One thousand years ago the Legendary Thief vanished from the world, and now he has returned to continue doing what he has always done. But for what reason did he have for leaving, and why now after all these years has he returned?
When the legendary thief vanished from the world, many of its leaders who believed he was real waited to see if and when Greymane would come out of hiding...or if he was truly just a myth. For many of them that's all he was, a myth, or a story meant to tell young ponies to keep their imagination alive. The real question, though, the one that begs answering, is this: What do you believe?
Greetings I am The Book of Existence, and I am an Artifact to be more specific I am the strongest of my kind. Right about now you maybe asking why do I look like a pony in an astral form? Well that's a tale for another time for now let's focus on balance. As you may know both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna keep a balance of harmony in Equestria however equestria is just one nation in the world, there are many nations all of which are aiming to rule over all...Equestria being the exception to this because they are content with what they have and have been so for the past thousand or so years since the fall of Discord. But this fragile balance of power is always swinging from one direction to the next never staying they way it should, and this is do to the fact that so many powerful creatures exist in the world.
Of these many creatures however is a Leviathan the last of its kind who took notice of this problem; so it sought out anyone, and even anything that would be willing to take on all the hatred of the world for the soul reason of protecting the world. Fortunately, he was able to find a small band of such creatures - or ponies I should say - that were willing to take on this task, knowing full well they would be hated and shunned for all time despite their intentions of creating a balance of power and keeping the rulers in check. They were never related through blood but shared a deep kinship, calling each other father, mother, son, and even daughter. It was this bond that allowed them to continue the most difficult endeavor that could have ever been asked.
Now let me ask you a question; when you hear the word thief, what comes to mind? For many it's a criminal, for some it's somepony that has fallen on hard times. But the rest only see a pony that made a poor choice. They are all correct; however, in the instance of the ponies that the Leviathan enlisted, becoming thieves was both a choice as well as a necessity in order to save a rotting world. Well with the exception of the first pony he came into contact with.
Starting with the first one in line who gave up his life to spare the Leviathan from death, the ones that followed kept his name calling themselves Greymane, always keeping their faces hidden and spending all of their life till their death bed alone where they are kept company by the next Greymane in line we go now to see the new Greymane who had grown too full of himself, believing that the line should end with him; so that no pony would have to deal with the hardships that come with being known as a legendary thief. This arrogance caused him to search for immortality and led him on a quest to find the one thing in this world that would grant him what he wanted. This quest has led him to Tartarus where he is now locked away for his attempted theft.
While there the demons tortured him without mercy or care, this was not just physical mind you it was emotional, mental, and even spiritual. But despite their efforts he held on to one belief that he would be free from his captors and once he was he would see his beloved again. And without fail he would do all he could to return to the world he knows and loves.
However during his time there he has planned his escape believing that it has only been a few months. Unaware that the passage of time in Tartarus is far too different than the world he knows and loves, and strangely enough the balance of power sat still for the time he was gone as if all the leaders of the world waited to see if and when Greymane would come out of hiding...or if Greymane was just a myth. For many of them that's all he was, a myth, or a story meant to tell young ponies to keep their imagination alive in the hopes they could shoot for the sky and reach the stars. The real question, though, the one that begs answering, is this: What do you believe?
Before too long Greymane broke free and stole the key to the cells that surrounded him, this allowed him to set free all the condemned souls that had been trapped there. He wasn't too worried as to what they would do as they all had a score to settle with the demons, and the resulting chaos would be all he needed to set his plans in motion. But even here in the depths of Tartarus Greymane knew that he would need some kind of help in the event things didn't go as planed.
As Greymane made his escape he gained the help of two very dangerous ponies. The first was a pegesai known as Gereon the bloodless, and the second was a unicorn known as Sharia the Shade. Both had been executed for crimes against their fellow ponies. Both hated each other for being what they were, but hated Greymane even more for stealing from them at one point in time though they both where generations before him. Greymane knew it had to be one of his predecessors who stole from them...and for good reason.
They had agreed to set aside their differences so they could get out of tartarus. But more for their own revenge, Gereon swore revenge on his former lieutenant who later became known as Commander Hurricane, as well as her descendants for her betrayal. Sharia wanted revenge on the hierarchy that had killed her while she slept. But it had never occurred to either of them that they were in tartarus for the many lives they took for their own pleasure.
What made the trip easy for them was that one of the minions sent to torture Greymane had succumb to laziness on many occasions and took short cuts to both the treasury and the exit, beating him across the walls while he was wrapped in razor sharp barbed chains. As they went up the side paths that Greymane was able to draw upon his memories for the path that led to the treasury, once there Greymane had managed to get both of them to agree that stealing as much as they could; saying that it would be of great use to them. Gold and silver would fetch a good price and help both on their path of revenge, Grey Mane on the other hoof wanted one thing. To the others it seemed to be just some gaudy trinket made out of stone and glass with some cheap carvings both in side of and around the image of the ouroboros. Unaware it was the one thing that could grant immortality to whomever possessed it, though this gift came at a cost that many regretted paying for later on.
As they rushed toward the exit Gereon feared for the guard dog Cerberus who for some reason had gone missing at the time.
This only caused Sharia to boast, "What a stroke of luck for us wouldn't you say Greymane." Her vote of confidence was only brought about her lack of knowledge that she was still dead.
To Greymane however this posed ill omen for not just him but to the world above, he had hoped to use the guard dog and the greed of the other two to betray them and make his escape. Shrugging it off as he gave a faint smile as if to agree with her, running to the ferrymare Kharon they could almost taste freedom but feared she might not be there; as she had often brought any and all who would dare to speak to the dark lords themselves across the river as well as the dead themselves. It was here Greymane was able to leave them behind, their greed caused the two of them to stop and collect the coins that had been dropped into the river as a means of payment to Kharon; allowing a few guards to recapture Gereon and Sharia as Greymane jumped on the boat and set sail across the River of Styx.
Though full of regret for his actions Greymane shouted back, "So long you two, and I thank you for all your help. For without it I would never have escaped with the medallion. May we never cross paths again." Watching them being dragged away he could hear them cursing his name.
As he started to relax he saw the great guard dog return chasing what appeared to be a ball, 'Well I guess even he can have a soft spot for something as simple as that.' He thought to himself.
With a sigh Greymane felt that he had won but took notice that he wasn't the only one in the boat, across from him sitting next to the Kharon was a hooded figure whose skin was the only thing he could see. Though red in color Greymane saw that his lower half was similar to that of a pony the cowl he covered himself with allowed Greymane to see he was a centaur of some kind, while he still had his shackles on Greymane almost didn't bother to care for the time being. The other was to his right and though his body was formless it was clearly a black cloud of smoke that stayed close to itself, the only thing he could tell was the green glowing eyes and the red horn that seemed to stick out like a sore hoof.
Laying back he pulled out the medallion and gave it one good look and pondered the many lives that had been claimed just so any one pony could have it. He knew the old tales surrounding it stated there was a price to be paid for such a gift. He scoffed at the thought about it, turning on his side he closed his eyes to get what felt like the only rest he had gotten in weeks. After feeling the boat come to shore he stood up and took notice that the other two were gone; not thinking any further on the topic he tipped the Kharon and jumped onto the land, putting on medallion he took a deep breath feeling confident he succeeded. As he slowly walked away he heard shouting behind him, looking back he saw three demons chasing after him.
Two were just your typical 'mindless' minions, but the third was was an archdemon he knew only by description from what his predecessors had written down. Luckily there was enough information on the archdemon he could bind his power, but outnumbered in this fashion all he could do was run and hope to catch them off guard later. Luring them away from the river he hoped for the best, but quickly saw they were not going to give up. Nor would they let him put any distance between them, till he found himself cornered at a cliff by a waterfall.
Turning to face them as he took a defensive stance Greymane prepared for the worst as he smiled, "Never thought I would get to face the great Abaddon."
“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.” ― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
Deep in the depths of Tartarus two demons of the rank minion slowly return to their master, as they feared to bring news of what had transpired in the world above. For they knew repercussions for their failure was certain death in the slowest and harshest way possible, and that was if their master was in a good mood.
The first minion was not just fearful of his own mortality he feared how he would die, "Do you have any clue as to what could happen? He got away from us and to add to it Abaddon is dead!"
While he continued to fear his impending doom the other almost didn't seem to care knowing that the lives of ponies were short, "I don't see what the problem is. Even if we didn't find him he's still just a mortal pony. There's no way he could survive the wounds he sustained, let alone the fall from the cliff. Sooner or later his soul will come back here and we can resume his punishment. Besides the only reason he's been alive for so long is because he's been here. And don't forget it was our masters dark magic that was keeping him alive, to make an example out of him."
As a retort the other feared that because it was Greymane that they were talking about things were far more complicated than they knew, "But that was only for the past thousand years. If you have forgotten he entered Tartaros around the same year Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon. The only thing we know about him is he used the fountain of youth for who knows how long. But it might have been long enough to give him the motive to come here and try to claim immortality."
Still unable to grasp the truth about Greymane the second minion tried to act smarter than he was, "So~o as far as we know he could be older than he looks? It doesn't make any difference the fact of the matter is he's mortal, immortality comes at a price and no mortal is willing to pay that price."
"Yes, you may be right, however we don't know anything just yet." In an attempt to be optimistic he stopped his fellow minion, "Perhaps we get lucky and you are right, and he did die, even if he didn't it's not like he can hid anywhere up there; far too much has changed since he was last in the mortal world."
As the two slowly entered the throne room of their dark lord, they were unawares to the fact that he had heard every word they said, nor was he in a good mood, "What do you mean...HE'S...NOT...DEAD!! You should have brought his head back to me on a SILVER PLATTER!!!" Shouting with a great rage was causing his very domain to shake in fear of what its master could do to lessen his temper.
Attempting to keep their composure was not possible as they could not feel the level of power their master possessed; though they could also feel his ever growing anger, "M-m-my lord you have nothing to fear he will die shortly."
Being told what to do only made him far more volatile as he began to levitate one of the minions by the neck choking him, "Have nothing to fear? I! FEAR! NOTHING! However, that thief should be dead and I cannot stress how important that is right now and...and..." Having finally noticed that there were only two out of the three he had sent stalled his rage for only a moment as his curiosity began to peek, "...where is Abaddon? Well? Tell me where is that cowered. Why does he not show his face? Is the punishment for failure far to great for the enigma of Tartaros, the self proclaimed single GREATEST WARRIOR?!?! Well? ANSWER ME DAMN IT!!!"
Out of fear one of the guards dropped to his knees. "A-a-ab-b-bad-d-d-don...m-m-my l-l-lord...is dead. He died at the hooves of that accursed thief."
Though he was being choked the second minion struggled to get a few words in as he struggled to free himself even if he knew this effort would fail, "We chased him... ...as per your orders with... ...Abaddon leading the way." Being let down and released from his hold the minion continued after a moment of wheezing and coughing, "He ran for quite a while until we cornered him at a cliffside waterfall. Located somewhere in the Everfree Forest, with his back to a corner he turned to face us only after saying a few words." The minion hoped this little bit of information would be enough to turn the dark lords rage onto the thief.
Believing they had turned his favor the first guard walked forth on his knees thinking his continued life was assured, "We never anticipated that he could be that skilled as a fighter. Who would have thought a thief could have the skill and the power to kill one of the greatest warriors Tartaros has to offer. And stranger still when he spoke Abaddon's name, the Enigma of Tartaros seemed to have lost half his power if not all of it. But not to worry my lord even though he killed Abaddon we rushed him when he was wide open. Our surprise attack left him mortally wounded."
Though he was no longer being choked the second minion chose not to test his master by staying where he was; fearing that their master was trying to figure out which of them he would kill and how, "T-that's right and as a last attempt to try and live he jumped off the cliff. H-however..."
With his anger still on the rise he channeled a small amount of dark magic to his horn. And with the faint glow he slowly killed the demon who had been walking towards him on his knees by slowly ripping off his limbs, tearing out the bones in his torso, and tossing what was left of him into a small fire.
Looking at the remaining minion his eyes simply said he was an example, "However?" As his horn began to glow again he thought about ripping out the minion's organs carefully one by one; and while still attached feeding them to the fire fish in the third tier of his domain as the minion dangled over them like a worm on a hook.
With fear taking hold of him the demon froze in place as he began to sweat bullets, "H-h-however...we looked every where for his body starting with the base of the waterfall and found nothing but a small hint of his blood on the jagged rocks that were just below."
Piecing together what he knew about Greymane the dark lord thought for a moment, "Had it never occurred to you that he could have tried to swim to safety?"
Trying to save himself from the same fate as his fellow minion or from a far worse fate the minion did all he could to recall the river itself, "In his condition I don't think he could with the river current being as strong as it was."
Scoffing at his ignorance he gave him a glare with the intent to kill as his horn grew brighter, "Then why not jump in yourself to find him?"
"Well...no." As the dark lord began to focus his thoughts on how to torment the minion that sat before him the minion fell back as he started to cry, "B-but even if he did somehow manage to survive, he has two mortal flesh wounds. I am more than sure that he will die soon enough my lord."
Walking to him the dark lord put the back of his hove on the minion's right cheek and slowly caressed it, "Why yes...how right you are." Filling his hoof with his rage he back hooved the minion into a pillar causing it to collapse, "IF HE HADN'T TAKE THE MEDALLION OF IMMORTALITY. I took the time to check the vault. And out of everything that had been returned, and according to his foolish lackeys, it's the only thing missing right now. NOW...go back out there and bring me his head and the medallion."
"I-I-I'm afraid I can't do that my lord." Stuttering out of fear of his own life.
Vanishing from his sight the dark lord teleported right behind him prepared to kill, "And just why not?"
Closing his eyes in fear the minion recalled the path of the river and where it led, "W-w-we t-t-took the time too follow the river hoping he washed ashore further down. With no luck I'm afraid, and to add to the problem the river slows down as it comes to a head near a village called Ponyville Lord Asmoday."
As his rage grew he knocked a hole in the wall as he walked toward his throne, "DAMN IT!!! Why...of all the places in the world. I knew he would run to Equestria. But so long as he remained out of any populated area we could handle him. And I dare not challenge Celestia... ...let alone the Elements of Harmony. And don't even get me started on how much problems it would cause with the gods." Slouching in his throne he placed his hooves on his face while closing his eyes, "Perhaps I can get her to aid us...yes...yes.” Feeling a wicked grin cut itself across his face Asmoday waved to a demon just off to the side of himself, “Scribe, send a warning to Celestia..." Taking a moment he thought of how to word the letter so that she remained as far in the dark about the situation but still have her worried enough she would take some action, "...tell her a dangerous pony has escaped from Tartaros and is hiding in Ponyville. He will more than likely have disguised himself. And should anypony try to apprehend him they must use extreme caution."
As the scribe finished the message he walked toward the window. "I shall send it off now my lord." As the scroll burst into flames the ashes themselves flew faster than any creature in the pit as they made their way to Celestia with a somewhat false warning.
"Excellent...soon both the medallion and that thief shall be back here." The dark lord boasted as he began to laugh diabolically.
As his plans were set in motion the dark lord was unaware that the thief had hidden himself in more ways than one. Casually flying over the nearby area with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy spotted something along the shore of the river bank right out the corner of her eye. As she pointed the object out to Rainbow Dash the two of them flew in as quickly as she could. Seeing it was a badly beaten pony she quickly pulled him out of the river.
Fearing he was nearly dead Fluttershy looked over his wounds, "Oh Rainbow, do you think he's okay?"
Looking at him the blue mare could tell that he was in bad shape just by some of her own experiences, "I'm not sure, I've never seen a pony this badly hurt before. Now that I think about it...I've never seen him around Ponyville either."
Trying to pick him up as best she could Fluttershy struggled just a tad as she tried to fly, "Well either way we need to help get him to the hospital."
As they tried to rush off as fast as they could they tried to not to drop him though for a brief moment during their trip he woke up, "...T-thank...y-you."
Trying to keep his hopes up Rainbow Dash tried to reassure him that he was in good hooves, "Hey save your strength, will have you at the hospital as soon as we can."
Though still full of worry Fluttershy whispered her thoughts to Rainbow, "Oh I hope he's going to be alright."
Having the medallion hidden under the neckline of his cloak before the fight Greymane wasn't worried about being alright but at the same time he was unsure of everything going on, he was however more than alright. The power that came from the medallion was slowly closing and healing his wounds along side keeping him alive, though this was just the tip of what the medallion was able to do when it came to turning any living creature into an immortal. As they reached the hospital his wounds closed up to the point of appearing deep and nothing more, even some of the ones that had once appeared fatal were just starting to look like close calls.
Once inside the hospital they rushed him into the back where they started by injecting him with morphine to numb the pain as they began to clean and stitch the large gashes in his flesh. Once the work was done they put him in a room with light supervision believing he would be asleep for quite a long time.
"Well it's a good thing you got him here when you did. Any second longer and no telling what could have happened. And from what we can tell aside from the lacerations, he has a concussion and will suffer some if not complete memory loss. But in time he will make a full recovery." Looking at his chart the mare overlooked the painkillers they filled him up with to give a slight estimate, "Now he will be out cold for a few days and we shall keep an eye on him till he awakens." The doctor proclaimed with a small hint of relief.
Knowing he was in good hooves Fluttershy sighed as she started to settle down, "Thank you doctor, will you let us know if there is any change?"
Though the doctor did what she could with the aid of the nurses she had another look at the chart, "Of course I will, now do either of you know his na..."
As the doctor inquired about his name one of the nurses came running from down the hall. "Doctor! It's the patient in room seven he's...he's..."
Though she was confused as to what was going on she was slightly annoyed that her head nurse had come running down the hall as if she had injected herself with a shot of adrenaline, "Yes? What is it. Come now spit it out."
Having just heard some of the medical equipment getting knocked over they watch as the stallion they had just finished operating on slowly come around the corner, knowing he was on some of the strongest pain killers yet he was up and about as if it was nothing. Barely standing on his hooves he stumbled down the hall as he walked, and though the way he walked was off balance he still appeared ready for a fight.
With his vision blurred from the morphine it left him confused about all that he saw, "Where...am...I?" He asked slowly falling to the floor, while bracing himself on the nearest door.
As the orderlies came running in the doctor rose her hoof and signaled for the stretcher right behind them as she walked toward the disoriented stallion, "You're in a hospital right now, you've been in a small accident. It's okay, we're here to help you. Now if you can remember...what is your name?"
"M-my name?" As he started to remember a sharp paralyzing pain shot through his body causing him to drop to the floor in a fit, and though they were unaware of it it was the effects of the medallion keeping him from remembering too much; though they had removed it from him this was one shared power that all artifacts have if they chose to use it, "I-I don't remember." He grunted just before losing consciousness.
As he passed out the doctor gave his stitches and bandages one quick look over just before the orderlies carefully lifted him up. "Well...let's get him back into bed. I'll worry about his name later. And get some pony from security to keep a closer eye on him. The last thing we need is for his wounds to open up again."
As they kept a close eye on him day and night for nearly a week, they believed he was resting peacefully thanks to the occasional injections of painkillers and muscle relaxers. All in a steady and careful dose, this however was just to calm his flesh; beneath that was a pain the likes of which nopony ever knew of, not even the dark lords and gods of Tartaros themselves knew of this kind of pain or its existence.
Attempting to force his memory had sparked a chain of images, and voices that ran through his mind. All of it scattered and jumbled about, it was so incoherent and inconsistent not even a second made any sense. Only a few things stood out from being repeated again and again.
"What are you doing here?!?!"
"It's him...GET HIM!!!"
"That bounty on your head is MINE!"
"I thought I told you never to come back to this orphanage!"
"Look everypony big brother is back."
"GREYMANE!"
"It's good to see you Grey."
"Well, well, well if it isn't Greymane."
"Listen to me, I don't care how much money you bring in for this orphanage. You're a no good stallion and these foals don't need to have your influence. Now leave at once, or I'll call for the guard!"
As it all slowly subsided he began to awake. With the sun in his eyes and his vision still slightly blurred all he could see was a fuzzy shadowy figure with a horn that made him jump. The instantaneous movement caused him to grab his side in pain where one of the many of the stitches where.
Having watch him jump like Fluttershy being touched by a random falling leaf the good doctor couldn't help but chuckle behind the medical chart, "It seems some pony is finally ready to get up. Though I suggest taking slow steady movements if I were you."
As his vision slowly cleared he started to look around the room still confused about what was going on, "Where am I, how did I get here, how long have I been out?"
Looking under the last of his bandages the doctor quickly scribbled down a few things, "You're in a hospital, but for general location you're in a small little village called Ponyville. You've been asleep for almost a good week now. And if it hadn't been for Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy here you might not have survived."
Calming down as he looked over he saw the yellow mare with pink mane, and the blue mare with a rainbow mane, "Thank-you." As he thanked them he tried to rush out of his bed only to cause his body to start aching with the source being right at his chest.
Using her magic to slow him down the doctor shook her head, "Easy now, though you're fine to leave you still need to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. Now if it's not too much trouble for you, can you remember who you are or where you might be from?"
As his eyes shifted back and forth, all he could get was jumbled bits of information that couldn't add up, "The only thing that stands out in my head is...Greymane...But I have no idea as to why, nor do I have any clue as to where I am from."
"Did you just say 'Greymane'?" Inquired a lavender mare as she entered the room weighed down with books in her saddle sacks.
Hoping she would know more Greymane nearly jumped out of bed, "Why...yes...why do you ask?"
Pulling out a rather old book with bold golden letters that read 'The Legendary Thief' the lavender mare opened up to the page that gave the best idea of his characteristics however far-fetched they seemed, "Well I just got done reading an old book with several stories and tales dealing with a pony who is believed to be a legendary thief called Greymane. According to the book he took to stealing for unknown reasons, and that he was untouchable. Not even royal guards or even the great Alicorns could catch him. But as the stories go on with tales of him, get this, stealing even the stars themselves from the night sky..." Giggling at the thought the stars could be stolen she soon regained her composure, "...he just vanished around a thousand years ago. But he's just some old ponies tale sense there was never any proof that he was real. Some history books say that the leaders at the time believed he was real and put up wanted posters of him using the description used in the book." Using her magic she flipped through a few more of the pages, "Ah, here it is. According to the book he's an earth pony who's coat is dark grey, but his mane, and tail are a light grey. He doesn't have a cutie mark. And here is where it gets a little more far-fetched than before, he could fly and use some magic. All that aside it's more than likely you've heard these old tales when you were younger."
"Hey Twilight, not to be rude or anything but, what are you doing here?" Inquired Rainbow Dash as she leaned toward her.
Quickly putting the book away the lavender mare brought out a letter, "Oh the Princess sent a letter with a warning. It says that a very dangerous pony escaped from Tartaros and will more than likely be hiding in disguise. I was on my way to inform the mayor of this and let her know that a few of the royal guards will be sent here out of uniform, the only reason we are being told this now is because it took time to plan this out and even get the guards here. I thought I should warn you guys as well."
Trembling behind the bed, no thanks to the news, Fluttershy slowly peeked over the covers. "D-d-does it say w-w-what this pony looks like?"
Shaking her head Twilight sighed, "Sadly, no. And the Princess has sent many letters back to Tartaros asking for more information. All we are told is to use extreme caution. However the letter also mentioned that Princess Luna would come by with a few of her personal Night Honor Guard. And whomever this pony is will be hiding in plain sight."
Having just opened the window the doctor looked out into the courtyard, "Well it's safe to assume that if he is going to disguise himself he would try not to bring any attention to himself. Now on a separate matter, you young stallion, until you can remember who you are I'll just write down Greymane under name. And please if you do recall something let me know."
As the doctor walked out of the room the security mare left as well knowing she wasn't going to be needed in that room any longer giving Greymane the oddest look, "Too think they were worried you were going to get up again and hurt yourself."
Attempting to quietly tiptoe out from behind the bed Fluttershy looked up at both Twilight and Rainbow Dash, "Oh I hope everything will be just okay."
Limping toward the door Greymane gave a slight blank stare, "I'm sure everything will be fine." Though he was giving some reassurance to Fluttershy he feared the description that Twilight gave, as his own appearance matched what the book had given exactly.
"Where are you going?" Twilight inquired with one eyebrow raised.
Without thought to the matter it almost seemed instinctive as the words came flying out of his mouth, "I-I don't know...anywhere I guess."
Floating next to him Fluttershy put her hoof on his shoulder, "Without your memory it would be much safer for you to stay here in Ponyville."
"I don't have a place to stay, nor do I have the means to get a place. I don't even know if I have the skills to do anything about it." Letting out a sigh as he tried to make his way out the door he found that nearly every statement seemed to just be a slip of the tongue, though in a way they seemed to feel right.
Without hesitation Fluttershy knew that she had to help him for what reason she didn't know nor seem to care, "Well...I have an extra bed at my cottage you can live with me till your memory comes back. And you can help me take care of all the little critters in exchange. I mean, if you want to that is."
Perking up Twilight almost seemed to jump at the chance to help him, "Oh that reminds me Apple Jack has the harvest coming up we can go ask her if she will accept your help when you get better. It will give you some work experience in the meantime." Hoping that his bit of news could raise his spirits.
Turning around he gave a faint smile as a single tear ran down the side of his face, "Thank you...all of you. I'm just some vagrant, and here you all are helping me as if we've known each other for years."
"Great...I'm going to see Applejack right now why don't you join me." Twilight hinted as she walked passed him as she looking back she saw Greymane limp as he struggled to walk, "Perhaps you should use a wheelchair for the time being."
Though he knew his injuries were rather bad the words still seemed to fly right out of his mouth as if it was a challenge he was willing to take, "Its alright, I've been asleep for a while. I just need to stretch my legs and get a little exercise."
As Rainbow Dash walked up she brought a wheelchair over to him, "There's a difference between stretching your legs and over doing it, believe me I know better than most ponies. Now have a seat before you hurt yourself again."
Looking at all three of them stare at him he buckled under their command knowing he wouldn't make it very far, "Very well then."
As they take the time to wheel him off to the Apple Farm they took the time to get to catch up with each other and the day's events. With Greymane being the only exception at the moment. He learned what he could, and when he was out of questions he read a few of the books Twilight had on her, starting with the tail of The Legendary Thief, hoping to gain some insight that might spark a memory or two.
As Greymane took small steps toward what could be a brighter and better future. The dark lord he escaped from was taking steps to recover his lost prize.
The minion that had narrowly escaped death, had found himself delivering yet another letter to his master yet grumbling at the tedious task he had been given, "Why can't the scribe do his job...it's not like he has anything better to do. All he has to do is write things down and send off letters, not like that is very hard." Opening the door he gazed at something he had never heard, nor seen, before. "Master, another letter...from...Celestia...has."
With a disgusted look he stared at the minion, "Has what?"
Holding out the letter he watched as it trembled in his hand, "Oh...umm...has come in. She still requests more information on our little run away."
"Send a letter back to her detailing how useless it would be if he has not only disguised himself, but if he has already gone into hiding." As he scoffed he knew that she would just send more letters and if she didn't get the answer she needed then it was only a matter of time till the dark gods got involved, "And reassure her that he will do what he can to remain unseen, and that all they have to do is be careful when trying bring him in."
Bowing as he started to leave he took one last look at the room, "As you command my lord. Umm...if you don't mind me asking. What are you up to? Forgive my questioning master it’s just that I’ve never seen such a marking as that."
"I am preparing to leave my body and take an astral form that lesser creatures such as yourself cannot comprehend or see." As the guard started to leave, the dark lord turned and looked at him, "When was the last time that I raised your rank?"
With a tremble in his voice he turned and faced his master, "I-i-it's been about four hundred years. In fact I'm surprised that I had survived long enough to make lesser at that moment in time, though you've still continued to treat me as a minion."
The dark lord's face grew blank as he closed his eyes to focus on the shadows that surrounded himself, "I see. Well then let's change that." Using his dark magic the dark lord levitated his minion off the ground as the shadows around them moved toward the demon consuming him. "You are no longer some nameless lesser demon. Consider yourself a proud ranking soldier in my army. Hence forth with your new found strength and power you shall be known as the greater demon Abatu. Use your power to serve me well."
As the shadows left his body he barely hovered over the ground flapping his new wings as his new found power surged from within him, "I shall my lord. And with this new power I shall do more than simply serve you, I shall glorify your name as I bring down terror and fear upon all I come across."
As the dark lord began to sit down Abatu glided out of the room as a barrier was raised up behind him, "After you've passed the message along I want you to go to Kharon. Oh and take the archdemon Adramelech with you."
Cowering in fear Abatu looks back shaking in his knees, "W-wont the Lord of the Flies be angry?"
Pissed that his newly acquired greater demon had not only hesitated but also questioned him nearly broke the dark lords' concentration on the spell, "You let me worry about that dried up excuse for a demonic god. Now...GO!"
As Abatu rushed off the dark lord began to focus, as an eerie glow began to emit off his body. Within moments his body fell over almost lifeless his astral form stood over it for a few seconds, then shortly after shot out of Tartaros with great speed. Flying past the River Styx, he made his way through the Everfree Forest and into Ponyville where he began his search.
Going from one building to the next as he passed through walls searching every nook and cranny for any signs of Greymane, "Where could he be hiding. Even if he's a master thief he can't hide forever, all it takes is one slip up. All I need to find him is the smallest theft." As his patience grew thin he frantically took to the sky as he made his way out to Sweet Apple Acres, "He just has to be here somewhere."
As the dark lord came to a clearing he could see a barn with a few ponies standing around talking. Slipping past them he hid in the nearby barn and eavesdropped on the conversation.
As he watched an Orange mare was who pacing back and forth while looking at the ground, "So he has some memory loss but ya'll think he can help with the harvest. I'm sorry Twilight but the harvest starts at the end of the week. And from what you said the doctor mentioned he would need two weeks at the least to recover. And I ain't got that kinda time once the harvest starts."
Raising from the chair and standing strong Greymane walked toward her with no problems what so ever, "Please I'll do any little thing you can think of till then Ms.?"
Stopping her pacing the orange mare turned and smiled at his attempts to be polite, "It's Applejack an' don't fret the Ms. part, hardly anypony says it out this way."
"Applejack. I need the work. And I can prove I'm a hard worker. And it's only half a week I'll need to get better any way." He lied in the hopes of getting her to change her mind.
Shaking her head with a faint smile she put her hoof on his shoulder, "Now I'm sure you are but I don't know if there's anything I can have you do till then. I'm sorry truly I am. And besides I know my friends wouldn't lie to me so don't go trying to lie to me and push yourself too hard."
As Greymane followed her trying to plead with her, the dark lord phased through the wall to get one good look at him, 'No...can it be?' He thought to himself as a few young fillies came running past him talking about ways they could get their cutie marks.
As they passed by one of them knocked over a large bag full of sand onto a plank of wood that sent a few rocks flying in the direction of Greymane and the others as the yellow filly with red a red mane shouted out to them, "LOOK OUT!!!"
As they both turned and looked Applejack attempted to get out of the way. Whereas Greymane's instincts toward danger naturally kicked in causing him to jump right into the path of the falling rocks. While in mid air his hooves made contact with the rocks pushing them to his left and right as he moved like a snake through them till all of the rocks had landed away from any pony. Once on the ground a sharp pain shot through his body starting from his chest.
Rushing to his aid they slowly helped him to his hooves, as Rainbow Dash commented on how cool that was, "How did you do that?" Performing a few aerial acrobatics as she went on about how he pulled off what he did, while she tried to recreate what she saw.
Looking down at his hooves Greymane watched a vision of some arrows flying at him in the same manner then left without any warning or clue as to where in his mind it came from, "I..." Looking around himself at the rocks and where they landed caused him to question who he truly was far more than ever, "...I don't know. It just happened."
As he slowly turned to check on everypony he heard a strange but familiar voice that filled him with warmth unlike any other, "That is quite the display of skill."
As he slowly turned to see who it was the oldest, yet for some reason happiest, memory came forth from the deepest recesses of his mind. In this memory he was able to recall a small conversation though he couldn't see anything this time around.
"Don't be afraid, you're safe now."
"Who are you?"
"Me? Well I'm no pony important. What's your name?"
"I'm woona."
As his memory came to an end he found himself staring at the ground as sweat dripped from his face, "L-lu-na?" He stuttered as he tried to piece together what just ran through his head.
As he slowly regained control of himself he looked up and made eye contact with the Princess of the Night as she sat down in front of him, "Are you alright? You look a little pale."
Giving a faint yet nervous smile Greymane couldn't help but feel a warm and loving feeling rise up from within him, "I...believe so."
Having one good look at his face Luna tilted her head slightly to the left, "You look familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"
"Oh let's hope so, any clue to help jog his memory would help." Fluttershy had gently stated with great optimism only to quickly calm down after having noticed that nearly all eyes were on her, "Oh sorry I got a little carried away."
Seeing the look of confusion on Luna's face Twilight walked over and bowed, "I'm sorry princess but our friend here has lost his memory due to an accident."
As a faint frown came across Luna's face she placed her hoof on his shoulder, "Oh we are sorry to hear that."
As he saw her start to frown Greymane gave a small smile as he instinctively reacted to her feelings attempting to bring a smile to her, "It's quite alright. And you have nothing to apologize for, it's just a..." As he tried to lighten the mood more memories came flooding back though the visions this time were all about her smiling, "...an unfortunate turn of events, that at this moment are becoming rather grand."
As a faint smile came across her face once more Luna extended her hoof to him, "If you don't mind us asking, what is your name?"
Trying not to make any of them worry as he fought his way through the many recollections he reached out and kissed her hoof. "It's Greymane. Sorry about this every pony but I need some time to think. Excuse me for a moment."
Watching him struggle to his hooves Applejack cocked an eyebrow, "What in tarnation is wrong with him?"
"That's one thing we forgot to mention. When his memories do start to come back...it seems to hurt him for some reason." Rainbow Dash said while rubbing the back of her head with a guilty smile across her face, as she let out a nervous chuckle.
As he stumbled away Luna looked on with a small worried look on her face, "We hope he will be alright."
With an enthusiastic smile and a bit of a pep to her step Applejack took hold of Twilight, "Wait Twi, can't you cast a spell to help him remember?"
As the lavender mare's ears folded back she lowered her head, "I thought about that. But, if the smallest memory does this to him there's no telling what remembering everything at once would do I'm afraid he has to take it all in one little piece at a time."
Having witnessed everything the dark lord pieced it all together and nearly bust out laughing, 'It is him…’ Having heard that Greymane had some memory loss seemed quite fortunate for him, ‘...though with his memory loss this can work to my advantage. And if everything goes well not only will the medallion and him be back in Tartaros but, I can also try and conquer Canterlot. All I have to do is get him to go there, and if the other dark lords or even the gods should come to question it, I'll just put it down as a casualty of circumstance. And no one will be the wiser for it.'
As the dark lord dissipated and returned to Tartaros, Greymane walked away from them and hid behind a few rows of trees as not to worry any of them. Knowing he was out of eyesight and earshot of anypony he buckled under the pain that pulsated from his chest as another old memory played through his head.
"You know you didn't have to save me there."
"We were just returning the favor that's all. And we can't believe you lied to us. Was it part of some greater scheme just to get close to us? "
"Is that the reason you spared me from your guards, or is it something else?"
"You saved us when we were just a filly, and here you are now the same as you were then. You haven't aged a day, you're not an alicorn, and you're definitely not a unicorn casting an illusion. You're an earth pony...how is it that you have not aged?"
"That's the real question now isn't it?"
As the memory came to an end the pain started to subside as he found himself panting and sweating. In his weakened state his mind had open for a brief moment allowing him to receive a telepathic message.
As the message came to him it felt as a faint whisper that came from all around him, *There are dark forces at work here great thief. Leave this town as soon as you are able or far greater harm will come to you and all ponies around you than what has already happen.*
As his mind closed its self off he called back in frustration under his breath hoping to get an answer of some kind, "Who said that?" When he heard nothing he shrugged it off and wiped the sweat from his brow, "Calm down Greymane, it's more than likely just a memory coming back. You've gotta get a grip on yourself, don't need anypony to think you've gone crazy." He hinted to himself as he sat down, though the question ate away at him, if that voice was another memory then why did it come to him as it did and not like the others.
This however was a question that would take more time to figure out. As he slowly calmed down, his breathing slowed to a normal rate. He still worried that he would never learn who he truly is, let alone whom he was and yet at the same time and for reasons he didn't quite know or understand; he didn't seem to care at all.
Though this was the thought his fear started to plague his mind as a hoof slowly rested on his shoulder causing him to jump. As he landed on his hooves his body had made instinctive movements causing him to turn around and take a defensive stance.
Surprised to see him move in the manner he had Applejack held up her hoof as a means to say stop, "Whoa now sugar cube. No need to get all excited and jumpy."
Having one good look at himself as he started to set his hooves back on the ground while mentally asking how he did any of what he had done today. Though he was confused as to how he took that stance without ever knowing how to fight, or so he believes more questions filled his mind as he sat down. Looking around he saw that it was only Applejack and nopony else around.
"I'm sorry, I'm...its..." Though he tried to find a reasonable excuse as to how he moved as he did was impossible since he could not recall how he did it let alone why.
"Ya, I know. They told me. Ya'll have some memory loss." As Greymane closed his eyes and lowered his head as Applejack placed her hoof on his shoulder again, "Now it's not y'all's fault ya can't remember nothin'. But the best thing to do now is move on and make a new life for yourself."
Out of fear of uncertainty Greymane began to cry as he took hold of his head, "And what if my memory comes back?"
"Then we’ll help you make sense of it all, sure it's something' ya'll are goin' through on yer own. But ya can look on the bright side of it all, ya'll can make friends who will help you understand it one step at a time." Applejack claimed in the hopes of bringing him some amount of optimism.
Though he started to cry like a newborn colt Greymane was happy for some reason as he thought out loud, "And what if it never comes back?"
Wrapping her hooves around him Applejack did what she could to calm him down, "Then at least ya’ll have something to look forward to here in Ponyville. Now I've given it some thought and I've decided. I'll have ya'll help around the farm as needed. Now how does that sound?"
As he started to smile he hugged her knowing he was in the best care he could hope for, "Thank you...thank you for giving me this opportunity."
As she started to smile knowing how she helped out a pony in need she patted him on the back, "Think nothing of it. Now come on everypony is worried about you."
As they got back they saw every pony talking over a nice tall pint of cider, and behind them was Big Mac. struggling with a rusted old pad lock on his tool box causing Applejack to sigh, "Having trouble with that darn thing again?"
"Eeyup."
As Greymane started to walk up his eyes narrowed in on the old lock causing one of his oldest memories to return, ‘In some cases if a lock is old enough all you have to do is tap it with the back of your hoof. Like so, and some of the mechanisms will fall out of place opening the lock.’
As his memory came to an end, every pony watched him walk up with a blank stare. Squeezing between Big Mac and Apple Jack, looking down at the lock and Greymane raised his hoof. And with a small tap they heard something come loose in the padlock as it popped opened with little effort.
As some of their jaws dropped from seeing this Big Mac walked up with a faint grin on his face, "Now how did ya'll know to do that?"
"It just came to me...I'm not sure how but it just did." As he stared at his hooves he slowly began to fear the words of warning that came to him just moments ago. The two words that stood out the most where great thief, 'I-I can't be a thief... ...can I?' He thought to himself trying not to hint his fear to the others.
Having just had a good look at him Luna put her hoof on his shoulder, "We are surprised to see a stallion like you hasn't earned his cutie mark. Perhaps you might be a locksmith?"
Looking at his own flank his fear started to rise even farther and faster to the point that not even the question presented by the princess could draw his mind away from his current thoughts. He worried that if his memories came back would he be the same pony he was now, or would he just be some criminal? As his fears started to eat away at his mind he remembered they were looking for somepony that had recently escaped from Tartaros, this only made things worse and added to his fear as he slowly began to sweat.
Trying to keep a calm look on his face as he looked up the easiest of his many skills took root as he smiled, "Perhaps I lost it when I lost my memory."
As they all started to chuckle at how poor of a joke he just made; the idea of losing a cutie mark just by losing one's memory seemed funnier in some small way.
As they all sat around enjoying cider as they made jokes the dark lord had awoken in Tartaros with a guest looking over him, "B-Beelzebub..." Looking around he saw that his barrier was still standing strong with no signs it had been altered in any way, "...how did..."
Waving his hand around the demonic god merely smiled as though it was just something he enjoyed doing, "You think I can't walk through a weak barrier such as this?"
Knowing his actions could be put to question and his rank as a lord stripped by the other dark lords and gods if enough of them voted, the dark lord did what he could to remain humble in the presence of Beelzebub, "Though this brings me much honor to have you here I feel I must inquire...what brings the demonic god Beelzebub Lord of the Flies, Master of Disease and Poison to my humble domain?"
Holding out a ledger with a list of names with marks next to them along side with the time they were checked; the dark god pointed to one that was marked missing at the recent inspection, "The Archdemon Adramelech has gone missing from my vast ranks of demons. Samael mentioned seeing him run off with a greater demon, though no one had seen this demon before, and yet the description was rather close to one of your lesser demons. Care to..." Pausing for a moment he listened to the screams that came from the condemned souls being tortured at that moment; as though hinting that any action against him was a slow painful punishment beyond imagining, "...enlighten me Asmoday?"
Trying to keep his composure Asmoday swallowed what he could of his fear as well as his pride knowing the dark god that stood before him was one of few he didn't wish to contend with, "I know nothing of this. P-p-perhaps one of the other dark lords might know?"
"Keep this in mind Asmoday, if I find out that you have something to do with this. Not only will Samael and my self bar you from the council of the dark lords but we shall strip you of your title, and you will have to fend for yourself as the other lords come hunting you down." As Beelzebub ended his threat his body dissipated into a cloud of miasma and vanished.
Watching the cloud vent out of the room Asmoday's rage only grew, "Damn it...he wasn't even here, it was just another one of his tricks. Oh well if all goes according to plan I'll have the power of a demonic god and he will be the one licking my boots. But Greymane needs to be under lock and key for everything to work, so long as he is free nothing will go as I have planed."
As he walked over to his desk at the far end of the room he removed the clutter that was laying on top. Under all the clutter and trash was a map with a knife stabbed through it at the south of Unyasi and small markings of battle plans. Pulling out a small booklet Asmoday went over a few notes as he compared them with a few of his recent reports.
All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams. - Elias Canetti, The human Province, 1978.
As days passed Greymane's memory slowly came back to him in his sleep. Though this reduced the amount of pain that he would feel, it also made him think it was his fear venting out through his dreams. Where as unknown to him it was the steps he took that made him become the thief he once was and still is.
The memories started back with his oldest ones. Back when he was an orphan, helping run an orphanage along side his adoptive sister who was also an orphan. The two of them didn't have a name and where known around the place as brother and sister. While his sister took care of the books and trying to keep the place up and running, he helped the the few workers there keep an eye on the foals.
Till one day he learns the truth in his sister's office, that the orphanage was being closed down, shocked by what he has heard his pupils narrowed as he slammed his hoof down on the desk, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHERE CLOSING THE ORPHANAGE...DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY YOUNG PONIES NEED US TO STAY OPEN JUST SO THEY HAVE A HOME AND FOOD!?"
Sitting there resting her head on one hoof his sister simply looked up at him, "Yes. Including us and the staff there is a total of one thousand five hundred seven, but we are out of bits to keep this place going. We've been out of bits since you and I first got here fifteen years ago, when you were only a few months old. And to add to the problem we have only five years left until this place closes. And unless we can come up with ten thousand bits to cover the debt this place has accumulated over the years as well as another five thousand to keep us on our hooves then there is nothing we can do."
As the pupils in his eyes slowly began to fade from his anger he ran through his mind attempting to make sense of everything, and trying to come up with a solution, "NO, there's nothing you can do...you need to stay here and keep running this place, I'm going out into the world to help us get more bits...even if I have to work till I drop."
From the many years she knew him, she could tell when he was messing around like a foal and when he was serious and this was one of those times he was serious and it made her worry, "And what should I tell every pony here? Namely the young one's, you know they all look up to you." She replied as she shook her head.
Knowing they would cry from being separated from not just each other but from him leaving he turned and walked to the door saying the first thing that came to mind, "Tell them...tell them what they should know, and that I left to help them."
As he walked to his old chest his head hung low and his eyes were barely open, many knew there was something wrong but the foals ran up to him with toys thinking that he was just sad. Believing his sadness was just because no pony would play with him several of them had surrounded him. He said nothing, only reaching to give them a long hug goodbye with tears in his eyes not knowing how long he would be gone, or how far he was going to go. Other foals rushed over to join in. After five minutes he let them go and gathered a few of his best work clothes and what bits he had saved up over the years and walked to the door. As many said goodbye to him the foals all asked if he had finally been adopted by a family.
Knowing she couldn't tell them all the truth regardless of how much she wanted to, his sister reached down and gave the filly a small hug with tears in her eyes, "Yes...he has."
He traveled far and wide asking any who would help him, going from town to town, village to village, door to door, and even from one pony to the next asking if there was anything they could give to help out the orphanage or were willing to give him some work. Many looked down on him thinking he was just some beggar, others would spit in his face, and the rare few would tell him a lie just to draw him into an alley and beat him within an inch of his life, only to hear them say at the end 'why don't you just get a job?' This did little to stop him knowing what was at stake, after many months of searching he found a tavern full of ponies that called themselves day laborers.
Having found a place that would grant him work he spent three years taking any and all jobs that came up. It didn't matter how dirty, how humiliating, or how hard it was, he would answer the call for work. Near the end of the third year he started feeling down from working in a distant land as a day laborer, while asking every noble pony he could find for a little extra help only to be turned down day in and day out. He slowly started to lose hope and began to doubt himself. Believing he failed not just his sister, but the orphanage as well this caused him to attempted to drown his sorrow in a pint of ale .
The thought of what could happen to everypony there just made his heart sink farther, and drag him deeper into disrepair. Looking over from the far end of the bar the tavern keeper who kept a close eye on everypony there and knew their drinking habits, found it odd to see him with his new choice knowing he had never seen him drink ale or any kind of alcohol since the first day he walked in. Knowing that a change like this could only mean one thing he pulled out the house special cider, a warm brew made fresh every day and served with a bit of cinnamon and no added alcohol then flew over.
"Oi, me laddy have a pint of cider on the house." He said with a smile while placing the tall wooden glass on the table.
He looked up with his eyes pinkish red and full of tears, and saw him holding the large steaming glass with a grin, "Uh...oh thanks umm?" he said with a tremble in his voice as he reached up for the glass.
With a cheerful tone to try and keep his spirits high he chuckled, "McTavern, and ye must be brother...or so I hear them lazy lay about call ye any way. But that's not the point, ye seem down...more so than usual...and ye've been here for three years now, and each month you look worse. Now I know ye the best day laborer here so finding work can't be that hard for ya. It's a mare isn't it, ye be havin girl trouble?"
"Don't listen to McTavern when it comes to the ladies, he gets shot down faster than he can down a pint." Claimed the other pegasi as he flew past them with a tray full of drinks and food .
With a smile on his face McTavern turned and pointed at him, "Now what have I told ye John?"
As he took the first sip of cider he felt a warm feeling grow from within himself, "You could say I'm having some trouble with a mare."
With a slap on Brothers' back McTavern pulled up a stool and sat down, "Ah aye knew it...tell old McTavern all about it."
"I'm telling ya, you don't want his advice in this. Unless you're looking for a one night stand or a quickie, then he has all the answers." John stated as he flew back behind the counter.
With a big grin across his face McTavern pulled out a bat with the words engraved on it 'Whacking Stick', and pointed it at John, "I'm warnin' ye."
"Put that damn thing away..." Raising his hooves as he looked around as he smiled, "...nopony here want's to see you're stick. No matter how small it is." John joked as he grabbed several bottles and loaded his tray.
Putting the bat back under the bar as he chuckled, "Get ye mind out of the gutter."
"It's my sister." The young stallion managed to mutter out between light sobs.
Seeing the distraught look on his face the smile he had slowly began to leave his own face, "... ...John...that group in the far corner is about to start their poker game. Go take my place and clean 'em out." As John left with several bottles to join the game, McTavern started to read his face, "Aye...family...come now tell me all about it."
"Well to start she and I are orphans we adopted each other, we...were orphans to begin with. We took over the orphanage almost four years ago, and now we are about to lose it. All because of unpaid taxes, and the ponies coming to collect will just toss us out even the foals." As he explained tears started to form and roll down his face.
"Here...drink up, it'll calm ye nerves. Now I see what ye problem is, but ye work so hard. Days, nights, weekends, even holidays. For the first month ye was here I thought ye might have been a puppet of one of these unicorns, that is till ye passed out on me bar. Now is there anything old McTavern can do to help ye?"
As he drank the cider it calmed his nerves but he was still full of doubt as he turned to look at McTavern, "Not unless you have fifteen thousand bits just laying around here."
As he started to laugh he attempted to contain it under by letting it out through his teeth, "Fifteen thousand...I wish I had that much to give...aye, and as hard as ye work ye should have at least three times that by now."
Expecting him not to believe anything he told him, from the many years of getting beaten down and called a liar he took another gulp in the hopes he could get through his next statement, "I would...but most of the ponies that I've worked for promised a lot of bits but only give me less than ten percent of what they promise, then they either fly away or threaten my life with magic or guards. I've only made enough to cover the rent here for the next few months and that's without food and drink...I had four years to come up with the money and I haven't even come close in the three years I've been here." As the tears filled his eyes and rolled down his face his head fell onto the counter, "I failed them."
Knowing how bad it was he replied with a mono tone in his voice, "Aye...that be too much burden for a pony of ye age to bare. And I know the ponies ye talking about, undesirables we call them. Clients that nopony here wants to work for, be they corrupt guards, politicians, or rich, none here will take work from them. And I wish I had that much...but I can still help ye."
With half the cider gone and his eyes watering up he stared at the pegasi with a small hint of hope, "How you said you didn't have that much bits."
Gulping down the untouched pint of ale with a twinkle in his eye he slammed down the glass, "Ye right I did say that...but I can still help. What would ye say if I told ye there be a pony that could help ye get all ye need and then some, to help keep ye orphanage open for a long time."
Finishing off the last bit of cider in his glass he arose to his hooves as he rushed for the door not realizing that he had no clue as to where he was going, "If that's the case then what are we doing here wasting valuable time? The orphanage only has another six months to a year left, and I don't want to waste a second."
"HAA HA...that be the spirit...Cake John, keep an eye on the place till I get back it'll be about a month or two!" He shouted with excitement in his voice.
With the sound of anger and annoyance in his voice he floated into the air, "For the last time it's John Cake. Ya alcohol loving twit."
Rushing out the door he grabbed his bowl hat and exclaimed, "Atta boy ye know how to hold down the fort."
Not fully knowing the area around the tavern the young stallion pondered and thought about all the places that could take a month to travel to "Where are we going that takes a month?"
Knowing the danger of what could come if followed he shut the door and whispered into his ear, "There be a cavern far to the north, the trip only take about two days but I need the extra time off."
As they traveled McTavern looked back behind him not just to make sure the young earth pony was keeping up, but to make sure that no pony was following them. The location had to remain a secret from all for many, especially anypony associated with any of the royal guards in the world, for reasons that he would not explain. For two days he kept this up, knowing that many would jump at the chance for fame the likes of which no pony could fathom, till late in the evening on the second day they came across the side of a mountain.
As they approached it McTavern took to the sky and flew as fast as he could giving the surrounding area one last glance before landing. "Aye...it's clear. Now here be the situation the pony we've come to see is not very well liked, but he be the only one that can help."
Looking around in disappointment the young stallion slammed his hoof down, "What are you talking about there's nothing here, you said there was a cavern but all I see is just the face of a mountain."
Grabbing a small stone as he laughed the wall slowly vanished as he picked it up and put it back, "That is because he made it appear this way. It may be an illusion but while it's active it's real to the touch, not sure how it works but then again I'm not able to use magic."
As they walked in McTavern reached up and pulled a small rock out of place and watched as an illusion spell sealed the entrance so no pony could follow them, once this was done he reached out in the darkness for a hidden torch as well as a flint and steel to light. Once the flame was lit they traveled deep into the cavern until they met an earth pony whose appearance, though shrouded by the shadows he sat in made it difficult to see him, was so aged it seemed as if death forgot him… or chose to mock him by granting a continued existence without youth.
With a boastful smile full of confidence McTavern walked forth "Oi, I tink I found the one ye been look'n for."
Watching the old pony rise to his hooves and walk around a stone pillar that seemed to be holding the roof up he vanished and reappeared behind them still concealed by the shadows, "McTavern, is it already time for you to come by...I still have plenty of your grand cider to last me the next year."
"Aye, it not be the time for me to come by. However this one be in need of ye help, and I think he can help ye in some small way as well."
As the young stallion turned around the old pony once again vanished and reappeared where he once was when they first walked in, "How are you doing that? Earth ponies and pegasi can't cast magic."
"You're right we can't due to the fact that we let ourselves become narrow minded...but we can still perform illusions."
"That's just another form of magic." He stated with nothing but doubt.
"Wrong, an illusion is optical, audio, physical, and in some cases mental deception. You see me standing here but when I step behind the pillar you thought I would walk around the other end, instead I took a step back and slipped behind you. All suffer from tunnel vision it is this trick I use to appear as if I'm casting magic when in truth I'm just walking, running, or just simply moving around you."
Trying to keep his eyes on the old stallion he watched him as he stood there, "So then all I have to do is just make sure you don't trick me then?"
As his eyes never left the pony that stood in the shadows he heard his voice come from the far right, "Well you could but I know all the ins and outs of illusions, I've even tricked a unicorn who proclaimed to be the master of illusion spells."
Having fallen over on the floor laughing McTavern found it hard to breath, "Oh Greymane when are ye gonna stop play'n with the poor boy?"
"Wait...did you just say Greymane? As in the legendary thief Greymane? The old ponies tale Greymane?" He exclaimed in disbelief.
Barely managing to get back on his hooves McTavern let out a sigh of relief, "Aye he be the one and only laddy."
In shock the young stallion turned to McTavern with his mouth hung open, "How do you know him?"
Letting out a laugh that almost seemed to shake the cave McTavern slapped Brother on his back a few times, "Oh boy'o few ponies back at the tavern knows he's real and even fewer have met him." As he began to explain his voice took a dark and hateful tone as tears started to form and roll down his face, "I was just a young colt when I first met him, twenty five years to the day it be now. I grew up much like ye, an orphan, but unlike ye I grew up in the streets. Never knew me parents, all I can remember is the beatings I would get from this one small group of corrupt guards at the end of each week. One night while I was sleep'n they came to me in a drunk'n rage, ye could still smell the alcohol on 'em. The first hit that woke me up shattered me lower rib, the beaten felt like it lasted for hours. Then when I lost all hope, Greymane came and saved me without hurting the guards, he just put them to sleep with a wave of his hoof. Few days later I awoke here under his care and protection right here in this cave, and if not for him neither ye nor them other ponies would have a tavern to call home away from home. He done more for me than any pony ever have, he saved me life, and I know I can never repay that debt."
As McTavern tried to cover his face to hide the tears Greymane walked up to him and put his hoof on his shoulder, "Let it all go, what's in the past must stay in the past. You have done more than enough to repay me, you have given back the life I saved a thousand fold. And that is far more than I could have ever asked of you."
Wrapping his hooves around Greymane knowing he could not hold back his emotions as he fell to his flank McTavern nearly let out a screech as he cried, "And what would ye have asked of me?"
Pulling McTavern in closer Greymane started to pat him on the back to calm his nerves, "To live your life as you see fit, and you have more than done that. You have given a home to ponies that need it, food to the starving, and drink to the thirsty. I could never have asked for anything more from you or John."
Astounded the young stallion looked at the two of them, "Wait... ...John knows of him as well?"
As he dried the tears from his eyes the tone in his voice seemed to calm itself, "Aye..." Looking at the young stallion he wiped the tears from his eyes as he let out a sniffle, "...John was saved by Greymane as well, his story starts off happy but turns tragic real fast. He was the son of a captain to one of the pegasi armies, but his father knew too much about one corrupt politician who payed off his commanding officer for a few dirty deeds as well as a few other soldiers. This same politician didn't want to have any loose ends so he paid off the same guards to have him killed. So in the dead of the night they burned him and his family alive, John barely survived. His burns were so horrible he would have died, but like me Greymane found him and brought him here. I know not what be in that gourd of his, but it saved John's life. A few ponies back at the tavern found out about us thanks to him as well, but that's a different story for another time."
Lifting his gourd and taking a small sip the stallion gave his guest a small look over, "And as I said what's in the past must remain behind us, otherwise we can never move on. Speaking of which, you said he can be of help to me, but all things have their price. What is it that you ask of me?"
With a teary smile on his face McTavern nudged him forth, "Go on boy'o tell him."
As he stumbled forward his eyes jumbled around as he tried to find the right words only to turn around and question the situation, "When you said he could help I didn't think it would be the legendary thief...who by the way is suppose to be just some old ponies tale. But at this point in time I can't be picky, now can I? I come here to ask you for fifteen thousand bits to help save a failing orphanage, I'll do anything you ask...just please don't let anything happen to the ponies that live there."
As Greymane carefully walked around he pulled on his beard pondering the situation that was presented before him.
As he slowly walked around the room he pondered how far this young stallion was willing to go, "Anything I ask of you...well then I have to ask you, how much are you willing to give up for this orphanage?"
Without missing a beat he shouted, "EVERYTHING...I was born an orphan and I know what it's like out there, and I would rather die than to see a single filly or colt go without a roof over their head; food in their bellies; or even a warm bed to sleep in, not even for a second."
Without a shadow of a doubt in his mind Greymane smiled, "One in exchange for many...McTavern you were right, this one is different. You know where I keep my money take ten times the amount and go give it to his orphanage."
Walking to the small rolling hills of gold McTavern bowed then raised his head with a smile, "Aye...consider it done."
With a surprised, yet shocked, smile on his face the young stallion started to cry, but with held the tears as best he could, "What about me?"
Knowing he had finally found his replacement, or his heir, Greymane smiled as he walked up, "Stay with me. For I have chosen to adopt you. The only thing I ask of you is that you take my name. Here is a map mark where McTavorn is to take the bits."
Confused as to what was going on he marked the location down and watched McTavern leave with a cart full of bits, "What...but...hold on, why would you need me to take your name?"
Once McTavern was out of earshot Greymane gave a grim but blank stare as he pulled back the hood of his cloak, "Simple...I am dying and the world still needs there to be a Greymane to help keep the balance of power."
Still unsure of what was going on he inquired with doubt filling his mind, "What do you mean by that 'keep the balance of power'...you're just a thief, how can a thief keep the balance of power?"
He chuckled as he began to explain, "The current balance of power is with all the royal families that are out there in the world. And they all have kingdoms of their own, however without a common enemy they will go to war with each other for power and domination. That is where we come in, to be that common enemy for them."
Knowing the old story he stared for a moment pondering how an immortal such as him became as aged as he was, "But according to every pony you can't die...in fact many say you've outlived thousands of alicorns and will continue to do so."
With a chuckle in his voice he thought back as to how he once made the same statement, "Is that what they have said about me… well let's set that straight. I am the forty-ninth Greymane to have lived we each live for about a thousand to two thousand or more years longer than our normal life span. And I only outlived one alicorn, he was the captain of a royal guard and he died of exhaustion from hunting me down, all be cause I stole the heart of the unicorn he loved...but hey these things happen. So what do you say?"
With a smile full of acceptance knowing that not only could he continue to help the orphanage, he had also finally been adopted by somepony after all these many years, never knowing who his real parents where, "When do we start father?"
After taking the time to walk over he put his hoof on the young stallion's shoulder, "First there is a vow I would like for you to take."
"A vow?" He inquired as he pondered what a thief would need a vow for.
"Yes, it will help you in your darkest hour, to make the hardest of choices, ones that no pony can ever make. The ones that only we can make."
With a dumbfounded look on his face he tilted his head ever so slightly, "What kind of choices do you mean?"
As the smile slowly left his face his bright blue eyes slowly faded as storm clouds appeared to take the place of his true eye color, "Life altering ones, the kind that can make or break ponies."
Feeling the small change in his attitude he could see how dire the topic had become, "And you say this vow will help... ...in some small way?"
As the young stallion stared into his eyes he could faintly make out images that seemed to be past choices, and former regrets that Greymane once dealt with, "In some small way... ...no. It helps us in a big way each choice we make could change the path or fate of the ones we love as well as the ones around us. Do not take these choices lightly, or this vow lightly either. Do you understand?"
Looking deep into his eyes he could tell how this was not something to simply brush to the side, "I understand."
As he took the vow he stared deep into Greymane's eyes and watched as the storm clouds slowly receded and his natural blue eyes slowly returned. As the vow came to an end he pondered if he was right for the task, could he carry on such a task as if he had done so his entire life? Whether he liked it or not the new path he had chosen in life was now to be the next Greymane, the only thing he did like about this was the orphanage was saved.
As he finished reciting the vow he could see the playful nature that was once in Greymane's eyes had returned, "So... ...what do I get to learn first, picking locks, pouches, how to trick ponies into believing I can perform magic, or what about..."
As he stopped the young stallion in mid sentence, he put his hoof on his chest and gave a small shove, "We'll start with eh...working on your balance and hoof work to better prepare you."
As he stumbled to keep standing only to fall over the young stallion slightly chuckled, "Prepare me...for what?"
As Greymane walked over he moved his adoptive son's hooves into place, "For fighting, though it is best that you avoid any and all conflict as much as possible, it is also best that you know how to defend yourself. I'll teach you the improvised style that has been passed down and perfected with each new Greymane. This hoof to hoof fighting style was developed by the third Greymane, She was the first to ever really get into a fight, sadly it was against a minion of Tartaros. Having barely survived the fight she ran to the closest kingdom and hid for a while, it was there she learned the basics of what she later developed as the improvised style, over time we each learn something new and adapt it to our fighting style to give us an edge over others. Be warned this is only to defend yourself, or others that need it otherwise stick to the shadows and remain unseen."
As he began training his adoptive son a familiar voice came forth to the old ponies mind from the astral plane showing its serpent like form only to Greymane, *Greymane...is this one the right one?*
Without losing focus on teaching he carried on the telepathic conversation, *Yes he is the one to take my place.*
Knowing the danger of picking the wrong pony the voice reminded him of what could happen, *Just so you know, if he is the one from the prophecy...I will end him and pick a new one.*
Knowing full well what he spoke of he repeated the old warning, *The prophecy claims that 'A foolish, arrogant Greymane could cause the destruction of an entire nation because of a single choice.' Not that one will do so on a whim.*
With what could arguably be considered a hint of hate the voice let out a worrisome grunt, *And that is what worries me.*
*Yes I know but it's says he could, not he will.* Greymane stated with the greatest of optimism.
*Then I have no choice other than to trust you and hope for the best, and I expect no less from him as I did for you and that means his training must be finished in one and a half years*
As he showed the young stallion proper hoof movement, and several hoof stances he gave a small smile as he carried on the telepathic conversation, *For an all powerful creature you do a lot of that...but I understand why. I just hope one day he does as well.*
Having made the choice to stay he learned all he could from his father. Days turned to weeks, weeks into months, each passing second brought something new for him to learn. Each day he started growing stronger, faster, far more cunning, and also bonding to his adoptive father.
He learned how to read a ponies movements from just looking at the tiniest reflection out of the corner of his eye. He learned the hoof to hoof style known only to the Greymane's as improvised fighting, mixing all the different styles of the world, and throughout all of time it had been perfected with the first lesson being that this style will never have a master due to its constant change. Once he learned to defend himself properly in any situation he learned when it was best not to engage in a fight and when to use stealth to get around as well as use it to take out large groups one by one if it was necessary.
The hardest lesson that took him weeks to learn, was fighting an opponent he couldn't see, "Okay tell me again why are we in the crystal caverns, and why am I blindfolded? It's pitch black in here, I couldn't see in here even if I tried."
With a slight chuckle the forty ninth Greymane fastened the blindfold, "Now don't lie to me my son, I've taught you how to adjust your eyes to see in the dimmest of lights."
"Ya that's dim lights not dark." The young stallion sarcastically replied.
"It's not that dark in here and you know it, light constantly shines into this place through the small opening at the far end, its reflections make it near dark and I know you can see just fine in that."
"Fine you've caught me there...now why the blindfold? ... ...Father?" For a moment he felt scared that his father had left him blindfolded in a cave till he felt his father strike him to the ground, "...AHH!!!"
"Come now my son have you learned nothing? When you can't see your must..." He paused for an extended time to see if his son could figure it out as he slipped back into the shadows of the cave.
"Learn to hear, feel, and anticipate everything. My eyes are good but they can always be fooled, just like my other senses. So when one is being tricked I must use the others."
"Good. Now lets try again. And this time really try and expand your mind, the slightest vibration from the ground, sound in the air, even a gentle breeze all these things can tell you where I am, when I will come at you, and how."
It was weeks before he learned what it took to fight when he could not see. As the weeks passed he got better at it, there wasn't a single movement that he couldn't anticipate coming. Feeling the vibrations from the ground told him how many and how fast they would come, the sounds he heard echoed in the cave but this only made locating his father easier. The sound of dripping water echoed through the cave drowning out and separating his own breathing from that of his father's hoof steps.
As the old stallion lightly pounced off the wall he cocked back his front left hove and prepared to attack with all that he could. As his hoof slowly made contact with the back of his son's head he saw him make a quick yet fluid motion bending his body around the punch and quickly grabbing his father's leg tossing him to a wall. Just as his body was about to make contact he spun himself around and landed safely on his hooves making him parallel to the wall as he pounced off it kicking a small piece of crystal in the opposite direction in an attempt to draw his son's attention elsewhere.
As he landed behind a small mound of crystals he looked to where his son was only to see he had used the opportunity to vanish from his last known location, as he started to ponder where he had gone a hoof found its way to his left shoulder, "Looks like I finally managed to land my hoof on you."
As he closed his eyes he sighed with a great smile finding its way across his face, "Indeed you have my son. I thought you would have tried to hit me."
"You taught me better than that. If I recall the lesson you said, defuse the situation with little to no conflict and if at all possible break the line of sight and escape, and if I can not then I must single out the one that refuses to give up and put him to sleep without truly harming them. It is better to not to harm, for if we hurt anypony we are no better than bandits, or common thugs and have failed in our task to protect this world."
As he turned around he wrapped his hooves around his son's neck and hugged him as he whispered into his ear, "You make me so proud my son. You've learned well and have mastered your senses. You may remove the blindfold."
As he removed the blindfold his eyes adjusted to what little light was in the cave, "Finally it feels good to see again, sort of, I think I tied this thing too tight."
As the old stallion smiled he gave a small chuckle as he turned to walk away. "Come now you must learn how to pick locks of all types then following that I sh..." As he began to set out a list of what was next for his son to learn he fell to the floor with a feverish sweat, coughing up blood.
"FATHER!!!" Rushing to his aid the young stallion removed the gourd from his father's hip and popped the cork to pour no more than a swig down his father's mouth, "Hold on you're going to be okay."
As the small amount of clear liquid made its way down his throat, his sweating stopped, and his coughing came to a slow yet steady halt and his breathing returned to normal, "Thank you my son."
Giving a small sigh of relief as he sat down as he put the cork back into the gourd and gave it back, "You really shouldn't over do it, that was way too close. And I would hate to think of what could happen if I wasn't here."
As the old stallion smiled his ears twitched to what he thought was a faint sound of a bell, and behind his son he could see a shadowy hooded figure holding an hourglass in its bony fingers with the sand nearly gone, and the last bit brought to a slow stand still, "It's okay my son, for when my time comes a friend will be there waiting for me."
As the old pony took the gourd and put it back on his belt line he looked up and saw the saddened expression on his son's face, "Father...I..." Trying to find the right words he turned the topic of death off into a new direction, "You're gourd is nearly empty, perhaps we should make more of the medicine."
Knowing he had hid the truth from him it became harder for him to tell his son the truth, "Oh don't worry about it... ...I'll make some more later...now where was I. Ah yes after learning to pick locks of all kinds, then I shall teach you how to make a powder that can teleport you. And I shall also teach you a small amount of ventriloquism to make ponies think you're moving around or in many places at once. Then after that I shall teach you the more advanced techniques in the improvised style."
Knowing his father was dodging the conversation he chose to follow his example, seeing as to how one of his earlier lessons was to avoid any and all questions that could compromise who he was, "After I learn the advanced techniques will have mastered the the improvised style?"
"Oh my no..." Letting out a chuckle as he looked back the old stallion smiled, "...the improvised style can never be mastered, so long as there is still much to learn and adapt to it there can never be a master."
"Okay but answer me this, when will I learn to get past magical locks or even barriers?"
"In time it will come to you."
As his lessons continued he learned how to pick locks with what most ponies would say is impossible to do. Using a toothpick to just knock a few of the more important components loose causing them to fall out of place and releasing the locks. At first it seemed impossible to do this but once he had it down his next lesson was to pick the lock just as he learned but while under attack, and much later while he was also blind folded and under attack to better prepare him for any and all situations.
His final lessons comprised of making tools for scaling walls, and picking locks. Making a powder for teleporting, and putting an opponent to sleep when they least expect it with a grappling maneuver or a sleeping powder when necessary, with every lesson he had to learn the meaning to each phrase of a vow he would one day take to not just his heart; but within the very fiber of his being. His last and final lesson was learning how to deal with magic of all types, and how to get past barriers or magical locks. Once all that he could learn had been taught his father passed down his cloak, an old but specially enchanted item that had been passed down since the first, the enchantment on the cloak was a difficult and rare spell for slowing descent.
"This enchantment my son is what has granted us the illusion that we can fly even if we are not pegasi...though many of your forefathers and mothers where pegasi they tried to keep the idea that we were always earth ponies. Funny now that I think about it, many ponies are coming up with the belief that we could be an alicorn...though there was one of us that was an alicorn. Sadly his life was short lived even for his kind, he was dying of a rare disease that no pony could cure at his time. It is more than likely it has been cured by now, or the disease itself had died off over these many years. Now as for the spell we picked it up from a distant land filled with a race of ponies called zebra, they have learned how to cast magic using rune like symbols, I shall teach you the one that was used on this cloak here should you ever need to use it later. Though don’t get me wrong there were several tribes of ponies throughout the ages to learn how to use runes, some are just better at adapting it than others."
Hearing that he was going to be using magic drew up red flags in his mind, "Hold on, first of all you said that you couldn't use magic. And second even if you lied to me, we still can't cast magic due to the fact that we are earth ponies."
Giving a small chuckle as he started to draw a circle with strange writings in side of it. "Well I never lied to you, I merely bent the truth. And we can cast magic if we expand our minds and learn how, for you see having a closed mind is what makes it easier for anypony to be deceived. This is also true for ponies that have an open mind, that is why it is important for you to learn to see through all kinds of deception. I shall also teach you how to see through them, starting with this." As his son watched on he saw a faint wave in front of his eyes as a horn made its way into sight, "I've been concealing my true look from you with an illusion spell, but this enchantment believe it or not was taught to me by an earth pony, the Greymane that came before me to be more specific. I'm showing this to you now not only because you must know, but because I've grown too tired to hold up the spell."
As time went on he slowly mastered even this basic enchantment, alongside making the two powders he would be using later. Once he learned all that his father had to teach him, he was fully dressed in the same appearance. His tools, and powders well hidden to appear as if he never had them, his cloak enchanted for a slow descent from high areas under his control. As he looked toward his father he could see nothing but pride in his eyes, as a final test to make sure he was ready; he was required to review everything he had learned with his blindfold on.
As the time they spent slowly came to an end the old stallion constantly hinted away that his time was nearly up, "My son...do you hear a bell?"
"Father I can hear many things in this cave but no bell." As he peeked up from his blindfold he could see his father slowly growing weaker by the minute, barely able to stand. Frowning at what he saw he slowly started to learn that time would never be on his side ever again, "Father...are you alright...do I need to get you your gourd?"
He gave a small smile of reassurance as he looked back hoping not to scare him, "No my son it's quite alright...when you get to be my age you start to hear things that aren't really there. Come now come now, on with your training, I want you to be more than prepared for what is out there in the world."
All in the span of one and a half years he trained and learned everything from crafting tools out of just plain old garbage, to picking a lock with nothing more than just a toothpick or several splinters if necessary. Being that the old stallion was a unicorn that used an illusion spell to conceal his horn, he even trained him to handle himself in a fight with creature that can use magic. Until one faithful morning when the old stallion fell gripping his heart.
Being blindfolded for months on end he heard him fall and rushed to his aid tearing off the rag shouting in fear, "FATHER!!!"
Knowing he could no longer hide his condition he gave a mournful smile as he spoke between gasps of air, "So...(wheeze)...this...(wheeze)...is it."
With the fear of his father dying he started to cry and give words of hope, "No it's not you just need your medicine where is your gourd?"
Reaching beneath his cloak he pulled out the gourd he had been hiding as not to worry his son, "It's here...(wheeze)...beside me where its always been...(wheeze)...but its empty...(wheeze)...there isn't anything any pony can do my son."
Fearful of what came next and how he had no idea how to handle the oncoming situation as he began to doubt what was happening before his very eyes, "NO...NO...there is still something I can do...tell me how to make the medicine. I can still save you."
Knowing that the time had come he smiled once more and put his hoof on his son's shoulder as he told him the truth, "You can't make it...(wheeze)...it was filled with water...(wheeze)...from the fountain of youth."
Stunned with the truth he had no idea how to react, "What are you talking about?"
Passing the gourd to his son he started to explain, "That is how all of the Greymanes have lived thousands of years past their time...to tell the truth, I was already dead long before you ever came to me. The only reason I have been alive so far is because I have been sipping on the water all this time."
Knowing the tails of the fountain he looked at him and thought it was a lie, "But you've been aging all this time how can it be..."
"Because my son, over time the water stops regressing one's age from its constant use, until all it can do is ward off death until there is no more. It's the curse of the water, if one wants to use it to live by drinking the water they can never go too far from the fountain."
As his fear took hold he started sobbing as he starting thinking of ways to save his father's life, "But there has to be something I can do."
"There is...(wheeze)...in fact there are a few things you can do."
Without hesitation and a smile full of hope he asked, "Tell me...what can I do."
"Take the gourd it is the only thing of value here to all the Greymanes...and here...this necklace as well...it was a gift from my beloved. I want you to have it now. And as for the gold...(wheeze)...the trinkets; they mean nothing it's just there to let us help ponies that need it the most. The second thing you can do is this...(wheeze)...take my body..." Pointing over to a table at the far end of the room his hoof fell to the ground, "...and all three books over there to the sacred burial site of the Greymanes...in the middle of the site is an old library lost to all but us, and I want you to add my books to the library."
"But...I'm not ready, I'm not ready to be Greymane...to take your place...I don't think I can do this."
"Oh you're ready my son...though you may have only trained for only a year and a half, you are more than ready. If you have any doubts take the time to read for the next six months and learn from us all, there is a map with the books to guide you there...just remember this, you will be ready for all things physically and mentally. Spiritually and emotionally however...you will never be ready, I know this because I was never spiritually or emotionally ready."
"What do you mean...was any Greymane ready spiritually or emotionally?" He asked with tears flowing down his face.
As the smile faded from his face he started to explain, "No...none of us ever where...not until the end. Which brings me to the last thing I would like for you to do. It is when the black bell rings for you at the moment when your time comes, do as I do...as we all have done. When the Reaper comes for us we've all greeted the Reaper as a friend."
As the smile left his face he looked at his son and started to frown as he confessed the few things in his life he regretted, "I'll tell you the one thing I never told anypony...that unicorn I fell in love with...(wheeze)...when she died I was at her bedside...(wheeze)...and I cried my heart and soul out. She and I wanted to have a family, but I knew that it would never work and she would always be in danger...not following my heart...that's what I truly regret...but in the end you came to me. And became my son, I finally got what I wanted. And the alicorn...(wheeze)...the captain of the guard I mentioned, when he died I was at his bedside and even then I cried, and when I did he woke up one last time he asked me, 'Why do you cry? Are you not glad that I am passing from this world to no longer chase you?' To which I replied, 'No...for you are the closest to a friend I have or will ever come to have.' He passed from this world with a smile on his face to know this. I even cried when the Greymane that trained me died. Just remember this vow my son. I take upon the name Greymane and title legendary thief; not for fame and fortune; but for life and love; though I know that my life is forfeit no matter what, I shall not harm the young and innocent, and I will not take a life for all life is precious and must not be wasted; let it be known in this life and the next that I will never sway from this path...even when tempted with one filled with my hopes and dreams. Now go my son...and live...and live...live...free..." With his final words his eyes closed as his last thought was, 'Though I leave this world to be with the ones I love, I shall always mourn over my son who still lives in this dark and unforgiving world.'
He felt his father's life leave his body as he held him in his hooves and began to cry, "Father...FATHER...FATHER..."
As he cried a voice spoke into his mind that felt as if it came from everywhere, *Greymane I know that now is a painful time for you but you must continue on without him and do as he asked...this world needs you to help keep the balance go now.*
As the tears continued to fill his eyes he shouted out with a voice full of rage, "Keep the balance? WHO ARE YOU...WHAT ARE YOU...ANSWER ME!"
*I don't answer to the Greymanes...for they are my advocates, go now and be as free as the wind but know this...when the time comes I will call upon you to do a task that only you can handle.*
"I shall...but only because it's the least I can do for him; my father and every pony that needs me."
*That's what I expect out of you now go.*
Though full of sorrow Greymane traveled to the far north west, following the map and transporting his father's body and his books filled with research, notes, and his dairy. The trip took him three weeks through rugged terrain and winding paths until not even the map could tell him where to go, let alone tell him where he was. As he stared out to the ocean he gave the map one last look and saw the words inscribed 'Iftah ya simsim'. As he uttered the words a path shot up from out of the water that seemed to go on for days.
As he walked the path he saw that for every ten steps he took the ten behind him crumbled back into the ocean, an odd spell he thought, if it was indeed truly a spell of some kind. He walked for what seemed like days until he came to a large burial site and just as he was tolled off in the distance he could see a building untouched by time, and on the metal sign it read 'Their LOVE IS A MEMORY; A GHOST IN THE FOG'. Almost seemed like a joke of some kind since the island was shrouded by a thick fog and sealed off by a large stone dome, and the path that lead him had fallen back into the ocean, it was truly hidden either by some kind of natural force or a magical one. He could not tell which nor did he care as he saw this place was safe for his father to be buried, where none could desecrate his grave.
As he looked around he could see many headstones, each one bearing the name Greymane and a number. Seeing this he now knew the truth, and how it must be kept a secret at all costs till the world was ready for the truth. Having one last look around he saw an open grave with a headstone marked 'GREYMANE 49TH' no date was inscribed for his birth, and noticing the one's next to it neither was theirs, nor the date of death. An Illusion for immortality if he head ever seen one, his father was right deception was one of the many key tricks he was going to use.
Having a good look at the open grave he noticed a pile to dirt that the grass had not grown over with a shovel sticking out of it, "This must be the place...hmm...father, you dug your grave years ago...its...its just waiting for you...like a friend...or a lover."
Carefully lowering his father's body into the grave brought back many memories of the time they spent together, though short, it had made a large impact on his life. All his praises, words of wisdom, and encouragement, it brought forth tears of joy that he found hard to hold back. Once he finished burying his father he closed his eyes and lowered his head giving him a much needed moment of silence.
Once the task was done he took the hint to dig his own grave and prepare for what will one day be his turn to join the other Greymanes whom have long past. Following this he took the time to read every book in the library as he was instructed and learned everything that his father could not teach him. Far more advanced tricks and skills his father didn't have time to teach him even one such trick known as the ‘Demonic Curse', using a demons name to bind them to one's will required three key things. He would need to know their name, where they draw their power from, and what their purpose in life was; what made this even more interesting was that there was a list of demons and descriptions of what they look like, as well as their purpose in life, and where they draw their power. As he took the time to read all of them each one holding a new trick for sneaking around or rendering an opponent unconscious with just a simple tap or pinch, even secret tricks hidden between words should this place ever be discovered by the outside world. Until one day in his father's books he learned about how like the last five before him had started searching for another alternative for the fountain, or even if it came to more drastic measures the purist form of immortality they even referenced something they called the leviathan and how it was always there to help; but it often spoke against such an action saying that it was unnecessary for them to become immortal.
What drew his attention even more was his father's search for immortality, knowing how his father passed from this world with a faint smile and greeting death as a long lost friend or family member his mind started to question the reason for it, "Immortality? What would father want with that...now that I think about it all of the Greymanes made a reference to immortality, and three ways to get it. Not that I would ever need it...now that I think about time and life, I need to go and see every pony at the orphanage."
As he rushed off for the orphanage he heard a voice that seemed to come from every here calling out his name. As it does everything starts to turn a dark milky grey as the world around him began to wash away as if water was poured over it. As he awakened from his dream he saw a construction pony standing over him and giving him a small shake.
Revealing the truth is like lighting a match , it can bring light , or it can set your world on fire . - Unknown
As Greymane slowly awoke under the shade of a large oak tree he could see the lead constriction pony standing over him, "Hey, sorry for waking you on one of the few days you have off from the Apple Farm. But I'm short two ponies today and I could use your help."
Looking over to the nearly completed building he gave a smile, "Not a problem at all, I'm glad to help in any way I can."
During the time he spent in Ponyville Greymane's older skills, and personality slowly came back. Going around helping in any way he could, as well as taking simple jobs during his days off. In time his fear of being the pony the guards were looking for had slowly subsided and nearly faded into his subconscious, only enough that he barely thought about it at all, and many believed the warning from Tartaros was just a prank of some kind.
During his first few months many suspected that he was the one they were looking for but could not find any proof to make this belief fact. Over the years their suspension faded as they saw how kind and helpful he was, most thought Fluttershy's attitude had rubbed off on him when in truth this was who he was and at one point in his life he had hoped it would never change. But like with all things time caused him to change though in many ways he never outgrew being the young stallion filled with hope.
Walking over to the near finished building the lead construction pony began to explain, "As you can see we're almost done with the repairs to this shop, all we have left to do is put new hay shingles on the roof and put up the new walls over the insulation."
Looking at the task presented before him Greymane smiled at the chance to put some of the tricks Big Mac showed him to the test, "Looks simple enough, care to make it interesting?"
"What have you got in mind?" The construction pony inquired as he cocked an eyebrow.
With a lighthearted smile Greymane began to trot a little faster, "Let the others put up the walls while you and me tackle the roof."
Seeing Greymane's playful nature he couldn't help but grin at the opportunity for some friendly competition, "Let me guess, it's a race to see who can put the shingles up faster and get it done right the first time. And the last one done pays for three pints of cider from the Apple Family?"
"You know it." Greymane said with a smile and a laugh as he started to run.
Laughing through his teeth the construction pony attempted to catch up to Greymane, "I'll take that bet, besides you haven't won one yet."
"And neither have you."
As the two of them took to the roof with the prize in their eyes all the noise around them was drowned out by their hammering. Full of joy from the competition they almost seemed as if they were brothers constantly pushing each other to do better, knowing that neither of them could beat the other. As the work neared completion Greymane poked his head up and saw Rarity and Twilight engaging in pleasant conversation just under the oak tree where he was napping only a few hours ago, shortly after he saw how far behind the construction pony was in his work in compared to himself. Not wanting to ruin anything he slowed down and timed his pace so it would end in a tie.
As the two of them came near completing their little race, Rarity and Twilight continued in their a small conversation, "Oh fancy seeing you here darling hows your day been?"
"It's gone by quite well till this strange letter came flying through my window addressed to Greymane." Twilight had mentioned with a small hint of annoyance in her tone, "The odd thing about it, is that even though it broke my window it wasn't tied to a rock or anything and came in on a gentle breeze, not sure how it broke the window."
"Really, well that’s rather strange, who's it from?" Rarity inquired with great curiosity.
Pulling out the envelope Twilight looked it over carefully, "It doesn't say, and I haven't opened it so I don't know what it says. All I know is that it's addressed to Greymane."
Quickly jumping off topic Rarity had a quick look around while putting a hoof to her chin, "Speaking of whom, you haven't seen him around anywhere have you? I went by Apple Jack's farm to see if he was there but was told it was his day off. Normally if no pony has asked him for help he's always under this tree."
Gently tucking away the letter Twilight shook her head, "Sorry Rarity I haven't that's the same reason I came here to give him this letter. If you don't mind me asking what do you need him for any way?"
With great enthusiasm Rarity nearly jumped as she squealed, "Oh I'm trying out a new style, it's a rugged yet gentle look that I thought he could help me try and get right."
As the two of them carried on with their conversation, Greymane and the lead construction pony had started to leave the work site. They were laughing over the situation, after many attempts to out do each other all they have done is push themselves to the best of their abilities.
As they continued to walked back toward the oak tree the construction pony couldn't help but feel baffled in knowing how it ended, "Another draw? Sometimes I think you're just holding back."
Greymane couldn't help but smile as he turned and looked at him, "Well..." Closing one eye as the other looked up at the sky while he rubbed the back of his head, "...only a little, what do you say I pay for the cider, it's the least I could do since you gave me some work to do."
As he looked over he raised his hoof and gave Greymane a small nudge across his face, "Na...I can't do that to ya it's a tie. But speaking of paying for something here, we all pitched in a little."
Looking at his hoof Greymane couldn't help but give a faint grin as he stared at the bag of bits, "No I couldn't accept this it's far too much."
"Now we won't take no for an answer, you've worked hard and on your days off when we come to you for help. And on top of that during the past few years you've been in Ponyville you've gone and helped any and all who asked for help without asking for a single thing in return. So you've more than earned this." He said pushing the bag into Greymane's chest, as he watched him take the gift with a smile; looking down the construction pony saw something strange hanging from his neck, "By the way what is that thing you have there?"
Lifting the medallion he looked at it with a strange yet satisfied feeling, "I have no idea what it is, I just woke up one morning with it around my neck and thought it was a gift from Fluttershy. But she said she that it wasn't a gift, it was something the doctor found on me and asked for her to return it for her; Fluttershy must have put it on me when I was sleeping. I took the time to ask Twilight to look into the strange markings on this for me." As they continued to walk he looked up and saw both Twilight and Rarity talking under the shade of the tree, "Hey why don't you go on ahead and I'll catch up later, first few rounds of cider are on me."
Out of a sign of trust between the two of them they raised their hooves and taped the back of their hooves together as they started their separate ways. The construction pony walking off to the tavern to wait for the cider he was promised, and Greymane heading toward Twilight and Rarity. As he walked up to them he greeted them with smile and a small hint of exhaustion.
The closer he got to them he watched as Twilight pulled out the letter that had been addressed to him, as he looked at it his old fears slowly started to rise as he quickly tried to take his mind off the subject, "Hey girls did you come by to ask me for some help?"
Perking up to the sound of a helpful hoof Rarity jumped at the first chance to make her request, "Why yes, perfect timing by the way. I'm working on a new line of outfits that I could use your help with on getting it to appear just right. And if you could spare the time could you please come by my boutique later?"
With a cheerful smile he looked up at the sky for a brief second as he thought about what he had planned for the rest of the day with a hum then brought his eyes back to Rarity, "Sure thing I'll come by later this afternoon." As he slowly turned his head he looked at Twilight hoping she came with some information about the item that he had found around his neck, "How about you Twilight, is there anything I can help with? Or did you find any information on this little oddity I have in my possession?"
Continuing to hold out the letter Twilight had a smile that seemed to hide what little worry she had, "Actually this came through my window this morning addressed to you, I haven't looked at it as you can see the wax seal is still there."
Faking his enthusiasm as he smiled as his hoof slightly trembled while he slowly reached for it, "Thank you Twilight, let me see what it sa..." As he read the letter all of his fears came pouring out filling his mind shocking him to his core, "...but how...I don't...this..." As he tried to sort out the information that was written on the parchment with the dreams he had, he attempted to start piecing them together; though many of the blanks had been filled and a few questions had been answered he still felt as though something was missing, "This doesn't make any sense. Twilight do you know who sent this?"
"Sorry there wasn't anything to identify who could have sent it, I even tried looking into the mark on the wax seal. I wasn't able to find anything surrounding it. Except for a book that had the same mark on it, it's called the leviathan cross, it was full of alchemical symbols and mixtures. The one used on the wax represents sulfur so whoever sent it wanted to make sure we couldn't figure out who they were."
As he looked at the symbol a faint voice echoed out from the back of his mind from an old memory, 'I am a leviathan, the last of my kind. And as you are my advocate, I swear to do all in my power to keep you safe from any and all whose power are far beyond that of your own skill and whom you cannot out smart or find someway into tricking into giving up.'
As the voice from his memory ended his face slowly filled with confusion as it slowly mixed with fear, as his emotions surrounding the current situation grew this caused Twilight and Rarity to worry for him.
In this moment Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder as he folded up the letter and tucked it away, "What's wrong, are you going to be okay?"
As he slowly regained some of his composer he wiped the sweat from his head as he sat down under the shade of the tree, "Ya...ya...its just...I need some time to process this. I'll talk to both of you about this later at Rarity's. I have a promise to keep right now"
As they watched him run off they started to worry about what was contained in the letter that caused such a reaction to spark within him, as they turned to look at each other Rarity started to walk toward Fluttershy's cottage, "Perhaps we should get the others and meet up at my boutique, whatever was written in that letter has just caused a turning point in his life. It could be very hard for him, and if all of us are there to help him it could soften the blow and make this transition that much easier for him. I'll go and get Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash."
Agreeing with Rarity, Twilight simply nodded her head and took off for Apple Jack's farm knowing she would pass Sugarcube Corner. As they went off to get the others Greymane walked into the tavern with his head heavy over what had just happened. As they did this Greymane knew that the fears he had repressed and kept hidden just came running out screaming, as he tried to sort things out with no clear foundation as to where to start. As he slowly tried to calm down he walked up to the bar and started to order the ciders as the construction ponies cheered him on for his generosity.
The lead construction pony looked over and saw that the cheerful smile that always crosses his face had been replaced with a mournful fake grin; and though no other pony took notice he tried to keep it that way as to not kill the mood, "Hey, you look down...what's on your mind?"
As he pulled out the letter his expression turned for the worst, "I just got this letter and it claims that somepony out there has more information about my past."
With great enthusiasm the construction pony patted him on the shoulder, "Well isn't that a good thing? I mean after working around Ponyville for a few years just simply trying to piece together your personal history with nothing to go on, this is a new lead and there is no telling what kind of doors this could open up for you."
As his confusion subsided his fear slowly swelled up throughout his body and he did what he could to try and hide it, "I know I've always been looking for something to point me in the right direction and now that I have this, I'm just not sure I want this any more. I mean look at it, I've got a life here now and I don't want to just throw that away. Not with all the friends I've made here."
Seeing how distraught Greymane had become he sat down next to him and put his hoof on his shoulder, "Hey think about it like this, anything you learn about your past is a good thing right now. And no matter what you learn you will always have a home here with friends that care about you. And speaking of others what's going on between you and Fluttershy, or Applejack for that matter, is anything special going on there?"
As he started to think about the question his mind brought all six of them into his answer, "They're like sisters to me, same goes for Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, and Twilight. They were the first to help me and there is no way I can repay them for their kindness."
As he smiled at Greymane he took a big gulp of cider as he recalled words of wisdom, "Well one thing my great grand stallion told me, 'It's always better to know and have no regrets; than to never know and regret it for the rest of your life.'"
As his feelings started to take a turn for the best; Greymane took a sip of his cider as he started to smile, "Isn't that the truth..." Letting out a sigh as he smiled Greymane tapped his glass with the construction pony’s, "...okay, I'll go and check it out. Oh and thanks again..." Looking around he saw that every pony was enjoying themselves without a care in the world, "...for everything."
"Any time, now come on let's drink to what comes next."
As they drank their ciders he knew that no matter what happens next, he had a home in Ponyville with friends. But this did little to subside his fears as the thought constantly plagued his mind, 'What if my dreams are real, what if I'm just some good for nothing stallion, what if I really am a thief?'
As the others continued to enjoy themselves he slipped out the door and made his way to Rarity's Fashion Boutique. As he arrived he took slow steps as he looked at the first statement of the letter once more, 'I know who you are and what you have done in life.'
He was still unsure of what could come next or how he could tell all of them as his fear took hold. As he slowly walked in they could see that fear had taken root and cracked the foundation of his hopes.
As he looked around the room he saw that all the girls were there, "...This wasn't what I expected but it saves us some time."
They all knew that everything surrounding his life was going to change for better or for worse, knowing this caused Applejack's eyes to become fixed on the letter in his hooves, "If you don't mind my ask'n, whats it say sugar cube?"
Holding up the letter he skipped the explanations and long winded statements to hide that whomever sent it claimed his was a thief, "It's a letter saying somepony out there knows who I am, and what I've done. And if I want to know more I must travel to the location marked on this map provided." As he folded up the letter he held out the map, "But I'm not sure I want to know any more."
"Well why wouldn't you want to know, I mean think about it this is big, BIG news." Pinkie exclaimed as she bounced around the room and even out of a mirror though as to how nopony knew.
As he put the map down on a nearby pony-kin he walked toward the window and sat down, "That's just it. What if I'm that pony the guards were looking for, the one that Tartaros warned about. Who knows what I've done, or what I'm capable of. And even if that's not the case, what if I'm just some good for nothing stallion? I know I would have jumped at the chance to learn more about myself awhile back but now..." Turning back to look at them they could all see uncertainty fill his eyes, "...now I'm not so sure any more."
Seeing how distraught he was Fluttershy flew over and put her hoof in his shoulder, "It doesn't matter what we find, in the time you've been here, you've shown that you're kind, gentle, and helpful. So no matter what you might have done in the past it will not change our opinion of you."
"And ya'll have more than proven ya ain't some good-for-noth'n nether." Applejack chimed in knowing that what he needed most at the moment was a boost of confidence.
As Rainbow Dash zipped half way across the room performing a few aerial acrobatics; nearly knocking over a few well dressed pony-kins as she spoke with great pride, "Ya, and you've shown that you're willing to get down and dirty to help anypony here in Ponyville. No matter what the job is."
As he began to smile he couldn't help but wonder if the dreams he had been having were somehow tied into this but brushed the thought aside for the time being, "Thank you everypony, you've all been like sisters to me. You've taken me in, given me food to eat, and a chance to prove myself. And even now you're all willing to stand by me."
As they all gave him smiles full of comfort Twilight compared the old leather map to one of the current maps of Equestria, "Look at this everypony the location marked on the map is about half a day's travel strait North of Talonpolis, and into some woods. We can take the train there and make the rest of the way on hoof. And because the trip won't be that difficult we'll all go with you to help soften the blow it could have."
As he smiled back he took one quick glimpse out the window and saw a small glowing serpent that seemed to stare at him, as he doubled back to have another look the ghostly figure was gone. Though the figure was gone it brought back a faint memory that seemed to coincide with the symbol on the wax seal as the word 'Leviathan' rang throughout his mind as a calming feeling took hold of him.
Though the ghostly figure was gone Greymane could see the many vibrant hues of the setting sun, "Thank you everypony, if it's alright with all of you let's leave first thing in the morning."
"Sounds like a good idea to me partner." Applejack stated with the others nodding their heads in agreement.
Remembering the main reason she had asked him to come over to the boutique in the first place, Rarity pulled out an unfinished dark grey hooded trench coat of the nearby rack, "Now that everything is settled could you try this on for me darling? I need to see what improvements would be best for this."
With a smile Greymane slipped the outfit on, "Not a problem."
As he put on the coat it gave him a strange yet familiar feeling, as if it was natural to him. He disregarded the feeling as Rarity got to work on tweaking its design to give it just the right look. Turning to look at a mirror on his left he saw a faint image of himself in a worn torn cloak in the same color that gently flapped with a gentle breeze, staring at the image he could see that his own eyes will filled with self loathing; as to why he could not tell. In time the image faded and he could see his reflection as Rarity worked around him constantly muttering her own thoughts, as she worked they made plans as to what they would need for the trip and planned for camping in the woods if necessary, and though they gave him much hope fear and uncertainty filled his mind bringing forth doubt as he mentally questioned if this was the right thing to do.
That night he found it hard to sleep knowing he would finally have some clue as to who he is while at the same time questioned if he could continue to be who he had become. As he tried to contemplate the situation pieces of his memory that seemed scattered started to click together and make some sense, these pieces caused his mind to re-open and allowing him to see the ghostly serpent once more outside of Fluttershy's cottage. As he rushed out of her home to where he saw the figure he noticed it was gone, almost as if it was never there to begin with. Trying to disregarded it he guessed it was just his mind playing tricks on him and went back inside to try and get some sleep for the long trip he had the following morning.
Early the next morning they all gathered on the train ready to set off to discover more of Greymane's past, they had nothing on their minds but excitement. Greymane however was full of doubt, but all this did was bring out a strange feeling of determination that seemed to broaden his view as well as his mind. As they traveled he drowned out the noise around him as he stared out the window constantly thinking about the situation and what it could bring, each moment brought a new idea, a new hope, as well as a new fear.
The worst of his fears was to find he was some horrible pony that needs to be put down like a wild, rabid animal. The least of his fears was it could just be some prank and it could all be just a waste of time, and though it seemed like it could be a cruel trick he hoped for this to be the outcome. The more he pondered the situation the more often he saw the ghost like serpent fade in and out in front of his very eyes, almost as if it was following him. As he turned his head away from the window he could see that even though they were excited for him, shaking off the feeling of being followed he put on a smile just for them in the hopes they could not see through his little act.
As they continued to travel Greymane couldn't help but look over his shoulder, only to spot the ghostly figure every now and again. The more he saw it the greater his determination seemed to strangely grow, almost as if the ghost seemed to push him farther. As they came to a small clearing Greymane took one last look over his shoulder only to make eye contact with the figure, what he saw was not what he expected. In most tales dealing with ghosts their eyes were either pitch black, or the pupils were faded. This one's eyes seemed to shine brighter than the sun nearly blinding him.
The blinding light brought forth the word 'Advocate' to his mind almost as if it seemed to contact him, "Did anypony else see that?"
As he turned to look back at them he saw they were confused Applejack however felt that it could be more than just his nerves being rattled at the moment, "Perhaps it would be best if we set camp, after all ya seem to be under a bit of stress at the moment. It could be causing ya'll to see things sugar cube."
Realising he was the only one that saw the figure he knew either Applejack was right, or whatever this thing was it was doing all it could to try and remain hidden, "You might be right, but let's keep going for now. We've all come this far, no sense in stopping now just because of me."
As he shrugged off the thought of being followed by a ghost the feeling of being watched stayed on his mind, causing him to worry over who it could be that was following them. It was several hours till they came to the burnt ruins of an old building, many of the signs that once marked rooms and even the name of the building where either too charred to read or far too aged by time. All that they could tell was the building was at least two stories tall, and took up about as much space as the grand ball room back at the Castle of Canterlot.
As they looked around Twilight couldn't help but notice the many burned toys that littered the ground, "What was this place, a toy shop?"
As they continued to look around they all noticed several rows of beds that made Fluttershy worry over what might have happen, "Oh I wish I knew, it seems as though they may have been a daycare center, or maybe a summer camp."
As they all looked around Greymane's memories slowly started to flow back like a small river as he pieced everything together, then into a raging river with each little step as though he was walking with in his own home. Before his eyes shadows seemed to move in the shapes of young foals and ponies. As he followed one up a set of stairs he found an office filled with paperwork, as the shadows continued to move before his eyes faint images began to pass themselves alongside the shadows and linked to voices as names slowly made their way back.
As the memories started to come forth he felt weak in his knees as he stumbled down the stairs while everything started to unfold right in front of him. As the girls looked at him they saw how his expression went from excitement strait to pain and remorse. As he walked the voices started to make their way as the many shadows moved and played about right before his very eyes.
He could hear the playful laughter of foals as his mind started to piece everything together.
As his memories came into the light he could hear conversations he had long ago, 'Don't worry brother I'll always be there for you no matter what.'
Some where even promises he made, 'Big browther, will you always be here to keep us safe?'
As he dropped to his flank he began to cry as he whispered, "I promise, nothing will happen to any of you."
As the girls made their way to his side in hopes of comforting him they watched as he rushed off and reached under a bed three rows down and pull out a doll.
"Grey...are you okay?" Rainbow Dash asked as he held up the doll close to his chest while trying to fight his tears.
"This belonged to Samantha, it was her favorite." Turning around they could see his fight was in vain as he pointed across to a bed with some carved artwork into it. "And there..." Standing up he walked towards the bed, "...that was David's bed..." Feeling out the carvings his tears ran down his face, "...he learned how to whittle wood with just a spoon into some fine pieces of art. Yes as I recall he got a cutie mark for that, though Sister didn't like him carving up the bed's too much; I would often bring him back a log or even half a piece of firewood so he could have some fun."
As they started to smile knowing his memories were coming back they also worried as to what this could also mean, and though he continued to cry Fluttershy flew over and placed her hoof on his shoulder, "What else do you remember?"
"Up there was my adoptive sister's office, she and I were orphans..." Letting out a laugh filled sigh as his tears dampened his face, "...this place was an orphanage." As his memories of the place flowed back to him it all went from a roaring river to an over flowing dam that had just broken as he rushed straight to the fairly good sized bed in the middle of the open area with an odd hump on it, "I grew up here. Every pony here called me brother, I never had a real name."
"Brother...hmm...well it's not Greymane but it's better than nothing." Pinkie stated as she started hopping around. “But if it’s all the same to you we’ll keep calling you Greymane, after all it that’s what we’ve known you as for some time now.”
As he looked on at the bed he reached up and grabbed the blanket that covered the small mound, "This was my bed..." With fear taking hold of him his hoof started to shake as he slowly removed the cover to reveal several burned bodies of many of the foals he once knew causing him to cry out their names, "Samantha...David...Timothy...Jackie...everypony..." Slamming his hooves on the ground as he dropped to his knees he cried out, "...I PROMISED YOU I WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE!!!! And now..." Slowly looking up he felt that however they died it was his fault, "...what has happened, who could have...no, no, NO! I'm such a horrible pony, what ever happened here you still believed I would come to save all of you. That's why you came to my bed expecting me to be there. I've let you all down."
As he began to cry Applejack took notice of the situation and knew there was nothing more any of them could do, "Come on everypony let's give him a moment to sort this out. If you need us we won't be too far, will be making camp back at the clearing just over yonder."
As they left they could hear his pain and guilt filled cries as he attempted to sort things out. As he cried he constantly damned himself for the situation, and for not knowing what had transpired here. Looking up at them he could see they all held on to each other hoping for the best never knowing that he would never come to their aid.
As his tears flowed like a river his rage began to take hold, "WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!?!"
As he shouted the ghostly snake he had seen before had made itself known to him as it took on a physical form, "Because you were never here for what happened!"
As the strange creature took on its physical form it seemed to imitate Greymane's image with one exception, a scar over his right eye, "Who are you...what are you...and why did you take that appearance?" He inquired as he fell back scared of what had just come before him.
As the creature looked at its hoof it scoff under his breath as he spoke, "I see not everything has returned yet." Looking back at Greymane it faded in and out before his eyes as it moved around him without disturbing the ground beneath its self, "Me? I am a leviathan, it is also what you have always called me. As for my appearance, it's a form easier for your mind to handle though to you I look like the pony that once spared my life."
"A Leviathan? Okay...please tell me what happened here." He asked as he stood up with eyes full of hope as he tried to take hold of the creature.
"Simple...the guard from one of the many kingdoms is what happened here. They were looking for you. It took them some time after you had gone to Tartaros to figure out that you came here every once in awhile. Sadly for the young foals that once lived here they thought you were teaching them to one day do what you do. So they chose to be safe rather than sorry and burned this place down with every pony still inside. I'm sure you can still hear their screams, every last one of them cried out for your help...but you had chosen to steal the Medallion of Immortality. Sad isn't it..." Looking down at Greymane he could see he was already starting to hate himself, "...they helped you pay the price for it."
As his mind drew a blank, he stared on with a dumbfounded look, "What are you talking about, what's the Medallion of Immortality?"
As the leviathan floated toward Greymane he put his right hoof on his head, "Here let me help you REMEMBER!!"
As the hoof touched his head he could feel a sharp object pierce him and draw forth memories that had remained suppressed, and for good reason. Though the piercing of his skin didn't hurt that much having his memories be forced back caused him such great pain that he shouted out in agony. As the memories came forth everything flashed before his eyes, all that he had done, all that he had become, and even who he truly was started to come back; and piece by, piece bit by bit he recalled everything even his escape from Tartaros.
In the distance the girls could hear his screams, and though Fluttershy jumped to her hooves and starred in the direction of the ruins she thought it was just him trying to make sense of everything, "Oh I hope he's okay...to remember everything at once and in this way it must be very hard on him right now."
Though they all felt they should go and see if he was alright Twilight attempted to reassure them of one bit of fact for the time being, "We all feel the same way Fluttershy, but none of us can pretend to know how he's feeling, the one place he called home is gone, and the only family he ever knew could be dead as far as any of us knows; though it is clear that most of them are. It's a bleak way to look at it I know but all we can do is let him sort it all out and be there to comfort him when he needs us."
At the ruins Greymane began to remember everything by force only with everything slowing down to a night some time before he first left for Tartaros, the very same night he last saw his sister. Though she had aged over the years she was still the same spitfire mare she had always been since they were foals whereas he had not aged a day thanks to the waters from the Fountain of Youth.
"How many times must I tell you not to come around here...these foals don't need your influence to take them down the wrong path in life." She claimed with a small hint of anger.
He looked back with shame and self loathing in his eyes, "I know...I just came by to say good bye for now, and to ask that you give this group some place safe to stay...I know I won't live forever and like you said no pony should ever have to take this path in life, so I'll make it end with me."
Knowing the pain he was in she couldn't help but attempt to wrap her hooves around him in the hopes that no matter what she said he would know that he was still welcome to come back home, "And just how are you going to do that?" She asked concerned for her only brother.
As he stepped back away from her in fear of himself while his voice trembled as he tried to tell her his plan, "I'm going to become immortal...I know what I need to do it. I'm going to steal the Medallion of Immortality from the pits of Tartaros. With it I can become immortal and no pony will ever have to walk in my hoof steps and make the mistakes I've made."
Staring at her brother baffled as to why he stepped back she could tell that something was making him fearful of far more than just his own actions, however she had larger problems knowing that without him the hope the foals had would slowly dim and fade, "And what should I tell them...I don't want you to influence them down the wrong path, but they love it when you come around and show them that with hard work and determination you can shoot for the sky and get the stars. It's that hope they need in life right now and you bring it to them every time you come around."
As he turned and wiped the tears from his eyes he could see the faint flicker of torches in the distance near the road, "Tell them...tell them the truth...it's too dangerous for me to come around here for a while. The many different guards have increased the patrols in the forest, and I don't want anything to happen to them."
Standing next to him under the night sky she looked on with a blank stare, "And how long will you be gone?"
"If everything goes the way I have planed..." Taking a few steps he looked back unable to smile, "...I'll be in Tartaros for two weeks."
Worried for the safety of her foolish little brother she couldn't help but shed a few tears as her voice trembled, "And if not?"
Bowing his head he pulled the hood of his cloak over as he slowly walked away, "Three months at the worst, after all I'm Greymane; there isn't anypony in the world who can stop me."
As his memory flashed through to his first day in Ponyville he knew who he was and could remember everything. As he raised his head from his hooves he looked up at the leviathan and his new appearance. Looking on he saw the leviathan's lower half was that of a giant snake while his upper half looked like a mix of a young dragon and an ancient dragon.
Looking at the ruins of the place he had all the answers to his questions save for one, "I...ah..." Struggling to stand he soon made eye contact with the leviathan, "...how long?"
"Hmm?"
"How long have I been gone? Two...three months?" He begged fearful of the answer that was soon to follow, knowing that he truly did not wish to have the answer.
"Try one thousand years...and look you even have the medallion now. But let me ask you is the price worth it. To gain immortality it cost you the life of every pony close to your heart, though the price isn't payed in full yet."
Taking off the medallion and held it in one hoof realising the mistake he made in taking on such a foolish venture and tossed it to the ground in front of the leviathan, "...Immortality...hmph...take the damn thing, no pony, not even myself should be allowed immortality if even one life has to be taken as payment."
Picking up the medallion with his jagged claws he looked at Greymane, "Pity..." Turning his head he stared towards Canterlot as he hinted away towards something, "...the last payment is going to be made in a couple of weeks."
Stunned he rushed over and grabbed the leviathan, "Payment...what do you mean the last payment will be made soon.?"
"Search your heart. You'll find the answer."
As he began to rush through his thoughts he began to think of ponies who had been close to his heart. As he drew them up one by one he knew that many of them had long passed from this world and are no longer among the living, with the exception of Twilight and the others whom he had only known for a few years. Till he remembered how his heart raced, and left him weak in the knees at the sight of one mare.
As an image of Luna came to his mind his heart raced as it sank into disrepair, "No, NO, LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!!! She has nothing to do with this, TAKE ME INSTEAD!" As he dropped to his flank he began to cry once more as he begged for Luna’s safety, "If any pony deserves death its me...please spare her...I'll do anything. Luna, don't let anything happen to her."
Using just one claw he pushed Greymane back with a little effort, "It's not my choice to make, nor is it I who will do the deed. In the next couple of weeks Canterlot will come under attack, and all because you made one bad choice and wouldn't listen to me when I told you not to go after the medallion. I even warned you a few years ago to leave Ponyville. I had even feared that one day, one of the Greymanes would be the end of a nation, so I'll let you mourn over your loss, then I'll take your life before I try to clean up the mess you've made and replace you with someone who can do the job right."
As he looked at his hooves his darkest memory came forth and he could see the blood that once stained them, he even once asked for a way to repent for that night and now he sees a chance though it was slim, "Give me a chance to repent for all that I've done..." Looking up he stared the leviathan in the eyes, "...I can still make things right."
"And just why should I let you? For all I know you could just make matters worse."
"Because I remember that prophecy, and it said that a Greymane could, not will...there's still time."
As the leviathan looked deep in his eyes he could see that the former Greymane had influenced him in such a way that it became one of his many driving forces, "You're just like him, you're just like all of them..." Letting out a disgruntled sigh he knew that this was the right choice, either Greymane succeeded in his endeavor or he died trying, "...fine then but you must first go to the cavern where you first donned the name Greymane, and prepare."
Attempting to rush off for the train Greymane feared for the worst, "No, that would take too long I have to get to Canterlot now."
As Greymane tired to run off the leviathan took on his astral state and flew ahead of him slowing him down, "You fool the cavern that you trained in is under Canterlot. The entire city sits right above the crystal caverns, I would be amazed that no pony found the cave but then again it would take a mega spell from the combined efforts of three alicorns to force that place open. In a way you can be thankful about that."
As he pondered the situation he knew that his home in the cavern would have many tools that could help, "Very well then..." Looking down the path they walked he could see the camp fire the girls had made, "...but I'm still going to warn the girls, they can use the elements of harmony. Should I fail then they can still save all of Canterlot."
Knowing how frail the balance of power had become the leviathan knew the only way a war between Equestria and Tartaros could be avoided was to trust his advocate just like in the days of old, "If you think they can help then go to them...after all even though you are my advocate..." Pausing for the moment he almost hated saying what came next, "...you're free to do as you please to handle the task presented before you."
As Greymane ran to the girls to warn them they are needed in Canterlot, the leviathan looked at the medallion pondering what to do with the artifact as it started to whisper into his mind, "You want me to return you to him?" As he listened to the artifact explained its plan, "I see, you've chosen not to take any lives as payment but instead have chosen to test him..." With a slight chuckle he tucked the medallion under one of his scales, "...very well then, let's see how he does."
As the Leviathan faded from sight to enter the astral plain the night sky slowly took its place as Greymane ran back to the girls. As the moon started to shine through the night his heart began to race as his mind began to fear the worst possible outcome, while he pondered who of his many enemies that could still be alive that would would have not only the forces, but the power to target Canterlot. What drew an even bigger question to his mind was how did they find out about his tiny connection to Luna.
As he arrived he was short of breath but did what he could to warn them between gasps for air, "Girls...you're needed...in Canterlot, something terrible is headed there and the Elements of Harmony are needed."
Not sure as to what to believe Twilight turned and looked at him with a confused expression, "What...are you sure?"
Believing he was still missing a lot of his memory Pinkie popped up from behind Twilight as if she had been there the whole time that or a parasitic twin as she did seem to be coming out of her mane, "How can you be sure...all we found here was this burned down orphanage. Oh...sorry." She embarrassingly smiled as she let out a nervous laugh.
Knowing that time was of the essence Greymane did what he could to get them moving, "All of my memories are back, I remember everything. But now is not the time for questions or explanations get going I'll meet every pony there."
"Hold up there for a moment partner, if we are needed in Canterlot how did you find out before we did? And what's more where do you think your heading? Just moments ago you were having an emotional break down." Though Applejack’s questions were spot on and had the others nodding in agreement, even she slightly agreed that if Canterlot was in danger then they couldn’t stand around talking.
Knowing he couldn't give them a straight answer and that time was not on their side he punched a tree nearly breaking it in half, "I swear I'll take the time to answer all of your questions when the time comes. For now everypony needs to get moving, as for me, there's a place that holds something I need to get." He stated as he turned in the direction of his cavern and started to walk off.
Flying in front of him hoping to stop him if even for a moment Fluttershy put her hooves on his shoulders fearing that he wasn't telling them everything, "Where are you going...please tell us."
As he looked at Fluttershy he tried to ignore her as he turned his head and saw they all had the same worried look and with an uneasy sigh he lowered his head, "...I'm headed to my home. My second home to be accurate, there I will gather several things that I hope will help depending on what is on its way to Canterlot, now don't worry about me I'll be fine. Just head to Canterlot and I'll meet you all there."
As he moved Fluttershy out of the way he took off running as fast as he could, looking behind himself he saw them give chase. As Rainbow Dash started to catch up with Greymane he did what he could to put some distance between himself and all of them, turning behind a tree he quickly climbed it to hide in its branches and leaves. As they turned at the tree they saw he was nowhere to be found, almost as if he was never there and for a moment they feared something had happen to him, but they still worried about what he had warned them about.
Taking his word as truth they turned back hoping to see him later, as they gathered their things and traveled back to the train station using a torch Applejack put together in almost no time at all. Unknown to all of them Greymane had followed them back to the train, and chose to ride on the roof of the lead car all the way back to the base of the mountain to Canterlot. As the train neared the first tunnel Greymane started running to the rear of the train to time his jump, one roof top after another he ran till he came to the last one and jumped straight up and bounced off the railing of the tunnel to make his landing on the ground a safe one.
Walking around to the right of the tunnel far out of sight of the tracks he came to the entrance still sealed off. Moving the small stone out of place and setting it back the main entrance opened, walking in he pulled out the hidden torch and struck a flame, once he had light he pulled on a stone as he entered the cave so the main entrance would close off. As he made his way to the back his mind drew up old yet happy memories of his time spent here.
Walking over to the few pony-kins that were in the far corner to the right of his bed he looked at the three cloaks as he pulled his spare off the one on the right. Looking at the one in the middle gave hims feelings of sentimentality as he dressed himself. Walking away he went to his old chemistry set that seemed to have survived the test of time and got to work using what little ingredients he had left.
Toward the end of the second week the powder he was working on finally settled and was ready to be bagged. Sadly he only had enough to make three small half ounce bags. Looking at them he remembered how many times this powder had got him out of many sticky situations while granting him the illusion that he could cast magic and teleport. The powder was a strangely rare and unstable mix that required time to make, once it hits a hard surface the powder would instantly turn to smoke granting a small window of opportunity to teleport anything caught in it any where within five miles. Greymane had even once discovered that in the event that he couldn't make them hit a close enough surface he could use other means to get the powder to work, either by hitting his own body with the bag or in the rare case when he could not move, smashing the bag under his hoof or with the weight of his body.
When the time came he took the lower face mask that once belonged to his father and put it on, "Father..." Letting out a morn filled sigh he looked at the pony kin that still had on his father's cloak, "...I'm sorry I failed you and every pony I ever cared about..." Placing his hoof on his chest as he bowed his head Greymane closed his eyes, "...but I'm going to make things right...even if I must die to make it happen." As he went to the back of the cave he shouted the words that allowed him to open any magical lock. "IFTAH YA SIMSIM."
As he made his way up through the crystal cavern the back entrance to the cave sealed itself up. Rushing through the cavern, he hoped that there was still time, more importantly that he was not late. Making his way out of the cavern off simple sounds and what little light shined through he could hear the clanking of armor get louder and louder as he neared the surface. Popping out behind a bush he saw Twilight and the others walking with both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, keeping hidden from them and the royal guard as best he could he followed them to make sure they stayed safe while keeping his distance as to not draw any attention to himself.
He sighed with relief to know that they were safe... ...for now.
Any fool can be happy. It takes a man with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep. ― Clive Barker, Days of Magic, Nights of War
As Greymane watched them from the trees at a distance he could see the guards were prepared for anything, but on Celestia's face he could see doubt, at his current distance he could not hear the conversation between Celestia and Twilight but did what he could to read their lips, "Twilight I think your friend might have gotten a mixed message, we've had the guard heighten the security all around Canterlot for the past two weeks and nothing has happened."
As Greymane shook his head he knew that they were starting to doubt him. In the past when the leviathan warned him of such things he was never wrong, so why would he be now, he wondered as he slipped out from one tree and into the next to continue following them. As they started to put the elements back into the gilded box there came a burst of dark magic that blew open a large hole in the castle wall, as the smoke and dust slowly settled two hulking figures came walking through.
As they walked in one had tossed a helpless guard to the ground as he gave a sinister smile, "Well, well, well, so this is Canterlot..." Looking around as he licked his lips the demon slowly took a few steps forward, "...I like how the place looks, but I'm sure we can spruce things up around here. Make things look a little nicer. I'm thinking of re-painting the place red...with the blood of every pony here."
As the hulking demon rushed them his speed made it difficult for the guard to get into place to defend both Celestia and Luna. Many were cut down where they stood just for the sport of it; as the demon rushed passed them laughing. As the demon drew closer and closer he teared his way through the few guards that were close by nearly tearing out internal organs as he passed. Once he was in arm's reach of Twilight he raised his left claw and began to strike.
As the demon's claw came within mere inches of Twilight they were surprised by a cloud of smoke that appeared from out of nowhere. The only thing anypony could see was a single hoof strike the demon from under his chin lifting him off the ground by only a few inches. They continued to watch as it pulled the demon into the smoke and tossed him back into a tree near where he started as though the demon where a rag doll. Many of the still standing but wounded guards were shocked to see this happen while many more were wondering what had just transpired, as they stared on in astonishment they did what they could to gather their wounded and get them to safety.
As the smoke slowly cleared Celestia saw the dark grey cloak but doubted the old ponies tale, "It can't be."
As the demon rose to his feet he shouted in frustration believing there wasn't a single pony in all of Canterlot let alone Equestria who could do that, "WHO THE HELL!"
Before the smoke completely cleared the demon who had not moved from his original place took a few steps forward clapping "Well done, well done, I would expect no less from the Legendary Thief himself."
As the smoke cleared the two demons could see the rage in Greymane's eyes as he stared them down, "I have no idea what the minions of Tartaros want in Canterlot, but I'll give you one chance to leave before I send both you back to your dark masters as a pair of limp lifeless corpses."
As the other demon rose to his feet he laughed at the gesture, "You dare threaten me..." Spreading his wings the demon lifted himself off the ground as he prepared to take flight, "...the great Abatu? I AM NOT SOME MINION...NOR AM I A LESSER DEMON. I am a greater demon free of my own accord. And I've chosen to claim these lands for myself." As he boasted many were in fear of him, but he was merely trying to mock the pony who just dropped him with little to no effort.
As the other demon came walking out from the dust and dirt made from the hole in the wall they created, Greymane looked to him in hopes of ending this sooner and without any further conflict.
What gave him this hope was that he knew this demon from various images on the walls of ruins and old temples dedicated to him, "Adramelech, Chancellor and president of the high council of demons...care to tell me what you are doing here so that we can find some middle ground and end this without further blood being spilt?" As he spoke the demon's name he used the conversation as an advantage to remind Adramelech that he could use demon's curse and bind his power at will, though he didn't expect the intimidation to work he did hope it would cause the demon to see reason to just leave.
Feeling his own power slightly diminish he knew that he had just been cursed, but thought nothing of it, "Well let me be the first to say, it is nice to see you finally come out of hiding...and as strong as ever. But as I said earlier I would expect no less from you Greymane. And when I heard there was going to be a chance to end your life well..." Pausing mid-sentence he smiled as he popped his knuckles then sharpened his claws on the stone wall, "...I couldn't help but jump at the opportunity to say the least, after all it's not every day you get to take on a legend, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual for you to face me."
Lowering his head as he shook it they could hear the sad tone in his voice, "You're right, it's not every day one gets to face an Archdemon. But I was hoping that you would listen to reason. If you leave now and take Abatu with you then I will talk with your masters on your behalf, both of you will be free from whatever punishment they may have in store for you."
Knowing Greymane was going to stay this path and try to end it with conversation he raised his hand and pointed to his left index finger at a random guard as he channeled his dark magic to the tip, "Well you see my master will forgive me if I bring him your soul. So either way I receive no punishment. And a fight with you and you alone is all I ask for any how, but there are far too many ponies here. What do you say I cut the number down?"
As he turned and looked at the guard with the intent to kill he could see the fear of death in the young mortal's eyes that left him frozen and unable to move. Smiling Adramelech nearly started to laugh as a large stone hit him in the temple, causing the archdemon to lose his concentration forcing the spell to fade from his finger.
As he turned to look back at Greymane a small bolt of fear shot through his body as he saw the rage with in his eyes, "YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME ADRAMELECH, SO IF YOU EVEN HARM ONE HAIR ON ANY OF THEIR MANES, SO HELP ME I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO THE HIGH COUNCIL OF DEVILS IN PIECES, WITH A LETTER ADDRESSED TO YOUR MASTER WARNING HIM AND ALL OF TARTAROS OF WHAT THEY SHALL FACE SHOULD THEY COME TO THE MORTAL COIL!!!" As he tried to calm himself he turned and face every pony behind him, "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, get every pony back behind the castle walls...if any pony is going to get hurt today then let it be me and nopony else."
Knowing that much was at stake Celestia nodded her head as she signaled to the guard to retreat behind the walls and others to get all civilians to safety, "At the moment I have to think of my subjects first...so for now I'll cooperate with you but I want some answers later."
As he looked her in the eye he gave a lifeless stare as if he had already given up on his own life and intended to meet his end that day, "If I survive..." Looking back at the demons he knew that if he could single one of them out he stood a chance; but two at once and both of a decent rank he knew that there was little to no chance for survival, "...then you can have your answers."
As every pony started to make their way to safety the boastful demon Abatu rushed toward Princess Luna, "You think I'm going to let this opportunity go? I'LL BE REMEMBERED FOR KILLING ONE OF THE ROYAL FAMILY!"
As he drew closer it almost seemed to be with in a blink of an eye as Greymane struck at his lower vertebrae severing his spine. Quickly using the momentum as he pounced off Abatu's back as though it was a spring board; twisting his body he grabbed the demon by the horns and threw him to the hooves of Adramelech. As Abatu tossed and turned on the ground in pain, Adramelech couldn't help but smile having seen the display of skill from Greymane, though this display came from Abatu trying to harm Luna he knew that Greymane was not going to hold back. And for the first time since he became an archdemon he finally found an opponent worth fighting, far more so than another archdemon.
As he gave a sinister smile he was in awe as he whispered to himself, ‘Amazing...so much skill, so much power behind each attack. And yet…’ Looking Greymane in the eyes he could feel the hair on his body stand on ends from excitement, ‘...he's still just toying with us. Truly this fight will be worthy of everything that I am. The old reports are true!’
As Abatu was able to subdue some of his pain he raised his hand in the hopes of gaining help from his ally, "Adramelech...give me a hand up..." Trying to take the archdemon's hand he could feel that each little twitch of his arm was like having a spear driven up his spine, "...we’ll kill him together."
As Adramelech reached down he grabbed Abatu's arm and chuckled, "No I'll take his life..." As he started to laugh Adramelech cast a spell to burn Abatu from the inside out, "...you can just die. After all you've outlived your usefulness."
"No...NO...NO~O!!!" As Abatu shouted many watched in horror as his flesh began to boil and pop. To say his death was slow and agonizing was putting it mildly to say the least.
Greymane started on never removing his eyes from Adramelech, even as many found their gaze drawn to Abatu who was slowly melting into a steaming puddle. Greymane knew that Adramelech was not one to be taken lightly, his power was mostly given to him from the many young foals that were burned at altars dedicated to him in ancient times. But back in those days he was considered a lord and with many of his altars destroyed; and the ones that survived abandoned he had no power to draw upon other than what had been given to him by the master he served.
Removing the arm that once belonged to Abatu from his own, he turned his attention back to Greymane and smiled, "I'll give you the time needed to retreat every pony here but I must know...what is going through your mind right now that you would not accept help? Does it have something to do with that one fateful night?"
As every pony ran back behind the walls for safety Princess Luna walked forth and stood next to him, "What are you talking about? My sister and I will aid him to save every pony if we have to."
As she made her claim Celestia stood next to her with a determined look throughout her body, "Agreed, Twilight gather the others and have the elements of harmony ready for the worst." Celestia ordered knowing this could go either way.
As they prepared Greymane hid behind the hood of his cloak as he slammed his hoof causing the ground to crack open, "NO...Luna, Celestia...GO BACK BEHIND THE WALLS...this is my fight and nopony else has to get involved."
Believing that an earth pony would not stand a chance Luna tried to reason with him, "Didn't you just see what he did? You won't stand a chance on your own you need our help. If not both of us then..."
As she tried to get him to come around he stopped her mid sentence with a tone of self loathing and self hatred, as he looked at his hoof he knew that what Adramelech said struck a nerve that caused Greymane to question if he even deserves to survive the fight, "Although I can't help but agree with you...I cannot allow any pony to be harmed, so if you please go and be with those who need you most."
Knowing he managed to strike a nerve Adramelech couldn't help but laugh in an attempt to mock him, "Go now princesses...I'll come for the both of you and every pony inside later, But before you go..." Busting out in laughter he couldn't help but find the situation humorist, "...Greymane, please share your thoughts with us as to why do you decline their help."
As every pony in Canterlot was evacuated into the castle many heard him as they tried to make their way to safety, "MY LIFE FOR THEM! And I will not have it any other way."
As his words rang in the minds of many ponies they pondered what caused this sudden change in him. Had he lost the will to live and was looking for his own death, could he have turned over a new leaf, or was it something else? None knew what brought forth this change but many speculated what it could be, and yet, at the same time the questioned their own eyes. To see a living legend who was nothing but a myth to them only moments ago.
While every pony moved as fast as they could to get to safety Adramelech constantly mocked Greymane in an attempt to get him to weaken the hold he had over him with the curse, "Your life for them..." Falling to his knees in a fit of laughter almost made him seem like a pushover, "...don't make me laugh. You the Legendary Thief, I know what you did, I know what you are, what you have become and what you’re capable of all of Tartaros knows it. I've read the report from that fateful night, the lives lost, how you're hooves are stained with blood. It was like listening to a symphony, so well orchestrated. But we both know who struck first."
The more he spoke, the more Greymane fell to despair the more he thought to himself, 'He's right...I'm no thief...I'm a monster who deserves to be killed, who deserves to be gutted then hung by its intestine and left to rot.'
Thinking back to the night Greymane could hear the screams and smell burning flesh, and as he looked at his hooves he could see the blood. The more he was reminded of that night the further he fell into despair, hoping to find one reason to fight with all that he was he turned his head and looked up at the royal family. As his eyes made contact with Luna he was reminded why he continued, for the chance to find redemption in life, in the hopes that one day he might be forgiven, even if only a small hoofful knew about that night. Since that night he was looking for a way to redeem himself, and now he believed he had found the first step on the way to getting his wish, even if it was going to cost him his life.
Turning back to look at Adramelech with a new found conviction in his eyes his expression became peaceful as if he found some form of inner peace alongside a passion that would drive him to the ends of the earth, "I know what you're trying to do, and I won't let you distract me this way. Such a poor tactic to use, but then again it's common where you come from."
Several hours passed as the last of the ponies in Canterlot were evacuated into the castle grounds. As the gates closed behind Greymane, Adramelech rushed him attempting to strike him from behind only to watch as his claw was pushed to the side as Greymane spun around and attempted to kick him in the head. As his hoof came close to his head the archdemon blocked his hoof and tried to tear his flesh with his other claw while Greymane used the momentum his first attack created to lift himself out of the way and bounce off the demon's head.
As many watched the two fight it seemed as if they were well matched as they clashed, claw meeting hoof, pony vs demon. The outcome of the fight was uncertain as they exchanged blow for blow, blocking, deflecting, and retaliating. As the fight seemed to continue without end reports were sent back to Celestia in the hopes that whoever won the fight they would have the advantage of knowing how to fight them, especially if Greymane was the one to win. For an hour it appeared that the demon had the upper hand in the fight when he started to cast magic.
Adramelech threw fire balls, cast lightning bolts, and even tried to impale Greymane with spikes of ice and stone as they came out of the ground. As he kept Greymane at a distance he began to tire as each spell became harder and harder to cast, but Greymane appeared to still be at the top of his game. And for good reason too, when the demon started to use his dark magic Greymane started to use illusions to wear him out, using one more of his powders as he jumped behind the nearby bushes to throw Adramelech off as he teleported into a tree on the far left side of the archdemon as Adramelech set the bush on fire. Throwing his voice, and tossing what few rocks he had grabbed, made the archdemon believe he was in one location or another when he was in none of them to begin with.
As the fight heated up Adramelech expanded his senses and pulled Greymane out of the tree with telekinesis and slammed him down on the ground, as he dragged him across the cobbled stone strait to himself he felt proud to have Grey in his grasp. As he lifted Greymane up by his back right hoof he prepared to gut Grey open from waist to neck with one claw, only to be blinded as Greymane threw dirt into his eyes causing him to lose focuses and sight for a brief second. While he was stunned for the moment Greymane went behind him and ripped off one of his wings, enraging the demon knowing that when they are angered most will go into a blood rage and won't think about how they fight. Greymane hoped this archdemon would fall into such a rage granting him the opportunity he needed, for most combatants when they enter a blood rage they are easier to tire out allowing the fight to end faster.
Sadly Adramelech was not the kind of demon to fall for such a trick and kept his composure as he cast a spell to grow his wing back. As he turned to face Greymane he saw that he had once again disappeared, only to discover he had quickly gone around behind him and ran up behind him ready to catch Adramelech off guard and rip off both his wings this time. As Greymane stood waiting to see what he would do, Adramelech quickly discovered that Grey was merely trying to get him to waste his magic on such needless things and chasing down the crafty stallion. Once he discovered Greymane's plan was to tire him out, he resumed the attack and chose not to regrow his wings till he had time to recover enough of his dark powers to cast the spell again.
As the fight continued the guards watched on as Greymane chose to step up his game, widening his stance he took a deep breath and with its release Grey calmed himself to prepare for a longer fight. As Adramelech started to move faster Greymane started to move like a snake, while changing his fighting styles in mid attack. Going from the heavy hoofed styles of Saddle Arabia, to the quick hoofed style from Vietmane, and even heavy takedowns from both Camelia and Minotauria. As well as a few fighting styles from the great dragon kingdoms, and several others that had been passed down by his predecessors, though many of these styles were thought lost throughout the ages. All of these different fighting styles gave Greymane the edge in the fight. But Adramelech grew tired of this game and cast one last spell summoning the air around him to the palm of his hand, as he slammed his hand down on the ground a cloud of dust and dirt kicked up covering them and making it harder for all to see how the fight would progress.
As the reports slowly stopped making their way towards Celestia and Luna, many believed that Greymane had the upper hoof in the fight the second he stopped playing around. But with the cloud blocking the view of the fight none knew for sure as to who was winning, but what Adramelech could tell was Greymane was getting tired. His attacks became slower and weaker with each passing second, though he had taken much damage he knew he could out last Greymane; and once he had his opening he would return everything a thousand fold. But the cloud of dust worked both ways, while Adramelech could not truly see Greymane he could however feel he was taking a moment to rest and recover before Adramelech could find him again.
As the fight raged on Celestia and Luna collaborated on what to do next from the one spot in the castle that overlooked the base of the mountain below. It was considered one of the highest locations in the castle by point of view, and for many it was said to have one of the best views in Equestria.
As Celestia analyzed what information they had gathered Twilight and the others returned with what little information they could find on both the demon and Greymane, "How's everything going so far Princess?" Twilight inquired hoping for the fight to be near its end and some good news.
"As far as we can tell they're both still fighting, without either of them giving in or giving up. And according to these reports it seems Greymane was or could still be winning this fight." Celestia said with a hint of optimism while questioning how an earth pony was lasting as long as Greymane has, "Hopefully you all have had better luck."
Lowering their heads Twilight shook her head, "Sorry but we haven't...both of them seem to know far more about each other while we know little to nothing about them."
Looking over the reports a second time Luna quickly took notice one key thing about Greymane, "Well other than him pulling off what seems to be impossible for an earth pony let alone a unicorn if they were as skilled in magic like Starswirl, he's quite adept at hoof to hoof combat from what we've gathered so keeping a slight distance from him is a good option. And while he knows many different styles from around the world but doesn't seem to stick to any one of them for too long. But according to how he switched tactics it's only a matter of time before this ends, and all we can do is simply hope the Thief of Legends comes out on top. That way we stand a greater chance of getting some answers."
"We can't be so sure he will simply give in like that sister, he is after all the Legendary Thief...who's to say this isn't some ploy of his to rob us blind. As an added precaution I sent several of the royal guard to the vault just in case but going off these reports there is a good chance they won't be able to handle him." Celestia claimed with a great doubt hanging heavily over her head, and with good reason with the only bit of information on Greymane was an old dusty book that when summed up in one statement simply said, 'He was an enigma that was believed to be a simple story.'
With great optimism Luna placed her hoof on Celestia's shoulder, "We are not so sure about that sister, when he said he would answer our questions, it seemed to me that there was much truth in his words. Perhaps we could show him some faith? After all he is risking his own life for us, we all saw what happened to that other demon, there's no telling what this one could have done even if the two of us faced him. Greymane however must have face a demon or two once before."
Before Celestia could speak Twilight pointed out a harsh truth, "And that could be the problem, how many has he faced, and how many could and would be willing to work with him?"
"That is what I thought too, for him to know so much about this demon in particular seems far too coincidental to be enemies. Acquaintances maybe, but if that's the case why not just end this through a simple conversation, why kill his own ally and fight. Unless they were working together and put on a show, for all we know the other demon could still be alive and that was just part of the theatrics. I know we should have some faith in him and trust him a little bit, but if we give him an inch he could take a mile." The words Celestia spoke took the little faith any of them had in Greymane and turn it into doubt with in an instant.
Sparking a new conversation having remembered what Twilight read in the book Applejack perked up, "According to the book he disappeared about a thousand years ago. Now if he really is the Legendary Thief from this old ponies tale then we’ve got bigger problems to deal with, like where has he been all this time? And why now of all the days does he chose to come out of hiding? That right there don't tell us much, but it does tell us that if he wanted to steal from us he could have done it when ever he wanted and none of us would have been the wiser for it. So wouldn't it be safe to say that he ain't workn' with them darn demons?"
As they continued to talk on the matter Greymane was slowly losing the fight under the cloud of dirt and dust, the time he spent making his way out of the crystal cavern took most of his energy, and the first hour and a half of the fight didn't do much for him even if he did find ways to rest while keeping Adramelech on his toes. What made things worse was by the end of the second half hour fatigue set in and started to take its toll, all the cloud did was give him a small advantage to remain hidden to sight. But all Adramelech needed to track Greymane was a small drop of blood, or sweat. And sadly Greymane was sweating like a fountain, making him a glowing beacon in the dark.
The longer this fight went on the harder it was for Greymane to remain hidden, let alone stand on his hooves. What made this worse was when he used the demon's curse to bind Adramelech's power to his own will it also drew on his own will power constantly draining it, the longer he held the curse the weaker he became. He knew the consequences and the threat of using the demon's curse but in this situation what choice did he have?
As he grew more and more tired he became sloppy and made far more mistakes than he normally would have. It was only a moment later Adramelech found the opportunity he was waiting for, in the center of the cloud he mercilessly beat Greymane tearing through his flesh, and bashing him into the ground. The only reprieve Greymane got was when Adramelech tried to end the fight.
Cocking back his right arm while flexing his muscles Adramelech drew forth what he thought was plenty of his strength needed to kill Greymane in one punch; as he tossed him into the air, "Die knowing that you failed."
As his fist came close Greymane brought up his front left leg just in time to block the attack as it sent him flying. As the force of the impact that sent Greymane flying many watched to see him soaring through the air, and though the punch would have been enough to kill him Grey was fortunate enough that it had not landed any where else on his body, but the attack was enough to leave him dazed. Having used his own leg to soften the blow it had allowed him to take most of it, but not without some internal damage as well as the broken bone in his leg.
Quickly giving chase after him Adramelech scaled the walls and jumped with all his might and continued to knock Greymane further and further into the air, beating him senselessly like a rag doll. As the battle between him and Adramelech raged on Greymane knew he was out of tricks, and the beating was starting to take its toll. As he soared through the air Greymane took notice that his cloak was so badly damaged that the enchantment seemed to stop, and in his mind this appeared to be the end and though he was not yet ready to die; he welcomed death regardless asking that he be given the chance to end the fight before dying.
As the fight neared its end Celestia and the others continued to question if Greymane could be trusted or not. Only for them to see him come falling down from the sky completely unaware of his surroundings. As he neared them Twilight used her magic to slow his descent only enough for him to roll once he hit the ground. As they looked on the royal guard approached him with spears and swords at the ready as they slowly surrounded him.
As he attempted to get up they saw he was bleeding profusely from long and deep lacerations. As he struggled to get to his hooves all saw as the bone in his front left leg pierced his flesh and popped out causing him to drop down to the floor grieving in pain. Using his front right he struggled to once more get to his hooves grunting and fighting back the pain hoping not to pass out; with the only thought in his mind being that he could still fight if he could stand back up.
As he rose to his hooves struggling against the odds his mask fell to the ground exposing his face, and with a gasp Fluttershy and the others attempted to rush to his aid as the guards blocked their path.
As Fluttershy slipped passed the guards she did what she could to help him up, "Oh my... Greymane please be alright."
`As the guards continued to blocked the others Luna had a good look at his face, "Sister their right, its the stallion we've mentioned that lost his memory."
As he managed to somehow stand he looked at the guards that surrounded him and even tried to gently push Fluttershy away from himself, "It would be in your best interest..." Nearly falling over from pain as he coughed up a little blood he stared at them worried that they were too close, "...to back off." He struggled to say as he continued to spit and cough up blood showing signs of internal bleeding.
Knowing they would never have another chance like this a Lieutenant mocked him, "And just why should we? Look at you, you're beaten, you can't even harm a fly now."
As he boasted the other guards ran in fear as the archdemon manifested behind him and grabbed the poor pony by the neck lifting him into the air slowly clenching his grip, "Because he isn't the one you should be worried about..." Taking a moment he rolled his eyes believing mortals to be of less intelligence, "...well not so long as I'm still alive."
As the archdemon continued to slowly squeeze the guard's neck for his own pleasure, Greymane forced himself to stand as he took a defensive stance as his knees began to shake, not from fear; but from exhaustion, "ADRAMELECH...LET HIM GO...THIS FIGHT...IS BETWEEN YOU AND ME."
Having one good look at the pony in his hand and another look at Greymane, he tossed the Lieutenant into the other near by guards, "You're right, in this fight you are the greater prize. And you know I have to give you credit, you managed to rip off not one but both of my wings and survive the beating I gave you. But looking at you now, you're no longer worth my time. But then again I hate to leave a project unfinished. But in any case I don't really care when I kill you, I just want to hear you to beg for death, I want to see you suffer before you die. It will give me a grand feeling of satisfaction to know, I made the Legendary Thief himself beg for mercy."
Using telekinesis he slammed Greymane's back to the ground and held him there as he walked over. Standing over Greymane he pointed at him with his index finger and started to repeatedly stab him over, and over, and over again, pausing for a few moments in between each stab to wiggle his finger around and hear Greymane scream in agony, while he played with his internal organs. As Adramelech continued to stab and toy with Greymane hoping to make him cry out for death, he soon found his arm caught in an aura of midnight blue magic holding him back.
As he turned his head he saw Luna walking toward them, "That is enough, can't you see he is at his limit. He can't fight you any more."
Seeing the opportunity to claim more than one soul and be praised in Tartaros by his master Adramelech lowered his arm as he folded both arms behind his back.
Slowly walking toward Luna and the others in a diplomatic manner he smiled as he thought of a little plan to trick them into selling their souls, "Tell me..." Looking at all of them he felt a small twinge of doubt among them causing him to assume it came from if they could trust Greymane or not, "...would you stop a duel between us, between a legend and a demon once worshiped as a god, simply because he chose to offer himself up? And would you be willing to do the same on his behalf, if it meant I would stop?"
Struggling to sit up Greymane noticed a way to end this fight but he needed Adramelech to be standing in the right spot, "Luna..." Knowing he had next to nothing left within himself Greymane dragged himself a few inches to the wall where he noticed a few stones were loose, "...don't answer him. He's twisting his words, the wrong answer will grant him the rights to your soul."
Giving a faint grin as he shook his head, Adramelech tried to discourage Greymane's words and hide his intentions, "Don't mind him, the pain has finally reached his head, after all I'm just trying to be reasonable and get one answer for many questions that have absolutely nothing to do with claiming a soul. Now then would any of you make the same choice as him, to give up everything for some pony you know nothing about?"
As Greymane once again struggled to his hooves every pony could see the tears in his eyes, but not one drop was because of the pain he was in, "FORGET ABOUT ME, I'M NOT WORTH A DAMN! I'M JUST SOME GOOD-FOR-NOTHING WHO CHOSE A LIFE OF THIEVERY BECAUSE IT WAS FUN. BUT ALL OF YOU ARE WORTH SO MUCH TO SO MANY...just please...don't answer him."
"We still have the Elements of Harmony, I say we forget your deal and just blast you with them." Rainbow Dash boasted as she attempted to stare down Adramelech.
With the most sinister smile any of them had ever seen Adramelech gloated, "Oh by all means give it your best shot, in the time it would take for all of you to call forth the magic locked within your accursed artifacts, I would have killed at least three of you making them useless… and that’s even with your Princesses trying to save you. So as you can see, I'm giving you a much better deal when you really think about it."
Stepping forth Twilight stared the archdemon down knowing Adramelech stood a chance of being right, "If we say yes?"
"Then I will stop this madness." Adramelech replied keeping his answer as vague as possible.
Fearing the answer she would get Fluttershy tiptoed over and cowered behind Luna and the others as she barely poked her head up, "A-a-a-and what if we refuse?" Though she didn’t want to abandon Greymane, she felt that an answer for the opposing option was necessary for them to make a sound decision.
Giving a sinister smile as he laughed, Adramelech stared back at Greymane out of the corner of his eye and flexed his claw showing the blood stains in an attempt to force the deal in the direction he wanted, "Then I continue to kill him slowly right before your very eyes. Isn't that right Greymane?"
Struggling to stand and stay conscious through the pain and blood loss Greymane stumbled as he took small steps toward everypony while keeping as close to the wall as possible, "Do your worst..." As he walked towards them they barely noticed that he had taken a vine from the wall and was dragging it with him, "...there isn't a damn thing you can do to me that I can't handle." Looking toward everypony he tried to plead with them once more hoping to keep them from making the wrong choice, "Girls please listen to me...if you say yes then he will kill us all, forget about me and live life to its fullest." As he struggled to get closer trying to save what little strength he had left he saw that Adramelech was right where he wanted him right next to the weakened wall, as he fell to the ground the strap to his gourd snapped and rolled off to the side, disregarding it he continued to drag himself closer, "Please...whatever you do, don't worry about me. There isn't a cell that can keep me locked away."
Looking at a dear friend they knew if the fight ended they could get him medical attention and they also knew if the fight continued he would not be put into a cell... ...he would die, as they looked at each other they nodded, "We agree." Twilight stated as she lowered her head.
With a smile Adramelech flexed his muscles and prepared to attack them. As they realized Greymane spoke the truth Twilight was frozen with fear as the arch demon's claw came close to striking her. As everypony rushed to her aid they watched in awe as Greymane mustered the last of his strength, and stunned Adramelech with a buck to his ribs, and continued his assault by jumping onto Adramelech's back and wrapping the vine around his neck to choke the archdemon forcing him to stumble back over the weakened wall and fall off the edge.
As they fell Greymane let out a mournful laugh as the two of them fell to what seemed to be their deaths, "IF ANY PONY IS DYING TODAY ITS ME..." As they looked over the edge they slowly lost sight of them in the dense fog that lay below but still managed to hear Greymane, "...AND I'M TAKING YOUR SORRY ASS WITH ME BACK TO TARTAROS!!" As they watched on they saw Greymane fading behind the mist as he whispered a few words as he smiled though in his mind he knew they would never hear these words, 'I'm sorry everypony.'
As the two of them fell Adramelech's screams could be heard throughout the castle, while Greymane remained silent. As Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna gave chase after him hoping he was going to be okay and that his silence was from him passing out, though it was a strait fall down they followed the trail of blood and flesh on the jagged rocks that stuck out of the mountain side. And though they remained hopeful that he could still be alive sadly they found his broken battered body nearly a mile down and attempted to bring it back. As they carefully picked him up they found themselves being stopped by Adramelech stumbling his way toward them from out of a small opening in the mountain.
Laughing as he took small steps toward them, beaten and battered from the fall, his large intestine barley hanging out as he walked, he flexed his claw as he dragged it across the wall of the cave, "You ponies struck a deal with me, now your souls are mine to claim."
As Luna started to channel magic into her horn to prepare for a fight with Adramelech she and Rainbow Dash were baffled as they watched as millions if not billions of poisonous insects started to crawl on his body, in that moment they watched Adramelech begin to cower in fear as a dark and evil voice shouted as if it came from all around them, "ADRAMELECH, YOU HAVE DEFIED ME FOR THE LAST TIME!"
As Adramelech's expression went from proud and boastful into fear struck, he tried to plead and bargain for his own safety, "Master please wait...I have souls to offer unto you. Greymane's being the grand prize here as well as..."
As Adramelech was lifted into the air the insects continued to collect and gather into what appeared to be a giant claw, bringing the archdemon to what appeared to be a colossal demonic face made of the foulest of insects, "ENOUGH!!! YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR PRIZE, AND THE DEAL YOU HAVE STRUCK WITH THESE PONIES SHALL BE NULL AND VOID. YOU KNEW THE CONSEQUENCES OF LEAVING TARTAROS WITHOUT MY SAY SO!"
In attempt to shift the blame and gain a lesser punishment Adramelech hoped for the best as he cried, "But master Asmoday said..."
"ASMODAY!?!? I SHALL SEE TO HIM LATER, FOR NOW I SHALL DRAG YOU BACK TO TARTAROS FOR YOUR PUNISHMENT!" He exclaimed as the insects slightly scattered and swarmed stinging Adramelech while creating a tighter grip.
"No master...please...spare me." Adramelech cried out in fear as he turned and dug his claws into the nearby stone wall.
As his temper slowly dropped the swarm of insects recollected and reformed the demonic face, "I already have, the Princess of the Night would have ended your life. Did you really think that by trying to kill Greymane the demonic curse would lift itself? It continues to plague you in a small way. And of what use to me is an archdemon that can't cast magic and has become weaker than a newborn mortal?" Turning his gaze toward Luna the swarm lowered themselves so the face appeared to be making eye contact with both Luna and Rainbow Dash, "I apologize for what has transpired this day. Had I known sooner I would have done all I could to spare Greymane his fate and uphold the ancient agreement we dark gods have with him, but I can feel his life slowly fading; and though I fear he will not survive I do pray that if you hurry he just might yet live." Looking back towards Adramelech he smiled as he let out a blood thirsty chuckle, "Come now Adramelech, I have a new disease I want to test on you."
As the swarm left they could hear Adramelech screaming in fear as he was dragged away to face whatever punishment his dark master had prepared for him. The great archdemon Adramelech who stood so proud earlier that morning was now being taken kicking, screaming, and crying like a foal, it only served to make Luna and Rainbow question how powerful these dark gods where; and what kind of deal Greymane had struck with them that sounded as though they had the upmost respect for him. Quickly tossing the thought aside for the moment they carefully brought Greymane's body back to everypony hoping they could save him, unfortunately for them they were unaware his life slowly slipped away, all they could do was hope they where not too late to save him.
As Greymane passed from this world the Leviathan felt the sudden loss of life from his advocate even while he cleared his mind through meditation in the astral plain, "Ah~h...Greymane?" Knowing this was to be the outcome he hoped for he was more than well aware of what had taken place and feared for his advocate, "...Perhaps there's still time." Quickly rushing through the astral plain the Leviathan did all that he could to save Greymane but knew his soul was elsewhere, and traveled to Tartaros to deal with any of the dark lords who would have taken advantage of the situation. For even if his body was restored he knew that his advocate would still perish if his soul was never recovered.
As the leviathan rushed through the astral plain putting the pieces of his plan into action, he knew that there were only a few demonic lords that were willing to work with him; sadly the one that had Greymane's soul had much sinister plans in mind for the great thief. As Greymane slowly awakened in Tartaros the sound of a slow clap and sinister laughter accompanied by pain filled blood curteling screams was all that greeted him. As he looked up he saw the dark lord he stole from, and the tales of this one in particular where true. His mane and coat were stained with blood, his teeth sharper than the claws of an elder dragon, and eyes so dark one could almost see the void itself, and the evil feeling he gave off made discord look like a harmless filly.
Trying to lighten the mood of the situation Greymane mocked the dark lord to make himself laugh if even by a little, "I never thought you would look like a fallen alicorn. But then again even the purest of ponies have their demons don't they." Struggling to his hooves Greymane knew he was dead and more than welcomed the outcome, "So tell me did you fall from grace? Because from here I can tell you're mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."
As Asmoday slowly walked toward Greymane he smiled as he boasted and laughed all while he mocked the fallen thief, "I see death does little to wane that tongue of yours. However, I feel a congratulations is in order for you Greymane...Canterlot is safe and only a few ponies were harmed. But you're such a fool to give up the medallion, with it you could have survived the fight, but now." Rushing Greymane he cast a small spell that made the hair in his tail seem like steel and brushed it against him causing thousands of small lacerations that seemed to be electricity charged; causing Greymane to drop and twitch in pain, "NOW YOU'RE DAMNED FOR ALL ETERNITY, YOUR SOUL IS MINE TO DO WITH AS I PLEASE. I watched your fight to the end, you could have stood a chance down here. But heroes lose everything in Tartaros."
"You're right...but I'm no hero." Greymane stated mocking Asmoday as he turned and punched him in the face, "I'M A THIEF AND PROUD OF IT!!"
Brushing away the hoof that landed on his face as if it was dust, Asmoday started his brutal punishment by beating him senselessly, knocking him from one end of the room to the next. The beating continued for twenty minutes, but to Greymane it felt as if it was longer than that as if his beating was taking an eternity.
As his beating went on Greymane's only thoughts were, 'At least they are all safe.'
For a brief moment the beatings stopped and Greymane saw the opportunity to strike back, as he rushed the dark lord the shadows seemed to twist and bend as they formed into several spikes impaling him, "It's a nice trick isn't it. I took it from the unicorn that tried to escape along side you. She was delicious, she tasted like fear and her blood helped give the extra added taste of pain that...well...is a delicacy."
Struggling through the pain as the shadows faded away leaving no signs that he had been impaled, bringing truth to the fact that it was an illusion that tricked not just the eyes, but the mind and body as well.
As Greymane looked at the dark lord he struggled to get to his hooves, "What did you do to her?"
"I didn't think you cared but if you must know..." Sucking in the air as he allowed his lower lip to bounce off of his teeth he soon chuckled, "...I consumed her. All that she was is now part of me. Her talents, her tricks, her spells. If it helped make her become known as the shade it is now mine to command as I see fit." He said with a crooked smile stretching across his face.
Continuing to use the shadows to torture Greymane gave him much pleasure, as he continued to enjoy himself he recalled the old reports the dark lords kept on all of the Greymanes as he laughed; his laughter was brought about from how he believed the old reports seemed to ring hollow, but as a condemned soul in the depths of Tartaros what could Greymane do the dead were not permeated to leave. To add to his problems Greymane knew he was at a disadvantage, he knew nothing of this demon so the curse would not work, on top of that he knew he was dead and was unsure if the dead could even use the curse. All he could do was struggle helplessly as he slowly passed out.
Knowing he would get no satisfaction from beating him while he slept Asmoday turned away feeling triumphant, "Take him to the heart of my domain, I'm sure many of the prisoners there have a few things to say to him. Oh and from here on out I shall administer his punishment, to ensure he can never escape again."
As he slowly walked away his highest ranking guard shouted, "My lord...his body...its vanishing!"
Turning around to see him slowly fade he knew there were few reasons behind this, "Impossible...there's no way he..." Only having just realized that Greymane was coming back to life he summoned forth the darkest spell he knew as his horn seemed to drain any light near him causing the entire room to turn pitch black, "NO...NO...NO...IF I CAN'T CLAIM HIS IMMORTAL SOUL AS MY PRIZE, THEN I SHALL SEND HIM TO FACE TRUE OBLIVION!!!"
As they all watched the spell fly straight toward Greymane, Asmoday laughed knowing he would end the Legendary Thief and his lineage permanently. And knowing that he would be the one to bring an end to the lineage of the Legendary Thieves brought him much pleasure. As the spell made contact they watched on as it seemed to consume and burn the area around him. As the smoke slowly cleared Asmoday's laughter quickly turned into unbridled rage, only to see that Greymane had been protected by a creature far more ancient than the majority of the demonic gods, as his fear started to take hold of his heart many of his greatest demons dropped to their knees begging for their own safety.
"LEVIATHAN...HOW DARE YOU..." Asmoday shouted shaking his realm to its core.
As the leviathan frowned he shook his head, "How dare I? This one is my advocate and therefor under my personal protection...his life is forfeit only to the reaper when his time comes at the sound of the black chapel bells, NOT TO YOU OR ANY OTHER WORTHLESS DEMON ."
In an attempt to prove Greymane's soul belonged to him he pointed out the fight, "He killed himself this day and there for his life is forfeit to Tartaros...HE IS IN MY DOMAIN AND I DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS FROM HERE ON OUT!"
"He did not kill himself out some simple choice, it was a sacrifice and therefore frees him from the bindings of Tartaros. Even the most ignorant of minions are aware of that." The leviathan said knowing the laws of the dead and not willing to allow Asmoday claim Greymane's soul as his prize so easily.
"You think one act of a selfless sacrifice is enough to free him..." Smiling as he walked forth Asmoday licked his lips as he recalled the darkest act Greymane had ever committed, "...despite all he's done for the greater good and diverting wars, there is still that one dark act he committed. And no deed in life will ever clear that away, nothing he does will ever wash away the blood stains on his hooves. How many lives were lost that night because of him, how much blood is upon his hooves? It is because of this, HE IS MINE!" Boasted Asmoday with a smug feeling of satisfaction.
Looking at the situation the leviathan mocked the demonic lord as he laughed, "So you say, however you're losing him now...and if you truly want a soul in place of his that is worth thousands more you can try and take mine. But I know you wouldn't dare tempt my power, you know quite well what I am capable of."
As Asmoday began to boast he laughed, "Look around you. You're in my domain, my KINGDOM, my power can far surpass even you here, all I have to do is draw upon the eternally damned souls that have been locked away within this place...so don't you dare threaten me."
As the leviathan's rage grew he chose not to shout but speak in the same language as the ancient dragons with a calm tone in his voice, as he closed his eyes and shook his head hoping it would not have had to come to such a thing, "Ahrk you forget faal knowledge I posses..." Taking a deep breath he focused a small bit of his will as he spoke the dark lord's name, "...Asmoday!"
As he heard his name spoken fear shot up his spine freezing him in place, he knew the curse wasn't used but he was fully aware that the leviathan was prepared to use it to its fullest should it come down to such a situation.
In an attempt to hide his fear Asmoday put on a calm face though in his eyes fear and confusion ran rampant, "You wouldn't dare use such a thing here, would you?"
Continuing to push his authority the leviathan knew that there were other demons waiting to take the place of any of the dark lords, "Do course hin afraid wah hon hin name. Ahrk why wouldn't you, voth just hin name alone I can seal you away fah pah eternity...or worse. You see unlike Greymane faal lein doesn't need you, ahrk I know daar because there are thousands waiting wah take hin place. Greymane nau faal other haal is still needed."
As he prepared to fight the leviathan he saw a cloud of miasma and a mist of blood slowly close in far behind the leviathan, and Asmoday knew he would be fighting a losing battle even if it was just a one on one fight with the leviathan, "Take him then..." Looking at Greymane he knew that it was only a matter of time before he would either commit another atrocity or sacrifice himself either way he would be waiting, "...but mark my words one day he will die, and when that day comes I'll be waiting to claim his soul."
As he turned to face Greymane he slowly calmed down, "Nust sul ok sil is left wah you is faal sul tol I dii. Come Greymane, they are waiting for you to awaken."
As the leviathan left with Greymane, Asmoday's rage grew as his domain shook alongside it, clenching his teeth blood began to drip from his chin, "Damn...You...LEVIATHA~AN!!!"
As he slowly sat down still filled with anger he watched as every demon in his court fell deathly ill while a pool of blood and cloud of miasma took physical forms, "ASMODAY!"
It was several months before Greymane could awaken and move on his own free will, once he did he found himself in a room and comfortable bed, his first thoughts where, 'Cheap trick, I know how the cruel illusions of Tartaros work down here.' Struggling to his hooves he walked over to the window and had a good look outside and saw all of Canterlot, 'So this is my punishment? To face an eternal beating in the last place I was alive?' He thought to himself, disregarding the many bandages he saw on wrapping his body believing they could also be part of the illusion.
Just outside what he believes to be his prison cell he could hear the guards talking about simple day to day things, and the current shift change that came with the routine check on him that required both guards in the event that he could be a wake. Looking around the room he quickly planned for his escape, he knew there wasn't much and if the illusion was set for just the cell then the window and view where fake. Going for the oldest, and perhaps most redundant hiding tactics, he stood behind the door as it started to crack open. The guards laughed as they walked in unaware that Greymane was waiting for them, as they looked at the bed and found that it was empty, as Greymane slammed the door shut and jumped the guards.
The second they were incapacitated he used what items were available to tie them down and jam the door shut on his way out, while doing what he could to ignore his pain as old wounds started to reopen. Making his way down the corridor he believed his cell was much bigger this time around, and more than likely a maze that the illusion spell had been cast on in an attempt to keep him trapped; though his main concern was being captured again as he tried to escape, his only hope was to find one of the dark gods that were willing to aid him. As he moved from one corridor to the next slowly making his way out. His stern belief was the more guards he saw the closer he was to the exit of this maze hoping that the throne room in the castle was the exit to what he perceived as a maze in Tartaros.
As he slowly neared the throne room he peaked around the corner to find a small group of guards standing around to have a quick conversation, 'Five of them...' Seeing that every guard he past on his way here looked like ponies had made him worry, '...if they are lesser demons they won't be too much of a problem.' He thought to himself as three more came galloping frantically from around the corner.
Eavesdropping to their conversation he watched and noticed that the two guards he took out earlier were now up and free, what added to his problems was they had just informed the small group that was there, that he was now on the loose, "Here's what we'll do, you two go straight to the throne room and tell everypony there. And you two will go down that corridor and inform any and all who can help in the search."
As they saluted their commanding officer they all separated, taking notice of the two that went to the throne room gave Greymane a direction to go, but he had to deal with the same two guards that were outside his room earlier first. Looking around he found a cart with fresh linens for one of the rooms nearby with a maid inside, and just down the corridor he saw a chandelier. Getting to work he managed a makeshift trap as the two of them slowly made their way near him.
"I still can't believe he got the jump on us back there." The light blue stallion hinted away at with a slight sign of being disgruntled.
"Hey you can't blame us he's the legendary thief after all, we weren't prepared for when he would awaken, come to think of it no pony here really could be prepared for him." The white mare nudged away hoping to lift her friends spirit.
"Ya you have a point..." Perking up he smiled as he chuckled to what he thought was a stupid thought, "...you know what would suck though?" The light blue stallion inquired.
"What?" She responded hoping the response wasn't heading in the direction she thought it was.
Jokingly he tempted fate, "If he caught us off guard again and left us for some pony to find."
Waiting for the two to come just a little further he hid in the nearby room just under the bed to remain unseen by the maid. As he watched the two of them walk down the hall and heard a loud crash that drew the attention of every pony near by. Peeking out of the room he saw his trap worked but not in the way he intended for, they walked into it but rather than being hoisted up and left dangling in the air, when the trap sprung their combined weight caused the chandelier to fall in such a way that it seemed to trap them in a cage.
'Not what I wanted but it gets the job done.' He thought as he snuck off to follow the two ponies to the throne room, and hopefully in his mind freedom.
As he steadily made his way down the corridor he continued to plan out his escape knowing that this time around the Kharon would not be so kind, mostly do to the fact that the dead were not aloud to leave; with the only exception being if the reaper came for them. He had seen it happen a few times, the souls of those who had been dead for so long that nopony even knew who they were had been dragged off kicking and screaming while bound in chains by the reaper; the method in which they were dragged away was different most of the time but held no meaning. But he knew that Kharon had a weakness to greed and Greymane intended to exploit that to his advantage, his first stop was to seek out the demonic gods in the hope they could either give him a spell to restore his body or give him a new one.
As Greymane neared the great doors to the throne room he saw the two ponies standing just a few feet away from the door arguing, "I don't want to tell them the bad news any more than you do Fire Tail, but we have to." One of them said begrudgingly.
"Well then why don't you do it Firebolt?" Fire Tail blatantly said as she shoved him.
"No way not me..." Raising a hoof as he sat down he smiled while patting Fire Tail on her shoulder, "...how bout we both tell them?" Nudged Firebolt.
"And how do you think we do that?" She said with a mournful stare causing the young stallion to lower his head in thought.
As he pondered the situation he perked up, "I've got it...how about we open up with a joke?" Firebolt said with great optimism.
Annoyed by the situation Fire Tail poked at what holes she could find in the idea, "Like what? Knock knock, who's there, not Greymane cause he's vanished? Sorry Firebolt but I don't think it's going to fly. Not with royalty or any pony here, this is the Legendary Thief where talking about. We had him in our grasp and just like clapping your hooves to get a brighter day he's gone."
Continuing his optimism as he turned his back to Fire Tail while lowering his head as he gave it more thought, "What if we tell them in joke form..." Starting to chuckle he thought about how injured Greymane was and for him to have snuck off like he has did make the whole royal guard look somewhat inferior, "...I mean it's kinda funny after all that he's bested us so far given how injured he is. Right Fire Tail..." As he turned around he found that Fire Tail had gone missing without a trace of any kind, "...Fire Tail?" Walking away from the door he called out thinking she was pulling some kind of cruel prank, "...Come on this isn't funny."
As he walked down the hall he found Fire Tail wrapped up in the curtain and hanging upside down by her tail as though she was a caterpillar in a cocoon, turning to run and alert everypony in the throne room he found himself being dragged into the air by his tail, and left dangling only to hear sarcasm, "So...what was that about him getting the jump on us being funny?"
"Shut up Fire Tail." Stateing with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
Not being the one to pass up the opportunity to poke fun of other ponies or kick 'em when they're down so to speak, she continued to poke fun at Firebolt, "No, no~o, I want to hear this. Please continue from where you left of, I think it was, 'It's funny how he can get the drop on us because of how injured he is?' Am I right? After all you're the expert on this even though we're hanging from the ceiling."
As Firebolt's temper to slowly started to grow he tried to draw his mind of the situation, "Not now Fire Tail."
"You know I do see the humor in it, after all HE JUST GOT THE DROP ON US!" Pointing out the pain strikingly obvious clue, as if Firebolt was a useless detective. “Again might I add.”
"I get it Fire Tail now unless you have any idea as to how were getting down, then please...SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He exclaimed as he started to look around to see any signs of help.
Knowing it could be a while Fire Tail couldn't help but continue to patronize Firebolt, "Wait wait I've got one more..." Giving a seductively superior look at Firebolt she nearly laughed, "...Knock Knock?"
"... ... ...Who's there?" He inquired as he somehow managed to turn around and stare at Fire Tail through the cloth in annoyance.
"Greymane."
"Fuck you Fire Tail."
As they hung there for a moment Fire Tail couldn't help but laugh a little harder about the situation, "Hey what was it you said this morning? 'See a bit and pick it up, all the day you'll have good what?"
"You're not going to let this go are you?" Firebolt inquired not truly wanting to hear the answer.
"Not so long as we're up here."
As Greymane slowly made his way back to the giant doors he nearly collapsed from the pain, bringing his hoof up from his ribs where the pain came from he saw blood and knew there wouldn't be much time before he would pass out. As he came to the door he found it was locked by magic, not too hard for him to get pass, but it did make him wonder for the moment. The Dark Lords knew about him and the things he is capable of, so why would they use a magic lock when said lock would not hold him back. Taking a moment to look around the hall he couldn't find any traps and could only figure there might be a small band of greater demons just on the other side of the door waiting for him should he somehow manage to make it that far.
Walking up to it he figured if there were any demons on the other side two of them would be close enough to hear the lock, with this stern belief he whispered, ‘Iftah ya simsim.’
As the locks came on done the two guards just on the other side took immediate notice, "You didn't... ..."
Shaking his head the two guards drew Celestia's attention, as well as the attention of everypony in the throne room, "Is something wrong?"
"Sorry your Majesty, as a precaution we've taken the liberty to lock these doors ever since Greymane was given a room to rest and recover do to his injuries. As you may have already guessed we locked the doors with magic, and well..." Gently pulling the door as an example he looked back at everypony, "...they just came open." He said with a sign of concern.
Knowing it was their duty to stand strong and show no fear the other guard cracked the door just a tad more to stick his head out and have a quick look around, "I'll have a look to see who it is, more than likely it could be one of the other guards out he-"
As he looked outside of the doors they all watched as he was pulled out with a great ferocity as they all heard the loud clanking of metal hitting a wall, as well as a small skirmish. Attempting to be cautious the remaining guard stood center of the two doors as he used magic to slowly open them, only to be given a swift yet heavy hoof to the face causing him to become dazed and confused at the moment. As Greymane stumbled toward everypony his expression was a mix between hatred and disgust.
As he sat down he leaned next to a pillar, believing he was about to be in for a fight of his after life, "Dirty trick...disguising you're selves like that...DID YOU REALLY BELIEVE I WOULD THINK THEY COULD BE DOWN HERE? DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD FALL FOR YOUR TRICKS?" Sadly his injuries and slight blood loss were taking its toll and caused him to collapse, yet he never lost eye contact with anypony.
With a smile Twilight walked toward him hoping to find out what he was talking about, "Do you realize how silly you sound right now?"
"Don't play coy with me..." Struggling back to his hooves Greymane tried to ready himself for a fight, "...Tartaros is full of many tricksters, deceivers, and liars. I'm not so easily fooled. I don't care who you serve, but I demand that you stand aside and let me pass!" He exclaimed knowing it was no longer within his ability to try and fight at the moment.
Flying over and placing a gentle hoof on his shoulder Fluttershy tried to console him, "You're in the Castle of Canterlot, you're safe, the fight is over you won."
Struggling to brush her hoof off he stared at her with a mix of emotions stirring within him, the strongest ones being fear, determination, and hope, "Lie to me all you like I know all about the illusion spells that you demons use down here. And I'll be damned if you think I'll fall for any of them."
Having heard the recent commotion while walking by and taking notice of the unconscious guard just outside the doors, Luna came into the room as she held out the gourd toward him as she began to speak, "No pony here is lying to you, though you did die whatever the contents was in this gourd somehow brought you back to life."
As he slowly grabbed the gourd he looked up at Luna and coiled around her neck he could see the Leviathan unwrap himself still unseen by everypony but him, "How did you?"
Stepping forth with a faint smile Celestia began to explain, "Luna heard a strange voice instruct her to pour the contents of that gourd down your throat. And as you can see it saved your life."
Having taken a sudden interest in healing spells, potions, and items of that nature at the moment in time Twilight could find nothing relating to reviving the dead without horrible side effects, "What was in that if you don't mind us asking."
Uncoiling himself from around Luna the leviathan kept his astral form and flew over to Greymane as he spoke to him through telepathy, *It's okay to tell them what you believe is necessary, the times are changing and you will need all the help you can get. You're enemies are many and friends are far too few, I know you will make the right choice.*
Closing his eyes as he slowly exhaled he braced himself for any reaction he could get from telling them a small portion of the truth, "Its water..." Allowing himself to relax Greymane slid to the floor as he took a deep breath, "...from the fountain of youth. It's what has allowed me to live for so long. Its use is limited however, when the gourd is three fourths of the way gone it will no longer reduce the age of the user; But it will continue to revive and heal them as well as ward off death for a time, in a sense of things it grants temporary longevity."
With heavy hearts they lowered their heads believing they may have, in some small way, sentenced him to death, "...Sorry if we had known then..."
As Applejack tried to give an apology Greymane raised a hoof to stop her, "No..." Giving a smile he was more than relieved to know that he was alive and not trapped within the depths of Tartaros again, "...it was either use it all to save my life or none of it and leave me to my fate." Trying to hide the remorse he felt behind his smile Greymane looked on at them knowing that he was among friends who cared, "I'm glad all of you did what you could to save me."
Knowing he would not stay awake for much longer Pinkie couldn't help but poke away at his age as she pointed at Luna and Celestia, "If it was really water from the fountain of youth then why didn't it reduce your age you look the same to me. In fact you don't look very old to me to begin with, it's not like you're as old as Princess Celestia or Princess Luna..." As the two of them looked at her Pinkie covered her mouth, "...oops, sorry."
As he started to lie down on the floor he rose the hoof that he remembered had been pierced by his bone, "Because the water healed me just enough to bring me back to life, as you can see the injuries are minor and will heal naturally over time. All life threatening wounds are healed first, if they weren't then how could I survive? And your right Pinkie I'm not as old as either of them, I'm just a little older than them. Why I remember when Luna was just a filly."
Just like piecing together a new outfit, Rarity gave a mournful smile as she pulled out his mask, "If the worst of them were healed first, then it's a good thing...here, I was able to repair the mask but your cloak is far too damaged I'm afraid. So I'm making something a little more presentable for you."
As he slowly fell asleep he smiled, "I'll find some way to pay for it, please excuse me..." Letting out an exhausted sigh Greymane closed his eyes, "...but...I need to take a small nap."
As he slept the medical mares took him from the throne room on a stretcher and back to the room where he started, this time taking the precaution to strap him down to keep him from reopening his wounds again. As he slept his darkest memory tormented him and he he could see it all happening once more, the fire, the countless ponies who died on that fateful night, his hooves, coat, and mane stained with blood, right down to the only moment of salvation he had when he heard the foals begging him to stop.
As he looked at them he watched as the foals in his nightmare began to melt as flames consumed them burning away their flesh, as they walked toward him saying the one thing that constantly plagued him, the one phrase that the many demons in Tartaros would never forget to say as a harsh reminder of what he did. It was soft at first like hearing a voice being carried by a gentle breeze, but as they drew closer it grew louder and heavier as if each word could break bones.
Once they were close enough to touch him the fillies jumped as they shouted, 'YOU'RE A MONSTER!'. As they knocked him over Grey could feel them biting into his flesh tearing off large pieces.
As the nightmare shocked him into waking up he found himself in a cold sweat panting heavily out of fear, looking at the parts of his body he felt had been torn off himself Grey saw that he was relatively safe, *I was afraid of this, I knew that with the loss of your memory you would have forgotten it, but in my haste I brought back far more than I had intended didn't I?*
Looking to his right he saw the leviathan coiled up like a snake on the desk still in his astral form, *How long have you been there?*
*Oh You know me I've always been near by, after all you're my advocate and there for under my protection. And I never should have doubted you, but fear took hold of me and I let it guide me. And for that I'm sorry, you and your predecessors have always done the right thing even if the methods all of you have chosen are a bit...eh...shall we say questionable.* He said as he looked at Greymane.
*No...* Looking at his hoof Greymane could see the blood and smell burning flesh, *...you were right. If I hadn't done what I did then none of this would have...* As the events of the past slowly consumed him he found it hard to even believe what the leviathan said.
Knowing how his advocate never truly moved past that night, the leviathan spoke only of what little truth he could find in the situation as he made eye contact with Greymane nearly blinding him, *What happened that night with the Order of Balance happened for a reason, you even saved a few lives and put them on a new path that gave them a chance. And if it wasn't you then it could have been somepony else and the situation could have been worse.*
*COULD HAVE BEEN? I AM THE WORST THING TO HAVE HAPPENED TO THIS WORLD...I DESERVE NOTHING WORSE THAN...than...* As he damned himself his mind as well as his emotions slowly sank into despair.
Stopping Greymane from going down his current path and giving up on life the leviathan pulled the medallion out from the astral plane and tossed it to him, *You deserve this.*
Quickly slipping his left hoof out of the restraint he caught the medallion, *The medallion of immortality...* Scoffing as he looked at the medallion Greymane felt he was undeserving, "...I don't deserve this.*
Speaking only the truth with the knowledge he possessed about the artifacts, the leviathan flew over and coiled himself on the bed as he smiled, *No you don't, in fact no pony or living creature deserves to have it. However the medallion never took any lives, it instead chose to take a different path and test you. It no longer makes the choice to use, it now wishes to be used and it has chosen you to help it make that first step.*
*But coveting immortality has cost me far too much.* As he turned to his left he saw Princess Luna sleeping next to the window in the moonlight, *And it would have cost me far more, perhaps even everything had I not forsaken it.*
*True, however your duty as my advocate isn't over with. And since you can no longer use the fountain of youth it would be the wisest move, as well as the best one, for you to keep it close by.*
As he stashed it in the drawer wrapped up in his mask he looked at Luna once more, *Why is she a sleep?*
*Oh...* Letting out a proud chuckle as if it was a fun little game worth his time the leviathan smiled, *...she saw you having a nightmare and tried to enter your mind to see if she could help. I knew what she would see so I blocked her, it is the worst moment in your life. And you never told her before, and it is best that you be the one to tell her and the issue not be discovered. Though she fought me as best as she could it wasn't too long before she tired out.*
Slipping his right hoof out of the restraint as he leaned over and gently brushed her mane with his left, *I saw you around her neck earlier, she didn't know you were there did she?*
Faintly laughing at the thought as he started to hover over Greymane, *No...I've reached a mastery with my astral form that others could only dream of, and unless I wanted her to see me she couldn't. No living creature can except for you. After all you're mind has expanded far enough to that point you can see me at will. And as for me being around her neck...well.* Pointing at Greymane's heart with his tail as he smiled the leviathan let out a slight sigh, *I know how important she is to you, after all she did what no pony could do to you. She stole your heart, so I chose to stay close by her and keep her safe till you where awake...* Giving him an annoyed look the leviathan couldn't help but give a half-hearted smile, *...and I should have known that when you first wake up you would cause quite the commotion.*
Smiling at the fact that he did over react and should have noticed the signs that he was alive, key ones being that the guards were far too easy even in the state he was in, *So then I continue on...being the legendary thief...I continue on being your advocate. If that isn't a kick in the flank then I don't know what is. So then what's my first task now that I'm back Xiuhtecutli?*
Looking up at his advocate he smiled, *Turquoise lord?* Letting out a humph as he nodded his head showing he agreed to the idea of the name, *...Has a bit of a ring to it. I'm sure in time I'll get use to it. As for now I just want you to rest and recover, after that I'll guide you to the Kingdom of the Changelings their leader Queen Chrysalis has found the enchanted ring of Astarte. It once fell dormant when its former owner perished of old age, it will become active in time. But if she learns that it can amplify her power one thousand fold it will cause far greater trouble. Recover this ring and lock it away.*
As he thought about it he scoffed, *The true purpose of the legendary thief...* Laying back down as he crossed his hooves behind his head only to soon discover that he couldn't help but smile, *...to keep power out of reach of the ones who can never control it or those who would abuse it. And now that I think about it, the changelings have a small stash of emotion crystals...if sold to the right pony they could fetch quite the price.* Though he joked about it he knew that one emotion crystal could equal about one thousand bits, but his real reason for wanting them was for a potion that he was slowly running out of.
Taking him a tad serious Xiuhtecutli stared at Greymane pondering what was going through his advocate's mind, *For what reason would you need to make a quick bit, not to cause you any grief but the orphanage that you aided is long gone.*
With a smile a small tear rolled down his face, *That doesn't mean I can't help out ponies that need it.*
*Should have seen that coming...but at least you finally learn why the lineage of the legendary thief is important. Keep the medallion as far as I can tell there will come a day when you will need it.*
*Fine...but I will not steal from Canterlot nor Ponyville.*
*If that is your choice then who am I to say other wise. You're free to do as you please. I just hope that we never have to encounter an artifact nor a dangerously enchanted item in either location.* Xiuhtecutli said with a smile.
Just before laying back down he looked at Luna one last time causing his heart to pause for a second before continuing and giving him a warm feeling he had not felt in a long time, *I have to ask a few questions.*
*Such as?* He inquired as he cocked an eyebrow
*Well first thing is...you're not really a leviathan are you?*
*I am...I am the last of my kind a fate that I caused, and in some ways regret, but it was necessary and let us leave it at that. After all we all have our secrets Greymane...even me.*
With a smile he scoffed at the answer he got, *Fair enough but one last thing...* Having kept his eyes on Luna for the moment he looked Xiuhtecuhtli in the eyes nearly blinding himself, *Is it even possible for me to have a family, I mean to just one day settle down and leave this life behind me?*
Knowing he could never answer the question Xiuhtecutli attempted to dodge the issue while staying close to it, *You're free to do as you please. Just remember that you will have far more enemies than any pony can ever understand. For now just rest and when you're ready to go back out into the world and resume to do what you have always done best. For now just get some rest.*
As he rested Greymane did all he could to keep his nightmare and the truth behind it hidden from everypony and put on a smiling face. One day when he was able to walk with out nearly stumbling over himself, they came to him with the book titled 'The Legendary Thief' written on the cover in gilded letters, it was then he knew they would ask about the stories written with in. They wanted answers, they wanted the truth, all he could do was tell them what was true, what was false. What he told them was just tails many ponies came up with, this however was his way to hiding the truth about the artifacts and the dangers that they held, dangers he knew from first hoof experience.
It was months before Greymane had made a full recovery, on the nearby dresser he found a gift from Rarity wrapped with care. As he opened it he found a coat that took the length of his body with a hood attached to it all in dark grey, the style of the decorations on it added a touch of mystery that almost seemed as though they wished to stay that way. It was a fine replacement to the cloak he lost...no not even close, it was a gift from a friend who cared. And his ticket out.
As he smiled he shook his head knowing that it could incriminate her, but only if they saw him with a tool of some kind or a length of rope, better to have plenty of options if necessary he thought, *Hey Xiuhtecutli...* Holding up the coat he turned to Xiuhtecutli, *...you wouldn't mind putting the enchantment on this for me...* Letting out a light chuckle as he smiled, *...you know the one.*
Nodding his head Xiuhtecutli drew upon an ancient magic known only to his kind. Opening his mouth he blew on the new coat casting the spell to allow it to slow the fall of whomever had it on, this would be his advantage since they never inquired about that at all. Of the many times it did pop up in the book they almost willingly gave him an answer for how they thought he was flying. While he blew on the cloak Greymane could feel the heat of his breath equal the same gentle heat of the mid-day sun, it made him wonder what the leviathans were like and what they could do, but that was a question for another time.
As he put on the coat and his mask he heard a knock on the door, "Its open." He replied with a shallow tone.
"The time has come." Stated one of the many guards waiting outside the room.
As he walked out of the room they parted the way and presented him with shackles and chains and though Luna wished this didn't have to be as such she tried to apologize, "We are sorry it has come to this, and we wish there could have been another way. However..."
"Say no more Luna, I understand. I knew one day this would happen, I can only be grateful that you and your sister have shown me mercy and grace of covering my face." He claimed as he raised his hooves and allowed himself to be bound in chains that were magically locked and escorted down the hall.
As they started to walk down the hall filled with guards on the ground and in the air armed to the teeth Twilight voiced her opinion, "This isn't right, after everything he did the least we could do is let him walk there without the chains."
Having heard this he stopped and placed his hooves on her shoulders, "No Twilight this is how it must be, I have many enemies in the world. Who knows how many of them are still alive, or have had descendants that harbor a grudge against me. Show any form of kindness, or leniency to me and they will come for you and every pony else close to you just to get to me. Besides I'll be alright, now why don't you and Luna go ahead and join every pony else. I'll be there shortly." Though his face was covered Twilight could still see a smile from behind the mask as a means to disband any doubt or fear she may have had.
As he stood back up he watched as Twilight and Luna took their leave and hurried to the throne room as the guard yanked on the chains, "Come now we can't keep the princess waiting."
Not being the one to keep tensions high for too long, Greymane couldn't help but poke fun of how the guard who pulled on the chain, "Not a problem..." Letting out a light laugh he kept his eyes on as many of the guards he could, "...now is this trial going to take place before or after you beat me into submission and have me call you daddy? And are you going to put a rubber ball in my mouth and call me a bad boy?"
Many around him couldn't help but laugh at the terrible joke, the guard holding the chain with magic however didn't and tried to turn it around on him, "Sure and maybe I'll tie you up as well with one of the smelliest prisoners we have."
"Oh you mean like I did to you and privet do-nothing here a few months back? By the way when was the last time either you had a bath I can still smell shame on both of you, or did the two of you have a little down time before coming up here?" Having said that caused several more of the guards to join in on the laughter, many of them still wouldn't let the two of them live it down.
Knowing he would just try to turn around anything they said the guards made the simple choice to keep their mouth shut. As they entered the throne room Greymane eyed the room, out of everypony there hidden among the members of the royal family, enraptured, prestigious families, and public officials from across Equestria, there were two ponies that caught his eye. The first being a mare with a maroon colored mane and tail, her coat was black with white stripes, her eyes where a light shade of velvet, and her cutie mark was an eye. Her appearance was intriguing to say the least and drew on Grey’s mind on whom she was, though she was the one who caught his attention in the crowd it was soon stolen by the stallion that stood next to her.
He had on glasses and had a dirty white mane with a light blue tail, his coat was a coffee stain brown with aquamarine eyes. But it was not any of these that drew on his attention, sadly it was his false cutie mark caught his eye. The weight and scales tricking every pony around it to believe the young stallion into believing he was a banker or perhaps an accountant of some kind. Though the cutie mark appeared real in nearly all aspects there was a single second where Grey saw it fade only to return, no pony took notice of this and the young stallion stood tall and proud taking notes on the event of the day. Greymane recalled how the Order of Balance had often used false cutie marks to get ponies into areas they needed or in some cases to throw anypony off their trail, in the past they were painted or stained through some kind of process but this was a new method and caused Grey to worry how many members the Order could have in the room let alone Canterlot.
As they walked in Greymane lowered his head and took steady steps as he hid beneath his hood. As he made his way to the front of the walkway still escorted by guards, he could hear the whispers among the many ponies there. Many wondered if he was going to be granted amnesty for what saving Canterlot, others wondered if he would be locked away for life in the dungeon, where as some believed he would be executed but then pondered how they would kill the immortal thief, if he could be killed. He drowned out the whispers as he walked forward and sat before Celestia and Luna while Twilight and others sat in the front row on his right side.
As he looked up to make eye contact with both Princesses his mind was blank, and with his memories completely recovered he found it hard to look Luna in the eyes knowing that in the past he kept the truth from her.
As he took a deep breath Princess Celestia brought forth a scroll and began to read the charges against him, "Legendary Thief Greymane you stand here accused of countless acts of breaking and entering, theft, pickpocketing, impersonation of a guard, impersonation of public officials, and six counts of assault, as well as many other possible crimes that will require further investigation if at all possible. You also have one count of heroism, how do you plead?"
Trying to make light of the situation he attempted an anecdote. "You forgot lord of the dance.." Turning to look at the crowd behind himself he tilted his head as he nodded, "...I stole that title from a warlock. If you like I can dance a little jig to prove it but..." Looking back at Luna and Celestia he brought his hooves to the shackle on his neck and moved it around a bit, "...twiddle dumb-ass and twiddle-dip-shit over there put these shackles on too tight. And I think I am going to plead drunk, to be honest I think I'm about to pass out. Could you have the guard perhaps loosen the shackles just a tad?"
As a few ponies in the room started to snicker and giggle Greymane heard a few whisper, 'Well what do you know, trying to lighten the mood in the hopes of being let off easy.'
Whereas others would reply, 'You know he'll have to try harder than that.' Though he knew what the crowd behind him thought he looked on to see the reaction he got out of Celestia and the others, and while some of them were giggling Celestia held her state of mind. Though she did cover a smile with her hoof as she pretended to clear her throat.
"Despite what you might say, we won't remove the shackles." Celestia stated as she closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Well you can't blame me for trying, but I plead guilty on all charges." Before Celestia could continue Greymane saw Xiuhtecutli floating around the outside of the room, *Hey Xiuhtecutli, is any pony trying to read my mind right now?*
*Celestia has been trying but just like Luna she is having trouble. I've been blocking her ever since you first walked into the room.*
Looking over the charges and his recent acts, even the ones in Ponyville that were kept off record as to not incriminate anypony he came into contact with, Celestia began to present him with an ultimatum, "After all that you have done it was difficult to decide what to do. So I have come up with two options for you. The first is a sentence of no less than fifty years to life in the castle dungeons."
Making eye contact with her he knew that even if he made that choice the dungeons wouldn't hold him for long, but he didn't want to wait for the chance to escape at a later time, "And my other option?"
Looking over to her sister Luna they both nodded on the agreed upon decision that they believed befitted not only them but Greymane and the kingdom as well, "You are to join the royal guard and train ponies to be better prepared for situations much like what happened when the two demons attacked Canterlot. And in exchange we shall grant you amnesty within our kingdom."
Thinking over how to word thanks but no thanks he walked over to the window on his left. As the guards prepared for anything he could try, Greymane looked out the window and could see hundreds of pegasi in the sky above, and almost double that in earth and unicorn on the grounds below and surrounding roof tops. Spotting a cloud near by he came up with a plan of escape, not a good one but good enough.
*Xiuhtecutli, you see that cloud down there?*
*What about it?*
*I'll find some way to get into it if you can get my powder to me some how.*
*A little risky don't you think?*
*That's the point. Risky as hell and they won't be prepared for it.* As the leviathan got to work retrieving the last bag of powder, Greymane whispered to the shackles that bound him, 'iftah ya simsim.' As the locks came undone he carefully slipped off his shackles hoping nopony noticed, and prepared for the guards.
As the pegasi clustered together spears at the ready, the earth ponies and unicorns down below prepared for his attempt to jump, whereas the guards in the room slowly inched their way toward him, *That mare gave us an advantage when she made this coat for you, the last bag is in your right pocket.*
As he smiled he kept his eye on the cloud that slowly made its way near by, "It's a lovely day isn't it? The sun is shining, birds chirping, and I can even feel the gentle breeze. All of it screams freedom in its own language. Freedom that's what we all wish for isn't it?"
As the guards slowly moved in Celestia stood up from her throne, "You seem to be dodging the subject."
As the cloud came into position nearly fifty feet beneath the window he sat down, closed his eyes and expanded his mind to feel out the room. He could feel each heart beat, he could hear everypony breathing, he could even anticipate the guards.
In his mind he plotted it out, 'The guards in this room will move in to grab me when I give my answer, when they do I'll toss these shackles at them. At the instant I toss them I'll roll out the window to keep the distance between me and the pegasi that are out there. I will have to time my fall, hoping I stay near the wall so I can push off to gain speed and fly right into the cloud and vanish.' As the guards took slow steady steps Greymane stood up, "I already gave my answer Celesta..." Turning his head to look at Celestia and Luna he smiled, "...when I said all of it screams freedom in its own language that was my choice." As the guards picked up the pace and started to gallop toward him, he turned and tossed the shackles straight at the hooves of the guards as he started to roll out the window in one fluid movement as he shouted, "I won't join the guard and I won't take imprisonment." Falling he shouted for all to hear, "Whether in a cell or in a suit of armor, I'll still be a prisoner!"
As the shackles hit one of the guards causing him to trip over themselves the guard rolled as he fell and tumbled over two other guards causing a bit of confusion as Greymane slipped out of their grasp, as he fell Grey watched as the pegasi started to make their move. As he fell down the side of the building the pegasi gave chase as he turned his body around and started to gallop down the tower wall to gain a bit of speed, when he was three fourths of the way to the cloud he curled himself up and pushed off the wall with all his mite allowing him to go straight into the cloud. As he flew into the cloud he pulled out his last sack of powder and slammed it against his body, to everypony that watched him go into the cloud they thought he found some way to hide within it despite being an earth pony.
"You fool will just break up the cloud." Shouted one of the pegasi as they all busted straight through only to find he was gone.
The second they saw he was not there they began to search the grounds knowing he couldn't have gone far. Many of the ponies there that saw the whole thing started to wonder if the old tales were true, could he really use magic, or did somepony help in his escape? As the guard searched the castle many had taken to searching the city leaving no stone unturned, the search went into the early to mid hours of the night before they gave up in the search believing he was long gone.
Having aided in the search for a while Princess Luna made her way to the tower to keep an eye on the city through the telescope. Keeping watch on the night as she always had, she started to ponder why she couldn't see into Greymane's dreams, and why couldn't Celestia see what he was planing. The two of them had always been able to see into the minds and dreams of ponies to better help them to prepare for the worst or help those who needed it the most, but Greymane however was able to block them somehow, or so they believed.
As Luna went about her duties while still pondering the possibilities she was startled by Greymane who had his hood pulled back and his mask hanging off his neck, "Wonderful night isn't it, to be honest I always preferred the night to the day. It grants me a form of clarity, and comfort that I can't get from the day."
Unable to wrap her mind around how he vanished from the guards and appear out of nowhere Luna took small steps back, "You're... ...but how did...why..."
"Don't worry I'm just here to talk..." Raising his hooves as he sat down hoping she didn't call for the guards, "...like we use to. And also to apologize..." As he set his hooves down he sighed as his head started to hang low, "...I heard about how you became nightmare moon, and in some way I can't help but feel that I'm the one to blame for it." He claimed just before he stared up at the stars in the night sky.
Seeing the blame he placed on himself Luna stood her ground in the belief that no pony was to blame for her shortcomings but herself, "Becoming Nightmare Moon was of my own doing. We became bitter towards my sister and allowed this bitterness to change us."
Lowering his head as he shook it in shame he looked at Luna, "You became bitter because you were angry at me, this was one of the many things that helped cause you to fall. I was told by the demons in Tartaros that you might not remember me or anything to do with me, and that most if not the vast majority of your memory would be blank. So I'll skip to where I made my mistake, I chose to keep my work as well as who I am a secret from you believing it would keep you safe. And one night because of a conflict with an old nemesis of mine you discovered the truth, when you did you grew angry with me. It was because of me that you fell and became Nightmare Moon. And for that, I am sorry. I swore to be there for you when you needed me the most I wasn't there the night of your banishment so I failed you as a friend."
"Even if you had been there what could you have done? The change came from with in." Inquiring his prior statement wondering what he was hiding.
As he walked passed Luna he narrowly opened his eyes as he stared at the ground, "There was plenty I could have done, I could have talked to you, I could have tried to calm you down and explain myself to you as to why I kept that secret. And even if that didn't work I would have searched the world for any means to save you and spare you the thousand years of banishment. Luna I would do anything for you..." As he turned around to face Luna he rushed her and wrapped his hooves around her as he started to confess the truth he started to cry, "...I would have taken in all that darkness and evil that changed you if that is what it took. Luna I failed you because I lied to you and attempted to block out my feelings for you. I fell in love with you a long time ago, and that love for you has done nothing but grow. I learned why it is I do the things I do, I remove the dangerous and powerful items from the reach of those who should never have them under the title of a thief, not because it helps to protect the world by giving everypony a common enemy. But to protect the ones I care about, to protect those I love."
‘Greymane!’ She whispered
As he let go he pulled the hood of the coat over his head and put his mask back on as he walked toward the ledge, "I didn't say that to get a reaction or to learn how you feel about me. I know it would be impossible, after all you're a princess, and I'm just some good-for-nothing thief. I'm sorry Luna truly I am, after tonight I shall return to the shadows and never darken any doorway that belongs to any of you. And in time perhaps everypony will forget I was ever here."
Hoping to find some clarity as to what he meant about the dangerous items that he hadn't mentioned before she place her hoof on his shoulder, "It's okay but why didn't you mention this before? If you do this to help the world why hide it, and why turn down the offer my sister and I gave you? If you join the guard you would never have to work alone, and you could be closer to me like you wish. And you would have the full support of my sister and myself, as well as plenty of help to aid you."
Placing his hoof over hers there was no doubt in his mind that he would share the secrets he kept, "No, I have to work alone. Would an entire nation slaughter a small village in a neighboring country if they were looking for one pony? The answer is yes but only if that pony was under the command of the other nation. However if both rulers were looking for the same pony they would be careful not to start a war and work together to hunt down the one pony. If I join the guard here in Equestria then I would put this kingdom in danger. I have to look at the bigger picture just like how you and Celestia keep the balance of harmony in Equestria just as every ruler does over the world, I have to tend to the balance of power throughout the world. The thousand years of peace and tranquility while I was gone was nothing more than a gift, if not a fluke."
"Will you tell me what these items are?"
Turning around to look her in the eyes he gently placed her hoof on the ground, "Only because it's you Luna, and because I owe you that much. Most of the times it's just an enchanted item that was created to give far too much power to ponies that should never have it, or could never control it. Other times it's enchanted items that took a large group to create and has the destructive power to make a mega spell seem like a magical burp from a newborn unicorn. But on the rarest occasions it's something called an Artifact, so far I have thirteen of them each one has a mind of its own and will chose to either use or be used by whomever posses them, I do not know how many there are in the world but what I do know is that you and Celestia have what I like to call an Artifact Set here in Canterlot. I won't steal the Elements of Harmony because they have chosen to do a rare thing. They chose to be used by ponies and they pick out their users by using key characteristics found deep in their hearts, characteristics that can never truly be taken away from them or changed. Because of this they are not a threat to the world, so I chose to leave them alone."
Knowing that trying to read his mind would lead nowhere Luna tried to learn more, "Why not just talk to ponies about these items so they can give them up willingly?"
Knowing she was only hoping to help him find another way to deal with the artifacts Greymane shook his head knowing what they are truly like from first hoof experience, "If you knew you had the power that could shake the world down to its foundation and make even the dark lords and gods of Tartaros tremble in fear like a newborn foal, would you be willing to give up that power? Could you give up that power if it has already claimed your mind? The answer to these questions is no, when an artifact has chosen to use whomever it comes in contact with; it will send subtle messages to the mind of its host until that pony and in some cases a dragon, or worse, believe the thoughts are their own. Even the weakest of artifacts can force a war between nations, and has the power to wipe out half a continent."
Hoping to find a middle ground and some insight into what he knew Luna continued to poke away at his knowledge, "Has anypony ever tried to control these artifacts?"
Lowering his head in shame and disgust for himself he turned away and started to leave knowing that she would eventually figure out or learn as to how he knows they can't be controlled, "Plenty..." Though the expression on his face was from his own failure Luna thought it came from him failing to stop somepony out there, "...but attempting to control them would be like me trying to make you and Celestia do what I want. On top of that any artifact that chooses to use and in many cases eventually possess their users, making them their host body." He warned her speaking from prior experience, "It is rare that any creature breaks free from their hold."
Knowing that he could no longer use the fountain of youth she took a step toward him, "You know you can't live forever, and one day you will need help."
As he looked around the base of the tower for a safe yet undetectable rout out of the castle and the city he knew that she was right, "Then when that day comes all I can hope for is that the world doesn't need me any longer, and that I am granted the gift of retirement. And if I'm given that gift then I'll come back here to spend the rest of my years in peace." Walking to the railing he began to hoist himself up, "Farewell Luna, and may the years be kind to you and your sister."
As he began to lean over the railing Luna grabbed hold of the corner of his coat, "Wait."
"I won't answer any more questions dealing with the artifacts. The less you know the safer you will be. After all I'm not the only pony looking for them." He stated hoping she would let go.
"We don't have any further questions, but we would like to give you something." She said as she pulled out a small scroll.
Turning around he could see the calm confident look in her eyes as he reached for the scroll, "What's this?"
"There is a wedding coming up, that's an invitation from us, and we figured perhaps you and I could talk some more then. Perhaps you could help fill in the blanks in our memory?" Luna inquired as she gave a small smile.
Tucking the invitation away in his coat as he leaned back on the railing and chuckled, "If I'm in town around then I'll find a way to come talk to you. After all I am a thief, and not very well liked around here. But I would very much enjoy to just spend time with you and talk, even if it's just for a minute."
With a smile he rolled over the railing and left, fearing for his safety Luna gave chase hoping to catch him before he hit the ground only to find he had simply vanished. Giving the area a thorough search she found no trace of him to be found anywhere, just like at his trial earlier that day Greymane had disappeared. As she went back up to the top of the tower to keep watch over Canterlot, Greymane slipped out from behind a small bush of vines hidden by the shadow of the tower and slowly climbed down.
*Are you sure that was a good idea telling her all of that? What if she tells Celestia and they start looking for the artifacts, then what? You would have made an enemy out of the one you love.* Xiuhtecutli scolded as Greymane neared the base of the tower.
Looking back up with a feeling of great relief he smiled, *I don't think so, Celestia knows to balance power with reason and Luna understands what it means to fall to corruption. But then again she and I both know this from first hoof experience.*
*And what about telling her how you feel, surely there could be some kind of backlash from it. Even for you.* Xiuhtecutli worried as he started to shake his head in disbelief.
Setting his hooves on the ground he slowly walked away, *I told her because I don't see a princess. I see a beautiful mare who has a caring and loving heart...but even if I don't know how she feels about me, in some way it makes me feel better knowing I said it. But I wonder...who does this hurt more, her or me? Oh well...* With a sigh he looked back on the happier times he spent with Luna, *...and hey who knows maybe one day I could just leave this all behind me and see where this avenue takes me.* Scoffing at the idea that he would have more time at the end of this long road to even try, he remembered how his father loved somepony but could never act on it and that was his only regret, in fact it was the only regret all of his predecessors had according to the last entry in their diaries, *Thanks for bringing my climbing equipment, now let's get out of here before I start to cry and change my mind then attempt to find an excuse to stay here.*
Thinking back to earlier that morning Xiuhtecutli recalled how Greymane's eye stayed fixed on a single pony in a crowd of a few dozen. *Speaking of you're mind, just before the trial I could tell something had brought forth a deep rooted hatred in you. What happened?*
Reflecting back to his last encounter with the Order of Balance, he slowly made his way to the entrance of the crystal cavern, *The last time I came into contact with the Order was nearly one month before I went after the medallion.*
*Yes you're single greatest nemesis was the one you spoke to. If I'm not mistaken he has a bastardized form of immortality from the artifact he managed to get his hooves on.*
Remembering the last time they spoke Greymane recalled the artifact and how it allowed him to take over the body of anypony who didn't have the willpower to reject him, *Yes, he called it the Possessing Amulet but that's just one problem. He said they started to rebuild after what happened, and the pony I saw today at the trial keeping notes on the whole thing, he had a false cutie mark. What if he was telling the truth and the Order has gotten back to its former numbers? And what if he's manipulating things here in Canterlot? I can't just leave Luna in danger I have to...*
Knowing Greymane would put aside his duty to deal with the Order first believing them to be the greater threat than any of the artifacts or enchanted items Xiuhtecutli quickly pulled Greymane away from the entrance from the cavern, *As my advocate your duty is to the world first. Go and retrieve the ring from the changeling kingdom. And if this problem truly bothers you then I'll look into it for you, I'll even stay close by Luna and grant her my protection if that's the case.*
Smiling as he slowly started to make his way back through the crystal cavern to his home, he stopped for a brief moment and looked up toward Canterlot, *Thanks, that's all I can ask for.* Having heard the sound of his hoof making contact with metal Greymane looked down to find a set of tracks, *It seems somepony was digging here, good thing they never found the cave.*
Turning to fly back up to Princess Luna Xiuhtecutli left Greymane knowing he could not protect him on this journey, *Be careful, the changelings are masters at turning your emotions against you.*
As he continued to make his way home he vanished behind a cluster of crystals, *And I'm a master thief. They can't trick me if they can't catch me.* Boasting as he began to plan out his heist, "Let's see last I remember I should have half a bag of sleeping powder, and I'll need to make more of the smoke powder. I wonder if any more poison joke grew in the garden. I know it's been a thousand years but the garden is enchanted to take care of itself." As he came to the cave wall leading him home he heard the growling of his stomach. "I should also get myself something to eat while I have the time."
As he got to work preparing for his first heist in one thousand years he over looked an old map of the changeling empire hoping not much had changed. He knew that sneaking in wasn't the problem, the problem was remaining undetected long enough to steal the ring as well as a few gem stones and emotion crystals then get out, the maps may have been old but with him being gone for so long there was a good chance that they never changed the location of the queen's chamber or the vault, both where the target. But while he was in the castle Greymane took a new map of Equestria and started to search for the right place he could fence maybe one or two the emotion crystals of the batch he planned on stealing, and for places where he could sell the gems he would more than likely take as well. But out of the corner of his left eye he saw something that drew his attention.
Walking over and sitting down he raised his hoof to the old painting of the orphanage. Him, his sister, and everypony that was there, it was painted one year before he left to find work that had put him on the path to become who he is today. Looking at it he placed his hoof on the painting and pulled it down to see his old hoof writing, under a few of them he saw the words adopted. Knowing what had happened and how long he had been gone he saw the quill still sitting in ink, reaching over he slowly pulled it out and brought the tip of the quill met with the painting. Sadly he knew what he had to write and yet he was hesitating to write the word deceased as his guilt swelled up within him. Sitting there unable to move the quill Greymane closed his eyes as he instead wrote across the top of the painting in bold letters 'NEVER FORGET', it was a reminder to himself of what once was as well as a guide to help light the dark blurry path filled with uncertainty that now lay before him.
As he turned to get back to work he saw an old hoof drawn picture hanging on the wall near the garden, on it was an image of him and Luna back when she was just a foal above one figure was written 'Me', and above the other 'Grey', just under the two figures he saw the words 'Fwends Forever'. Smiling as he walked away from it he entered the garden to find plenty of poison joke had grown as well as an overgrown herb and spice section, but all he wanted was just one apple and a few leaves of poison joke. As he carefully gathered the poison joke he would need for making the smoking powder he started to prepare his mind to better deal with the changelings should they discover him.
By the end of the second week he was prepared to venture off and deal with the changelings. Taking with him all of his climbing gear, the sleeping powder, and six one ounce bags of smoking powder, he greeted the moon and night sky with a smile, 'I've been given a second chance, let's not mess this up.' He thought to himself as he walked out of the cave, looking up toward Canterlot he smiled as he whispered, "Stay safe everypony."
It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get. -Confucius
It had been nearly two years since Greymane first vanished from Equestria, by now most of the world knew he had returned, whereas the rest of it continued to stay in denial. However from the lands of Saddle Arabia to the homelands of the dragons, word of his work could be heard in small clumped groups as his oldest enemy moved silently in the shadows plotting against him. And though he had promised Luna he would return it seemed as if this promise was never kept, or so he made Luna and everypony believe.
Keeping his distance from her and the others allowed them all to stay safe while Xiuhtecutli continued to snoop around Canterlot for signs of the Order, while doing what he could to protect Luna at the request of his advocate. So far the only lead they had was the one pony taking notes the day of his trial, and that pony seemed to have either vanished, or in the worst case had already been eliminated to better conceal the whereabouts of any other members that could have infiltrated Canterlot or what they could be up to. Either way the only lead was slowly growing cold alongside the steady change in the seasons.
But this did not draw on Xiuhtecuhtli’s mind as much as Greymane's current mood. For the ninth time this year he had gone back to the burned down ruins of the orphanage and carefully sat down on his old bed, as he heard the creaking and cracking of the old wood he could hear the voices of the young foals asking him to play as they enjoyed themselves. As he sat there listening to the voices of the foals, he started to hear his sister's voice echoing in his mind from when they were foals all the way up to the last time he saw her; it was more than enough to bring tears to his eyes as he clenched his teeth and gripped the edge of his bed. Just in the distance from the foot of his bed was a small burial mound, near it was a carved bolder with the names of every pony he knew lived there on the stone with the words engraved just above their names, 'May You All Rest In Peace.'
Keeping to his astral form Xiuhtecutli came to Greymane with a heavy mind, "Here once more I see."
Clearing the tears from his eyes, he tried to put a stern tone in his voice but failed as his mournful attitude slipped in, "Come to give me another task...or are you here to lecture me again on how I should be preparing for the worst?"
Coiling himself up on the bed post Xiuhtecutli looked toward his advocate with worry, "Neither."
As he rose from his bed Greymane slowly walked toward the mound with his head hung low, "Then leave me, I wish to pay my respects in peace."
"Pay your respects?" Scoffing as he inquired, "You mourned for them the first time you came back, the second time you gave them a proper burial then paid your respects. Since then you've been sulking, it's time you moved on from this and let them rest in peace."
As tears filled his eyes Greymane turned to face Xiuhtecutli with rage filling his very being as he slammed his hoof on the ground, "AND HOW CAN THEY REST WHEN I FAILED THEM...WHEN THEIR KILLERS WENT ON THROUGH LIFE UNPUNISHED!? I never should have left them. I..." Stuck in between a fit of rage, and sorrow he found himself lost in his own thoughts as he fell to his flank and placed his hooves on his head, "...I should have stayed, then maybe they would not have died in such a way."
Taking his physical form Xiuhtecutli put his claw on Greymane's shoulder, "You're right, but could you have lived with the pain that would have eventually come. You would have had to watch them age and slowly die one by one, while you retain your youth and lived on. Now I'm not saying this was for the best not in any way, and as for their killers they are more than likely in Tartaros suffering for what they did here."
"All but one." Pulling out a small medal from under the lining of his cloak Greymane tossed it on the ground, "It belonged to a member of the Night Honor Guard."
Looking at the burned piece of metal Xiuhtecutli could barely make out the markings of the Night Honor Guard on the chard metallic object, "Greymane let this go. You may have every right to go seeking revenge but to attack the Night Honor Guard after all these years..."
Interrupting Xiuhtecutli as he stood up to face the grave stone Greymane had nothing but faith in what he knew, "I know it wasn't them, but I do know who was behind it. And I'll make that scum-sucking-son-of-a-whore pay for what he did!"
As his rage grew Xiuhtecutli hinted at the past knowing it could defuse the situation and calm him down, "Let it go...you remember what happened the last time you let your emotions get the better of you."
Looking up at the night sky Greymane found solace in its vast mystery, as well as the faint image of Luna that appeared in the moon causing him to slowly calm down and embrace the fact that the past had to be left alone, "You're right..." Placing his hoof on the gravestone Greymane felt that there was still something he had to do to avenge them, as to what he didn't know, "...but what if I'm right...what if..."
Waving his hand Xiuhtecutli knew that Greymane was not an easy one to gain control over but if his mind was scattered by his emotions then it was just as easy as taking candy from a foal, "If the Order is truly behind this, then it was to goad you into attacking them or anypony. You know full well what their leader is truly after, and if he gets those particular artifacts he can become unstoppable just by possessing your body. And we cannot allow that to happen, now make your way to Canterlot. You still have a promise to keep."
Turning in the direction of Canterlot he began to walk as Xiuhtecutli returned to his astral form, "Ya..." Letting out a regretful sigh Greymane worried if his presence in Canterlot would be noticed by any members of the Order, "...I know. But if keeping my distance from her will keep her safe then wouldn't it be wiser to stay away from Luna?"
"Though I would prefer you never saw any of them again, I have found no other signs of the Order in Canterlot. And even if they discovered your love for Luna she is more than well protected not even they would dare tempt the life of a princess and start a war with a nation. Now don't take this command as me going soft, I'm only suggesting you to go to her just so you can lighten your mood..." Pausing for a moment he let out a somewhat disgruntled sigh, "...after all, she does seem to have that effect on you." Xiuhtecutli claimed as he flew at a steady pace next to Greymane.
Staring at the ground he began to smile as the thought of seeing Luna again filled his heart with joy, even if he had gone to Canterlot and Ponyville in his spare time to check up on everypony from a distance. Applejack and Fluttershy where the only ponies to have even caught a glimpse of him for only a brief second at separate times then he was gone. Greymane knew that if the Order of Balance had truly infiltrated Canterlot they would not hesitate to attack any pony they believed were connected to him, so staying away from them granted them safety even if they did not know it.
Turning to smile at Xiuhtecutli he gave a sigh of relief, "Perhaps taking time to talk with Luna would do me some good, but I'm going to take the time to say hi to every pony in Ponyville along the way."
"If that is what you chose to do I cannot stop you." Giving a faint frown knowing the possibility stood that they may have chosen to alienate him for being a thief, but then again who wouldn't? "I shall head back to Canterlot and continue my search. I shall also check in on you when I can."
As Greymane started to make his way to Ponyville he noticed the assorted flowers he planted at the headstone had bloomed nicely this year causing him take a moment and smile; before taking off he whispered, 'Please forgive me, though I know I do not deserve forgiveness.'
Leaving the ruins he felt that redemption was far beyond his reach, but he was willing to do what he could if it meant being one step closer to it. Turning to the Southeast he began to run knowing that traveling by normal means was out of the question. Having returned back to being a thief of myth and legends meant keeping hidden from every pony was key to his survival, as well as the safety of everypony he held near and dear to his heart. Traveling at night and sticking to the shadows by day was the only way he knew to get around, but when he could not find shade from the sun and had no other choice but to walk amongst others, he would pack away his gear and cloak into his enchanted sack and hide in plain sight by either dressing up or drinking a potion that the eleventh Greymane had attempted to develop based off the changelings. It was a potion that would allow him to have a false cutie mark for no longer than three hours as well as grant him the chance to change his entire outward appearance only once, its only drawbacks was being so highly toxic that he had to wait nine months before he could use it again; the length of time between uses was to allow the toxic levels to leave his system slowly, taking it again anytime before then stood a chance to kill him or worse. But like many of the potions and powders the eleventh created this one was highly volatile if not mixed right, many of the Greymanes that came after him called him the master of poison joke, simply for finding several helpful uses for the accursed plant, when in truth as he claimed many times in his own notes and diary it was all pure luck that he survived every explosion from his carelessness.
Though the path he had to travel had little to no interaction with life of any kind his main concern was having to travel so close to the gates of Tartaros, or even being spotted by the few passersby from Beakbreack City. Once he was in the Everfree Forest he knew the path to Ponyville was a strait shot and he could avoid any and all hazards. The only ponies he did have to worry about where the bandits who had taken to hiding in the Everfree or worse, ponies who had lost their minds from being stuck out there for so long, many of whom had given up on life and were willing to kill anything that moved just for a meal even if it was another pony. To Greymane the monsters in the forest that many ponies had encountered where a mere blessing compared to what truly lay hidden in the tangled forest.
Upon entering Ponyville in the dead of night he stopped by the homes of the six ponies he hoped would be willing to talk to him. Starting with Fluttershy due to the fact that her home was closest to the Everfree, then Applejack at Sweet Apple Acre, soon he found his way over to Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner, and shortly slipped over to Rarity's Carousel and Boutique. But none of them would answer the door, he figured they were all asleep and knew it couldn't be helped, but as he made his way to the library he could see the lights were still on. Filled with joy he rushed over and knocked on the door hoping Twilight would be willing to talk, as well as help him learn more about the strange diamond he came across in his recent travels.
As the door began to open he was greeted by Spike who was half awake, till he saw Greymane and proceeded to slam the door in his face.
As the door came to a close Greymane put his hoof in the way to keep it from slamming in his face, "Easy Spike it's just me." He said as calmly as he could.
"I know who you are!" Spike exclaimed backing away from the door as he pointed a broom pole at Greymane in fear as he slowly inched back.
As Greymane inched himself closer to Spike he could see the infant dragon sweating bullets of fear.
Sitting down he extended his right hoof, "I just came by to talk to Twilight, the others are asleep so I didn't want to bother them. If Twilight is still awake..."
Before he could finish his statement Spike shoved the broom pole into Greymane's chest and thrusted with all his mite nearly causing Greymane to fall over, "She's not here, none of them are. And even if they were here I don't think they would want to have anything to do with a lousy good-for-nothing thief!"
As his ears and head began to lower he reached into the lining of his cloak and pulled out a black diamond and set it down on the table near by, "I was hoping to have Twilight look into this diamond, I found it during my travels near a cave at the base of Mt. Fire Foal." As he started to stand he turned toward the door as he spoke with a mournful tone, "I'll just be on my way then. Sorry for troubling you."
As the door closed Spike ran after him having just realized what he just did, only to find no trace of Greymane anywhere not even a single hoof print. As Spike went back inside Greymane slipped out of the shadows and slowly walked toward the train station bound for Canterlot. His mind and heart where heavy, weighted down with the fact that he was a thief once more, and that ponies like them wouldn't want to have anything to do with him because they could be looped in with him and if caught they would be put on trial for aiding a known criminal.
Though he knew they said they were his friends he often recalled how in the past when he did make a friend when they found out who he was they abandoned him or tried to turn him in and it made him wonder, 'If they don't want anything to do with me then why would a princess be any different?'
Hiding in the cargo section of the train he pondered if Luna would truly want to talk with him, the last time they spoke she sounded sincere about it, however it had been nearly two years since they last spoke and in that time she could have changed just like Twilight and the others if Spike was right about any of his words. Closing his eyes he tried not to think about it in hopes of getting some much needed sleep as visions of his darkest deed flashed before his eyes, he could see everypony that died and how they died. Many burned alive, some impaled on stakes, as the visions went from one horrible murder to the next, as all acts he committed just seemed to get worse with each passing second; in time it forced him to awaken only moments later and find himself covered in a cold sweat. Panting heavily as he sat up, Greymane saw a young colt who's coat and mane were identical to his own as well as hazel eyes much like his own, a golden amber near the pupil with a light emerald green in the outer part of the iris. As he blinked the young colt vanished and could not be found.
Knowing he would not get any sleep he shook his head hoping to stir up his thoughts and draw his mind elsewhere while waited up for the train to come to the first tunnel on its way to Canterlot. As the tunnel came close he made his way to the top of the train and jumped off, allowing the enchantment on his cloak to take effect and slow his descent. Walking around to the hidden entrance he kept a close eye on the sky as well as his surroundings to ensure he wasn't spotted or followed. When he felt it was safe he moved a small stone out of place for a second allowing entrance unveil itself allowing him passage.
Once inside the cave he moved a small stone and watched as the cave began to seal itself once again as he pulled out a torch and began to light it, navigating the passages through the cave he could see that nopony had found his home as of yet and took it as a blessing. Walking to the back of the cave to sneak into Canterlot through the crystal caverns he passed by an old dust covered book just lying on the table. Stopping for a moment he opened the book only to see its pages were blank. Upon whispering 'Bayaterol San Mechtaba Oum Mino Dedero' the book started to glow. As the final word slipped his mouth the pages began to fill themselves all with his many adventures though written in what he assumed to be the ancient leviathan language the same language he just spoke, Grey smiled to now his diary had not been tampered with. Closing the book the pages went blank once more to conceal his past as well as the truth. But what stood out in the book was several pages stuck together in the middle stained by blood that soon faded away, the pages themselves where a memory he hoped would remain hidden from the world even long after he passed and was rotting in the ground.
Wrapping the book in an old rag to take with him Xiuhtecutli appeared before him in his astral form, "How was your visit in Ponyville?"
Attempting to hide his sorrow as he walked to the back of the cave he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head as he passed a room filled with pony-kins with cloaks on them and one with the coat Rarity made him carefully covered to keep the dust from collecting on it, "It was fine, they were not home so I didn't stay too long."
As Greymane walked toward the back of the cave his poster gave away his true feelings, "I'm sorry, but you knew that once you became who you are there was no turning back."
"But I didn't chose this life, I fell into because of circumstance." Looking at the wall of the cave he called out 'Iftah Ya Sim Sim'.
"Yes it was circumstance that brought you here, but it was still your choice. You could have walked out of this cave and never come back, but you were the one who chose to stay and even if you didn't have the obligations to save that orphanage I personally believe you would still have chosen to be the stallion you are. Not even your predecessor...no...your father possessed the power to force you to be who you are now, we all have our free will to do as we please and no one can take that away from us. Besides look at all the good you have done."
Making his way through the crystal caverns as the doorway closed itself behind him Greymane stopped for a moment as he lowered his head to see his blood covered reflection in the crystal just beneath himself, "What about all the evil I've done, three thousand lives lost in one night because of me. And countless more would have been lost in Canterlot all because of me and my stupid decisions, I brought destruction to their door steps because I thought no pony could harm me."
"You take on all this blame without looking at the lighter side of it all, Canterlot is safe now and the Dark Lords of Tartaros as well as the demonic gods themselves have a newfound respect for you. On top of that had you not attacked the Order of Balance who knows what they would have done in your absence, but while you were gone the last of them took the time to hide and slowly rebuild as well as lick their wounds. Where they are hiding I know not, but what I do know is they won't make a move now that you have returned. They fear you far too much." Though his words held much truth Xiuhtecutli doubted what he said fearing that the prophecy had be diverted only for the time being.
As they came out in Canterlot Greymane paused for a moment and looked around for any signs of life, "All but one of them you mean." With a sigh he ran to the closest alleyway he could find and took to the roof tops careful not to draw the attention of any pegasi flying by. "And if not for the foals there that night I would still be under the influence of the artifacts."
Having just notice the book Xiuhtecutli quickly changed the subject knowing that the current one was just going in circles, "I noticed you brought your diary, what do you intend to do with it?"
Stopping to hide under the shadow of a chimney stack Greymane pulled out the age worn book, "If Luna had any questions about us I was going to use it to show her rather than tell her. I learned how to use the illusion spell to show what is written on the pages some time back."
"Just don't show her that dark memory. You are trying to build bridges not burn them."
Tucking away the book as he turned to overlook the street Greymane began to use his mind to hold the conversation, *Be that as it may if she asks about it then I will share it.*
*You can't, even one minute of that memory would cause anypony to want you dead.*
Surveying the streets for any signs of the guards his ears leaned back, *Many want me dead already, what's a few more to that list?* Before Xiuhtecutli could even argue against him they heard Twilight's voice just under them, though out of direct line of sight due to an umbrella over their table
Looking down Greymane saw her tail just barely sticking out, but it was her voice that told him it was clear that Twilight and her friends were enjoying themselves as well as one or two others, "Well it's great to see that both of you are doing so well since the wedding." Letting out a sigh knowing that her thoughts may not be welcome after what had happened the last time Greymane was in Canterlot, "This is off the subject but, has there been any sign of Greymane since the day he vanished?" The lavender mare inquired.
"Now that ya'll have mentioned it I thought I saw him once or twice in the orchard back at the farm but when I went to look there wasn't any sign he had been there. No broken branches, out of place rocks, or even fallen leaves when there ain't auta be none. Not even one stinkin hoof print."
Pulling out a small one ounce bag Fluttershy chimed in with what she believed could be evidence that Greymane had come by her cottage, "I thought I saw him during a rainstorm we had about a month ago, but when the lighting struck he was gone. I didn't find any trace of hoof prints besides the ones where I saw him standing and this tiny empty bag. If he has been coming around he doesn't stay long and hasn't said a word at all."
Before he could take off Greymane heard the sound of a stallion's voice that seemed to be filled with authority though a few bits short of a full coin purse in his opinion, "Well as far as Canterlot goes we haven't seen anything to suggest he is here or that he's come by, nor have there been any reports to show that he might still be in Equestria though some rumors do come in from around the world. If Greymane is out there it's more than likely he has gone back into hiding." Having taken further interest in the conversation Greymane leaned in to listen further having noticed that the stallion had lowered the volume of his voice as well as the slight change in the tone as well as the mood that filled the atmosphere, "I also want to keep this between us here, only be cause I know I can trust all of you. Though the official search has been called off Princess Celestia is having a select few continue the search due to some new information being brought forth by Princess Luna. The last time Greymane was seen in Canterlot he told Princess Luna the reason he turned down our offer to join the guard, so only ponies we know we can trust have been selected to find him and escort him back to the castle so we can learn more."
Taking off Greymane broke a clay shingle drawing their attention, as Rainbow Dash took to the roof she found it vacant as well as the surrounding roof tops. Wanting to be thorough she surveyed the nearby alleyways and spotted Greymane's cloak as he rounded the corner, giving chase she found the alley he had slipped in near empty besides a few boxes and some trash bags. Knowing that he would take the chance to run if she over looked something Rainbow Dash hovered in place for the others keeping a close eye on the alley to ensure he couldn't slip away, at the moment she blocked the only way for him to slip out as the alley came to an end after a hundred yards or so.
As the others came round Rainbow Pointed down the alley without taking her eyes off it whispering, "I saw somepony turn the corner down this way all I know is they are hiding somewhere down there but I don't know where."
Taking the hint that whom ever it was could escape if they weren't careful Rarity and Princess Cadence lifted everything in the alley they could see while Twilight used a light spell to illuminate what they could not, but sadly there was nopony there and with no way out other than up Rainbow assured them that she saw nothing moving during the short time she was watching the area. As they set everything back where it was they were unaware that Greymane had already slipped to the roof tops when he first rounded the corner, it was the oldest trick he knew while also being the most effective, watching from the roof to behind Rainbow Dash knowing that some alley ways where dangerous to many who were not careful.
As they started to safely leave the alley Greymane made his way toward the castle while Xiuhtecutli felt a little confused, *Why not got and talk to them, you didn't have the chance in Ponyville because they were not there.*
*I don't want to impede on their lives, besides it's for the best they just forget about me and moved on.*
Stopping Greymane in his tracks Xiuhtecutli took his physical form with a stern but baffled look, "Where is this coming from, they are your friends, I'm more than certain they would give you the time of day. After all they haven't seen nor heard from you in almost two years or more."
Trying to go around him with a blank stare Greymane could hear Spike's words ring in his mind, "I just want them to be safe that's all. And if I'm near them then who knows what could happen."
"I know Twilight has a dragonling watching over the library in Ponyville, what happened there, what did he say to you that has caused you to change your mind?"
"It's none of your concern." Trying to hold back the sorrow in his voice as walked passed Xiuhtecutli
Stopping Greymane he looked him in the eyes, "Never trust the word of a dragon who is less than that of an Ancient. You know as well as I do that the younger they are the far more prone to their own nature they tend to be."
Though his anger grew Greymane kept his voice down so no pony could hear him, "And how many are left in the world? We only know of one and he is dying, let's face it the world is doomed no matter what or how hard we try. I'm even thinking of hanging up my cloak and starting fresh where nopony knows who I am."
Just before Xiuhtecutli could try and argue with him they heard a sinister laughter, "The world is only doomed so long as the ones who do what they can to save it give up." As they turned in the direction of the voice they watched as the shadow from a nearby chimney stack moved toward them and take form as a cloaked figure stood before them, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Blisargon the Grand Enticer of Thieves and this is my lesser demon Ronwe the demon of knowledge. And might I say it is an honor to meet the Leviathan...as well as his advocate the Legendary Thief himself Greymane."
Staring down the demon that had presented itself before him Greymane couldn't help but feel uneasy, "I've heard of a demon that would lead thieves to vast riches only for their lives to come to an end. I take it that would be you."
Giving a bloodthirsty smile Blisargon couldn't help but chuckle to learn Greymane had heard of him, "Why yes, though to be quite fair I don't collect them as soon as one would think. Most demons would collect the souls of mortals they make a deal with after ten years, I give them twenty-five sometimes more if they make it worth my while."
"Ten years, twenty-five years, or even a thousand years, what would it matter to a demon. Time means nothing to an immortal." Greymane scoffed knowing that fighting this demon would be far more of a challenge than it was with Adramelech as he knew little to nothing about him, "But I take it you're not here to strike a deal with me are you?"
"To the contrary in fact, though I'm here for three reasons, one is a request, one is to share information. And the last one is my own, don't worry it has nothing to do with Equestria my business is elsewhere in the world..." Slightly turning his head he eyed a young pick-pocket with slippery hooves, instead of sticky ones, trying to steal an apple only for it to drop and fall down into a pile of trash and cause the stand to fall over from his attempted theft, "...for now anyway, besides I have no dreams of conquest as other demons do. I mean why try to conquer a nation through violence and war, when it's so much more fun to conquer with words and deals." Waving his hand the shadows quickly re-assembled the stand and placed everything back as if nothing had happened as the young colt took off running, as the young colt rounded the corner he found the apple he attempted to steal waiting for him on top of a barrel clean and ready to eat. "It always brings a tear to my eyes to watch a young thief try so hard only to fail, down on his luck a little help will give him the boost of confidence he needs; and when the time comes I'll seek him out for a little deal just right for him."
Knowing he had no chance against a demon of lord ranking without the use of the curse Greymane relaxed himself and sat down, "Very well then let's hear all three in reverse order."
Returning his gaze back to Greymane Blisargon couldn't help but seem cheerful, "Oh I intended to share them with you but only as I feel they should be shared. First and foremost there is a rumor going around Tartaros saying that the value of your soul has gone up to equal nearly one and a half the population of Canterlot, maybe even more and that includes the value of all three Princesses. Now as I said this is just a rumor, whether or not it's true doesn't concern me, but it does concern you."
"I fail to see how when my life isn't worth more than dirt."
As Xiuhtecutli began to argue against him the lesser demon stepped forth, "To be fair you have no idea as to how much your soul is worth. When a mortal is born they have no value because they have done nothing but breath, as they grow older they do many things and can accomplish quite a bit. Each thing they do for good or ill changes the value of their soul, and you have done the impossible. The devastation you brought to the Order of Balance, escaping and stealing from Tartaros, and defeating one of the greatest Arch-demons under the command of the great Beelzebub while ensuring no further harm came to those around you, are just a few things in the long list of accomplishments that have raised the value of your soul.” Wanting to see if Greymane would stand tall or waiver Ronwe held out his hand to show a faint image of Equestria sitting in its palm, “Why some even believe that your very soul could equal that of all Equestria, and some demons might be foolish enough to try and take it from you by any means necessary"
As to whether or not his words were true didn’t matter as Blisargon stepped between the two of them knowing that Ronwe was trying to tamper with forces he might not comprehend, "Which brings me to my next reason, I have a few..." Pausing for a moment the dark lord lifted his hand and began to count his fingers with this thumb no less than twelve times each, "...shall we say..." Pausing for a another moment he closed one eye as he looked to the sky in the hopes to find the right word that would not anger Greymane, "...investments I've come to cash in on. They are scattered around the world and it is high time I collected what is mine."
Staring down the demon with a disgusted look in his eyes Greymane knew the answer but couldn't help himself to ask, "And by investments you mean souls of mortals. For what reason would you have to collect them?"
With a slight chuckle in his voice Blisargon took a single step toward Greymane and kneeled down, "The same reason any demon would try and collect your soul. It's the value I've invested in, by striking a deal with them when they are worth just as much as the next living mortal I grant them the skills and talents for them to use. And when the time is right I cash in on that investment and grow in power, and though I am of lord rank I have already taken steps to take the last and final rank and join the lord of flies as well as a few small other demons in the rank of god. And to ensure that even if my plans fail I would like to have you on my side." Reaching into his cloak Blisargon pulled out a scroll sealed by wax bearing the mark of the demonic god Beelzebub, "Which brings me to my final reason, this was to be delivered to you with the utmost secrecy, it also contains further instructions for me."
Breaking the seal Greymane looked at it in confusion unsure of what to think when viewing the strange markings, "I..." Baffled he nearly laughed thinking it was some kind of joke, "...I can't read this."
Shaking his head as he turned around Blisargon waved his hand as he mocked Grey, "For being a thief of legends I wouldn't have thought you lacked the ability to read. But what should I have expected, you did start off as an orphan."
Holding up the letter Greymane snapped back at the demon, "It has nothing to do with being illiterate, I can speak, read, and write nearly twenty or more languages, many of which are dead dialects as of right now. But this is one I have never come across, I don't even have a reference to it."
Taking the letter from his hoof Xiuhtecutli looked it over while giving an annoyed sigh, "And no wonder, it's written in ancient demonic tongue. You can't read it, you have to listen to it." Placing the letter close to his ear Xiuhtecutli could hear multiple faint, incoherent, disembodied voices, "Few demons know of it, even fewer can speak it, but there are only two demonic gods that I know of who can write it. You were not lying Blisargon, and according to this you are to escort him back to the lord of flies unharmed at his discretion and with the greatest protection you can give. But what would the lord of flies want with my advocate? And why send an invitation written in hell speak?"
"That's not for me to know...yet any way."
"Wouldn't your lesser know anything?" Greymane inquired as he pointed at Ronwe.
Ronwe scoffed as he stepped back into his master's shadow, "Sadly no, though I am known as the demon of knowledge, as part of a deal struck between my master and the Lord of Flies I am now restricted. It is a small price to pay for my continued existence." Choosing to remain hidden he spoke from behind his master's back, "As I can tell you don't trust either of us, we knew this would be the case so we came prepared. I know you've been looking into the recent movements that the Order has made with little to no success, so I shall share the information I have but I want something in exchange."
Walking around Blisargon Greymane’s curiosity increased, "And what would you want in exchange for this information?" Believing the demon to have alternative motives.
"That takes us back to the second reason, as they say little trust goes a long way; and that's all my master and I want from you. In the event our deal with the demonic gods fails and we are left high and dry, we will need a place to go as well as someone or something we can trust to aid us."
Not wanting to believe Ronwe, Greymane knew this was the only lead he had on the Orders intentions in Canterlot but to trust a pair of demons he knew nothing about was a stretch, even for him.
Before he could even voice his thoughts Xiuhtecutli slithered forward, "I can agree to these terms..." Pausing as he stroked his chin thinking of how he could set the deal to be far more in the favor of himself as well as Greymane, "...but I want to set a few of my own terms before we can truly agree on anything."
With an annoyed sigh Blisargon rolled his eyes before connecting them with Xiuhtecutli, "Very well then, what are your terms Leviathan?"
"First; I shall be the one going to Tartaros on behalf of my advocate, nothing against the Lord of Flies, but we can't risk any other demon coming after him, also I will not need an escort. Second; any and all information pertaining to the Order of Balance that is of importance is to be brought forth to us as soon as possible, and with no strings attached also all information you find, steal, and or learn must be kept under lock and key secrecy is our greatest asset. Third; if for any reason we call upon either of you, be it by name or a demonic summoning, you are to come regardless of what you are doing and aid us as needed. Finally; in the event that my advocate dies and there are none to succeed him, the two of you will aid me in keeping the balance of power in check until another has been found and prepared to take on this task." Looking down at Greymane he could see something was troubling him, "Do these sound like fair terms to you?"
Turning his head away from them as he slowly walked to the edge of the roof Grey overlooked a young couple across the street that had been stricken with love, "Any deal is a good deal, but must there be one to take my place? Haven't enough suffered this fate already?"
As Xiuhtecutli began to raise his hand in anger and lecture Greymane Blisargon stepped between them with a contract ready to be signed, "I can see this is a more private and delicate matter best discussed between the two of you, but perhaps it is best it waits for another time?"
Turning his attention from Greymane's current mood to the contract that was ready, Xiuhtecutli took the moment to read over it and ensure that there were no loop holes, no statements that could be misconstrued, no fine-prints, and no misprints that could change later.
Once he was satisfied with the document a small shine from his eye caused the leviathan cross to appear as he let out a disgruntled sigh upon looking up at Greymane, *I know you have trouble letting go, but one day I hope you do. What happened that night was not your fault.*
Thinking back to the time he spent in Tartaros he recalled how so many of the eternally damned cried out to rip his flesh from his bones, *Tell that to the many in Tartaros that not only condemn but also wish to tear me to shreds.*
Once the document was signed Blisargon nodded toward Ronwe, "Your suspicions about the order is right, though they haven't just moved in on Canterlot but all of the world. Every major and minor government has some of their influence Equestria is one of only few that just have their presences in their guard, though over the many years they've tried to make a move for more power by controlling key positions like the captain of the guard. If it hadn't been Celestia who had chosen the current captain then there's no telling where this could have gone." Watching Greymane's head lowering with to the fact and displeasure in knowing he was right drew some pleasure for Ronwe himself, "There is one other thing. In the past two hundred years Celestia had formed a small task group she could trust in secret, their purpose is to take the place of the element users in the event that they passed away or could no longer use the elements. They've proven themselves most effective in many other ways, being the best of the best, not even the Wonderbolts know about them, though some of them as well as a select few from the royal guard are picked to join this group. As of now they are only a few hundred strong, nothing for the Legendary Thief to handle if the reports are true. I know nothing of their skills, their ranks, nor what they call themselves, but what I do know is they answer to nopony but Celestia and are allowed to go where others are not and can break the laws if necessary. But for some reason you have come to the top of their list."
With a huff Greymane turned and stared down the lesser demon, "So what if I have, in the past I caught the eyes of whole governments from around the world and still remained unseen. The Order was the only group that could ever track me down but it took them months to ever find where I was at or where I was heading, and even then they were weeks behind and most of their information was wrong and led them in circles. There isn't a single creature in this world who can catch me."
With a grin and a slight laugh Ronwe tapped Greymane on the left cheek as he mocked him by questioning his thousand years in Tartaros, he continued to mock him by asking if his imprisonment was just equal to that of a simple day spa.
Knowing he was getting under Greymane's skin Ronwe chose to twist the truth just a tad in the hopes he could make Greymane try and fight this secret group, "And here is where things take a dark turn not just for you but for your dear Princess of the Night. In the past few years Celestia has come to question her trust in this group, only because she only picked the first ten members two hundred years ago, since then it's been them who decides which ponies join them and who do not. And this can mean that even members of the Order could have ended up being selected especially within the past fifty years." Walking back into Blisargon's shadow he gave a bow as he slowly faded back to Tartaros, "If I were a betting demon, I would have put my money on the Order taking advantage of this new group and the power that comes with it."
With a bow Blisargon slid back into the shadow of the chimney and back to Tartaros, "I'll shall eagerly await your arrival leviathan."
As Greymane started to move once more keeping to the roof tops and hiding when necessary Xiuhtecutli took to his astral form and took off for Tartaros, *Be careful Greymane, while I'm gone you will be without my protection.*
'Wouldn't be the first time.' He whispered to himself as he approached the castle walls.
Poking his head around the corner to survey the area he could see the guards were in the middle of a rotation as well as a quick patrol passing through. Starting to rethink the situation he looked to the sky and watched as Luna landed in the tower to take watch over the night, in that moment his feelings for her overwhelmed him pushing him to believe this was the best choice. Taking one last quick look around he discovered a quick route straight to the tower that left him unseen by all, it was a long path that took him nearly an hour of careful moments as well as timing the guards patrolling the grounds.
Upon finally making his way to the tower Grey reached out and began to climb the vines careful to cover himself with the overgrown brush should some pony pass by. As he neared the top he heard the sound of sinister laughter as a gentle breeze brushed by. Believing it to just be the wind he calmed his nerves and made his way over the railing behind Luna. Seeing her in the wonderful glow of the moon light he was speechless as he found himself lost for a moment in his emotions. Raising his hoof as his jaw lowered as he tried to call out her name, only to become frozen as Spikes words rang through his mind causing him to bite his lower lip and hang his head in shame.
Turning around in an attempt to sneak away he felt a hoof gently pull at his cloak along with the sound of a loving gentle voice, "It is rude to leave without saying a word. Especially to somepony you have not seen in a long time."
Not wanting to face her he reached for the railing as he sat down, "Forgive me, I couldn't find the words to speak up. Besides you're a princess and I'm a thief, wouldn't it be for the best that you forget about me? I'm sure everypony else has by this point..." Biting his lip he hoped to conceal the emotional pain he felt, "...after all I'm not worth even half a second in the day."
Sensing his despair and self doubt she wrapped her hooves around him, "That is where you are wrong. We have all worried about you, with no way to locate you let alone contact you, we all were scared that you could be dead. And like the missing sheep you have returned to us unharmed."
As his mind was filled with joy from her words he turned around and held her tight, "I'm sorry for making you and everypony worry, but I don't want any of you to be harmed." Letting her go he walked to the rail behind her that overlooked Canterlot, "The demons that attacked were looking for me, this you and everypony more than likely knew. But what you didn't know is that they were just two of many that hunt me down, or that did hunt me, and I would feel better if none of you tried looking for me out of my own fear that my enemies could come here just to draw me out. Besides I've always had Xiuhtecutli looking out for me." With a slight sigh he turned around and held Luna's hoof and stared her in the eyes with a faint smile, "Either way there's nothing for any of you to worry about."
"You being out there dealing with creatures much like those demons day in and day out is more than enough for us to worry about your safety." Luna replied with a mournful tone, "Besides the fact of what you may or may not think, you are our friend. And we all care about you."
Looking down toward the city as he held back a tear he felt more than welcomed in her presence, it was a feeling that he had nearly forgotten, "It's been so long since I've heard those words from any other pony, I almost forgotten the warm feeling that came with it." Looking back up toward Luna made his heart race as he reached into his sack and pulled out the book he brought with him still wrapped in its cloth, "But if I remember correctly I promised you a conversation, and so far all I've done is whine and complain. You deserve better than that."
Seeing the smile slowly come across her face brought one on him. They spent the next several hours talking through the night as well as laughing and giggling loud enough that some of the pegasi patrolling near by could hear, the few that looked into it left thinking they were crazy seeing the Princess of the Night with the Legendary Thief. As the two of them reconnected with one another Luna couldn't help but feel that she lost something of great sentimental value between the two of them.
As the night slowly came to an end Luna couldn't help but inquire about his recent feats, the questions did nothing to slow his answers for he knew this time was different.
Each place he had been to, what he had seen, and all he had encountered fascinated her, "I was wondering..." Knowing that he could simply say that he was too busy to come was not far from her mind as she started to ask, "...why had you not come to the wedding, We gave you the invitation, where you not near Canterlot that day?"
Slightly bowing his head as the smile slowly left his face he knew this question would come, "I was here in time for the wedding, slipping through the barrier was not that difficult infact it was as easy as a gentle breeze coming through an open window. The pony you had working on it is quite powerful but I know a trick or two for such a thing." Pointing out a rooftop in the distance just overlooking the grand plaza he explained, "I made it here some time after the changelings were defeated, and all the preparations were made. I sat on that rooftop and listened to the the ceremony, and watched the reception. When you finally arrived..." Letting out a slight chuckle filled sigh Greymane held up one of Luna's hooves as he looked her in the eyes, "...well...it's difficult to put into words how much I truly wanted to go down there and ask you for just one dance. Hell just one second with you would have been plenty for me."
With a baffled look Luna found no reason as to why he couldn't have show up that day even if many of the gussets would have know who he was, "Why didn't you? You were my guest."
"I could have Luna it wasn't hard. I could have disguised myself as one of the many servers there or perhaps one of the guards, nopony would have questioned one more. But I remembered that out of all my enemies that have come and gone throughout these many years, and of the ones that have been around far longer there is one that simply put I didn't want to show myself." As Luna looked him in the eyes she watched as his face slowly filled with sorrow and shame and the past seemed to replay with in his eyes, "It's because of him I've kept my distance this long. And as much as I HATE to say it, he is my equal. Move for move, plan for plan, and skill for skill, he's nearly as old as I am..." Looking him in the eyes she could see the shame that had began to slowly turn to self loathing as Greymane took a deep breath as the first sign of dawn began to show itself with the early morning dew, and with that breath Luna watched as the self loathing in his eyes was overcome with hate as if he were watching horrible acts being committed in front of him, "...he will do all in his power to get what he wants. I've seen him burn down villages, threaten the lives of the young, and beat the elderly not just because it helped him meet his goals but also for his own amusement. Stand against him and he will kill you, stay out of his way and he'll break every bone in your body for a laugh, bow before him and submit to his will and he'll give you a task that you cannot accomplish just so he can execute you on the grounds of failure. This is the kind of pony he is, and though I hate to admit to it, he and I are alike."
Placing her hoof on his shoulder Luna tried to find the look that she knew too belong to him as she attempted to comfort him, "But you are not, you have put the safety and well-being of others before yourself. You even belittled yourself just to try and save us, and when we would not listen to your pleas you still threw yourself upon the spear for those you love. And there is still one thing that separates you from him."
As the warmth of Luna's words began to fill his very soul he turned to look her in the eyes unsure of what she would say, "And that is?"
"You have friends that love and care for you, he does not." Having broken through to him in a way Xiuhtecutli could not, Luna watched as the smile returned to his face and a raging flame that gave him a new found hope that burned like a towering inferno took place with in his eyes. Just as it was in the years before he went to Tartaros, Luna truly did bring out the best in him.
As he looked Luna in the eyes Greymane picked up his diary wrapped in its cloth, "I know it's not much but, here..." Holding up the book he held it out for her to take, "...I would like for you to have my diary." As the book found its way into Luna's hoof Greymane smiled, "It's linked to my mind, any and all events that are of some importance to me will be recorded in that book. No matter how far I am or the time of day. It will help you to know if I am doing fine without having to look for me. You can read it if you want to."
Opening the book she could see the pages were blank and appeared as if they were never used despite how old the bindings appeared to be, "We do not understand, there is nothing written here." Flipping through the pages she could not find one word or even a letter, "We think you mite have the wrong book."
Placing his hoof on the book to stop her for just a second he closed his eyes, "Place your hoof here on the page..." Pausing to wait till he felt her hoof meet his Greymane could feel his heart race, "...close your eyes and take a deep breath..." Hearing her slowly breath in they could feel a faint breeze pass between them, "...and just clear your mind."
As she cleared her mind the breeze became a gust of wind that seemed to be filled with faint voices. As Luna opened her eyes she couldn't believe what she saw, right in-front of her was herself though much younger she saw the young mare was closer to a filly but well on her way to becoming a young mare, and for a reason she couldn't tell she was curled up crying on a balcony overlooking a forest. Reaching out with her hoof she stopped as Greymane snuck up by her unnoticed and sat down, while looking down at her he gently stroked her mane.
"GREY!!!" She cried out tackling him to the ground in tears. Sitting up he gently hugged her, and he knew she was worried about something.
Thinking it was him for being late he pulled his hood back and lowered his mask and even then he appeared to be the same age as he is now, "I'm sorry I'm late coming by this month, but I promised you that I would come by once a year to see you and I intend to keep that promise. So there's no need to cry." Gently pushing her back he looked her in the eyes and grinned as he wiped the tears from her face, "Besides, you are far more beautiful when you smile."
Blushing as she put her head back down on his chest with a sniffle as she took hold of his cloak, "It's not that, I heard my mommy and daddy talking to Tia. They said I'm getting old enough to raise the moon and call forth the stars by myself. I thought about talking to a few of my personal guards about how scared I am...but..." Pausing not knowing how to word the rest of her statement.
"But?"
Burying half her face into his chest as she began to cry once more Luna did what she could to try and keep her voice down, "But I often hear the guards talking about how fear is weakness, and anypony who shows weakness should never be allowed to lead."
Gripping his cloak tighter Luna could hear the beating of his heart, it was faint but steady, looking up she could see a faint smile on his face and compassion in his eyes, "Fear is not weakness it is a tool, fear helps us to know what makes us weak so we can protect it and grow stronger." Leaning over he whispered into her ear as he took one quick look to the left and the right, "And between you and me, I'm afraid all the time."
Looking up as she wiped the tears from her eyes as she slowly started to smile and gave a little giggle, "You cannot be scared of anything you are a full grown stallion." Doubting his words knowing that most adults were not afraid of anything.
Letting out a slight chuckle he slightly tousled her mane, "It's true, I'm afraid of failing. Because I know that should I fail at the task given to me wars could break out and many lives could be lost. I use this fear to push myself to success through any means possible without the use of violence." Looking down at her he could see that his words got through, but she was still full of doubt as to whether or not she was up to the task.
Resting her head on his chest as she smiled while hugging him for his words and yet, Luna couldn't help but question his work though she had never seen him in any royal court let alone heard his name anywhere, "I had often forgotten that you are an emissary of some kind. Right?"
"I guess you can look at it like that, but nothing official." Sitting her down next to himself he reached into his cloak just under the clasp and took a necklaces off himself that had an amulet that was peridot in color hanging from it, "This is called a dragon's tear, there are many colors and they all do something different, or so the old ponies tales about them claim. As you can see this one is somewhat green, it's meant to bring good luck and good health to whom ever has it. My father gave it to me on his deathbed..." Holding the tear in his hoof he brought it around Luna's neck. "...and now I want you to have it."
As her eyes swelled up with tears once more she buried her face into his chest once again, "Grey please do not tell me..." She exclaimed crying out of fear for his life.
Gently wrapping his hooves around her as he chuckled knowing that he accidentally caused her to cry again he slowly started to rock her back and forth, "Don't worry I'm not dying nor shall I ever come close to death. Not yet any way..." Setting her down he watched as the tear shined in the moonlight just off her neck. "...I'll live another ten thousand years or more before I even think about letting death come knock on my door."
Sniffling as she wiped the tears from her eyes she looked up trying to smile, "Promise?"
"I promise. And so long as you keep that dragon's tear close by I'll always be with you." Holding up the dragon's tear just to look at it she slowly started to smile, "Well would you look at that..."
Looking up at him with a grin that went from one ear to the other Luna couldn't help but look around herself, "What is it?"
As she turned to look back at him confused she saw Grey smiling down at her, "There's the beautiful young mare I came to see. If your beauty keeps growing like this you'll have to chase stallions off with a stick."
Chuckling as she blushed Luna closed her eyes with one hoof one to her cheek as she used the other to gently shove Greymane, "Grey!" As they continued to laugh and enjoy each others company everything began to fade and wash away, before too long Luna found herself staring at Greymane in astonishment of what she had just seen.
With a blank stare Luna looked down at the book and for a brief second she could see an ancient script on the pages as they slowly faded away till the pages were blank once again, "That is amazing, how did you come by this book?"
With a smile and a sigh he looked up at what remained of the moon and the stars, "My father was the one who gave it to me, I have two more just like it. One records any and all new skills I come across and adapt to what I already know, and the other records experiments both failed and succeeded." Looking down at the guards that passed them by on the ground he felt relieved to share this information with her, "From what I've managed to learn poison joke has far more applicable uses than any pony could think of, so far I've only been using it to make a sleeping powder as well as a powder that helps me teleport. But if not done right it can have explosive results when mixed with the air, I don't have a need for such a thing so I try to play it safe when making the powders."
Thinking back to the day of his trial she recalled how he vanished in a cloud without a trace and even how he appeared from a cloud of smoke when the demons first attacked them, "So, that's how you get around, you teleport everywhere."
Taking a few steps toward her he reached out and started to turn a few pages in the book, "No, if I were to do that then my skills would become useless and when the time came that I would need them, well let's just say I'd be sloppy to say the least." Sitting down he smiled, "To keep my skills sharp I use them daily. I've been hiding in plain sight either as a slight glimpse in the corner of one's eye, or by walking alongside crowds and blending in. When I'm not in a city I keep to the trees as often as I can, jumping from one branch to the next using what surrounds me to get around."
"So how long did you and I know one another by that point in time?" Asking as a gentle breeze passed between them.
Taking a quick moment to hide under the shadows from the passing guard patrol, Luna watched as he almost seemed to fade into the dark corners just barely out of sight and though she knew he was there it was hard to actually see him, "We had known each other for about six years, I've known you since you were five years old." Looking back on it he couldn't help but remember how he fell into the role he now fills, and frowned at the thought that nearly everypony he once held near and dear to his heart where now dead, "I'm only fifteen years older than you are at least I think, I’ve never known my birthdate. But that’s not important right now; what is important is how you and I first met, and looking back on it I wish we had met under different circumstances. But I'm glad we did meet none the less."
"How did we first meet each other?" She inquired with a smile as he carefully stepped out of the shadows.
Turning a few more pages he stopped near the front of the book, as Luna looked down at the book she could barely hear him mutter a phrase. The only syllable she could catch was 'Bay'.
Before she could question him she watched as the world around them went black as a gentle yet icy breeze came across them, before she knew it they were up in the air as snow began to gently fall. And down below them in the dead of night before she knew it they were above an old kingdom that had long since come to an end, and Luna could see Greymane jumping from one rooftop to the next with a small bag tied to his hip as he slid in the snow covered rooftop to a stop. And what appeared to be a faint serpent like image that seemed to follow close behind.
"Okay I understand stealing a few things to hide what we really came for but please tell me this..." Reaching into the bag he pulled out a rather large mirror, too large for the bag itself or so it seemed, "...out of everything there that was of value, why is this piece of shit the most dangerous thing there. It's a crappy mirror, hell I could go to a salvage shop and find a better one for less than half a copper bit."
Luna watched as the faint serpent coiled itself around the top of the mirror, "This my young advocate is known to my kind as an artifact this one in particular is known as THE MIRROR OF THE VAIL, it has the power to allow the living and the dead to commune with one another."
Looking into the mirror Greymane could see a faint image of the previous Greymane that came before him, smiling as if filled with much pride, "I can see this being more helpful than harmful. Somepony could use this to gain closure with whomever they've lost." Looking deeper into the mirror he could see the image begin to swirl, "I just might learn who my birth parents are, and why they gave me up."
As he began to open his mouth and ask a question the serpent slid and coiled itself on top of the mirror barely blocking his view, "That could bring about destruction, for whatever reason they had, be it to save your life or because they didn't want you, that is not for you to know. You are Greymane now the Legendary Thief, what happened in your prior life means nothing and holds no standing with who you are now. And this mirror is just as harmful as it is helpful. In the wrong possession this mirror can bring about destruction the likes of which none are prepared for." Tucking away the mirror back into the bag he couldn't help but feel empty knowing that some of the greatest answers to his life were right in front of him, but depending on what they where it could cause harm not just to him but those around him. Tying the bag to his left hip his right ear twitched, drawing his immediate attention, "Greymane is something wrong?"
"Ya I thought I heard some filly scream just now!" Exclaiming as he raced off in the direction of the sound, "And I would rather be safe than sorry." Running as fast as his hooves could carry him across four rooftops leading him to a small shopping area as he slid stopping next to a chimney out of sight.
As the serpent kept its distance Greymane peeked around the corner and saw a young midnight blue filly, "As you suspected, and look about five of the local guard also heard her. Looks like we can leave." As the serpent began to fly away it turned to see Greymane focused on the situation almost as if he was stuck and unable to remove himself, "There's nothing you can do right now, the guards have it under control."
Looking down at the situation Greymane took notice that the young filly almost didn't want their help and had screamed for a different reason, "I don't know, see how she keeps backing away from them. This just doesn't seem right to me."
Slipping into the alley as the guard passed by he got close enough to hear them, "Well, well, well...look what we got here." Signaling the others to hold back as he moved closer to the young filly, "Are you lost?" As the scared little pony nodded her head the guard gave a crooked smile, "Well don't be afraid, we'll take good care of you. After all we need you in the best condition you can be if we want to strike it big at the slave auction."
Taking that as their ques, the other guards slowly started to move into place, with the exception of one taking quick notice of who she was, "Captain we can't take her in..." Coming in closer he whispered into the captain's ear, "...she's a princess, and to the royal family that's visiting no less."
"Then you know what that means Private..." Pausing to see the private's reaction, only to watch him slowly shake his head, "...It means we could get double at the auction for her." As he began to chuckle he licked his lips, "And if we sell her to the one's with a fetish for fillies we could get triple or more, the younger the better. We'll live like kings the rest of our lives."
As the Privet ran off wishing not to be apart of the situation another gave chase after him sword drawn prepared to kill. As the other guard drew closer to the Private he was tackled into the alley and quickly incapacitated by Greymane, quickly poking his head around the corner Greymane could see that the young filly took off running and the guards were just trotting after her as if they found some amusement in the chase. Dashing off right after them Greymane took them out one by one using the sleeping powder he kept in a half pound bag tied to his right hip.
As the last guard fell victim to the sleeping powder the young filly tripped and fell to the ground sliding in the ice a few feet to a stop, "Aww...did the poor wittle filly hurt herself, don't worry I'll fix you up. After all your value goes down with each little scratch." As the filly began to cry as she felt helpless believing that nopony could save her, and that she would never see her family again.
As his hoof drew closer to her the captain began to laugh at the thought of how rich he was going to be, only to find somepony grab his hoof and throw him into the nearest wall away from the filly.
Taking a defensive stance Greymane stood between the two and stared down the captain, "It would be in your best interest to leave now and forget having ever set eyes on her!"
As the captain slowly started to rise back onto his hooves he spotted the wanted poster just behind them that had been hung up as a joke during the last festival, "No..." He whispered to himself. "...It can't be..." Questioning his eyes as his voice began to rise as the image in the poster was spot on for the stallion that now stared him down, "...but I can make ten times more off you than what she's worth. Real or not."
Charging in the captain leaped into the air as he drew his sword, slashing down he watched as Greymane simply brushed the blade aside with his right hoof and use the momentum created to spin around to the left of the captain and buck him square into the ribs and down the street. Pouncing back up to his hooves he discovered that both Greymane and the filly had simply vanished, when in fact they were just around the corner on the rooftop above the alley.
Gently brushing the snow off her he watched her flinch to a small injury on her left shoulder, "Well it's nothing too bad, a few scrapes and maybe a bruise but I can fix that."
Pulling out his gourd he put a few drops of its contents on the open wounds and she watched as the scrapes healed right before her eyes as if it never happened.
Looking back up at him she watched him take off his cloak and wrapped her with in it, "Here this will keep you warm while I go deal with mud for brains down there." Before taking off he lowered his head, closed his eyes, and focused on the mental link that he shared with the serpent, *Leviathan do me a favor and keep her safe for a while.*
*What do I look like to you a foal sitter?* Scoffing at the idea.
Turning to the street he quickly overlooked the area to find an advantage point for catching the captain off guard, *Yes...* Having a quick look at his current appearance Greymane couldn't help himself but to poke fun at his protector, *...as a matter of fact you do. But to be honest you look like fish bait most of the time.*
*Oh har-dee-har-har.*
As the young filly slightly grind and giggled at the idea that a pony had mud for brains she watched as Greymane ran across the roof top and jumped from one street lamp to the next with ease and across the street undetected by the captain down below.
As the captain inspected the nearby area for where they could have gone, Greymane slid down between two buildings into the alley and calmly walked out into the street only four feet behind the captain, "I'll give you one last chance to just walk away, and I'll pretend I didn't see anything." He warned as he slowly walked out into the open.
"Walk away..." Giving a slight laugh the captain stared at Greymane with a shine to his eye as if he were looking at a literal mountain of gold, "...have you any idea how much I can get if I bring you in? Hell the amount I could get if I took you into the slave auction, a living legend. Anypony would pay any price just to have your HEAD MOUNTED ON THEIR WALL. Hell necromancers would even pay twenty times the price easy just to have your head, and thousands more if I brought them your body. I'll live like an emperor, nay..." Walking forth his iris seemed to fade as his own greed began to consume him, "...I could live like a god!"
Slowly shaking his head as he turned his back Greymane looked at his icy reflection on the ground, "Why can't you be reasonable? I'm giving you a chance to leave here unharmed."
Having taken notice that Greymane was staring at the ground he charged in raising his sword preparing to swing for Greymane's neck. As the young filly peeked over the mound on the roof dragging the cloak behind herself, she watched as Greymane waited for the down swing from the sword while preparing for his next move. As the sword neared the top of his neck he lowered his ears and head as he slowly felt the brush of the sword pass by his mane missing his head and striking the ground. Using the momentum created from the doge Greymane flipped forward and knocked off the guard's helm with his back right hoof and struck the captain in the head with his back left hoof dazing him for a moment. Spinning on his front right hoof he landed in a wide stance that left him low to the ground ready to strike once more should the need for it come, only to see the captain had stumbled over. As the captain looked up he could only to see a blur blow some dust into his eyes.
Within a matter of moments the captain fell into a deep sleep oblivious to the world around himself. As the young filly looked on in amazement she soon realized that she could be in far greater danger than she was before, trying to keep a close eye on him she watched him walk into the alley next to the building she was on as a cloud slowly flew over and dimming what little light she had. Hoping to keep a close eye on him she soon discovered he had vanished without trace as to where he could have gone.
Taking a few steps back her fear slowly began to take hold, "Sorry you had to see that. I had hoped he would listen to reason and walk away, but few ponies who have let their greed get the better of them listen."
Quickly turning around she saw him sitting next to the chimney, in her mind it was impossible for any pony to be that sneaky without the use of magic and clearly he was an earth pony. Pulling the hood hover her head she hoped he would simply just leave, as she began to whimper she felt his hoof gently pull back the hood till she saw his eyes. Looking up at him she began to cry, once again worried she would never see her family.
As the tears began to fill her eyes Greymane pulled down his mask as he wrapped his hooves around her and cradle her back and forth trying to shush her, "It's okay see, I'm just like everypony else."
Witnessing what he had done the serpent nearly revealed itself as he shouted into Greymane's mind, *YOU SHOULD NEVER REMOVE YOUR MASK!!! Should any living thing discover what you look like then the secret of your lineage and...*
*Can it!* He shot back. *Can't you see she's scared out of her mind. I've spent most my life around foals, if you level with them many will come to trust you and open up. And I wish to help her get back home...* Looking around he was unsure as to where she had come from, *...wherever... that may be.* Sitting down next to her, he wrapped the cloak around her a little more to help keep her warm, having another look at her he could see she had barely stopped crying but was still scared, "You know when I was your age I played with ponies who were my size all the time, sometimes the older ponies would play with us. But I never tried to play with any of the adults that watched over us."
As she smiled at the thought of playing with other ponies her own age she looked up at him, "Who are you?" she asked in a timid voice.
Smiling down at her he could hear the serpent shouting into his head reminding him with a lecture on why he should not let her know who he is, "I'm no pony important, but what is important is if you're okay. And where your family is so I can make sure you get home safely."
Smiling back at him she pointed at the castle, "Mommy and Daddy are there, they have business with the king and queen here. Me and my sister were playing hide-n-seek, I got lost in the castle and..."
As she started to cry again she found herself being lifted up onto his back as he smiled knowing where to go.
She watched him fasten his cloak around his neck while leaving the hood on her to keep the night air out of her face she could feel a small level of kinship from her savior, "All right, I just got done with my business in the castle not too long ago..." Giving a faint smile as he looked back at her he couldn't help but ponder, "...so what is your name?"
"Will you tell me what your name is first, so my parents can reward you properly?"
Smiling as he sighed and slightly turned his head to look at the path they would be traveling, "You can call me Grey, and I need no reward. Knowing you are with your family and safe is plenty for me."
"I'm Woona." She whispered grabbing hold of him as he started to walk off.
"Luna..." Taking a quick moment to stretch before galloping he thought about her name in case he ran into her later, "...such a lovely name." Starting to sprint he called back to her, "Hold on tight Luna and I'll have you with your family in no time." As he felt her pull his mane tighter he started to run at full speed jumping from one roof to the next, while using lamp poles and trees to assist in their travel. Knowing she was still scared he tried to ease her worries. "So what business does your mother and father have with Lord Frostflame and his stuck up wife?"
"Our kingdom of Equestria is expanding faster than we expected it to, so mommy and daddy are trying to keep peace with them. In hopes we can expand here in the north without fear of war."
"Oh so something similar to what I do."
"Are you a king?" Perking up to the idea nearly caused her to fall off his back.
Slowing down he reached back to help keep her steady, "No, not at all. But I help keep peace between nations so wars don't break out."
Laying down as she held his mane she thought about the various positions in the court only to come to the conclusion of one, "So you're an emissary?"
Once he was sure she was safe and holding on tight he took off once more, "In a way yes."
Galloping across the roof toward the castle walls he timed the guard patrols so he would be at their backs as he passed them. As the two guards passed each other Greymane jumped between their backs and grappled a tree spinning around it to slow himself down and safely land on the ground. As it was something Luna had never seen done before in her life she almost shouted out how great it was, only to recall how the guards she first ran into were not the nicest bunch and didn't want to run into another group like them.
Sneaking past the patrolling guards he hid near the castle in the bushes, "If you're an emissary why not just use the main doors?" Luna inquired pondering why he stuck to the shadows like some kind of criminal.
Looking up at her Greymane smiled as he patted her on the head, "I'm not very well liked, I've exposed many corrupt officials that either wanted power, or had far too much of it just so they could abuse it. And I've kept many that wanted to wage war out of lust for money and power away from the idea, and because of these things many want me dead. But it doesn't matter to me, what does matter is that ponies like you get to live full rewarding lives in peace with their families. And that's all I can ask for." Hoping not to let on how sad she was for him Luna gently held him close; sensing her sorrow he gave a slight chuckle, "Don't worry about me, I've done fine so far and I don't see any way I could fall or fail." Peeking through a bush he could see the way around the castle to the dungeon was clear, but it was no place for a filly, "So where exactly are you and your family staying?"
As Luna pointed up he looked at the tallest tower, "We are staying in the third window up, they say it's the best room in the whole kingdom. But it doesn't seem like it, there are so many cobwebs, it's very dusty, and it smells funny."
Sighing as he smiled Greymane looked back at Luna, "Well that's what happens when her royal pain thinks a corpse flower would make a great conversation starter as well as brighten the room, she is right about one thing it does help start a conversation when some pony asks what the smell is." Looking around he could see there were no trees or walls that came close enough to the first window and the space between each one was far too much to simply try jumping from one to the next; his worst fear was there could be far more guards inside, clearing his mind he exhaled and thought of his cloak, "Hold on tight we're taking a short cut."
Before she could ask Luna could feel the use of magic surround them, in an instant he took off at full speed charging at the tower wall, "I don't think we can move through walls." She cried out.
"We're not going through it, we're going up it." Before she could ask him how Luna held on as tight as she could as he jumped toward the wall and began to run straight up.
To her it seemed impossible with out being a pegasus, even with the use of magic. As they neared the top Greymane jumped and reached out for the balcony, feeling the magic that once surrounded them fade she feared the high fall only to see him dangling off the edge. Pulling tighter on his mane she watched as he pulled himself up and peeked into the room to see if it was clear, once he felt safe he hoisted himself over the railing and walked into the room.
Sliding off his back Luna looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you Grey, I will never forget what you have done for me." Perking up she turned at the sound of her name being called, "Over here Tia, I am with a new friend his name is Grey, and...and..." Turning to introduce him she found that Greymane had vanished once again without her noticing, as a young Celestia walked into the room, "...he was right here."
"Well tell your imaginary friend that it's time for us to go Mother and Father have been worried sick, and both our personal guard as well as the local guard were looking for you. Where were you this whole time?"
"No I went to find someplace to hide but ended up outside in a run down part of town, my friend Grey helped me get back."
Hugging her sister Celestia brushed her mane, "Sister I think your imagination is starting to run wild."
Letting Luna go as she turned and walked away as Luna stomped one hoof on the ground as she pouted, "But my imagination is not running wild. He's real Tia I promise." As Celestia left the room Luna turned back to the balcony and saw Greymane waving goodbye, as she ran hoping to question him she watched as he jumped from the balcony and flew down to the city below, "I thought that only ponies with wings could fly."
As she watched him land on a rooftop unharmed Celestia walked out to the balcony, "What are you looking at?"
Pointing at the rooftop she hoped Celestia would see him this time, "My friend Grey he's an earth pony but I just watched him fly from here down to there."
Looking down at the city Celestia saw nopony but the guards near the castle, "Where?"
"He's right there..." Looking back down she could see he vanished once more, "But he was there..." pointing to the third building from the castle wall where she had last seen him only raised a few questions for her, "...on that building right there."
"Well earth ponies can't fly any way..." Thinking about the options for ponies who could fly Celestia rubbed her hoof under her chin, "...you sure he's not a pegasus or a unicorn with strong magic?"
"I know he's an earth pony, he doesn't have a horn and I was on his back so I know he doesn't have wings."
Laughing at the thought of an earth pony that could fly, Celestia turned and walked toward the door, "Well that settles that, you have a very creative mind."
Turning to pout and argue with her sister Luna looked down when she heard the sound of crumpling paper under her hoof, looking at the parchment she saw a small note addressed to herself, 'Luna though our time was short it was nice getting to know you. Perhaps we can meet again under much better circumstances. And in warmer weather, I'm not much of one for the ice and snow. Your Friend Grey.'
Looking back down at the last building she saw him at, Luna caught a glimpse of him running through the alleys. Wondering how an earth pony such as himself got around so fast while remaining unnoticed brought many new ideas to herself as she left the balcony smiling.
As Greymane left the city he took to what little woods there was to conceal his movements. Looking up at the night sky he saw a royal carriage leaving the city, as he smiled at the carriage as he saw Luna waving her hoof as they were leaving. Waving back to her he smiled as he sighed, knowing that she was safe and with ponies that cared for her.
Though he wasn't one to ruin a mood Xiuhtecutli knew he had to point out what he believed was the truth, "You know you will have to forget about her, after all if she continues to know of your existence she may just hunt you down one day when she learns the truth."
Dropping from the trees he turned and started walking toward the south, "If only it was so simple. She called me a friend, my entire life I've been called brother, son, from you advocate, from the guards I've been called any dirty thing under the sun and the moon. I feel that somehow this could be different for me, but I don't know why or how."
As the serpent humphed at the thought the world around both Greymane and Luna became milky and washed away, as the illusion surrounding them started to vanish it started showing that the sun was coming up in the present day.
Looking at the rising sun he turned away from Luna, "It seems my time here has come to an end, I must be off."
As he attempted to take off Luna pulled his tail with her magic just to simply hold him back, "Why not enjoy a meal with us. We will invite you as my guest. We can even ensure the guards won't lay a single hoof on you."
Smiling at the thought he looked back, "Sorry, though I would love to sit down and enjoy one meal with you, sadly I cannot Xiuhtecutli will be back shortly and when he returns he will have another task for me."
"That is the serpent we saw in that memory. What does he do?" Curious as to what the creature she saw was and what it was capable of.
"He helps me locate artifacts and enchanted items that would bring war and ruin to this world, so that I can hide them where nopony can ever think to look or even come close to reaching. He also protects me from anything I can't outwit or out match with my skills, but most of the time he's a pain in the flank." Walking up to him she placed her right hoof on his right cheek, and gave a worried look, "Luna I wish I could stay but... ..."
"Then why not stay, it is just one meal. Not only will we be there but so shall my sister, Twilight and her friends, as well as Shining Armor and Cadence. And as we said before Twilight and her friends as well as myself have been worried about you, and though it would not be right, my sister has a few questions for you..." As she looked him in the eyes she could see that just a simple blank expression from her was enough to make him question his own decision, "...please? If not for any of them, then for me."
As he looked Luna in the eyes his heart began to race and he found himself lost in her eyes while his jaw barely hung open. Looking away as he bit down on the inside of his lower lip he found himself at an impasse between what his heart has yearned for, and what his vow demanded.
With a sigh he smiled, "All right, but only because you asked. I'll find my way there."
Giving half a grin Luna couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of the guards finding Greymane walking alone in the castle, "We think it would be best for us both to meet down there by the main doors, otherwise somepony might think you are up to no good."
Closing one eye as he tilted his head to one side he thought about how easy it would be to just sneak over there, but at the same time he knew Luna was right, "Very well then. Go on ahead of me I'll meet you down there."
As Luna took off toward the main door Greymane allowed himself to fall back off the railing out of sight of anypony passing by while using his cloak to slow his descent to the ground, as he enjoyed the gentle fall down to the ground he couldn't help but smile at the way things were going as he stared at the sky, 'Perhaps I should have been more honest with her from the start. Oh well this time will be different, I'm more than sure of it.' He thought to himself.
As Greymane let his cloak gently carry him to the ground Xiuhtecutli was still busy dealing with a demonic god, slamming his fist down on the desk the entire domain to the Lord of the Flies trembled at just the amount of force used, "THE HELL DO YOU MEAN ASMODAY IS GONE!?!? I thought the demonic gods kept the boundaries of Tartaros sealed at the gate, and no demon of the rank 'Greater' through 'God' was not allowed to leave without the approval of at least two demonic gods or one of equaling power."
"Though this is true Samael and myself went to reduce Asmoday's power and remove his rank of lord, forcing him to give up his domain for his actions not just against your advocate but against the world above as well. And as per the pact agreed upon with the ninth Greymane to help keep us from losing far too many of our own in a war with the ever growing world above, so to deal with these little outbursts we punish our own..." Pulling up a set of blinds he looked down into a large room that contained Adramelech as he screamed in agony from whatever disease plagued his body, "...some punished harsher than others; I know that in time his demonic powers and his dark magic will return but for the time being Adramelech will be my new test subject. Also it has come to my attention that some demons posses the ability to pass through the gate without permission, Blisargon being a case in point. But Asmoday is a different case. At the time we thought we had done what was needed but..."
"But?"
"He serves a demonic god that not only grants him his power and rank. But also possess the power to grant him and his army the right to pass through the gates and remain unseen by us. As of right now Samael is gathering the other demonic gods as well as the demonic lords for a meeting."
Worried that the Lord of the Flies was preparing for war Xiuhtecutli dug his claws into the desk that sat before him, "What kind of meeting?"
"We are going to break the seal on the gates and storm the world above. I'm afraid that to keep Azathoth from returning we will have to storm the world and turn all in our path to ash."
As Xiuhtecutli's eyes began to glow brighter than the sun he charged Beelzebub and pinned him to the wall with one claw on his neck digging in drawing a small amount of blood, "AZATHOTH REMAINS BEYOND THE VOID, USING HIS RELEASE AS AN EXCUSE TO STORM THE WORLD ABOVE WILL NOT WORK WITH ME!!! BESIDES THE ONLY THING THAT CAN FREE HIM RIGHT NOW IS THE VOID DIAMOND THAT WAS USED TO BANISH HIM, AND IT WAS LOCKED AWAY LONG AGO IN THE VAULT OF CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION!!! Nothing living, dead, or other worldly can remove it we all made sure of that."
Allowing him to vent his anger Beelzebub pulled a file off the shelf next to him, "This proves other wise..."As he tossed it on his desk Xiuhtecutli released him and picked up the file, "...over the past two thousand years Asmoday had sent no less than four thousand demons there granted with the gift of invincibility and each one somehow failed. We never knew of it till now when we searched his domain."
"That still proves my point the diamond remains locked away."
"If only it were true, if you look further down he writes saying that after your advocate earned his right to continue living and he was under greater watch; he started taking greater precaution and stopped sending demons through the gate, out of fear of what we would do if we discovered his actions sooner. However in your absence from your advocate he did what he could to watch him carefully and noticed that Greymane not only passed by the vault but found the diamond sitting just outside the only way in or out. His demons may have failed but they got it close enough that your advocate could see it and take it without being harmed. Which is why I had hoped he would be here to tell us where he might have taken it. Or in the greater possibility have it with him so we can lock it in the vault and deal with Asmoday should he come after it."
Quickly reading the file Xiuhtecutli griped it tighter and tighter as he slowly started to rip its bindings, "But I've never told him about the void diamonds, let alone the one we locked away. If he did have it..." Thinking back he knew how Greymane would often use a few ponies he trusted to gather information for him or even do some research into items he got his hooves on, "...Oh no!" As the file dropped on the ground Xiuhtecutli took his astral form and raced off, *Beelzebub hold them from storming the world above for as long as you can. My advocate and I shall deal with this matter post haste.*
*I can only grant you one day here in Tartaros, I'm not sure how much time I can truly buy you, but it's all I can do for the time being. For even we fear the return of Azathoth and will do all we can to stop it, I am sorry…* Though Xiuhtecutli could not see Beelzebub's face he could sense the heavy thoughts that came with making the choice he would soon have to decide on, *...but drastic measures must be taken if it comes down to it.*
As Xiuhtecutli race toward Canterlot he feared the worst but knew Greymane would not simply give up the location to any artifact, even one he had no prior knowledge of having. Upon reaching Canterlot he tried calling out to Greymane using the telepathic link they shared but got no response causing him to become frantic knowing that a demonic lord was among mortals, and his only target was Greymane so he knew that Asmoday would be careful in how he tried to deal with Greymane but would not hesitate to level all of Canterlot if it came down to it. Taking a moment to think he knew that his next step was to look for Luna, if anypony knew his last location it would have to be her if Greymane did speak with her.
As he searched the castle grounds he began searching for Luna frantically going from one room to the next till he heard a rather lively conversation, once he had found her he soon discovered Asmoday impersonating Greymane while he enjoying himself, laughing as if nothing had gone wrong while telling them of Greymane's recent adventures that he had documented so he could better learn how to eliminate him later. As everypony asked him questions after questions Xiuhtecutli tried to contact Greymane once more but still got no reply. Knowing the dark lord had something to do with it he lit up the room with small glowing green orbs that flickered and danced around like fireflies.
Looking up from her meal for a moment with another question pertaining to his work Celestia couldn't help but find her attention drawn to the small lights, "That's quite odd, I've never seen a firefly this late into the morning."
As Asmoday looked at the little light show he simply tried to ignore it as they seemed to fly into his face and circled around each other drawing themselves closer to him and slowly building as they became smaller and turned bright blue in color, "The little things are persistent to get attention that's for sure."
As Luna took notice she watched as they all clustered together before him and seemed to smoke and let of tiny magical surges, "Greymane what does Xiuhtecutli Look like?"
As his ear cocked back he looked around the room and could tell that all eyes were on him and Luna, "Who?"
Before Luna could ask again in greater detail they watched as the small glowing orbs exploded violently into his face without harming anything, or anypony, else and threw him back into a pillar. Shortly after they watched as he was tossed around by an unseen force making them feel helpless as they watch him be subjected to such a beating and become pinned to a wall. As his lower torso began to burn Twilight and her friends watched as a pony slowly came into sight out of thin air, but to Luna and Celestia he appeared to have the lower half of a snake and the upper half of a dragon. To both groups they could see that as he held whom they perceived to be Greymane, and this new pony started pressing up under his ribs and burning his flesh with some kind of spell.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE DIAMOND!?!?" As he dug his claws deeper into Asmoday he made the flames burn brighter and hotter, "If you don't tell me where the diamond is I'll turn your insides to ash!"
As his flesh began to melt Twilight shot the intruder aside as Luna held him at bay, "How dare you attack my guest in my home!"
As Luna prepared to call the guards she watched as her magic that held the intruder was dispelled with a small gleam in his eye, "Your skill and knowledge in magic is equal to that of a larva when compared to me princess. Now stand aside so that I may deal with A..."
Before he could spit out a name they saw a dark aura shoot past them and hit the intruder square in the mouth, Looking in the direction it came from they watched as the same dark aura that hit the intruder was over the burns on Greymane's body.
As they watched Greymane heal himself with dark magic his flesh began to melt away and the tone of his voice become slightly lower but far more malevolent as he grew slightly taller than Celestia, "She is right you know. I always assumed that the great leviathans had far more manners than that. And to insult a princess, tsk tsk tsk..." Dropping the act he allowed himself to appear as he always was as he laughed at how hopeless things were quickly becoming for all of them, "...seems like somepony needs to teach you how to behave in public." Looking toward the group he gave a crooked smile as he licked his teeth, "The meal was eloquent I do thank you, however it was lacking in...flavor...shall we say. Oh and I'll pass your regards onto Greymane who should be enjoying his little nap with the fishes."
As he faded from their sight laughing like a lunatic Luna rushed over to Xiuhtecutli, "I'm sorry I had no idea it was you, Greymane never..."
As she tried to plead with him the spell that held his mouth shut faded from him as he shoved her aside, "AND FOR GOOD REASON... ...my appearance varies from one mind to the next. What you see before you is a humbled form which allows me to be within the same room as all of you. Other wise it would be quite impossible for me to be here let alone on this continent. But that aside it was none of your concern as to whom I am."
As the others rushed over they appeared to be in confusion as to whom stood before them now, and where he had come from, where as Rainbow Dash took offense to his attitude toward the Princess of the Night, "Hey bub she's only trying to help, we know a mistake was made so try calming down for a second."
They watched as Rainbow Dash's mane burst into flames they were all astonished that it did not burn her, "Perhaps you should have a flaming head to match that fiery attitude, rather than a multicolored one." As he moved between them they attempted to put out the fire only to watch it fade away as if it was never there leaving Rainbow Dash unharmed, "Now if you don't mind I have urgent matters to contend with."
Before he could take off he felt somepony enter his mind, feeling out the connection he turned his attention toward Celestia as he felt the link grow stronger.
As she stepped closer the feeling shortly came to an end, "I understand, but if you don't mind answering a few of my questions before you go. Like why would the dark lords of Tartaros march on the world, and what is the void diamond?"
As the others began to turn their thoughts on the questions Princess Celestia asked Xiuhtecutli found himself slightly cornered and enraged.
Before answering the questions he used the mental link Celestia had just created to read his mind for his own personal use, *Fair warning to you princess, the next time you even peek into my mind I shall devour yours and leave you as a mindless husk!* Moving to the far side of the room he watched Celestia attempt to keep her composed and regal expression and yet in her eyes he could see a hint of worry, turning his attention away from Celestia he called out to the Lord of Flies, *Beelzebub things are not boding well on my end. Greymane is missing and Asmoday was half a step ahead of us, how much time do we have?*
*It has only been five hours down here, but many of these lords are growing impatient out of fear and demand we march now, I'm not sure how much longer we gods can stall them. For the time being we are treating the issue as a bit of new business and are tending to older ones to stall for time, at the moment we are currently discussing the trafficking of souls and the overall impact it has on both sides. You should hear some of the ideas they’ve come up with to bring more valuable souls down here.*
Slowly pacing himself Xiuhtecutli tried to contact Greymane one last time, only to find the situation grew worse by the second, *I'm sorry leviathan but the mind you are trying to contact is preoccupied with dying as slowly and as painfully as possible at the moment, please try your call again after your demise.*
Realizing he would need more help than intended Xiuhtecutli turned around and faced everypony in the room with a stern expression and eyes full of worry, "First and foremost the dark lords and dark gods are only marching because they fear the return of a far greater evil, one that took the entire world to slow down, and back then we had far more greater creatures. And to ensure this evil does not return they will burn all in their path till they find the void diamond. However I have a few acquaintances that are currently stalling for the time being to give us a chance to keep that from happening." Turning his attention to Celestia he gave a stern look with a slight growling hiss, "And as for the void diamond all you need to know is that it's an artifact, to be more specific it's part of a set of twelve black diamonds in total and that is all you need to know."
As Xiuhtecutli continued to explain how dire the situation truly was, he emphasized as well as argued on how it was best they remained out of the current situation as much as possible. As they argued back and forth Asmoday had come to the northern shores of Zherbenok Bay and lifted Greymane out of the water shackled to a large bolder.
Walking up to him Asmoday watched as the medallion gave a small shine and Greymane began to cough up water and gasp for air, "Did you enjoy your nap?"
As Greymane looked up he gave a weakened smile as he chuckled, "Well I would have enjoyed it more if your mother was here. And I gotta say for a demon she was one sexy piece of ass."
Giving an annoyed sigh Asmoday cocked an eyebrow and began to press down on Greymane's chest, "For your information I killed my whore of a mother a long time ago. Ripped out her heart with this very hoof."
"Well that answers a lot of my questions."
Joining Greymane in on the laughter Asmoday pressed harder and harder till he broke Greymane's ribs and ripped through his flesh, "Let's see you make jokes...without your lungs!" Bringing out one of Greymane's lungs slowly to ensure it remained attached to the bronchus Asmoday began to eat it as though it was a rare dish causing Greymane to cry out in agony, "You know, I've often wondered why the flesh of mortals always tasted better when they where alive." Finishing off one of the lungs he reached back in and pulled out the other to start devouring it humming the sounds of delight as he savored the second lung, "And now I remember why, you can taste the pain in each and every little bite...and how fear causes the blood to slowly simmer as doubt mixes in, it makes it so delicious that it becomes quite the delicacy." As he looked up at Greymane and could see that shock was slowly kicking in, "I thought I perfected that spell, but then again I have only been able to practice on the dead. No matter you'll bleed to death long before the shock of all this can take full effect."
As Greymane slowly bled to death he constantly pondered why Xiuhtecutli would not respond to his mental calls for help. As Greymane died from the blood loss Asmoday took the time to savor one more of Greymane's organs reaching back in to rip out the liver only seconds before the medallion could give off a small shine once again.
As Greymane's organs began regenerating themselves his wound close as he coughed up blood while gasping for air, "Your mother says hi, and wants to know why you never call her anymore, also she says for you to get your head out of your ass."
Biting into the liver slowly savoring the taste of living flesh he glared as he spoke out the side of his mouth, "Cute..." Swallowing the piece in his mouth as he sat down and brought a small bolder over to act as a table after using it to break one of Greymane's legs, "...you know there was a time when I did find these antics of yours amusing, but for the life of me I can't seem to remember when that was." Finishing off the last of the liver he placed his blood stained hoof on Greymane's shoulder, "But speaking of things that I find amusing I'm afraid I can't afford any more time to torture you for information not even for a single second, so what do you say. Care to tell me where you've gone and hidden the void diamond?"
Unsure of what he was asking Greymane quickly searched his recent memory but couldn't recall anything but the black diamond he left in Ponyville, "Sorry but I don't have any idea as to what you're talking about. Perhaps if you where to jog my memory a little."
"Very well then..." Coming in close Asmoday hissed as he ripped out Greymane's throat with his teeth, swallowing the tattered pieces of flesh and licking the blood off his lips as he hummed the sounds of delight once more with a chuckle, "...It's a black diamond that can open the void and grant safe passage from the horrors that lay within. I know you had it earlier but when I first captured you I could not find it, so you must have hidden it somewhere."
As he felt the life slowly fade from himself he watched Asmoday take another bite out of his flesh near his ribs just before he passed out.
As he awoke once more coughing up blood and gasping for air he gave a weakened smile at the demon, "O~oh that diamond, ya I can tell you exactly where I put it."
"FINALLY some progress!" He exclaimed with a disgruntled annoyed sigh.
Laughing at the thought of where he would have hidden such an item if he had the chance, "Ya it took me a while but I found the perfect hiding place. Somewhere you couldn't reach."
"Where, where!?!?"
"I shoved it up your ass, it was a lot easier to do once I removed that massive stick you had rammed up their. In fact I'm surprised you didn't even notice. But then again you just enjoy having something up there." Breaking out into a fit of laughter as Asmoday ripped a hole in Grey’s esophagus to silence him only for Grey to start gurgling blood in what some would have assumed to be a pain filled laugh.
Hissing as he pressed down on the hole in Greymane's neck Asmoday bit down and tore off a piece of Greymane's face, "I am growing tired of this little game you keep playing. Just one pain in the ass comment after another from you."
Within moments the medallion healed Greymane leaving no sign he had been harmed once again, "To be fair it shouldn't be much of a pain in the ass for you now that the stick is out."
With a disgruntled hiss Asmoday began to beat Greymane senselessly within an inch of his life, breaking bones and rupturing non-vital organs while taunting him as he asked if Greymane found this situation amusing and demanding he laugh.
As the beating came to an end several hours later with the setting of the sun, Asmoday removed the medallion and placed it around his own neck, "It has been fun Greymane, but like all good things sadly this must come to an end. Now before I kill you and then head off in search of the diamond tell me something. Does the medallion look good on me?"
With a broken jaw and a bruised face he stared down Asmoday as best he could, barely muttering as blood slowly dripped from his mouth, "You won't kill me..." Pausing for the moment to spit out what blood had filled in his mouth giving a weakened glare, "...you still need me to find the diamond."
"Now that's where you are wrong, you see it's said that the artifacts can't be destroyed. So I'll just go from one village, city, or town, to the next slaughtering lives, burning homes, and leaving the blood from it all at your hooves till I find it. Oh and don't worry about anypony you care about. They will slowly join you in death..." Lifting the boulder he had shackled Greymane to he gave a wicked smile full of a lust for blood, "...soon enough after I've had my fun torturing them as I have you. Who knows maybe I make Luna suffer more by slowly killing Celestia in front of her, after I show her your bloated corpse."
As Greymane stared down Asmoday with his one unswollen eye the intent to kill slowly grew alongside his rage, "Harm one hair on any of them. And I swear you won't walk away from any of this!"
Asmoday found it amusing to hear what he believed to be Greymane's last threat, "Oh Greymane you're in no position to be making threats or promises at this point in time. I however don't have to make any, once my master is free from beyond the void..." As his horn began to gleam the bolder slowly started to move over the open waters. "...none shall stand in our way!"
Trying to fight the pain Greymane struggled to free himself from the shackles knowing that if he could not break free then all that awaited him was an unmarked watery grave. As the bolder floated in the air suspended by the dark lord's magic Greymane could see nothing below him but the dark icy waters of the bay. As Greymane barely managed to free his left hoof he nearly cried out in pain as the bone in that leg snapped in half. Trying to reach for his gourd he found it missing only to see it laying in the grass where he was being tortured splattered in blood. In an attempt to free his right hoof Greymane found his shoulder was dislocated as well as nearly his entire right leg broken causing him to clench his teeth as he grunted in pain.
"Now I want you to remember that I gave you plenty of time to be reasonable Greymane..." Slowly releasing the bolder he could see the fear in Greymane's eyes, though it was not a fear of death for Gray had already accepted he could die at any moment and embraced death as a friend, but a fear for all he held near and dear to his heart, "...I was patient with you, and let you tell your jokes, but instead of working with me you chose to continue this meaningless fight. Sleep well Greymane." Releasing the bolder he laughed as Greymane took one final deep breath before falling beneath the water, just before leaving he watched as Greymane's image slowly became lost to the darkened waters, "Oh Greymane I forget. Do mortals need air to live I once heard something about that but I don't recall..." Holding a hoof to his ear as he listened closely for only a moment then nodded with a hum and lustful laugh, "...I guess not." Laughing as he vanished from the area, he felt successful in his endeavor.
Slowly sinking to the bottom of the bay Greymane did all he could to try and break free, only to slowly discover all his efforts were in vain. The beating he took from the dark lord both with and without the medallion took far too great a toll on his body and left him weaker than he originally thought.
Before passing out he looked up toward the slowly fading sky and sent out one last telepathic message, wishing for any whom could hear him would listen, *Please keep all whom I hold dear safe and out of harm's way. And please tell them... ...I Greymane am sorry.*
As last of what little air he had in his lungs were pressed out by the pressure of the water. His eyes closed with the faint image of the young colt he had seen on the train laying on the floor of the bay to become the last image he saw, while the cold embrace of death came for him.
“No matter how many plans you make or how much in control you are, life is always winging it.” ― Carroll Bryant
While Greymane was left to contend with his fate Twilight and the others did all that they could by looking all over canterlot and the surrounding areas for Greymane with their only clue stating he was near some water, it was several hours before any of them began to suspect he was no longer in Canterlot and this only caused them to worry where in all of Equestria he could be if he was still in Equestria. Xiuhtecutli however began claiming that it was pointless to search under the notion that they could be anywhere in the world making their efforts worthless, he also claimed that it was in their best interest to just prepare for the worst and hope that when the seals on the gates were broken they could at least bargain to keep the destruction to a minimum. Though they had asked Xiuhtecutli to help them search for Greymane it didn't take him very long to give up knowing full well he had to deal with Asmoday and worry about Greymane later if he was still alive. And while every pony on the other hoof refused to give up hope, though in some small way they felt that Xiuhtecutli was right and didn’t want to agree with him, they repeatedly asked for him to continue aiding them in the search believing that they could find Grey.
Angry over the fact that time was not on their side Xiuhtecutli grew impatient and started to lose his temper, "Look if I don't deal with Asmoday now then even if we find Greymane then what good does it do us?” Knowing he had a good point everypony simply stood there unsure of what to say, “With each second I waste in aiding in your pointless search means that Asmoday would be that much closer to reaching his goal leaving us with no time to prepare…” Taking a few steps towards the odd creature Luna extended her hoof hoping she could get him to see reason only for Xiuhtecutli to slap her hoof aside, “...keep looking for Greymane if you wish but I have some business to attend to in the hopes I can somehow spare your insignificantly short lives."
It was at this moment that an old friend had made contact through telepathy though however calm he sounded Xiuhtecutli could pick up on a small trace of fear for events that had yet to come, *Leviathan this is Barqu and I have your advocate in my possession as of right now, and suffice it to say his condition is not looking good. From what I can tell he has died and come back far too much in a short amount of time, a result of being tortured with the Medallion of Immortality no doubt. At the moment the medallion is gone alongside Asmoday and had I not been in the local area he would have drown.*
Knowing that time grew short he hoped for Greymane to be well enough to help him end the oncoming storm before it could have a single chance to start, *What are you talking about, what happened, where are you?*
*We are located along the coast of the Zherbenok Bay. And from what I saw and heard Asmoday is after a void diamond… isn't he?* Knowing the location as well as its change in name from having traveled the world countless times over, Barqu was the only demonic god that was always among mortals in one form or another; though he was never noticed by any living thing and kept to himself as often as possible. As he spoke Xiuhtecutli could hear the trembling in his voice that came from the fear of Azathoth’s return.
Hoping he could keep the situation under control he passed on what information he had knowing that Barqu was one of few demonic gods that was on their side, *Yes he is, according to Beelzebub he plans on freeing Azathoth, but we are at a disadvantage since he claims to know where the diamond is, and to add to our problems Asmoday has the power to grant invincibility; if he gives it to any demon under his command then he stands a chance of making the Elements of Harmony useless.*
Having another look at Greymane he could see the injuries the dark lord had left behind, *He's bluffing the diamonds location is far out of his knowledge and therefore beyond his grasp; if he did truly know then he wouldn't have bothered trying to beat it out of Greymane. And I wouldn't count the Elements out of this game just yet you and I they are very powerful, besides Asmoday can't give himself the gift of invincibility so that gives us a chance to deal with him when the time comes. On top of that they are artifacts so their power can be limitless if they have the right wielders.*
Giving a half-hearted sigh of relief Xiuhtecutli did what he could to think about their next move while talking with Barqu, *At least that gives us something to hope for at this point in time, and what makes you so sure he doesn't know where the diamond is?*
Letting out a slight grunt Barqu did what he could to make it sound like he didn't enjoy watching what happened, *In order to save Greymane I had to watch him be tortured. As of right now Greymane is the only one that knows where it is, and he didn't give up any clue as to where its location is. Well...* Taking a moment to think Barqu nearly started to laugh, *...at least not one that didn't anger Asmoday, I had known the Greymane's to have a silver tongue; but I have never known any of them to be smart asses.*
Though Xiuhtecutli knew that Barqu was on their side he knew that Barqu was a demon to start with so he brushed off any notion that he hated the fact that he just watched, *You clearly have not spent enough time around them to know they were always smart asses every last one of them. But I wouldn't expect him to share any information that would put those he cared about at risk...but when faced with death...*
Trying to keep up Xiuhtecutli's faith in his advocate Barqu let out a slight chuckle to the memory of Greymane lying just to live a little longer, *He acted as if he was willing to work with them just to stall for a few seconds of life...but Asmoday decided to try and kill him any way. He's waking up right now.*
Slightly relieved that they now had most of everything on their side Xiuhtecutli knew that time was still one thing that wasn't on any one side and anything could still happen, *Do whatever is needed to discover where he hid the diamond.*
*I shall… however, I fear we shall need an army.*
*I doubt that, we're just dealing with Asmoday.*
*And I agree with you completely. However if he is closer to summoning Azathoth than we think, then we will need every hoof and claw to aid us. You still remember the Great Battle don't you?*
*Why wouldn't I? It took every last one of the great creatures that day, all the forces of tartaros, all of the alicorns, the ancient dragons, the draconequus, and even nearly the entirety of my race. And let's not forget the greatest of forces the lesser creatures had to offer as well and we still barely survived.*
Knowing how out matched they were then Barqu hinted at how far worse it could still become, *Yes and we aren't even near one percent of one percent of the force we where then, and that's with every creature at our aid now; so for the time being we must set aside our disapproval of the lesser creatures and take what help we can get. However with the Elements of Harmony on our side we could stand a far better chance.*
Thinking back to the battle Xiuhtecutli recalled how even then the Elements where just playthings in comparison to Azathoth and how he even managed to use their power against them, *...You give a good point so long as we can keep Asmoday from setting Azathoth free...fine I'll do what I must, but Greymane must be ready to aid us within the hour.*
Knowing it wasn't much Barqu did what he could to give Xiuhtecutli a little room to breath, *You let me worry about Greymane, for now just deal with the dark lords and any who would hear you out.*
Knowing there wasn't much time to waste Xiuhtecutli agreed with Barqu, and left him to deal with his advocate as he saw fit.
As Greymane slowly came too he began coughing, wheezing, and gasping for air, "I'm...alive?"
With a chuckle Barqu pulled a small stone out of a sack on his right hip, "Indeed you are...however I can see that constantly coming back from the dead was far too taxing on your body and has even scarred your soul it's not permanent and will heal over time, but that is not a luxury we can afford, so please give me a moment and I can repair the damage done."
Out of fear of what could happen to the others if he just sat around Greymane struggled to free himself, "Thanks but no thanks...now if you will excuse me, I have the ass of a dark lord to kick."
Knowing the disadvantage that Greymane had as well as the condition he was in Barqu put his hand on Greymane's broken shoulder and pressed down causing him to grunt in pain, "And how long do you think you will last? His power was great before he tortured you, as he tortured you he fed off the pain and suffering from you and it only gave him more power. It's hard to tell how powerful he is at the moment and you are the one pony we need the most right now."
Feeling pain throughout his body Greymane knew that he stood no chance even if he took a sip from his gourd, "...Fine do what you have to. But when you're done I'm going to end this fight before it can even start."
Taking the small stone in hand Barqu gripped it tight till blood began to drip from his own hand, "And let me guess...it has something to do with the void diamond."
Though Greymane kept his mouth shut he watched as Barqu's hand started to glow a bright crimson color. As Barqu opened his hand Greymane could see that the small stone had turned into a crimson crystal the demon called a philosophers stone.
Holding it up to his eye Barqu gave a hmph as he inspected the finished product, "It's not the real thing, so much closer to being glass than a philosophers stone, but it is still powerful enough to do the job."
Pressing the stone up to Greymane's body Barqu used it to its fullest in an attempt to mend and heal Greymane's body his soul however Barqu had lied about, the scars on Greymane's soul could never be healed in this manner it would take time for them to heal. But for Barqu he believed that the scars where a mark of experience upon him and it thought that it should be worn like a badge of honor even if they would eventually vanish and make Greymane slightly stronger. Shortly after its use the stone turned to dust showing that it was as he said a fake, but Asmoday was far closer to his goal than any of them could have thought.
At the location where Azathoth was first sealed away Asmoday used a dark ritual to make contact with the demonic god he served, "My master, all goes according to plan. Greymane was saved and spared his fate just as we had hoped, and very soon he will deliver the void diamond right to us."
Scoffing at the thought that things could be going so well Azathoth shot back at his only hope for freedom for the time being, "AND WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE HE WILL JUST GIVE IT TO YOU?"
Boasting at the thought he had already won Asmoday smiled hoping to be granted favor from his master, "Because, he will hope to end this before it can even start. He'll try to return the diamond back into the vault, and when he does I shall be waiting there for him."
"And what of the Elements of Harmony and their wielders?" Though he knew he could easily contend with the Elements of Harmony, his main concern was the combination of them and Greymane; though he did not show any wavering emotions pertaining to the question.
With a low chuckle Asmoday smiled at the thought of hearing Twilight and the others screaming as they begged for their lives, "I plan on throwing them along with the Elements of Harmony into the void itself to be rid of them all together, and I plan to kill the last leviathan during the battle to come so there will be nothing to worry about."
To show his power had no limits Azathoth held up his hand and slowly balled it up into a fist crushing several demons behind Asmoday as slowly as possible, "I do not fear the leviathan…” As the bones in the demons cracked, snapped, broke in half, and they even slowly began to pop under an unseen pressure many demons cowered in fear of the dark god as he growled, “his advocate however we cannot allow to aid them not even for the tiniest fraction of a second."
Letting out a nervous laughter Asmoday began to tap his hooves together, "My master you have nothing to fear from Greymane. He is but a mortal earth pony and can be squashed like an insect by even the weakest of my forces, so even if he shows up it will not matter in the slightest. In the end he's of no real imp..."
Though Azathoth shouted out of fear he filled it with his authority simply from knowing what would come from Asmoday's ignorance causing the dark lord and those who served him to fall over, "GREYMANE IS A WILD CARD AND THEREFORE CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR US WE WILL NEVER BE PREPARED FOR!!! Now I don't need you to die...as my anchor in that world, should anything happen to you then I will have to wait eons to try again. And if anything happens to the void diamond...not only will it be near impossible for me to return, but you will have to suffer the wrath of the other dark lords for your betrayal. But if you succeed then you shall rule at my right side and be granted power beyond your wildest dreams."
Thinking back to what information he had his minions gathered for him Asmoday smiled as he thought of a plan to be rid of any problems they could receive form Greymane, "Then I shall deal with Greymane with the greatest of caution… his relationship with the leviathan is… shall we say unstable at best. All that one would need to do is break Greymane's body, and with his mind in shock from the pain all it would take is one little lie to cause his faith in the leviathan to fall like a boulder from the highest cliff; and sinking into the deepest ocean."
Letting out a low disgusted growl Azathoth began to ball up his fist once more causing Asmoday to grip his chest, “Do not fail me in any way Asmoday or I shall make your existence a living nightmare.” As the window closed the grip Azathoth had on Asmoday’s heart was released and in that moment the dark lord took off faster than a bolt of lightning to deal with Greymane as he believed he should.
As Asmoday rushed off to the vault as to not anger his master Azathoth any further, Xiuhtecutli returned to Tartaros to speak with the remaining dark lords and gods in the hopes he could do something about them trying to break the seal on the gates. It was at this time they had all finished their collective debate over how the many rare resources that could only be found in the darkest pits of tartaros itself should be used in the upcoming fight by sending what they could to the Grand Blacksmith of Tartaros.
"If there is nothing else the we shall call this meeting to a close and be dismissed, you all have one hour to gather your forces and come to the gates."
As many of them started to rise Samael looked over to Beelzebub and nodded, "There is one final order of business to attend to."
Peeved at the new business that had come to the floor Atazoth looked over at the clustered group of demonic gods and stared at both Samael and Beelzebub, "And just what else is there to deal with lord of flies?" As the dark lords turned their attention to Beelzebub their collective hate and disgust was directed towards all the demonic gods whom had always stood between them and the mortal world.
As his question was voiced Xiuhtecutli appeared in his physical form before them, "Dark Lords and Gods..." Giving a slight bow and tilt of his head for allowing him to appear as he had without warning he was coming was the only amount of respect Xiuhtecutli had for them, "I seek your aid." Saying those four words left a foul taste in his mouth as asking them to do anything would cost you your soul.
Able to see through his more humble form Ashtaroth mocked and tempted him as she had done for many others, "Oh~h...and just what could the last of the leviathans want us for? Perhaps a little..." Pausing for a moment the dark lord smiled at the thought of plaguing Xiuhtecutli with laziness, " ...PLEASURE? Or have you come to learn new mathematical equations that only I can teach? After all I remember your more younger days when you were quite the eager learner."
Extending his hand Beelzebub summoned forth a dark emerald flame, "Stay your ways Ashtaroth…” Watching the dark lord tremble in fear Ashtaroth let out a nervous chuckle as he closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, “this is business."
Looking at both Samael and Beelzebub, Xiuhtecutli closed his eyes and readied himself for the worst as he let out a painstaking sigh as he leaned over to the dark god and whispered, "I take it you haven't told any of them."
Trying to keep the conversation to themselves Beelzebub leaned in toward Xiuhtecutli, "Not everything just yet as I said before we managed to focus the point of this meeting on other things for the time being, Samael, myself, and the other gods were hoping to send just a few of our best to deal with the problem before they could even get to the gates and start voting on breaking the seal. This way we can keep the destruction to a minimum and even keep a closer eye on the demons that left, but if you've come here then that means we're too far past that…” Though he concealed his worry Beelzebub looked around the room and could see suspicion in the eyes of every demonic lord that sat before them, “aren't we?"
Standing up as she slammed her fists on the table Anini caused an icy cold wind to swirl throughout the room, "Beelzebub…” She cried out as the top of the table was slowly covered in ice, “what is going on here? The only reason the Leviathan would ever come to Tartaros is to, dare I say, eradicate us. But this cannot be true now can it? After all you’ve been having your advocate tend to the balance of power, and if we are gone then who would tend to the condemned? Who would ensure that those sentenced here in the first few levels that still live remain imprisoned here?" Letting out a displeased laugh Anini clenched her fist in mid air as a sword of ice manifested itself in her hand, “Ask for our aid I think not, the Leviathan race has always been too proud to ask for help and would never stoop so low to ask for anything less than their own kind.”
Just across the table from her Andromalius broke out in a fit of laughter that caused the wind to stop blowing, "Help..." Trying to breath the dark lord leaned back and fell from his seat as he aided Anini in mocking Xiuhtecutli, "...have Greymane do his job, after all that’s why you have him around isn’t it or is his status as your advocate just as we have always thought a simple joke?” Before he could be corrected by the demonic gods Andromalius picked himself off the floor while recalling the last time the realms of Tartaros faced off against one of Xiuhtecutli’s advocates, “But come now is it not the duty of the Greymanes to take a stand and do what those around them will not, cannot, and are unable to do? If I recall correctly that is why you call upon them so that you may remain hidden in the world. And I suppose we must thank your advocate for trapping us down here, as agreed upon between your ninth advocate and the demonic gods after the great war we are to remain down here and never tamper with the mortal world." Though the deal itself was far more complex than that Andromalius didn’t care for reciting the whole thing.
Keeping a calm mind Samael stared down Andromalius from behind his folded arms as Beelzebub began to speak, "We are quite well aware of this..." Taking a deep breath the Lord of Flies knew that the next words out of his mouth would cause an uproar from the others in the room, "...however Azathoth is going to return and we will need all that we can muster and join our allies in the world above."
Andrealphus scoffed at the possibility of Azathoth's return as he waved his hand around to draw geometric shapes in the air, "What you say is impossible, there isn't a creature left alive in the world above that knows about him besides the leviathan and last Ancient Dragon Dergoth… and the ones that do know of him here in Tartaros would never aid him in his return, he cares nothing for the world above and even less for his own demonic brethren."
As Xiuhtecutli grew tired of their constant bickering he slammed his fist down on the table shattering the ice that lay above it causing the whole room to violently shake, "Asmoday is working to free him as we speak… we don't know how long he has been at it but what is known is we need all the help we can get to aid us in bringing him down. Right now my advocate is doing all he can on his side of things but if we don't act quickly and take the necessary precautions then it will all be in vain."
Amaimon looked over the information that had been presented in his mind and thought about all the souls he had invested in from deals he made with mortals over getting the ones they love, "Even if we did muster all we have. We have no allies on the world above…” As he stood up and walked into what little light was in the room many watched as the rather effeminate appearing lord cast an illusion on the top of the table to show the various groups around the world that thought they could face demons and win but sat by and did nothing, “they only tolerate us because we are needed to house the worst of the worst. Other than that we are the furthest thing from their minds other than trying to eliminate us, I say we take what is ours from what deals we have left then close the gates permanently. Even if Asmoday succeeds with the gates bared we stand a chance of fighting Azathoth without ever setting foot on the battlefield."
Having been at odds ends with Amaimon for countless years Alocer bowed his head in shame for the words that he knew must be said, "I hate to agree with Amaimon… but this is true. We must do what we can to save our selves and let the world above deal with it as they see fit. However..." Pausing for a moment he smiled as he looked at Amaimon with a rather sly smile coming across his face, "as powerful as Azathoth is not only will the world above be lost, but Azathoth could come here and we would have no means of stopping him; not even the gates will slow him down. But to move our forces to the world above to handle Asmoday before he can free Azathoth it would take at the least a century, otherwise it would seem we are going to war with the world above. And as powerful as we are, none of us would dare want to be on the receiving end of the Elements of Harmony."
Placing his hands on the table Xiuhtecutli leaned forward in disappointment, "And that is where your wrong, all that are willing to aid us are gathering at farthest point south of Unyasi as I instructed, at the moment it is just Barqu and Greymane but if it must come down to it I have also instructed the Element users to join us there. Though I do not think Celestia and Luna would be willing to trust any of you more than they have to and might be their as well..." Pausing for a moment he knew that he had not spoken with either of the Princesses nor the Element users and would have to discuss the situation with them in the hopes they would see reason to aid them, "...and if that is the case then their royal guard will be there as well to do what they can to protect them. So in short an army is moving into place as we speak."
Having summoned a map of the world Caym unrolled it and compared it to a map with a much older formation of the world when Azathoth was banished, "If memory serves me right that location is the same place where Azathoth was sealed away in the dimensional prison by using the void diamond. And though I hate to say it, it was a mortal earth pony who saved us all that day..." Thinking back to that day most of the demons recalled how they hated being indebted to the mortal race from that one act, but recalling how valuable Greymane's soul had become and there was no other like it on earth Caym sighed at such a loss and the waste of something so valuable, "...I fear for your advocate leviathan as history could repeat itself and he is known to give up himself should it come down to it. All of your advocates have been this way and I suspect your current will be no different."
Having one quick look around the room Decarabia could see that all were in some small form of agreement as many of the lords there could ascend one lesser demon to the rank of an arch or even a lord with Greymane's soul. Some even thought it could ascend anyone of them into the rank of god, "Very well then all agreed to remove the seal on the gates for a short time and join forces with the few who will fight alongside us in the world above."
As all around the room agreed to the notion each and every one of them only agreed for their own personal reasons as Beelzebub nodded at Xiuhtecutli, "I can say without a doubt that you have your army of demons… go now and get Greymane."
As the dark lords brought the vote as well as the meeting to a close many sent word off to their commanding Generals to prepare to fight alongside the ponies of Equestria. But while Xiuhtecutli dealt with the dark lords Greymane managed to give Barqu the slip and snuck back into Ponyville. Knocking on the door to the library Greymane knew what he had to do and wished to just grab the diamond and go, as Twilight answered the door Greymane could see that all six of them were there with Spike looking at the floor in shame with his hands behind his back. Though they were all worried about Greymane's safety they could see in his eyes that he thought himself a failure for bringing so much danger their way. Trying to raise his spirits they all gasp and tackled him with joy, shouting out his name with tears rolling down their faces only to discover that he had side stepped them with ease and without them noticing till the last second.
Wishing he didn't have to do such a thing he apologized as he walked over to the table and picked up the Void Diamond, "It's good to see all of you as well, though I would love to stay and talk there isn't much time..." Letting out a sigh as he tucked the diamond into the lining of his cloak while turning and attempting to walk out the door, "...I know I've let you all down, but none of you have to worry about me any longer. Nor do any of you have to worry about me intruding on your lives any further, I'll fix this problem then I'll vanish from your lives And in time I'm sure you will all forget I ever came through here."
Grabbing hold of the collar on his cloak Applejack pinned him to the wall next to the door knowing that if he stayed there it was because he was going to let her say her peace, "Now hold on there partner, we all care about you and every pony is entitled to make a few mistakes that includes you. But that don't mean we want you to just up and leave, we know a little of what's going on but we all were worried about you. And even if y'all did just disappeared there's no way we would ever forget about you."
Slipping out of her hold he walked toward the door with a grim and sorrowful look as he tried to leave, "You say that, but the smallest of my mistakes causes problems like this, sure everypony in the world is entitled to a mistake or two but I cannot make a single one."
As he turned around he pulled out the diamond to explain what he could as Rarity saw the void diamond in his hoof.
As she looked at it the diamond it gave off a darkened eerie yet comforting sparkle as it tried to speak into the subconscious part of her mind trying to warn her of what it feared could happen, "Is that?"
"It is..." Showing off the diamond to them he congratulated them for watching over an artifact without ever knowing they had it, "...this is the Void Diamond. And I can't endanger any of you longer than I already have. So long every pony...and I'm sorry."
Before he could take of Fluttershy slightly tugged on his cloak, "I know you want to blame yourself for this but you're putting far too much pressure on yourself, you have friends now and we all want to help in any way we can."
Stashing the diamond as he walked out the door Greymane whispered, 'If only you knew' As he heard three disembodied voices claw at the back of his mind telling him that he will fall to them again, and when he did they would slowly and painfully kill the ones he loves.
With his head hung low and his mind full of guilt for causing so much harm to all of them he kept from showing his face as he began to gallop away from them. Rushing off before hearing any of them out about how Xiuhtecutli had sent information back to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and attempting to band their forces alongside those of the dark lords of Tartaros to prepare for the worst; or even how to help him return the diamond should Asmoday have a few tricks up his sleeve. Greymane vanished in the dark of the night as lightning stuck in the sky turning the night into day as it brought heavy winds with it signaling the Demonic Gods and Lords had broken the seal and were marching on the world.
Though it took several weeks of traveling while remaining hidden till Greymane returned to the cave where he found the diamond and tried to end a war before it could start. However out of fear he went alone like a fool unaware that his mental link with Xiuhtecutli was still being blocked. As he attempted to throw it into the cave as far as he was able he felt dark magic take hold of his right hoof forcing him to drop the diamond, as the diamond fell to the ground his leg slowly began to twist around as he felt the bones in his leg being pulled apart, then smashed, and twisted once more until there was nothing left in his leg.
Crying out in agony he watched as the diamond was swathed in dark magic and lifted up, as he looked up following the path it flew he saw Asmoday smiling, "Why Greymane how thoughtful of you...the void diamond it's just what I’ve always wanted."
Trying to resist the pain he felt from his right leg Greymane rose to his hooves and tried to charge Asmoday without thinking about his next move, "Dark lord...I'll end you here and..."
Before Greymane could even finish his threat or get any closer to Asmoday, the dark lord used his magic once again on Grey’s left leg and repeated his actions from the right leg causing Greymane to continue to cry out, "Oh Greymane… your suffering, your screams… all so tasty.” Dropping Greymane once more Asmoday lied down as he overlooked the diamond in the sunlight, “Now… how about we talk?"
Laying on his back Greymane felt he had failed once again and everyone he cared for was now at the mercy of a demon, "I have nothing to say to you."
Using what he had left Greymane did what he could to get off his back and try standing up right on his back two hooves. It was a last desperate attempt to do something or anything to put an end to his… well… fuck up.
Once he was upright he tried to attack Asmoday as he felt the dark magic take hold of his back right leg and like the two that came before it every bone in that limb was destroyed, "Yes… that's it struggle… fight for everything… only to lose it all in the end, I want you to know how pointless this farce of a fight has been. You fight to keep the balance of power in check without ever realizing that there was never any balance to begin with, this world was created to destroy itself by constant conflict. And let's not forget that the mortals who inhabit it were meant to drown in an ocean of their own blood, face it you fight for nothing always have and always will.” Asmoday couldn’t help himself but to nearly break out into a fit of laughter at his own devilish thought, “Now hows that leg of yours?"
Vociferating in pain Greymane tried to keep his own spirits high as he chuckled, "Broken, but I'm not out of this fight yet. I’ve still got one leg left, and I’m going to use it to kick your ass."
With a sinister chuckle Asmoday started to lift the last leg he had yet to break, "Oh but that’s the let I was asking about, I was worried I had broken all of them already." As he started to slowly break every bone in Greymane’s leg the island was soon given its own accompaniment of music, it was a horrid mix of crazed laughter and blood curdling cries of pain and agony.
Before Asmoday Greymane was nothing more than a helpless newborn colt ripe for slowly tearing apart piece by piece. And once his last leg was broken beyond what any pony could do for him Asmoday started to break nearly every bone in his body… one… by… one as slowly as he could. This torture continued for hours until Greymane felt abandoned, alone, and forsaken as nearly every bone in his body was destroyed all that was left unharmed was his spine and skull. It was then Asmoday made his next move and came close to Greymane. Having fallen into shock from the pain he couldn't tell up from down or right from left, he feared what the dark lord had in store for him next knowing that the worst Asmoday could do had yet to come. As Asmoday came close to Greymane he started to caress his head as Asmoday sang a twisted lullaby, as the dark lord laughed Greymane cried out with in his own mind begging for death to come having refused to let the dark lord savor the satisfaction of hearing it from his lips.
Ending the lullaby Asmoday brought his lips to Grey’s ear and whispered just a few words.
The very words he spoke caused the pupils in Greymane's eyes to narrow as he tried to brush off what he was told while tears began to run down the side of his face, "Y-y-you’re lying… YOU'RE LYING!!!"
Trying to act as if he was a true friend as well as gloat about his upcoming victory Asmoday put on a look of sorrow, "Oh and just why would I lie when I'm so close to victory? I mean every living creature deserves to know something in their final moments, I may be evil but to deny you some truthful knowledge would just be tacky. Not too mention in very poor taste."
As tears continued to flow down the side of his face Greymane did what he could to hold on to what little bit of happiness he held dear to himself, "But that can't be true… it just can't be!"
Letting out a mournful sigh Asmoday shook his head, "It is true, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you all of this. But I figured since you're going to die once my master has come forth to rule over all, you deserve to know the truth. You're nothing but a pawn to all of them. Celestia, Luna, the other dark lords and gods, the leviathan, and even the girls back in ponyville. None of them care what happens to you, sure they put on a smile when you come around and they say they are your friends. But if there's one truth in all of existence, it's that the ones you keep closest to you are the ones who will hurt you the most; and though it pains me to tell you this truth I find much pleasure in watching you suffer from it. At least you know I'm being honest with you..." Looking Greymane in the eye Asmoday could see a slight image of Luna beneath the tears, "and to ad to how honest I am being with you I fell I must tell you, Luna only let you get close so she could learn as much as she could about you. Once she's done she will just simply have you arrested again, and without a trial she will hang you from the tallest tower in Canterlot. I don't know if the leviathan would save you from dying like that, but if he can have another advocate who is a far better pawn I don't think he will care one way or another."
As the tears started to flow like a river Greymane watched as Asmoday brushed his hoof on a large stone while complaining how the mortal world caused him such a rash, "If I'm going to die then just end me and get it over with."
"Oh now where will the fun in that be… I want you to suffer knowing that all you have come to know is a lie and all care about will die and there will be nothing you can do about it, that and well leaving you like this is kind of a mercy. In the end you get to come to terms with the fact they all just wanted you dead. So long Greymane… oh and have fun baking in the sun." Before taking off he laughed as he looked back one last time, "It's rather funny don’t you think this is how the legend ends, crying like a newborn while waiting to die as he comes to terms with the truth that had been kept from him. For me it almost seems poetic, almost makes me want to sing… oh well another time perhaps, if you somehow manage to live that long."
As Asmoday left him feeling confident that even if help came for him, Greymane would abandon every last one of them. It wasn't until an hour later that Twilight and the others informed them about what had happened the last time they saw Greymane. The information couldn't be brought to them sooner mostly because Xiuhtecutli felt that telepathic communications as well as messages sent through Spike would be far too dangerous. Having been given this terrifying new information Xiuhtecutli went to the vault with Luna, Celestia, and Barqu in the hopes they could find Greymane. Though they had left their allies ready to defend to the last aided by all the forces of Tartaros they where more than well aware that Greymane was in need of help. Thinking back Xiuhtecutli had feared that his advocate had been too brash in the days before this had all started by allowing his past to control his actions, his fears, his worries, and even his doubts all caused him to hesitate or even lash out at himself. As they arrived at the base of Mt. Fire Foal it was there at the entrance to the vault they found Greymane dehydrated, motionless, and barely alive.
Taking the quick moment to read his thoughts hoping to piece together what had happen all Celestia found was him reflecting on much happier times with one thought repeating constantly ‘Forgive me’, because of this she was unable to learn much of what led to his current situation, "Greymane what happened?"
As Luna gently lifted his head up Greymane groaned as he mustered what little moisture was in his throat to speak, "I failed… Asmoday was here… waiting for me, after taking his time to torture me he took off with the diamond."
Taking water from the nearby sea Luna did what she could with magic to filter and clean it before helping him drink as she took notice that he had been lying there for some time, "Can you move?"
As tears rolled down his face Celestia was able to see what had been done to him as he started to answer, "No… he broke my bones… shattered them… I can't move, all I have been able to do is lie here and feel the pain."
Cutting open his hand Barqu began to let his blood spill over a stone that was about half the size of his head, "I'll do what I can to fix this but you will still require some medical attention."
As Barqu began to cover the stone in his blood he started to compressed it and bonded it with his blood till the bolder was no larger than his thumb and had turned into another philosopher's stone but in a much darker shade of crimson, and much like the last one it was just a mock up and once used up it turned to dust. Once Barqu used the stone Greymane slowly started to stand to show his bones were mended and near perfect though he still had a few fractions here and there.
Trying to help him keep his balance Luna was worried he would hurt himself trying to rush off again, "Will you be okay?"
As he fell into her chest he took notice that her heart was a steady pace as he looked up into her eyes, it was there that he could see that she worried for him and if that was a sign for anything it meant that she truly cared, "Not quite… but I'll be fine."
As Xiuhtecutli slithered forth Greymane gave him a blank but hateful stare, "Good, though I require you at your peek I suppose near perfect will do fine."
Recalling what Asmoday had done before leaving Greymane feared that his encounter with the dark lord was not yet over, "Hey Luna… how about you and your sister go ahead of us… I need to talk to leviathan."
"What… but we..." Trying to find the words to get Greymane to change his mind was not easy as she recalled how his fight with Adramelech was like and how determined he was to fight alone.
Knowing that Asmoday had lied about her Greymane did what he could to hide his emotions toward her as storm clouds began to set in his eyes, "Don't worry, no matter what happens I promises to be there. Even if I'm late, I'll be there." Though it pained him to plot out his next move knowing that once he set on this path there was no going back.
Having read his mind this whole time Celestia managed to pick up bits and pieces and discovered that he had been lied to but anything else and she soon found herself being blocked and by Greymane’s own will with the last thing she noticed being a message to her, *My only regret is what will follow very soon, I never intended to harm anypony so please forgive me for what I have done and what I must do*.
Though she wished to know more Celestia knew that they had a war to prepare for and they were required to speak with the dark gods on the matter, "Alright we're need there any way to help with the plan of attack. Come Luna." Though the message she got from Greymane troubled her and caused her to wonder what he meant by ‘what I must do’, Celestia felt that she would have to discuss it with Xiuhtecutli when she had the chance.
Though Luna didn't want to leave at the moment she was well aware of the situation and wished Greymane the best of luck as they both teleported themselves to the battlefield.
Once they were out of earshot Greymane started his accusations against Xiuhtecutli, "Tell me leviathan… how long were you planning to lie to me?"
"What?"
Though it pained him to slam his hoof into a bolder they watched as Greymane nearly broke the stone in half, "OH DON'T PLAY COY WITH ME… THE DARK LORD TOLD ME THE TRUTH. YOU USE THE GREYMANES TILL THEY'RE OF NO USE AND WHEN THE NEXT IS CHOSEN YOU ABANDON US AT THE LAST MOMENT OF OUR LIVES. AND THAT WE ARE NOTHING BUT PAWNS TO YOU, HELL I BET YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ME KILLED THIS WHOLE TIME!!! So who's next on your list some poor foal half way across the world, or perhaps a griffin is what you want, hell you speak so highly of your kind perhaps you have a dragonling in mind. After all they are a close second to your race and you just need the right amount of time to teach them not to fall back on their natural habits, or better yet a minotaur would be better. I remember how the third Greymane documented some old texts about how the greatest of them could lift a mountain with ease. So which is it who is your next toy to play with and break?"
Knowing the situation would only get worse Barqu did what he could to try and defuse it, "Greymane listen to yourself what lies has he spoken to you. You of all ponies and creatures should know that the leviathan protects and guides the Greymanes even till their final moments when the Reaper comes for them. Even now you're under his protection."
As Greymane stared at Xiuhtecutli with nothing but anger in his eyes as he scoffed at what he heard, "Protected..." Thinking back to how he had been tortured recently Greymane did what he could to question how protected he really was as he drew on that pain to fuel his hate, "where was that protection when I was chained to a bolder? Where was that protection when I faced the archdemon Adramelech? Where was that protection when I was imprisoned in Tartaros for a thousand years? And where was that protection just now when every bone in my body was shattered like glass?"
As Xiuhtecutli's anger grew he gave one small glare at his advocate, "Greymane..." Slowly slithering towards Greymane Xiuhtecutli balled up his fist and punched him in the face for his arrogance and ignorance, "...don't you get it, I PROTECT THE GREYMANES WITH ALL THAT I AM FOR AS LONG AS I CAN, I MAY BE THE MOST POWERFUL IN ALL THE WORLD BUT I'M NOT ALL POWERFUL; AND I CAN'T BE IN MANY PLACES AT ONCE!!!" Letting out a sigh Xiuhtecutli did what he could to calm himself, "But I will do, what I can do to protect the Greymanes with all my power as often as I can. It was and still is the deal I struck with the first in exchange for him saving me from the clutches of the Reaper, and my race has never forsaken their word no matter how old it is."
Turning his back as he slowly walked away Greymane let out a chuckle full of pain, "Then you have one less Greymane to protect."
Astonished at what he heard Xiuhtecutli couldn't help but ask a rhetorical question, "What?!?!"
Looking back Greymane gave a half-hearted smile, "I'm done, finished, retired, I am no longer your advocate I am no longer the Legendary Thief. Have fun fighting this war alone."
Growing angry Xiuhtecutli began to slither towards him ready to knock some sense into his advocate, "GREYMANE!!!!"
Coming between the two of them Barqu whispered into Xiuhtecutli's ear believing that all Greymane needed was a little time and space to clear his head, "Leviathan now is not the time, go… go now and go quickly back to the battle field I'll deal with Greymane. I'll bring your advocate back to you."
As his anger steadied itself Xiuhtecutli turned around and slowly took his astral form, "Do as you wish… I no longer have an advocate, whom ever that is has deserted us all."
Having kept a close eye on the situation from his end of the battle field Asmoday patted himself on the back for his accomplishment, 'Yes… all according to plan. With the wild card out of the way all we have to worry about is the Elements of Harmony.’
As they went their separate ways Xiuhtecutli returned to the battlefield and took his physical form, once there he could see and feel that tensions were on the rise from all sides. The war was about to began and just off to his left he could hear the dark gods conversing with Celestia, Luna, and what mercenaries they could hire, and all their generals they had on a plan of attack. As Xiuhtecutli prepared to tell them what had happen, Barqu was trying to make headway with Greymane elsewhere in the world.
Trying to keep up with Greymane rushing through a forest Barqu tired to talk him into coming back to join them, "Greymane stop… we need you now more than ever. If there's anyone in this world who can stop Asmoday it's you and if need be I'll fight by your side, as well as other demonic gods you will not be alone in this."
Letting out a slight laugh Greymane looked up at Barqu as he kept his pace, "And that's why I'm going to the fountain of youth."
Baffled Barqu rushed passed Greymane and stopped him dead in his tracks, "Why, it's of no use to you."
With a cocky smile Greymane walked around the demon as he let out a laugh mixed with a sigh, "To my age… my body on the other hoof. Medical attention would take to long the fountain will just take a second. Besides I think my gourd emptied itself out the last time it fell from my side, it feels lighter."
"Then why did you abandon the leviathan?"
Stopping for a second Greymane thought back to when Asmoday had rubbed his hoof on a stone, "Because I needed to hear the truth, I knew the dark lord was lying to me but in that state of condition it was hard for me to tell. That and I don't think we were completely alone back there, before he left he rubbed his hoof on a stone claiming to have a rash."
"So you goaded the leviathan into saying what was needed to be said while acting like the fool they wanted you to be. But that still doesn't explain why you abandoned being his advocate."
Not wanting to expose his full plan Greymane shared what little he felt was right while reminding Barqu that if walls can have ears then stone was no different, "And let's face it they expect his advocate to aid them… not some renegade thief there on his own selfish acord."
With a smile Barqu picked Greymane up and held him on his shoulder, "So then… what's your plan."
"What makes you think I have a plan?"
"The main indicator for any of the Greymanes when they are working on a plan… it's the storm clouds that start to set in their eyes."
"My eye color is hazel."
Looking Greymane in the eyes he could see the storm clouds that had been set for some time now and their current conversation was their cue, "Not right now it's not."
As Greymane explained some of his plan the battle was about to begin, and the dark lords argued a plan of attack with the others that where there.
Letting off a small hint of fear Belial worried over how the gate way through the void was already open and just at its other end they could see Azathoth, "Yes we have the numbers but asmoday can grant invincibility to his army and with the small area they have to protect it makes for a deadly combination that will give them the edge they need to win."
Looking out of the tent Beelzebub looked down the hill to Asmoday's army, "True… if they were aiming to win this battle. However they're just stalling for time until the dimensional bridge is complete and ready for Azathoth to cross."
Looking at a small scale of the battle field Celestia did what she could to keep the optimism of the group in the tent up, "Then we just need to go after this Asmoday, carve a path through his army and take him out. Though our best bet would be to go for a frontal assault as a distraction while another group finds some way behind him and strike when his guard is down."
Though the dark god Bifrons liked the idea he couldn't help but frown at the plan, "If only it were so simple...cutting a path would be easy if they were not invincible, and flanking him would be perfect if the gateway didn’t cover his back side. Can’t charge in head on, can’t come at him from behind, trying to go above makes anyone a sitting duck, and we can’t go under him it would take too long even with magic. And to add to the problem they are not going to kill just yet, they'll keep every last one of us alive and torture us to grow in power. And with the numbers we have I'd hate to imagine just how much power they will get."
As Beelzebub looked at the battle field and pointed out a small glimmer of hope believing that they still had a chance, "And we don't have to… nor will we need to carve a path, will just use the Elements of Harmony to stall for time by having them target the bridge.” Walking over to the diagram Beelzebub pointed at the battlefield as he continued his explanation, “And while they are doing that we'll have four large groups of demons strike from all sides, these two combined forces will be the distraction we need for Greymane to slip past their forces and steal the diamond. Once it's in his possession he can do what he feels is right even tossing it into the void to be done with the damn thing all together. Asmoday losses his protection from Azathoth, so either Samael or myself can kill him. Once he’s been dealt with his army losses protection from him and any of our forces that are still standing can move in a clean up the rest simple as that."
Turning his head Xiuhtecutli slowly slithered away from them with a dark look upon his face believing that his advocate had truly given up, "Yes, such a simple plan and rather successful… if Greymane hadn't abandoned us."
As the dark gods began to whisper in fear amongst themselves Luna couldn't help but recall him promising that he would arrive, "What are you talking about… he said he'd be here."
As Xiuhtecutli turned back to the group his head hung low having known that this moment would come and feared how they would react to it, "He and I had a small falling out… and he abandoned us. But we still have a chance Asmoday has a small grudge against me, and will want to settle a little score. So we will us that to our advantage. I will get close to him to either kill him or do away with the diamond regardless of what I do we still win."
Though every creature there agreed on this hasty plan and hoped for it to work, Princess Luna however still had faith Greymane would come; and even spoke to Beelzebub and Samael in private asking if this was some kind of tactic Greymane often used when it got this bad. Their reply was silence as they closed their eyes unsure of what to tell her, they had known the Greymanes to do what it took to end any kind of conflict and keep the ones they loved safe but this was something they had never once witnessed. As they put their plan into action, armies on both sides of the battle field clashed.
And just as they had expected Asmoday made his army invincible so to spare the mortal ponies any cruel fate the dark lords and gods sent their forces in first. As the battle raged on all could hear the screams of every demon there… many even started to beg for death, others however just couldn't stop screaming. As Xiuhtecutli made his way up to Asmoday with a small team along side him, all went according to what little plan they had as they hoped all would be in their favor. But when they thought all was going so well they were ambushed and Xiuhtecutli was knocked out.
When he came too a few minutes later he saw that he was tied up and Asmoday was smiling as he walked down enjoying the screams of those being tortured around himself.
As many began to lose faith and started to believe that this was it… he had won, but Xiuhtecutli wasn't ready to give up just yet as he attempted to use what little of the curse he could, "ASMODAY!!!!!" Though the demonic curse took hold of Asmoday, Xiuhtecutli was far too inexperienced in its use that all it could do was make the dark lord stumble for a moment.
With a smile full of lust and hate Asmoday began to laugh, "LEVIATHAN… so good to see you again, and what's this no Greymane… no advocate? Aw~w so sad..." Laughing harder than he ever had Asmoday removed the bindings that bound the leviathan, "but what else do you expect from a worthless mortal like him? And hey you know what I'm feeling a bit sporty right now so how about a bet, if you can beat me then I will surrender the diamond and my life. But should I beat you… then all is forfeit to my master."
Knowing this was going to be the last chance he had Xiuhtecutli took his options and prayed for the best, "Done." Watching the power that came from the Elements of Harmony flying behind Asmoday Xiuhtecutli felt there was still a chance to claim victory, as he had hoped the power of the Elements were able to fly into the gate and destroy the bridge but it continued to rebuild itself stronger than before.
Spreading his dark, blood covered wings the dark lord flew at him as fast as he could ready to kill Xiuhtecutli, "Oh and just to make things more interesting, you'll have until my best soldier kills the users of the Elements of Harmony. BELPHEGOR GO FORTH AND BRING ME THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY AS WELL AS THEIR WIELDERS, BUT BRING THEM TO ME ALIVE!!!" As Xiuhtecutli dodged the dark lord he turned and watched as the ground was turned to glass around him, "NOW COME LEVIATHAN… LET'S SEE WHO IS STRONGEST MY DARK MAGIC OR THE LEGENDARY MAGIC OF THE LEVIATHANS!!"
As Asmoday and Xiuhtecutli clashed with great ferocity Xiuhtecutli could tell, Asmoday had truly become his equal from torturing Greymane. Their magic countering each other, Xiuhtecutli's age gave him the necessary experience needed to match Asmoday's new found strength and youthful stamina. The fight raged on for hours neither of them gaining an edge over the other, until Xiuhtecutli slipped in a patch of mud and fell. Asmoday used this opportunity to sit on top of Xiuhtecutli and beat him mercilessly. As he tortured Xiuhtecutli even further he began to laugh hysterically knowing that he was the first, and the last to ever torture a leviathan. Being close to the dimensional void Asmoday took Xiuhtecutli's claw and pushed it into the side of the gateway, being forced between two planes of existence was scarring as the gateway slowly tore Xiuhtecutli apart both physically and mentally. While Asmoday did this in intervals of only a few seconds as to drag out the torturous experience, each little touch felt like an eternity to Xiuhtecutli as he tried to recollect his mind and fight through the pain.
Though Xiuhtecutli could feel void was tearing the very fabric of his being apart he watched the sky to see the Elements of Harmony where still in constant use, though the attacks were becoming slower and had longer pauses between each use with each passing second. As the vibrant spectrum of power continued to fly behind Asmoday both the leviathan and the dark lord could feel the destruction being caused from the power between the many artifacts clashing with one another.
Though Xiuhtecutli was proud to see they were doing all they could he knew it would not last as the elements had to draw on a little of power from their wielders causing them to become tired with each use though he knew they still lived he couldn't help but ponder it as he thought to himself, ‘I give all of them credit but their growing tired, I still have some small faith in them since Belphegor hasn't reached them yet...however he's had plenty of time I wonder what happen, did he have a change of heart, or was he beaten?’
By this point Asmoday had grown tired of torturing him and started to gloat over his early victory, "Well I guess this is it the ponies will die, the Elements will be lost for all time, and you… you're going to die." Using his dark magic Asmoday brought forth the diamond over to his hoof and held up the sharpest end as he started to laugh, "Yes… I can see it in your eyes, the very same Greymane had both times when I left him to die. It's that fear of failure neither of you are allowed to fail and neither of you can make a mistake… so tell me leviathan are you prepared to be with the rest of your pathetic race knowing that you've failed? To know that you die now and lose everything? I wonder what it's like to have that fear… I guess I'll never know, but I think it would be fitting to kill you with the diamond you came for. And I want you to die knowing that yes it was all part of the plan to separate you and Greymane… with out your wild card, your precious advocate, all is lost. You will die and the world shall belong to my MASTER."
As Asmoday began to slam the diamond down into Xiuhtecutli's head repeatedly disorienting him as he laughed, he found himself unprepared as he heard somepony shout as he was knocked off of Xiuhtecutli, "OVER MY DEAD BODY!!!"
Though he could barely tell what happened all he saw was some pony tackle Asmoday. Trying to keep an eye on the two Xiuhtecutli watched as the dark lord chased somepony into the void and lost sight of the two of them before passing out. As the battle raged on Asmoday cornered Greymane on the bridge with a large section of it being destroyed by the Elements behind him. As the dark lord channeled his magic the light around him faded as he thought of a spell to kill with. As the area around him grew dark he felt a bony grip tear into his back and rip off his flesh causing him to lose his focus, looking around himself he saw a few of the horrors that lay within the void that scattered as the light shined on them causing them to screech in pain as the light burned their bodies.
Looking back at Greymane he saw that he was without his cloak only having a small sack on his right side and the Void Diamond next to the edge of the bridge and was ready to just kick it off, "So you've come, why? They don't care for you they just want you gone."
Smiling at the dark lord Greymane knew that even cornered he had all the control over the situation that was all he could ask for, "It's as you said they don't care about me, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't care about myself, after all I have to look out for number one now. So give me the Medallion of Immortality and you can have the Void Diamond. Your master can return and I get to be immortal we both win, and those back stabbers can deal with the fact that I fucked them all in the end. Seems fair don't you think?"
As Asmoday began to chuckle he burst out into a fit of laughter as he removed the medallion from his neck and set it on the bridge, "And here I thought I had you figured out but I can see why my master said not to underestimate you, however I must tell you even if your immortal my master will end your life; so tell me why do you want it knowing you would only live about ten seconds longer than any of them out there?"
Letting out a sigh Greymane feared his plan might not work but kept his composure as best he could, "Ten seconds or ten days, as long as I am immortal what do I care..." Slightly tapping the diamond he watched as the dark lord flinched toward the diamond without a single thought, "...or I could just fuck you over right now and be seen as a hero, either way I win."
Knowing that Greymane wouldn't bluff about trying to come off as a hero at the last second for a selfish reason Asmoday backed away from the medallion by only a few steps, "Fine you have a deal, and perhaps my master might find some use for you and will not kill you. I'll just leave the medallion where it is and let you come get it."
With a smile Greymane demanded the dark lord slide the medallion to him, believing that Asmoday would try and kill him the second he was close enough. As Asmoday did as he was instructed he questioned how trustworthy Greymane was saying that if he had the medallion what was to stop him from trying to take the diamond as well?
Picking up the Medallion Greymane put it in the sack on his right side as he started to walk towards Asmoday, "Simple really, you stand between me and freedom right now, and the only way for you to continue what you were doing is to come and get the diamond." As they crossed each other Asmoday was not beyond trying to kill Greymane but he ignored that feeling knowing that a fight between them could knock off the diamond, "This is where we part ways, and I hope we never meet again."
Once Asmoday had passed Greymane he rushed toward the diamond feeling his victory was within his grasp as he let out a nervous chuckle, "Look my master even after a small mistake I can still set you free. This world will be yours!" As he laughed he took notice that his master was far too displeased with him that it caused Asmoday to have another look at the diamond he held, as he looked at it he watched as it let off a crimson glow and proceeded to explode in his face then turned to dust, "DAMN YOU GREYMANE!!!"
Turning around Asmoday saw that Greymane had already made it halfway to the exit, and in a fit of rage he spread his wings and glided towards the thief. As a last bit of effort on his part Greymane pulled the Void Diamond out of the bag and threw the bag out of the gateway, turning around he held the diamond up near the edge of the bridge hoping to force Asmoday to stop in his tracks.
Tackling Greymane to the ground the dark lord watched as the diamond came close to falling off as he hissed at Greymane, "No more of your games..." Picking up the diamond Asmoday threw it into the void believing it was just another fake then proceeded to try and strangle Greymane to death, "...what's the matter all out of tricks, nothing funny left to say, are you just ready to die?"
As the dark lord attempted to strangle Greymane he heard him try and say something causing him to let up just for a second asking what Greymane's last wish before death was, "That was the real diamond you threw dumb ass."
Looking around themselves they watched as the bridge slowly stopped giving off light and began to fall into the abyss, spreading his wings the dark lord tried to escape as Greymane ran under him hoping to also make it out of the void. As they neared the exit Asmoday was captured by the horrors and was taken off screaming as he was ripped apart, as Greymane neared the exit the ground under him fell as he tried to jump the last bit of the way only to be grabbed by one of the creatures. Fearing that was the end he watched as the gateway began to close only to be slowed down by a midnight blue aura, as Luna reached in she took hold of Greymane's hoof in an attempt to save him.
Though she tried with all she had Greymane watched as the sun began to set and feared what was to come, "Luna..." As tears began to form he knew this was the last he would ever see her again but was glad to know that even in the end there was still something between them, "...it's okay… let go. I came to terms with the fact I would die one day, but that doesn't mean you should join me, don't try and stop fate this is how it has to be, how it must be. Though everypony can chose their own path and change their fate, mine was sealed the day I became who I am now."
Trying to pull him out Luna could hear the creatures screech as they tried to come near her only to be burned by the light of the sun, "I'm not letting go, you've done so much for this world it's time somepony did something for you."
As she pulled him closer Greymane could feel that even if she managed to somehow get him out he would lose his lower half, "Luna I thank you for trying..." In the second he was close enough he broke her concentration with a kiss as he shoved her out of the gateway, "...I will always love you, and I will always be with you."
As the gate closed Luna didn't hear him scream nor did she bare witness to him being torn apart by the creatures, all she knew was that Greymane was lost. Looking at the ground where the gateway once stood she saw Greymane's little bag, picking it up she held it close to herself as she began to cry believing she could have saved him. As she cried the demons under Asmoday's command attempted to attack her hoping to be made famous in their final moments only to be bound in the earth by Barqu, stricken with sickness or eaten alive by insects by Beelzebub, or worse by Samael.
As the demonic gods and lords surrounded her and Xiuhtecutli they claimed victory, and ordered their forces to take what remained of Asmoday's forces back to Tartaros for judgement. As they were dragged off begging to be shown mercy many of the demonic gods and all of the lords returned to Tartaros to ensure that all of the traitors were dealt with as soon as possible. Looking down Beelzebub saw Luna crying and asked what was troubling her, only for Luna to take hold of the dark god's robe as she cried out for them to open the void back up and save him.
Looking at slowly awakening Xiuhtecutli he asked if he knew who she was talking about, only for him to say he had no clue but recalled Asmoday chasing someone into the void.
As they tried to make sense of what Luna was asking of them Barqu came walking up holding Greymane's cloak but hoped that Luna was crying over someone else, "Leviathan… where is Greymane… please tell me your advocate is here."
Rubbing his head Xiuhtecutli felt confused still somewhat believing Greymane had abandoned them, "What are you talking about you where with him… he abandoned us."
Holding out the old torn up cloak Barqu gave a mournful look, "No he had me return him here, tell me he's here. Where is Greymane?"
Looking at the cloak Xiuhtecutli pieced together that Greymane played him like a fool to trick Asmoday and began to fear the worst, "I… I don't know… give me a moment." Clearing his mind Xiuhtecutli tried to make telepathic contact with him hoping for the best, *Greymane...* The longer it took to contact his advocate the more he began to fear the inevitable had happened as he always knew it someday would, *...Greymane… GREYMANE… ANSWER ME DAMN IT!!!*
Knowing the truth Luna cried out as Celestia arrived with Twilight and the others, "He's in the void, I tried to pull him out but..." As she tried to tell them what happened she hoped there was still a chance to save him, "please open the void, we have to save him, he would do the same for any of us."
Wrapping Greymane's cloak around Luna Barqu explained that it wasn't that simple without the diamond that was used to open the gate they could just be opening a random gate into an unknown location within the void. And even if they used the diamond there was no guarantee that he was still in the same spot she last saw him.
Looking at the cloak Luna felt compelled to ask as Barqu nodded and explained why he had it, "Yes… Greymane's personal effects, he drank from the fountain of youth and requested to be teleported fifty yards behind every creature here, once here he gave me all of this and took an unstable philosophers stone that I fashioned to appear like the void diamond. As he and I entered the battlefield he vanished from my site." With a disgruntled sigh Barqu shook his head as he let out a nervous laugh, "To think that was the entirety of his plan, he said that he had one last trick up his sleeve and it would surprise all of us. If I had known I would have kept a better eye on him."
With a tap on his shoulder Beelzebub looked at Samael, "I see, perhaps you are right..." Looking back at everyone there Beelzebub knew that if he and Samael stayed they could lose some of their followers, "...Samael and I give all of you our condolences and shall leave you all to mourn your loss."
Though many of them felt something should be said not a one was able to break the silence, not out of respect but simply because none of them knew what to say.
Though they all wanted to say something the silence was broken when Xiuhtecutli got back up, "It would be in your best option to never speak of this, he gave his life for all of you so not speaking about him and never mentioning what has transpired would be a good way to honor his actions. As well as his memory."
Having heard this Twilight and the others began to argue with Xiuhtecutli saying that he should be remembered for what he truly was, a hero. As they went back and forth over the topic Luna took notice of a letter that was poking her in the leg.
Pulling out the letter she asked for everyone to calm down stating it came from Greymane as she started to read its contents,
"Dear everypony,
If you're reading this then I am dead… though that is the worst of it the best is still to come and the world is safe, congratulations on giving it your all and I hope that everyone of you prosper in your future endeavors. However I'm sorry to say this every pony, but this is how it must be; I knew this to be true long before I met any of you, and though it pains me to write this it pleases me to know that I did get to meet all of you before I left this world. And I am sorry for what I did but to make any plan work I had to abandon you all just to save all of you, they expected me to come as the advocate to Xiuhtecutli as the Legendary Thief, not as myself a simple orphan who's been down on his luck for the longest of time and not on my own accord. My plan was a simple one, once I arrived I was to slip into the battlefield undetected and make my way to the dark lord and the diamond. My timing had to be perfect… and I knew there was no turning back from this. I was also more than well aware that if any of you knew my plan that any of you would try and stop me or attempt to save me. Though I leave this world I want you all to know that I enjoyed getting to know all of you, that you all gave me a chance to become somepony..."
As Luna began to cry she passed it off to Twilight to continue from where she had left off,
"...and for that I thank you. I know that I made you all worry and I am sorry for that but please know that I had nothing but the best of intentions for all of you. I know that this letter will find you in some way so I shall leave my final words and my last wishes as such. I leave this world without regrets. I would like to ask that no pony mourns me passing from this world I know some of you may want to but you all have your lives to live and it shouldn't be spent crying, get out there and live to the fullest and in this way you will honor what I have done. And Xiuhtecutli don't worry about the gourd I filled it when I had the chance, and though you know I do not want anypony else walking down this darkened path I know you will select another so I ask that you grant me in the least this much. I want my cloak, and my diary to go to Luna, I know you will have some objections to this but I feel this is the right thing to do. I also ask that if you wish to remember me build an orphanage I had once thought about building one myself in the recent years but didn't know where to put it, I had tried to help those in need so this is at the least one act that will continue long after me. So long every pony… and I hope one day we can meet again in the next life."
After reading the letter several had started to cry, and though the remainder of the dark gods faded back into tartaros; they did so with heavy minds knowing that a mortal had just spared them a fate worse than death. All that where there knew… even Xiuhtecutli… that Greymane died so that they could continue to live as they always had.
Turning his back Xiuhtecutli stated he was leaving to find another advocate only to be stopped by Luna shouting at him, "Is this what it means to be your advocate, to perform a duty to the end and then have the only one who's been by their side leave them without giving a single moment to mourn them!?"
Turning around Xiuhtecutli gave an emotionless blank stare to everyone there, "He knew what came for him in the end, and time is never on our side so I must do what I can to keep your lives safe. Even if I don't care for any of you." As he began to take his astral form he heard Luna call him a heartless monster only for his last reply to her be a simple one, "If I am heartless then what does that make you?"
As he vanished from their sight Barqu started to walk toward the north without any real reason other than to just start walking, "Do not be angry with him nor should you hate him, he has had to watch every advocate he's had up till now die. He's just mourning in his own way as I shall do as well, far well everyone perhaps in my travels we shall meet again. Who knows maybe I'll stop by Canterlot in the spring I hear it's quite lovely around that time, and I would love to sample some of the pastries there."
As many mourned for him Xiuhtecutli slowly flew away as the thought to himself, 'For once I'm not the only one to mourn the passing of my advocate.'
As they all went their separate ways many of the guards who heard of what Greymane did questioned why he did it, though most could not come up with an answer some had taken a guess, while others carefully asked Twilight and her friends. Telling them it was the only way he knew how to help didn't put any of them at ease. But to know that he was not all the old tails made him out to be put many of their minds at ease, while at the same time made them question why keep his recent actions a secret? While many of the demons in Tartaros cared little for his death they all hated the fact that not only had he died, he did so to keep Azathoth from returning from his imprisonment and the value of his soul was forever lost to them. But nothing disgusted them more than to admit that they owed their continued existence to another mortal, as for Beelzebub and Samael however they constantly went over one of the oldest reports they had and compared it to Greymane's most recent acts, and though they lined up nearly the same there were several key differences.
As Beelzebub sighed at what he was reading Samael waved his hand without saying a word, "Yes I know what you mean but the similarities are uncanny, but to say they are the same is foolish. Greymane rushed in to do what he did best, the mare in this old file however walked into the fight and willingly gave up her life. Just because they did the same thing doesn't mean they are the same, she did it out of love for her family while he did it out of duty." As he filled out the last bit of notes stating that Greymane fell in the line of duty Samael passed his hand over the page adding what he felt should be there, "I suppose we could say that though it was in the line of duty. But I can agree that what he did he did out of love, it also makes it look a little nicer in the final reports." Before finishing the file Beelzebub began to run the numbers with an abacus only to chuckle at the conclusion it came to, “It's funny you know,” Looking up at Samael with a smile they both couldn’t help but look at the overall amount, “had he lived his soul would have quadrupled at the least.” Tucking the file away in his desk Beelzebub let out a rather pleased hmph as Samael smiled, “Let's just keep this tid bit to ourselves shall we?” Giving only a nod Samael agreed.
As the demons in Tartaros did as they felt was right a small funeral and memorial service was held for Greymane in Canterlot. Though it was unknown to the public those who were closest to him and knew what he had done were able to attend. Knowing there was no body to bury they simply placed flowers around the few things that were left behind by him, though the guard stood tall and remained silent to honor him Twilight and her friends as well as Princess Luna couldn't help but to cry knowing they had lost a friend. Celestia felt for her sister but knew that there were no words that would make her feel any better, she knew that all she could do was hold her as a means to comfort her in this hard time.
While they continued to mourn his passing Xiuhtecutli was passing through Germaney feeling out the minds of all young foals, hoping to find one whose mind was similar to that of Greymane. Once he found a suitable replacement he would then begin the process of preparing them to take on the task of safeguarding the world. Though he went from the smallest village to the largest of cities he could not find a single one, so he moved on to the next nation as the words his late advocate had once asked him rang in his mind, 'Must there be another to walk this darkened path?' Though he himself didn't question it Xiuhtecutli pondered if Greymane was on to something. As he made his way through Itaily he thought about how everypony back in Equestria had brought some light into his life, this soon made him think that if it was necessary then his next advocate would be properly introduced to Celestia and Luna.
As they all mourned Greymane's passing in their own way, deep within the void Azathoth had other plans for the Great Thief that required him to continue living. Having taken the time to free himself from his imprisonment was nothing short of child's play for him, as Azathoth reached out into the void and brought forth what remained of Greymane. Having him encased in a barrier that separated him from the flow of time with in the void, Azathoth could not only see but he also felt he caught him just in time before the last of his life slipped away. Looking at Greymane he could see the horrors that resided in the void had torn away most of his flesh, but restoring Greymane to as he was would take next to nothing for the demonic god.
Expanding the barrier to allow himself to enter Azathoth focused his will to envelop Greymane, "Mortal..." Taking a deep breath the dark god shouted into the emptiness of the void, "...AWAKEN!"
Barely alive Greymane could not move and yet all he could feel was a slight sting, looking about himself he could see that much of his flesh was gone but his bones remained intact. Looking around all he could see was the darkness of the void till Azathoth snapped his fingers illuminating the area around them, as the light shined brightly the creatures of the void that where scratching and banging on the barrier vanished as they screeched from being burned by the light.
Looking at Azathoth Greymane pondered what was going on, "I'm… I'm alive?"
With a smile the dark god kneeled down next to him, "Indeed you are, you have done well young one. Asmoday was a fool for doubting your resolve and an imbecile for believing that he had bested you at every turn, I warned him that so long as you lived he would regret it." Patting him on the head Azathoth gave a faint smile, “I respect your tenacity and wish to reward your efforts.”
In his weakened state Greymane was more than well aware that he would not live much longer but questioned why he was still alive, "So did you spare me my fate so that you could end my life your self?"
With a chuckle Azathoth held out his hands and summoned forth a bright light blue flame, "Quite the contrary, I want you to live. You've exceeded the expectations I had for you by far more than I originally imagined. And for that I think you deserve to return to the ones you love."
Unsure of what was going on Greymane assumed that Azathoth was after his soul, "Why are you helping me, is there something you expect in return?"
With a smile Azathoth began to rub his hands together with in the flame as though he were washing his hands, "Simple really, I want you to grow stronger than you are now. Back when I was young it was foretold unto me by a skeletal figure in a black cloak that I would be locked away here, I have always possessed the power to escape at anytime I wish as you can plainly see, however this creature said that when I am set free that I shall meet a wild card who would end my life. I don't know if you are the one that was prophesied or not and nor do I care, but you can be the one that sets an example for this fool so that when I face them it will be all the better."
Smiling Greymane let out a pain filled laugh, "And what makes you think that once I've returned I will do anything you ask of me?"
Once Azathoth was finished rubbing his hands the flame turned into an aura that enveloped only his hands, "Simple really, in your state there is a good chance you will lose a bit of your memory once I start to heal you. I will make sure that the memory you lose is this conversation, when you awaken back in the world you call home all you will remember is sacrificing yourself. Besides even if I don't soon you will find someone whom you cannot best as you are now and you know I’m right. So either way we look at it you will grow stronger and you will set the bar that must be surpassed by the fool I am to face, till then I wish you the best of luck and the greatest happiness with those you cherish most."
As Azathoth placed his hands on Greymane the dark god watched as his flesh returned and Greymane cried out in agony, as Greymane was made whole Azathoth knew that he could not completely heal him unless he turned back the hands of time. But doing so would not keep him healed for long as time would eventually return to normal and Greymane would suffer, so for the time being healing Greymane to the best of his abilities was the best option. And though he would not be at his best he would be healed enough so that he could continue to live.
As Greymane was made whole without a single piece of him missing he passed out, smiling Azathoth snapped his fingers and sent Greymane back to Luna.
Walking back to his prison Azathoth smiled at what the future could possibly hold, "Far well Thief of Legends, perhaps we shall meet again and should that happen I hope we can see eye to eye."
Though it had been a few months since the war with Asmoday to honor Greymane's memory and everything he did they began construction on an orphanage in Canterlot, though the official story behind its construction was to help the orphanage that was already there. Many in the guard and some public officials were told that the old orphanage was slowly becoming over crowded though the current one had no problems of that nature. Since the war Xiuhtecutli wondered if yelling at Greymane and calling him an ignorant fool being his last words to him was okay, though he did not dwell on this thought for too long his main focus was finding another advocate worthy of becoming the next Greymane. And if not then he would search for something else better if that where possible, while keeping to the idea that anything just as good would be fine.
It was three months before Xiuhtecutli ever returned to Canterlot… it was the last place to look for a replacement for Greymane so he decided to stop by the site and see how the construction was coming along… there he saw Twilight, her brother and his wife, as well as the other Element users and a few of the royal guard. Looking on at them he took a moment to read their minds and learned that within the guard Greymane became a sign of honor one only achieved by those who performed a duty worthy of the title, though the requirements were sketchy at best and seem to differ from one mind to the next.
Though Xiuhtecutli had been traveling day and night watching ponies from the shadows and reading their minds hoping to find the right replacement, for the time being there was none who could take on such a task or that seemed to be willing to walk such a dark path. He had even come to fear that there was not much time before word would begin to spread like wildfire that Greymane was no longer among the living. But for the time being since he was in Canterlot he figured he would go to the tower just after Princess Luna raised the moon, though he had not been in Canterlot for some time he had heard rumors that Luna would just avoid the tower for a few moments before landing. Worried that someone would soon take an even greater notice and try to dig into the situation, Xiuhtecutli knew that the tower was one of the last few locations she had seen him alive. And in a way it seemed to Luna that Grey’s ghost was still there always smiling and greeting her as she came in, Xiuhtecutli didn't have to read her mind to know this just having to hear her pattern was enough to tell him.
Making his way toward the castle he tried to remain unnoticed as he walked among the public in his humbled form.
As Celestia's royal guards came before him with Celestia standing behind them they almost questioned why she requested them when he was just one pony with an eye patch, "It is good to see you again, can you spare a moment to talk?"
Looking at the guards Xiuhtecutli felt a little uneasy, "Send your trained mutts away and I might be inclined to."
Though they were unwilling to leave their Princess's side she informed them he was an acquaintance that meant no harm, while she explained to Xiuhtecutli that they were there to help welcome him to the castle.
As they walked Celestia couldn't help but ask his intentions in Canterlot, "Must you bother with such a rhetorical question, or has this short time caused you to forget my reason?"
Stopping for a moment Celestia stared at the ground, "You know she still cries over him, and she has come to hate you for what you said then."
With a sigh Xiuhtecutli turned around and saw the pain filled expression in Celestia's eyes from seeing her sister in the state that she was in, "I am not a sitter, nor do I care what you and yours think of me. And my question then was just as rhetorical as yours was just now, she was the light in his life one of the few last bits of hope he held on to. I'm sure that in some small way Luna knew that better than any of us."
Looking Xiuhtecutli in the eyes she could see that he was not lying and yet at the same time it seemed as though he didn't care what words flew out of his mouth, "Then go tell her, she needs to hear this from you. I've tried telling her but I wouldn't know what to say let alone how to say it, I didn't know Greymane any better than most foals. And some times I see her staring at an old book with blank pages only for her to slam it shut before she starts to cry."
Knowing the book she spoke of Xiuhtecutli recalled Greymane had planned on giving it to her the last time they met, "I know the book you speak of..." Letting out an annoyed sigh he began to take his astral form, "...and if I must then I shall speak to your sister on his behalf, after all he's earned his rest and this is in the least I can do for him."
Slowly flying towards the tower he watched as Luna returned from raising the moon only to circle the tower a few times before landing, taking notice of this he knew that even after all this time she still felt for him even if most of her memories of him where missing. At the top of the tower he saw Luna in tears, and it only made him feel for the Princess of the Night knowing that Greymane filled a hole in her heart just as much as she filled the hole in his.
Taking his physical form he reached out to her only for Luna to zap the ground before him leaving a small burned area, "We could have gone the rest of our life never having to see you again."
Though he knew he was far stronger than her Xiuhtecutli kept his distance not wanting to overstep his bounds, "Your sister tells me you're having trouble getting over his death, and that you've come to hate me for what I said so I shall tell you what I told her. I care not for if you hate me but you where the light in his life and one of the last few hopes he held on to in this world. If nothing else you helped him far more than he could ever have hoped to help you."
As she started to cry Luna turned around as she slammed her hoof into the ground, "Then why, why did he have to die, there had to have been another way. Some other option, I've been going through his diary to learn all I can and even try to remember all the good times between us, and all it does is bring pain. But there was one thing we noticed, no matter how hard things got, no matter how impossible the situation he always found another way to resolve it and he never once thought about having to give up his life though I know he would have. There were even times when he was not protected by you and even when he was still out matched, and yet he managed to come out of the situation nearly unharmed. So why did he have to die?"
Looking at the Princess Xiuhtecutli had no answer that would end her questions, nor did he know how to tell her that in many of those situations he nearly did die. He even wanted to remind her of the fight with Adramelech and tell her that even then he had died, and it was them who revived him. He was even half tempted to call her Greymane and demand the she get a hold of herself, simply out of old habits from when Greymane had done some of the most redundant things in his youth and would worry that it could only get worse.
As he tried to open his mouth and give her some words of wisdom their attention was taken up by the sounds of somepony coughing as they stumbled out from the shadows, "The two of you are talking as if somepony was dead..." Knowing that they were talking about him Greymane gave a nervous smile as he slid down to the ground against the wall in the light of the moon, "...if I didn't know any better I would say it had to be somepony very close."
Without thinking Luna rushed over and wrapped her hooves around him, only for Greymane to ask her to take it easy simply because most of his body was still sore.
Though she didn't let go Greymane could feel her trembling, "We thought you were gone, please tell us this is not a dream."
Struggling through the pain he wrapped his hooves around Luna and held her as best he could, "If it is then let us hope it never ends."
As the two of them held on to one another their hold was broken by Xiuhtecutli clearing his throat, "How did you manage to return, in your note you even believed that it would be the end. And even if we had the diamond there was no guaranty that we could bring you back."
Thinking back to just as the gate closed the only thing Greymane could recall was some blue fire then waking up to the two of them talking, much was missing from his memory as Azathoth had claimed but for the time being they didn't question the gift that he was alive. Xiuhtecutli however felt that this was a matter that needed to be looked into, but for the time being he didn't want to bother what little happiness they had. Taking to his astral form Xiuhtecutli told Greymane to enjoy himself for the time being, but not to take too long as time was never on their side and there was much to be done.
As he left Greymane and Luna took what little time they had to try and pick up from the last time they were together, as the night went on Luna informed him about the orphanage that was being built but they could never come up with a name that seemed to fit.
Thinking back to his days as a young colt he recalled the stallion that had taken him in and taught him how to walk, talk, read, and even write, "Call it something that gives hope and has meaning, something that helps to be a beacon of light for those who need it." Thinking for a moment Greymane looked up towards the sky and saw how the light of the early dawn mixed vibrantly with the last bit of the night, “Perhaps it should be called, Magnus Spero, yes that sounds perfect. Magnus Spero.”
As the sun began to rise Luna couldn't help but ask greymane to join them for breakfast to show he was alive and well, he however felt that if she wanted to tell them he was alive then she should. But for the time being he wanted the rumor that he was dead to spread throughout the world so that he can move unseen in the shadows once again. In this way he can not only keep the world safe he can also keep all of them safe as well, walking toward the stairs he knew that he was in no condition to try and climb down the side and he was also aware that the guards stood a chance of seeing him as well.
As he started to leave Luna asked him about his cloak, "Keep it, I have another, but I will need that small bag of mine back. After all where am I going to find another one like it?"
Though Luna wasn't sure of what he meant by it she cast a spell to teleport it from where it was in her room to where she was, "Please be safe Grey, and try not to do anything reckless."
Taking the bag he smiled as he tied it to his right side, "I will see what I can do, but I cannot promise anything."
Giving Luna a kiss goodbye he called out to Xiuhtecutli, *Let's head home I need to pick up a few things. Also I’ll need my gourd if you know where it is.*
Before Luna could open her eyes he was gone and though she was relieved to know he was alive she couldn't help but fear that something darker loomed around the corner waiting for him.
Once back in the cave Greymane saw the gourd sitting on the table waiting to be picked back up, taking a sip he felt his wounds leave as he rushed around his home gathering everything he thought he would need for the road head.
As he put on his cloak and gathered his gear Greymane pulled out a map of Equestria, "Did Ronwe ever tell us where Celestia kept her little secret group."
Looking at the map Xiuhtecutli thought back to the night they spoke with him, "No he didn't, besides why would you want to know?"
Looking up from the map Greymane smiled at Xiuhtecutli, "Well if they've been keeping tabs on me then I may as well keep one on them, after all I feel the time is right to make a few friends."
Though Greymane was not joking he felt that getting on good terms with this group could be useful later, Xiuhtecutli however felt that Greymane's attention was needed elsewhere. During his search for his next advocate he had passed through one of the cities of the Zebra Homelands where he heard rumors that one of the tribes on the southern border to the neighboring kingdom of Nefertia was being attacked, and though this was something that could simply be dealt with between the two nations some of these rumors said whomever was attacking these tribes were looking for the Staff of Wisdom. Recalling that artifact from it being mentioned in the diaries from the ninth and tenth Greymanes he knew this artifact chose to simply just give its power to whomever possessed it without discrimination, but he feared that in the wrong hoof that kind of power could be dangerous.
Setting aside his want to meet this group Celestia had tucked away somewhere he sighed, "Let's go save some poor bastard from themselves."
Gathering what little of the powders he had left Greymane made his way out towards the train hoping to catch the south west rout as it left Canterlot, as the train passed by him he watched as he saw Twilight and her friends leaving. And though it was for just a moment he waved as they all looked out the window in his direction, as they stuck their heads out the window they watched as he soon became nothing but a small dot out in the distance. Having witness this Xiuhtecutli sighed as he asked if he had done that on purpose only for Greymane to laugh as he took off galloping in the south west towards the Centran Ocean saying ‘Maybe’.
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” ― Gautama Buddha, Sayings Of Buddha
For several weeks Greymane traveled to the southern shore line near Eternity's Crossing in a little area called Brittle Shores, though he was a three week distance from Stableside on the city's eastern side by hoof Greymane knew that he would need passage to the Homeland of the Zebras by boat. Though Xiuhtecutli had often said that it would be wiser, as well as easier, to simply teleport him. Greymane however, felt that it was better to travel as he was simply because he wanted to track down any information on the Order of Balance. For the time being he knew that word of his death would soon make its way across the world, he wanted to use this to his advantage and catch a single scout off guard in the hopes he can get some information. Over the years he had returned they were careful enough not to draw any of his attention to them, and Greymane felt this was strange. He knew that they would go into hiding but their leader was not beyond causing a bit of chaos to draw Greymane out; but his continued silence since his return, as well as after his assumed death, was only making him worry that the Order was going to do something on a much larger scale.
As he arrived at the coast line in the early hours before the sun rise he found signs of an old fishing village that had been abandoned, though its dock showed signs that it had been used in the recent years. As the sun started to rise he could barely make out the mast of a ship as a dense thick fog came rolling in along side it, looking at the ship he could barely see some glowing horns and the occasional pegasi telling him they were using the weather to their advantage. And that tolled Greymane he stood a chance of remaining unseen by the public for just a little while longer. As they docked Greymane used the fog the pegasi had brought in to walk up to them unnoticed. As he neared their ship he could hear them singing and though he didn't catch the start of their little tune the rest of it made him smile:
Suffers who suffer all Can swim upon the desert Where avarice have ravaged all In spite of good intentions Don't fill your mouth with gluttony For pride will surely swell But nothing's unforgiven in the four corners of hell
Sail away where no ball and chain Can keep us from the roarin' waves Together undivided but forever we'll be free So sail away aboard our rig The moon is full and so are we We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins
Envy and its evil twin It crept in bed with slander Idiots they gave advice But sloth it gave no answer Anger kills the pony soul With bitter tales of lust While pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' On the legs they never trust
Sail away where no ball and chain Can keep us from the roarin' waves Together undivided but forever we'll be free So sail away aboard our rig The moon is full and so are we We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins
But It's the only life we'll know Blagards to the bone So don't wreck yourself Take an honest grip For there's more tales beyond the shor~re
Ah the years rolled by and several died And left us somewhat reelin' In and out came crawlin' out And spewed upon the ceiling So what became of rebels" That sang for you and me Grapplin; with their demons In the search for liberty
Sail away where no ball and chain Can keep us from the roarin' waves Together undivided but forever we'll be free So sail away aboard our rig The moon is full and so are we We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins
Sail away where no ball and chain Can keep us from the roarin' waves Together undivided but forever we'll be free So sail away aboard our rig The moon is full and so are we We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins We're seven drunken pirates We're the seven deadly sins
Taking a moment as their song came to an end Greymane did what he could to learn about the crew by examining the ship itself, looking up at their flag he could mostly tell it was white as snow but closer to the base of the mast waiting to be hoisted up was a black flag that had the Jolly Roger upon it.
Though most pirates had been taken out over the many years he was gone, Greymane recalled how a few groups found ways of surviving for a little longer in the final weeks he was still around. But the trick of bringing in a fog to keep themselves hidden was a simple one that the seventh Greymane had taught to a small band of privateers in exchange for safe passage from them. He even recalled how the last time he traveled on a ship controlled by pirates who used this trick, at the time he had gained the respect of the captain and crew though he never saw them again. As he came closer to the ship many of the pirates stared down at him and thought about how easy it would be to kill him, as they started to move their captain came out on deck and shouted about how she would gut them and use their entrails to decorate her cabin if they were not doing their job.
As the captain came into sight Greymane immediately compared her to the last pirate captain from a thousand years ago, and though their appearance was near identical Greymane knew that it wasn't the same pony on more than one simple fact. The years where one thing but the main difference was the captain from that era was a stallion and the pony that stood before him was clearly a mare, though they both had the same level of command over their crew the last captain he met commanded through respect and trust. She was commanding through respect and fear, though it was effective Greymane slightly frowned at such a thing thinking the crew was holding themselves back.
Standing at the base of the ramp as it rested on the dock Greymane called out to the captain who looked down in disgust, "I wish to pay for passage to Zebra home land, I don't care the price I only ask that you do not tell anypony that I asked for your services."
Though his request was meant to keep the fact he was alive hidden from his enemies the captain had thought it was for a more nefarious reason, "As they say..." Walking down the ramp she gave a small smile as she tried to call him a criminal without actually saying it, "...all deeds born in the dark soon make its way into the light. If ye want to travel on me ship the price be five thousand bits, and if ye want us to keep quiet it be another thousand for each member of me crew. And it be the nation of Unyasi ye be wantin."
Knowing the captain wanted to take advantage of the situation Greymane was not above playing her game, "I count only seven besides yourself, how's this for a deal I'll give you fifteen now and another fifteen when I get to Unyasi." Looking at the crew he could see their greed in their eyes as they all slowed down in their work causing the captain to snap at them again to get them back to work, "But if that isn't good enough then perhaps I can take my business elsewhere."
Having a good look at Greymane the captain notice that he had no large sack on him and therefore questioned how he would compensate them now and then again later, asking through telepathy he requested Xiuhtecutli to place the exact amount for the first payment on the dock with in the dense fog as he reached behind himself and pulled the bag forth.
As the captain stared at the size of it she almost questioned if the bag was in fact full of bits, almost as much as she questioned how he could carry such a bag of that size, "I would first like to check that bag to ensure ye're not pullin' a fast one on us."
Pushing the bag towards them Greymane took a step or two back to make them feel safe, as the captain inspected the bag she found no fault in what she touched but asked what made Greymane believe they would just take the bag and leave him where he was.
"Quite simple, I have proven that I can pay the first amount and I have promised the same amount for when we arrive." Giving a slight smile full of confidence on the thought he had his ride, and also because the amount he promised them in total was nothing more than a simple drop of water in the ocean by comparison to what was in his cave.
Over the countless years when the Greymanes had taken enchanted items and artifacts they also stole many things worth great value, so the total amount of bits they had collected over the years was an unknown quantity simply because they didn't care too much for it; though a rough guess to be estimated in the ballpark of two empires at the least. It wasn't until the thirtieth Greymane that they felt it was time to start using it for anything they could think of, however the amount they spent or even given away was never enough considering how much they had to steal to keep the truth hidden.
With a smile and a sigh the captain signaled for her first and second mates to come and take the bag, "Welcome aboard the Twisted Serpent, ye will have to carry ye own things aboard and don't expect any hospitality as ye will be bunking with me crew." Her words though true almost seemed hollow to Greymane as she walked back on board, "We be shovin' off in a few hours once we've resupplied."
Watching the first and second mate take the bag into the abandoned village Greymane figured that they had some supplies near by, before she knew he was on board the captain made her way to the top of the ramp only to stop and look back as she asked if he was having second thoughts.
As she looked back she couldn't find any sign of him and was soon just as astonished as her crew to find him sitting next to the mast the second he spoke, "It's rare that I have second thoughts, but this is not one of those moments." Though they almost wanted to question taking him on board they felt a strange calming feeling come over them, "And don't worry I have nothing to bring aboard the..." Pausing for a moment he allowed the captain to say the name of the ship, "...right the Twisted Serpent, good name."
As the captain guided him to where the crew ate and slept he recalled how the last pirate ship had traveled on shared the same name, but thought it was just a simple coincidence though he still felt more than just welcomed. Several hours later the ship began to leave the port as the pegasi swirled around keeping the fog on them, as they left the shore line Greymane looked back only to see a cobalt blue stallion with a light blue mane standing at the end of the dock. Before Greymane could ask Xiuhtecutli to investigate this stallion he began to leave going back toward the north, with a hmph Greymane shrugged it off thinking that it was a member of the Order trying to keep tabs on him.
And yet he soon questioned this thought knowing that if any of them were there the day all of them thought he died, then there would be no reason for them to try keeping track of him. Recalling what Ronwe had told him about Celestia’s secret group he began to question how a group like them could keep such an eye on him without ever being noticed, and why now had one of its members willingly allowed themselves to be seen. This was a matter for another time for now he had to focus on the task at hoof, once in Unyasi he knew that he would have to start going into every tavern and hole in the wall to learn what he could. And even if he learned anything he would have to be careful to keep from being noticed by the Order, especially since they were far more spread out than they were a thousand years ago.
For the time being his greatest fear is that they could be behind the attacks in search of the artifact, and if this was the case then they had become more bold having heard he was dead even if the news was only about a four or five months old. By the time they felt they were far enough out the pegasi did what they could to clear the fog around them, as it cleared they could see a storm off in the distance and though they could just sail through it and be at Unyasi in about a week the captain didn't want to chance it being worse than they thought and chose to turn slightly toward the west. As they hoped to avoid the storm they found themselves caught up with in what was arguably the worst storm of their lives, though the pegasi could not fly in the storm it was clear that they had to do what they could to try and pull up the sails from on the ground with the earth ponies and unicorns.
In the moment they thought all was in their favor a lighting bolt struck at an odd angle and cut through three of the lines they were using to hold up the sails, if that wasn't bad enough the unicorn who was trying to tie up the mast found himself holding on for his life as the waves tossed the ship about.
As the captain began to shout orders to try and save the life of her crew she watched as Greymane walked out on deck and looked around for just a moment, "If ye don't know what ye doing then get below deck, I have enough problems trying to keep me crew alive right now without some worthless landlubber gett’n in the way!"
As lighting stuck again it came near to hitting the unicorn breaking off a section of the beam that held part of the sail up, as the unicorn screamed for his life the beam fell ripping the sail as it seemed to land on Greymane. As it came close to landing lighting stuck once again and in the flash of light Greymane vanished before the crew as the beam hit the deck where he was standing, crying out for help once more the young unicorn began to fall only to find himself being snatched out of the air. As Greymane did what he could to save the young unicorn he asked Xiuhtecutli to do what he could to keep the ship afloat for as long as possible.
Looking around the captain found Greymane was swinging her cabin colt to safety on the deck itself, once they landed Greymane called out to the captain, "If you all do what you can to raise the sails I'll do what I can to tie them up."
Though she didn't like having orders barked at her she knew this was not a time to argue against it, as she began to shout at her crew to one of her shipmates asked if she was turning over command of her ship to some landlubber who just got lucky, "I still be in charge of this ship, and this be a matter of survival. Now do as ye been told less we all find ourselves in Davies locker!"
As they went back to work they watched as Greymane ran up the mast to begin tying everything he could down, as he reached the last rope they watched as lightning struck showing a large silhouette of a cloaked figure holding a scythe while the lighting bolt attempted to strike Greymane only to miss.
As he tied the last of the ropes down he could feel the artifacts clawing at the back of his mind as the harsh winds blew past him nearly knocking him off, *You cannot save them, but then again you're not trying to save them; no you're trying to prove a point. You think if you can save even the worthless wrenched of lives then you can save this world. You must know by now that you are not this world's savior, you are it's harbinger of destruction, you will burn its lands, you will make its oceans run red with the blood of all living things. And we will be the ones to guide you once you have fallen to us once again.*
Quickly recovering from his fall Greymane did what he could to take hold of the nearest bit of rope and swing himself to the mast as he whispered to himself, 'That is not true, I will not fall to you again, I would rather die than to do be your puppet.'
Taking hold of the mast Greymane watched as lighting stuck in the distance showing a large mountain like structure that was about half a mile away, calling out to the captain he pointed in the direction of what he saw.
As they looked in the direction they watched as a lighting bolt light up the sky turning it into the brightest day for just a second showing them the way, "All right ye worthless blagards get below deck and start using the oars, if we want to survive we ain't got much time."
As they ran below deck the captain went to the helm to steer the ship towards their last hope for survival, as Greymane came down from the mast he called out to the captain asking her if there was much else to help her with. Though she wanted to tell him to be done and go below she found herself having trouble with the wheel, though she could ask for help, she was too stubborn to ask for it believing that it was her ship and she could command it even in death. As she fought the wheel trying to turn it lighting stuck again and with the last bit of light Greymane could see the silhouette of the reaper standing right behind her waiting to take her, rushing up Greymane grabbed her and pulled her back as the wheel finally gave in and began to spin out of control.
As the two of them rushed the wheel to get a good grip on it Greymane could feel the artifacts once more as the wind blew harshly causing the mast to bend and crack, *If you save them now they will only die horribly later, why not just spare them that fate like a good savior and slaughter them all where they stand.* Without thinking Greymane gave a single thought that made the artifacts laugh as the wind howled, *We don't know which is funnier, you lying to yourself about your true nature, or the fact you think you can resist us for much longer. You know we are still apart of you even now, you can feel us upon your body, you can feel the surge of our power in your blood. Accept it, we are one, we are the fate of this world and you were destined to be our host.*
As Greymane and the captain began to turn the wheel with all they had Greymane cried out as the thunder clapped downing his words, and though the captain never heard him she caught a moment if his lips moving as he said 'GREYMANE!'
After about an hour of fighting the storm they found themselves in the shelter of a large cave, thought it was large enough for the ship to come in completely in its current condition the shipwright felt taking it in half way was good enough. As he started making repairs the others alongside Greymane and the captain went further into the cave to rest up and eat a meal, as they walked Greymane noticed there was a few more than the original seven he saw when first boarding the ship. By his count there was in total twelve of them counting the shipwright and the three that stayed with him to make repairs. Once they set up camp the ship's cook prepared a meal as the captain and two others began to play a bit of music to lighten the mood, though they were all tired and hungry most of the crew plotted to kill Greymane and take what all he had for getting them stuck in their current situation.
The captain however chose not to be apart of their little plan simply because of what she had seen him do, to add to it her suspicions of him only grew having seen him mouth the name ‘Greymane' not that long ago. Knowing she didn't hear exactly what he said she felt that he could have actually been praying to the old ponies tale as if he revered Greymane as a saint of some kind or even a god, and if that was the case she felt uneasy having somepony who was part of a cult on her ship. As she continued to play without noticing or thinking she changed the tune she was playing to one she rarely ever played, it wasn't until the other two changed how they played that she noticed.
As she stopped Greymane walked up to her asking her about that song, "What of it, it be a tune passed down from me family over the generations. I don't much like playing it but if ye got's a problem with it then the ocean be right out there, and ye can swim the rest of the way."
Telling her he knew that song only raise her suspicions even more seeing as to how it was a song that was passed down through her family, asking how he would know of it he said he shared that song with a captain of a ship called the Twisted Serpent many years ago.
As they bust out in laughter the captain nearly took offense to his statement, "Listen lad this song be near on over a thousand years same with me ship, the only reason she still floats is because every crew she's ever had has taken good care of her to ensure she stand the test of time. And I'll give ye this much this tune was taught to one of me family but only the tune not the song itself, though I do have the old diary and the page that had the song is missing."
Asking her to humor him only made her a little angry, snapping back she said the only pony that could come close to singing the song without knowing its words was her mother the last captain and she only hummed the song. Looking at his smile she almost got up to punch him but thought what the hey as she started playing the song again, as she played Greymane walked toward the opening of the cave to see the storm had finally died out, revealing a clear sky full of stars and the brightest full moon any of them had ever seen.
To the pirates it was a good sign to Greymane all he saw was Luna as he hoped she and the others were safe, after a moment of taking in all that was before him Greymane took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and started to sing,
Candlelight dies at the window And the night wind blows soft from the sea Though I lie in your arms, I'm a thousand miles away On the waves sailing fast, sailing free
Now I'm bound for the heart of the ocean I'm riding the sea in my soul In the dark and the deep She will rock me to sleep Down below... where the black waters roll
When the sea birds cry out in the morning And the sun lays its kiss on the sand I'll be drawn to the shore Like so many times before As I long to be far from the land.
Now I'm bound for the heart of the ocean I'm riding the sea in my soul In the dark and the deep She will rock me to sleep Down below... where the black waters roll
I can still hear your voice on the trade winds I can still taste your tears on the foam But the lure of the tide that I'm feeling inside Will not rest till my heart finds its home
Now my heart is the heart of the ocean There are storms from the sea in my soul I'm restless and deep And before I can sleep I must go... where the black waters roll
where the black waters roll x 3
As he finished the song the captain stood up dropping her instrument as she ran over and pinned him to the side of her ship, "It's impossible..." Having a good look at him to compare him to the description from not just the old ponies tale about him but also what was recorded in the diary that had been passed down through her family she looked under his cloak and saw he had no cutie mark, "...tell me this is impossible that this is just a dream."
As her crew began to surround him thinking she was finally on board with their thought as she asked if he was really Greymane or if her suspicions were false, "I am, and that is the reason I am paying you to keep the fact I am here a secret. I have many enemies in this world and they would tear you apart for just having seen me."
Though the crew themselves could not believe what they had heard many of them accepted it having seen first hoof what he had done during the storm, they knew such acts were not simply possible by an earth pony nor any other type of pony for that matter. But from an old ponies tale nay a legend it made perfect sense. Having heard that he could out live an alicorn would mean that he had not just the training to pull off what he did, but also the many countless and endless years of experience from his line of work. Putting their weapons away they knew that he simply allowed the captain to pin him where he was, they believed that if he wanted to he could have beaten her with but a single tap anywhere on her body.
"Well over a thousand years that is when you last sailed on this ship. And just as it was documented in the diary ye saved everypony on board from a storm that should have sank me ship, and not just that ye saved me crew without a thought or care of ye own life. I had often heard there was no honor among thieves and yet ye seem to have honor greater than that of any soldier or guard that me crew and I have ever seen..." Letting him go she took off her hat and held it over her chest, "...it is an honor to have the greatest legend on me ship, me crew and I truly welcome ye aboard the Twisted Serpent."
Seeing them bow to him reminded him of how those who wish to make the world a better place but ended up becoming crooks, as he smiled he placed his hoof under the captain's chin as he looked her in the eyes, "And I thank you for having me aboard your ship captain..." Looking around he could see he had earned their respect for having done what he did, though some of them still blame him for what had happened, "...forgive me for taking a bit of leave from all of you, I grow tired and wish to get some rest."
Though he didn't lie to them he knew that he would not sleep this night, at least not with the artifacts making attempts on his mind. Xiuhtecutli had often asked Greymane if he was doing okay in the recent days since his return from the void, his questions came from the fact that the artifacts didn't make direct attacks on the mind in a similar manner to when one pony reads the mind of another pony. Their attacks start at the subconscious part of the mind slowly working their way to the conscious part, the reason for this is to make the ones who posses them believe that any thought they have is theirs and theirs alone. Though Xiuhtecutli could block mind readers from entering his advocate's mind, the artifacts were on a whole other level remaining subtle till the last second. And these attacks were impossible to see coming and even more so to stop.
He feared for his advocate knowing that if he went without sleep for too long he would not be at his best, *Perhaps you should wear the medallion, there is an old theory among my kind that unless two artifacts are not in agreement then the one being used has dominance in the mind of its host.*
Though he knew how Greymane felt about using any artifact after what had happened he hoped he would at the very least try something to block out the attacks, *Tell me...* Pausing for a moment Greymane could feel the warmth in his heart that came from the song as the thought of Luna filled not just his mind but his heart and soul as well, *...she is safe isn't she?*
With a sigh Xiuhtecutli knew his advocate was trying to dodge the topic but simply indulged him for the moment, *Without a shadow of a doubt. And before you can ask so are Twilight and her friends.*
Looking at his advocate he feared that his war with the artifacts could not be won that easily so long as they had something to use against him, but he knew that so long as Greymane felt that Luna and the others were safe then he at the least had something to smile about and give him hope. Knowing there was not much he could do for his advocate Xiuhtecutli chose to keep an eye on the pirates should they attempt to do anything else. As he did this Greymane went down below where the cargo was to find a dark cramped place to rest his body for any events that should befall them. Though such a location was uncomfortable it spelled seclusion and ensured safety for him, it also made it harder for anyone to simply come at him sense no one would know where he was for the time being.
As he tried to lay down he looked up and saw the same young colt he saw on the train the last time he was heading to Canterlot and again when he was being drowned by Asmoday, reaching out to talk to the young colt only made him question who he was and how he kept showing up as he did. As Greymane tried to talk to him he watched as the young colt ran away from him, trying to catch up to him Greymane watched as he jumped from the crates and in mid air he curled up into a ball as he bit his tail and vanished before hitting the ground. Sliding back into his little spot Greymane shook his head thinking it was just his lack of sleep getting to him, lying down in the small space he closed his eyes to get what little rest he could. Sadly he knew that whatever dream he had would soon turn into the worst nightmare in all the world, it wasn’t just his self loathing that caused these nightmares but the artifacts as well.
These nightmares were meant to tear him down and cause him to question anything and everything he did, and each little bit of what they did was to drag him back to them with the belief that bearing them and wielding their power once more.
Closing his eyes he laid there listening to the sound of the ship rocking back and forth on the water, before too long he started to dream but this wasn't anything like what he feared would happen. In his dream he found himself in a maze similar to a crypt he once discovered, through the maze was meant to deter grave robbers and get them so lost they would die with in its confines. With in this maze Greymane could hear someone calling out to him who this was he didn't know, following the voice for a few hours he found himself staring at a pony made completely out of shadows and smoke.
Walking around this pony Greymane kept his distance as it slowly turned into a buffalo and started to appear physical, "I know what you seek, come find me in the desert."
With a smile Greymane felt it was an artifact wishing to be found, "Even if you do know what I seek it doesn't mean that I will come to you. Besides I don't know where in the desert you are."
Though the buffalo gave no visible expression in his voice he sounded cheerful to the point of nearly laughing, "I am located South West of what is now Bareback Gulch, South East of what is now Talonpolis, North West of what has recently become Appleloosa, and North East of Rockwington. As I said I know what you seek, come find me when you finish with your current endeavors."
As a bright light enveloped the small area Greymane woke up far more well rested than ever before, this only made him wonder what could have caused this or if perhaps his own mind was trying to tell him something. The one thing he did know for sure was that it was not an artifact that seemed to want to control him, at least that's what he hoped for if he could hope for anything more than just the happiness and safety of those he cared for.
Walking up to the main deck he was greeted by the bright light of the sun and the captain calling out to him in a respectable yet cheerful tone, "I was wondering where ye ran off to, it not be long now before we be near the coast of Unyasi. Sadly I must tell ye that we cannot dock at any port as the local guard will come for us, and all other places to dock are either cliffs; or have jagged rocks hidden beneath the surface of the water."
Pulling his hood over his head Greymane thanked her for the ride, *Xiuhtecutli, if you can give them the second half of what I owe them.* As a ring of fire appeared next to him they watched as it slowly rose up from the deck of the ship without burning a thing, as it dissipated and left their sight they saw another large sack sitting next to him. "Here is the other half of what I owe you, and don't worry I'll swim from here."
Before they could tell him it wasn't necessary for him to pay them he had already dove off the side of the ship, once under the water he swam half the distance popping up above the water for some air. As they watched him swim away the pirates covered their ship in a light fog as they began to take off to return from where they first picked him up, it was wasn't very long before Greymane found himself under the docks unnoticed by anyone. Swimming to the far side of the docks he found a small secluded area covered by a bunch of crates allowing him to climb out of the water, once on dry land he did what he could to find the local taverns hoping to learn anything and everything he could.
Once in side of the closest tavern he sat down where he had the best chance to listen to the crowd talk, though there was a lot to take in from the merchants, sailors, guards, and even a few tourists. Sitting there for about an hour Greymane managed to overhear the group just to his right talking about the recent attacks on the villages. Sitting there he didn't learn much but what he was able to find out was that somepony was trying to gather as much information on the situation as well, though they were in one of the cities near the border the only reason this news made it over here was because it was a young filly offering a rather substantial reward for any and all information that was worth its weight.
Taking that as his clue to leave Greymane went to the edge of the city hoping to find another tavern with more information than the last, it was several hours before he found the right tavern to have the most information. It was a shady, rundown, hole in the wall where only some of the worst the city had to offer drank from. Walking in he felt all eyes were on him even if some of their heads didn't move, though some appeared to be simple cut throats others just seemed to be hard workers down on their luck, while most were like him in the only fact they were thieves and nothing more. Ignoring the how everyone was trying to keep an eye on him Greymane sat down next to the bar itself, looking at the tavern owner he dropped a small bag of bits on the table and asked what he knew about the local villages.
Picking up the bag the tavern owner felt its weight saying that his memory was a little fuzzy as he tucked the bag in his own pocket, putting down another one about twice the size of the first one Greymane asked again but inquired about anyone else who was looking into the same thing. Picking up the sacks again the tavern owner said there was nothing could remember but if there was some way to jog his memory then there might be something, as the others in the tavern chuckled at how Greymane was getting played by the keeper they were all unaware that Xiuhtecutli was floating next to Greymane in his astral form reading all of their minds since they had first walked in. Though many of them knew something about the attacks they were all mostly in the dark, the tavern owner however knew nearly everything but was paid rather well to keep his mouth shut.
Though he was paid enough to set him up for life his greed was getting the better of him, *There is a city that was built near fifty years ago that is the closest to the border where the attacks are happening, the young filly in question has a hot pink coat and a crimson mane. She paid him to keep quiet but he's hoping he can get double out of you to loosen his lips, also the bandits attacking them are two mixed groups one from Saddle Arabia and the other from Camelu but as to why they are attacking he does not know. What he does know is there is another tavern located on the South by Southeast end of a town called Papua New Whinny, that's where most of his information is coming from or was till just recently.*
Giving a slight smile Greymane sighed as he looked at the tavern keeper, "Thank you for your time, sadly that is all the bits I have." As he walked out Greymane figured a little compensation of his time was in order, *You said he was paid to keep his mouth shut, where is he keeping his payment?*
Looking back at the tavern owner Xiuhtecutli searched his mind as the tavern keeper thought about how he swindled Greymane out of the amount he did while giggling under his breath like an idiot, *In the basement, there is a group of barrels located in the Northwest corner full of bits. About four in total.*
With a sigh Greymane knew that all four were not his total payment if he had hoped to make double off of him at the least he was given maybe two and a half, *We'll just take three, and find me an orphanage.*
Going around back Greymane found a door to the cellar of the tavern locked up, though the lock was rather new it was like most any other locks, reaching into his sack he pulled out a lock pick and had it open with in moments. Walking down into the cellar Greymane was careful not to make too much noise as he made his way to the corner Xiuhtecutli claimed them to be in.
Having found seven barrels sitting in the corner Greymane was reminded of an old saying, 'It is easier to hid a tree in a forest, than it is to hide a needle in a hay stack.' Putting his ear next to each barrel as he knocked on them to try and find the right ones, it didn't take too long for him to find the four he was looking for, as Xiuhtecutli returned Greymane began to roll them towards the door without giving his next action a single thought.
*Perhaps I should just teleport them for you, less of a chance you get caught and we remain undetected.*
Though Greymane agreed with this he felt as though he should deliver the barrels himself but thought about how much time was wasted on gathering the information they wanted, and to add to his problem the Order had a head start on them, *Alright then, but only because of how our situation is.*
Wanting to keep his advocate hidden Xiuhtecutli gently blew on the barrels while casting a teleportation spell, standing there Greymane watched as the barrels and bits slowly turned to dust and where carried away on a gentle breeze. Slipping back out Greymane looked around the edge of the city to find himself a map of the nation, though his search didn't take that long he found the next stage in his trip to be the longest by far. After looking at the map he knew that he had just come out of the ocean, so he could only guess the city he was in was Whoazambique since it was the only one marked to be near the ocean.
That is unless of course the city he was in was too small they didn't mark it on the map, or perhaps too new that the map he had was not up to date. Either way he could see his next destination was clear across on the opposite side of the country near a river, looking out at the savanna he knew that only a fool would try to cross it without any clear knowledge of the terrain or lack of supplies.
Though Greymane was not that kind of a fool he pulled the medallion out of the small sack and sighed at the sight of it, 'To think that over a thousand years ago I sought you out for a good cause, and now here I stand questioning it because of all the pain and devastation my actions have brought. The old sayings where that immortality comes at a cost that all come to regret, and only those worthy of it shall obtain it. But what does that say about me? I was never worthy to be immortal I tried to steal it, and for that a price was set and nearly collected on because of what I had done. I know Twilight and the others, as well as Luna and Celestia say they don't blame me; but what of the families of those who did get harmed that day? And if any of them knew the truth about me...' Gripping the medallion Greymane could feel the sinister laughter clawing at the back of his mind reminding him of that fateful night, '...will they still call me a friend? No the better question is, will they still see me as they always have or will they see the monster I know to dwell deep with in me?'
Though his thoughts were full of self loathing and regret Greymane put the medallion around his neck and tucked it under the collar of his cloak so that no pony could see it, running off into the savanna some of the local guards tried to stop him simply because they feared he would die without the proper guide. Greymane wasn’t too worried about getting lost with his knowledge of the many times his predecessors had traveled through the area, and even if he did know his way around out there the local guard could see he didn't have any of the basic essentials such as canteens of water, food, or even camping gear. Having taken off before they could react gave Greymane a rather good head start but Zebras were known for having great speed, their only down side was even with their training Greymane had years on them and was currently immortal allowing him to run for a much longer time than they could. Before too long the guards gave up on trying to catch him simply because he went further than their posts allowed of them, as they walked back they sighed at the thought of how the savanna had claimed another young fool who didn't know his limits.
It was several weeks before he came to the capital of their nation called Zevera, stopping in the city to rest Greymane began to take off the medallion only to feel his body begin to take in his non stop marathon across the savanna. Nearly dropping to his flank he realized that unless he kept the medallion on he would have to take on the consequences of his immortal actions, and this meant he could have ended up laying on the ground till his body was ready to move. And that was time he didn't have. Taking a sip from his gourd Greymane could feel his body slightly recover allowing him to remove the medallion and only feel as exhausted as if he completed a day's work back on the Apple Farm, Walking around he found a small place with a vendor selling information about the city. And yet Greymane felt she knew a little more his suspicion caused him to plac a small bag of bits on the table but said nothing, looking at the the bag she saw that he was wanting information that wasn't meant for the ears of those around them.
Opening the bag to have a look at the amount she soon slid it behind the counter as she carefully walked over as if her bones would break any second and open the door on her left, "I'm sorry I don't have what you're looking for out here in my stall, perhaps I may have it inside. Please come in and have a look around if you wish."
Thanking her for allowing him in Greymane did what he could with the little time he had to check her out, looking at how she carried herself he could tell that she faked her frail movements into making others think she was not a threat. A classic tactic to fool the young and stupid, to add to it though her cutie mark was real Greymane took notice that her cutie mark had nothing to do with her buying or selling of information let alone being a vendor of any kind. Her cutie mark was similar to that that of a brawler and her heavy hoof steps clearly proved that.
As he entered the back room he came to a door where the mare stopped him and pinned him to the wall, "Behind this door is the pony you want to ask your questions, if I have even the slightest feeling that something is wrong. I will break down this door and you will wish we never met."
Before she knew it Greymane slipped out of her hold and was patting her on the shoulder, "Then I shall make sure to return your hospitality with the greatest respect I can, after all I am a guest here."
As Greymane walked through the door the vendor was stunned to see somepony had simply slipped through her grasp, in her experience this was the first that this had happened and she thought it a fluke as she walked back out front still believing she could take him if it came down to it. Walking into the room he was greeted by an old zebra who asked why the Order of Balance had sent him when she swore she wouldn't give out any information, looking at her he could see she was blind and recalled how in his youth the blindest of ponies could see nearly ten times better than anypony else, the reason for this was because when they lost their sight they did what they could with the remaining senses they had. It was nearly common back then for him to find somepony who could keep him on the tips of his hooves simply because they couldn’t see, and thought it was rare for most to do this it was even far more rare that some developed the skill to tell when somepony was lying just by hearing them speak.
Letting out a sigh Greymane did what he could to get what information he could out of her, "My superior simply wanted to ensure that you recalled this little deal, and also believed you might have been with holding out on something. And believe me when I say this, they don't like it when they've been cheated. So if there is anything I shall take it back to my superior."
Watching the sweat slowly start to roll down her face Greymane watched as she bit her lower lip these were all clear signs she didn’t have the skill he worried about, "Well there is one thing I may have forgotten to tell that little filly..." Staring at her Greymane feared the worst having just learned that the Order was looking into the situation but also the rumors that they had a filly doing the job to be true, "...according to legend a long time ago there was a village that was on the verge of death from a prolonged drought, when things seemed hopeless a pony with a dark grey coat, and a light grey mane and tail wearing a dark grey cloak. He had come to them with a golden staff decorated in the rarest of jewels, and a cauldron pitch black they say you could peer into the void just from looking at it. Wielding the staff this pony took what little water the village had and boiled it in the cauldron, without warning once the water came to a boil this pony kicked it over. And as the water poured over the land it became green, lush, and even filled the river we know even to this day in the south. But as I said this was just a legend which is why I didn't think it was of any importance."
Thinking back to the days he spent studying all that his predecessors had left behind he recalled how the Tenth Greymane was trying to hide three artifacts, the first he managed to do with out any problems by hiding it in a cave that connected to an active volcano even with a flame protection spell you would die from the heat. The other two however had to be hidden in plain sight, so to him this legend was just more information that put him just slightly ahead of the Order. Thanking her for her time he swore he would do what he could to ensure she would not have to worry about another visit from them, walking out he stopped by the vendor and asked what she knew about a young filly that had come by here recently.
Looking at Greymane she scoffed as she said he should know more about her as Xiuhtecutli read her mind, *The young filly the Order has gathering information has a bright pink coat and a dark blue mane and tail, but she had a cutie mark with weight and scales.*
Sighing as he laughed Greymane tapped himself on the head as he smiled, "Right... silly me, I almost forgot who they had in charge down here, thank you for your time."
Walking off Greymane stuck to telepathy as he asked Xiuhtecutli if the filly they were now trying to track down was even remotely still in the town they were heading to, *To the best of their knowledge she is still there, she came through here looking for information about the attacks but she wasn't subtle about it in any way. In fact that’s why the vender was overprotective and threatened you, her and the mare you just spoke with are grandmother and granddaughter. The vender was just worried for her safety.*
Letting out a sigh filled laugh Grey knew what it was like to keep the ones you love safe at any cost, though the vender was in need of a bit of training in subtlety. Looking up at the sky Greymane knew that tonight was a new moon and so the savanna had no light, though this made it easier for him to travel without being seen he could feel the fatigue taking its toll on him. Paying a coach for a ride to Papua New Whinny he climbed in back after hearing the driver say the trip would take about a week to two weeks depending on if they beat the rainy season, laying down in the back Greymane humored Xiuhtecutli's theory that he had mentioned some time back and put the medallion back around his neck before trying to get some sleep.
As he lay there no dreams came nor did any nightmares, it was dark and it felt good for once to just simply sleep.
Waking up to the driver banging on the sided of the coach Greymane poked his head out the window, "I'm afraid we have to turn back..." Pointing up at the sky that lay before them the driver feared they would never make the rest of the trip before the storm hit, "...if you're fine with waiting till the storm ends I will give you a ride then, other wise I will refund the rest of your payment."
Getting out of the coach Greymane asked how far they had traveled only to hear the driver say they had made it halfway, tossing him a few more bits Greymane thanked him for the ride and said he would try to make it the rest of the way on hoof. Though they thought he was out of his mind they didn't try to stop him as they feared for their lives knowing that some rain storms in the savanna can be unforgiving, as they raced back to Zevera in the hopes of beating the in coming storm Greymane did what he could to race against the clock hoping to make it to the next town. As the storm came in it started like any other a light drizzle with some winds, and the occasional flash of lightning followed by the clapping of thunder. But unlike the storms in Equestria there were no pegasi to keep the storms in check, these were closer to being like the weather of the Everfree Forest.
As the storm picked up Greymane could see the city just barely out of sight, from his distance it was more like a small dot on the horizon.
The closer he got the harsher the storm became causing the terrain to become too damp and muddy for most ponies to walk on and though he could have just spoken to him the thunder and the wind was drowning out any and all vocal sounds, *I do believe that it is time you stop being stubborn and let me teleport you.*
Looking up at Xiuhtecutli as he surveyed the area only to notice that the weather was only going to get worse Greymane nodded, *Fine but let's make sure nopony sees us upon arrival. As far as we know we still have the element of surprise and we need it as much as possible.*
As his eyes began to glow Greymane could feel his body become like the rain as he drifted and fell into the city, once in a back alleyway with in the city his body began to reconstruct itself with the falling rain. In most cases when Xiuhtecutli casted this form of teleportation it could take longer depending on how heavy of a rain storm it was, or if there was a body of water near by. However due to how heavy the rain was falling Greymane was reconstructed in no time at all, he did how ever feel slightly strange as if he had taken a bath with poison joke. This was one of the few forms of teleportation that Greymane did not like too much, mostly because it takes him a while to get use to having been a liquid for a short period of time.
Though most of the spells Xiuhtecutli uses to teleport him tend to make him take various forms most didn't have negative effects, but for the leviathan race it was common to use the strongest element in their area when teleporting if they didn't want to be seen. As Greymane regained his composure a couple of ponies saw him stumbling in the alley, laughing they thought he was drunk and trying to find a place to lay down.
As they left Greymane started to walk normally though he still felt a little light headed, *How I hate it when you use that spell.*
Flying next to him Xiuhtecutli gave a slight sigh, *Better it be that spell than one that lets off too much light, besides using the wind could have sent you anywhere, and trying to use the earth would have taken far longer, thanks to this rain the water is everywhere and is to our advantage.*
Shaking his head to try and get some clarity Greymane started walking hoping to find the tavern they were looking for, though all they had was a direction to go on odds that there was more than one was rather good.
Walking out of the alley Greymane took notice that the town was elevated by a good three feet above the rushing water, chances are the walkways were a rough five to seven feet off the ground for rain storms, looking down at where solid ground should be he saw nothing but muddy water rushing past him as the rain continued to get heavier. Using what paths were open for the time being Greymane made his way to the southeast end of the city to start looking for the tavern, but to his luck he discovered at the least three in the general area. Taking the closest one to him he saw a young filly who was just a little taller than half his size, though he didn't get a good look at her through the cloak she had on Greymane notice that the base of her hooves were a shade of pink and her tail was a dark blue. Taking to the roof tops Greymane began to follow her hoping she would lead him to where she called home, as she started to make a turn lighting stuck showing a silhouette of Greymane on the wall next to her. Looking up she saw nothing but her fears took hold of her causing her to run for her life, before long she made a wrong turn down an alley and found herself at a dead end when another bolt of lightning flashed through the air showing Greymane's shadow as he landed behind her.
Trying to escape him she attempted to climb the walls only to slip do to the excessive rainfall, as she fell she waited to feel herself hit the ground and feared that she might fall through the boards to be swept away by the rushing waters to her death. As she waited for the cold embrace of death she started to feel the warmth of another pony holding her as she heard a steady heartbeat, looking up at Greymane she was breathless as she squirmed out of his hooves, and in her mind she believed drowning in the rushing waters below was preferable to being in Greymane's presence. As she cowered for her life in a corner Greymane could see was a unicorn and her cutie mark was indeed a set of weight and scales. But unlike the ones the Order of Balance uses hers appeared to be real, to him this was strange as they had always used false cutie marks in the past that appeared near genuine but always had some mistake that they could never resolve.
Thinking he made a mistake Greymane reached down to try and help her up only for the young filly to curl up tighter, "If you're going to kill me then kill me and be done with it. I know you don't grant a last request but I must ask that you make it quick and painless."
Sitting down next to her he feared the answer he sought, "Tell me, what makes you think I would kill you. I value all life and wish to protect it."
Looking up at him she nearly screamed at the mere thought of his words, "Your false words are as poisonous as the venom of a hydra, I know who you are the ancient one tells the story to all young foals. Most think you're just a story to scare us but we all have seen what you have done, each year a group of us is taken to the old hide out where we are shown your hoof work." Standing up with a mix of hate and fear she looked down at Greymane unsure of what he was up to, "So tell me Crimson how long do you plan on toying with me?" Asking her why she called him Crimson she scoffed as she took hold of his collar and removed his hood, "How can you not know, the ancient one said that it is what he once called you and has even said that only he can protect us from you. He has also told us that he is the only one with the power to end you once and for all. The night you attacked he said he did what he could to save as many lives as he could while you laughed as you slaughtered so many, since then you have always been known unto us as the Crimson Stained Stallion."
As she looked him in the eyes she could not see any joy from having heard any of this, nor could she see any intent to kill. All she could see was regret, self loathing, and yet beneath it all she could see compassion, empathy, and strangely enough love for some pony who she couldn't tell.
"I know of the night you speak, and not a day goes by that I wish I could undo what I have done, but I do what I can to find redemption for it knowing that the road will be long and winding with many trials." Wrapping his hooves around the young mare he could feel her start to tremble while at the same time he felt the artifacts clawing at the back of his mind telling him how she was a threat to him and needed to be eliminated, "But believe me when I say I am not the monster he has made me out to be. I know that you may not listen to me when I say this but there are somethings in this world that we have no control over, and some of those things tend to try and control us. Even when we ourselves believe we cannot be controlled by anypony or anything."
Before too long the young mare calmed down and followed Greymane into the closest tavern to get out of the rain, once inside he ordered two non-alcoholic warm ciders to talk over. As they talked she learned that he wasn't any where near what the Order had made him seem to be, quite the opposite in fact and it showed in his voice, his expression, and how he listened to how she got to where she was right now in life. Starting out she could recall how her family once lived in Canterlot and her father loved to take trips out into the country during the fall season to watch the leaves turn so he could paint the fall colors as though the colors themselves were alive, each year they took this trip and each year they all enjoyed it they were happy. Then one night a group of bandits attacked them at their little cabin, her father did what he could to help them flee but it wasn't enough. Though she lost her father that night her and her mother were saved by the Order but in exchanged they demanded they do something for them, her mother couldn't do it do to the injuries she had taken during their escape. So instead they had her do it simply because she was and still is young enough to do the tasks they requested of her, they had even gone so far as to say that if she did all they asked of her then in five years time the two of them would be free to go, sadly that was that was ten years ago.
Looking at how she gulped down her cider Greymane slid his to her knowing she needed it more than him but knew that the attack from the bandits was not as simple as she thought, in fact he believed that they orchestrated the attack to force her into this situation. Though he had no clue as to why or any evidence to support his thought.
"Tell me, do you know what they are having you look for or even why?"
Pulling out the messages that had come in for her as well as a map of the local area with an 'X' dotting where she had already looked into came to a total of ten villages dotting the area at the least so far, "All they've said is that it is a powerful enchanted item, and that with it they could do far more of their work than they could ever do one their own." Lowering her head she sighed at the thought of helping them as well as her own plans, "I had thought that if I got it for them I could use it to free myself and my mother, but I know they won't just let us go so easily. So I thought that I could take it for myself and come up with a plan to save my mother later on."
Seeing the pain in her face and hearing how distraught she was only made him feel empathic to the fact that even now the Order was tricking others into doing their dirty work, "You have a good heart and I know what it's like to want to protect those you love and to feel helpless and powerless when you can't, but I know the pony you have come to call ancient one and he will not keep his word. Nor will trying to use the item he has sent you after against him work either, I however can help you free your mother and get both of you somewhere safe, but I ask only this in exchange." Slowly drinking the cider she tried to calm herself knowing that she would be indebted to not just somepony else but somepony who till just a rough hour ago she feared was going to kill her, "I ask that you trust me and keep the fact I exist a secret so long as you live."
With a brightened smile finding its way across her face she knew that though he asked for something easily given, it has come to mean the whole world to both of them. For her it meant getting her mother back and being free from the Order, for Greymane however it meant his continued time on this earth though however much of it was just borrowed he didn't know nor did he care to know. The only thing he cared for now was ensuring that those he had come to love and call friends were safe, as they talked into the night the young mare soon fell asleep and though Greymane had most of the information he needed, he couldn’t help the feeling that he couldn't just let her stay where she was or unprotected, whether or not he knew it when he met her out in the rain she was somepony he now had to protect for the time being. Paying for a room to share Greymane carried her to the room where he let her rest, and though he needed some sleep as well he couldn't rest without studding the map she had or the letters she received. All of it pointed to the fact that they were looking for the staff but for what reason he couldn't figure out, thinking back to the days he spent studying all the books his predecessors had left behind on the island Greymane recalled how the second mentioned that her father the very first Greymane carried the staff with him till the day he preformed a ritual to save Xiuhtecutli in exchange for his own life.
From then on all of the Greymanes up until the tenth carried it with them wherever they went, though it wasn't documented what had happened he did managed to piece a bit of it together. Around the same time the tenth Greymane had adopted the eleventh Greymane was the same time the staff went missing, however there was another artifact that was mentioned to have been hidden at the same time The Cauldron of Life. Though not much information about this artifact was documented by the tenth Greymane for reasons unknown, what he managed to figure out from the legend the old mare in Zevera had told him, the cauldron had the power to bring life back to a location and possibly even the dead.
But as to how it was done couldn't just be as simple as boiling water, there had to have been more to it than that simply because each artifact can make a choice and for the power to bring forth life there had to be a key to it of some kind. But all he could guess was since the tenth had the staff and the cauldron the answer was simple, the staff gave him what he needed to use the cauldron upon his own will. But if there was one thing Greymane did know about life was that it had to have a balance of its own, so if there was such an artifact to bring forth life then there was one that could bring forth death at the same level. And what's worse was that it could be very subtle as well, as the sun started to rise Greymane began to plot out the path he was going to take and what he might do when the time came once they located the artifact.
Walking towards the door Greymane did what he could to think of a way to keep her safe while at the same time retrieving the artifacts, his only solution was to have her stay in the room till he returned with the artifacts ready to be taken away unnoticed. As she woke up Greymane smiled at her as he greeted her, having a light jump she was somewhat shocked to find he didn't kill her while she slept only to recall how they talked the night before. Smiling back she greeted him with a nervous chuckle while having trouble making eye contact, before long she asked how they were going to deal with the situation. Telling her that she was going to stay put till he returned didn't go over too well as she took hold of his cloak and tugged on it, telling him that she was going with him didn't sound like a good idea to him either after all the Order knew them both and if she was caught working along side him that was bad for her mother.
Telling her this fact didn't work either and in a way Greymane smiled to see a little of himself in her, "Face it you need me just as much as I need you, I can spot other members of the Order just as well as you can; and I know where they all are and what some of them are up to."
Letting out a sigh filled laugh Greymane turned around and patted her on the head, "Stubborn like myself, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing..." Sighing as he turned around to open the door Greymane thought about how her knowledge would be useful to have for the time being, "...very well you can tag along, but you have to listen to me. If I say hide then go hide, if I tell you to run then you run, I don't want you to get hurt out there."
Nodding with a smile she followed closely behind him hoping he didn't try to lose her as they left the tavern, once outside she pulled out the map and began circling a few locations some of the other villages had been forced into telling other members of the Order about. As she tried to tell Greymane where they should begin their search he chuckled as he started walking towards the west, running in front of him she stopped Greymane asking what he found so funny.
Pointing at the map Greymane said that they were all looking in the wrong area, "How would you know? It's not like you've been here before..." Pausing for a moment she recalled how the Order had often mentioned that he was immortal and had lived for countless thousands of years, "...have you?"
Looking back he smiled, "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. But what I know is that we head west for now." Though he didn't completely lie to her their destination was one of may his predecessors had gone to and thanks to the spell on their diaries he could walk alongside them in their memories, though there was no consequences to this spell one thing he has learned over the years is that even in death the memories they felt should not be shared remained untouchable, "The reason you can't find this item is because I have hidden it, I came here to learn how close you were in your search so I can evaluate whether or not I should reclaim it and take it somewhere else in the world. And if I have no choice then I would deal with the bandits as well."
Lying about having hid the artifact himself was a simple ploy to make her believe that he was in fact immortal, and though he didn't like having to lie to her Greymane knew that in order to have her trust him more her belief that the leader to the Order of Balance could kill Greymane had to be broken. Greymane knew he was just as mortal as anyone else but the illusion he wasn't had to be preserved so the Order didn't get too bold and start attacking as they pleased, though they had numbers the likes of which he could not face alone their fear in him was deeply rooted in their core beliefs. It is because of this their leader pretended to be cautious in his actions when he himself simply wanted to watch the world cower at the mere thought of him, but with Greymane still alive this could never come to pass.
As they traveled through the savanna Greymane was careful to make sure she rested in the shade whenever possible, to him it was near nothing to be out there in the heat, during his time in Tartaros he had been tossed into the ever burning flames countless times and had to endure heats that would baked many alive. Though he was cursed at the time he could still feel every bit of it, there wasn’t a single bit of his experience in that never ending plain of the eternally condemned that didn’t often find it's way back to haunt him however rare it was.
During many of their breaks in the shade the young mare would often catch Greymane practicing some kind of motion while standing on just his back hooves, as their trip took weeks she often tried to imitate what she saw only to struggle with it and become so frustrated she would often bang on the ground. At the beginning of the last week Greymane watched as she kept trying to get the motions right only to fail, and though he had been aware of her trying this for the past few weeks he couldn't help but watch her to see how determined she was to get it right. Knowing that they were further ahead in their search than the Order Greymane felt taking a little extra time to teach her a thing or two wouldn't hurt too much of their time, Xiuhtecutli however was against this action saying that to train today's allies is to teach tomorrow's enemies how to take him on. With a light laugh he walked up to her as he told Xiuhtecutli that even if that was the case as of right now she needed to learn how to defend herself should they have no choice but to fight, in her he saw the same stubborn attitude he had but her determination was almost greater than his and for good reason.
Trying again hoping she could get it right she fell over from exhaustion only to be caught mid fall by Greymane, "Take a break and get some rest, and in an hour if you feel like you want to try it again I'll teach you."
Asking Xiuhtecutli to keep an eye out for danger was his own paranoia telling him that something seemed off about the whole situation, and for her cutie mark to be as real as it was had ate away at the back of his mind and up till now though he did what he could to ignore it. As she slept Greymane thought back to an old spell the fifteenth Greymane had come across in her travels though to her it seemed rather harmless, it was a tracking spell that could be cast on anypony and they would be none the wiser unless they found something that marked them. At the time she had discovered the spell was created by one of the kingdoms of her era to keep track of their soldiers but the project was tossed aside, the reason for it was recorded in a file with the spell itself.
Though the documents went into far greater detail the most basic of it was because it was far too costly to use, and they didn't have enough ponies at the time whose minds could take the continued strain from having to watch over their targets. To add to their problems the spell could only be used by one pony to track only one pony at a time, so its limited use meant they would have to have just as many users as there were soldiers which is why they never used the spell. As she started to wake Xiuhtecutli came back with some of the worst news he had for the moment, though to him and Greymane it was next to nothing in comparison to what they normally deal with.
*There are three scouting parties tracking us, though they are not using normal methods such as hoof tracks left by us or any disturbed piece of plant life. They are keeping their distance to about three maybe four miles at the most, how they are following us without using normal tracking methods I am unsure.*
Rushing over to the young mare he lifted the back end of her cloak to have another look at her cutie mark, "How did you come to get this mark?"
With a nervous laugh she blushed as she thought back to it knowing that what she was about to say sounded silly, "Well they have a spell that helps to draw out your hidden talents and when they use it your cutie mark appears."
Trying to tell him that she knows it sounds silly she tried to explain the ins and outs of the spell as they had explained it to her only for Greymane to place his hoof on her cutie mark to hide Xiuhtecutli's attempt to lift one of the tracking spells from her, "They lied, this is a tracking spell they've been using to keep an eye on you. I've seen this only once and they were clever enough to hide it as this damn mark, so long as the spell remains active the mark itself stays." Though it burned for only a moment she was astonished to see her cutie mark vanish as he removed his hoof, "They never planned on letting you go this much we knew, but what I feared is that they never trusted you enough to just let you wonder about. I'm even willing to bet that they do the same to every last one of their members, though the reason for them doing this to their own could be different."
As the first tracking spell was removed Xiuhtecutli took notice that they began to move a little faster towards them signaling to him that the ones using the spell where with their group, as the second spell was removed Greymane wrapped one hoof around her while taking hold of one of his powders and telling her to hold on tight and to keep her mind clear. Looking at his right hoof she watched as he pulled an ounce sack off his hip and threw it on the ground, as the smoke enveloped them she tightly closes her eyes but her mind became filled with fear as they teleported away from their current location.
As they re-appeared further down the savanna the young mare found herself stuck in a tree while Greymane was looking up at her, "When I said to clear your mind I meant it, even the tiniest of thoughts can send you anywhere within five miles. You're lucky it wasn't towards them."
Climbing the tree Greymane instructed her to take hold of him as he broke off the branch that held her in place, once the branch was broken Grey held on to her tightly allowing her to safely climb down. Once on the ground he looked at her and he could see the shame that filled her every being, sitting there she thought about how she nearly messed up their mission to beat the Order and get her mother back.
Knowing how she felt Grey started to gently rub her head as he sat next to her, "It’s not your fault you didn't know, I had known them to use fake cutie marks in the past but I hadn't seen any of their work since the last time I had faced any of them. But even then I knew it was only a matter of time before they tried something."
Looking up at him eyes full of tears she thought of her mother and how she not only jeopardized her one chance to save her, but had also smashed the one bit of hope she had left for freedom.
Gripping Greymane's cloak as she buried her face in his chest she started to cry uncontrollably believing there was nothing left she could do, "I've done all they asked and more, I feared you the most and here you've tried to help me and they almost caught us because of me. What hope is there now? My mother is still their prisoner and they know I'm traveling with you, there's no hope left is there?"
Allowing her to cry till she had exhausted herself Greymane sat there knowing how she felt, "I once walked in your hooves along time ago, there was a place I called home, there were a lot of ponies I called my family. When I heard that we were going to lose our home I went out to work hard and save all of them, I failed doing things honestly but in the last moment when I felt like giving up that is when I learned that sometimes you can't do everything on your own. It's best to seek help when you needed it especially when things are their hardest, right now you need help and I will help you but first you need to help yourself by taking the first step." Wiping the tears from her eyes she watched as he took the stance she had seen him take so many times before, "When you are ready you may join me and I will teach you enough of what I know to help you take your next step."
Watching him she saw that his stance was as solid as a rock, yet his movements were like water as he almost seem to dance while moving like a leaf in the wind. After an hour of watching she stood up on her back hooves almost falling over, taking hold of her Greymane widened her stance and lowered her body telling her to bend her knees. Slowly moving her through each little step and motion she felt as though she was learning to dance, though everything about it felt like she was drawing power from the ground around her. Before too long Greymane stopped moving her through each step to allow her to get the motions herself, after several hours she collapsed tired from everything.
Worried this was the best she could do nearly made her cry as she thought that if this was her limits then saving her mother was further out of her reach than she thought, "You did well for your first session, and though you have a long way to go I see much potential in you."
Helping her to her hooves he took her near the campfire where he was trying to boil water out of the mud, though she had heard of this being done this was the first she had ever seen it.
Passing what little water he got out of it to her she thanked him as she drank it all, laying down next to him it wasn't long before she fell asleep, *Your lucky I noticed them, this young mare nearly cost you your life. Come sun up I suggest you leave her here and continue alone.*
Snapping back at Xiuhtecutli for his words didn't come from his willingness to just want to help her, it came from his own self loathing from not being able to save the orphanage and they both knew it.
*I decide when I'm done helping her, not you. Besides what could happen if I just left her alone out here, she could starve to death or die of dehydration, or worse.* Placing his hoof around her as he looked down he could see a resemblance to one of the young fillies from the orphanage that made him believe he was still protecting one of his little sisters, *I couldn't protect or save them but that doesn't mean I should just let her go on believing that she can't do the same, I won't let her suffer what I had to go through not at her age and not because you say to leave her.*
Looking down at her Xiuhtecutli could see the singe on her coat where the spell was only hours ago, *She may have been their captive and their servant for some time but she is still one of them, I'm willing to bet she knew all about the spell and was trying to lead them right to the artifact. I bet she was their bait.*
Without thinking Greymane began to speak in the ancient leviathan language as he let his own hate for himself consume him for having lost the one's he called family still believing he was the cause of their death, *VEN ON PAN'ADINDO MINO KILEN'POULANA!*
With a sigh Xiuhtecutli knew that when he taught Greymane this language if he said something then it held more weight than in any other tongue, to the leviathans when they spoke in this language it wasn't as though they spoke from their throats, hearts, or minds. To them this language came from the soul, so when they said they would do something in this language they upheld it till the task was complete or they died whichever came first. However there were a few rare cases where it lasted several generations within their race, so for Greymane to use the language meant he refused to listen and was bent on doing what he believed to be right.
Sighing at the thought his advocate knew what it meant to speak in his tongue didn't make him feel better about the situation, in Xiuhtecutli’s eyes the young mare was one of them and this was all just a trick. But he had no control over Greymane and his actions so there was not much that could be done, other than sitting back and watching everything unfold as he tried to protect him while hoping for the best.
Early the next morning they took off continuing their trip, at the moment Greymane knew that they had a far greater lead on them than they could ask for or ever hope for. At the same time they didn't know Greymane was the pony she was traveling with, all they most likely knew is that he was just some unlucky traveler. Before too long they came to a tree near a mountain formation and it was here Greymane felt it was best to rest before continuing, as he sat there to get some rest she continued to train herself in the hopes she could come at least one step closer to saving her mother. As Grey continued mentoring her on each little step he focused heavily on teaching her how to control her thoughts and emotions so that in a fight they did not control her, as the sun set and the moon started to rise Greymane looked up as he thought of Luna causing his heart to fill to the brim with warmth.
"Have you trained many ponies before?" She asked hoping to be his first student even if she was his first since coming back out of hiding.
With a sigh he brought his eyes down from the moon and on to her, "Forgive me I know it's a little late to be asking but what is your name?"
Nearly losing her balance as she blushed the young mare recovered her balance as she continued to practice, "Ember, my name is Emberglow. My father named me after what he saw in the setting sun one evening, mother loved the name and I never thought about what it meant."
Smiling he said it was a good name that belongs to somepony who has much potential, "Ember I want you to attack me." Letting out a light chuckle she asked if he was joking, "No I'm not joking, I want you to take all that you have learned up till now and attack me."
Walking up to him she prepared herself for whatever could come next, as she tried to attack him she watched as he moved in, out, and all around of each attack, for several minutes all Greymane did was weave in and out dodging her as she did her best to land one little hit on him. In the last moment she watched as he didn't try to dodge instead he allowed the punch to come at him as he gently brushed her hoof aside and twirled around her extended leg till he was behind her with his hoof on her back.
Letting out a pride filled sigh Greymane smiled as he patted her on the back, "You did well for your first time, and no you are the first I have ever trained. Though I will teach you to defend yourself and protect the ones you love I cannot teach you everything I know. Now that you seem to have the basics of the stance and some of the movements down I shall start teaching you how to block and strike."
Taking her stance again she waited for Greymane to attack her but watched as he shown her how to take an incoming punch, kick, or buck and use it to her advantage, it took most of the night before she learned how to move around attacks like he did. But as the sun started to rise she knew enough that she could fight on the same level as Greymane, or so she thought, it was true that Greymane did what he could to teach her but he knew that it would take much longer to have her come close to even a fraction of the skill he possessed. Though she would never come close to his skill Greymane knew that if she took what she had learned and continued to practice, then she just might one day be able to give him a decent run for his bits.
As the sun began to rise they soon found themselves surrounded by zebras with spears, clubs, and sling shots aimed at them, as she backed into Greymane she feared what these ponies would do as a young mare came walking up with a staff that had various items tied to the knot at the top.
Walking up to Greymane she spoke in her native tongue as she felt his face and even pushed it around a little before speaking in the common tongue, "It has been far too long since you've come here great one, though many generations and moons have past your actions of saving us have not been forgotten." Looking around they could see that many questioned what the young mare had said knowing that the description between him and the tenth where completely different, "Please forgive this young foolish mortal shaman, but please tell me why do you chose this appearance and not the great form you came to us in all those years ago?"
Smiling as he set his hoof on her shoulder he looked her in the eyes and could see that he wasn't just looking at his physical appearance, but in some small way what had passed down from the tenth his personality and it was this personality that she saw, "I have many enemies in this world and I wish not to draw their attention, and what would it say of me if I brought them here because I wished for you to know who I am at first glance."
Giving a gentle smile he hopped they bought his words knowing that the tenth Greymane, though he was an alicorn, has been dead for countless years. As their weapons lowered they guided them to a water fall near the head of the river that was near the mountain, following the shaman and warriors into the fall they found a cave that was hidden by the raging water. The further back into the cave they got the more Emberglow began to worry that they didn't believe him, Greymane however knew that he had limited time to start gathering as much information about their village and what all the tenth had done here as to hold the illusion that all the Greymanes where just one pony.
Before long they came to an opening in the cave that led them to one of the most beautiful oases anypony had ever seen, recalling the memories of the eleventh Greymane he recalled how he was a zebra who had come from such a place and then it all made sense to him. When tenth Greymane came here he hid the staff with them because they were hard to find, to add to it if the legend the old mare had told him was true then the Cauldron of Life was also here as well and they knew not what was in their possession.
Though this was the best he could hope for Greymane could feel something caressing the back of his mind as all the blanks began to fill themselves with knowledge he didn’t have at first, *Who are you that you can reach me like this, and yet you do not try to control me?*
Feeling this gentle touch Greymane could hear a laugh as though it was a teacher laughing at the cleverness of their student, *I know not which I find funnier, the fact you ask such a question knowing the answer. Or the fact you bring my sibling yet you chose not to use the power held within, is immortality truly that scary for you when there is no price to be paid?*
Before he could answer his train of thought was interrupted when a young yet rather large bulking stallion stood proud at the top of the cavern to the right of him, "It is as the old shaman has said the Great One has returned, and with his return a new age for us all. Now my fellow warriors, now is the time that we pick up our weapons and go forth to conquer this land. To conquer and reclaim what was once our home!"
Though there were few of them many rose their weapons as they let out their battle cries the shaman they followed cried out for them to stop, "Your wrong to say that, yes the old shaman's words are true and the Great One has returned to us. And yes this means a new age for us all but it means an era of peace and enlightenment for us, when the Great One first saved us even then he spoke against violence and war. He often said that we should avoid it as much as we could and only fight to protect ourselves and our loved ones. My children as the young shaman hear me when I say that the old shaman would not agree to such a thing like war, that she has always spoken unto us with love and compassion. So I ask you all this, if she loves, if she teaches the same thing that the Great One has then why would she tell us to kill? And if the Great One has always spoken against violence then why would he tell us to kill?"
As the two of them went back and forth Greymane could feel the staff tell him that the old shaman they speak of was in fact still alive and is waiting for him, stepping forth he called out saying that he would like to speak with the old shaman himself. Escorting him to the old shaman Greymane saw that many of the villagers bowed to him out of respect, as he came to see the old shaman he noticed that she seemed to be just slightly older than most ponies around them. In fact she appeared to be rather young, however her eyes where a milky grey showing that she was blind and in her eyes was where he saw that she was much older than she appeared.
Waving her hoof she asked to speak with Greymane alone they closed the curtain as he sat down, "I know you're not the same one who came here, the staff has shared much with me since the day he gave it to me." Looking at her he almost questioned her age as she chuckled, "The staff of Wisdom sits before you in my possession, and yes the Cauldron of Life is here as well. With the two I have lived since that day guiding these young ones and trying to keep them safe..." Giving him a smile she set the staff down allowing Greymane to see that the legend was not accurate at all when it said the staff was made of gold and decorated with jewels he saw that it was similar to that of a fallen branch, "...it's rather funny, it's called the staff of wisdom. But the staff does not grant wisdom, it grants knowledge beyond all comprehension. Your predecessor gave me the staff because I showed wisdom to lead them down the right path yet at the time I was unaware of it. Oddly enough when he did he said unto me ‘That wisdom is relative, and knowledge is absolute. But to have one without the other makes no sense, and to claim to only need one without the other is ludicrous.’ I found it strange then and now, but even still I agree with him."
To many her words would not have made much sense but coming from one Greymane it was almost as if they were meant to come to him as though the tenth had foreseen what was going to happen, thinking on her words he pieced together that to say you are wise when you are not knowledgeable in what you are saying is just as crazy as saying that you have knowledge but you lack the wisdom to use it properly makes you a fool. But he questioned what any of it had to do with him or if he was just meant to pass it on to some pony who needed to hear these words far more than he did, asking about the two young ponies out there that we're arguing about going to war or staying here Greymane watched as a frown came across her face.
"I don't know how long I will live, and I have trained many young mares to take my place when the time comes, and though this village has listened to them these young colts however..." Giving a pain filled sigh she reached for her gourd to have a little water, "...they have grown increasingly aggressive wanting to go to war unaware of what may await them out there."
Standing up he turned around to walk out of the tent as he slightly chuckled, "I can help solve that problem right now if you like, but to do that I may have to scuff up one of your proud warriors."
Laughing at his statement as he walked out she shouted that she wished she could still see so that she may watch the young arrogant and foolhardy be put in their place, walking out of the tent he looked down at the training circle and watched as the stallion who was shouting about going to war moments ago beating young colts into the dirt telling them that they needed to be strong. Tapping Ember on her shoulder he whispered to her to pay very close attention to how he handled the stallion.
Walking into the training circle he caught the stallion's hoof before he could strike another colt, "You say they need to be strong, but true strength does not come from your muscles because it cannot be found in the body. It comes from having heart and the willingness to stand up to protect those you love." As the stallion laughed at his words he mocked while pulling his leg out of Greymane’s grasp, walking back to his best trained warriors as he pointed saying that love has no place on the battlefield, "Very well then how about this, best me here in this ring and I will not only support you I will personally train ten young colts to take with us. However if I best you then you have to give up your dreams of going to war."
Though he didn't think he stood a chance against Greymane he did however feel that if luck was on his side then whatever secrets for war he had could be put to a much greater use, accepting the deal everypony cleared the ring as many more started to watch from all around them upon the ascending rings. As they circled each other the proud stallion got many of the warriors cheering him on shouting and chanting that he break Greymane or as they called him Great One, but the others kept silent hoping that he best the young stallion to bring an end to their unnecessary war long before it could start. Walking around the circle Greymane could tell just from looking at him he was more than just proud and arrogant, he was also far too eager to prove himself and this war he wanted was what he believed would do it bring him honor and glory. But Greymane feared that if he got just the smallest taste of war then he would never want to stop fighting, looking at his cutie mark Greymane noticed he was a brawler mostly suited for charging in and using his size to his fullest.
For Greymane this was all he needed to win most brawlers had the same weaknesses, if they become too lost in their own rage they tend to beat themselves up for you by tiring themselves out.
Letting him believe that he had the advantage Greymane turned his back and looked up at the cavern and how the sunlight glistened off the still wet plants, "This place is lovely, it holds such beauty that must be cherished as much as possible..." Taking advantage of Greymane's willingness to look around the young stallion charged him only to watch as Greymane kept an eye on a gentle stream of water falling in front of himself giving a slight reflection of what was behind him. Jumping into the air as he flipped back to bounce off the young stallion's head forcing him to run into the wall Greymane continued to look around, "...I wonder how much more beautiful it looks in the moonlight." Looking up toward a young filly he pointed at her with a smile on his face, "Tell me what does this place look like under the full moon."
As the young filly explained as best she could the crowd started to take notice as to how Greymane willingly split his focus to give his appoint a handicap, "Don't you play me for a fool, you wanted this fight so I demand that you fight."
Charging Greymane again he watched as Grey used his cloak as a means to blind him for a second as he dodged, "The way you described this place under the moonlight makes me wish I could stay long enough to see it for myself." Not wanting to waste his energy running into the walls and being laughed at the young stallion ran up to Greymane and at the last second threw a punch with his right hoof only to watch as Greymane simply caught it and stood there like it was nothing, "Do you see it yet, I took a moment to learn about this place and already I feel as though I have been here for years. Yet you have been here your whole life and you know nothing of the beauty that this place holds, it is the single greatest treasure you will ever know."
As the young stallion rose his other hoof and tried to punch Greymane he cried out how Greymane needed to stop messing around and fight, as his other hoof came close he watched as Greymane brushed it to the side and twirled around following it up with hitting him in the side of the head with the back of his left hoof. As his hoof struck him across the face Greymane used the built up momentum to continue through by lowering his stance and kicking his appoints legs out from under him. As he started to fall he watched as Greymane continued to spin on his front right hoof. Gaining in speed till his back hooves came around Greymane kicked him towards a wall, as the young stallion hit the wall Greymane pushed himself off the ground with the hoof his was spinning on and landed on the first ring above himself. As he landed Ember noticed that she was not just learning to defend herself but she was learning from a true legend how to restrain herself in the event her opponent refused to stop.
Looking down at the young stallion as he slowly started to get back up with the help of his best warriors everypony soon turned and looked up at Greymane who had stopped smiling and slowly became an empty stare, "When I first came here to save your tribe I did so not out of pity nor for my own personal glory, I did so because I valued life and wished not to see any of your ancestors die." As they looked at him they could see the anger in his eyes though it did not take hold of his expressionless face, "You take the gift I gave you and you wish to throw it away, that brings pain to me to see and hear that. However I cannot stop you, the path you walk is your own and I cannot keep you from it. I can however request that if you wish to take this path in life that you walk it alone and that you do not take any of the innocent lives who wish not to have anything to do with it and let them find their own paths."
Angered the young stallion stumbled forward as he said that their fight was not yet done, "All you did was play and get lucky I didn't tear you apart, if I had gotten my hooves on you..."
Tapping his right hoof on the edge of the ring he stood on they all watched as a rather large piece broke off and fell to the ground, "I played around to show you that you never had a chance of besting me, I knew it from the start and I didn't wish to harm you any more than I had to. But you refused to see it before I had to do more than what I wished, and if I am this strong because I care, and because I love, and wish to protect all that I can with all that I am. Then tell me this..." As they looked at Greymane they watched as the anger in his eyes washed out with the tears that soon followed as he sat down full of sorrow, "...how much stronger are my enemies who can fight on nearly the same level of skill I do, I gave you as many chances as I could to back down they won't. Believe me when I say that you stand no chance against them and they have even less care for life than you do, you want to go out and make a name for yourself in battle they don't, you want to conquer for pride and glory they just want to conquer because they want everything. They don't care about your pride or honor so please find peace and hold onto it for as long as you can. And if you have to fight then only do so to protect those you love."
Looking around the young stallion saw that any and all support he had was now gone, as well as any hope for finding glory on the battlefield. Walking up to him Ember almost burst out into ecstatic joy and wanting to ask him how he did all of that, only to be stopped as she saw Greymane looking into a pool of water at his own reflection with nothing but disgust for what he saw.
Raising her hoof she reached out to try and touch him only for the young shaman to take hold of her, "The old shaman wishes to speak with you, please come with me."
As she went with the young shaman Greymane continued to stare at his reflection in disgust as the memories of that night flashed before his eyes, till all he saw of his own reflection was what he had become that night. His eyes where a crimson red with very no sign of his iris but very little of pupils remained, his body and cloak had become covered in blood, sitting there he frowned at the thought of what he did as his reflection laughed.
Sitting there he thought that what he saw was not who he truly was only for his refection to speak to him as he felt a clawing at the back of his mind from the artifacts, *How did it feel to use our power once more, did it feel good, as your blood rushed did it feel like you were about to reach the heights of ecstasy? Oh yes we know you tapped into, what little of our power is left in your blood. Face it Greymane despite what lies you come up with we are your destiny, we know you far better than you know yourself. Just give in to us, make this easier on yourself and give in to your true nature and embrace the future.*
Nearly crying out he almost struck the pool of water only to stop and watch as his reflection turned into the tenth Greymane as the staff called out to him, *I see what I hear through the grapevine is not just some rumor, you did fall and you fell hard.*
Looking at the image the staff had chosen for its self made him slightly smile as he lowered his hoof, *Taking that image to try and make it easier to talk to me?*
Smiling back at him the staff sighed as it recalled all of the Greymanes that carried him till the day they parted, *No I just enjoyed this host the most, he was never short of laughs even when things were their worst, I know my siblings tricked you and I know you've blamed yourself. But hear me out when I say this, if they were still alive not a single one of your predecessors would turn their backs on you. Contrary to what you believe every last one of them would stand next to you to help you rise back up to move on, I know this to be true because even though out these many years I still hear about what they did and how they did it. Yes each of them are different but one thing remained constant throughout the years even to you, not a single one of you will let those closest to yourselves suffer.*
Looking at the staff he stood up as he started to turn around, *It's easy for you to say that when you don't know how my choices cost so many innocents their lives and nearly cost so many more in Equestria, each choice I make has only made the situations worse...* Sighing as he looked at the many lives the tenth had saved then and even now from beyond the grave brought a small smile to his face, *...but thanks for the vote of confidence and telling me what I needed and wanted to her. But next time do me a favor and tell me what I should hear, tell me the hardest truth.*
As he walked around Ember had finally started talking to the old shaman, "What do you mean I can't help him? He's doing so much for me the least I could do is talk to him and maybe find some way to help him."
Grunting as she heard the young mare wishing to aid him but knew nothing of what awaited her nor of what it took to truly help him, "I know you mean well young one but to truly help him one must first know what he has gone through, what he has endured up till now and how he still has to fight his own inner evil that torments him to this day. The demons in Tartaros know of it far better than any living pony simply because they enjoy the pain all of it brings to him, if anything they would use it against him in the worst way possible for their own amusement. Though I have no idea as to why they haven't tried yet."
Looking at her Ember tsked as she clenched her teeth, "You say that we can't help him but that's only because neither of us have tried."
Turning around she opened the flap to the tent and watched as Greymane seemed to just wander aimlessly as the old shaman sighed, "The reason why I say we can't help him is because to help him means he has another option, and he already knows there is no other option. He is fighting a war within himself and he is slowly losing with each passing day, he knows that time is not on his side and that the evil within him will try to control him. He's come to terms with this and has already planned to save us from himself when the time comes, and he will do it by making the one choice only he can."
Looking back at the old shaman Ember asked what she meant only for things to become deathly quiet between them, "You can't be serious… there's no possible way he would. I mean to do something like that?"
Though she couldn't see the old shaman made eye contact with Ember, "He will do what must be done to protect us, even if it must be the ultimate sacrifice. He will not try to alter this so don't believe you have the power to when you know nothing of what goes on."
Looking at him Ember nearly started to cry knowing that to the Order he was known as the Crimson Stained Stallion and was used to bring them fear, to these ponies he had saved their lives and was seen as a hero. And yet to the world it was mixed feelings that only came to one shared thought, he was a thief and many wanted to watch him die. And sadly she knew this to be true though Ember wished she could help him.
“I'm not going out of my way looking for devils; but I wouldn't step out of my path to let one go by.” ― Robert E. Howard
It wasn't long before the two of them had to leave and though two artifacts were in their presence Greymane felt that they were safely hidden simply because the only pony in the tribe who knew was the old shaman, and she was willing to play stupid to hide them in plain sight while pointing out the obvious fact that she couldn't see. Though the village offered them much Greymane advised Ember to take only what was needed for the trip head, and that was plenty of water and to travel light. Having talked with the staff Greymane was able to learn that though the attacks have been on the nearby villages they were the ones that young Ember had visited and marked down on her map, though she was unaware the Order was tracking her to these locations Grey felt that it was best she was left unaware even if she did figure it out.
The one thing that stayed constant and kept her from knowing it was the Order was they were using the bandits to disguise what was going on, that much Greymane managed to piece together that way they didn’t draw any unnecessary attention to themselves. It was true that Ember was being used as bait but they tracked her for another reason, each village had knowledge of smaller ones that dotted the area and where unknown to many so it was only a matter of time before one of them hinted away to this village. Once they had the information she gathered they would then attack both the ones she visited and the ones she learned of, but one thing didn't add up for Greymane. Though he knew the Order would have ponies at the highest level of the governments on both end why haven't either side taken any action towards this, not wanting to worry the village about the attacks, keeping this knowledge to himself he feared that if they knew they might try to do something giving themselves away, so Greymane waited till he and Ember where a good distance from the village to ask her.
Following the river bank around to the opposite side Greymane turned to ask Emberglow if she had any solid reason as to why neither of the two governments were taking action, "Oh well..." Trying to focus on the question she was given Ember couldn't help but dwell on what the old shaman had told her as she looked at Greymane, "...as you probably know better than I do from your years of experience dealing with us.. er..."Trying to find the right pronouns to describe the Order was hard for her seeing as to how she was and some what still is one of them while hoping that she had moved passed such thoughts, "...them, they are within the local governments in this side of the world. And though it's an issue for both Camelu and Unyasi I was given a report that mentioned they were also going to try and drag Nefertia into the mix to create a little tension between them all. While they don't want an all out war just yet, they have the advisers they managed to put in their governments tell them the worst that could happen putting all of them in a stalemate." Asking where the nation of Nefertia was he looked as Ember pointed to the southeast, "Roughly there is a point where all three of the nations meet, a little over a hundred years ago the three of them gave up an equal amount of land to create a small town between them that acts as a neutral point so any and all negotiations can take place there, even in the event of war the town is to remain out of the conflict, though the town isn't governed by any one nation all three have representatives there to try and resolve any issues that come up, however..."
Her prolonged pause was not a well greeted one in his mind and he felt he knew what her next words where, "You don't have to say it..." Letting out a disgruntled sigh Greymane knew that this was only getting worse by the second, "...I can guess what they're up to. The representatives play their part when they have to so they don't get caught but answer to the Order and do as they are tolled. And the advisers have more than likely told each government that if they try and get involved without some kind of talk with the other two, then it could kick start an unnecessary war."
Though Ember knew he was right she felt she had to fill in the gaps, "Well that's the basic gist of it but what I was informed of was this, here in Unyasi the adviser has said that if they mount up a group to deal with this problem then Nefertia could see it as an act of aggression and send in troops to the border to prepare for the worst and cause a reaction from Camelu. Where as if they did resolve it and took prisoners then Camelu could see the need that Unyasi wanted to protect its people but could also use it as an excuse to go to war, claiming that the prisoners are not being given a fair trial or being treated properly. In Camelu they are being warned that since the attacks are being made on zebra lands then it is the job of that government to deal with it, other wise sending in troops to deal with it could cause a war if they crossed the border by accident while chasing the bandits. What's worse is if this happens then they violate the treaty and this would cause Nefertia to step in, and though they are strong they don't have the numbers to fight two enemies at once." Looking at Greymane she saw that he was carefully planning on his next move with each bit of information she gave him, "As for Nefertia their adviser is doing what she can to move them towards the notion of trying to force the other two into having the representatives talk about a way to resolve this, and if they can't then they will have no choice but to muster their forces and prepare to take action against them both countries in the event that things turn for the worst."
Standing there he thought about where his attention was needed the most as Xiuhtecutli suggested they go to the nearest village that hadn't been hit yet and wait to see what happens, Greymane however felt this would take too long and feared that the worst could happen with that course of action. However taking the risky option had proven to get them the most results in the past, but this course of action stood a great chance of exposing his continued life to the Order.
Asking Ember to pull out her map Greymane had a look at the neutral town that the three nations created, "From what you've just told me we can guess that they are using this town as a means to control everything that's going on right now, and if that is the case then the Order has also weakened themselves to us..." Letting out a disgruntled laugh filled sigh Greymane started walking to the East, "...lets hope I'm wrong and we don't find anything."
Packing the map away Ember knew that going to the neutral town was the best way to get information, but knowing that it was controlled by the Order of Balance worried her not just because she was never given any orders to go there. But her greatest concern was if she was discovered traveling with Greymane then the consequences were beyond her imagining, yet at the same time she recalled about how many of its higher ranking members often talked about how the ancient one had a tendency to swear that he would grant anything anypony wanted in exchange for bringing in Greymane. And though the thought was quite tempting she questioned if turning in Greymane in exchange for her and her mother to be free, Ember felt that after all he had done so far it wasn't right and left a horrifying taste in her mouth. And yet at the back of her mind she could feel the temptation slowly growing, as if it was alive and pressing her to betray him.
As the sun began to set they made camp a few miles outside of a small village, thinking he would not sleep this night Greymane told Ember that he would take the first watch and wake her later. Sadly Ember however couldn't help but think about how the old shaman said she couldn't help him, but in some small way she felt that she could and at the least wanted to try.
"I'm not that tired right now, how about I take the first round and you get some sleep?" Looking at her Greymane could see that there was much on her mind that made her worry, and though he felt he should say something he knew that some things she had to learn to deal with on her own. After all he couldn't be there for her all the time and both of them knew it.
Lying down on his side Greymane closed his eyes fearful of what horrors the artifacts would bring him this time around, as he started to sleep Xiuhtecutli did what he could to keep them both safe during the night. Taking a moment to read Ember's thoughts Xiuhtecutli learned that all she had tolled Greymane was the truth, but he felt she was hiding something so he dug a little deeper careful not to cause her any pain knowing that reading the minds of others could harm them if the thought was too deep in their minds or if he got too impatient and rushed through her mind.
Being careful not to harm her Xiuhtecutli couldn't find anything that gave him enough reason for his suspicions against her, as he left her mind he soon found a demonic minion hidden by a spell as it continued to smile while whispering into her mind telling her that giving Grey to the Order was the best option she had. Entering the demon's mind he learned the demon had started to tag along with them sometime after she began to doubt herself when they learned the Order was tracking them, casting a small spell to burn the demon's foot to break its concentration Xiuhtecutli called out to it warning that if it didn't leave then he had a small snack to last him for the next decade or so. Looking around the demon saw no one except for Greymane as fear shoot through his body knowing who it was that had spoken to him, leaving the demon vowed to have its prize sooner or later so saving her now only delayed the inevitable and sadly Xiuhtecutli agreed.
Though the demon was no longer affecting her thoughts Ember could still feel the temptation growing within her but it didn't take long before she could remember how he had helped her thus far, sitting next to him she looked down at Greymane only to hear faint grunts and notice he was sweating profusely. Fearing that he had caught something or a poisonous insect had bit him she quickly turned him on his back to have a better look at him in what little light the fire gave, as she started to examine him Greymane started to toss and turn as he muttered in his sleep of what he was saying she didn't know. Lifting up his head onto her lap she held him as she caressed his head while whispering to him that everything would be alright, while in her mind she was unsure of her own words fearing that this is what the old shaman meant when she said that no pony could truly help him.
As Ember did what she could to try and comfort him Greymane was reliving his time in Tartaros every bit of torture, every lie and twisted truth they ever told him, there wasn't a thing they didn't think of that the demons didn't try. To the vast majority of Tartaros his torment down there had become legendary simply because he was still alive and not among the dead. But out of all he had to endure nothing brought the most pain to him than when they often reminded him that he was the cause of Luna's banishment though it wasn’t real he watched as Luna stood trial for being allied with him and how Celestia banished her at the command of their parents, they had even shown him how she was banished with the use of the Elements of Harmony to add to his torment and drive his heart and mind deeper into despair in the hopes they could break his spirit.
Though this nightmare lasted a few hours in the last moments of his nightmare Greymane sat up crying out Luna's name after watching her being banished before his eyes ending it by whispering ‘Forgive Me’, having awoken in a cold sweat and panting heavily he looked around only to see Ember staring at him in astonishment.
Looking at Ember he knew she heard him and there wasn't anything he could do about that, "G-go ahead and get some sleep I'll start my watch a little early."
Lying down questions now rang in the back of her mind what did he do to the Princess of the night, and why did he do it? These questions she wanted to know the answers to them and yet she questioned if she was willing to know what the answers to them where, as she slept Xiuhtecutli tried talking to Greymane knowing the cause of his nightmare.
*Her banishment had nothing to do with you, and I am more than certain she has said something about it to you. I even talked to the demonic gods and they told me everything you endured down there, they even said that the news of Luna's banishment was brought to you but they twisted the facts to try and break you and weaken you.*
Looking up at the night sky to see the countless beautiful stars brought tears to his eyes, *No, they told the truth...* Pulling his hood over his eyes as he started to stare at the ground Greymane could still remember the night she first learned who he was over a thousand years ago, *...I was the cause of it… I started it, and all because I hid the truth from her. If I had just been honest from the start then...*
Trying to fight his own tears as he took a few steps as Xiuhtecutli took his physical form, "Then what, you think she would have been fine with who you where then, you think she would have stood by your side with a smile. We don't know what the outcome of the past could have been, all we know is what has happened, and we cannot change the past all we can do is accept it and move on." Taking hold of his advocate's shoulders Xiuhtecutli looked Greymane in the eyes, "And that is what you must do, move on. She has already shown that she is willing to stand behind you and support you, all of them back in Equestria have. And though I don't quite agree with what is going on, I am not blind to the change in times. Sooner or later you may not have to walk in the shadows, you will not have to travel alone any longer, and perhaps the world will no longer see you as the thief it has always known. It just might come to see you as the hero that has always been there."
Looking back at Ember Greymane sighed at the thought that he would be seen as a hero when the same possibility stood that he could be seen as a monster, "Are you sure you're talking about me and not some other Greymane that has passed from this world, or are you talking about the Greymane that you will pick after I've gone into the grave?"
Removing his hands from his advocate Xiuhtecutli frowned knowing that Greymane would not willingly pick the next pony to take his place, "I'm hoping that it is with in your life time that the world starts to open its eyes to the truth, and to have some faith in what I said earlier I took notice of it back when they thought you had died at the end of our battle with Asmoday. I had seen them all mourn your assumed passing from this world, how it tore them up to believe you were dead. And for once I wasn't the only one who saw you for who you truly are… it made me proud to see this change in the world. Though it did pain me to see it come about when we all thought you died, I was still glad to see that we have allies in Equestria who would stand alongside us when we need their help."
Letting out a chuckle Greymane walked back towards Ember as Xiuhtecutli took his astral form, *You only see that which you want to, just like how she has shown me that the Order sees me as a monster that they have always known. So tell me who is telling the truth, what am I, a thief, a hero, or a monster?*
Unsure of how to answer Xiuhtecutli knew that it didn't matter what answer he gave to his advocate. Greymane was still only going to look towards the darkest side of it, *I believe that you must find the answer to this question within yourself.*
As the sun started to rise Greymane nudged Ember awake so they could continue their journey, for several hours it was an awkward silence between them or at least that's how it felt for Ember. Looking at Greymane she pondered why he cried out to Princess Luna when up till now he had never mentioned her not once, and even before she was given her current task she had never heard anypony in the Order mention any kind of connection or relation between the two of them.
As the sun reached its highest point in the sky they took shelter under a small rock formation that gave a little shade, "Grey..." Fearing that he would either lash out or remain quite Ember felt that she could no longer hold out in wanting to know a little bit more about him, "...you knew Luna didn't you?"
Bracing herself for what could come she watched as Greymane leaned against the stone wall and stared off at the open landscape, "One could say that."
Starting to feel at ease Ember started to fidget around with her hooves with nervous anticipation, "Did something happen?"
Though she could not see his expression she could feel his guilt as it slowly mixed in with his sorrow, "Everypony has at least one secret they wish to take to their grave, I ask that you let me have this one." Fearing that she had struck a nerve Ember slowly stopped fidgeting as her ears tilted back, "But I thank you for asking anyway..." Turning around he reached out towards her, "...come let's continue your training since we still have some time before we can continue moving on."
Standing up she prepared herself as Greymane signaled for her to attack him, keeping to what he had taught her she soon saw that her movements were more fluid and were slowly becoming faster. And yet she could still see that Greymane was simply playing with her not wishing to harm her as he held back much of what he truly was, but with each passing moment he started to get a little more serious alongside each little bit of progression he saw in her as a means to help her grow steadily.
Before long Greymane felt that it was time for them to continue moving and by the end of the week they could see the neutral town just on the horizon sitting in a rather odd location where the savanna started to turn to desert, ready to get out of the wild and into some means of civilization Ember started to gallop away only for Greymane to hold her back as he looked on at the town. Having a look at the town he saw high walls with towers and guard patrolling like clockwork, this only made him worry about being caught for anything to work in his favor he required the element of surprise so he told Ember they would wait till nightfall.
"I don't understand why wait when we can just walk up there now?" She asked with great disappointment from having to stay out in the wilderness a little longer.
Walking around to the right Greymane kept an eye on the guards hoping to learn something but saw that there was nothing beyond what he already knew, *Xiuhtecutli are any of them from the Order?*
Casting a spell to view the guards from their current distance Xiuhtecutli focused on their cutie marks and tried to read just a small bit of their minds, *From what I can tell it doesn't seem like it, although they are mostly grunts only a few of them are ranking just a little above that but nothing that would make us worry.*
Turning to look at Ember he smiled, “Right now we need to remain unseen, you may know who are members of the Order but they could have made regular changes here. So till we know who is who we don’t make any hasty movements.” Slightly pouting Ember gave a nod as Greymane tussled her mane, “Don’t get too eager, I have taught you much but that doesn’t mean you should rush off thinking you can take on a small band of guards. I have years of experience and I don’t even do that. But I will say this, if you keep up your training one of these days you could go hoof to hoof with me.” Though he didn’t lie to her Grey felt that by the time that day came she would be more cautious about what she did.
As the sun finally set Ember looked up at the night sky and saw that there was no sign of the moon and assumed this was what Greymane was waiting on, however Greymane didn't care what phase the moon was in that evening his mind was stuck on trying to figure out how many of the ponies in the town where with the Order. What added to his worries was where they should start their search for answers, under normal circumstances a bar or tavern would be all Greymane needed but he knew the Order would be far more careful in locations they controlled. It wasn't something they did in the past mostly because they never controlled anything more than their group but this was basic knowledge that he knew most military like groups practiced, and simply asking a question could bring out far too much attention to them.
Using the cover of night they snuck up to the west wall managing to slip past the torch lights many of the guards were using to light up the area, looking at the wall that surrounded the town Greymane recalled how many towns in the past he had visited had walls to protect them. But for one like this brought up one question in his mind, if it was meant to bring peace between three nations and would remain a neutral zone even in the event of war then why the need for the walls?
Looking at Ember he waited for the guards above them to stop talking and leave the area, "Tell me why does this place look like a fortress more than it does a town?"
With a slight stunned expression on her face she almost questioned if he hadn't heard about this place in his many years of traveling throughout the world but felt it wasn't wise to question him thinking it was a test, "Well this place was created by the camels who tried to occupy a piece of land from both Unyasi and Nefertia, their greed started a small conflict that erupted into an all out war between the three nations. According to the records the Order has the war lasted about two hundred years and in that time this place was fortified by all three during the time anyone of them controlled it, it wasn't until the final year that the leaders from each nation sent emissaries to this fortress to settle everything once and for all as the war had become far too costly on all sides. The first point made was that the fortress would stay standing and be occupied by an equal number of soldiers from each nation, also each nation was to give up an equal amount of land to help make the treaty between them work as well as open up new trade routes between them with the fortress being the center of it." Before she could continue she paused for a moment watching as Greymane started to feel around the wall, "What are you doing?"
Lightly hopping on the ground he continued to search for something, "If this place was a fortress for each of them at any given point then that means each would have added an escape route in the event they could not hold this place for too long, so all we have to do is find it and that's our way in."
When Ember mentioned that it was a fortress during times of war Xiuhtecutli had begun his search by going under ground however uncommon the thought to dig tunnels in the area was, as they searched Xiuhtecutli soon found an underground tunnel that seemed to be mostly natural save for a few extra added rooms and a set of stairs leading back out about thirty yards or so.
Looking around Xiuhtecutli found him self to the southwest of Greymane's location, *Whenever you're done trying to make the wall your friend and the ground your plaything, you can come to your secret passage.*
Letting out a slight laugh as he started to walk towards Xiuhtecutli, as he walked Greymane acted as though he found something that drew his attention away from the wall. Pushing aside dirt mixed with sand as he pushed on the ground he could tell Ember was trying to see what he might have found, walking up to Xiuhtecutli he found the hidden trap door that led to some rather old stairs. So old in fact he questioned how they managed to stay standing, pressing down on the first step as Ember came up behind him they could hear the creak of the board as it nearly seemed to snap in half.
Looking down the short distance Greymane knew that he could jump it with no problem but he was unsure of Ember, though she was a unicorn her magic could be used to levitate her down or she teleport if she knew the spell. But the problem with either of them was the guards would see the glowing of her horn or a flash of magical energy, carefully walking down the steps Greymane mapped out which steps where still had some strength to them and which ones were going to just snap.
As he neared the base of the stairs he felt them slightly move as they nearly fell under him, *Do what you can to give these old stairs some support for Ember. The last thing we need is to have the local guard coming to check out the noise.* Looking at Greymane Xiuhtecutli had suggested turning the wooden stairs into stone ones using a rune, *Takes too long and besides it could give off too much light trying to do that, once the hatch is sealed I will do it. After all we might use this as our way out later on.*
As Xiuhtecutli rolled his eyes Greymane signaled to Ember to take it slow and to be careful, flying through the steps Xiuhtecutli began casting a spell holding them in place for a short time. Coming down the steps Ember closed the door to keep from being caught as Greymane wished, as she came to the base of the steps the spell ended and the staircase slightly rocked as it let out a slight creaking noise. Casting a low level light spell to see better in their new location Ember watched as Greymane picked up a fairly good size stone and began to carve something into it, the second the markings were finished she watched as the stone started to glow as Greymane tossed it under the stairs slowly turning them into solid stone.
Amazed at what she had seen she asked how he did that. Recalling that it was something discovered by the fifth Greymane he smiled at how she often used these runes to her advantage, she often made others believe that when they chased her they were chasing at the least ten other ponies. These runes gave the illusion that even if he appeared as either an earth pony or a pegasus then he could still use magic, but the use of runes were far too dangerous and was mostly used as a last resort.
"Its rune magic..." Repeating what he said as a question she watched as he picked up a few more stones and tucked them away in the small sack on his right side, "...yes, as you already know unicorns such as yourself can tap into the magical energies that not only flow within their bodies but the natural magical energies that flow throughout the world with the use of their horns. Rune magic only uses the natural energies that flow throughout the world with something acting as its catalyst to activate and channel these energies, but there is far too much that can go wrong with using them. The slightest change or even the tiniest of mistakes can alter the spell completely, in some cases it doesn't mean too much but it is far more common that it has the worst effects tend to happen so I rarely use them."
Looking at her astonished yet eager expression to learn on her face made him smile as, “How did you come by such a wonderful thing, more specifically where and when did you discover it?”
Tussling her mane he let out a joy filled sigh to know he was teaching somepony and not preparing them to walk down his darkened path, "I discovered it about…” Thinking back to the fifth Greymane he tried to give an accurate estimate on how long it had been, “ten thousand years ago… at least I believe it’s been that long, the secrets where on the walls of a tomb that had been lost to time but explained that the civilization that used them had done so during a time of war. During this war a tribe of earth ponies were fighting unicorns and we're slowly losing, though they had their own strengths to combat with they were out matched by the use of magic. So one night in a fit of desperation a young stallion performed a forbidden ritual and summoned a demon in the hopes he could save his fellow ponies, the deal he made was to be granted the gift to use magic while still remaining as he was. The demon was willing to grant this knowledge however in exchanged he wanted the souls of all the young stallion taught this secret to as well as any and all who learned it from them, without hesitation he agreed and the demon taught the young stallion all he knew about rune magic. The ins and outs, how they worked, and how to delay the reaction or set them as traps. Once he had all he needed the young stallion returned to his tribe and shared what he knew with all who were willing to learn, they then took what they learned and engraved them on the walls so future generations could learn. However once the war ended they wished to know how he learned all of this and as he told them he struck a deal with a demon they didn't hesitate in ending his life where he stood, but with his last breath he told them of how all whom he taught owed their souls to the demon."
Greymane didn't have to finished telling the story for her to guess what happened to the tribe, "But if that's the case then wouldn't it mean that by learning what they left behind… that..."
Fearful that her question would make him worry about the fact a demon now chases him she watched as Greymane started to smile, "That demon has come for me quite a few times, but I have a few tricks to deal with their kind. Besides even if I didn't the dark gods of Tartaros have an agreement with me and will never go back on their words, even if they are demons themselves they have one code they hold onto. Keep a deal regardless of how long it is, it's a strange thing but it's custom to them."
Though he spoke of the hardships the fifth through tenth Greymanes went through after learning how to use rune magic, it was their tenacity and cleverness that made the Greymanes so revered as well as the largest target amongst demons. Their continued encounters with them with each new Greymane is what added to the ever growing respect for them that the demonic gods had, but it wasn't until a conflict with the tenth Greymane that caused the current deal that continues to stand between them. What had happened he didn't quite know but what he did know was that from that conflict came the demonic curse that he uses now, where it came from and how it came to be was unknown not only to the tenth Greymane but to Xiuhtecutli as well stranger still not even the demons of Tartaros themselves knew.
As they walked down the corridor they started to hear somepony speaking but they could not hear what they were saying, as they came closer to the sound they soon came across an execution as one stallion was reading from a scroll the reasons the one before him had been condemned to die. Being tolled by both Ember and Xiuhtecutli that there was nothing they could do and it was best they just went on their way, Greymane however couldn't help but feel something was off as the young stallion with the noose around his neck kept crying out that he was innocent till the executioner put a gag in his mouth.
As the young stallion continued to cry out through the gag his muffled voice pulled at Greymane who was examining the room, "The two right behind the stallion reading that scroll, both have the same cutie marks you did and the same with the one reading that scroll. Ember do you know any of them?"
Looking into the room her eyes focused on the pony standing to the right, "The mare on the right side, I'm suppose to be answering to her and giving her all the information I gather. She is also the emissary the Order had positioned out here as a representative of the Zebra Nation."
Asking Xiuhtecutli to read their minds Greymane asked why the young stallion was being executed, *Though we can hear the list of charges, I assume that you find this to be wrong and wish to help, but fine...* Letting out an annoyed sigh as he read the minds of all three of the ponies who stood at the front of the room, *...this execution is a farce, the one on the left wants the mare who is married to the condemned and has worked out a nice little deal with the other two to make that happen. And before you can quote The Count of Monte Cristo they've clearly thrown out the idea about imprisonment and went for an execution, also the mare on the right is letting this happen for her own amusement and plans on executing the stallion next to her later on when he feels that he has everything he wants. She knows she can get away with this because of the three of them she is the highest ranking member from the Order in this town.*
With a displeased smile finding its way across his face Greymane targeted the mare, *Then she is my victim tonight, and I hope she enjoys being scared out of her mind.*
Walking into the room with his hood pulled over his head Greymane instructed Ember to stay where she was for the time being, looking around he took notice of an old tarp with a bit of rope sitting in the corner of the room just to the left of the hangmare's platform. Telling Xiuhtecutli to turn the room dark as he started to run towards the tarp all were unaware of what came next, for a moment all they could here was the sounds of the trap door falling as a few ponies screamed causing the room to fall into chaos.
Rushing out of the room with some pony tied up in the tarp Greymane had the young stallion who was about to be executed following him with the mare he married, "Run down this path till you come to a set of stairs, take them up and flee this country." Greymane commanded as he pointed to his left.
As light returned to the room they all saw the hangmare hanging upside down with the noose around both of her back hooves, as they looked around they saw that not only had the condemned vanished but so had his wife and the emissary for the Zebras. As they parted ways Greymane did what he could to use the winding tunnels to hide from his soon to be chasers as his captive started shouting, before long he found a nice little set of stairs leading up to where he didn't know but it was a change that Greymane welcomed. Opening the hatch above himself they found themselves in an abandoned building, it was here he felt it was time to start getting answers.
Thanks to how dark it was it gave Greymane the advantage as he tossed the mare into a corner, "I hear you are somepony with a few answers for me, let's be fair that time is not on either of our sides and I don't have any patience left in me."
As the mare came out of the tarp she was greeted by a flash of light that blinded her as she claimed that foal-napping her would be the end of her assailants, "I'll have you know that as the representative for the Zebra Nation I will not tolerate any of this!"
As her eyes adjusted to the light she soon saw Emberglow and was slightly shocked to see her as she was slammed into the wall by Greymane, "Keep your eyes on me, as of right now I'm the one who holds your fate in their hooves. I know the Order has been making a lot of moves out here and I want answers, for what reason do they have for working with a group of bandits and why are they trying to cause a war?"
Looking at Ember the mare refused to answer Greymane unaware of who he was, "This isn't going to fare well for you or your mother, becoming a traitor, abandoning your mission. Oh yes these things are going to look very well on your record, I wonder what he will do when he finds out."
Seeing the fear start to take hold of Ember the mare started to smile thinking she had everything under her control till she looked back at Greymane and saw his eyes glowing red, "That's one more thing I want to know..." Slamming her into the wall again causing the wood behind her to crack with the impact of her body, "...where is that little bastard hiding? I still have some unfinished business with him, after all I can't say I've done a good job so long as one of you still live. And I don't like beginning something new without finishing what I have already started."
Having realized who was holding her as her eyes moved back and forth between him and Ember as she started to stutter, "Y-y-you b-b-brought him?" Frozen by her fear as her eyes slowly became stuck on Greymane her pupils started to narrow knowing that death stared her in the eyes, "YOU'VE BROUGHT THE CRIMSON STAINED STALLION HERE!?!?"
Knowing he now had her undivided attention Greymane started to smile as he punched the wall next to her head opening a hole the size of his hoof, "Next one will be into you if you continue to ignore me, now start talking what does the Order have planned with the bandits, and why bring tensions so high that it can start a war, and let's not forget where is he hiding. I've heard all about how he claims he can end me so I just want to set the record straight. No pony has the power to kill me, not even the dark gods of Tartaros.” Though he knew he was lying it disgusted him to use such a dirty tactic as playing on her fears to make her do what he wanted. “Now start talking and tell me everything and I just might humor letting you out of here."
Though Ember was trying her best to trust him she almost wanted to step in and ask about her mother and where she was as the mare started to cry, "I don't know where he is, I'm not that high up in the ranks to know and even I was I still wouldn't know. The higher ups don't know where to find him he finds them, I swear it's the truth."
Pressing harder on her they heard the cracks in the wood and could even start to see a little of the outside, "What of the bandits and the growing tensions between the three nations?"
As her tears started to flow like a river she spilled everything, how the bandits were just a front as they looked for the artifacts and planed on eliminating them after they had what they wanted. As for the three nations they were trying to hold off on them interfering for as long as possible so they can have free reign over the area, but the building tensions were just a natural cause from them taking so long with the search and from trying to give them a reasonable solution to deal with these attacks. Though this was all he wanted to know Greymane hadn't forgotten about Ember's mother and felt that if somepony knew something it was the mare right in front of him, after all she had spoken as though she knew something about her mother only a few minutes ago.
Knowing that she wouldn't give up such information willingly he broke open the wall behind her and held her out over what was a rough three story drop as she begged him not to kill her, "I feel like you're withholding some information, start talking and make sure it's worth my time!"
Pointing back at Ember she cried out that her mother was with the bandits, after they lost track of her they thought she would try to come for her. And as a precaution that she didn't willing do her job to start out she was brought to this town as a means to motivate her, but once they couldn't find her they moved her to the bandit hideout so they could threaten her later.
Slowly letting his grip on her go she tried to grab on to his forehoof as she cried out, "I know where they are hiding and it's not far from here, so please don't kill me~e."
Though Greymane didn't like doing any of this he knew it was the best option to make her talk as he started to shake her, "I'm sorry but I don't really care about that, unless you're holding out again."
Frantically trying to take hold of him as she cried out how she didn't want to die as Ember walked up scared that Greymane would kill her as she whispered, 'Grey, please, I know she's not the best of ponies out there but...'
As she looked into his eyes she could see that he didn't have the intent to kill her but was trying to save them time, "Start talking, other wise I just might..." Loosening his grip and tilting his hoof slightly down she shrieked in terror, "...let my leg rest."
"The bandits are in a cave just to the north from here about a two day’s trip, it's hard to find unless you know where it is. Start traveling north for about a day and a half then head west for the remaining half of the second day, once you come across a small rock formation you're there..." Trying to pull herself up his forehoof she felt herself slipping from his grasp, "...now please I don't want to die!"
Looking her in the eyes Greymane said a deal was a deal and he said that he would let her go, as she started to let out a sigh of relief she watched as he tossed her away from himself, “But now that I think about it you were going to kill somepony for your own selfish pleasure.”
As she fell she started to scream as Ember tried to run out and save her only to find she had only fallen about five feet from the edge of a rather old stage, looking at Greymane she watched as he sat down and exhaled as he wiped what little sweat was on his forehead.
'For a moment there I though she wasn't going to buy any of that.' He whispered as a stupid grin made its way across his face as he looked at Ember.
Walking over half scared to death that he was going to kill somepony she slapped him across the face and nearly started to yell at him, only to be stopped by Greymane as he whispered for her to follow him as he walked back over to the edge of the platform they were on.
Looking to where he was pointing she saw a glowing stone next to her former superior, 'If we are too loud then it will break the illusion, as of right now we have about two hours before it ends so let's get moving. And don’t worry about her when it ends she’s going to wake up and may start to rethink her path in life, at least I hope she does.'
As they started to walk away Greymane thanked Xiuhtecutli for helping him pull that off, *Please don't thank me, this illusion was simple infant's play for a creature such as myself.*
As they left Greymane asked that he erased her memories of the last half hour so the Order couldn't know he had been there, as the mare slowly fell asleep Xiuhtecutli looked her in the eyes as he cleared all that had happened to her from this encounter so that she could sleep peacefully. And though she wouldn't remember a thing all she will recall is a blissful dream that ended in a nightmare and for her to question how she got where she is when she wakes up later.
Though they had access to the tunnels under ground Greymane felt that the local guard would now be patrolling them after his recent actions as he told Ember that they were going to have to be careful as they traveled above ground, as they navigated the city sticking to alleyways and side paths the guards paid no attention to it was several hours till they came to the north side of the city. Sadly the time it took to get their information and sneak around had taken up the night and the sun was starting to rise, looking around Greymane saw a cart full of exotic spices and fabrics being pulled by a camel ready to leave. Sneaking over they watched as the local guard gave it one quick inspection for anything illegal or even a fugitive from a stack of wanted posters they were posting up at the entrance, as the guards gave the all clear and turned their attention elsewhere Greymane and Ember rushed to climb in back to hide among everything the camel was transporting.
Lying down the two of them waited for the right moment for them to slip back out of the cart and continue on their journey, peeking out the back Greymane watched till the guards were just simple dots on the horizon giving him and Ember the best chance to hop out. Making sure not to be seen by the camel as they hid behind a large bolder, though Ember could understand the reason for remaining hidden as often as possible she questioned why they didn't stay in the cart a little while longer.
"There was no telling how far along our path he was going to travel, on top of that we have to carry our own burdens to add them to someone else who knows nothing of what they would be taking on is something we cannot ask of them."
Though she didn't quite understand his reason Ember kept quiet as she pondered his response hoping to find the answer she was looking for. Continuing to travel north for the next day and half Greymane kept up with Ember's training to help her be better prepared for what could come next, in his mind he knew that no amount of training would prepare her but Greymane felt that even the smallest of chances had the greatest possibilities.
At the end of the second day it was as the mare had said and they had come to a small rock formation, "If this is a cave then there has to be some caverns or at the least another way in that they have yet to discover. If I'm right then all we have to do is find it and we get to keep the element of surprise so that w-..." Hoping to keep some level of optimism with them as he turned around only to fall straight through an opening that had been covered by dead roots and sand.
As Greymane started to stand up from his short fall Ember chuckled as she looked down at him. "I often wondered how the Great Greymane was always right, now I see it's dumb luck." She stated trying to contain her out burst of laughter.
As she continued to laugh through her teeth Greymane watched as more of the sand seemed to give way through the roots that held up the small area they were on, walking under where she was standing Ember poked her head in to say she was sorry for making fun of him only for the roots under her to give way.
As she fell Greymane caught her at the last second as he smiled, "You poking fun at me wasn't the reason I moved."
Setting her down the two of them nearly burst out laughing at the situation only to be stopped as they heard somepony shouting at somepony else, sneaking over to a small cliff with in the cave they looked down and could see Ember's mother in a cage that seemed to be too small for her.
"Quit yer bitch'n less I's give you a reason to bitch..." Caressing her back as he licked her cheek the stallion gave a lust filled laugh, "...and believe me I'd enjoy every… little… second… of it."
Standing up Ember nearly jumped down in a fit of anger only to be restrained by Greymane who had wrapped both his front and back legs around her, as she tossed and turned trying to get out of his hold she nearly started to scream how her mother was right there and she could save her.
Covering her mouth so she couldn't scream Greymane whispered into her ear, "As of right now we only see at the most ten of them down there, five ponies and five camels, we don't know how many they have in here and even if we did if you jump out now we lose the one advantage we've got. I know you want to save your mother but what good does it do to go rushing in blinded by your emotions, believe me no pony in this world knows what that can do more than me and you were taught to control your emotions this whole time."
As he let her go he could see tears slowly run down the side of her face as she rolled off of him, "But my mother is right there and you've been teaching me how to fight..."
Taking hold of her Greymane let her sob on his shoulder, "I know, but I taught you to control yourself so even in the worst of it you can think of how to protect those you love. Not go rushing in without a single thought of what to do or how to help somepony, we have to be careful of what we do. Each little action has consequences that can do far more harm than good, unless we stay calm and think."
Walking back up to the edge of the cliff Greymane looked around the cave to see what he could find, as he looked around he found a light coming from across where they were. Looking for anything that could tell him where to go he soon saw a camel shaking his hoof as he came walking out ranting and raving, what he was saying neither Greymane nor Ember could hear at a best guess whomever was still in that room was using a spell to silence that one small area. Following the wall on his right side with his eyes Greymane could see there were a few spots he could use to sneak over to the other side, but it left him so exposed that one wrong move, too much noise, or even one lucky guard looking up could see him.
Looking down he saw a winding path that let him go past them unseen, however, it went right past Ember's mother, and sadly Greymane knew that even if he asked Ember to wait she would watch his movements and notice him pass the cage.
Knowing his options were limited Greymane made the one choice he had and hoped for the best, *Xiuhtecutli I want you to keep an eye on Ember if she leaves this location for any reason let me know.* Patting Ember on her shoulder as he walked off to the left he whispered, 'Stay here, I'm going to find out what they are keeping in that room over there. Once I have all that I think is important I will do what I can to save your mother, and with any luck there just might be a key in there as well.'
Moving around on the main floor careful to not be seen Greymane looked back up at Ember and as he thought she was trying to watch the path he took, as the bandits talked he often heard how each of them didn't find the staff they were looking for and each piece of bad news was never good.
Every time they came back empty hoofed somepony went missing and it was usually the one that was in charge of the raid, many of them were afraid that they could be next and often wished to end this mission as soon as possible. As he continued to slip past them he soon past by Ember's mother where he stopped and whispered to her that she would soon be free and all she had to do was stay calm, before long he made his way up to the room he saw earlier and strangely enough it was twice the size of the one he just came from. It made him question why they were not using this room to store all of their stolen goods and the previous one as a means to set up for an ambush in the event they were attacked, then again they were working with the Order so perhaps they were letting their guard down thinking they would be safe from any repercussions of their actions.
If only they knew the truth, though Greymane wanted to warn them he knew that with the Order in their ranks he would simply expose himself to them making things worse for Ember and her mother. Having a quick look around the room he found a diary with several tabs marking the book in what seemed to be random spots, taking a moment to read the most recent one Greymane learned that as of this moment one of the few reasons the Order was working with them was because they had a creature known as a Djinn in their possession.
Before he could turn it back a few pages hoping to learn a little something more his attention was drawn elsewhere, looking around once again he noticed that the smoke from the tips of the lit candles seemed to be drifting in the same direction. Slipping behind the bed Grey hopped to remain hidden in the shadows and use them to his advantage and learn about this new creature that was taking form in the center of the room.
As the smoke started to form Greymane could hear laughter as the bed and many other things started to levitate off the ground, "You can't hide from me that easily, after all I watched you come in here. And to think I had assumed you were better than that."
Tucking the diary away in the small sack Greymane walked out into the open with a smile on his face, "If I had known I would be speaking with a jinn perhaps I would have brought you a drink." Looking at the creature Greymane saw that on his wrists was a pair of golden shackles a clear sign that he was imprisoned for his evil deeds, "But where are my manners, that would mean all jinn are the same. If what I've read to be correct then there are three tribes of the jinn, and judging by those shackles you are either from the neutral tribe or the evil tribe. So tell me are you neutral who had a little too much fun and ended up getting tricked. Or are you evil and you've been imprisoned?"
Smiling the Djinn knew that a Greymane had dealt with his kind before, yet he believed the one who stood before him was not the same Greymane from that time period. The tone of voice was different, the gender, the attitude, the fact he was an earth pony instead of a unicorn, and most of all his lack of respect for whose presence he stood in.
"That is a good question, let me answer it with another; who are you to impersonate the Great Greymane? I knew her well over seven thousand years ago when she found a way to imprison me, and you are nothing like her."
Knowing they had each other in a stalemate the two stared at each other waiting to see who was going to break, "Well of course you wouldn't recognize me, when you live as long as I do you tend to change your appearance from time to time. I was a mare when I first took you down and using a spell I changed my gender so no pony could recognize me. But such a spell has its drawbacks, a few bits and pieces of my memory tend to go missing each time I use it."
Unsure if such a lie would work Greymane was ready to call out to Xiuhtecutli for a little help only for it to end up the other way around, *I don't know why you taught her anything in the first place, when the first thing she does after managing to free her mother is get angry at the sight of the stallion that had threatened to have his way with her mother.*
Their focus on each other was broken when they heard shouting from below and the sounds of a fight breaking out only to end nearly as fast as it started, as Greymane and the Djinn looked into the open room Greymane let out a sigh knowing that she had been caught.
Walking back into the room he called out to Xiuhtecutli, *So things went from worse to good, that's fine I can fix this.*
*Oh I would love to see how you fix this...* Pausing for a moment Xiuhtecutli seemed slightly dumbfounded, *...the hell do you mean from worse to good?*
Rushing to his advocate he saw the Djinn who was now inspecting Greymane trying to find signs of a magical transformation, "I feel I must say you're lying, out of my many years I have never once heard of a spell to change genders or even races that didn't end as soon as the caster was tired, unless you're a changeling and even then I still doubt it. Being this far out from any of the hives, and not a matron either I find that this is not adding up."
Giving a gentle blow Xiuhtecutli lifted a bit of dust and sand to swirl it around Greymane as he cast an illusion spell, changing him to appear exactly as 43rd Greymane had back in her prime even with her tone of voice and accent.
"Do you still doubt me, or must I teach you another lesson?"
Letting out a light laugh as he dispersed back into smoke retreating to who knows where the Djinn whispered, "I don't need a lesson in being tricked, but know this my master is close to freeing me. And once I am free I will come for you."
Walking back to the main room Greymane pulled out one of his powders as he looked around the room, *Some of those crates are marked as fossils, care to give them one hell of a show?* Knowing he didn't have to wait for a response he threw down the powder and teleported back to the cliff he and Ember were before as the illusion on his body came to an end, "I wouldn't lay a single hoof on either of them if I was you. Better yet if I was you I wouldn't stay here for much longer!" Grey exclaimed as he made himself known to everypony and camel there.
As they all started laughing thinking that he was a fool for trying to scare so many at once, mixed amongst the laughter one of them asked what could one pony do against a small army? For Greymane a small army was near nothing but he knew that if he jumped down to try and fight them Ember and her mother could get hurt, moving just his eyes he looked over at the creates and saw Xiuhtecutli getting ready for one of the oldest tricks his predecessors came up with. Sitting on his flank as he raised his hooves above his head in a 'V' shape as he began to chant random gibberish, for those who knew the language they would have had one hell of a good laugh at him as he said he was the king of shit mountain and had come to claim the most beautiful yellow tree with pink leaves as his wife as well as a few other things.
But sadly none of the bandits nor the members of the Order spoke this dead dialect and slowly started to become scared as the fossils started floating around Ember and her mother, as Greymane reached the height of what would have caused those who spoke gibberish to start pissing them selves in laughter they watched as the fossils came together to create an undead dragon that attacked them without hesitation or discrimination. The only thing the dragon did not do was kill any of them as its one purpose was to scare them off, as the last of them fled for their life the dragon slowly started to turn to dust as all things tend to do when brought back to life through the art of necromancy.
Jumping down he had a rather stern look on his face as he walked up to Ember as she tried to rush her way through an explanation for her actions, "I know I was foolish and I rushed in, but I saw one of them set down a key a-a-and I thought..."
As she tried to explain herself Greymane walked around the two of them to look them over, "Other than a few bruises, some minor cuts, and a little bit of worry. Your mother seems to be alright, and though I didn't get to see how you took care of yourself I can clearly see that you don't show any major injuries, a few minor ones but nothing that won’t go away in a few hours. But I have one question for you Ember..." As he turned around Ember asked what what his question was worried she was going to get scolded, "...now that you and your mother are free what will you do?"
As they looked at him Ember's mother feared that her life now belonged to somepony else as Ember stepped towards him, "If possible we want to go home, back to Canterlot. But that's not really possible is it, the Order would re-capture us the second they saw us wouldn't they."
As Ember and her mother held each other Greymane smiled as he turned around while drawing a circle in the sand, adding a star and a few markings they watched as he started to chant something. As his chanting came to an end the shadows around them began to focus towards the center of the circle as they seemed to be torn away from their spots, as the shadows came to a single point they watched as a demon slowly sprouted out of the shadows with a confused expression on his face.
Though he could feel Greymane's presence as well as Xiuhtecutli's he kept eye contact with Emberglow as he started to throw a rather mild tantrum, "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! I was halfway through sealing a deal with somepony all the way in Germaney, out of any given moment why Greymane, why now did you have to summon me?"
Walking around to look him in the face Greymane smiled, "So then it wasn't anything too important I assume?"
Pointing his finger at Greymane as he let out an annoyed chuckle Blisargon started to look at him with regret of having made his deal with Greymane, "Oh no it wasn't that important, just the son of politician who got bored and wanted to spice up his life a tad. So ya it wasn't that important… to you..." Dropping to his knees as he reached for the sky with one outstretched arm and slightly curled fingers Blisargon started to show signs of crying, "but for me it means the world, another thief to run around and cause a little mischief. A soul to collect when the time is right, I'm so close to becoming a god and you just had to step on my toes." Letting out a sigh as he slowly started to rise Blisargon turned his attention to Ember and her mother, "But hold on just one second now and tell me just where are my manners, please excuse me for my lack of respect towards company..." Taking one hoof from Ember and her mother Blisargon bowed to them as he kissed their hooves, "...I am the demon Blisargon the Grand Enticer of Thieves, and though I can clearly assume the two of you are in his care. I feel I must ask who you lovely mares are?"
"I'm Emberglow Greymane has been helping me to..."
Before she could continue in her explanation Blisargon turned his attention over to her mother after complimenting her name being worthy of a mare of her beauty, "And if I were a betting demon I would have to say that this equally lovely mare next to you is your Twin sister."
As she started to blush she called him a silver tongued charmer, "I'm actually her mother and my name is Aquaglow, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Blisargon."
Complementing on how polite he was she accidentally let slip how she heard from the Order that all demons where brutish thugs and had less brains than the common insect, "For demons below my ranking that is quite true.” Bowing to them he let out a slightly sorrowful tone as he sounded like he was going to weep, “But don't worry I take no offense even I often look back at those days and ponder why was I so ignorant and arrogant to think that I could do anything I wanted simply because I’m a demon?"
Clearing his throat as he walked between them Greymane looked up at Blisargon, "Look if you want to date her then perhaps you can help us first which is why I summoned you here."
Looking down at them Blisargon knew that he was caught in his act of trying to claim a couple of souls, and he knew that any response pertaining to them would show it to Greymane causing him to let it slip in the most subtle of ways he could.
Bowing to them he asked that they excused him as he spoke with Greymane in a low tone to keep the other two from trying to hear him as he turned his back to them, "Alright fine I see the game we are playing here, and we can go back and forth all day and we would get nowhere. So then what do you want of me?"
"Just your help, they want to return home to Canterlot but they fear the Order would try to recapture them the second they're spotted. But I'm more than certain that you can solve that little problem, return them home and keep them hidden from the sight of the Order that is all you have to do."
Smiling he knew that if Blisargon didn't aid him then he was trapped in the cave, but then again Greymane was not the type to do that to someone he was slowly starting to call his friend… nay… his brother. Despite Blisargon being a demon the two of them were kindred spirits in how they acted, and in some small way they respected each other for it. However, at this moment in time they didn't know it nor did they take notice to this small change with in themselves, and though Greymane would not notice it for some time to come he would soon discover that same kindred spirit he shared with Blisargon he may also share with a few other demonic gods.
Turning back round with a smile on his face Blisargon shook his hands in the air as he acted like he was shackled to the ceiling, "Alright then, it wouldn't be that hard. Break the seal that holds me and it will be done..." Leaning towards Greymane Blisargon looked up at the ceiling of the cave as he whispered, '...also we should be careful of what we say if the walls have ears then a Djinn will speak.'
Looking up Greymane could see a bit of smoke just sitting up there doing nothing and going nowhere, keeping his eyes on it for a few minutes he noticed that it didn't even disperse or try to leave.
Whispering back into the demon's ear Greymane shared what he felt was the best bit of information, 'Thanks for the heads up I’ll deal with him soon enough, also I'm not sure if this is any good to you, but the Order is using a tracking spell to keep an eye on their members. Xiuhtecutli removed a couple that was on Ember.'
With a smile Blisargon nearly bust out laughing as he whispered back how they just left themselves open to being tracked down, all he needed was one of their members and he could use their own spell against them.
As Greymane turned around he broke the seal that held Blisargon in place, "He will take you back to Canterlot with no strings attached, and he will do what he can to keep the Order from coming after you. If you have any further problems with the Order or..." Looking to his left Greymane jokingly punched Blisargon in the side of his leg as he smiled, "...with this pain in the flank then go to Princess Luna she will be able to help."
Though Ember and and her mother didn't hear Blisargon as he grumbled under his breath his attitude towards Greymane though joking in nature was a little too much, 'Oh ya she can help them all right, all she has to do is wiggle her flank, bat an eyelash, while saying your name and you come running. Whipped is what you are, but then again who wouldn't be, ya spend this much time alone and you do anything for some tail. You know there's an idea maybe I can get Luna to sell me your soul, after all she doesn't need to trick you a simple smile from her will get you to do just about anything. I think that's why you fought Adramelech, you were worried more about Luna. Greymane and Luna sitt'n in a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G...' Without holding back Greymane punched Blisargon in the back of his knee as hard as he could causing the demon to nearly fall over, "Twas a jest I say, can ye not take a jest?"
Looking up at Blisargon he smiled but under that smile was a look that said, 'Not when we have more pressing matters to attend to.' Taking a knee before them Blisargon explained that the trip would be near instantaneous and all they had to do was remain calm, he also warned them that though they would not be harmed they would feel a little strange for a short period of time.
As they asked what he meant they watched as their shadows swirled under them and they began to sink, "I can't really say, the experience is different for every mortal. The last one I did this to was over three hundred years ago and he was speaking backwards for a week, and I mean the sentences he would say 'Hi how are you' and what came out was 'Uoy era woh ih'. But don't worry its nothing to worry about."
As they continued to enter their own shadows both Emberglow and Aquaglow smiled at Greymane thanking him for all he had done, smiling back he wished them the best of luck in Canterlot as he pulled his hood over his head to hide the tears that were starting to build up.
Wiping the tears from his eyes Greymane pulled the diary he took out of the sack on his right side and started to read the recently marked page again knowing that he was being watched, "So they were planning on taking the Staff of Wisdom and trading it to the Order of Balance in exchange for something, do I have to go further back into this book to learn what that something is or shall I take a guess?"
Turning a few pages towards the front of the diary Greymane could see the smoke slowly collect around him as it filled up the room, "Turn one more page and I will fill your lungs with so much smoke that you will die from it."
Wanting to test the limits of the Djinn Greymane turned three pages as he watched the room fill up with smoke as the creature said he would, after about five minutes the Djinn began to take its physical form as the smoke gathered into one spot as it cleared the room.
Laughing having believed that he killed Greymane the Djinn mocked him for being called a legend when it was arrogance that was his downfall, "That would be true if I was dead..." as the smoke around Greymane began to clear the Djinn saw that he was surrounded by what appeared to be an aura of light in the shape of a bubble, "...but then again it has been a long time since we've talked last, and I've picked up a few new tricks since then as well."
Though the Djinn couldn't see Xiuhtecutli he could feel his presence and not Greymane's, giving off an illusion that Greymane was far more powerful and far more skilled in the use of magic than he first thought.
As the light dispersed Greymane started to read from one of the pages, "It has been nearly a year now since my first wish, I had asked the Djinn to give me a foe worthy of my skills and strength. And though he assures me that my perfect challenge is on its way, he often asks that I wish him to be free from his imprisonment with in this black diamond."
Slamming the book shut Greymane recalled the last Void Diamond he came into contact with during his conflict with Asmoday, as well as the horrors within the void that tried to tear him apart and would have nearly escaped into this world if he hadn't made the choice he did. Looking at the Djinn he worried that whomever had the diamond my accidentally use it without knowing what lies beyond that gate lacking the ability to use the diamond to its fullest or worse, the Djinn himself would try to use it once he was free for who knows what purpose. Either way Greymane didn't like this turn of events as any possibility that can and probably would happen made him worry that if it did he would be powerless to stop it.
Looking at the Djinn he could see the creature was baffled as to how he protected himself, when only moments ago when it was just the two of them talking he didn't show any signs of being as strong as he seemed to be now. Going through a list of reasons in his mind the Djinn could not find any logical explanation for what was going on, the only thing he could guess was happening was Greymane had a magical item tucked away somewhere and he was using it. The best assumption was that the item protected him from any magic that was harmful to him but a physical attack would be more than enough to deal with his target, taking a moment to analyze what he saw the protection stems from his body but was most effective at a distance of roughly six feet in diameter.
Best guess was if he could get pass where the spell was its strongest the rest was easy, his plan was to come in with a punch and at the last second augment his fist with an elemental spell while increasing his speed with an agility spell for good measure. Setting one foot back as he took a combat stance he watched as Greymane stood on his back hooves to take a defensive stance in response as he tucked the book back into the sack, charging Greymane he kept to his plan only to watch as Greymane fell back of his own will as the Djinn’s fist seemed to act like like a guide for Grey’s movements. As Greymane touched the ground with his front hooves he followed the motion by striking the Djinn under his chin with his back right hoof, while the Djinn was dazed Greymane curled up on his front hooves to bring his back hooves as close to his body between him and the ground so he could push off the ground with all that he had and dive at the Djinn punching him across the face as he went past him.
As he passed the Djinn he used the same hoof that he punched with to take hold of the Djinn's head and slam him into the ground, "How?" Looking down at him Greymane almost asked what he meant, "How did you manage to do that just now, I am a Djinn, my body can become like smoke at will. So how did you pull that off?"
Smiling as he looked down with a somewhat superior look on his face Greymane sighed as he recalled the lessons the seventh Greymane had undertaken alongside a tribe of jinn, "It was easy, sure your body can become shapeless, or even formless at your will. But you have one key weakness that you overlooked, to make physical contact with me you yourself have to remain physical to land a single hit. And though you could have used just your arm I had hoped after my little display earlier that you would take the bait and keep your entire body in a state I could fight against, and even if you didn't I was prepared for whatever half baked plan you could come up with. After all I've been fighting creatures well above my own skills all my life, so facing someone's rabid dog is nothing."
Though he spoke of the experiences of his predecessors his words were not completely false by any means, throughout the years before he was imprisoned in Tartaros he faced minotaurs, unicorns augmented by enchanted items, pegasi with near legendary control over the weather, griffins with talons so sharp they could cut through iron like a hot knife through butter. And though the worst of these trials he had overcome thus far had been creatures who had possessed artifacts, none had ever been harder to face than his adversary the current leader for the Order of Balance. And though he wasn't a demon, griffin, minotaur, alicorn, or pegasus he was the single greatest threat because of his ambition, Greymane knew that all the skills he had and all he had learned from his predecessors allowing his adversary to become as powerful as he has was slowly becoming his greatest failure. Turning his back to the Djinn Greymane planned on letting him believe that he had a chance, yet the creature refused to attack knowing who he was facing and didn't want to press his luck. This was a clear sign to Greymane that he was an experienced strategist for adapting to the situation as soon as he did, this also troubled Greymane to know that if the two of them continued to adapt he would eventually have to rely on Xiuhtecutli's magical prowess far more than he intended.
Though it would give Greymane a chance to see which of the two had the greater skill as well as the endurance to keep going, he knew that if such a fight started the Djinn would figure out that he could not use magic and do what he could to separate Greymane from Xiuhtecutli. Preparing to take on any attacks the Djinn could start with Greymane slightly widened his stance while staying on all fours and lowering his body to the ground, it was a very unorthodox stance that left him wide open to attacks but was very effective for catching an opponent off guard. This stance was developed by the 20th Greymane when she traveled to what is currently IB'IXAN in her era it had not yet been taken in by the empire of that time, the stance was a take on common fighting styles at where being developed at the time as a form of meditation. When she picked up on this she felt that she too needed to learn this but in a way that felt best to her, over the years she practiced this stance till it soon became one of the most offensive skills the Greymanes who came after her and relied on this stance only in the worst of situations.
Though he didn't have much use for this skill from time to time he did practice it but as of this moment Greymane was baffled as the Djinn turned his lower half into smoke and started to smile, "I'm not that much of a fool to not notice when I don't have the upper hand, so how about this instead since I have a master already I'll let you have one wish." Giving off a seductive smile the Djinn though he had turned the tide of the fight, "Go on wish for anything the sky's the limit, however there are three rules as to what you can't wish for, the first is an obvious one: you cannot wish for someone to fall in love with you, after all that has to be natural. Second you cannot ask me to resurrect the dead: after all the dead are dead for a reason, and trying to bring them back could end badly. And finally: you cannot wish for omnipotence because that is beyond my own power so therefore I cannot grant it. So what will it be?"
Greymane knew that a wish with a Djinn was the same as striking a deal with a demon, there was always something attached to it and it always came at a price. The difference between the two was a demon could perform a resurrection but wanted lives of equal to greater value than the one that was being brought back as well as the soul of the one they struck their deal with, as for the Djinn though they could not perform a resurrection what made them slightly trickier to contend with was the hubris of the wish was always the undoing of the one making the wish. Knowing this he knew that his best option was to hold onto the wish for a later time if he ever saw the Djinn again, by then he had hoped to have a better idea of what he wanted and how to go about asking for it.
For the time being however he wanted information and not wanting to waste his one wish on that he smiled, "If there was anything in this world I wanted I can just take it, after all I am a thief and nopony can stop me. And even if there was something I couldn't get and yet I wanted it's not like you can give it to me I'll take my leave for now."
Feeling insulted the Djinn grew angry as it began to fill the room back up with smoke without trying to harm Greymane, "Oh you think that there is nothing I can give you..." With a snap of his fingers a chest fell between them, "...how about The Enchanted Chest of Endeara? Filled with treasures the likes of which none can dream of, empty the chest and it fills itself back up. With this you can be rich beyond your wildest dreams. According to the tails this chest was lost unto the ages, but with my magic it is now yours."
Scoffing at such a thing Greymane waved his hoof as he chuckled, "And what do I need such a useless item for? I can be rich beyond my wildest dreams by simply stealing, and I get to enjoy the challenge that comes with it."
Pointing to the ground the Djinn released a bolt of lightning from his finger summoning a sword with strange markings on its sheath and hilt, "To prove myself I have also brought forth The Blade of The Ages, it is said that whom ever possess this can cut through time itself, this in turn will let them travel to the past as well as the future as they please."
Though Greymane had never heard of such a weapon he was more than well aware of an artifact that was said to do the same where it was he didn't know nor did the sixth Greymane who took the time to search for it, "And why would I want such a thing? I don't have any reason to go traveling across time, I'm immortal after all I can just simply wait it out."
Though he didn't completely lie if he did put on the medallion he would have the life span to outlive even the end of the world if he felt like it.
Becoming fed up with the current situation the Djinn flexed his muscles as he brought forth a ring of fire around Greymane, "Say the word and I will give you power to rival even an alicorn nay ten alicorns."
Busting out in a fit of laughter Greymane recalled how powerful the demonic lords are and how they just barely come close to equaling either Luna or Celestia on their own while remembering there was still the demonic gods, whose power had never been seen by any living pony other than the tenth Greymane, "You think I want that kind of power when I already have the power to take down all the gods of Tartaros? The only power I would want is the only power that matters, as they say knowledge is power..." Pulling the book back out Greymane smiled as he waved it back and forth, "...and I have all that I need right here."
Though the Djinn was fed up with Greymane's antics he thought about a piece of information that was purposefully left out of the diary, "Well then how about this, I'll tell you what my master is up to."
As Greymane tucked the book away he knew that he had the Djinn right where he wanted him, "Don't make me laugh any harder than I have to, if there was anything worth knowing about your master it will be written in the book. All I have to do is take a moment to read it."
In a fit of anger the Djinn showed an image of the Castle of Canterlot, "My master intends to conquer Camelu, however he wants to do it with little to no resistance. Some time back he found me and had made two wishes to make his dream come true, the first wish you already know but his second wish was to find the Staff of Wisdom but I wouldn't just simply give it to him so I pointed in a direction and he started looking. I had hoped he would die from the search or even waste his last wish but his search caught the attention of the Order of Balance, and that is when they chose to take advantage of the situation. Their deal was a simple one, once he conquered Camelu he was to allow them to move in on all he had control over so they could help make the transition to his reign smoother. But when I read their minds I knew they planned on doing away with him when the time came, so I made a deal with them in secret, they allow my master to live long enough to make his final wish and it is then I will destroy him for the Order. Then not only will I be set free I will continue to aid them in their future endeavors, a few I hear just so happen to mention you."
Looking at the Djinn Greymane knew that if the Order had that kind of power under their control then conquering new lands would be as simple as picking up a gallon of milk, "Well that certainly is interesting but that isn't worth my time..." Turning his back to the Djinn Greymane started to walk away hoping he was goading the creature into explaining why he showed him the Castle of Canterlot and not the Ruling family of Camelu, "...oh and by the way that is Canterlot you're showing me, and to think a creature of your caliber would make such a stupid mistake."
As he took a few steps he called out to Xiuhtecutli and told him to be prepared to ward off the Djinn and take the items he had already summoned, telling him that though neither of them seemed to be of any importance simply leaving them there was a bit of a waste. After all the chest could be put to good use in some small way, and the blade was something they can't just let sit if it could do as the Djinn claimed it to.
Letting out an annoyed laugh the Djinn slowly started to grow angry with Greymane, "I am not some simple minded plebe who doesn't act without thinking. If you were paying attention to what I said then you would have figured it out, to conquer without needing to use too much force my master plans on trying to take on the ruling family in Canterlot. Once the alicorn sisters have fallen to him he will turn his attention to the other nations and force them to submit, once all whom are willing to submit to his rule have done so that is when I act and the Order of Balance gets all that my master commands. He gets what he wants, I get what I want, and the Order is one step closer to their goals."
Knowing the Order and its leader Greymane knew the Djinn was going to be closer to the top ranks, more than likely alongside their leader seeing as to how much power he possessed and how they could use it with no restrictions. But knowing that they were planning on making a move sooner or later in Canterlot was one thing but this was just asinine of them to target Celestia and Luna even under the guise of a group of bandits, but then again for them to use a bandit for their plans was a simple side step for them and this made Greymane worry. Even if they failed the Order would simply kill off their own members to keep their involvement in the dark, and with them in the guard it wouldn’t be that hard to do so.
"Oh so you're master finds you competent enough to let you have this much information, however I still don't think the Order is that willing to trust a creature like you." Looking down at Greymane the Djinn's anger started to reach its peak as he asked what Greymane meant by 'creature like you', "What else could I mean, I didn't think they trusted someone who was easily led around like a dog on a leash." Knowing he had angered the Djinn beyond what was needed Greymane felt he was still missing a bit of information to aid him even though he knew what their plans for the time being was, "I bet they don't even trust you to know when any of this is going to happen."
Letting out an annoyed filled sigh the Djinn placed two of its fingers on the side of its head and started to rub in a counterclockwise motion, "Well of course I know all about that, my master is taking steps to ensure his plans will work. By the years' end he will be on the proverbial door steps of Canterlot, and I by his side."
For once time was on Greymane's side though it wasn't much he was more than willing to take advantage of what he now knew, "Thank you for all you have done and given me, I shall take my wish and save it for a time that I deem it worthy of use."
Laughing at Greymane the Djinn pointed at the items that lay before him, "I believe I must correct you, as you can see you have wasted your wish and gotten quite a bit out of the deal. However I don't believe you are worthy of such items..." Reaching down for the sword and chest the Djinn watched as his hand was consumed by fire causing him to scream out in agony, "...what trick is this?"
As the flame died on his hands he looked over to see a ring of fire around Greymane as he started to laugh, "To be fair I never made a wish, I simply said you couldn't give me anything worth my time. So you tried to prove me wrong and willingly gave me these items as well as the information I wanted, and all on top of a wish that I can use as I freely choose. And to think all I had to do was say the right thing at the right time..." As he sat there he watched as the ring of fire started to burn towards its center engulfing the sword, chest, and Greymane, "...till next we meet."
Trying to cast a spell to take back the items the Djinn found his magic could not make its way through the fire as everything within the blaze turned to smoke and vanished, rising to his feet the Djinn was furious with what had happened but knew if he reported it to the Order his deal with them could fall through. So against his better judgement he chose to keep this information to himself.
With what information they had Xiuhtecutli returned Greymane along with their newly acquired items back to the cave under Canterlot, taking the sword Greymane walked over to a solid stone wall about three feet to the left of his chemistry set where a hole only one and a half the size of his hoof seemed to have been carved into. Though Xiuhtecutli had told him the sword held no magical enchantment Greymane felt he should be on the safe side of things. Reaching into the hole Greymane moved around some tiles till they made a rune that turned a section of the wall into a bridged that led down to a winding staircase, once he was inside this new room he watched as runes along the entrance started to glow red sealing off the entrance with a very powerful mix of offensive and defensive magic that could tear even a demonic god from the inside out.
This was designed by the fifth Greymane who learned how to adapt the runes to do as she pleased, after several years of trials and errors she soon learned to master them and created new ways of safeguarding the world. Though their original plan was to hide the artifacts some where too dangerous to just simply hide some where in the world, so she created the vault using a series of well designed and carefully crafted runes that worked not just alongside each other but off one another as well circulating the flow of magical energies to keep them from building up to disastrous proportions. The first one used was to make the vault into its own pocket space that almost seem to go on forever as it expanded to contain any and all new items, it was a rune version of the spell that was on the sack he kept on his right side.
The next one used helped make it impossible to enter unless you were one of the Greymanes themselves, the exact specifics of the runes and how they worked were blocked by the fifth Greymane in her research notes in the event somepony somehow found a way onto the island or figured out how to use the books they kept. And the last one was a simple puzzle Grey used at the start that opened and closed up the vault itself, when it was first crafted the fifth ensured that even if the puzzle didn’t come out to the right rune that nothing happened. In her notes she claimed that out of all of them that the one controlling the way in and out of the vault was the hardest one to get just the right way.
Each one of the runes were unique in the way that they were created and used. And though Greymane had often thought about changing how the main entrance to the cave was sealed up, he felt its current way was best for the time being, after all if somepony got the rune wrong they could end up hurting themselves even if he followed the notes that the fifth left behind..
As Greymane did what he believed to be best the leader to the Order of Balance was going over a few of the recent reports with the subordinates who were overlooking the areas pertaining to the reports, "According to this we lost Emberglow, I would like to ask how this is possible when we have had her under a tracking spell since she was a young filly? And no older than seven years if I am not mistaken."
Taking a step forward a young stallion quivered in fear at the sight of his leader, "Well sir from what was mentioned in the report… um… she went into the savanna with some strange stallion none of us had ever seen before, he somehow discovered the tracking party and well dispelled the tracking spell. They then teleported away and we lost track of them after that."
Slowly walking towards the young stallion they could all see the one they feared, though his appearance was old enough to make Granny Smith look like she was in her prime there wasn't a single one of them who would dare to challenge him.
"Yes and the description of this stallion earth pony is far too vague to be a coincidence, and if it was somepony she knew we would have known long before now and dealt with whomever they were." Looking at the file of her mother the old stallion let out a lustful sigh, "But at the least we have her mother, so she will come back to us all in due time. After all her mother is all she has ever cared for since she was just a filly, bring her to me I want to have her near me at all times till Ember comes for her."
Letting out a nervous chuckle didn't help the young stallion's cause as his leader took notice of it and gripped the collar of his shirt demanding to know what his chuckle was about, "The thing is sir, I thought it was a good idea to have her mother taken to the bandit hideout where we stood a greater chance of capturing her. And according to the most recent reports we have the same stallion she was last seen with helped her to free her mother, it was said he used necromancy to fight the bandits. So sorry to say Ancient One but we no longer have either of them."
Placing his hooves on the young stallion's neck they watched as he slowly strangled the poor colt to death, "You mean to tell me that Greymane yet lives, and the one chance any of you had to catch him and bring him to me you… JUST.. LET… HIM... GO!?!?"
As the young stallion was strangled he struggled to speak, "But… sir… Greymane... is… dead… twelve… of our… own… at the least… were… at the… ceremony."
As his neck snapped from the amount of pressure their leader had used they watched as he let the lifeless corpse fell to the ground, "Somepony toss this trash into the river and have his name stricken from all documents for his failure..." Letting out a sigh as he walked past the other young scared ponies only to stop and look at a silver maned stallion, "...tell me, is this my fault? Am I the one to blame for this, or has the quality of the training you all have been given just gone down hill over these past few years? I mean I know I've taught you all what was needed to survive out there, and I know I taught you all enough to know that Greymane will do what he can to deceive us. What a few of you saw that day, that funeral it was him trying to put on an act. He wants you to think he is a good stallion that he's on the side of the innocent, but do not forget what he has done to us. Do not forget that he is the Crimson Stained Stallion, and when we have let our guards down he will try to slaughter us all again. And he won't stop there I know for sure he won’t, he just might try to slaughter the world if they give him just enough trust. So tell me Am I the one to blame for this blunder for this failure that we lost a rather good potential in a young filly and her slut of a mother? Whom by the way could have been used to bring more ponies into this world to better serve the Order. Well..." Pausing for a moment he could see the fear in the young stallion's eyes that told him he was unwilling to answer the question, "ANSWER ME DAMN IT!!!"
As sweat started to slowly roll down the young stallion's face he looked his leader in the eyes, "I'm afraid I cannot answer that sir." Punching the young stallion in the face to make him to fall over he demanded to know why he refused to give an answer, "T-to answer your question sir would mean I think there is something wrong with how we are taught and how you have done things..." Seeing the anger in his leader's eyes he young stallion began to feel the icy cold touch of death slowly making its way up his spine, "...n-n-n-not that I think that. After all you've led the Order with wisdom and valor the likes of which none can claim to, not even the sisters ruling Equestria can make such a claim. For over a thousand years you've led us and none can ever do a better job than you."
Picking the young stallion up by his jacket he slammed him into the wall, "Are you saying that because of my leadership it is my fault Greymane slipped past your grasp? And is it possible you believe you can do better than I?"
Feeling the icy cold fingers of death slowly sink in through his spine and deep within his body the young stallion began to cry out for mercy, "I-I-I-I never meant any of that, none are greater than you sir not even this lowly peasant who isn't worth your anger or forgiveness!"
As the young stallion was set down on his flank he looked at his leader who was smiling as he slowly unfastened the jacket he was wearing, with a smile on his face he complemented the jacket as he said he forgave the young stallion asking him what kind of a leader would he be if he could not forgive? As the young stallion began to shed tears of relief thinking he was being spared his life he thanked his leader for showing him mercy he didn't deserve, as the others watched on in astonishment they saw their leader's hoof slowly caressing the young stallion's chest as it circled round in a counterclockwise motion. In the last moment they watched as he shoved his hoof deep into the young stallion and ripped his still beating heart out, as the young stallion fell to the floor he asked why he had done that when he had forgiven him.
Staring down with a disgusted look their leader snarled as he spoke, "I did forgive you that much is true, so I spare you an agonizing death but I want you to die slow enough to know one thing. I don't let pathetic, worthless, piles of shit live longer than they have to. I may have been mortal at one point and though I am immortal now you must all know this, I have always been your GOD!" As the life of the young stallion slowly left him their leader turned around to remind them that his statement was ment for not just the Order of Balance but the whole world, even if the world had yet to come to terms with this fact.
Walking away he commanded to have the young stallion's body tossed into the pit for the cannibals to feast on as it has been three full moons since last they ate, throughout the many years he had been at odds ends with Greymane he knew that though he was a thief he would do what he could to protect the world and stop him. But he had often wondered about the last night they had encountered each other and how he managed to survive when the guards had his head on a chopping block, about a year prior to that he learned that a mysterious grey stallion was spotted going to and from the castle of the two sisters but nothing ever happened.
He had suspected that it was just some scout scoping out the castle trying to find weaknesses for an upcoming assault, when he had gone there to steal the Elements of Harmony he had not anticipated Greymane to show up. And so that night had always ate away at the back of his mind with nothing but questions, why was he there, why did he leave such powerful artifacts in their possession, and why did he frequent the castle once a year? But none of it ate away at him more than when Greymane had finally returned after a thousand years when Canterlot was attacked, looking over the reports from the attack itself from when he unveiled to the all of Equestria that he was real.
The only answer he could come up with was Celestia and Luna were connected in some way, but how and why, but more importantly did they somehow manage to do what he could not and gain control over Greymane to do their bidding? Nothing in the reports leading up to and even till now from that assault by the demons connected them, nor was there any sign that Greymane had been around during the thousand years Luna was gone. And that was the only clue he had… Luna held at the least one answer to any of this, and he wanted to make her talk by any means necessary.
After he came to the conclusion that he had to deal with Luna he stopped and turn his attention to the last pony he was yelling at.
Looking at the young mare as he pointed caused her to nearly jump out of her skin in fear of what he had planned for her, "Send a message to our informants in Canterlot, I want them observe Princess Luna and report back with anything worth their lives." As the remaining officers rushed out of the room to do what was demanded of them he tapped his hoof three times and watched as an executioner came walking in with an axe, "This body has served me well, but it will not last much longer, bring me a low ranking scout it is time I gained a new body. Oh, and don't tell the scout what is going on."
Saying nothing she folded her leg across her chest and gave a quick nod of her head as she took off running as fast as she could not wanting to disappoint her leader, as she took off he stared at her flank and figured the first thing he was going to do in his new body was enjoy hers to the fullest. Before long his mind in a sea of lustful thoughts he was back to the thought of Greymane returning and how this put a pin in any plans he had, for the time being he knew the only advantages he had was a demon, a djinn, and the fact Greymane did not know their current location. But the last advantage was quickly being lost because Ember was no longer being tracked, and though she didn't know his location he did however know that if Greymane tracked the spell back to its source he would be there as soon as he could.
Taking a few steps outside of his chambers he commanded the guards to kill the one's who placed the tracking spell on Ember, and to dispose of their bodies as far away from their hide out as possible, preferably somewhere remote that would leave no clues as to where they came from. As the guards took off he knew this would at the least buy them some time but hoped that it would give Greymane a cold lead that ended in the middle of nowhere, at the moment he cared little for the fact he killed so many ponies today simply because in his mind it was Greymane who killed them. Though for the time being he worried more about if Greymane was hunting him down and how much he knew, thinking back to his younger years he recalled how the Order tracked down every bit of clue to find Greymane only to end up empty hoofed. Yet they left no clues behind and Greymane found his little group as though it was nothing.
As the executioner returned with a young scout he could see the young colt was scared having been brought in the way he was, "Do not be afraid my dear sweet child..." Waving his hoof to the executioner she shut the door and waited outside for further instructions, "...I have a very important mission for you, but before I can give it I must train you to be strong enough to handle such a task."
As the young colt started to relax he was quickly startled by the command to attack his leader, "I'm sorry sir..." Starting to stutter the young colt feared questioning the command he was given, "...I m-m-must have misheard you, d-d-did you just tell me to..."
"Attack me yes," As he prepared himself for the young colt's attack he smiled knowing the mind of the young colt was strong but his will still belonged to him, "for me to properly train you I must know where you stand in your skills. So please come at me with all that you are."
He knew that the young colt didn't stand a chance against him nor did he truly care how skilled he was, the only thing that was on his mind was how well developed he was. His plan for the young colt was to see where he stood in terms of all those around him, and once he knew where that was he was going to let him kill the body he possessed. Once his current host body was dead he would would then take advantage of the fear stricken mind of the young colt and posses his body to make it his own, for however long it would last anyway. However he planned on saving this plan for the young colt for much later after he had some idea as to what was going on, at the moment he did plan on teaching him a few things and having the executioner or the young colt destroy his current body so he could posses one of the guards in Canterlot when the time came.
As he fought with the young colt he could see that he had great speed but then again what pegasus didn't, he was however clever enough to use his wings in what would have been considered random moments and highly unnecessary as well as unorthodox. But he saw through this knowing that the use of his wings were not just to speed him up but to slow him down and move in ways that most could not and it was a very good trick that he wanted, facing off against the young stallion he fought in the same manner he had once seen Greymane fight yet he knew that it was nothing close to how it looked. His steps where off, his motion ridged, but from this came his own style of fighting.
A style that allowed him to be as aggressive as he wished and let him put as much power behind each strike as he wanted, but the downside to this was with each new body he only had a limited amount of time to fight like this before that body aged to a point where he was forced to restrict what he did. Though the artifact he possessed granted him the gift to possess others at will and transfer what they had to the next body, he knew there were many restrictions to this and was careful enough to take steps so these restrictions didn't affect him too much. The first of it all was if a pony's mind and will were great enough he could be cast out of them, but if either of those were too weak then he could control them but have to fight to stay in control.
But out of any creature in the world there was none he wanted to posses more than Greymane himself, the power he shown the night he assaulted the Order was so great he wanted it for himself so that no pony could ever stand in his way. His only problem was finding him as Greymane had eluded him for the past thousand years, to add to it he would have to take the time to break him so when he possessed his body there would be no internal conflict and the power he wanted would be his. And once that power was his he questioned who would stand in his way, the answer to that was simple in his mind no one.
After all he would have the power to slaughter all he wanted and rule the world not as a king or emperor but as a god, and that was what he wanted to be feared and worshiped as a god knowing that to do this he either needed to posses Greymane or kill him either way he proved he was superior. In the last moment of the fight he allowed himself to be struck in the chest which caused the heart of his host body to rupture, telling the young stallion he did well for his first session he stomped his hoof on the ground as a signal for the executioner to come back in.
As she came into the room he commanded her to close the doors and seal them tight, once this was done the young stallion took notice that his leader was slowly dying and feared he would be executed for his actions.
"Do not worry young one, for the time being the executioner will train you to the fullest of her capabilities. And when I return I will bestow upon you the greatest task that will bring you much glory..." As he lied down he could feel the artifact release him from his host body as it turned into a corpse and though they could not hear his voice he laughed at how he was free to claim another, "...and what glory is greater than to become my new host. Train well and become perfect for me, and you my lovely executioner..." Letting out a lustful chuckle as he came up to her and wrapped his ghostly legs around her acting as if he could feel her body, "...when I return, o~oh the fun we shall have."
As he made his way towards Canterlot he figure he would take his time to enjoy his newly acquired freedom for a little while and view the countryside, as he did this he started to make plans for what he would do once he was ruling everything. A garden of dismembered bodies here with a fountain of blood and a statue of him on a throne all made of the bones of those who opposed him, and off to the side of that he saw a wonderful spot for farmland that would be tended by slaves of those he conquered to be worked and beaten to death. To say his imagination was sadistic was to put it horrifyingly mildly.
As he slowly made his way to Canterlot fantasizing about what he was going to do with the world Greymane was finishing up a few last things in his home before going to see Luna, he felt that while he was at his home it would be a good time to share what he had learned and warn both her and Celestia so the attack on them can be avoided. This would also set the Order of Balance back by a year at the least by having them go back underground and hide, for now until he can find a way to deal with them without causing a war and unnecessary bloodshed this was his only hope to keep them from moving forward. Looking at his chemistry set he knew that the new powders were not going to be finished for some time and left them in their liquid state to cool and solidify while going over some notes from the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth Greymanes pertaining to the potion that lets him change his appearance as a changeling does, the current formula was slightly better than when it was first made and that was the problem.
Though he had an extra half hour before the effects of the potion wore off it's toxic levels were still too damn high, for the moment his endeavors into that would have to wait as he went over the amount for his teleporting and sleeping powders. Going over the qualities of them to ensure they were the best they could be Grey took a few measurements to estimate how much he had, out of a rough guess he made enough of the teleporting powders that he would have at the least twelve of the one ounce bags. As for the sleeping powder he hardly ever had to use it but often tried to make something stronger so it could act faster and last a little longer, the reason for this was so he could then take it and mix it with some dirt, dust, sand, or whatever else was close by while it retained the same level of potency as the original formula.
Making his way out of the crystal cavern Greymane found himself staring up at the clear night sky in amazement, though a star filled sky was nothing new to him tonight seemed different and yet he didn't know why. Enjoying his walk through Canterlot unnoticed by the guards he continued to think about the notes his predecessors left behind, the three of them spent their years researching that one potion and trying to perfect it with little to no success. Though the twelfth Greymane was a changeling herself the idea came from the eleventh after he adopted her, and she continued to work on the potion knowing that her natural power to change her appearance at will would be of great use to the later generations.
But towards the end of her life and the start of the thirteenth they were trying to make it last longer while making it less toxic, the best they could do was make it last for three hours but its toxic levels were so high that its use was limited to once every six months. Since those three every Greymane that has come and gone would tinker and toy with their final product and formula to try and finish their work, but the most any of them could do was extend the time from three hours adding about an extra half an hour and that included his recent work. As of right now he didn't care about the length of time the potion had infact he thought that was plenty of time, what worried him the most was the toxic levels and trying to bring them down to a little more safer levels even if it was just a little.
Before long Greymane made his way up the tower where he knew Luna would be hoping that she was still safe, as he neared the top he caught a slight glistening of the moon light off of something in the distance. Looking around he didn't see anything and almost wanted to toss it up to the top of one of the towers, tilting his body every which way he could think of did not bring that shine back and it made him worry. Keeping on guard as he made his way over the railing he saw Luna looking through the telescope as she watched over the city, greeting her with a smile he watched as she turned around yet refused to make eye contact with him.
On her face he could see she was not too happy about something as she sat down, before he could figure it out she nearly cried as she commanded the guard to arrest him. As a group of earth ponies came out from the door he attempted to jump the railing only to find the skies were full of pegasi, and on the distant towers he saw a few unicorns ready to cast spells and lob arrows his way. As the guards attempted to put him in chains Xiuhtecutli put a ring of fire around him granting him the one chance he needed to escape, and yet Greymane refused to move and as the spell died out he sat there looking at Luna not caring about those around them.
Without hesitation he stood up and took a few steps towards her as the guards feared what he would do if they tried to stop him, "Luna, please tell me. Why are you doing this?"
Still refusing to make eye contact Luna dug her hoof into the ground hoping it went unnoticed, “You are under arrest for stealing the Elements of Harmony, this was set up by my sister and myself to catch you. The guards have been instructed to do whatever it takes to bring you in, even if they have to break every bone in your body.” Luna expected him to try and fight his way out and even attempt to escape but she knew he was innocent thanks to the diary he gave her, and though she didn't want to betray his trust she kept the knowledge of his diary a secret from Celestia making this very situation far more difficult on herself.
Walking over to the guard who held up the shackles and chains they watched as he sat down and brought up his hooves, "Very well then, I will turn myself in but on one condition..." As Luna looked at him she saw in his eyes that he did this for her so that she could not be incriminated in any way, "...I wish to speak to you and your sister alone if at all possible."
Though there wasn't much she could do at the moment Luna let out a sigh of relief to know Greymane was willing to let himself be arrested rather than fight, "We are not sure if that will be possible, but we will speak with our sister to see if such an arrangement can be made..." Turning around to take flight as she spread her wings she gave a faint smile to know that for now he was still safe, "...for now the guards will take you to the dungeon.
As she started to leave she soon felt his mind touch hers it was as gentle and loving as when he holds her in his embrace, *Thank you for having faith in me Luna, I know you question this situation as much as I do, I know the pain you feel now from being torn between the choices that you must make, but I will find some way for us both to come out of this. And if not, then at the least I will do what I can to protect you and see to it that only I face whatever may come.*
Steps Into The Past Part 1: The Weakness and Strength of The Greymanes
“Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.” ― Lemony Snicket
As Greymane sat in the dungeon bound in chains he calmly reflected on what information he had gathered as he sat in the lotus position, while he thought about what the Order was up to Grey couldn’t help but smile as he humphed while Xiuhtecutli flew from one end of the cell to the other in his astral form.
*This isn’t right, you saved them… twice… and nearly at the cost of your life no less. They should have more respect for you, at the least the benefit of the doubt and hear your side of things without the need to lock you away.* Stopping for a moment Xiuhtecutli began to drift in the air as he turned to look at his advocate, *Which might I add you had every chance to escape. So why are you sitting there?*
With a light chuckle Grey looked around his cell, *Perhaps you should be asking why such a simple cell? No enchantments to keep me here or alert them I’m trying to escape, my shackles are not enchanted either I can slip out of them right now if I wanted. But the biggest question you should have right now is, why did they leave me my equipment, my cloak, my powders, everything?* Hearing some hoof steps Grey stood up and walked as far as his chains allowed him to look out his cell, *Somepony is pulling the strings and I want to know who they are and why are they targeting me?*
*You could just slip right on out of here and have a look around, it’s far faster than just sitting here waiting to talk.* With a shine in his eye the shackles fell from Greymane and the door to his cell flew open.
Reaching out of his cell Grey took hold of the door and slammed it shut then proceeded to put the shackles back on, *No I trust them enough to be patient and wait for them to send for me. I will not betray that trust for a few lousy answers.*
*You mean because you love Luna so much that you won’t betray her trust?* Greymane didn’t have to look back to see the smug yet disapproving look on his face he could feel it as Xiuhtecutli stared at him, *She’s the only reason you are here right now, and though we both know this to be true I still can’t wrap my head around the reason as why.*
Sitting back against the wall Grey tried to calm himself down as he took the lotus position again, *Because it is my fault, it’s always been my fault. I have to make it up to her.*
Letting out a deep extended breath his nose flared as he thought about the amount of times he had reminded his advocate the truth, ‘Why you do this do yourself when both Luna and myself have told you that her becoming Nightmare Moon and being banished to the moon has nothing to do with you, you are so much stronger, faster, and focused without this doubt. Come back to who you are, whom you’ve always been for the sake of the world.’ Resting on Greymane’s shoulder Xiuhtecutli chose to which up the conversation, *So they think you stole the Elements of Harmony, yet we know you didn’t. Any ideas you may have?*
*A few.* Pulling two of the small stones out of the sack Grey carved a dim illumination rune into one of them, granting him as much light as a dying candle, while he used the other to draw up a few of his theories on the ground, *My first thought is an obvious one, I’m being set up. But that can’t be right as the only ponies to know I’m back and still alive are Luna, Twilight and her friends, as well as Ember and her mother. None of them would do this as Twilight and her friends are the wielders for the Elements and doing this could cause them to lose standing with those artifacts, not to mention it's not with in their nature to betray somepony. Ember and her mother just got back to Canterlot so that a leaves them out of the question, simply because they have not had enough time to try anything.*
*Then that just leaves the Order who think you’re dead for the time being, and Princess Luna and her sister Princess Celestia. I doubt Luna would have kept your continued existence a secret for too long, especially if her mood had changed from knowing you lived.* Sticking his tail into the stone Xiuhtecutli carved another potential group, *And let's not forget the local guards or demons, though the demons are sided with us they are still demons and won’t hesitate to try something. So that leaves a few groups left to suspect.*
With a slight grunt Grey crossed Luna and Celestia off the list, *Neither of the Princesses would do that, I trust Luna too much to believe she would do such a thing of her own free will. Earlier I saw it in her eyes, it pained her to have to do this so I know she’s not behind this. As for Celestia I don’t think she would either, what I’ve managed to learn so far is that over the past thousand years she’s ruled with benevolence, kindness, and wisdom so that rules her out as well. I don’t see a leader of her caliber stooping so low as to set somepony up just to remove them.*
*So then that still leaves the local guards and the demons.*
*If the demons wanted to try and take me they would have done something else, like a foal napping or holding a town hostage. No sadly I don’t think they have any involvement either this is too small scale for their tastes, and after besting Asmoday I don’t think they would try anything against me too soon.* Scratching them off the list Grey circled a symbol that represented the local guard, *If it’s the local guard they would have had to know that I was still alive and we left Canterlot unnoticed by them, perhaps they made some kind of mistake…* Tapping his chin Grey couldn’t help but let out a disgruntled grunt knowing that there was still one clue missing, *but then why would they blame somepony they believe is dead? It just doesn’t add up.*
With a slight gasp Xiuhtecutli realized that if they looked at this like a puzzle they would have to try coming at the problem another way, *What if we are looking at this from the wrong angle, for them to believe that you stole the Elements they would need some kind of proof would they not?*
Drawing another image on the ground Grey began to ponder the possibilities, *Yes you’re right. Perhaps the guards did make a mistake and there is somepony that heard I was dead, only for them to find out I’m still alive and chose to take my image to conceal themselves. After all it's not that hard to look the part, it's performing that makes it difficult. Another problem is the vault the Elements are locked in, how would they have gotten past the locks?*
Scoffing at the thought Xiuhtecutli rolled his eyes as he waved his tail, *You’re talking about a copycat, simple enough and I can see where the guards would think it was you if they landed every bit of detail. But you praise yourself a little too much don’t you think? I mean you get past all kinds of locks, it doesn’t take much for anyone to learn how to do that.*
*True but something as important as the Elements of Harmony would be under the greatest of security measures, and only one pony would have the capabilities to get to them.* Though he didn’t blame her Grey knew this train of thought led him right back to whom Xiuhtecutli thought was behind this little ruse, *Celestia, so that would mean whomever is trying to impersonate me would have had to learn the one trick I use the most on enchanted locks. So that puts us back to square one and rules out the possibility of an imposter.* With a sigh Grey watched as the light from the rune died out allowing the shadows to conceal him once again, *I hate to say it, mostly because of how improbable it is, but what if one of the other Greymane’s did it?*
Nearly bursting into laughter Xiuhtecutli taped his advocate on the head, *You think that is an option, they are all dead and you know this.*
*True but they left enough samples around the world, if even the tiniest amount was somehow preserved couldn’t somepony use necromancy?* The thought wasn’t completely impossible but the time length of the spell is what made it seem like it couldn't be, not to mention the range for the casting of the spell.
*If there’s one thing that tells me that it can’t be possible it's this, whomever the necromancer is would have to know the truth of your lineage as well as the location of the island. Both have been a well kept secret by your lineage and the demons might I add, so I think we’ve ruled that out.*
With a hum Grey leaned back against the wall as he crossed his hooves behind his head, *Not quite, all any demon needs to leak even the tiniest of information is to strike a deal and they will give up just about anything for a soul. But then that just goes back to my earlier point and how this doesn’t fit them, at least not in any way we can tell. But what if it's an artifact that somepony is using, wouldn’t that negate the worry about the range and time limit?*
*It is possible that could be it, but it still comes back to whomever it is knowing the truth about your lineage.*
With a sigh Greymane shook his head at the idea but felt it was the right thing to do, *Perhaps we should see what they now, maybe we can help them or they could help us. After all we all want answers right now*
*I can’t help but agree with you but I must stand against this decision, there’s no telling what they would ask of you. And we can’t let them know too much about your past or the history of your predecessors, there’s no telling what that much exposure into the past could do or how it could affect you.* Xiuhtecutli’s worry didn’t just come from what could happen from Grey’s dark past being brought to light, his worry came from if any living creature discovered the truth about the artifacts and their connection to the Greymanes beyond the ones that already knew.
Greymane knew full well the fear that came from his protector and also feared what the Order would do just to make him talk, closing his eyes as a frown made it's way across his face Grey worried for the safety of the ones he loved.
Sitting in the dark Grey continued to listen to Xiuhtecutli go over a few other possibilities that could be the reason for their current situation, though most of them were his own personal thoughts Greymane couldn’t help but notice somepony had been standing outside of his cell watching him. How long they had been there he didn’t know and it made him smile, the stallion had a dark blue coat and a light blue mane but that wasn’t the reason that made Greymane smile.
The fact that this was the second time he had seen this stallion is what made him smile, “It's funny, normally I’m the one doing that. Now that I’m on the receiving end of that little trick it almost seems funnier than I thought.”
Opening the cell door this visitor slipped right in and stared Greymane down as though he was going to gut him in a moments notice, slamming the cell door shut he pulled out a single sheet that seemed to be covered front to back with a bit of information.
“Greymane Thief of Legends, originally a myth only known to exist in an old book full of ponies tales. That is till one day you come out of nowhere when Canterlot is attacked by Demons from the endless depths of Tartarus.” Looking at Greymane he gave a slightly disapproving look, “You willingly awaited trial and when given a chance to be absolved of your crimes you instead commit several as you escape, assaulting the guards, escaping from imprisonment, evading local authority, I could go on but then I have to recite what you did to save us from whomever this Azathoth creature is.”
Letting out a slight hmph as he smiled Greymane looked his visitor in the eyes, “So you know quite a bit about me, shame I’m at a disadvantage and know nothing of you. But I must say I am quite impressed that you took the time to record that much about me. Did Celestia put you up to this? If she did I’m flattered but please tell her I’m not into stallions, but I think there’s a pony a few cells down who might be.” Looking to his left and right sides Grey leaned in as he placed his right hoof on his left cheek and began to whisper, ‘Fair warning though he sounds extremely desperate for attention so go slow.’
As Greymane started to chuckle at his own joke Xiuhtecutli found himself growing worried with each passing second, *I don’t think you should be joking around as you normally do, for some reason I can’t enter his mind. Something is blocking me out… something… powerful, and ancient.*
Keeping his attitude about the situation as calm as possible Greymane couldn’t help but feel he was mostly in control of what was going on, *Relax whatever it is I’m sure we can handle it, it's not like it’s an artifact that’s blocking you out.*
“I’m not in the mood for your antics or games…” Looking slightly to the left the visitor pointed towards Xiuhtecutli, “and I am quite sure whatever that thing claims to be is also quite tired of your crap as well.” Seeing the slight confusion in Grey’s face as he lowered his hoof he let out a low groan, “I cannot see whatever that thing is but I know it’s there, I’ve been keeping a very close eye on you and I know that it never leaves your side…” Rolling his eyes as he tilted his head back and forth recalling some of the reports he had, “at least not for too long. And I would appreciate that it showed itself.”
Keeping eye contact with his visitor Grey did what he could to try and act like he didn’t know what this pony was talking about while talking with Xiuhtecutli, *Okay now I’m thinking the same as you. I know Celestia and Luna know about you has any other pony seen you outside of your current form?*
*Twilight and her friends saw me when I first attacked Asmoday here in the castle, he was disguised as you and I had little time to be subtle*
*Alright then that answers that, our next question to answer is this,* Giving a stern smile as he looked his visitor in the eyes Greymane couldn’t help but want to laugh, “How did you know any of this?”
Taking his physical form Xiuhtecutli was equally baffled, “You say you could not see me yet you knew without a shadow of a doubt I was here,” Holding out his claw a green flame burst out of his palm as it seemed to drip to the floor, “I’ll give you a chance to explain yourself.”
Smiling he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a monocle, “I believe the two of you are more than well aware as to what this is?”
Staring at it Greymane could see Princess Luna talking with Celestia and Twilight though he could not hear what they said, “What makes you think I have any clue as to what that is?” He let out a nervous chuckle as he smiled worried his suspicions about the item where true, “It clearly looks like a simple monocle to me, did your great grand stallion give that to you?”
As Xiuhtecutli sighed as their visitor gave a disgruntled groan, “I know you have far more knowledge about this item than any other pony, and it is because of this reason I have yet to slit your throat. There are also several other reasons…” Pointing at Xiuhtecutli he sighed, “the first being whatever that thing is guarding you, and the other being I want answers. Though I prefer beating the answers out of you, that way I don’t have to deal with your little games while ensuring I get the truth.”
As Xiuhtecutli started to growl charred embers seemed to slip between his teeth as the strange flame in his hand started to burn brighter, “You would dare…”
Before Xiuhtecutli could make any advancements Greymane started to laugh, “You want answers go read a book, I have even less of a clue as to what that is.” Calming down his attitude seemed to become more stern, “You simply hold it out before me asking what it is, I can tell you what I see but I can’t tell you what you hold. Tell me how you came across it and I might know a little more.”
Sighing at the thought the visitor started pacing back and forth, “It’s classified…” Grumbling at how he wanted having to tell Greymane anything more was a bit of a problem for him, “for me to tell you anything I would have to kill you.”
With a mocking retort Greymane repeating ‘It’s classified’, “Spare me the overall and cut right to where and how you found it, that way you keep your secrets and I can have some clue as to what it could be.”
Scoffing as he sighed the visitor begrudgingly shared what he could, “It was a mission like any other, I was following a lead in regards to what we assumed was a group of bandits. But what I found odd about it was they were targeting ruins that were being excavated, other than that it was like any other bandit raid. They killed the researchers and the diggers, but according to the reports they kept a few of the researchers had their foals with them.”
“Let me guess they were missing among the dead?” Grey’s suspicion came from his worry upon how the Order was trying to grow.
Baffled the visitor was slightly hesitant in responding, “Ye~es…” His hesitation came from how Greymane’s guess seemed to be rather accurate as though he was there, “the only conclusion was the foals had been taken, first guess was within the ruins itself to be ransomed later but searching the place it soon became clear that was not the case.”
“What were they having a party and the whole thing a misunderstanding?” Grey didn’t like making the joke as he did, but he had hoped that the Order hadn’t been making orphans and forcing them to do their bidding as they had done to Ember.
Looking at Xiuhtecutli as he pointed at Greymane the visitor had a dumbfounded look, “Tell me I have the wrong stallion here, that this is not really Greymane.”
“No you are not wrong this is truly him.”
Slightly shaking his head the visitor went back to telling his experience, “Once I was inside the ruins looking for clues of any kind I started to feel something pulling at me, at first it felt like something was caressing my mind then it soon turned into a physical sensation on my shoulders and legs. Much like a young foal trying to get attention, the longer I ignored this feeling the stronger it became.” Looking slightly to the left of himself at the ground Grey could see that there was a bit of confusion in his eyes, “Before long I saw a young colt sitting just out of the corner of my eye, I followed him hoping to get some answers but he moved rather fast for his size.”
Knowing where this could be going Greymane didn’t like how tense things were becoming, “What did he start screaming stranger danger, or no means no?”
Before any of them knew it the visitor had punched Greymane in the face, “This isn’t the time for joking around you jackass!” Having realized what he did he looked up at Xiuhtecutli, “I thought you protect him, why didn’t you try to stop me?”
“Normally I do, but even he would agree he had that coming.” As they both looked a Grey they watched as he simply smiled and shrugged, “Best guess is that’s a yes. But in the future it would be wise that you temper both your expectations and your emotions.”
Giving a nod as he stepped back the visitor cleared his throat, “The young colt lead me to a researcher who was barely alive, in his last moments he gave me this monocle and his research notes. In the moment I had taken these things the young colt vanished without a trace. And for the longest time I went over his notes but nothing about this item was documented. Even stranger when I let others try and use it this thing either became too heavy for them to lift, or it caused them to go blind.”
“Sounds like they would make great ponies to play hide-n-seek with.” As he started to laugh through his teeth the visitor groaned as his nostrils flared, “Joking aside it doesn’t tell me much,” Though he lied Greymane felt that if he was left in the dark about the artifacts he wouldn’t be too inclined to search for them, “So what if you got something and you have a somewhat unsolved mystery, the answers are in front of you just open your eyes.”
Though his eyes never lost sight of the visitor Xiuhtecutli raised a single eyebrow as he used telepathy to speak with Greymane, *I’m not sure what game you’re trying to play here but I suggest you stop it.*
*What I thought you wanted answers, besides he’s right where I want him…* Though he was full of confidence Greymane knew he was facing somepony that could watch his every move, *I think.*
“What do you mean you think!” Looking back and forth between his advocate and the visitor Xiuhtecutli soon realized he had spoken with his mouth and not his mind.
“If you have something to say between the two of you then it can be shared with me as well.” Raising an eyebrow the visitor could only ponder as to what they were talking about, “Or do the two of you have an issue with trusting others, because from what I’ve been informed…” pointing at Greymane he smiled out of one side of his face, “he’s told Princess Luna a little bit about a few trinkets called artifacts.”
Letting out a nervous chuckle Grey simply slid along the side of the wall till he was lying on his side, “I may have let slip my tongue about such things, but please excuse me as I take a wee nap. After all I do wish to be well rested when I speak with the two sisters.”
As Greymane pulled his hood over his eyes the visitor stomped his hoof cracking the stone beneath it, “You know what the artifacts are and if what you told Princess Luna is true then it is our duty to deal with them!”
Though he was angry the visitor saw no change in Greymane as he lied there giving a sad sigh, “And just how do you intend to do that?” Lying there Grey let out a hmph when he got no response, “You want to contend with something you have no clue about, you think you can just take on items that have the power to control you before you can take notice of it. And yet you don’t know how you would go about doing it.” As the visitor started to grunt and grind his teeth Greymane smiled, “Word to the wise, let the grown ups who know what they are doing deal with this kiddo. And hey if you pay close enough attention maybe I’ll come ask for your help.”
Letting out a tisk as he drew breath in through his teeth the visitor closed his eyes as he gave an angry smile, “Sooner or later you will talk, and when you do I will have all the information I want from you.”
As the visitor left he heard Greymane call out to him, “When that day comes, perhaps I will have come to call you friend.”
Stopping for a moment he looked back into the cell, “One last thing, when I was using the monocle to keep an eye on you about two weeks ago it split its view. When it did I saw two of you one contending with an over zealous zebra, and the other coming out of the ground at an unknown location as though they had been buried alive. Any thoughts to this?”
Laying there in silence for a few moments to think it over Greymane let out a disgusted growl, “Not a damn one.” Though he was lying Grey hated to think one of his predecessors had been brought back through necromancy and it angered him to no end, “Be careful out there, a young stallion like you has a lot going for them. And I would hate to see or hear that something happened to you.”
Scoffing at the thought the visitor left the dungeon undetected by the guards or Princess Luna as she walked down the steps to see Greymane, slipping past them he was greeted by Celestia who was waiting for him alone at the top of the stairs.
“What have you learned of him, can he be trusted as my sister says?”
Looking back down the stairs he gave a faint smile, “He’s over confident, foolish, arrogant, but from what I saw him doing through the monocle was much different. He was cunning, clever, careful, and cares much for life even if he’s never known the life he’s trying to save.” Shaking his head as to get the thought of praising him out of his mind he soon looked up at Celestia, “Over all I will require more time watching his movements to determine if he can be trusted, till then I suggest that he is treated as a threat of the greatest level. And that goes double for that creature that stays close to him.”
Nodding to him Celestia allowed the visitor to pass, “I wish to believe my sister and trust in him as she does, but it is that creature I can’t place my hoof on.” Sighing as the visitor walked away from her Celestia turned to face him, “Chambers I would like for you to stick around here in the castle, I know not what they will do but I would like to have you here should they try something.”
Walking down the stairs Celestia soon saw her guards pointing their spears in fear of Xiuhtecutli, though as she looked at the angle of the spears she felt that aiming at what could arguably be his hips would do nothing. Before saying anything she recalled the first time he appeared and how he explained his appearance was a spell, and it made him look like what would be easiest for their minds to accept.
So her guards thought they were aiming at either his neck or head relative to a pony, “And where may I ask is my sister?” Celestia didn’t have to ask but found it broke the very thin ice between them without a fight breaking out among them.
Giving a disapproving growl as he scoffed Xiuhtecutli pointed around the corner, “They wished for a moment to speak alone till you arrived.” Making eye contact with Celestia Xiuhtecutli gave a sinister smile, “Why, do you have a problem with them talking?”
Waving to her guards as she smiled they raised their spears back into the air, “Not so long as you do, after all I only wish to see my sister happy. And if he makes her happy then who am I to stand between them?”
Slithering down the hall he let out a humph as he held his fists behind his back, “Happiness is where you find it we both know this.” Sighing as he slowly moved back to Greymane’s cell Xiuhtecutli soon stopped, “I fear that very soon neither of them will know this happiness for much longer, so if I were you I would find a means of making her happy on your own without the aid of my advocate.”
Xiuhtecutli’s thought on the matter stemmed from the fact and knowledge that Luna very well may out live him, how and why he didn’t know but knew that it was inevitable. His only wish was that by then the two of them no longer required each other, but feared that the longer they were allowed to remain in contact with one another the more they would want to rely on each other. Though this is what he saw, thought, and believed Celestia however saw something more and wished to see where it could go and what it could do, her only worry came from Xiuhtecutli trying to stand in the way but didn’t want to test anything beyond what she knew about him.
During the meeting at the battle against Asmoday she saw how even the demonic gods were willing to stand aside at his very command, Celestia had always kept a mutual level of understanding with the lords of Tartaros but not once had she ever had any kind of contact with their gods. In their presence she felt worried, calm, and conflicted about trusting them all at once, but what caused her to worry even more about them was she could not feel their magical prowess. It almost seemed as though they didn’t have any skill in magic yet at the same time commanded great levels of it as though it was nothing to them, and if they did as Xiuhtecutli requested or demanded then what did that make him and why was he with Greymane?
As they came close to the cell Celestia saw that the door was open and could hear her sister, “Grey I know you didn’t do it but I don’t know how to tell Celestia without her finding out about your diary.” Nearly freezing in place Celestia started moving a little slower, “You gave it to me out of trust but I don’t know what to do, it can prove you didn’t steal the Elements of Harmony but…”
Signaling for her guards to stop Celestia watched as Xiuhtecutli vanished from sight and left no trace as to where he could have gone, “Luna you needn’t worry about anything, I promised to find a way out of this and I will find it.” Waiting next to an empty cell Celestia could hear the level of worry Greymane had in his voice, “Even if Celestia finds fault in me I will do what I can to keep you from falling along side me, if either of us has to take blame for anything it will be me. Besides I don’t think Celestia would do anything towards you after finally having you back…” Listening closely for any change of tone in his voice Celestia was shocked with what came next, “isn’t that right Celestia?”
Walking into view Celestia smiled, “I take it your friend told you I was here?”
Looking around his cell Grey simply shrugged, “I haven’t seen him since I asked for a moment to speak with Luna. I simply heard you coming.” Pointing behind her Greymane smiled, “But perhaps he would tell us where he went.”
Tossing Greymane an apple Xiuhtecutli slightly groaned, “I figured you were hungry so I went to your home and got you a little something.” Shrugging his shoulders he looked at Celestia, “Did I miss something?”
Hiding her nervous expression rather well Celestia slowly walked into the cell, “How long did you know I was there?”
Leaning against the wall Greymane figured it would be best to let her be as honest as she felt, “Not sure, how much did you hear?”
Before Xiuhtecutli could try to read Celestia’s thoughts Greymane telepathically requested him to hold off on that action, “I find it honorable that you are trying to keep my sister safe even if you are not allied with our nation.”
Smiling at what she assumed of him Greymane looked at Luna before he made eye contact with Celestia, “If you are questioning my loyalty I can put that to rest, my loyalty is to the world and it's preservation.” Letting out a sigh Greymane knew Celestia was withholding how much she truly heard but didn’t give too much care about it, “Though not in the way most would think, but both you and Luna know what I am not only willing to but more than definitely will do to keep this world safe.” Looking over towards Luna he gave a nervous smile as she gave him a worried yet confused look causing him to slightly stutter, “A-a-after I’ve exhausted all other options first.”
Having watched the whole situation Xiuhtecutli took notice that Celestia was picking up on the fact that Luna had the greatest control over him though she didn’t quite yet know it, “If I may... I do believe we have some business to discuss. Other wise if there is nothing but a means to hold us here I suggest letting us go.”
Clearing her throat as a means to call Luna to her side Celestia took a far more regal stance, “My sister has informed me that you wish to speak with just the two of us, as intriguing as I find this offer I think you might find the one we have come to present slightly better.”
As Xiuhtecutli began to let out a low growl under his breath Celestia nodded to Luna, “Celestia and I believe it would be best for you to hear the description given of the pony who stole the Elements of Harmony, furthermore Twilight and her friends have come up from Ponyville to speak on your behalf as character witnesses. Also our niece Princess Cadence and her husband the Captain of the Guard Shining Armor wish to bare witness to this trial.”
Cocking an eyebrow Greymane looked toward Xiuhtecutli with a slightly pondering look in his eyes, *Well that’s something I hadn’t expected, hearing the description from the guards and not a report given?*
*They could be trying to force a reaction out of you to see if you did have something to do with this, or if you might know something they don’t. But the question is what?*
As the moment of silence among them started to drag out Celestia and Luna simply looked back and forth between the two unsure of what was going on, “You’re right Celestia, but only because this peaks my interest on the matter. But I have to ask, do the guards not give you a written report?”
Tapping her hoof one of the guards came walking over with a file open and a document being pulled out and given to her, “They do, yet something about it seemed rather odd to me and my sister. The report simply says you stole the Elements but they give no in depth description, just the basics of them. Dark grey cloak and coat, light grey mane and tail, nothing more nothing less.”
“Yes quite curious indeed.” Xiuhtecutli pondered over the information, “Tell me, do these documents go through some kind of chain of command before coming to either of you?”
Though Xiuhtecutli wanted to catch Celestia in a circled argument to force her to speak the truth Luna was the one to speak first, “Not quite, all reports are given to Shining Armor at the end of the day and he gives them to us whenever it is possible and at the earliest moment possible.”
Wanting to nit pick at their words Xiuhtecutli soon found himself being stopped as Greymane stood up, “Very well then I’ll accept your terms on one condition…” Looking at Celestia Grey smiled as he walked up towards her causing the guard to worry what he had planned, “no other guards are to be involved beyond the ones who gave the report, and once they have given their in depth description they are to leave as well.”
Though Luna was more than willing to agree with these terms Celestia however worried why he set the condition as he did, “And for what reason do you have for making such a request?”
With a smile and a tilt of his head Greymane simply slipped out of his shackles and past the two sisters, “Call it a hunch Celestia, just a simple hunch.”
Reluctantly agreeing to his request Celestia and Luna began to discuss amongst themselves why as well as to what his hunch was, Xiuhtecutli however knew it all to well if one of the guards were members to the Order they would give away the false fact that Greymane has the Elements of Harmony. Or worse they would try to take him somewhere and try to force any kind of information out of him. As Celestia and Luna started to leave Celestia commanded the guards to bring Greymane along with them, once their focus was on Greymane Xiuhtecutli took his astral form believing the less that knew of him the better.
As they left the dungeon Greymane could feel the fear the guards had through the unsteady hold they had on the new set of shackles and chains they placed him in, he more than understood the reason behind their fear but wished that he could put it to rest.
Walking the halls Greymane could not only see but feel that the eyes of nearly every pony they passed were on him, neither he nor Xiuhtecutli needed to bother with questioning their thoughts they had a very good idea as to what they all thought. Some had started to question if it was really him whom had done it, among the guards their thoughts were split amongst several groups. Some thought his recent actions in saving them and even going so far as to sacrifice himself as a means to gain trust so he could slip in later, others were questioning themselves as to why they started to trust and have faith in him when all he was and ever will be is some damn thief. Among the last of them many wanted to spit upon him as he walked passed them and others wanted to take advantage of the fact he was in chains and beat him dear death, but they withheld themselves and restrained their actions knowing the repercussions that could come to them from Celestia for attacking a prisoner in the hold of the two sisters.
Though none could see Xiuhtecutli in his astral form many could feel his presence and mistaken it for Greymane’s, this only set many more on edge causing them to think the worst. As they walked Celestia took notice of her sister’s increased worry and the slight appearance of mental anguish that she tried to keep from showing on her face, Celestia didn’t have to read Luna’s mind nor the guards just the look on their faces was enough.
It pained Celestia to see her sister in this state of being and wished for a means to relieve her of it, *Perhaps if you were far more straightforward with us and simply had your sister ask for his help neither of you would be like this, and you wouldn’t be looking for a way to alleviate Luna’s anguish.* Celestia didn’t have to ask who it was she more than knew, the same heavy feeling on her mind and the anger she felt from it clearly told her it was Xiuhtecutli.
Keeping her current pace alongside Luna Celestia did what she could to hide her struggle in holding the conversation, *You once warned me to stay out of your mind, do you not respect the privacy of others or are you just that full of yourself?*
*I wasn’t invading your privacy young foal, you reached out to me. I simply answered the call.* Before she could question and correct him Xiuhtecutli began to explain, *It is quite clear to me you know of telepathy and how to use it properly, but that is where your skill and mastery comes to an end. Because you seek an answer to solve an issue you have created out of a lack of trust and faith, you unknowingly opened your mind for any and all whom are willing to answer the call.*
Trying to hide a smile as she walked Celestia couldn’t help but find the situation kind of funny, it was like she was a filly again being taught by the best magi around. But where she stopped finding it funny was when she took notice that she was basically being insulted by a serpent that was afraid of being seen.
Nearly letting out a snicker Celestia thought it would help break the tension between the four of them if she teased Xiuhtecutli, *So then care to teach me how to conceal my mind like a serpent hides in a phantom like state?*
Not taking to her playful filly charms Xiuhtecutli snarled catching the attention of the guards around them causing Greymane to stop and rub his throat, “Sorry…” Having added a slight wheeze as he spoke acting though something was caught in his windpipe, “might we stop for a moment so I may get a bit of water?”
Taking his interruptions as a more than welcomed sign Celestia nodded to the guards, “Find the closest butler or maid and have them fetch some water as soon as possible.” As two of the guards took off running Celestia called out to them, “Have them bring it to the throne room.”
Though her last act was unbecoming of a Princess she felt it was fine considering Greymane had kept the issue from escalating any further, keeping her mind calm Celestia tried to think of a way to thank him for his actions only to become baffled as she heard his thoughts.
*You needn’t thank me, it’s what I do even if fish bait over here has a temper.*
Looking back at him she saw him innocently looking around acting as if he didn’t do anything, before anypony took notice of her sudden interest in him Celestia turned her head back round only catching a slight wink from Greymane. His subtle way of saying ‘don’t worry about it’, looking at her sister from the side of her eye Celestia saw a faint smile coming across her face as she bit her lower lip.
It didn’t take much for her to realize that the two of them were holding a conversation of their own, but as to when they created this mental link she couldn’t figure out let alone how Greymane was able to hold a full conversation and one short one at the same time. Celestia had heard of powerful telepaths that could converse with seven or more at once but only if they all held the same conversation, and if they all shared the same mental link.
What Greymane had done baffled her to no end and as they neared the throne room she asked for a moment with him in private, “How did you do that?” Giving her a confused look Greymane shrugged his shoulders as he asked what she meant, “I saw that you and Luna were holding a telepathic conversation, and yet you were able to talk with me at the same time how did you do it?”
Smiling as he started to walk into the throne room Greymane looked at Luna before looking back at Celestia, “I fractured my mind for a short moment, it’s easy for anypony to do so long as they have first experienced some kind of trauma.” Before Celestia could ask what kind of trauma he experienced Grey simply sighed, “I however spent years training my mind to achieve such a skill, just in case I need to hold more than one private conversation at the same time.”
Though he lied to Celestia in some small way he told the truth, as they walked in they were soon followed by a maid who had brought several pitchers of water and enough glasses for everypony in the throne room. Taking precautions the guards placed weights on his shackles in the hopes it would slow him down, having placed the pitchers of water and the glasses near the princesses and everypony else the young maid tried to rush out of the room and away from Greymane.
As the young mare tried to leave Luna cleared her throat to get her attention, “It would be rude to just let us have a drink, though he is on trial even the accused deserves to have a means of quenching their thirst.” Luna hated having to call Greymane ‘accused’ and having to state that he was on trial, but she did what she could to hide this emotion from everypony in the room.
Giving a nod the young mare levitated a single glass and pitcher of water and brought them over to Greymane, setting them before him all could see that her magical hold on both items was waning as her fear of him took hold. Once she had set them down she almost jumped and shrieked as Grey thanked her, as the maid and guards started to leave Celestia requested that the guards send for the two who had given the report that claimed Greymane had stolen the Elements of Harmony.
The guards nodded to her as they trotted off to retrieve the two in question as fast as possible, sitting there in an awkward silence everypony couldn’t help but want to say something but was unsure of what to say or if they should say anything.
Letting out a sigh Twilight felt she would have to be the first to speak only for Greymane to perk up first, “Nice weather we are having this morning, is there anything new going on around here or with anypony?” Though his question was a simple one they were shocked to the point of giggling with what came out of his mouth next, “Well besides me sitting here in chains for the second time in a row.”
Before anypony could respond to his joking nature the doors flew open as two guards struggled to make their way in, looking at them everypony could see they were badly injured. Casts on their legs, bandages wrapped snug around their chest, and even a few bandages on their heads. As they walked past Greymane they stared at him in contempt, hate filled their minds as they gave a low growl towards Grey as they past him.
Holding onto one another as a means to keep standing they nodded towards the two sisters and their niece Princess Cadence and their Captain Shining Armor, “I know the two of you are in pain and should be resting, but there are a few inconsistencies in your report.” Though Shining Armor spoke with a great level of authority in his voice Greymane smiled at how he still sounded like a few bits were missing from his coin purse, “If the two of you can give in detail the pony you saw stealing the Elements of Harmony a week ago.”
Unable to turn their heads they chose to turn their bodies till Greymane was on one side and everypony else was on the other, “Forgive my rudeness sir but neither of us think that is necessary…” Struggling to raise his hoof the stallion pointed towards Greymane, “after all you have the culprit bound in chains before you.”
Though they were stern in their belief Greymane could see a twinge of confusion in the eyes of the guards, “You say it was me, yet even the two of you are unsure of your words.”
*This would be easier to read their minds you know*
*Yes that’s very true…* Giving a smile Greymane couldn’t help but want to have a bit of fun with the guards even if it was just head games, *but where is the fun in all that?* Walking closer to the guards Grey saw how they slightly twitched with each inch he closed, “Tell me, am I exactly who you saw? Because I can guarantee that if I had done it, neither of you would have seen me.” Stopping a few feet from them Grey smiled as he chuckled to the thought of having to play devil’s advocate, “And none of you would know the Elements of Harmony are gone. It’s a terrible thing that has happened but whomever has done the act did a sloppy job of it.”
As he started to have his fun Greymane felt a clawing at the back of his mind causing him to look at Luna, and there standing on both sides of her and sitting on her back three horrifyingly disfigured fillies.
Trying to keep his little game up Grey tried to ignore what he saw, ‘Aww come now, we just want to help you. We know where to find our siblings and the dangers surrounding them, won’t you take our aid?’ As Grey’s speech started to sound nervous the three fillies appeared before Greymane surrounding the guards, ‘Oh but that’s right now isn’t it? You don’t trust us, you’re afraid of us and of yourself. That’s why you are playing this game, because you don’t want to lose that which you think makes you who you are, trust and love from those around you and let’s be fair and honest with ourselves here. Trust and love mean nothing in the face of oblivion.’
Trying to keep his composer as well as keep up with his playful nature became difficult with the artifacts coming at him as they had, “If you please give a more in depth description of the pony you saw that night.” Though his tone had gone back to being serious Grey did what he could to play off the strain the artifacts had on his mind.
A few of them in the room took notice that Grey’s breathing became slightly heavier and was unsteady, “Why? Are you afraid that we will expose you and that will be the end of your so called freedom?” The guards were not the only ponies to take notice of this slight change in Greymane Luna had also noticed it and feared what it could mean, “It's as we said you where the pony that stole the Elements of Harmony every detail would have been pointless.”
Trying to save him whatever punishment could come from being found guilty Luna tried to hide her nervous tone even from her sister, “If the two of you would please humor his request, after all even my sister and myself wish to hear what you saw as well.”
“Yes please do, the inconsistency brought on by the lack of description in your report even has me captivated in a small level of doubt.” Celestia didn’t mind that Luna was trying to save Grey, but she worried that if the guards picked up on this it would be only a matter of time before somepony demanded she be put on trial.
As the two guards thought back to that night they started with the obvious his coat, mane, tail, and cloak but it wasn’t till they focused on even greater details they left out their eyes slightly widened, “Did you somehow change the shape and size of your body?” As all eyes came to the guards they moved a little closer to Greymane, “That night you’re figure was completely like a mare.”
Staring at his face the other guard took hold of his face, “And your eyes, they were the deepest shade of emerald I had ever seen. Not this strange hazel you have now.”
Looking at Celestia Greymane gave a slight smile, “I do believe we have all heard what we wanted.”
Nodding Celestia told the guards they were free to leave and get the rest they needed, “One last thing…” Stopping before they left the older stallion struggled to look back with a bewildered look in his uncovered eye, “when you spoke to us you even sounded like a mare, but that’s not the interesting part. The interesting part is what provokes my question…” Turning around to face them Greymane feared what this pony in question had said, “why did you ask us to destroy you, and how did you vanish in the faint shadow of a pillar?”
Uncertain as to how to answer that Greymane simply turned back around as he let out a slight groan, *Damn it, that description sounded like…* As he thought about it a little more Xiuhtecutli asked whom he guessed it was, *Shadow Walker, but that can’t be right she’s been dead for far too long. And if memory serves right she was the 3rd Greymane, so there’s no way it could have been her. Unless…*
Grey didn’t have to finish that train of thought Xiuhtecutli knew what he was thinking and it worried him, ‘Oh you wish it was that sibling of ours, even we wish it was that one simply for nostalgia reasons.’ Scoffing as they seemed to drift across the room they acted as though they were going to target the others starting with Fluttershy, ‘Sadly that sibling has been lost even to us, there isn’t a single artifact in all the world that knows where she is. But just think she could still be hidden or she could be dormant in the possession of some poor fool who could raise an unstoppable army. Oh what fun it is, and how entertaining it will be when she awakens.’
Closing his eyes Grey did what he could to block out the artifacts as they started to laugh, once the door slammed shut Greymane opened his eyes and saw they were gone. Letting out a sigh of relief Grey knew that his reprieve from them is only short lived and they would come back to torment him as they felt, but for now they did offer him a bit of help without any strings attached or at least none he could tell. Looking Luna in the eyes he moaned at what he had to do to keep the secret of his predecessors, and he worried if this was going to have repercussions on her.
“Celestia, Luna…” Giving a false look of shame Grey slowly started to look at the floor as he rubbed his own leg, “everypony. I…” Closing his eyes he never thought that he would have to do what he was currently doing to keep his lineage a secret from them especially Luna for her safety, “plead guilty to the theft of the Elements of harmony.”
And in all his many years Xiuhtecutli never once thought that anything like this could ever happen, it made him worry what could come from it knowing that his advocate was now in a corner he couldn't fight or talk his way out of.
It had been an hour since his confession and in that time he and Xiuhtecutli were waiting in the grand hall in silence with several guards staring at him, on all sides everypony was uneasy they knew he could slip out of his shackles yet he didn’t bother trying. To make matters worse word was slowly spreading on how he took the blame with little resistance, but what was odd about it was he took it after hearing the description given by the guards that said it wasn’t him so they asked themselves why?
As he sat there he tried to plan out the best option he could even if it meant striking a deal with Celestia one that he wouldn’t like, *Despite what they chose to do to you I will get you out of here.*
*No that wouldn't be the wisest course of action,* Standing up to look out the nearest window Grey could hear the slightest twitch from the guards in their armor as they inched towards him unsure of what he would do, *if I simply leave even with your help who’s to stop them from turning against and blaming Luna and every other pony in there for my escape?* Looking at the guards that surrounded him while keeping their distance Grey sighed, *Call me a love struck fool if you must but I won’t let anything come back on them, for now we have to play this one by ear and step lightly.*
As Xiuhtecutli continued to argue against him saying that the best course of action is to leave when they least expect it Greymane chose to have a quick look at the guards in the hall, in total there couldn’t have been more than twenty scattered about down both ends of the hall. Though many were in groups of two simply patrolling the halls there was a single group of three that caught his attention, walking over to a vase with a wonderful bouquet of flowers in it Grey kept an eye on the three ponies out of the corner of his eye. What kept his focus on them was not them being the only group of three on either end of the hall but how they just stood in one single location talking, each time they looked over they gave a disgusted look and in their eyes he could see the intent to kill.
He wanted to brush their hated looks aside but the longer he kept his eye on them the more he felt there was something to them, something he didn’t quite understand that made him all the more certain he must take the fall and remain locked up till he could find another way out. In the final moment before the doors to the throne room could creak open Grey saw their cutie marks nearly faded from sight only to return in the same second, closing his eyes he knew that once they had their chance they would come for him but not a moment sooner or later and he knew he had to be alone for when the time came.
As one door creaked open Greymane was called in by Shining Armor, “We have had time to think about it, but we will still give you a chance to defend yourself.”
As he walked in he scoffed, “Defend myself? Why would I do that, I’ve already given myself unto all of you. My fate is now within your mercy.” Looking at Luna he could see the sorrow within her eyes causing him to let out a growling hmm under his breath, “Count yourself lucky, you are among a rare few who can say they have the power to end my life.”
Entering the room the doors were slammed shut and locked behind them, as they strolled Xiuhtecutli began to take his physical form. At first he started off simple like a faint shadow being cast on a sundial, with each of Greymane’s steps his appearance became thicker and started to have it's own shape. Once Greymane had stopped and was before everypony Xiuhtecutli had finished his transformation leaving several of them slightly worried how long he had been there, standing behind his advocate Xiuhtecutli looked at all of them as though he was superior in comparison to all of them.
Though his sudden appearance in the room startled many of them all but one of them had a slight stench of fear that radiated off of them, “You do not fear me Princess of the Night, tell me how is this so?”
“Because he won’t let you harm me or anyone else in Equestria…” As Xiuhtecutli looked at Greymane he could pick up a twinge of doubt in her voice, “w-we both know this to be true.”
Letting out a grunting laugh he turned his attention back to the small group that sat before him and his advocate, “You think it is because of him?”
As he started to chuckle he began to speak Greymane demanded he withhold himself, ‘Xiuhtecutli mo mante imanet teno oum alsia adjiset’ Though he whispered this threat his words rang loudly in Xiuhtecutli’s ears as though Grey’s voice was as loud as the thunder if not louder.
Though Greymane held no power over Xiuhtecutli it was his vow to keep the lineage of the Greymanes safe is what held him in place, both he and the current Greymane knew that even the slightest knowledge in even the smallest amount was enough to open the floodgates of destruction... if it was in the possession of the wrong creature.
Looking back at his advocate he gave a stern glare, “He is not what holds me back, it is a vow I made to him countless years ago. His safety is what does it, I know he will throw himself in between me and all of you. My race has always upheld bargains, vows, and deals they have made regardless of how long it takes or how many generations it may span.”
This did little to put their nerves or fears to rest in fact it did quite the opposite, trying to move past it Celestia cleared her throat as she addressed the matter that had them all there in the first place.
“Greymane going over the evidence presented before us and having heard the testimony given by the guards my sister and I, as well as everypony in this room are quite baffled that you plead guilty when you are clearly innocent.” Sighing at how it confused her to see somepony take the blame that clearly was not their own Celestia lightly shook her head, “Can you please clarify to all of us why you choose this course of action?”
With a smile and a faint hmph Greymane looked at all of them knowing what he had to do, “Who else could it have been? If I am not mistaken it was in a vault that was locked by magic, and by all means a very powerful spell that only you could have undone yourself. Am I right Celestia?”
As everypony looked towards Celestia Luna covered her lips as she realized what Grey was up to, “Well yes that is true but what does that have to do with…”
Stopping for a moment as she gasped Grey took the moment to step in, “Well then the pony in question was either taught how to dispel your lock or you opened it for them yourself.” As Shining Armor stood up he stomped his hoof on the ground in an attempt to defend Celestia, “However, we all know this is not the case. So that leaves only one other possibility, I did it. I’m the only pony in all the world who knows how to get past magic locks without knowing the right spell.”
Having heard this they could all see a nervous smile on his face, “If none of you believe any of this perhaps a demonstration is in order, wouldn’t you agree Celestia?” Slithering across the floor to the wall Xiuhtecutli leaned against it with a smile, “I’ll even sit over here to prove he can do it on his own.”
Pointing towards the double doors Greymane asked Celestia to seal them with the same spell she had placed on the vault, and if it were possible for her to have twice the strength so he could have a proper challenge.
“Now hold on there partner,” Applejack spoke up as she walked towards him, “now I know ya’ll done some unexplainable things. Shoot back when ya’ll was helping around the farm you did some rather impressive stuff, but your talking about opening a door locked by magic. How can you even do that when you can’t cast magic yourself?”
Giving a smile he tried to tell Applejack that being as old as he was meant he knew a trick or two only for Pinkie Pie to somehow pop her head out of his mouth, “OH I bet it’s some kind of secret or dark forbidden magic that’s been lost to the ages…” Popping up all over the place making random guesses she left Xiuhtecutli in a state of confusion pondering if the artifacts were truly the most dangerous things in the world, “nonononono wait don’t tell me I’ve got this. You have a skeleton key don’t you?”
With a wave of his hand Pinkie had been teleported and was now being levitated by Xiuhtecutli who started to examine her, “I had often feared what true destruction and chaos would look like should they take the same living form…” Gently setting her down next to Twilight he began rubbing the side of his head, “if that is what we have to look forward to then I fear the worst. Don’t let that pink thing have anything that might excite it too much.”
As they started to ask Pinkie if she was alright they simply watched her start hopping up and down, “Do it again, do it again, that felt funny. It was like I was the wind but then again I wasn’t, or perhaps I was dust drifting in the air. I don’t know what it was but it was fun!”
With a baffled look on his face Xiuhtecutli pointed at Pinkie Pie as he stared at Greymane who was laughing with everyone in the room, “Applejack I can open magic locks and I will prove it,” Looking towards Celestia who was barely calming down Grey waved at her to get a little attention, “Celestia if you would?”
Though Celestia agreed with Applejack she couldn’t help but humor him, as her horn began to glow they could all hear the mechanisms in the locks turning and in one subtle flash the door was left with a sparkling gold aura binding it shut. They watched as Greymane walked up to the door and placed his hoof upon it to feel out the magically swathed doors, with Celestia being the only one in the room with the know how to open the door she worried that Xiuhtecutli would be the one to open them. Keeping an eye on the strange enigma of a creature Celestia as well as the room was left astonished to see Greymane dispel her magic and open the door.
Turning around as he shut the door once more his head hung low and they could see there was no pride within him for the accomplishment, “You see now what I can do, it was me who did it because there are no limits that I cannot break.” Clenching his teeth it brought him pain to know he risked far more in these actions than what he could save, “I stole the Elements of Harmony.”
“You couldn’t have done it because you were in Unyasi at the time of the theft.” Having blurted out what she knew all eyes were now on Luna who was now covering her mouth with both hooves, “W-w-what I-I-I meant to say was…”
Knowing she had been caught knowing more than she let on Greymane tried to save Luna in the only way he knew how, “And you believed that letter? I sent it because I was aware that if you knew I was here in Canterlot you would try to seek me out, I kept you out of my actions for your safety!” Pulling out a small vial out of his sack they watched as he drank the strange thick substance and watched him change appearance like a changeling, “I have this potion that allows me to do this, it is not impossible for me to conceal my appearance like the changelings do. I will admit I got sloppy and careless.”
Looking at him they could see that the transformation took a lot out of him and what appeared to them the potion also seemed to hurt him, his appearance was exactly as the guards described but the one thing that didn’t change was the tone of his voice. Everything about it screamed stallion and it was enough for them to know he was still trying to take the blame for something he didn’t do, but it made no sense to them why he was so adamant about it showing off everything he could do.
With a heavy sigh Celestia stood up, “I thank you for trying to protect my sister, but there is just as much evidence that tells us it wasn’t you regardless of what you show us. But I would like to ask for your help to recover the Elements, I will send some guards to carefully inspect the vault to see if there is something that we may have missed or overlooked the last time they were there.”
Knowing he would soon be forced to expose more than he knew Grey’s voice became heavy and trembled, “That would take too long, and it would increase the likelihood that somepony would learn the Elements are missing. And how much longer till the city falls into chaos?”
“If you have a better idea we would be more than happy to hear it.” Shining Armor bellowed with his sister asking him to calm down, his response was if Greymane was going to criticise the thought of doing what they could then he should have something to back it up.
With a growling hmm Greymane looked over to Xiuhtecutli, “Wothage hothagavothage tothago othagusothage thothage Mothagirrothagor othagof thothage Vothagaothagil.”
Keeping his face pointed at his advocate Xiuhtecutli looked towards the group of ponies then back to Grey, “Thothagey mothagay nothagot lothaget yothagou gothago alothagone.”
With a disgruntled hmm Grey looked towards Luna knowing that if they sent somepony he would want it to be her, “Othagor othagat othagall…” Thinking for a moment he soon came up with a thought they might agree to, “othaga trothagadothage, Lothgaunothaga cothagan tothagakothage mothagy plothagacothage othagand othagi stothagay hothagerothage. Yothagou cothagan gothago wothagith hothager othagand kothageothagep hothager sothagafothage.”
Slamming his fist cracking the wall behind himself Xiuhtecutli nearly jolted forward, “ARE YOU INSANE!?”
Looking around the room Xiuhtecutli soon became aware he wasn’t speaking the same language Greymane was, “Care to share with the rest of us what the two of you were discussing?” Looking at Celestia they could see that everypony was confused as to what they were saying let alone what language they spoke, even Twilight had started to try writing down what they said using her magic to create glowing letters.
While Twilight rummaged around the throne room for a quill and scroll Xiuhtecutli cleared his throat and reluctantly leaned against the wall once again, “If he tells you he tells you, I will not speak of such a ludicrous idea.”
With a nervous chuckle Grey rubbed the back of his neck, “Well…” Clearing his throat Grey knew that what he was proposing could every well lead to the end of his life, “there is a place far to the North by Northwest past the peninsula at Zherbenok bay about a week’s travel by hoof there is an island that will have something that can help point us in the right direction.”
Looking at him they could see there was a level of uncertainty upon his face that came from telling them about this place, sending Twilight for a map of that area Celestia looked to her sister whom was starting to show signs of trying to withdraw from the issue. As Twilight left the room Celestia said that any pony who wished could take a moment to leave the room and relax till Twilight returned from the library.
Though many left Celestia, Luna, Greymane, and Xiuhtecutli where the only ones who stayed behind. Greymane took the moment to walk over and look out the window and see the setting sun, he knew that Luna would have to raise the moon soon and if there was anything they wished to say to one another now was the best time.
Trying to walk over to him Luna was stopped by Celestia, “Dear sister what do you know of this island in question?” Looking away from Celestia Luna simply said she had no idea, “Please don’t lie to me, I know he confides in you and has much trust in you. Surely he has said something about it to you at one point, you need not worry I’ve been paying close attention to everything thus far. I will not undermine his attempts to protect you, but I want to help both of you as best I can so please tell me what do you know of this place.”
Looking past Celestia Luna saw Greymane looking at the sky awaiting the night that would show it’s vast mystery that they both loved, as her eyes closed her ears lowered and with them the Princess of the Night whispered to Grey a plea for forgiveness.
“I don’t know what importance this place holds, but what I do know is he believes this place holds the power to end his very life with little to no effort.” Thanks to the diary Luna had often seen his memories where he traveled to the island but how he got there and it's exact location was left out, but she did see was the bay he mentioned before his memories skipped right to him sitting in an archive full of knowledge with him going over in depth studies.
In one memory she saw him racking his brain over several codes and deciphers to help him find things that were far more hidden within each word, what these codes and deciphers where she didn’t know nor did she know what he discovered. Luna was careful to keep this bit of information to herself not out of fear of what Celestia would do, but because she cared for Grey in the same way he cared for her.
As she slipped past her sister Celestia began to ponder if such a place existed why would Greymane mention it had the means to point them towards the Elements, watching her sister Celestia saw how the two of them came close for just a simple conversation and began to worry what this venture could do.
Trying to find an answer as she poured herself a drink she noticed that Xiuhtecutli was staring at her with his arms crossed, “Trouble Celestia, I wouldn’t doubt it.” Crossing his arms behind his back he slithered out of the room, *I don’t condone it but if you wish for the same happiness for your sister that I wish for my advocate then leave the room.*
Though Celestia wished to stay and see how Greymane made her sister happy even she couldn’t help but feel it was best to leave, as he walked out she looked back to see how her sister sat so close to him yet neither of them moved any closer.
*It's how it should be Celestia, this is the closest they can and ever will get. In time they will have to let each other go.*
Having a quick look around the grand hall Celestia saw that Xiuhtecutli had vanished once again, *I don’t believe that it has to be like that, if they want to be together then who are we to stop them?*
*If you knew what awaited them then perhaps you would not have this delusion. Even he knows that he will have to let her go and love whomever she chooses, his fate was sealed long ago and cannot be changed. Not by me, not by you, not by your sister, your student or her friends, just accept it already just as he and I have already.*
Leaning against the frame of the door Celestia watched as Grey started to caress Luna’s back before she could take off to raise the moon, *I’m not so sure about that, I have a strong feeling that he may wish for something more in the hopes it may come.* Letting out a proud hmph Celestia smiled, *I won’t stop them, if it comes to it and if they want it I will help. It is as you say I want my sister to be happy.*
Giving a scoff like chuckle Xiuhtecutli looked down upon Celestia from the chandelier where he was coiled up, *Is it truly because you wish for your sister to be happy? Or is it because you intend to abuse what little of his power you have seen?* As Celestia's ears twitched Xiuhtecutli continued to poke away at her, *It is true what Luna has told you, this place holds the very same power he does and it can be used against him. I would say be thankful that he gives such trust to all of you right now, but I am unsure as to your true intent.*
Several hours later Twilight returned with several stacks of books, some notes, and one map, giving the map to Celestia Twilight continued to drive herself crazy trying to figure out the language Grey and Xiuhtecutli were speaking earlier. Sadly she had no references or leads to tell her where to look let alone what part of the world it came from or when it was spoken, as they tried to pick up from where they started they noticed that Greymane looked slightly feverish and could barely stand.
In the very moment he collapsed with heavy breathing and slight convulsions Xiuhtecutli place a barrier around him to keep everypony from trying to help him, “The only thing any of you can do for him is to let what’s going on run it's course.” Though Twilight and her friends kept trying to find a way to break the barrier Celestia pleaded with Xiuhtecutli, “Look at your sister, she worries just the same but sits there as calm as the ocean on a perfect day. Can you tell me why?”
Looking toward Luna Celestia wanted to ask the same question only to see a burst of green light to the left of herself, turning towards its direction Celestia saw the same thing as everypony else Greymane turned back into a stallion. As he rose to his hooves they could see he appeared as weak as somepony that just finished a fifteen round bout, from head to tail he was covered in sweat but his breathing was steadily returning to normal.
Releasing his advocate from the barrier Grey simply held out the small vial he drank from, “It’s what happens when the potion comes to an end.” Struggling to lean against the window in the hopes of feeling the gentle breeze of the night air Grey chuckled a little, “I rarely use it unless I have no choice, and though it is quite effective the potion lasts only a few hours and has its drawbacks.”
Walking back to the throne Celestia looked at the map only to see there was no such island, bringing the matter up to Twilight and Luna both were uncertain about it.
“I looked over every map we have going back over a thousand years, but not one shown there was an island.” Asking if her current research had anything to do with it Twilight gave a nervous chuckle, “Sorry Princess but no, I’ve been trying to figure out the language they spoke so next time I can translate it.”
“It wouldn’t matter Twilight Sparkle.” With those words both mares looked at Luna as she shook her head, “I know he won’t mind me saying this so I shall, even if you managed to figure it out they will just use a different one.” Looking at Greymane just past Twilight’s head Luna could see he was sitting there with his eyes close and a faint smile on his face, there as an even fainter breeze that went mostly unnoticed save for what Greymane could feel brushing against his head.
As he sat there they could hear him humming something what it was they didn’t know, “Oh what a lovely tune, where did you hear it?” Fluttershy inquired as the tips of her wings fluttered in anticipation.
“I’m not sure, it's the oldest dream I have.” Turning himself to look out at the night sky Grey had a confused yet happy look on his face, “All I can remember from it is that it’s always dark, cold, and I’m afraid for what reason I don’t know. But when I start to cry I hear it comforting me, I’ve even tried to open my eyes to see who’s singing it but I wake up when I do.”
Though they could only assume whom it is that he’s trying to see Xiuhtecutli cleared his throat as he slithered across the floor and stopped half way between Celestia and his advocate, “I do believe we should get right down to business, I for one do not like this at all but he has chosen to put his faith in all of you.” Watching him pace back and forth they worried where he was going with this, “However, he and I are agreed in one thing.” Pointing towards Luna he gave a stern look, “Princess Luna he wishes to let you go to the island, and knowing how your sister will fear your safety I wish to put those fears to rest. Celestia you needn’t worry as Greymane and myself will be accompanying your sister.”
Standing up Celestia looked him in the eyes knowing full well she might not stand a chance against him but she wasn’t taking a chance with Xiuhtecutli, Greymane maybe with an accompaniment of the guards with Twilight and her friends but not Xiuhtecutli.
“If I can send a few guards alongside the three of you then perhaps should my sister agree.” Celestia held her ground but a tiny bead of sweat was starting to form on her brow.
“I don’t trust you or your guards…” Crossing his arms Xiuhtecutli started tapping his finger as he thought of the alternative, “I might find some means to tolerate the violet mare you speak of and possibly one or two of her friends but that’s it.”
Stomping her hoof down Celestia jumped from her place near her throne and glided till she stood before the serpent staring him square in the eyes, “If my sister agrees to go with him then you stay here and they are accompanied by Twilight her friends and four guards two of my personal and two of hers!”
As the two of them continued to go back and forth negotiating who would go and who would stay Shining Armor couldn’t help but step in, “Forgive my intrusion Princess but we have a bigger issue, even if the two of you agreed to something we don’t even know where anypony could be going.”
As they looked at Xiuhtecutli he simply scoffed as he grumbled how Greymane said plenty about where they were heading. Every pony else however believed there was far more to it, but asking Luna wouldn’t do any good as all she knew about the location was a building made completely out of obsidian and an archive of secrets known only to Grey and Xiuhtecutli. As the three of them continued to go back and forth over who was going and where they may be going Luna walked over to Grey to check on him, though he seemed to be resting his face shown faint signs he was having a nightmare.
Looking around the room Luna could see all the attention was on the verbal conflict that continued between her sister Celestia, Xiuhtecutli, and Shining Armor. Touching his head with her horn she tried to see into his nightmare in the hopes to see what was going on.
‘I’m afraid I can’t let you do that Princess of the Night’ Opening her eyes Luna looked around only to learn nopony knew what she was up to so she attempted again, ‘I said I can’t let you, so please stop trying.’ Looking around once more she began to question whom in the room it could be that was doing this but when she couldn’t figure who it was she tried one last time, ‘Princess I know you want to help but his secrets are his own to keep, and his burdens his own to bare.’ Opening her eyes she saw a young colt no older than six or seven sitting next to Greymane his appearance identical to Grey in exactly every detail, ‘You will tire out and fracture your mind long before you even make a sixteenth of a fraction into the power I posses, and I wish not to harm the mare who owns his heart.’
Trying to keep her eyes on the young colt she watched as the little guy simply smiled and waved at her.
Turning around Luna pointed at the young colt as she grabbed Twilight’s attention, “Where did that young colt come from?”
“What young colt Princess?” The lavender mare inquired looking to where Luna was pointing.
“Why the one sitting next… to…” Looking back she saw the young colt was gone yet for some reason she could feel his presence for a short time, “he was right there.”
Trying to figure out where the colt went or how he even got in without catching the attention of the guards made Luna question if Greymane had a young pupil he was training to one day take his place, sitting next to Grey she quickly dismissed the thought of him having a student as he had often said he would never train anypony to take his place. She knew that Grey was adamant about it as it was stated in his diary that his current life was a dark and unforgiving path that condemns all who walk it to death, and he would never do that to anypony else… not even if they begged him.
As Luna sat next to him she could hear him grunting and groaning as the expression on his face seemed to get worse and start to show, ‘Can’t they come to an agreement quietly? Or at least let me go back to the dungeon?’ Luna heard him whisper causing her to slightly giggle behind her hoof.
As the argument continued to grow further and further out of control Celestia and Shining Armor demanded that Xiuhtecutli simply calm down and take what they suggested to be the best idea, “The best idea offered by infants?” He scoffed, “You must think I’m far more chaotic than that draconequus Discord to do that. I don’t listen to brats!”
As he snarled Celestia’s nostrils flared and Shining began to channel magic to his horn, they stood there for several minutes in silence staring each other down with tensions growing with each passing second.
Tip toeing her way around Princess Cadence made her way over to Luna and Greymane, “Luna please tell me there’s something any of us can do.”
Before she could speak she found herself slightly blushing having felt Grey now leaning on her, “Umm…” She was slightly nervous knowing he didn’t do this intentionally, “there is one thing but…”
Before anypony could do anything Grey slowly opened his eyes knowing what he had to do only to find he was sitting in a puddle of blood causing him to jump away from Luna in fear, as he looked around the room he could see everything was in ruins and he could hear the most sinister of laughing. As his eyes slowly came across every pony he saw they were all brutally beaten to death causing his breathing to become heavy and sporadic, in his heart he knew what he saw was not real but his eyes, mind, and body could not tell the difference.
The last pony he saw was Luna and hers was worst of all, ‘This is your future and you know it, there is no changing it, no escaping it, you will kill all of them!’
Curling up he began to cower in fear muttering in several different languages that he would never do it, he even started to beg for forgiveness from all of them for something that hadn’t happen yet. His sudden outburst soon caught the attention of everypony in the room as Luna walked up towards him, but in his eyes all he saw was a horrid disfigured blood stained mare that was once Luna trying to reach out to him.
As she reached closer to him Grey began to constantly repeat a single statement over and over again in the same language, “Mo o ne djala deno bet mina dat eto!” Each time he repeated this statement the more terrified he became that it was soon clear to them he was chanting a mantra, if any pony could claim to have seen him at his weakest this was clearly it he was like a newborn cowering and crying for its mother during the worst storm it would ever know.
Stopping her movement Luna set her hoof down and looked towards Xiuhtecutli, “What is he saying?” Clutching his fist Xiuhtecutli groaned as he inquired why she asked, “If anyone in this room knows what he is saying it’s you…” Stomping her hoof down Luna nearly cried as she begged, “please tell me so I can know how to help him.”
Giving a disgruntled sigh Xiuhtecutli knew what was causing him to be like this but with held what he could, “If I tell you what he is saying you must first set aside your delusion of being able to help him, I say this because there isn’t a single creature alive or dead that can help him.” Luna refused to believe such a thing saying that she had to at least try something causing Xiuhtecutli to scoff, “Believe what you will Princess but you will learn soon enough. What he is saying is, ‘I am not what you claim me to be.’ Say what you will but trust me nothing can help him beyond what he isn’t willing to do for himself, and I think he has nearly given up hope on the matter. His only wish now is to just to make it to the end.”
As Luna and Xiuhtecutli went back and forth over the matter Grey continued chanting as the artifacts continued to torment him, ‘It’s funny don’t you think, you say this isn’t who you are but deep down you know it’s true. Each day you spend trying to prove us wrong is one step closer to returning to this, in time you will fall and return to us there is no doubt this is the outcome just accept it. Quit fighting and just give in.’
As they started to laugh his sight returned to normal and all around him was as it was, the room was whole Twilight and her friends were alive and unharmed, and the same could partly be said about Celestia and Shining Armor who had spent the past half hour arguing with Xiuhtecutli. Looking around he tried to figure out what was going on as he heard the argument between Luna and Xiuhtecutli, it didn’t take long for Cadence to join in saying that attempting something was better than doing nothing.
Struggling to his hooves Grey cleared his throat to grab their attention, “Though it is unwise to aid somepony when you know nothing of what is happening, it is always best to offer a helping hoof when and where you can. That being said I would like to extend mine by asking what is the problem?”
Nearly everypony in the room wanted to ask him about what just happened, Xiuhtecutli however did what he could to keep them from finding out about Grey's dark secret knowing that it should be left hidden in the darkest corners of time to rot.
“Just a simple discussion about who goes on this venture and who doesn’t, you wouldn’t believe some of the childish ideas they had.” Both Grey and Xiuhtecutli knew that this conversation was just a distraction and nothing more, its purpose would only drift away from their questions for so long before they began trying to poke away at what caused Greymane to act the way he did.
Giving a faint hmph as he walked Luna asked if he was alright only for him to smile, “I have an end all solution to this, but you won’t like it in the least.” Looking back and forth Grey saw that everypony was intrigued as to what he was planning Xiuhtecutli however groaned, “Luna will go with Twilight and her friends plus one other of her choice, all of them will be escorted by Xiuhtecutli who shall protect them as though they were me.”
Giving a nervous grin Celestia couldn’t help but walk towards her sister and place her hoof around her, “And what of you, where will you be during all of this?”
Before Luna or anyone could say anything Grey smiled, “I’ll stay here in your dungeon as a means of collateral, I will be at your mercy which will keep Xiuhtecutli bound to the deal of protecting them all the more.”
Extending his claw towards Celestia they all watched as a small flame began to burn above it and start encircling, “I don't like the sound of it, however, it's the best plan I’ve heard so far. What say you Celestia do we have a deal?” Celestia hesitated in reaching out asking what guarantee they all had from the serpent causing him to scoff and grow angry, “I don’t know how many deals you’ve made but when it comes to my race my word is as good as my life, should I fail to uphold my end of the bargain for whatever reason my life is yours to command.” Reaching out to take his claw everypony watched as the flame circled faster and faster till it vanished in a bright light, “The bond between Leviathan and Alicorn has been made, it shall be known that till your sister and her group return I shall protect them as though they were my advocate."
As the light vanished Celestia felt a slight burning sensation on the bottom of her hoof, looking at it she watched as the emblem known as the leviathan’s cross appeared on her hoof. Looking back at Xiuhtecutli she saw him holding out his palm towards her to show he had an emblem at that seemed to be burned in as well, he explained that so long as their deal was in place they would both old the markings of each others house upon them. Once the deal was considered complete by both parties the emblems would vanish leaving no trace.
After everypony came to an agreement and Celestia felt safe knowing that Xiuhtecutli would be kept in some level of check, having sent for her pupil Luna whispered to Greymane that he would proud of the pony she has selected to take under her tutorship.
It didn’t take very long for Luna’s pupil to show up but when she did the young mare was ecstatic to have gotten a summons from the Princess of the Night, so much so she came rushing in apologizing for being late when no time for arrival had been set. Being calmed down by her mentor, Luna welcomed her with a smile.
“Selune it is great that you could join us on such short notice, I do hope this wasn’t intruding on anything you were working on.”
Shaking her head with a smile Selune took a few steps back and summon forth a pair of swords that she took with both hooves, “I was simply perfecting my combat technique should I ever have need of it…” Blushing as she put the swords away Selune rubbed the back of her neck, “I was also brushing up on a few illusion spells so I could better adapt them as needed.”
Though Luna wanted to complement her student for making headway into her studies Xiuhtecutli scoffed at what he claimed to be infant's play, “Of all the ponies I was worried you would pick and you chose one who’s still learning, I feared for nothing she’s hardly even worth a second in the day.”
Wanting to snap back at the stallion she saw Selune was interrupted by Greymane who simply chuckled at what he heard, “Pay him no mind, any living thing that hasn’t proven itself to him isn’t considered to be worth anything. But that’s what you get when dealing with a serpent whose better off at the end of a hook, trust me he makes for excellent fish bait.”
Looking in the direction the voice came from Selune realized that in her excitement she spast Greymane who was still recovering from the side effects of the potion, “You’re him… the stallion that vanished the day of the trial.” Pulling her swords back out Selune carefully approached Grey, “I’ve done a lot of research into you, sure there’s not much to go on but one thing stood out.” Once the tip of her sword was near Greymanes neck Selune stopped and casted a spell for true sight, “It is said that you can best an alicorn, but those stories are old and magic has advanced over the years.”
Running his hoof the length of the blade Grey simply smiled as he tapped the broad side a few times, “I take it you wish to try your hoof at how true it could be?”
Selune nearly dropped her swords and her spell as she squealed in nervous excitement, “Can I please!? I mean anypony can give a challenge but to face a living legend who went hoof to hoof with an archdemon.”
Looking at Luna Grey smiled, “Well I don’t know Luna has spoken rather highly of you, but if she says it's alright then one round wouldn’t hurt.” Grey hopped Luna wouldn’t say yes, in his current condition he couldn’t guarantee that he could give her a good enough challenge or that he could hold back enough to not harm her.
“Try not to destroy the room please.” Luna had great faith in both of them but couldn’t help but want to give her young student a chance to learn.
As Selune and Grey squared off everypony sat next to the throne as Xiuhtecutli stood behind Greymane, *She’s currently casting a spell of some kind, if you like I could read her thoughts to find out what it is and how it works.*
*No that won’t be necessary, besides I want to see what a thousand years of magical studies has produced and adapt to it.* Grey smiled at the thought to learn alongside the young black and white mare who stood before him, looking at her stance Grey felt she was a sword dancer of some kind and used her white stripes as a slight illusion.
Shrugging his shoulders Xiuhtecutli slithered away calling Grey a fool for not taking advantage of his help, as he left Selune could see a slight change from his original appearance only moments ago. To her he was a pony close to Grey’s appearance save for a scar over his right eye. Through her spell of true sight Selune could see he still looked like a pony, but instead of a coat she saw scales and his eyes seemed to be brighter than the sun.
As he spoke embers seemed to fly out of his mouth as though his breath burned the very air, unsure of what to make of what she saw Selune turned her attention back to the stallion that she challenged.
Pointing her blades at Grey she watched as he simply sat down and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, “Are you not going to take a defensive posture?”
Watching him closely through her spell Selune watched as what appeared to be ghostly figures sprout out of him as he slowly exhaled, “I already have.” Though his eyes remained closed Selune didn’t know what to make of the ghostly figures that now began to stare at her, “When ever you are ready.”
Slowly moving around him Selune question what she was seeing if she was truly seeing this, if what could be said of him was true then it was a trick of some kind, ‘No that can’t be right if that was so then why isn’t my spell seeing through it, or could it simply be just that, is it all him and how he seems to protect himself but how does he do it?’ She inquired to herself.
Keeping her eyes on him she watched as the ghostly heads stopped focusing on her and started looking around the room as though something caught each of their individual attentions, taking that as her cue Selune charged in and at the moment she felt was right she jumped into the air. As her swords came down one of the heads looked up and in that one instant they all vanished from her sight, as her swords landed on the ground she saw Grey standing on his back hooves perfectly aligned between the two blades. Bringing them up in a crossing slash she watched as Grey allowed himself to fall back and roll towards the door till he was standing on all four hooves.
Tapping his chin as he looked at Selune Grey tried to pin down her sword style only to feel like she was making it up as she went.
In a way he found she was simply trying to feel out the fight before trying anything just as he was, his only real question was who would figure it out first her or him? Realizing that being on the offense wasn’t working Selune quickly switched to defense, with the blunt end of one sword running across the back of her neck the other ran the length of her leg showing a reflection of Greymane upon it. Taking notice of her sudden change in the fight Grey smiled as he let out a hmph and took a few steps towards her, once he came close enough to her Grey dove towards her and placed his front hooves on the broad side of her sword, knowing she was trying to read him Grey did what he could to remain unpredictable.
Grey bounced off the sword as Selune swung the other while spinning around. Stopping her movement with one sword pointed at the door behind her, and the other facing everypony else. As she looked around she saw no sign of him in front of herself nor to the sides.
Quickly trying to turn around and face him she only saw Grey balancing upside down on one hoof at the tip of her sword, “Hello there.” He smiled and waved with his other front hoof.
Through her spell Selune could see a strange kind of magic enveloping him from what she assumed to be his cloak or something in it, as she stared at him she tried to piece together how he just did what he was doing knowing she had kept a rather close eye on him and his movements.
“Hi?” Selune responded as she gave a nervous chuckle and a smile.
Feeling it was time to take the foal gloves off Selune allowed the sword he was balancing on fall to the ground as she brought the other around, as her second sword neared him Selune watched as he used her sword swing as a means to guide himself around her attack and land on the floor untouched. Attempting to strike him with each swing of her swords Selune watched as he just rolled on the floor like a puppy or kitten playing with it's owner.
As the fight started to near the end Grey stopped rolling around and laid on his back, “Has anypony complimented you on your maroon mane? If not it’s a shame, it really brings out the lovely color in your eyes.”
“Seriously? Are you flirting during a sparring match?” She laughed as she continued to try and find an opening in his defense only to watch him find some way to slip away like a snake.
“Not flirting, complimenting there’s a difference.” He replied as he slipped between her swords before finding away behind her, “Besides somepony already has my heart.” As the two of them stood there Selune could barely feel his hoof pointing at the back of her neck telling her there was nothing more either of them could do, “Luna was right you are good, a tad rough around the edges here and there but nothing a little practice can’t help with.”
Releasing her swords Selune smiled, “I don’t really know what to say.” Selune knew she was good but to hear praise from a legend like Greymane was a different kind of feeling, she knew Luna often spoke of how good she was but to have a thief complement her was odd even if it was good.
“Tell me what sword technique do you use?”
Rubbing the back of her head Selune blushed as she chuckled under her breath, “I don’t…” Hearing a baffled hum from Grey she looked up to make eye contact with him, “What I mean to say is I never learned how to wield a sword, I just read up on how minotaurs use their arms and hands and adapted my own skills from there.” Looking on she could see one last ghostly head protruding out the back of Grey’s head near where it connected to his neck, in its eyes she saw sorrow mixed with guilt but upon its face she saw self loathing as though it wished to die.
Before she could ask Selune found her spell being shattered as though it was nothing, having taken notice of where the break was coming from she looked towards everypony else only to see a slight shine from the strange stallion with the scar.
Wanting to question both stallions Selune found her focus being brought back to Greymane, “When you return, and if you would like I can teach you a dance step or two that would complement who you are as a pony and your swords.”
Almost wanting to ask why she needed to learn how to dance Selune tapped herself on the head as she slightly stuck out her tongue, she had often heard of sword dancers from around the world but finding a master to learn from was not easy as they tend to keep to themselves. Many masters often refused foreigners believing the art and tradition would be lost to them or worse, bastardised in some way that shamed the art itself. In a way Selune felt proud to know she would learn something from Grey, but almost questioned why he would teach her anything that could put her on par with him.
‘Perhaps even he wants a perfect challenge sometimes.’ Selune thought as she went back to join her mentor, who was smiling at how much Selune had grown over the recent years.
Catching up to Grey, Selune held out her hoof as she called out to him thanking Grey for a chance to test herself.
With a smile Grey turned around to shake her hoof, “You’re more than welcome, and you show much promise.”
In the moment Selune felt Grey’s hoof the world around them vanished before her eyes, in no time at all Selune saw the very darkness she feared as it seemed to reach out for them with a bony hand. As it attempted to consume them Selune watched as it clashed with Grey as though he was it's only target, as quickly as it came the darkness was gone but she saw Grey nearly beaten to death. He was down on his knees holding his head, though he appeared to be crying blood while laughing at the same time.
One eye was completely covered in blood leaving no sign of the iris or pupil, in the other Selune could see it was slowly filling with blood. In what remained of the eye she could see fear, worry, sorrow, and even a faint trace of a failing attempt to fight whatever was causing this change. But what caused her the most worry was what little of the darkness that stuck around, on his neck she saw a faint black mist that was slowly turning into a blade ready to slit his throat or take his head at just the right moment.
Looking at the mist Selune saw that it trailed off somewhere behind Grey, following the faint trail she soon saw a pocket watch and could hear the gears inside turning as it began to open. As the watch slowly opened Selune could see a bright light blinding her as she heard the sounds of a bell, once the light was gone she could see everything was back the way it was.
Her only worry was that in Grey’s eyes she could tell he knew she saw something, but upon his face she read one thing, ‘I don’t want to know.’ It was faint but it was there clear as day to her.
Seluen wanted to talk with Grey about what she saw hoping to give him some kind of warning only to be stopped, “If there’s anything you need for this trip get it know, I’ll give all of you plenty of time to prepare.” Biting her lower lip as she turned around she found Xiuhtecutli standing behind her, *I’ve seen that expression thousands of times so I will tell you only once, keep it to yourself!*
A few hours had past before Xiuhtecutli got annoyed of waiting in the throne room for the other to return, Celestia had left to raise the sun as always but Selune, Twilight and her friends left to go out to the city to gather a few things. Taking his astral form he rushed off to try and find everypony and bring them back, in his haste he past by Celestia and Selune returning to the throne room. Though Selune was still ecstatic to have been chosen for this little trip she soon found herself being held back by Celestia, looking up at her Selune noticed a warm loving smile upon her face as she looked around the door frame.
Peeking around as well she saw Greymane and Luna by themselves, in no time at all Twilight and the others showed up as well with all they thought they needed. With the same curiosity as the two mares before them they all peeked into the room.
“Grey…” Luna hesitated unsure if he was willing to talk about anything, “thank you for trusting me with this.”
Placing his hoof on her cheek Grey couldn’t help but look deep into her eyes, “If there was anypony in all the world I can trust without a shadow of a doubt it’s you Luna.” Bringing himself closer the two of them started to nuzzle each others noses as their hearts started to race, “Just promise me that whatever you all discover out there that you keep it to yourselves, save for what we need to…”
Watching from around the door frame everypony watched in anticipation, everything couldn’t be more perfect by Rarity’s definition, save for the lack of a beach or any other romantic location she could list. Behind them was the gorgeous sun rise that added to everything, the candles from the night before nearly dying out around them. And no pony would dare enter the room to stop it, even Celestia waited to see hoping for them to finish.
As their lips drew closer they were soon interrupted by Xiuhtecutli clearing his voice as he returned to his physical form, “I do believe everypony is ready to go.” Snapping his fingers everypony besides Celestia began to levitate and were brought into the room, “As you can see they are all packed and ready to go, how about you Princess?”
Looking back behind himself Celestia tried to conceal the blush on her face, “Well surely we have a little time for some tea don’t you think? That’s what all of us were waiting for, isn’t that right girls?”
They all muttered in embarrassed agreement while Applejack remained silent on the matter, both her and Xiuhtecutli knew the truth but kept quiet. Applejack because she didn’t want to lie and Xiuhtecutli because he felt if they wanted to tell the truth they would have.
Though their faces remained close for a time both Grey and Luna were slightly hesitant on separating, “I should…”
“...Yes of course.” Grey whispered as he gently let go of Luna.
As everypony gathered together around Xiuhtecutli they questioned how they were going to travel there only to hear him groan as his eyes slightly shined, “Faint winds can’t even call it a breeze, a slight overcast could be a small storm coming in.” As they tried to figure out what he was doing Xiuhtecutli focused on the clouds near the peninsula in Zherbenok bay, “Keep yourselves calm and your minds clear, do not think of anything.”
As his eyes started to shine brighter and brighter the cackling of magical energies began to collect around them, as it continued to build everypony tried to remain calm and trust in their guide. Nearing its apex they were soon surrounded by a ring of lighting that slowly closed in on them.
Drawing closer and closer to them each one of them began to worry… that is till Pinkie Pie blurted out, “What if we think about cake?”
With a bolt of lighting they vanished with the only thing Celestia and Greymane heard coming from Xiuhtecutli, “Wait… what?”
In the instant they were gone Celestia looked over to Grey and thought about how close he and her sister came, “So…” Grey spoke as he cleared his throat hoping Celestia wouldn’t talk about what she saw, “is it about time I was returned to the dungeon?”
“Are you sure? You’ve been absolved of the crime, you can take one of the rooms here in the castle as a guest if you like.” Celestia was baffled and wanted to know why he chose the dungeon, sure that was the agreed upon deal but she felt he deserved better.
Holding up his hooves Grey sighed, “No a deal is a deal, and I honor my word.”
Giving a faint smile Celestia turned and started walking towards the hall, “If that is what you wish, but I’ll just escort you down there.”
As they walked Grey kept his eye on the guards hoping to figure out who among them had betrayed their Princesses, or worse who among them were never loyal to begin with. The walk to the dungeon was awkward at best between the two of them in Celestia’s point of view, for Greymane however he didn’t notice it as he was focused on trying to find the proverbial foxes in the hen house. Just before they got to the stairs leading to the rather dark and cold dungeons Grey saw the same group of stallions from before talking to a maid and butler, what they were talking about he didn’t know and that worried him.
His only real hope that gave his mind some ease was he could be their only target for the time being, and that being said Grey new everything had to play right into his hoof. And sadly that meant his cell could be his execution chamber regardless of how things played out, should things end up like that Grey planed out a way to keep Celestia out of the way. Snatching a quill and bit of parchment, as they went down the stairs Grey took a moment to scribble something down.
Folding up the note he whispered, ‘Dindoska soun’sossian hany minai.’
Stopping for a moment at the foot of the staircase Celestia looked around and saw that the guards were in a middle of a rotation, “I know you have feelings for my sister, so tell me why do you not act on them? Is it because he tells you not to?”
“Look at me Celestia, I am a world renowned legend, a thief the world wants dead. You are right I do love Luna but to keep all of you safe I must do what I can, so no it is not because Xiuhtecutli tells me not to indulge in how I feel. It is because of those very feelings that I can’t act upon them…” Walking past Celestia he sighed, “should my enemies or the world know that you, your sister, or any close to you are sided with me. There is no telling what could happen. Believe me if there was a way I would have found it by now, I want Luna to be happy but I won’t jeopardize her’s or anypony’s safety.”
Though she didn’t like his answer Celestia was willing to accept it, “It is far more difficult to seek out what we wish for the most when we have to put others before ourselves, I hope for the best for both of you and whatever will come of it.” Walking into his cell Grey turned around and held out the note for Celestia, “What is this for?”
“Something is going to happen very soon Celestia, something that nopony can stop or alter. One thing I can guarantee is that it will be contained down here but I must ask for something in exchange.” As she took the note Celestia tried to open it only to find she could not, “No matter what you cannot take action, just let it happen otherwise it stands a chance to escalate.” Reluctantly accepting his request Celestia asked about the note and its significance, “Xiuhtecutli will not like what is going to happen, but that will keep him from acting out. Keep it hidden until you need it the most.”
Nodding her head Celestia tucked it under her necklace as she left, before long Celestia was out of earshot of the dungeon.
Once she was gone Chambers stepped out the shadows from the opposing cell, “What was that warning about, was it some kind of threat?”
Putting himself back in chains Grey smiled as he looked up at his strange visitor, “No it wasn’t a threat, I’m just trying to fish for information using myself as bait. I’m not sure who you are but I ask the same of you, whatever happens please don’t try to stop it or get involved.”
“All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: Freedom, Justice, Honor, Duty, Mercy, Hope.” - Winston Churchill
The storm clouds over the Zherbenok bay slowly grew darker with each passing minute warning the locals that a storm was coming, though the winds remained calm and still the locals were accustomed to the worst coming their way. As the clouds swirled high in the sky the locals remained unaware to the strikes of lightning on the nearby cliff, with each strike making contact with the earth everypony that Xiuhtecutli had teleported soon found themselves at the bay.
Though it took them a moment to start regaining feeling in their bodies they all felt dizzy, shambling around they tried to focus themselves but being teleported in the way they had been left them with a strange feeling.
Stumbling around Applejack was the first to slowly regain her senses, “Oh nelly, I hope we never have to travel like that again.”
Groaning as they all rose to their hooves they agreed, “Is there any real reason for traveling like that?” Rarity inquired hoping there was a rational and reasonable explanation, “Princess how are you feeling darling?”
“We shall be fine, a tad dizzy but fine.” She faintly claimed as Selune helped her up, “Thank you for your aid.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Selune replied as she looked around, “I see that nearly all of us are accounted for.” Recalling how their guide had appeared out of nowhere back in the throne room, Selune tried to cast her spell for true sight but found she could not call forth the magical energies to do so.
Worried she informed Luna who in return tried to cast a small levitation spell on a nearby pebble, Twilight and Rarity attempted a spell or two as well but all found they had the same problem.
They soon found that they were not the only ones to have some kind of trouble as Rainbow Dash shouted, “My wings I can’t move them!”
Looking at Rainbow and Fluttershy they saw their wings were either stuck pointed to the ground or to the sky, Luna’s seemed to be in their normal resting position but she too found it rather difficult to move them.
Applejack was not without her own set of problems either as she found most of her strength seemed to have been stripped from her as she bucked a nearby tree, “Darn, not even a lousy leaf.”
Though they were angry about being limited they mostly worried that they could be stuck where they were, “Alright everypony let’s just calm down, I’m sure Xiuhtecutli will know what’s going on.” Trying to keep them calm Luna was uncertain if even he had the answer to their predicament.
As they looked around they noticed that not only could they not find Xiuhtecutli but they also lost track of Pinkie, hoping she had landed somewhere near by Applejack started searching in the forest.
“Do you think he just dropped us off here knowing we couldn’t make our way back any faster than just walking?” Rainbow accused as she looked off the edge of the cliff thinking Pinkie could be dangling below.
Having the same thought Luna shook her head knowing she could trust Greymane and his decision, “I don’t think he would have, he said it to my sister that his word is as good as his life. And Grey had the utmost faith that he would not simply abandon us.”
“But if that is true then where is he right now?” Selune inquired wanting to have the same faith that Luna had, but even still pondered if the creature in question could be trusted.
Hearing a muffled angered voice startled them for a moment, “To answer your question I am currently contemplating the whole of the universe with your hoof on my face.”
Looking down Selune soon saw Xiuhtecutli and took a step back as she gave a nervous chuckle, “Oh sorry.” As they all gathered around him Selune asked the new question at the forefront of their minds, “What happened to you?” To their sight all that could be seen of him was his face and the rest under the crust of the earth.
Letting out a disgruntled sigh they could see on his face how displeased he was, “Ask the pink one.”
As many of them started to giggle Twilight couldn’t help but ask, “You thought of ca-”
“I thought of cake, yes.” Xiuhtecutli interrupted as he took his astral form to slip out of the ground, “Speaking of the pink one where is that monstrosity at now?”
“We can’t find her, also what’s up?” Rainbow brashly charged him in an attempt to pin him to the ground.
As she dove at him they watched as his body acted like a shadow and she went through him, “It’s an after effect of the spell, your bodies are not used to literally becoming a force of nature. It happens to everyone their first time, the more you travel like that the more your body adapts to it.” Thinking back to what she saw in Grey’s diary Luna asked if he was used to such forms of travel, “Not completely, he’s use to fire, earth, and wind. Water and lightning are only two of a few he is not used to, and yes even he went through such problems as his strength being absent for a time.” As he looked out to the ocean Xiuhtecutli guessed at what could have happened to Pinkie Pie, “I am sorry for the pink one, but because her mind was not clear any number of things could have happened. She could be at the bottom of the ocean, scattered to the winds, there is no telling what could have gone wrong. I shall give you all a momen-” Before he could finish a bolt of lightning struck him dead center of his gut causing him to fall over, “I’ve found… the pink one!” He struggled to exclaim.
As countless more bolts struck around them they were able to catch faint traces of Pinkie as if she were hopping around, “EveryponythisissoamazingIfeeltinglyalloverandittickles!” Before long the bolts of lightning started to turn from white in color to pink with each strike, “Didanyofyoufeelthisamazing!?” she squealed in excitement with a laugh.
Continuing to pounce around causing lightning to strike with each little move she soon found herself held in place by a spell.
Struggling to move towards her Xiuhtecutli’s hand was extended, “Out of the countless and endless possibilities that could have happen…” He growled as he stared at Pinkie, “you somehow bonded with the spell!?”
Looking at their friend they could see Pinkie was barely stable and with each little giggle she became even more so, “I take it there is a way to reverse this?” Twilight hoped worried what could happen.
“Under normal circumstances it is best to just leave her be, eventually the spell wears off and she returns to normal. But as we are short on time and I doubt she will sit still long enough for that option, and yes there is a way to remove the spell which is why I stopped her movements.”
Carefully moving in Xiuhtecutli’s eyes started to glow as he reached for Pinkie with his left, once he took hold of her head they watched as she slowly became solid and stable. As the spell was removed from Pinkie they watched as it was transferred to Xiuhtecutli, in the very instant Xiuhtecutli took on Pinkie’s affliction he thrusted his right hand into the air and a pink bolt of lightning shot into the sky.
Letting go of Pinkie as he fell Xiuhtecutli began breathing heavily from exhaustion as Pinkie stumbled around, “I feel dizzy…” She trailed off before falling over.
Lying on the ground Xiuhtecutli looked up at the sky as he grumbled, “He’s doing this to test me, yes that’s it he’s trying my patients right now. It makes complete sense, why else would I have to put up with such a problem with this issue. I’m far too old to put with this, and it's not like…” Letting out a disgruntled sigh he crawled to the edge of the cliff and looked out to the ocean, “that pain in the ass. He’s doing this to force me into his way of thinking, this new age way. I’m a Leviathan not some new born alicorn.” Standing up he looked as his claws and could see that even now he almost hadn’t aged, “I’ve been alive for countless ages had to even come close to committing genocide for the sake of this world…”
As he trailed off talking to himself he was unaware that Luna caught a little bit but didn’t want to worry anypony else, “What was that about genocide?” She kept her voice low as a means to try and keep the conversation between the two of them.
“It’s long before your time, and nothing for you to contend with.” Turning around he looked at all of them but soon looked down at Luna, “What does concern you and all of them is the long walk to our destination.” Holding his hand out he pointed out towards the ocean with nearly no real destination in sight.
“By walk you mean take a luxurious cruise don’t you?” Rarity's optimism was sadly greeted by a glare, “I guess not, so then which boat will we be taking to our unknown location darling?” Having realized her last few words, Rarity quickly recalled some of her romance mystery and some thriller novels that included those very words. ‘Unknown location’ and they were never portrayed well.
Rolling his eyes Xiuhtecutli came to the conclusion that they had yet to realize he was being literal when he said walk, “No boat or ship of any kind we walk from here.”
Feeling her wings slowly coming down to her side Rainbow Dash boasted, “Well some of us will have to walk but I can fly all the way there.”
“Yes, and then you get lost in dense fog or possibly the maelstrom that awaits us out there.” Looking at Twilight he saw that she was trying to use magic but was still struggling, “And if we could teleport there I would have done just that, but the island is sealed off and impossible to enter save for one option.” Looking Luna in the eyes he brought his face close to her as a means to tell them without truly saying it, “And that is to walk.”
Summoning forth her swords Selune tried to slash away at Xiuhtecutli as a means to get between them, “Is there any reason as to why you narrowed your focus, and singled out my mentor like she’s a threat?”
With a laugh he snapped his fingers and caused the blades to shatter, “Why indeed I wonder, perhaps she knows why.” His vague responses were slowly angering their small group and he knew it, “Tell me Princess of the Night why is you were the first he named, why does he trust you so much, and why most of all are you here? If he, as you say, loves you then would he not take the best choice to keep you as safe as possible where you have the most power? You’ve been inside his mind far more than any living thing so tell me what do you know?”
As the others tried to step in and keep Xiuhtecutli from pressuring Luna like he was, Luna couldn’t help but think about his questions. He was right Grey did choose her first, and though he said she would be fine if there was even the smallest hint of danger Grey wouldn’t let her be near it. In fact he would be there to deal with it, as she thought about it she closed her eyes hoping she could figure out the answer to it all.
Luna hoped that in some small way Grey had left a clue for her, or at the least she could recall something from his diary. Opening her eyes she saw Grey standing at the edge of the cliff just looking out at the ocean, walking up to him she she could feel the cool crisp night air and see a clear star filled sky. As Grey looked up at the moon slowly setting before him, Luna could hear him faintly whisper her name as he smiled.
As she watched his mouth she soon muttered the same words he did as he looked back out to the ocean, ‘Iftah ya simsim?’ Luna quietly inquired.
As the ground beneath her started to shake the vision she had slowly washed away as tiny droplets of ocean water flew into her face, once the world around her returned to normal all that remained from the vision was a land bridge.
Moving past her Xiuhtecutli groaned at how he was right, “And with that all the pieces fall into place, and so to shall we start our walk with grace.” Reaching to the edge of the bridge on both sides everypony watched as he touched an unseen barrier, “This is why we must walk.” As it crackled to his touch it appeared to be made of nothing but magical energies “No living creature has the power to break this, not even I.”
Moving his hand around the barrier they saw it acted like an arch way, “How was this made?” Twilight and Selune inquired at once eager to learn.
“As far as my race can tell from our oldest documents…” Violently pulling his hand way with a growling roar his hand covered in smoke, “it just simply came to be, none knows why or how only that it has. Though many of my race have theorised this is a result of when the natural flow of magical energies intersect with one another.” Hearing a collection of confused sounds Xiuhtecutli growled when the thought he would have to explain it.
To his amazement Twilight, Selune, and Luna perked up at once about having read Starswirl the Bearded's report on the Ley Line Magic Theory, “Though I think he may have called it pseudoscience.” Twilight added only for the three of them to realize Xiuhtecutli had a slightly annoyed look on his face.
“Well it is good that at the least three of you are educated to an infant's level of understanding.” He groaned while gesturing for all of them to start their long walk, “For the record it is not a theory, as you can see before you it is quite real.” Feeling a bit of distrust from them Xiuhtecutli sighed as he waved them through, “If it makes you feel better you can explain his theory, once you are done I might fill in a few things should this…” Trying to recall a name he cared very little for Xiuhtecutli grunted as he guessed, “Swirlbeared of a Star you speak of, could have missed.”
Baffled if his mispronunciation of Starswirl’s name was a means to insult him, a lack of care, simply a mistake, or all three they couldn’t tell, “His name was Starswirl the Bearded.” Twilight snapped back, “And I will continue on with his theory, and I don’t think he would have missed a thing.” Though she was hesitant to take the first step Twilight continued in her lecture on the subject, “According to Starswirl’s notes; Lay Lines are alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical interest from around the world. In many such locations as ancient monuments and megaliths, where it is believed that these alignments tend to intersect the most. This in turn causes these locations to resonate with a special psychic or mystical energy.”
“According to his theory Ley Lines could also affect anything that lives in the intersections.” Selune chimed in as though it were her turn to read a segment of a text book aloud in a classroom, “Though there have been no solid evidence to prove this other than a few documented reports, but many speculate that these reports have been forged or falsified in some way.”
Slowly making their way down the bridge Xiuhtecutli sighed, “This Beared one seems to have most of it down, but yes these points where the Ley Lines intersect can have some effects on the area they are in. The more intersecting streams there are the greater and more intense the effects tend to be.”
Looking back towards the mainland Fluttershy let out a slight shriek as rushed backwards into Rainbow Dash, “What’s got you so wound up?” Looking to what Fluttershy pointed at even Rainbow was baffled, “What happened to the bridge? It was there just a second ago.”
“That is one of the effects I was talking about, though this bridge is made of the earth it is pure magic. Look below us and you will see that there are far more questions than answers.” As they looked over the edge of the bridged, watching as the last of the fishing ships sailed under them and through the stone wall, “They cannot see this land mass or us, nor are they aware of it coming out of the ocean or falling back into it. How this has existed without a caster is beyond me, all I can tell is this island was brought to life by the overabundance of magic from the Ley Line.”
Feeling cramped in what little space he had, Xiuhtecutli cast a spell to change his form to that of a garter snake granting himself more room. As he drifted through the air many of them pondered what spell it that was used to do this, all of them were aware of changelings and their ability to change appearance. But changing from one form to another was a whole other level of magic, and how it caused him no pain was another issue in their minds.
Though Twilight, Selune, and Luna wanted to ask him about it, they were overshadowed by Fluttershy, “Oh, you look so cute like that.”
Drifting in the air till he came close to the yellow mare Xiuhtecutli turned around to look at her, “I am an age old leviathan, this form is just to let me stretch myself without worry of any of you. I did not take this form to be…” Before he knew it Fluttershy had taken hold of him with one hoof and started gently rubbing his upper back, “oh by The Ones!” He exclaimed, “A little lower if you don’t mind.”
As she moved her hoof down his back Fluttershy noticed that as a snake he still showed signs of being tense, “You should relax more, it really is unhealthy to be this wound up.” What struck her as strange was in his current form she could feel muscles that normal snakes would not have.
“Oh curse this form and its wants… but thank you none the less.” He grumbled in her care, “I would be more calm than this, however when you deal with Greymane as often as I do. It is impossible to rest or relax, and even if I wasn’t tending to him and his games there’s still the matter of tending to the world.” Feeling more at peace with her touch he let out a purring growl as though he was a hybrid of a cat and a dragon, “If I still had shoulders I would as for those.”
Gently gliding while tending to Xiuhtecutli, Fluttershy continued to talk with him like she normally would to the critters back home.
As Fluttershy tended to their guide Selune found this to be the best opportunity she could get to speak with Luna, “Speaking of the Great Thief himself, you and the Legend huh? How did that come about?” Selune wasn’t one to pry but having seen Luna and Grey nearly kiss she couldn’t help but inquire about it.
Luna gave a nervous chuckle as she started to blush and look out towards the horizon, “Oh… huh… isn’t the sunset or rise rather lovely today?”
“Princess the storm clouds are blocking out the sun.” Taking a quick glance back Selune saw that Xiuhtecutli was still indisposed so to speak, “You’re hiding something…”
Hearing a gasp from their right Selune looked past Luna to see a surprised Twilight, “Have you told him!?”
“He would prefer that I not…” Luna sighed as she almost seemed to drag her hooves, “he’s told me how he feels. But requests that I not tell him, he fears that should he know that it would draw danger towards Equestria.”
As the three mares continued to talk on the matter Grey woke up in the dungeon with a groan, “My head…” Looking around his vision was blurred, “still gotta work out the formula.”
“And just what formula are you talking about, is it the potion you drank back in the throne room?”
Seeing only a blue blur Grey could only guess it was his visitor from before, “It’s highly toxic, so until I solve that problem I recommend that you don’t try to copy it. Just a little word to the wise.” Struggling to stand he laughed, “Side effects include but are not limited to severe headache, nausea, blurred vision, minor to severe memory loss, having quintuplets, constipation, and explosive diarrhea.” Laughing at his own joke Grey groaned at the pain his head was feeling, though the headache and blurred vision were the only two out of the list to be real.
“Amusing…” Chambers groaned, “why do you act like this, you are a living legend. I’ve read the stories and heard rumors about you from across Equestria, even managed to pull some information out of a demon once.” Seeing a displeased expression make its way across Grey’s face told him that Grey was against torture in the name of saving lives, “Every bit I heard and dug up all came to one conclusion, you are an monstrous enigma the likes of which none have seen before or since. Yet you keep yourself contained because you say you value life, how long will this value hold you back? And how long can you be contained?”
“You don’t trust me…” Grey smiled, “I don’t blame you. I fear myself and what I am, but tell me something. If you don’t trust me, why are you talking to me, why have you not tried to kill me? A thousand years ago there wasn’t a single guard among the believers that wouldn’t have hesitated, some came closer than any could ever dream of. But it was because I let them get that close.” As his vision started to return Grey started to read the pony that stood before him, “So why haven’t you?”
Though Chambers had not said a word of his work, his stance spoke volumes for him and that was all Greymane needed to see. And Chambers knew this to be true as he was also trying to read Grey based off what he had seen thus far, and though some of it impressed him far more made him question the stallion that sat before him.
“I am under orders to let you live…” Raising an eyebrow he humphed at the thought of letting a threat like him live, “for now at least. But so help me if you set even the tiniest of hairs out of place I will not hesitate to kill you, and send you back to your cell that awaits you in the depths of Tartarus.”
With a chuckle Grey pulled out the last stone he had left, “I don’t doubt that. And it is because of that I have two more favors to ask of you.”
“I don’t owe you a damn thing, so why should I even humor this?”
With a faint smile Grey leaned in, “Because you already said you would.” Confused as to what Greymane meant, Chambers crossed his hooves as he sat down, “Should I cross that line again, should I even fathom attempting it I want you to end me without a single thought. I’ll even wait for you to come for me.” Shaking his head as he laughed Chambers asked what the second favor could be, “When the time comes, no matter how it happens. If I am meant to die do not try and save me, even if you are ordered to. If I am to survive then I will, but if my time comes then I will accept my fate.”
“That’s it? Kill you as I have sworn to, and let you die if it is your time.” Chambers watched as Grey carved something into the floor of his cell, “And why should I even think that you can be trusted to such a point in time?”
Leaning against the wall Grey carved a second rune into his last stone and tossed it towards Chambers, “Here is your answer…” He watched as Chambers dodged it allowing the stone to fall into the cell behind himself, “the rune on that stone is a sister to the one on this floor. I don’t know what will happen when it does but I can at least ensure that I’m the only one involved, if you want to listen in keep a hold of that stone.”
Wanting to ask what Grey was planning he soon found himself cutting the moment short as the door to the dungeon was slammed shut, “Okay guys we have till the maids bring the evening meal, time is of the essence. Did you bring a storm cloud?”
“It wasn’t easy finding one in such clear weather…” A voice replied, “but ya I got it.”
“Good, and how about you, how long can you hold the spell?”
“Twelve hours at the least, and should we need it almost a full day.” A third spoke up sounding slightly hesitant. Almost questioning if what he was doing to be right.
Knowing the next guard rotation was an hour away Chambers knew something was wrong, and having heard their conversation he could only guess what they were up to. Taking to the shadows of the cell the stone had fallen into, Chambers questioned why the early rotation and what purpose did the cloud serve or their need for a spell? Many of his questions pointed to one thing in his mind, Greymane was the reason and he was aware of it from the start.
As the three ponies made their way to Grey’s cell Chambers carefully picked up the stone, looking at the three of them it was clear they were all from the royal guard. But they were not the one’s who were to take this shift, every fiber in his being told him to take the first chance he had to investigate this change. And yet, he found himself wanting to stay and ensure that whatever came next the guard could not be held responsible.
“You guys are early… ish,” With most of his sight returning Grey could see a faint shine of the sun from down the hall near the stairs, “or lateish pending why you are here. Lunch was what an hour ago?” Looking at the unicorn in the back Grey saw a duffle bag that appeared to be full with various items, “Oh no wait don’t tell me…” Though Grey could guess they had come to torture him he gave a playful smile, “did Celestia send you guys down here to wish me a happy birthday?” Laughing as they opened his cell and slowly walked in Grey did his best to remain strong for what was to come, “Please tell her I said thank you, but today is not my birthday. To be honest it’s been so long that I don’t remember when I was born.”
“Sir must we really do this? I mean he’s immortal after all we can’t kill him.” The young unicorn worried what Grey would do when he broke free.
Double checking the shackles and tightening the chains till Grey was suspended in the air, the oldest of the trio chuckled at the sight before him.
“That may be so, but that just means his life is nothing but torture.” Turning around the earth pony opened the bag and started rummaging through it, “Put up the barrier, Celestia may be tending to delegates and other matters pertaining to Equestria but that won’t keep her long. And then there’s the evening meal to deal with, at best I’d say we have three hours to get him talking.”
As the young unicorn started to slowly fashion a barrier, “Oh you want me to talk, well I’ll save you the time.” Grey sarcastically hinted, “I was born a poor black mare, a pegasus if you believe that, in what is now your mother’s house. I was rather bright for my young age and everypony knew it.” As the barrier started to seal itself the last Chambers heard was half what he expected, “Right out of my mother’s womb I could read, write, and cast magic. I was a young prodigy…”
Once the barrier was closed Chambers could hear nothing but saw Grey’s lips moving, he guessed at what he was saying and with what little reaction he saw from the three guards he smiled.
“I don’t know whether to applaud him for being clever, or to condemn him for being so damn stupid.” Looking down at the stone in his hoof Chambers scoffed at the thought of taking Grey’s little toy, “Rune based magic, I’ve heard of such things and even seen some study into it but nothing like this.” Placing the stone next to his ear he could feel a slight tingling as the rune caused his eardrum to vibrate.
“We don’t want to hear some bullshit story about your past or upbringing, we want to know what you have done with them.”
looking ahead Chambers soon began to question what was going on, if Celestia had planned on beating information out of Grey she wouldn’t have used the guards. She would have had chambers plan something else out that left her involvement out of suspicion.
“Alright fine I’ll say it now, they are on a wild goose chase.” With a joking sarcastic tone in his voice Grey smiled, “I sent them to an island to bring back a magical turnip that will speak nothing but riddles, once they’ve returned I’ll vanish and you can enjoy a wonderful talking meal.” Bursting out into a fit of laughter Grey had trouble keeping an eye open, “Fair warning though you will never shut up afterwards. But on the up side you will start to sing a rather lovely song that will have both mares and stallions flocking to you in droves.”
Pulling out a nightstick from the bag the earth pony jabbed the head of it into Grey’s gut, following it up by beating him across his body. Only after being stopped by the pegasis of their group did he lower the stick under Grey’s chin.
“I don’t give a shit about them…” Wanting to remind Greymane that he was incontrol, the young stallion struck him once more across the face, “the artifacts, where are you hiding them?”
Though it was clear to Chambers and Grey as to what was going on neither of them moved to end the situation, “I already told Celestia I didn’t do it, there’s enough evidence that I didn’t steal the Elements of Harmony.”
Receiving several more beatings they could hear his bones crack and several others break, “Like we want those worthless pieces of shit, we want the ones you’ve hidden over the years. We want the ones that can make this world trimble with but a single step, with but a single word, we know you have them and we know you have been collecting them.” Striking him once across the chest they heard a rib or two break causing Grey to grunt in pain, “WHERE ARE THE ARTIFACTS!!!”
“I left them with your mother as a gift for a wonderful night.” Laughing through the pain Grey slowly rose his head to look at his assailant, “Next time you see her, give her a kiss for me will ya son? Same goes for the two of you as well, guess that means I should act like a parent now huh?”
Taking offense to Grey’s little joke the young stallion began to beat him without mercy, with each little joke or smart ass remark the beatings became worse.
In time the young stallion dropped the stick and reached back into the bag, “You’re one tough son of a bitch, but then again I expected nothing less from the Crimson Stained Stallion.” That title again how it brought pain to Greymane, his mind swirled in a torrent of self loathing that made him wish they would just end him then and now.
Though the cell was echoing with the sounds of golden spikes being tapped together, all Grey could hear was the screams from that night. And the tormenting taunting voices of the demons that laughed during his time in Tartarus.
As Grey started to feel the tips of the spikes being playfully dragged up and down his torso, “Tell me something…” Grey’s tone was somber no manner of play could be heard and it made very pony worry what could come next, “when did you betray your loyalty to the royal family of Equestria? And for what reason, was it money, promise of power, fame, what was it?”
As the earth pony scoffed the others slightly laughed at the question, “Like we care about this nation or any other, we have always been loyal to the Ancient One. Not those blundering wind bags up there, I mean come on the royal family is a joke. Prince Blueblood is a spoiled brat with no clue of what it means to be a real stallion, and Celestia ruling for as long as she has upon her gilded throne after banishing her only sister. Sounds to me like a power trip.” Hearing him mention Luna’s banishment, Grey could recall how the demons constantly told him he was the root cause of it.
That if he hadn’t gotten as involved with her as he did she wouldn’t have been banished, that she would have continued to rule at her sister’s side.
“The Ancient One wanted to make a move over a thousand years ago to conquer their slowly growing empire, but then we soon heard that you vanished without a trace.” The pegasus chimed in, “He made hunting you down the biggest priority, he didn’t want you stepping in and ruining anything we tried. But there wasn’t a single clue as to where you went or even as to why you disappeared, only that you had and no pony in the Order could find you… not even the Ancient One could track you down.”
Taking the first golden spike the earth pony slowly started pressing the tip into Grey’s gut, “So without any clue as to where you had gone, or when you would return the Order was commanded to lie low and wait. But soon enough the royal family started showing the same problems as any clustered group, infighting, lack of trust towards one another, even going so far as to hire spies to look into others.” As the spike went into Grey they heard him grunting in pain and smiled, “So over the years we slowly infiltrated Canterlot hierarchy and positioned ourselves where we had the greatest advantage, and in time we even gained support of a few members of the royal family. You would be surprised who would sell out this nation just to be put into power.”
As the earth pony slowly stabbed Grey with the other two spikes, the young unicorn almost dropped the barrier as his fears took hold of him. Closing his eyes as hoping he wouldn’t have to see more the young colt reclosed the barrier, but he heard as his leader began to wiggle one of the spikes around.
As Grey clenched his teeth Chambers watched on and listened in confusion, “He can escape, he can fight them, he can tear them apart from what I’ve heard. Why? Why, if for any reason is he doing this?”
Continuing to question the reason behind Grey’s thinking Chambers listened hoping to find the answer, “Here’s a nice little treat for you,” Pulling out one of the spikes Grey cried out in pain, “each of these spikes is specially crafted. They are all barbed so when I pull it out it tears bits of flesh with it. Makes it near impossible to patch up the holes, who am I kidding by the time they find you. You will be wishing you could have died,” Shoving the spike into a new place he twisted it around, “now that you know what to expect let’s see if we can get you talking.”
Looking around Grey tried to figure out which of them would be easier to manipulate, “Talk… I’ve been talking. But clearly you haven’t been listening.” With another spike being pulled out and shoved back in Grey cried out once again, “I gave the artifacts to your mother.”
“Normal methods won’t work here, let’s use it.” Watching the pegasus bring the cloud over Grey nervously chuckled, “One last chance…” Holding up his hoof the earth pony slowly stepped out of the way, “where are the artifacts?”
“You there, unicorn, why are you part of this?” Before the young stallion could answer the earth pony dropped his hoof, and with that the pegasus struck the cloud.
As lightning came flying out of the cloud it struck the golden spikes, causing the electrical energy to jump between the points in Grey’s body. When the shock died down they watched as Grey twitched but still shown signs of consciousness.
“The Artifacts…” He waited for Greymane to look up, “WHERE ARE THEY!?” Grey gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, “Fine!” Signaling to the pegasus a bolt of lightning struck Grey again.
Letting out a bellowing cry Grey started to jerk around in his shackles, once the moment died down again Grey could hear the heavy hoof steps from one of his old tormentors. He could smell sulfur as he was reminded of how much worse it was in Tartarus. Slowly his senses returned to the here and now only to see a small throwing knife being jabbed into his lower abdomen, as it was slowly pulled back out the earth pony slowly dragged it up to Grey’s chest.
“You stupid young foal.” He grunted, “You know nothing of the powers you tamper with…” Feeling his blood slowly run down the length of his body Grey knew this was only the start, “the artifacts will destroy you, they cannot be controlled.” Looking past the young unicorn Grey saw one of the maids drop the evening meal that was meant for him and run off, “But I can still save you, all of you. Turn away from what you are doing, from what he demands of you.”
Stabbing Grey in his shoulder the earth pony twisted and moved it around, “Like you helped us a thousand years ago? Thanks but no thanks, if we had our choice we would rather stay where we are than take the side of a devil.” Backing away he rose his hoof, “Now tell us, where are you hiding the artifacts?”
Choosing to keep his mouth shut Grey hopped that the young unicorn would come to his senses, with the drop of his hoof they watched as Grey’s open wounds seemed to steam and slightly turn from pink to red. With each strike the electrical charge bounced around in his body slowly cooking his freshly opened wounds, the brisk cool air of the dungeon stung upon his searing flesh. And each time Grey refused to answer their question he would receive a beating, a few more cuts across his body, and one more jolt of lighting.
Each bit of it reminded him of his imprisonment when the worst of it was being reminded he cause Luna’s banishment, “You… arrogant foals…” He struggled to speak with a dislocated jaw and blood slowly dripping from his lips, “you can’t get me to talk… I’ve faced worse...” He trailed off into unconsciousness hung upon the wall.
Chambers had watched Grey’s torture for the course of several hours and in that time he learned that Grey would take his secrets to the grave, yet when it came to Luna or even Twilight and her friends he was like an open book. As for Selune Darkeye he was willing to teach her because of the potential he saw, but why, why was it with this group he stayed in his shackles and took the torture, why did he tell the young unicorn he could save him? Was it some kind of point he was trying to make, was he trying to prove something, what was it?
“Strike him once more.” The earth pony commanded.
“What?”
“You heard me…” He grumbled in anger, “one more bolt, and make it last for as long as you can. I want to watch him cook… I want to smell him roast.”
“But sir, if I do that he will die! He would be of no use to us!” The pegasus exclaimed hesitant to slam down on the cloud.
“Your point?”
“We need him alive to learn about the locations to the artifacts.”
Taking hold of the pegasus he slammed him into the wall, “Need I remind you of what he’s done to the Order? What he is capable of? If he dies then so be it all are to be held accountable for their actions, for their sins… even him.” Letting go of the pegasus he scoffed at the thought of Greymane dying, “Besides the Ancient One told all of us already, he’s immortal and can’t be killed. Not by any of us anyway.”
Chambers was about to step in when he heard the clanking of armor, the sounds of it placed the number of guards about five or so. It amazed him the spell that kept the sounds of torture contained worked against them as well, they were deaf to the sounds of the maid dropping the platter with a scream, and even more so to the sounds of guards coming towards them or even the cell door nearly torn off its hinges. Demanding to know why Grey hadn’t be struck with lightning, as he turned round he watched as the intruding guards subdued his cohorts and were about to do the same to him.
Dropping to his flank he rose his front hooves surrendering, knowing that there was nothing he could do.
Celestia was the last pony to walk in, “What have you three done?” She was in shock to see Grey in his current condition, the deep gashes across his body, the holes the spikes ripped out of him, all of it.
In her mind Celestia felt she had failed him when he had given her his trust, and worst of all how her sister was going to take this. Then the last of it what Xiuhtecutli was going to do, looking at her hoof she pondered the symbol as her mind spiraled. Before she could be lost to her fears her mind refocused to a grumble from Greymane, what he said no pony was able to understand.
“Fear nothing Celestia, for we have weakened the monster. If he truly is immortal then it takes one to end one, I wouldn’t hesitate if I was you.” The young earth pony proclaimed, “Be thankful, this will be the only chance you get.”
Stripped of their garb and equipment the three offenders were dragged off to further into the dungeon just as a small group of medical ponies arrived, though members of the guards themselves one of them vomited at the sight before him. They had seen injuries from training, they had seen battle scars from dealing with bandits, but this, this was something worse. Not once in all their years had they seen this level of brutality, what shocked them all the more was to discover Grey was still alive though barely and slowly slipping closer to death.
*Celestia listen to me,* The mental link was weak and fading fast, *I must stay in the castle, this must remained contained. If word got out what happened here you will lose face with your citizens, and worse my enemies will take notice.* Celestia knew it was Grey but his words made her worry, it was nothing short of suicide or murder to do as he asked.
She was conflicted she knew he needed proper medical attention, but at the same time she knew he was right. Celestia recalled how he willingly belittled himself, how he fell from the side of the mountain dragging Adramelech with him. And even facing death itself to best Asmoday, but even still she worried.
Slightly nodding she bit her lower lip, “Give him the best medical attention you can, and give him one of the rooms here in the castle. Whatever happens we must keep this contained, not a word of this is to leave the castle.” The guards were stunned to hear this from her, they knew Grey needed better than what they were trained. And though there were some medical professionals among the guard, without the equipment at the hospital Greymane’s fate would be left to chance.
“But Princess if we do that then…”
“I am well aware of it, but think about how he’s done things thus far. He would have us keep this contained, should knowledge of this gets out how would any of it make us look. The guards torturing prisoners here in the dungeons, would the citizens trust any of the royal guard after that?” She felt ill from having to say that, but what else could she do?
“Princess Celestia is right, and if word did get out the repercussions would be astronomical. Not only would the royal guard be looked at poorly, but how long till there’s rioting in the streets or even a rebellion? We have to tread lightly from here on out and hope he can recover from this.” Looking towards the stairs the guards saw Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, the two of them seemed to be slightly out of breath, “Take him somewhere he will be safe,” Pointing at two of the guards behind Celestia he walked forth, “the two of you will stay here with me and we will see what information we can drag out of those behind this.”
As everypony left to do what they could Celestia remained frozen where she stood unsure of what to do next, “He’s a crazy suicidal bastard I’ll give him that.” Chambers claimed as he walked up to Celestia, “He knew they were coming, had some idea as to what was coming, and all he did was give me this damn rune while swearing I wouldn’t step in.”
It was then Celestia recalled his words about something going to take place that was outside of her control, in a way he did see this coming and all he could do was hold out long enough for the maid to show up. Any events that followed after that were like well placed dominoes being knocked over, and all of it would look purely coincidental leaving only those at its start to appear as the only knowledge holders.
“Did he say anything else, like who was coming or why?”
“I’m afraid not, for most of it he acted like I’ve reported. Strange thing though, when they called him Crimson Stained Stallion his mood and attitude changed completely. On top of it he tried to save the unicorn, I would like to request that one gets transferred to my facility as a safety precaution.” Though safety was on his mind, Chambers wanted to question this young pony away from the other two. In the hopes he could discover something more, something he believed Grey had planned from the start.
“If you believe that is best, but try not to harm him. I think there has been far too much senseless violence.” Celestia shook her head wanting to believe she was making the right choice, but she was more than well aware she knew nothing of what was going on.
Why had those three attacked him as they had? What’s more is why did Grey, according to Chambers, just take this abuse from them? It was only hours ago that he had shown he was more than skilled to deal with those three, in Celestia’s mind she questioned how many of her guards Grey could truly face on his best of days?
As she continued to ponder and toil over the many questions that now ran through her mind, Celestia followed the guards to the room they had barely prepared to take Greymane in. With what little they had the medical guards prepared to do what they could, as the door was shut closed the last few words Celestia heard from them were not very inspiring. Most believed he wouldn’t make it out of the operation, others said if he somehow made it past the operation the most he would have was maybe an hour.
As the lead mare demanded them to shut their mouths she took a firm stance, “We don’t know the outcome or the events to lead up to them, all we can do is our best now give me the damn scalpel.”
Before the door could come to a complete close Celestia saw a frightening figure in the room, it started out as a simple silhouette from one of the medical guards. And while their shadow had originally stopped at the base of the wall, it slowly made its way to where it was now and started to take a shape of its own. It was unlike any of the ponies in the room as it was a bipedal creature stranger than any other than she had seen before.
It stood a rough five and a half feet taller than any of them and seemed to carry a scythe in its left skeletal hand, with its right hand it reached into the black cloak it wore and pulled out a pocket watch. Taking a moment to look at the time it soon placed it back from where it came, just as the door came to a close it turned to look at Celestia.
Having seen its face an icy bolt of fear struck through her body as it seemed to paralyze her, ‘He can’t be dying just yet… can he?’ She pondered hoping the creature’s strange presence signified something else, “Guard whom was that in the black cloak standing in the corner?”
“Huh… well… there was nopony there by that description your majesty.” Confused and hesitant the guard worried he would at the least be ordered to have his eyes checked.
With that answer Celestia could feel the icy chill reaching for her spine, ‘Please make it through, if anything can be true from those stories it's that you are a survivor. Please hold on, if for any reason just so you can see Luna one last time.’ For the moment Celestia didn’t care about the deal she made with Xiuhtecutli, she only cared that Luna could at least have one last chance to see him alive.
Even if that meant Luna could blame her for Grey’s death.
While they continued to walk towards the island Celestia was greeted by a group of worried ponies, “Princess…” The lead pony struggled to say removing her medical mask as she sighed, “The good news is after 36 hours we managed to get him stable, but that’s the only good news I’m afraid.”
Looking past the exiting ponies Celestia saw faint signs of failure in their eyes as her’s focused on the proverbial elephant in the room, “He’s not…” She swallowed hard as she stared at the skeletal being sitting in a chair reading from a scroll, one leg crossed over the knee of the other the only sound among any of them the ticking of a clock.
It's sound grew louder and louder with each passing second till the mare before her spoke up, “Not yet, his injuries are far too severe for us, let alone a hospital, to try and save him. His stab wounds could only be cauterized to slow his bleed out, and his internal organs are near roasted it’s nothing short of a miracle he’s still breathing right now. I don’t even think transplants could save him, speaking of such things we even after everything he still barely has enough blood in his body. Without knowing his blood type we would only end up killing him in the worst possible way.” The tone she had went from bad to worse as she looked back into the room, “I give him till sun rise tomorrow at the most, and that’s if he’s lucky. I know it’s a rather moot point to ask but I feel I must, does he have a next of kin we should inform?”
Walking past the mare Celestia had heard from Luna he had no living relatives, “I’ll inform her myself.” She didn’t want to lie but felt it was better than saying she would inform her sister upon her return.
Walking in she heard Grey’s faint breathing and feared the creature that sat in the room, it's presence was dark, cold, and oddly comforting which made Celestia worry all the more.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. Anyone who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” The creature greeted Celestia as she stood next to Greymane, “One of the few quotes I enjoy from a rather fine author. But you wouldn’t know of him, he’s not of this line he’s from another.” Looking at his scythe resting against the wall Celestia’s eyes darted back and forth, “That is rather rude Princess, as humorous though it may be, rude none the less.” It claimed not moving it’s face away from the scroll.
“What is it that you find both humorous and rude, I’ve said nothing and done nothing till now.” She spoke in a nervous tone.
“The fact you thought using my weapon against me is what I find to be rude, where it is humorous is that you would die the second you touch it.” Trying to peek at the scroll Celestia found it blank as the creature sighed, “You lesser beings and your curiosity…” He groaned rolling it up to tuck away under his cloak, “even if you could see the letters you wouldn’t be able to read it.”
Barely holding out it's hand the scythe gently flew over towards it as Chambers knocked on the door, “Princess do you have a moment to spare?” Looking back Celestia saw the creature was gone.
“Chambers did you see anything else in this room besides what is already here?” She inquired hoping she wasn’t losing her mind.
Looking around the room and even down both ends of the hall he cleared his throat, “Should I have?” Looking at Celestia his concern over the situation grew, “Perhaps you should go lie down, and stop worrying over…” Chambers couldn’t think of a nice way to label Greymane let alone any kind of label to place on him, “him.” Grey’s words about letting him die rang within his mind and made him wonder if this was something he had planed.
Either way it wasn’t good they knew next to nothing about Greymane and even less about Xiuhtecutli, all information Chambers dug up on them was the same. Save for one… Xiuhtecutli was an ancient creature whose race was annihilated by his own claw, but what was never discovered was why, how, or what led up to such a thing. Only that he was the last leviathan left in all the world, with knowledge and secrets in magic and the ages to make him a threat they might never be prepared for.
Walking towards Chambers, Celestia kept a worried stare on Greymane, “I would like to, but far too much has happened.” Looking at Chambers she hoped for some good news, “Did you find anything at all as to why this happened?”
With a sigh he held out his report, “The stallions in custody refuse to speak, and I’ve already prepared transportation for the unicorn as planed. Grey hinted away at him being the weakest without really saying it, so if we want answers with very little effort he’s the one we talk to.” Clearing his throat he leaned against the door-frame as he prepared for any repercussions of his actions, “I watched them do it… before anything happened he asked that I not get involved so I sat back and watched. I heard everything, they believe he can’t die which is why the tortured him as they did.” A thick silence fell between them as Chambers took a deep breath, “Princess they were trying to force him into giving up the location to other artifacts around the world, ones he himself has hidden. This goes much further than we thought, what’s more is they referred to their leader as The Ancient One. No other name or title, I already have my best looking into him and this Order of theirs.”
Neither of them said anything more as their gaze fell upon Greymane, they knew if anypony had more information on them it was him. Celestia knew he had once warned Luna about them and said it was best they remained out of it. But why, if such an organization like theirs could infiltrate the guard and assault him on a whim, then why face them alone? Far too much didn’t make sense and each answer they had only raised more questions, of them the biggest they wanted to know was how long had they been fighting one another and why is it they are only finding out about them now?
A group like theirs would have shown itself over the years, they would have made mistakes yet they didn’t. And yet when they think he was most vulnerable they strike, and only at him nopony else.
“Chambers…” Celestia was hesitant but tried to plan accordingly, “have five of your best and most trustworthy here in Canterlot come to the castle. I want two of them guarding him round the clock, the remaining three are to look for more of these traitors. But they are not to act, he took this on by himself to leave us out of suspicion. I suggest we take his gift and use it to the best of our abilities.” As she walked past him Celestia turned to go towards the throne room to tend to other matters, “Oh and Chambers…” She called back as she stopped, “I expect a full report on anything you and your ponies discover, and should he awaken with enough strength to talk I want to be informed within the very second.”
Titling his head with a nod Chambers sighed, “As you command Princess it shall be done.” Looking back into the room he stared at the weakened thief, “Be it luck, tenacity, determination, whatever it is that keeps you alive right now I don’t know. But you are damn lucky she want’s you alive for the time being, though I doubt we have to worry about you for very long given your current state.” Closing the door he whispered, “I guess I’ll be seeing you in Tartarus.”
Chambers didn’t have much hope on him living to see the next sunrise let alone Luna’s return, but something bugged him to no end. Why did he trust Luna so much? In the time he knew Greymane existed he had kept an eye on him and watched all that he had done.
He gave Luna his diary, he shared with her information that nopony else knew of, and finally it was Luna he had the utmost faith in to go to this island. But why, nothing made much sense to him, and what’s worse is his monocle couldn’t keep an eye on her. Something was blocking his artifact but what it was he couldn’t figure out, the last he had seen of them they were standing at a cliff.
Chambers had informed Celestia of everything up to this point, but without any definitive proof behind this disturbance he was unsure as to how to explain himself. He knew that he would have to report it but he didn’t know how to go about it. All he did know thus far was the two of them could not be trusted, he was a thief unlike any other before or since his first appearance according to what information he had gathered. And the creature that protected him was an even greater mystery, it had slaughtered its own race to near extinction for an unknown reason, and if there was once a race of creatures like him it was clear that not only was he the last but quite clearly the strongest of them.
Though it wasn’t much information to go on it was plenty to tell Chambers not to trust either of them, as he walked through the castle he was given a faint gesture by one of the butlers.
As they cross paths Chambers slipped a note into his breast pocket undetected as he whispered, ‘We have our orders.’
Parting ways the butler vanished without a trace, magical or otherwise, to carry out the orders given unto him, for everypony on all sides things had become tense and everypony had to make their next move with extreme caution. One wrong move ended everything in the worst possible way. As Chambers walked the halls unnoticed he pondered if this was the life Greymane walked on a daily basis, sure he walked the same path but it seemed oddly different in only a few small areas.
While their choices to take the greatest of caution was common ground they differed on how they did things, Grey tried to spare the lives he came into contact with as often as possible. This also included demons even when Adramelech had attacked Grey still did what he could to give him a chance to leave unharmed, it wasn’t until he was given no other choice but to fight that he did. And even then according to the reports Grey didn’t try to kill him, he tried to resolve the fight quickly.
His threats of killing another were clearly hollow, were as for Chambers he never gave it a second thought. At least not until he had heard about Grey’s feat in besting the Archdemon, though it nearly cost him his life. The very thought of trying to save your enemy was a concept he never once heard of in his many years serving Celestia, when it came to Nightmare Moon they dispelled the evil that held Luna captive. Sure they quote unquote saved an enemy but it was more or less like a family squabble than anything else, and Luna’s return meant Nightmare was destroyed.
Sure the terminology was different but the concept was the same in some way, but why, why would Greymane throw his life away trying to save those who would kill him without a single thought? Chambers wouldn’t even bother letting some nopony thief from who cares where get away with a simple theft of an apple off a cart, so much made him ponder, think, and even question. With each answer he managed to discover he began to have far more questions, all he ever knew was how to just kill as a means to resolve any issues that came his way quickly.
As Celestia and Chambers continued their work the three ponies who tortured Greymane sat in their shared cell chained to the wall, the youngest of them had been sobbing most of the time worried what was going to happen to them. But in the last few moments he had gone deathly silent and it worried the other two, at first they thought he cried himself to sleep but his eyes remained open and had rolled back into his head.
Whispering among themselves they knew what came next for them planning to escape in the hopes they could run before anything else could happen, “You poor ignorant fools are not going anywhere… well save for your own graves.” Slowly they turned their gaze over to the young unicorn with the greatest of fear taking hold of them, “You couldn’t have sent word first, no you stupid fuck ups had to think you could take him on.” Slowly he blinked as his eyes turned pitch black, “You honestly think you stood a chance, right now he’s up there laughing at us.”
Walking between them he drifted to the one on his right and started caressing his chest, “A-ancient O-one…” The earth pony’s voice trembled as he realized whose presence he was now in, “I-I-I…” He stuttered as he felt the soft touch of the young unicorn that was his lesser only seconds ago.
“Sir he can’t be laughing…” Interrupting the earth pony the pegasus felt the cold touch of death grip his spine as Sabien placed both hooves on his lower ribs and started making circles, “In the state he’s in there’s no way he should be walking right now, even if he’s immortal he’s severely injured.”
Stopping the circle movement of his hooves just under his rib cage he violently pressed up and in breaking an unknown number, “No he’s not, he’s just as injured as you are. He’s far more powerful, far more dangerous than you think.” As the pegasus started to grunt and groan from the pain Sabien held up his chin, “Look at me…” Slowly their eyes made contact, “this is what it means to be severely injured.”
The pupils in the eyes of both the pegasus and the earth ponies narrowed as Sabien augmented his leg with a spell, slapping the pegasus Sabien shattered his jaw causing him to cry out in pain.
Sabien caressed his cheek as he shushed him, “Don’t worry, you’re learning a valuable lesson. One I’m sure the two of you will never forget.” Giving worried pants the pegasus tried to cry loud enough for the guards to hear as Sabien began beating him to death.
As the guards showed up having heard the first grunt they tried to stop Sabien only to find their magic had no affect on him, fumbling with the keys they watched in horror as the last strike into the pegasus snapped his neck.
Turning to face the guards he looked up at the earth pony as he chuckled, “See you all get to learn something, this is what severely injured means,” As the guards opened the cell they charged Sabien only to find themselves pinned to the wall by a spell, “ah, ah, ah, I’m not done teaching the young and stupid.” Walking over to the earth pony he placed his right hoof on his chest as the stallion begged for mercy, “Oh you poor stupid fool, I can’t forgive you, I can’t show you mercy, you brought this on yourself. I warned all of you that you stood no chance against Greymane, I told all of you to keep us hidden and to send in your reports and wait for commands.” He gave a sigh filled tsk as he brought his hoof back, “But you didn’t listen, now you have exposed us, but don’t worry that’s why I’m here now. To fix your mistake, to clean up after you.”
With a single punch Sabien ripped out the earth pony’s still beating heart and held it before him, “But… I…” He struggled to say as the last of his life faded from him.
Squashing the heart on the stone floor he scoffed as he walked towards the guards, “Well everything seems to be in order here,” Walking past them he pulled the sword off the hip of one of them, “oh… no… wait, I am clearly forgetting something here.” Turning around he threw the sword between the eyes of the guard he took it from, “Here’s how this is going down,” He removed the sword from the remaining guard, “the two of you came down here at the sounds of screaming, this young pony I’m possessing went crazy and killed his partners then killed a fellow guard.” Stabbing himself a few times the guard watched as blood flowed like a river out of his body yet he didn’t grunt or groan once, “He attacked you so you ended his life in self defense, nice, clean, and our tracks are covered.” Dropping the second sword he pulled the first out of the head of the guard as his host body began to die.
Covering his hoof in blood he splashed it around the dungeon before sitting down and letting the loss of blood take its course, “Like I would tell them anything like that, I would never betray my loyalty to my Princess.” The guard growled while baffled at what he was watching.
“But that’s exactly what I want from you, that undying loyalty to your Princess.” Dragging his chest along the floor he smeared the blood till his host body could no longer move, “It keeps you submissively docile, and most of all…” The last of his words trailed out of his mouth as his body perished, the guard released from the spell he heard a voice whispering in his ear, ‘it makes you stupid.’
Hearing the dark sinister laughter the guard trembled as a few beads of sweat formed and slowly made their way down his brow.
Having found a moment between her duties as a princess, Celestia felt it was best to check on Grey’s condition hoping he was getting better. Looking out the window she saw the setting sun and worried that Grey would die some time during the night, the creature she had seen before didn’t pose any better signs.
Celestia never felt such dark power nor had she ever felt so eerily calm before, “He’ll be waking in a few moments Princess, should you hurry you might get there as he awakens.” Looking up her train of thought was broken as she looked at the young colt.
Looking around she saw no other guards nor any signs of anypony, “Are you lost young one?” She smiled, “Tell me whom your parents are and I’ll help you find them.” The young colt was unfamiliar to Celestia as she hadn’t seen him before, the stranger thing was she tried to read the forefront of his mind just to find an answer only to be blocked.
Pulling back the hood of his cloak the young colt looked identical to Greymane causing Celestia to wonder if Grey had a son, “I have no parent’s to speak of Princess, as I am something much greater than yourself.” He smiled as he tilted his head, “Do not worry for he has no foals, I only look like this to communicate with you a little easier.” Scratching the back of her head Celestia watched as the young colt walked into a wall and vanished, “Not much time left, and he won’t be awake for too long. About a minute at the most if I guessed it right.”
Having witnessed this Celestia started wondering if she was losing her mind, a young colt that might not have been there, a creature whose mere presence brought fear to every fiber of her being? Something wasn’t adding up and the only pony in her mind to have even the slightest answer was lying in a bed hanging by a thread between life and death. As she came near the room he was resting in Celestia hesitated for a moment before cracking open the door, looking around she didn’t see the skeletal creature anywhere.
However the atmosphere of the room itself was uneasy and filled her with fear unlike any other, Celestia pondered if this fear she felt came from the mark on her hoof. And if so then what could it all mean? Taking a few steps into the room she saw that he was still sleeping, whether or not it was a peaceful sleep was up for debate.
His breathing was next to unnoticeable, he shown no signs of movements, and even in the calm dark room Celestia couldn’t hear a heartbeat. All of it made her worry if he was dying or if he already passed from this world.
“Grey…” She whispered as she sat down, “normally I’m not on this end of things, but…” She was hesitant and worried she was talking to a corps, “what should I do…” She shook her head, “what can I do when that serpent returns? We know nothing about him and almost as much about you, surely there is something you can tell me.”
‘Note’ A soft gurgling whisper escaped his lips before he was lost to sleep once more.
Pulling out the note he had given her, Celestia tried to open it only to find it sealed off to her, “I don’t understand, what about this is going to help?” Holding the note out to him she waited for an answer only to hear him ask Luna for forgiveness in his sleep.
It was clear to Celestia her moment to ask for his advice had come and gone and his mind had drifted back out unto the endless ocean of dreams. For Grey however he knew not what it was like to dream anymore, for all he saw was an endless hell scape that brought nothing but pain and torment. The worst of it all was watching those he care about die by his hooves followed by the sinister laughter, the laughter itself came from him though he knew he was crying over them.
Leaving the room Celestia heard him mumble that phrase from before in the same strange language, looking back she worried what it meant, what kind of trauma he went through that cause him to create a mantra. So many unanswered questions, so many secrets, everything shrouded in shadows, Celestia feared she would have to go to Luna and demand the diary Grey had given to her.
Leaning against the wall she stared out at the setting sun as she gripped her own leg, the crumbling of the note the only sound she heard. Looking at the note she tucked it back under her royal jewels as she sighed.
“If you worry so much then don’t pursue the answer.” Turning her head she saw the young colt again, “Your worries come from the fear that it is not your place to know, and though this is true you still wish to have the answer.” His voice was stern and full of authority, yet at the same time he sounded full of compassion and understanding, “Do not pursue the answer if you are unsure about wanting it in even the slightest of ways, but if you do choose to continue down this path hold nothing against him once you have what you seek.”
“And what is it that I seek young pony, what is it that you know that I do not?” Celestia lovingly asked him hoping to find even a little truth in this fog of secrets, “If you know anything please share it.”
With a smile the young colt faded from her sight, “If it were my place to do so Princess. We all have our place in life, I know mine quite well. Do you know yours?”
Pondering what the young colt meant or if he was even real Celestia looked back out the window only to let out a gasp.
As Celestia rushed to contend with her ever growing list of problems, Luna and the others had come to a cave. Their only light from a set of strange flowers that illuminated their path, as they walked everypony took notice of the many odd plants that decorated their path.
As they muttered amongst themselves Xiuhtecutli violently reached back pulling Fluttershy into his grasp, “Consider us even from before…” Before anypony could start questioning him or yelling at him he pointed back to where she was, “I forgot to mention that some of the plants here have a taste for flesh of all kinds, so do stay close and be weary of what you choose to get close to. The most vibrant and beautiful of them are the worst, their digestion can last up to 2 thousand years and have often taken to eating other plants in some cases. But ponies are their delicacy.” As many of them shuttered he slithered to an opening in the cave, “Behold, the very secret behind his immortality.”
As they followed him they saw a building in the distance it’s bold letters sent shivers down their spines, ‘THEIR LOVE IS A MEMORY; A GHOST IN THE FOG.’
They wanted to ask him about what it meant only to see he stood like a pillar in a hallway, his hands clasped together, his head bowed, his eyes closed. He said not a word as he stood motionless, his respect for them was far greater than any living thing could ever fathom. And in their eternal slumber he wished them to have the peace they had all more than earned.
On their left following around in a circle was a row of headstones each one appearing blank, “Who are all of them?” Applejack spoke up as they walked around.
“Greymane…” Xiuhtecutli spoke solemnly soft only to hear their confusion, “Each and every one of them Greymane.”
“Darling you can’t be s-s-serious…” Rarity tried not to stutter wishing that what she was seeing and had heard wasn’t true, “he couldn’t be in every one of… of…” She trialed off in worry as she looked at the unmarked headstones.
“I am, but they are not.” Turning to his right he slithered past them, “Each grave is filled by Greymane, they are the same only in name but each one different.” He sighed having to share this secret unsure as to what could come from it, “As you know he can die, what you may not have known is he is far more mortal than any of you think…” Stopping a few headstones down he waved his hand causing a rose bush to sprout out of the ground, “she always loved the pink rose.” He sounded in pain as if something pierced his heart, “Each of them took the name and walked this path of isolation, and when the time came the next in line was chosen. The world thought he was immortal and all powerful, capable of doing as he wished… how wrong they are yet don’t know it.”
Out of all the numerous graves there the one that drew Luna’s earlier fears back like a raging river was the single open grave and the pile of dirt sitting next to it, looking down into it Luna felt cold and lone. Sitting down she bit her lower lip as she took hold of her left leg trying to hold back her tears.
“So this is what it means to be him…” Her sobs finding their way into her voice, “to be Greymane?” As she turned around they saw the tears though she tried to hide behind her hoof, “To be see as a criminal by the world though you try and save it, only to be forgotten as somepony else carries on your name?” The very thought was dark and left them all feeling so empty they almost joined Luna in crying.
“Is that what you see?” Xiuhtecutli pondered as he looked around, “Tell me could any of you accept whom each of them are, what they had done?” Pointing to the far end on his right side a light shined over the headstone, “The twelfth Greymane was one of the most clever, her father the eleventh was the greatest potion master to exist before or since his time.” Slithering over to Luna his movements brought to a halt by Selune who stood before him unsure as to what she could do, “Each and everyone of them did something that made them immortal in the eyes of the world, the tenth Greymane brought an end to the war with Tartarus with nothing more than his own willpower. He discovered the demonic curse that is still used to this day by the Greymane you know. What you see around you is a reminder of how this world is safeguarded by an individual who is willing to walk alone in the shadows, isolated in the dark so that others like you all over the world can sleep all the more peaceful at night!” Turning away he looked back in contempt though sadness filled his eyes, “And that book that all of you have heard of as foals, they are remembered through that book. And one day so too shall he.”
As he slithered towards the black obelisk like structure he paused for a moment as he looked back towards his right, his mouth slightly opened as he stared at the hole that he overlooked before. He had hopped that it was something else but knew that wasn’t the case, the hole was right before the headstone to the sixth Greymane. Hoping his mind was playing tricks on him he rushed towards the building knowing that mare was one of the best advocates he ever had, she alone could bring an entire army to its knees without trying.
Many of the stealth skills the Greymanes used came from her, she was as dangerous as she was beautiful and smart. Even before the tenth had ended the war the Greys were more than well known among the realm of Tartarus because of her.
As they followed him to the structure they found themselves stopping as he banged on the door, “Can’t you just blast it open with magic?” Rainbow tapped the black doors as she continued to mock him, “I mean you’ve been talking so high and mighty about how powerful you are, some glass door can’t be… that…” Pausing for a moment she turned around and noticed the whole building was made out of the same black glass, “What is this?”
“Obsidian, the same volcanic glass that makes up the dome that covers and shields this place.” Looking at Rainbow in annoyance he placed a finger on her head and lowered her to the ground, “And I would never use magic in this place, there’s no telling what kind of affect the Ley Lines could have on my casting. Besides everything that is made of obsidian is charged by the Ley Lines, any spell thrown at the dome is not only absorbed but it is also thrown back at three times its original power and ten times the original speed. I don’t think anything could penetrate this place…” He rolled his eyes at the thought but knew the repercussions wouldn’t matter, “at least not without killing the whomever tries. And even if the dome was cracked open I’ve seen shards of obsidian fall off the walls only to be replaced almost instantaneously.”
Looking around he soon rushed over to a statue that appeared to look like the first Greymane, as he neared it he started demanding that the statue open the doors.
“You know that’s just a statue right?” Twilight stared at him in bewilderment questioning his intelligence only to be startled by the statues sudden movement knocking Xiuhtecutli away from itself.
“That accursed artifact has never liked me, it was brought here by the second Greymane who used it to build this place as a reminder of her adoptive father the First Greymane. The very stallion who spared me my fate.” Getting back up he growled as he pointed at the chest of the statue, “Right there is the artifact, an emerald stone that prefers to be called The Architect” Snarling at it Xiuhtecutli slithered back to it, “And we need it to open the building up for us.”
For a moment it sat there doing nothing but staring out into the open area, slowly it turned its gaze towards Luna and started walking. Selune and Twilight tried to stop its advance only to find it slipped past them before they knew it, the only indication it had done this was a trail of smoke that moved not just around them but between them as well. Turning around in fear of what it was up to they were soon astonished at what they saw.
“W-why is it caressing her cheek?” Selune bafflingly inquired unsure if she should laugh or try to pull the golem away.
Sighing at what he saw Xiuhtecutli leaned against the building, “The Architect feels out it’s masters thoughts and wishes, it then combines them with what emotions they are feeling about those thoughts and creates things from it. Over the years it has learned from every last one of my advocates, their thoughts, their knowledge, their secrets, everything that was and still is whom they are is part of The Architect.”
Bursting out into laughter they caused Luna to blush as Rainbow spoke between gasps of air, “S-so… i-it’s… in love?”
“Not exactly…” He groaned crossing his arms, “the Architect is merely reflecting the emotions of the one who loves her. A few months before the issue with Asmoday he came here, he was looking for answers. I’m guessing that’s when his emotions for Luna were collected and added to the it.”
Looking at the face of the golem Luna watched as it slowly changed to look like the Greymane she knew, “What answers was he looking for?” Before Xiuhtecutli could answer the golem gently took Luna by the hoof guiding her to the side of the building.
Placing its hoof on the wall they watched as small stones started to move in the pattern of an intricate puzzle, each piece shifting, turning, sliding, and twisting before the door stood open for them. Holding its left hoof out the golem gently pulled Luna in with its right hoof though the golem itself never moved from its spot. As everypony followed her in it bowed its head to them in respect but stared at Xiuhtecutli as he moved along with them.
Once inside Twilight and Selune shrieked at all the books just sitting around them, oddly not collecting dust. They seemed to be just as clean and new as they day they were made, near the center of the room was a table with scrolls and books stacked upon one another, some even left open. Unable to contain their excitement for untold knowledge and secrets beyond what anypony could ask for, the two of them rushed the table with smiles on their faces hungry to learn more about Grey.
Carefully delving into each book, scroll, and tome in sight their excited expressions slowly turned into bewilderment, “Why are all of these blank?”
Flipping a few more pages hoping it was a trick, Twilight nearly went stir crazy, “No they are not blank, they can’t be blank. Right? Right?”
Taking hold of Twilight’s hoof Luna looked down at the page, “You’re right they’re not blank…” Staring at the page she groaned, “but we don’t recognize the language it’s in.”
Reaching for the book the three of them were startled by Xiuhtecutli, “The reason those appear to be blank is because you can’t see past the spell that keeps them sealed. As for you Princess…” Slithering towards her he levitated Luna a few feet off the ground, “keep your hooves to yourself, I know what is contained in each and everyone of these pages. You don’t.” Slowly letting her down he articulated each word, “So… keep… your… hooves… to… yourself.” Before any of them could say anything to him he slithered away, “What we seek is this way, down below.”
As they followed him to the stairs leading down they marveled at the small figurines of each Greymane that had come and gone over the years, though their questions were endless Luna could only focus on her earlier words next to that open grave. So many of them had come and gone but the world only knows of one, as she thought about this she recalled the last two times he brushed against death. Her mind focused all the more on Selune’s prediction, Luna wasn’t ready to let him go, nor did she want to think about how close he was to dying in just a blink of an eye only to be forgotten as another took his place.
Luna walked slowly her eyes trained on the floor as tears slowly formed in her eyes, she was unaware that she had fallen behind the group being caught up in her own thoughts. She hoped there was a way to save him if even a slim chance stood to do so. The one question that stayed in her mind was this, ‘If he was this world’s savor, then who would save him?’
As her hooves dragged against the floor Luna was unaware of a single book that had fallen from the stack, gently touching the book the room around her went dark as disembodied voices rushed past her ears. Slowly it all calmed down and Luna found herself in a cave staring at an alicorn with a near same appearance as Grey, but his eyes were a light shade of brown rather than the ones she knew.
Before him swathed in an aura of magic was a ring with strange little markings, behind him Xiuhtecutli glided around in his astral form, “Are you sure it will work this time?”
“It has to work, for the sake of the world it has to.” Placing the ring on his horn the markings shined for a second, “I studied every rune she documented and I did everything I could to make ones that would adapt to the curse, this ring will bring an end to the war.”
As he walked to what she assumed to be the exit the illusion came to an end, looking around Luna realized why Xiuhtecutli singled her out. Because Greymane taught her how to view his diary she could see all that was contained in the building, looking at the book Selune and Twilight tried to read she walked over and placed her hoof down on the blank page.
Slowly the room blurred around her and the air was filled with the scent of freshly fallen autumn leaves, as everything came into focus she saw Xiuhtecutli looking at a set of notes talking to a zebra.
“Your formula doesn’t make much sense, and why use poison joke? It’s merely just that a poison, why even bother using it?”
With a rather sadistic laugh the zebra ground up dried poison joke into a fine powder before adding it to the slightly boiling water in a beaker, “Why? Why else? This plant contains magic within it, rather tricky magic but magic still. If I can find a way to harness it…”
“Grey.” Xiuhtecutli tried to get his attention as it slowly boiled over, “Grey…” His advocate continued his rant about harnessing chaos magic and using to help make the world better, “GREY… THE-”
“Not now I’m nearing a breakthrough!” He laughed his attention on his notes.
“GREY THE DAMN BEAKER I-” He shouted as the beaker boiling poison joke blew up on them.
The zebra was slammed into the wall with enough force to leave an imprint of his body upon it, Xiuhtecutli found himself caught between his astral form and his humbled form unsure as to how to fix himself.
The zebra’s laugh echoed in the cave as he fell from the wall, “Oh colt that was awesome…” He rushed over to the chemistry set with a pep in his step, “let's do that again!”
Xiuhtecutli gave a worried groan unsure what else the toxic plant could do, “Please let us not.” Luna giggled at how they were complete opposites, she even questioned if this zebra was really one of the Greymanes.
As the memory came to an end Luna could hear the faint distant voices of the others, taking a few steps nearly rushing off to try and catch up with them. She stopped and stared at the small figurine of a changeling, looking at the stairs she could hear their voices growing further and further away. Luna knew she needed to catch up with them but she couldn’t help but learn more about Grey’s predecessors hoping she could better understand them.
Biting her lower lip she touched one of the books wanting to see if the figurine was truly one of them, as she held the book she felt a warm loving feeling surround her as though something or somepony was embracing her while a burst of light blinded her from below her hooves.
As the light slowly dimmed Luna saw a young mare and Xiuhtecutli moving towards the Tree of Harmony with the elements still attached, “So this is the tree from those old legends and stories…” Pulling back her hood she appeared like any other earth pony yet with the same color mane and coat as Greymane, “it’s not that impressive if you ask me.”
“You most of all should know better than to underestimate stories and legends my young advocate. The Tree of Harmony is far more powerful than you know, and it draws its power from the artifacts that are housed in its branches.” As they moved closer to the tree he was forced into his humble form as she was forced to take her changeling appearance.
“I see it doesn’t want me to keep a form I want.” Reaching up to touch the tree she closed her eyes as she gently rested her horn upon it, “It feels warm, peaceful, and loving.” He cooed loving what she felt from the tree.
Reaching towards it Xiuhtecutli’s claw was zapped by magic causing him to pull back, “It’s not safe to leave these artifacts here, take them and let us be off.”
“No… I don’t think we will.” Letting go of the tree she turned and walked away, “They told me only those worthy will be allowed to remove them, and from what I saw them do to you I can say they are well enough protected.” Slowly she walked past Luna only to stop as her head reached her back, “To whomever their wielders may be I envy you, I hope and wish that you never lose your way. And should you meet any of my successors please find not fault with them, they only do what they believe to be best. Just as I.”
As she pulled her hood over her head she changed her appearance back to what Luna first saw, Luna pondered if she knew somepony other than her successors would view this memory and left that by choice. Or if was merely by chance that she had stumbled upon such a thing, either way she smiled as a small tear ran down the side of her face. Luna wasn’t sure what made that tear form in her eye, but what she did know was the words the young changeling spoke filled her with comfort making her believe everything would be just fine.
Slowly everything returned back as it was while Luna whipped the tear off her face, as the world returned to normal she was startled by the slanted eyes of a dragon staring into her eyes.
“What did you see?” His growl was low and oddly calm despite how his rage shown upon his face.
“Well… uh…” Luna tried to find the right words hoping she could come up with a good enough excuse for what she had done.
Before Luna could think of anything Xiuhtecutli touched the book that Luna held in her hooves, “Ah…” His anger seemed to calm as he put the book back, “her…” His voice slightly trembled as he cleared it, “please come along we have very little time on our side.”
Luna found it odd that his entire demeanor seemed to change from just seeing her, “You didn’t happen to love her did you?”
As he slithered down the steps he sighed, “I am a Leviathan. My race doesn’t feel, let alone understand, love. Procreation was simply something that was necessary to us, nothing more nothing less.” Stopping for a moment he looked up at her, “But if you meant to ask if I cared for her then yes. I have cared for all my advocates and it pains me to watch each of them go, but it is something outside of my control Princess. When their time came all I could do was watch, I remember how I did all I could to keep them safe, to save them when they needed it the most. But in the end the Reaper of Souls claims us all.”
Luna didn’t like anything he had said but was willing to understand, she wanted to ask him more about his race hoping to have a better understanding of him. But she felt now was not a good time to try, especially not here in this most sacred of places to the Greymanes. The further down they went the hotter it seemed to get, everypony had their guesses but not one of them was sure.
“Oh darling how hot is it down here? It feels as though we are in a volcano.” Rarity fanned her face with her hoof as a few beads of sweat formed upon her brow.
With a hmph Xiuhtecutli slithered past them towards a set of doors, “That is because this island sits upon an active volcano, the magic that brings this island to life is also what keeps the volcano from erupting. I may not know how or why this island lives or bends to the whims of my advocates but I do know one thing, this island has done what it can to prepare itself.” Placing his claws upon the doors he thrust his body to shove open the heavy doors, “The obsidian dome that covers the island, the reflective spell that very volcanic glass is imbued with, the flesh eating plants, and finally the active volcano. All of this is to keep this place sealed and protected from any who would either harm it, or use it for their own personal gain.”
For a moment they thought about how Greymane and his predecessors had gathered such knowledge and secrets in this place and locked them all away. But the more they thought about how he fought for them twice, they soon realized what was stored here was for the world. Their secrets was clearly the source of their strength and just as easily their greatest weakness if in the wrong possession, for now they understood that it was best this place remained hidden though they didn’t agree with the idea.
To have such secrets locked away made them feel uneasy, they almost questioned if he was still the same stallion they knew. Luna on the other hoof only hoped that among all these secrets stood the one bit of hope to spare Grey his fate.
As they entered the room they felt a sudden freezing chill take them as everything grew dark, “Do not fear the dark.” Xiuhtecutli whispered as he shut the doors.
In the dark Selune tried to keep her composure as the only sounds she heard around herself was that everypony’s hoofsteps, felling the Princess on her left and Twilight on her right she kept her breathing calm and steady.
*My, my, whom might this be that has stepped into my realm?* A faint voice called out to her as she felt a cold yet loving touch at the back of her mind, *A young mare… an odd one touched by something beyond her understanding. How intriguing…* Before Selune knew what was going on she found herself lost in the dark, *I thought that only Greymane and the leviathan were the only ones to have access to the island. How did you manage to get here?*
She tried to remain calm but hearing voices in the dark was never a good sign, *P-P-P-Princess Luna…* Selune tried not to stutter her words even in her thoughts but her fears gripped her.
*Ah yes the infamous mare who has stolen his heart.* Selune was aware that whatever it was it clearly knew she was scared, *You needn’t fear me young one I am the object of your quest, did the Leviathan not tell you?*
Before Selune could respond she watched as the darkness that enveloped them was dragged into the center of the room, they found it odd to see one another when no light existed in the room. Even stranger still was the darkness had been replaced by this even stranger dark blue void.
“Mirror of the Veil, we come unto you to ask assistance of those who rest beyond the unseen veil between life and death. We ask that you grant us your power so that we may commune with the departed…”
As Xiuhtecutli continued speaking to the mirror it in turn returned to talking with Selune, *Quite the wind bag isn’t he?* Selune tried to contain a chuckle as the artifact carried on, *It’s not that hard, a simple ‘yo we’s needs to chat with so-n-so’ would work just fine. Hell I’d accept a simple ‘hi can you connect me with (insert name of whomever)’. I don’t require a ritual or a chant, this is… this is just sad… and embarrassing to me.*
*Why not just tell him, wouldn’t that make it easier?* Though Seluen’s question wasn’t meant to be, she unknowingly asked what could have unraveled the secrets of the past.
The end of the Leviathans, the start of the Greymane’s, how they came together, every last bit of it would just lay right at her hooves.
*Ew… no thanks,* The mirror knew the possibilities that lay hidden if it went into far more detail than it did, *an arrogant creature like his race is one mind me and my siblings wouldn’t ever want to communicate with. I mean he kept his own advocate from discovering his past just because he told him it held no meaning to whom he is now.*
*What about Grey, he seems…* Though she tried to find a word good enough to explain him, Selune found herself being interrupted through her prolonged pause.
*Would if I could, but Grey hasn’t allowed any artifact to communicate with him in over a thousand years. The only ones who can have been tormenting him, even my sibling The Staff of Wisdom had to fight it’s way into his mind just to talk. And all it wanted was to help set him back on the right path.* The mirror gave a worried sigh as it gave itself an appearance to Selune, *Miss there is far more going on than any of you know, not even the leviathan knows the whole truth. Soon enough the past will catch up with the present, everything will come full circle, and the last few foals of the stars will drown in a sea of their own blood.*
Staring at the young filly before her puzzled her a bit, *Why do you look like me?*
*One thing that was never shared to the Greymanes or the Leviathans. When we artifacts find a perfect wielder we search them to find what makes them who they are, once we have we mold our appearance around that. In you I see a warm, caring, loving heart that wishes to help others. I wish to do the same, and if it were not for the Order of Balance I would do all I could to inform Greymane to give me to you.* As the filly shook her head she sighed while turning to walk towards itself, *But until the threat that is the Order is gone I will abide by their wishes and keep you out of harm's way, be well Selune Darkeye and I hope that one day our paths cross again.*
As the young mare before her started to vanish Selune reached out, *Wait what do you mean the foals of the stars will drown in their own blood? What do you mean by everything will come full circle? I still have so many questions.*
The young mare was gone but it’s voice slowly faded in her mind *All in due time Selune, all in due time.*
As she stepped forth she was held back by Xiuhtecutli as the darkness that was drawn in violently shot forth and began to circle all of them, slowly it came to a stop as it took form of a pony trotting towards them. As the pony came to a steady stop the darkness that made up it’s body faded revealing it was a stallion, looking at all of them he smiled as he crossed his leg over his chest and bowed before them.
“It is an honor to be in your presence.” As he raised his head he looked to his right, “Leviathan, I see not too much has changed. But tell me since when has the policy change to teaching more than one…” Walking through them he looked at each mare, “and such lovely mares at that? Surely they are far better suited for much greater things, after all Princess Luna is among them.”
“49th? But I had requested for the 8th or even the 25th to speak to, why is it you’ve come?”
Looking back over he sighed, “Because I fear for my son, much troubles him, and he has not been at his best for far too long.” His eyes trained on the ground as though he was viewing something, “He’s lost in his own mind, fighting, yet at the same time trying to let go.” Walking up to Luna he took her hoof, “I know what he has said, but as his father I wish to help him. Tell him Luna, don’t hesitate, don’t hold back, it will help him and it will help you.”
Everypony was baffled as to what he meant, Luna was even more so. She knew Grey said he didn’t want to know, so why would his father say to do other wise? Luna didn’t know why Grey never wanted to know how she felt about him, but after what she had seen him do just for her without knowing. She feared what he would do after finding out, what it could all bring.
As he walked towards the mirror he sighed, “The past collides with the present this much you know, the Shadow Walker has risen and so the lights of harmony are now lost in the dark. Only one who traverses the dark can retrieve the light. But I fear the past will overcome the present, the dead will overtake the living, and hope will be lost unto the draconic dogs who now hold the shame of the Leviathans.”
“I don’t understand, there has never been such a creature known as a draconic dog. And what shame? My race has never known shame.” Xiuhtecutli’s voice trembled as he recalled his own past, sure he knew what he did, and he had to do it.
There was no shame in what he did, but what he wasn’t paying attention too was he said Leviathans plural not possessive. It was this one bit of misunderstanding he was overlooking as his fears began to rise. He knew Shadow Walker was a sur name given unto the seventh Greymane from those that succeeded her, it was the one reason she could take down a single army on her own.
She was a pegasus who managed to bend the very shadows around her without the need of magic, sure she had rune magic to use but she never once touched used it believing it left her weak. Before the stallion could leave Selune reached out to touch him, only for her hoof to pass through his body feeling only an icy chill that left permafrost on her hoof.
Slightly startled by the cold she felt and not her sudden realization she watched as the 49th Greymane smiled as he looked back at her, “The mirror spoke to me, it said a few things but of them there is one I want to know the answer to.” Swallowing hard she looked back at Luna hoping the answer was what she thought it too be as she returned her gaze to him, “What did it mean when it said, ‘The foals of the stars will drown in a sea of their own blood’?”
“That is neither here nor now young Darkeye,” Turning around to caress her cheek his hoof faded from their sight, “funny. I guess my time here is up.” Tears filled his eyes as he looked into hers, “You have the eyes of the mare I once loved…” Slowly his body left them as his last words faintly echoed around them, “go to my son and tell him, I take upon the name…” His voice faded with along with him as the room returned to being pitch black.
As the doors behind them opened to light the way Xiuhtecutli called back to them with a twinge of sorrow in his voice, “We’ve been here long enough, let us return from whence we’ve come.”