could be spotted in the healer’s tent.
“Mostly banana boys anyway,” Silent Shadow muttered to herself contemptuously.
Continuing on, she walked down the winding path, passing by soldiers talking idly around small fires. She saw a few of her comrades sparring, their main weapons left to the side, leaving the pair to go at one another with mere daggers. The fight was interesting, with both combatants clearly being skilled but Silent Shadow knew at a glance who would win.
Though a part of her was tempted to get in on the betting scene growing at the edge of the dirt pit, she continued on. Until she came to a crossroads, where to the left there sat a small hill, atop which was a brightly colored golden tent. While on the other there was a small lowland area that had likely been the garden slash milling area at one point. Now there was only the water wheel left sitting in the creek, the rest of the building had burnt down before the army’s arrival.
The difference was stark, with Luna’s royal tent, marked by its star-strewn exterior having been erected amidst the ashy remains. The local solar commander had commandeered the high ground, as well as the only remaining structure and a well. The sight made Silent Shadow’s blood boil, but she pushed the anger she felt deep down inside of herself.
Stomping her way across the small stone bridge, she nodded to the pair of lunar soldiers positioned on the other side. Unlike the tired, overwhelmed guard near the camp entrance, these two were well-rested, and more importantly, they recognized the pegasus. They allowed her in without a word, simply stepping to either side respectfully, with one giving her a small nod as she passed.
Silent Shadow didn't return the gesture, her attention too focused on the squalid conditions her comrades were forced to labor within. The fire had clearly spread, and though rain had come soon after from the looks of it, that had just turned the area into a disgusting quagmire. Though mostly remedied, the mere fact that they had been put here made her hoof twitch toward her weapon.
Those thoughts were brushed aside for the moment, the mare focusing herself on the more direct path before her. Namely, the one that lead up to the dark purple and black tent that bore hundreds of silvery stars, as well as a blue flag adorned with the image of a full moon. Along the way she noticed that several ponies were milling about, their golden armor marking them as Celestia’s soldiers.
“So,” Silent Shadow began, stopping next to where a curious dark-furred soldier was leaning against a burnt beam of wood. “What's the deal?”
“Commander dick lips wants Luna to rally her best and assault the walls tonight,” he replied without missing a beat. “The idiot doesn't seem to realize that we’ve been marching for over a week straight just to get here.”
“Or doesn't care,” Silent Shadow replied.
The other soldier snorted irritably before unbuckling his gambeson and reaching inside, producing a pipe. He then gestured the dark red piece of wood at Silent Shadow, who shook her head and held up a hoof.
“Suit yourself,” he muttered.
As he packed the bowl, and sparked the fragrant tobacco, Silent Shadow watched the command tent eagerly. Her highly trained and sensitive ears could pick out bits of conversation but only ever a single side. Luna, or whoever was speaking for the princess was quiet, barely audible, unlike the other party who yelled almost constantly.
Though loud, the tent muffled just enough of what he was saying to make a complete account of the conversation impossible. From what Silent Shadow did hear, the soldier’s story seemed to be completely on the nose. The loud voice wanted Luna’s help in attacking immediately but was not getting his way no matter how much he blustered.
After a few minutes, his voice fell, and it wasn't long until he emerged with a sour expression on his face. Though frowning, and clearly annoyed he didn't seem to be angry, nor did he direct his irritation at anyone present. The lightly armored old stallion merely gestured for his young, female attendant to continue on, their escort falling in on either side.
Upon passing Silent Shadow, the general glanced to the side and nodded at the intelligence officer. She returned the gesture this time, though only slightly. The urge to bash his head in was nearly overwhelming but it passed when he did, leaving Silent Shadow with only a white-hot coal of contempt in the pit of her stomach.
“Silent Shadow,” announced a voice, drawing the mare’s gaze up to the tent guard. “You may enter, but be swift with your news. The night is short, and the work is great.”
“I will be quick,” Silent Shadow promised.
“See to it that you are,” declared the unicorn mare before lighting her horn and pulling aside the entrance, and revealing the interior of the tent.
Though extravagant when compared to the tents Silent Shadow had passed by, it was hardly worthy of its royal occupant. A wooden floor covered almost completely with various carpets ensured that at least she need not tread upon the ash-covered ground. Though the rest of the ornamentation was lacking, it was at least the same shades of blue and purple that Luna favored.
The mare herself was standing hunched over a large regional map with a castle depicted at its center. Various forces were represented by wooden pieces of various colors, with a queen stolen from a chess board serving as Luna’s stand-in. The advisors present ignored Silent Shadow’s entry, save for a tall, slim stallion that stood so close to Luna’s side that he seemed affixed to the large mare.
A whisper in the princess’s ear drew her attention up, her gaze meeting the intelligence officer.
“Ahh, you’ve returned from the northern front ahead of schedule. What news do you bring?” Luna asked.
“Before I get to that I must ask why you allow that blow hard to tread upon you in such a manner,” Silent Shadow half asked, half demanded. “I can hardly believe you let him raise his voice like that.”
“He is stressed and frightened for his soldiers. In the end, he begged our forgiveness and we gave it. I will not have anyone spread rumors of division,” Luna stated.
Silent Shadow bit her lip, holding back the retort she wanted to launch.
“And he got the hill because he’s been here for several days while we have only just arrived,” added the slender stallion that stood to Luna’s right.
“That may be seneschal Quiet Counsel, but there is a clear difference in status that must be respected,” Silent Shadow pressed on. “Furthermore his camp is hardly fit for-”
“Silence,” Luna interrupted, the armored alicorn shooting her intelligence officer a glare. “Surely you did not come here just to complain of a war camp in the midst of a siege.”
“No, apologies,” Silent Shadow declared, bowing low. “I am ornery from so many days of flight. Please forgive me.”
“No forgiveness necessary, now rise, and tell us what tidings you bear,” Luna ordered, her tone softening somewhat.
Silent Shadow did as she was told, standing back up and approaching the table. As she did, her gaze flicked across the various other officers present. None were willing to speak out of turn, but Silent Shadow could detect that they were itching to offer a rebuke of the mare themself. All save for a smaller, beedy-eyed young unicorn mare equipped in the obscuring garb of a scout.
“The refugees of Stoneburrow, and the surrounding lands have escaped custody, and made their way to the Valley of Dreams,” Silent Shadow began, gesturing to the highest spot on the map. “The scouting parties sent after them have not returned, and they are assumed to be dead.”
“Your telling me a bunch of half-starved pagan farmers managed such a trek and then killed the squads sent after them? Preposterous,” scoffed an older, dark-furred unicorn stallion with a noble bearing.
“That does strain credulity,” Luna muttered in agreement.
“It would, if they didn't have help,” Silent Shadow began, noting that seemed to draw the interest of the table. “Assistance great enough to destroy what meager forces we were able to send, and even survive months away from civilization.”
“It couldn't have been the griffons, they’ve got their talons full raiding our exposed flanks,” remarked another of Luna’s cabinet.
“Or the dragons,” offered the seneschal. “They are too opportunistic for that.”
“It was neither,” Silent Shadow egged on.
“Explain,” Luna demanded.
“It seems as though the pagans have managed to bring back Gaia,” Silent Shadow declared before taking a step back.
Sure enough, the table erupted with nearly a dozen voices all speaking out of turn.
“Impossible!”
“Gaia was never real, to begin with!”
“That two-bit earth spirit could never best our soldiers.”
More dissenting opinions were raised, incredulity offered, and counterpoints proposed. The only three who didn't speak were the scout, and Luna along with her seneschal. They merely sat there either with wide confused eyes like the alicorn and her assistant, or a small, knowing grin like the smaller mare.
“Silence!” Luna shouted suddenly, a hoof slamming against the table with enough force to send a few of the pieces skittering onto the floor. “Can you confirm this, Silent Shadow?”
“I cannot, though I can confirm that they genuinely believe that it is Gaia. They have sent for more of their wayward pagan cousins to join them, and have begun large-scale agricultural production,” Silent Shadow continued.
“That's so quick. There must be more of them than anticipated,” someone offered.
“Or they have received more help than first thought,” offered the seneschal.
“We must continue as though it is actually her,” Luna stated. “Anything less would be irresponsible.”
“I don't understand. Gaia is just some fairy tail earth spirit,” remarked the unicorn stallion in confusion.
“Gaia and the other primordial spirits are anything but mere stories,” Luna retorted. “If Gaia is back she may seek to resurrect the others, and if that happens…”
The terror, and uncertainty on Luna’s face shocked the others into silence, the unspoken threat dangling in the air like a sword of Damocles.
“What must we do?” pressed Quiet Counsel.
“We must do nothing,” Luna replied. “The siege is too important, and there are too many issues that require my oversight in the present. Even if I brush aside the matters of less import it would still be years before we could properly march on the valley.”
“Might Celestia shoulder some of this burden?” asked the unicorn stallion.
“Unlikely,” Luna remarked. “The rebellions to the south are more widespread than we assumed, and it is likely that we’ll have to send the last of our reserve forces to help quell the chaos. It seems as though there are some manner of underground ruins down there that have stirred the population up and though my sister is confident in her ability to suppress them, she has encountered an unexpected level of resistance.”
“I thought it was just a lone cultist of Discord stirring up trouble,” Silent Shadow remarked.
Luna scowled. “That is how it began, though now that the native population of zebra has joined the conflict things have escalated in both size and scope.”
“Regardless,” Quiet Counsel interjected.
“Yes, regardless we must deal with this swiftly, and silently,” Luna began, her gaze settling on Silent Shadow. “Gather our quickest fliers, and our most powerful casters. Fly to the valley of dreams, destroy this false idol, and return the ponies living there back to civilized lands.”
“And if they won't leave?” Silent Shadow inquired.
Luna’s gaze grew distant, and her jaw tightened.
“Allow them to stay, but offer them what assistance you can muster,” Luna declared after a long pause. “We can't ascertain their innocence without investigation. Best leave them where they are until we have the opportunity to oversee things personally.”
“You want to simply leave the pagans even after they summoned such a creature to their aid?” inquired the previously silent scout.
“They may not have known what they have done or understood why doing so is such a grave mistake,” Luna replied.
“I apologize, your grace, but I simply don't understand why this is such a great issue,” stated the unicorn stallion in a low tone.
“These primordial spirits are not originally born of our world, or if Starswirl was correct, our reality entirely,” began Luna. “More pressing than their origin is the fact that they grow in power with faith, even becoming powerful enough to nearly kill Discord, and his gang of miscreants when they were at their peak.”
“But even you could only seal the beast away,” Quiet Counsel muttered.
“Exactly,” Luna replied. “Worse still, if this is indeed Gaia, she will know the previous hostility between us and will prepare accordingly.”
The unicorn stallion sat up in his chair. “What about-”
Luna held up a hoof, silencing the question before it could be spoken. “We will not speak on this matter further. Silent Shadow, do you have what you need?”
“I require only a moment longer of your time, your grace,” Silent Shadow interjected.
Luna nodded.
“I had hoped that after the completion of this mission, you would join me back in Canterlot for the first victory day ball,” Silent Shadow began.
Quiet Counsel scowled. “Presumptuous little-”
“Yes,” Luna interrupted. “If you return successful, I will grant you this boon. Though be warned that this means nothing. I know of your infatuation with me, and though I will offer you a chance it is just that, a chance.”
“I am honored to be given the mere opportunity,” Silent Shadow bowed low, a wing tip pressed against her chest in a dramatic flourish.
“Then you are dismissed though before you go I must impart upon you one more thing,” Luna remarked, stepping around the table and walking up until she was looming over the smaller mare. “There is a portal to a shadowy dimension mentioned in my mother’s notes. Supposedly, it contains a great evil, one so powerful that must be contained at all costs.”
“I will secure this portal after the idol is destroyed,” Silent Shadow declared.
“It cannot take precedence over your more pressing mission but it is still important. As for its whereabouts, I cannot offer much,” Luna whispered. “An underground city was supposedly built around it in order to protect it from those who may wish to free the creatures within. Though any hint as to its location has been lost to time.”
“Understood,” Silent Shadow declared.
Luna nodded and took a step back, the alicorn about to turn back to the table only to stop. “Oh and stop off at the camp of General Spears. I’ve heard some unfortunate reports about his religious predilections and I would have such ideas quashed.”
“What predilections are you speaking of? He isn't a pagan is he?” Silent Shadow replied.
“No, no. He seems to venerate my sister and I as deities, despite our frequent proclamations denying such a thing,” Luna remarked bitterly.
“Well you’re certainly more divine than some dimension-hopping spirit,” Silent Shadow joked.
Luna smirked. “True, though we can't let that go to our head.”
“Either way I will see to your will immediately, your grace,” Silent Shadow declared.
“Excellent. Though I know you will move quickly I must still urge you to make haste. This is not a problem that will stay small for long,” Luna warned.
“Pardon me, but may I assist Silent Shadow in locating and recruiting the necessary forces? It's unlikely that she knows her way around the camp yet,” offered the scout leader.
“Of course,” Luna replied, waving a dismissive hoof. “Just hurry back. We still have to discuss how we are going to end this siege now that we won't have our most elite forces at our disposal.”
The scout nodded respectfully before slipping away, falling alongside Silent Shadow as she exited the tent. Once out into the cold, quiet night, they turned to the right, with the smaller mare taking the slight lead. Winding their way through the camp, they made their way into a small copse of trees and the handful of tents pitched under their boughs.
Though still inside the main camp, they were in a small, unused section separate from the rest of the army. It was here that the scouts had pitched their tents, but they weren't alone, as a few others also joined them around the fire. The airborne division, casters, and camp menials all had a member or two sitting around the fire talking in hushed whispers.
“This is what you’ve gathered?” Silent Shadow inquired.
“Not all,” replied the scout leader. “We have many others working amongst the various army groups but it is difficult to stay undetected.”
“That fool Celestia may be undeserving of the attention she’s earned but her popularity is undeniable,” Silent Shadow muttered angrily.
The pair sat down away from the others, with the scout leader placing a small lantern between them. The tiny flame flickered to life, illuminating enough for the pair to see while away from the larger fire.
“At least we have Luna’s tacit approval,” remarked the scout leader. “Good show getting her to admit to being more divine than those creatures.”
Silent Shadow smirked. “I learned it from watching you, scout commander Knives.”
The smaller mare grinned right back. “Hopefully once this is over, Luna can acknowledge our church in a more open manner, but until then we’ll have to stay in the shadows.”
“Fitting though it may be, we must still push ahead with our plans,” Silent Shadow declared. “Speaking of which, any luck converting the other generals?”
“Only General Spears, a few others have signaled overt support, but are wary of wearing their faith too openly,” Knives replied.
Silent Shadow hummed to herself. “That makes sense. General Spears is far from Canterlot, and does not have the same concerns that the others do.”
“What are we going to do?” Knives whispered in a low tone. “If things continue as they are, Celestia will win over the majority of the populace and we can't have that.”
“No, you’re right. She’ll use popular support to dethrone Luna, and likely declare her a traitor of some variety,” Silent Shadow’s grinned. “But if Luna were the one to defeat the greatest of these so-called ‘old gods’, then her glory would eclipse even the wretched sun.”
Knives smiled back. “Oh, now that is a good idea if ever I’ve heard one. But, how will you accomplish this?”
“Leave that to me dear Knives,” Silent Shadow exclaimed, grinning wolfishly. “Leave that to me.”
For the first time, in a very long time, I relaxed, and reclined in a chair, though like me, it was made from stone. Despite that, it was still quite comfortable, probably due to the fact that I was currently inhabiting a relatively small form. Made mostly from lava rock, and a collection of other lightweight, and porous materials it didn't look the greatest but I also didn't break everything I sat on.
With my mind wandering to the various forms I had under construction, I watched as my ponies moved about. Going from the caves to the plains I noticed that there were a few canid forms amid them and reminded myself that they weren't just ponies. Diamond Dogs though few in number, were becoming an increasingly common sight in the small colony we had established.
It was a joyful sight, and I could tell that joy seeped into the various individuals I observed moving around. None were quick to go back to work, nor did those assigned to watch over them seem to want to push their workers. That was to be expected, they had just finished the biggest celebration our little town had ever thrown just a day earlier.
The work orders had already been halved, with those who did decide to lend a hoof doing so mostly out of a desire for routine. I couldn't deny them, plus there was still lots to do, so I simply watched, and waited, thinking about future plans.
My mind immediately went to the assault walker I had been formulating at the back of my mind. I had begun forming it but wasn't quite sure of the specifics, though I did know its ultimate purpose. Siege breaking and long-range support, and to that end I had made it have far wider shoulders than any that came before.
So wide were the shoulders that the head stuck out of the middle section like the body had a hunch or something. It was slightly silly, but once complete, would be able to sport two ballistas, one on each shoulder. Either that or a single trebuchet, though I was still struggling with how to fit all that on top of a body as such a task was beyond me.
As I thought about that little issue, and watched my charges, I felt a new presence pop up somewhere nearby. It felt like a pony, moved like a pony, but it was also wrong for some reason I couldn't quite place. The individual in question came into view a moment later, setting my mind at ease somewhat.
A small, effeminate stallion with orange fur, and a mohawk of mostly red, but with that same gold mixed in, he certainly didn't seem intimidating. His green eyes radiated a gentle mirth, though there was an edge there that I immediately took note of. Glancing at his flank, I could see that his cutie mark was that of a jester’s stick, a short pole with a plush head, and plenty of bells.
“I got a pretty hot flank, eh?” he teased, wiggling his backside at me.
“Apologies,” I opened. “I haven't seen you around before and I was curious.”
“Hey no problem,” he replied, trotting the rest of the way up to me. “And yeah, I just got here.”
“From a caravan, or?” I inquired.
“Yes, though it was attacked by do badders out by the pass thingy over there,” he exclaimed, waving a hoof over in the direction of the outpost I had ordered built.
“Really now,” I muttered. “You seem rather relaxed despite apparently being the only survivor.”
“Oh yeah I think I’m still in shock,” he offered. “Oh, and the name’s Jest by the way.”
“Okay, so where did you last see these marauders,” I pressed.
“Oooh marauders, that's a good word,” Jest commented.
“Your friends,” I redirected.
“Right, yeah my associates, they were last spotted heading back out of the valley, but I saw that there was a camp that way,” he answered.
“Which means that they may still be near,” I murmured, rising from my chair. “Could you guide me to them?”
“Yeah totally!” Jest declared.
“Wonderful, then please do so,” I encouraged.
Jest stuck out his hoof. “I’m glad you decided to help, put ‘er there.”
I wish I could blink, or mimic a look of amused confusion though this body had minimal facial features it could muster.
“Don't look at me like that. Just shake my hoof,” Jest whined, waving the limb about wildly.
“I suppose if that would make you feel better,” I murmured.
“It would, here, let's shake on it,” Jest exclaimed.
I had some strange feelings about this, but for some reason, I didn't seem able to stop myself. I reached forward and shook his hoof. I was about to take my hand back when I felt like it was locked in place, his strange, fiery eyes staring into mine.
“With this, the bargain is sealed. You will assist me with the task at hoof, and for your assistance, I shall grant you a boon,” Jest whispered in a low, menacing tone.
“Uhh,” was all I could muster.
“Don't speak, just think about what form you wish to bring with you. I wouldn't want you to go into battle with this… weak body,” Jest murmured, looking at my stony physique up and down.
My mind whirled, and though I wanted to resist, to fight him, I again couldn't help but feel my thoughts drawn to my last body. It wasn't quite done, namely, it had no extra layers of protection or shoulder-mounted siege weapons but it was by far the largest.
“An excellent selection,” Jest remarked. “You will make a fine team.”
“Wait, team?” I exclaimed aloud.
No sooner had the words left my metaphorical mouth before I fell into some manner of pit that had opened beneath me. The mid-afternoon soon vanished, along with the rest of the world, the portal closing the moment I was out of view. Then I was weightless, trapped in the familiar void between words though thankfully that didn't last long.
What came next was perhaps the most confusing moments of my second life.
