Suikoden Equestriaby PenmoreChaptersIt started with a question (Prelude)The town across the lakeOld friends in a new town.ThiefIt started with a question (Prelude)"What were those lights?" That question was on my mind the whole time I sat there unable to move from the corner of the room. At first the survivor was just fine but as he came around and woke up he started to yell. The small light on his hand grew big enough to consume him and send a beam straight into the sky. Those tiny lights seemed to spread all over with no real destination to be had. All that was left was a blackened body and the light was gone. I soon realized however, the same light was on me but it seemed different. What once was a single marking changed to two one a black sword on my right hand and a white shield on my left. I had no idea of the mysteries they held but knew that I would no longer live a normal life. "Nurse Redheart!" it was one of the dock hands that first saw that boat and helped the survivor back. "Nurse are you alright? What happened?" he kept asking questions that I had no answers for and yet wanted to know myself. I looked around and grabbed my regular clothes. "I'm fine. I don't know what that was but whatever it was killed this poor man." I said pointing towards the remains. I was saddened by the sight, no one should have to die like this. As I looked at the poor lost soul I realized that whatever happened could happen to me. I covered my hands and left immediately but not before I heard the screams outside. We all ran and saw what caused them, it was lightning striking down everywhere on the dock but they weren't caused by the weather teams it was as if it were being called down with so much destructive force for a reason. "Nurse Redheart!" yelled the dock master as he was running towards me, his face full of fear. "Nurse come quick theres something wrong with Captain John's son, he keeps yelling about getting something off him" he said dragging me along towards the sight of the Captain's son writhing on the ground, his hand glowing with a yellow light. It seemed as if the light shone brighter with each bolt that came raining down but with each strike the boy was looking more and more exhausted. "Its that light! We have to stop that light somehow!" I yelled as I ran towards the boy and tried to get him to regain his composure. "Child! Child! Can you hear me?! You need to stop this and calm down!" it was no good the more I yelled the more he seemed to be in pain. I felt useless, what kind of nurse am I if i can't even help this poor child when he was so clearly in pain? Not knowing what else I could do I held his glowing hand and prayed that there was something or someway I could ease his pain. Thats when it happened, the light got stronger but it wasn't from his hand it was from mine. "Nurse! Its happening to you too! Let the kid go and run!" yelled the dock master from a distance. I saw what he meant and I could only look in disappointment. If the same thing that happened to the investigator was to happen to me then at least I could spare the child more pain and take him with me. The light shone brighter and an insignia of a shield appeared from it. I stared and somehow felt I knew what to do, I lifted my hand towards the sky and the shield shone out and formed a barrier around myself and the boy. It was soothing to say the least, the stress I had vanished and the boy seemed to have calmed down as well as the mark on his hand. Everything stopped and I willed the barrier to spread as far as it could, it seemed to smother the flames and heal everyone around me. Everyone looked in awe and fear at both me and the boy, the dock master and the captain approached us and stopped a little before us. "Nurse, what was that? What exactly did you do?" asked the captain with a mixture of worry and confusion. He must be worried for his boy but the look he had was one of fear, not something a father should have when looking at his son. "I don't know what happened but I somehow felt like I knew what I had to do. These marks....they are both extremely helpful and dangerous. I think the one the boy has made him lose control of himself." I said looking at the child in my arms his face calm and blissful as he was sleeping. I looked to the father and the dock master unable to comprehend what I just heard, thinking I was just distracted and heard wrong I asked "What did you just say?" "We said that you need to leave, both of you. For all we know the child could cause this again and destroy even more than he already has. The fact that you also have one of those means it can't be safe around you either. Please nurse try to understand my position in all this" said the dock master trying to hold back tears whether from fear or regret of saying all that I'll never know. Captain John could only look on as the scene took place and walked away towards a crate, he came back and dropped a small chest in front of me. "Nurse Redheart" he said while getting on his knees and bowing his head "Please! Take care of my son!" i could see his body shake and small drops fall from where his face was hiding. The pain he must be going through had to be immense. "I swear it, i'll take good care of your little boy." I gathered my things and took a carriage that was provided by the dock master. I put the boy in the back to let him continue resting and packed supplies for the road. "Thank you for everything, I wish there was another way this could have ended." was all I could muster before tears formed in my eyes, i turned and started my journey all the while wondering only one thing. "What were those lights?" The town across the lakeI woke up to find myself in the back of a wagon. I didn't know where I was or how i even got here all i knew was that my head hurt as if a timber wolf had been gnawing on it. I got out of the wagon trying to steady myself as I hit the ground and found that there was someone to my left near a fire. I sneaked a peak and saw that it was Nurse Redheart, the kind nurse that took care of all the port whenever there was trouble. She was always so nice and never seemed to mind helping those in need. I smiled knowing I wasn't in any danger but still wondered why we were near Lake Mareson. "Why are we here nurse? Wheres everyone else?" I asked her approaching the fire as my hunger took over from the smell of stew that was cooking. She looked at me with an almost surprised and fearful look, it caught me off guard and I stopped advancing but as quickly as the look came it left. Replaced by a warm smile and even warmer atmosphere, she beckoned for me to sit down and I did. "Everyone is back at the port, we had to leave because of what happened. Do you remember anything that happened?" she asked while stirring the pot that held the mouth-watering concoction. She handed me a bowl and I started to down it, i didn't know why but it felt as if i hadn't eaten in days. I finished and before i could ask she refilled it, "Slowly this time, I prefer to get opinions on my cooking." she said with a slight giggle. "Sorry ma'am, I don't know what came over me, i just know i'm hungry. As far as what happened I can't remember much other than this light coming out of nowhere and then blank." I said before trying to enjoy each helping of the stew. Before I could even get a second helping of it I saw that the nurse had a painful look on her face. This made me uneasy and I put the bowl down. "Wha.....what happened? Is everyone alright? Is my father alright?!" i started to panic at the possibility that the only family I had left would be dead. "Everyone is alright....as far as the events that led us here.......that mark on your hand was the cause of it all" she said pointing to my right hand. I looked and saw a lightning bolt surrounded by two circles, at first I was confused but all of a sudden the memories rushed back. The screams of the people at the port, the smell of burnt flesh and wood. The look of horror as everyone was running away from the cause of the devastation, and me in the middle of it all. I snapped at the memories of the pain, I started to flay uncontrollably before something held me down. It was the nurse she had jumped at me and pinned me down, I felt a wave of warmth overcome me and started to calm down. That was when I noticed her hand was glowing and realized it was the warmth was the same one that had washed over me before. "I.....I....I'm sorry" was all I could muster as tears flowed freely and fear washed over me. Nurse Redheart just held me for what seemed a long time. When I stopped my pathetic display she backed away and handed me the bowl refilled with the warm stew. "I remember.....the screams and the looks. I was the cause, I killed those people....... all because of this thing!" I yelled as I thrust my hand at her. She grabbed it and smiled once more, that smile could melted all my fears and replaced it with a feeling of safety. "I don't know what these things are but you can rest easy. Your father is alive and there were only a few casualties" she pulled me close and hugged me. I blushed at being so close to source of warmth that had saved me. "I stopped you before and i'll be here to stop you again." I broke down again as I heard this and hugged her again. "Your father told me to take care of you and thats what i'm going to do." she said softly. "My fa...father.?" I asked in between sobs while looking up at my saviors face. "Captain Nightshade right? he told me to look after you. He was worried about you but understood the situation, i'm sorry i had to be the one to tell you but please understand the position he was in." she said stroking my hair and making sure I was calm. I broke the hug and nodded, I knew that my father had a hard time making this choice and knew that it be the same for me. I smiled and sat down to eat again, all the while remembering all the good times I had with my father. "I never got your name, I know your last name but whats your full name? Mines Natalie Redheart but you can call me Redy." she laughed at the nickname as though remembering something fantastic in her life. I loved it when she smiled, it was as if everything i was worrying about was insignificant. I stopped eating and smiled right back at her. As I put the bowl down I walked over and sat down next to her, took her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry ma'am where are my manners. I am Sombra Nightshade II, aspiring captain but better known as a cabin boy aboard the Winking Drake, fastest ship to sail Equestria." I said before once again taking my seat. "So....where are we going?" i asked as I looked around thinking I caught a glimpse of a blush form on her face. "Oh!.....uh..... we're headed towards the town across the lake. Running low on supplies since it has been four days since we left the port. Ultimately though I was thinking of going to the Institution of Magic over in Hayston. Maybe they can help with enlighten on these....things.." she said with a slight hurtful look across her face. "Well then... you better get some sleep then." I said grabbing her hand escorting her to the wagon. "I'm sure with me taking the whole wagon that you haven't gotten a good night's sleep." I helped her up and was rewarded with that brilliant smile and a peck on the cheek. "Thank you.." was all she said before disappearing into the wagon and falling asleep. It was a good thing she did because at that moment I swear my face was redder than a fire ruby. "I'll stand watch for the night!." I said as I searched the bags for anything I could use as a weapon. I found the chest my father left..I knew it was his because it was always in his room on the ship. I opened it to find his rifle and short sword along with around thirty bullets. "Thanks Dad." was all I said before taking my post and looking forward to tomorrow. Old friends in a new town.We reached the town early the next day after getting enough rest. The road had been quiet enough with only a few timber wolves along the way. Sombra not wanting to wait in order to repay for looking after him jumped at the chance to show off. He was a skilled swordsman but somewhat rough with his shots, he couldn't help but feel as if this couldn't come close to repaying what she had done for him. It was his turn to drive the cart as they were crossing the bridge at the forefront of the lake. I was taking in the view of the sunset as it shone on the crystal clear water, I would have felt better if it was under better circumstances for seeing this view. I knew though that it was something I couldn't change... no matter how much I wished. "I see the town now Redy!" yelled out Sombra as he saw the small fishing town coming up across the bridge. I popped my head out in order to view the town. It was a small town alright, I had only been there once before and that was years ago in order to take the job at the port. Even with the recent years and the influx of people that seemed to come to the port it was still a small town. The only thing that seemed to stand out was the nobleman's house towards the back of the town. The lord of the town had been appointed prior to her arrival at the port. Never bothering to meet the lord when I first arrived it seemed like it would be pointless now considering the circumstances. It simply wasn't my business to know someone from noble standing, if it was at all important I would have done so long ago. The wagon stopped in front of a building before I realized it Sombra was talking to me. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" asking wondering about the confused look Sombra had on his face. I stared at him for a moment, I hadn't really noticed the boy the past few days. My mind was heavy with how the situation we were in could be resolved but now that I had time, I started to take notice that the boy was actually not so much boy as he was man. Jet black hair and tan skin; he had the build of someone that lived at sea though he was just a cabin boy for his father's ship for only a while before the incident. The way he carried himself made it seem like he just lived for the open seas. He wore a red shirt that was slightly burnt due to the fire at the time and tan slacks with leather boots, the rifle was slung across his back by a string and the short sword he carried barely hang from his right side as the strap was heavily deteriorated. I certainly hadn't noticed that I was staring for longer than one normally would until Sombra tried to get my attention once more, it was embarrassing to say the least. "I said, whats the funds situation for us? I know I skinned a few deer and foxes so we can sell those pelts, but I would like to buy some new clothes." he said while looking away from and heading towards the store; once he was done tying the reins of the horse in front. He grabbed the pelts from the back and something from the chest that his father had given me before we left. "Oh! I'm sorry...I have about 200 bits, its not much but then again I worked for room and board at the port as well. I kinda regret that now." I answered handing the money to him and climbing off the wagon. "I think I'll go take a walk around town for a bit, see if there might be someone in need of medical attention." I told him as I started to walk towards the center of town with a small brown bag of medicine. "I'll come get you when I'm done here then. Don't get lost and careful of strangers Redy!" Sombra yelled as I walked off. "I know already! Geez....who is taking care of whom?" I muttered to myself as a slight smile formed. The closer I got to the center of town the more people there seemed to be. I knew that it was a small town, but it seemed to boast a larger amount of citizens than the pier. Small children running around playing, wives gossiping about who did what and men laughing loudly about certain deeds better left unsaid. I loved the energy that surrounded me and loved to help bring smiles back where there were none. It was something I will never tire of in all my years as a nurse, the smiles people had whenever they knew everything was going to be alright. Stopping at the fountain that was dead center of the bustling little town I sat at the edge and dug through my bag pulling out a small sign. It was a black potion sign with a red cross in the middle, I placed it beside me and immediately people crowded around knowing the sign for clinical services. "Oh my! Is it true? Are you a doctor?" asked an elderly woman that was the first to show up. "Nurse. I'm afraid my knowledge is limited but that doesn't make it useless. Is there anything troubling you ma'am?" I replied with a gentle smile. "Well I have a slight pain on my hand, do you have anything for that? the old lady asked stretching out her hand for me to examine. I took her hand and noticed a slight wince on the old lady's face, digging around the bag and pulling out an ointment that I made herself for such things. I gently applied a bit on the lady and rubbed for a while, the old lady's expression changed from pain to comfort. "Oh my! That feels a whole lot better dear. Thank you" said the old lady as she pulled out 2 bits from her purse and handed them to me. "Take the ointment ma'am, apply it twice daily for a week." I said handing over the small bottle and taking the small payment. As soon as the lady left the line seemed to form properly for minor scrapes to mysterious rashes. Throughout all this, I was truly delighted my knowledge of simple medicine could help both the townsfolk and gain a bit for the journey ahead. "Redy?! Is that you?" asked a voice full of cheer. I turned to see fuchsia haired woman near my age coming closer, at first I couldn't tell who it was but that changed as the distance was closing fast. She jumped up nearly dropping all her things from the realization of who had asked that question. "Cheerie?!" was all I could say before I was picked up by the cheerful woman who was now screaming with delight, she stopped and put me down trying to compose herself again. "I thought that was you Redy. I really missed you all these years, you never wrote and I never knew where you went." Cheer said fixing her purple dress with a floral pattern on the side. She couldn't help but smile at the wonderful event that was happening before her. A reunion with the friend that was practically a sister to her after six years of wondering about her well-being. "What are you doing here Cheer? Last time I saw you was right before I left the orphanage to learn about medicine." I said still amazed at the turn of events unfolding before me. The reunion of with one of the closest people I could call family was a blessing with all the recent events. "I know! Oh I was so worried after that, I missed you everyday." Cheer said with tears forming and hugging Redy again."Well after you left I got adopted shortly after, I live here with my new family and work as the local teacher. I love it here, everyone is so nice and friendly. Oh sorry, i guess i disrupted your work. I can wait for you and then you have to come over. We simply must catch up." Cheer added wiping the tears away and sitting down next to Redy as she began her work again. Thief"I'll come get you when I'm done here then. Don't get lost and careful of strangers Redy!" I yelled as she walked off. I watched as the figure of her white cloak faded within the crowd of people and turned my attention to the store. Knowing full well of the battle I was about to have inside, I tried to remember everything I learn from my time at sea. Being a cabin boy meant I had to do lots of different things for my dad, but it also meant I got to learn various things from everyone else on the ship. "Welcome! Looking for anything specific?" was all I heard as I came went in and encountered a rather heavy set and jolly old man behind the counter. "We got some fine spices in today not to mention a great deal on rice and wheat." he said trying to push his wares. "I came to sell these furs and buy at least a weeks worth of food and water along with food for the horse." I said putting the stack of furs on the counter and untying them "Also if you've got any clothes for sale let me take a look at those too." Trying not to stray off topic and be blunt about my needs was a something I learned from my dad. "Well then, let's take a look at what you got. You got five wolf pelts, six rabbit furs and some beaver furs as well." He said taking a look at all the furs and then picking through each one to examine closely for holes or missing patches. "Well, these are fairly high quality I'll give you 75 bits for the whole lot." "75? Can't you go higher than that? I mean the wolves alone should at least be 13 bit each." So I said knowing full well that the negotiations had begun as soon as I started to disagree. The old man gave me a look and sighed as put the pelt he had in his hands. He turned around grabbed a box from the one of the shelves he had behind him. As he set it down and opened it, he took out a pair of glasses and an abacus. "Listen winter is close to ending and its only getting hotter especially with migration of the fire lizards coming soon. They come so close to the village that it gets hotter than the sting of a lava bee." he started to explain all the while making sure that the abacus stayed between us. "I really don't even have that much demand for furs anyways so take that into account as well. Not to mention that we got more rabbits than we know what to do with since they seemed to have bred well once out of hibernation." saying this he left the abacus at 75 bits "Alright I'll give you that but, you still have a demand and I know that the rabbit furs might just be extra stock but you could also use them to make small coin purses for children since this place seems to be bursting with them. Not to mention that these are black wolf pelts and those are harder to take out than the run of the mill gray ones." I said trying to push back at which I moved the abacus up to 95 bits which made him get a bit frustrated. "That may be, but I am not a tailor nor will I ever be one. I just stock the stuff I never make it myself so the purse idea, while good, is not something I can or am willing to do." he replied pushing the number to 78. Just as he finished the door to the place swung open and a little girl came. She had the posture of someone with purpose and walked up to the counter. The little girl seemed to be waiting for something and just stood there for a while. That is until she grew frustrated and kicked the counter at which the old man jumped and quickly grabbed a stool for her to sit on. She climbed on top and look at me with a slight glare, almost as if sizing me up. "Took you long enough. Try not to be so slow next time." she said to the old man who just seemed to take it. I was surprised that the old man who was serious and jolly just a second ago turned meek because of a little girl like this. "Listen, old man, I got some stuff to get rid of so let's be quick about it." "Well I would love to but as you can see I'm already in the middle of a transaction so If you could just maybe wait a little while..." was all he got out before he was shot a look of anger from this mini powerhouse of intimidation. I just couldn't believe it, I looked at her once more only to have her attention turned to me. "What?!" she screeched at which point even I got a bit upset. The little girl that needed a stool wore a slightly teared dress but it had enough accessories that seemed hand-made to make it seem almost brand new. Her demeanor was almost that of royalty or nobility which confused me as to how she even got that way, her hair was a light purplish pink with white streak going through the middle all the way to the ponytail she had. "Excuse me? I'm trying to finish my transaction here little girl so why don't you go play and come back to sell your trinkets some other time?" I said and turned my attention back to the store owner who for some reason seemed to have turned an unhealthy shade of white. I learned why as I heard the girl come down from the stool and stand right beside me at which she pulled at my cloak. "Yea? What now kid?" I said turning and crouching down to face her which, was a horrible mistake on my part. "Oh nothing much, just that I don't like your tone." she said with a smile on her face which seemed a bit odd. "My tone? What kind of tone did you expect I should have for a kid?" I asked "If it was any other kid I would say its perfect, but since you are talking to Diamond Tiara... well its bad." she replied "Oh? so what makes yo... Oomph." was all that came out as she had taken a the abacus from the counter and knocked me across the head full force. I lay on the ground for a bit woozy from the sudden blow. "One of respect, now if you don't mind I have some business to take care of." Diamond Tiara said as she climbed back on the stool and talked to the owner. I was trying to regain my composure just in time to hear them finishing but, before I could get up she had come back and smacked me again. "That one was because you called me a kid, also I'll take your bits as compensation for my emotional damage." She grabbed my bit pouch and walked out the door. I was knocked out and robbed by a prissy little girl. "God damn it." was all I could say before passing out on the ground.
It started with a question (Prelude)"What were those lights?" That question was on my mind the whole time I sat there unable to move from the corner of the room. At first the survivor was just fine but as he came around and woke up he started to yell. The small light on his hand grew big enough to consume him and send a beam straight into the sky. Those tiny lights seemed to spread all over with no real destination to be had. All that was left was a blackened body and the light was gone. I soon realized however, the same light was on me but it seemed different. What once was a single marking changed to two one a black sword on my right hand and a white shield on my left. I had no idea of the mysteries they held but knew that I would no longer live a normal life. "Nurse Redheart!" it was one of the dock hands that first saw that boat and helped the survivor back. "Nurse are you alright? What happened?" he kept asking questions that I had no answers for and yet wanted to know myself. I looked around and grabbed my regular clothes. "I'm fine. I don't know what that was but whatever it was killed this poor man." I said pointing towards the remains. I was saddened by the sight, no one should have to die like this. As I looked at the poor lost soul I realized that whatever happened could happen to me. I covered my hands and left immediately but not before I heard the screams outside. We all ran and saw what caused them, it was lightning striking down everywhere on the dock but they weren't caused by the weather teams it was as if it were being called down with so much destructive force for a reason. "Nurse Redheart!" yelled the dock master as he was running towards me, his face full of fear. "Nurse come quick theres something wrong with Captain John's son, he keeps yelling about getting something off him" he said dragging me along towards the sight of the Captain's son writhing on the ground, his hand glowing with a yellow light. It seemed as if the light shone brighter with each bolt that came raining down but with each strike the boy was looking more and more exhausted. "Its that light! We have to stop that light somehow!" I yelled as I ran towards the boy and tried to get him to regain his composure. "Child! Child! Can you hear me?! You need to stop this and calm down!" it was no good the more I yelled the more he seemed to be in pain. I felt useless, what kind of nurse am I if i can't even help this poor child when he was so clearly in pain? Not knowing what else I could do I held his glowing hand and prayed that there was something or someway I could ease his pain. Thats when it happened, the light got stronger but it wasn't from his hand it was from mine. "Nurse! Its happening to you too! Let the kid go and run!" yelled the dock master from a distance. I saw what he meant and I could only look in disappointment. If the same thing that happened to the investigator was to happen to me then at least I could spare the child more pain and take him with me. The light shone brighter and an insignia of a shield appeared from it. I stared and somehow felt I knew what to do, I lifted my hand towards the sky and the shield shone out and formed a barrier around myself and the boy. It was soothing to say the least, the stress I had vanished and the boy seemed to have calmed down as well as the mark on his hand. Everything stopped and I willed the barrier to spread as far as it could, it seemed to smother the flames and heal everyone around me. Everyone looked in awe and fear at both me and the boy, the dock master and the captain approached us and stopped a little before us. "Nurse, what was that? What exactly did you do?" asked the captain with a mixture of worry and confusion. He must be worried for his boy but the look he had was one of fear, not something a father should have when looking at his son. "I don't know what happened but I somehow felt like I knew what I had to do. These marks....they are both extremely helpful and dangerous. I think the one the boy has made him lose control of himself." I said looking at the child in my arms his face calm and blissful as he was sleeping. I looked to the father and the dock master unable to comprehend what I just heard, thinking I was just distracted and heard wrong I asked "What did you just say?" "We said that you need to leave, both of you. For all we know the child could cause this again and destroy even more than he already has. The fact that you also have one of those means it can't be safe around you either. Please nurse try to understand my position in all this" said the dock master trying to hold back tears whether from fear or regret of saying all that I'll never know. Captain John could only look on as the scene took place and walked away towards a crate, he came back and dropped a small chest in front of me. "Nurse Redheart" he said while getting on his knees and bowing his head "Please! Take care of my son!" i could see his body shake and small drops fall from where his face was hiding. The pain he must be going through had to be immense. "I swear it, i'll take good care of your little boy." I gathered my things and took a carriage that was provided by the dock master. I put the boy in the back to let him continue resting and packed supplies for the road. "Thank you for everything, I wish there was another way this could have ended." was all I could muster before tears formed in my eyes, i turned and started my journey all the while wondering only one thing. "What were those lights?"
The town across the lakeI woke up to find myself in the back of a wagon. I didn't know where I was or how i even got here all i knew was that my head hurt as if a timber wolf had been gnawing on it. I got out of the wagon trying to steady myself as I hit the ground and found that there was someone to my left near a fire. I sneaked a peak and saw that it was Nurse Redheart, the kind nurse that took care of all the port whenever there was trouble. She was always so nice and never seemed to mind helping those in need. I smiled knowing I wasn't in any danger but still wondered why we were near Lake Mareson. "Why are we here nurse? Wheres everyone else?" I asked her approaching the fire as my hunger took over from the smell of stew that was cooking. She looked at me with an almost surprised and fearful look, it caught me off guard and I stopped advancing but as quickly as the look came it left. Replaced by a warm smile and even warmer atmosphere, she beckoned for me to sit down and I did. "Everyone is back at the port, we had to leave because of what happened. Do you remember anything that happened?" she asked while stirring the pot that held the mouth-watering concoction. She handed me a bowl and I started to down it, i didn't know why but it felt as if i hadn't eaten in days. I finished and before i could ask she refilled it, "Slowly this time, I prefer to get opinions on my cooking." she said with a slight giggle. "Sorry ma'am, I don't know what came over me, i just know i'm hungry. As far as what happened I can't remember much other than this light coming out of nowhere and then blank." I said before trying to enjoy each helping of the stew. Before I could even get a second helping of it I saw that the nurse had a painful look on her face. This made me uneasy and I put the bowl down. "Wha.....what happened? Is everyone alright? Is my father alright?!" i started to panic at the possibility that the only family I had left would be dead. "Everyone is alright....as far as the events that led us here.......that mark on your hand was the cause of it all" she said pointing to my right hand. I looked and saw a lightning bolt surrounded by two circles, at first I was confused but all of a sudden the memories rushed back. The screams of the people at the port, the smell of burnt flesh and wood. The look of horror as everyone was running away from the cause of the devastation, and me in the middle of it all. I snapped at the memories of the pain, I started to flay uncontrollably before something held me down. It was the nurse she had jumped at me and pinned me down, I felt a wave of warmth overcome me and started to calm down. That was when I noticed her hand was glowing and realized it was the warmth was the same one that had washed over me before. "I.....I....I'm sorry" was all I could muster as tears flowed freely and fear washed over me. Nurse Redheart just held me for what seemed a long time. When I stopped my pathetic display she backed away and handed me the bowl refilled with the warm stew. "I remember.....the screams and the looks. I was the cause, I killed those people....... all because of this thing!" I yelled as I thrust my hand at her. She grabbed it and smiled once more, that smile could melted all my fears and replaced it with a feeling of safety. "I don't know what these things are but you can rest easy. Your father is alive and there were only a few casualties" she pulled me close and hugged me. I blushed at being so close to source of warmth that had saved me. "I stopped you before and i'll be here to stop you again." I broke down again as I heard this and hugged her again. "Your father told me to take care of you and thats what i'm going to do." she said softly. "My fa...father.?" I asked in between sobs while looking up at my saviors face. "Captain Nightshade right? he told me to look after you. He was worried about you but understood the situation, i'm sorry i had to be the one to tell you but please understand the position he was in." she said stroking my hair and making sure I was calm. I broke the hug and nodded, I knew that my father had a hard time making this choice and knew that it be the same for me. I smiled and sat down to eat again, all the while remembering all the good times I had with my father. "I never got your name, I know your last name but whats your full name? Mines Natalie Redheart but you can call me Redy." she laughed at the nickname as though remembering something fantastic in her life. I loved it when she smiled, it was as if everything i was worrying about was insignificant. I stopped eating and smiled right back at her. As I put the bowl down I walked over and sat down next to her, took her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry ma'am where are my manners. I am Sombra Nightshade II, aspiring captain but better known as a cabin boy aboard the Winking Drake, fastest ship to sail Equestria." I said before once again taking my seat. "So....where are we going?" i asked as I looked around thinking I caught a glimpse of a blush form on her face. "Oh!.....uh..... we're headed towards the town across the lake. Running low on supplies since it has been four days since we left the port. Ultimately though I was thinking of going to the Institution of Magic over in Hayston. Maybe they can help with enlighten on these....things.." she said with a slight hurtful look across her face. "Well then... you better get some sleep then." I said grabbing her hand escorting her to the wagon. "I'm sure with me taking the whole wagon that you haven't gotten a good night's sleep." I helped her up and was rewarded with that brilliant smile and a peck on the cheek. "Thank you.." was all she said before disappearing into the wagon and falling asleep. It was a good thing she did because at that moment I swear my face was redder than a fire ruby. "I'll stand watch for the night!." I said as I searched the bags for anything I could use as a weapon. I found the chest my father left..I knew it was his because it was always in his room on the ship. I opened it to find his rifle and short sword along with around thirty bullets. "Thanks Dad." was all I said before taking my post and looking forward to tomorrow.
Old friends in a new town.We reached the town early the next day after getting enough rest. The road had been quiet enough with only a few timber wolves along the way. Sombra not wanting to wait in order to repay for looking after him jumped at the chance to show off. He was a skilled swordsman but somewhat rough with his shots, he couldn't help but feel as if this couldn't come close to repaying what she had done for him. It was his turn to drive the cart as they were crossing the bridge at the forefront of the lake. I was taking in the view of the sunset as it shone on the crystal clear water, I would have felt better if it was under better circumstances for seeing this view. I knew though that it was something I couldn't change... no matter how much I wished. "I see the town now Redy!" yelled out Sombra as he saw the small fishing town coming up across the bridge. I popped my head out in order to view the town. It was a small town alright, I had only been there once before and that was years ago in order to take the job at the port. Even with the recent years and the influx of people that seemed to come to the port it was still a small town. The only thing that seemed to stand out was the nobleman's house towards the back of the town. The lord of the town had been appointed prior to her arrival at the port. Never bothering to meet the lord when I first arrived it seemed like it would be pointless now considering the circumstances. It simply wasn't my business to know someone from noble standing, if it was at all important I would have done so long ago. The wagon stopped in front of a building before I realized it Sombra was talking to me. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" asking wondering about the confused look Sombra had on his face. I stared at him for a moment, I hadn't really noticed the boy the past few days. My mind was heavy with how the situation we were in could be resolved but now that I had time, I started to take notice that the boy was actually not so much boy as he was man. Jet black hair and tan skin; he had the build of someone that lived at sea though he was just a cabin boy for his father's ship for only a while before the incident. The way he carried himself made it seem like he just lived for the open seas. He wore a red shirt that was slightly burnt due to the fire at the time and tan slacks with leather boots, the rifle was slung across his back by a string and the short sword he carried barely hang from his right side as the strap was heavily deteriorated. I certainly hadn't noticed that I was staring for longer than one normally would until Sombra tried to get my attention once more, it was embarrassing to say the least. "I said, whats the funds situation for us? I know I skinned a few deer and foxes so we can sell those pelts, but I would like to buy some new clothes." he said while looking away from and heading towards the store; once he was done tying the reins of the horse in front. He grabbed the pelts from the back and something from the chest that his father had given me before we left. "Oh! I'm sorry...I have about 200 bits, its not much but then again I worked for room and board at the port as well. I kinda regret that now." I answered handing the money to him and climbing off the wagon. "I think I'll go take a walk around town for a bit, see if there might be someone in need of medical attention." I told him as I started to walk towards the center of town with a small brown bag of medicine. "I'll come get you when I'm done here then. Don't get lost and careful of strangers Redy!" Sombra yelled as I walked off. "I know already! Geez....who is taking care of whom?" I muttered to myself as a slight smile formed. The closer I got to the center of town the more people there seemed to be. I knew that it was a small town, but it seemed to boast a larger amount of citizens than the pier. Small children running around playing, wives gossiping about who did what and men laughing loudly about certain deeds better left unsaid. I loved the energy that surrounded me and loved to help bring smiles back where there were none. It was something I will never tire of in all my years as a nurse, the smiles people had whenever they knew everything was going to be alright. Stopping at the fountain that was dead center of the bustling little town I sat at the edge and dug through my bag pulling out a small sign. It was a black potion sign with a red cross in the middle, I placed it beside me and immediately people crowded around knowing the sign for clinical services. "Oh my! Is it true? Are you a doctor?" asked an elderly woman that was the first to show up. "Nurse. I'm afraid my knowledge is limited but that doesn't make it useless. Is there anything troubling you ma'am?" I replied with a gentle smile. "Well I have a slight pain on my hand, do you have anything for that? the old lady asked stretching out her hand for me to examine. I took her hand and noticed a slight wince on the old lady's face, digging around the bag and pulling out an ointment that I made herself for such things. I gently applied a bit on the lady and rubbed for a while, the old lady's expression changed from pain to comfort. "Oh my! That feels a whole lot better dear. Thank you" said the old lady as she pulled out 2 bits from her purse and handed them to me. "Take the ointment ma'am, apply it twice daily for a week." I said handing over the small bottle and taking the small payment. As soon as the lady left the line seemed to form properly for minor scrapes to mysterious rashes. Throughout all this, I was truly delighted my knowledge of simple medicine could help both the townsfolk and gain a bit for the journey ahead. "Redy?! Is that you?" asked a voice full of cheer. I turned to see fuchsia haired woman near my age coming closer, at first I couldn't tell who it was but that changed as the distance was closing fast. She jumped up nearly dropping all her things from the realization of who had asked that question. "Cheerie?!" was all I could say before I was picked up by the cheerful woman who was now screaming with delight, she stopped and put me down trying to compose herself again. "I thought that was you Redy. I really missed you all these years, you never wrote and I never knew where you went." Cheer said fixing her purple dress with a floral pattern on the side. She couldn't help but smile at the wonderful event that was happening before her. A reunion with the friend that was practically a sister to her after six years of wondering about her well-being. "What are you doing here Cheer? Last time I saw you was right before I left the orphanage to learn about medicine." I said still amazed at the turn of events unfolding before me. The reunion of with one of the closest people I could call family was a blessing with all the recent events. "I know! Oh I was so worried after that, I missed you everyday." Cheer said with tears forming and hugging Redy again."Well after you left I got adopted shortly after, I live here with my new family and work as the local teacher. I love it here, everyone is so nice and friendly. Oh sorry, i guess i disrupted your work. I can wait for you and then you have to come over. We simply must catch up." Cheer added wiping the tears away and sitting down next to Redy as she began her work again.
Thief"I'll come get you when I'm done here then. Don't get lost and careful of strangers Redy!" I yelled as she walked off. I watched as the figure of her white cloak faded within the crowd of people and turned my attention to the store. Knowing full well of the battle I was about to have inside, I tried to remember everything I learn from my time at sea. Being a cabin boy meant I had to do lots of different things for my dad, but it also meant I got to learn various things from everyone else on the ship. "Welcome! Looking for anything specific?" was all I heard as I came went in and encountered a rather heavy set and jolly old man behind the counter. "We got some fine spices in today not to mention a great deal on rice and wheat." he said trying to push his wares. "I came to sell these furs and buy at least a weeks worth of food and water along with food for the horse." I said putting the stack of furs on the counter and untying them "Also if you've got any clothes for sale let me take a look at those too." Trying not to stray off topic and be blunt about my needs was a something I learned from my dad. "Well then, let's take a look at what you got. You got five wolf pelts, six rabbit furs and some beaver furs as well." He said taking a look at all the furs and then picking through each one to examine closely for holes or missing patches. "Well, these are fairly high quality I'll give you 75 bits for the whole lot." "75? Can't you go higher than that? I mean the wolves alone should at least be 13 bit each." So I said knowing full well that the negotiations had begun as soon as I started to disagree. The old man gave me a look and sighed as put the pelt he had in his hands. He turned around grabbed a box from the one of the shelves he had behind him. As he set it down and opened it, he took out a pair of glasses and an abacus. "Listen winter is close to ending and its only getting hotter especially with migration of the fire lizards coming soon. They come so close to the village that it gets hotter than the sting of a lava bee." he started to explain all the while making sure that the abacus stayed between us. "I really don't even have that much demand for furs anyways so take that into account as well. Not to mention that we got more rabbits than we know what to do with since they seemed to have bred well once out of hibernation." saying this he left the abacus at 75 bits "Alright I'll give you that but, you still have a demand and I know that the rabbit furs might just be extra stock but you could also use them to make small coin purses for children since this place seems to be bursting with them. Not to mention that these are black wolf pelts and those are harder to take out than the run of the mill gray ones." I said trying to push back at which I moved the abacus up to 95 bits which made him get a bit frustrated. "That may be, but I am not a tailor nor will I ever be one. I just stock the stuff I never make it myself so the purse idea, while good, is not something I can or am willing to do." he replied pushing the number to 78. Just as he finished the door to the place swung open and a little girl came. She had the posture of someone with purpose and walked up to the counter. The little girl seemed to be waiting for something and just stood there for a while. That is until she grew frustrated and kicked the counter at which the old man jumped and quickly grabbed a stool for her to sit on. She climbed on top and look at me with a slight glare, almost as if sizing me up. "Took you long enough. Try not to be so slow next time." she said to the old man who just seemed to take it. I was surprised that the old man who was serious and jolly just a second ago turned meek because of a little girl like this. "Listen, old man, I got some stuff to get rid of so let's be quick about it." "Well I would love to but as you can see I'm already in the middle of a transaction so If you could just maybe wait a little while..." was all he got out before he was shot a look of anger from this mini powerhouse of intimidation. I just couldn't believe it, I looked at her once more only to have her attention turned to me. "What?!" she screeched at which point even I got a bit upset. The little girl that needed a stool wore a slightly teared dress but it had enough accessories that seemed hand-made to make it seem almost brand new. Her demeanor was almost that of royalty or nobility which confused me as to how she even got that way, her hair was a light purplish pink with white streak going through the middle all the way to the ponytail she had. "Excuse me? I'm trying to finish my transaction here little girl so why don't you go play and come back to sell your trinkets some other time?" I said and turned my attention back to the store owner who for some reason seemed to have turned an unhealthy shade of white. I learned why as I heard the girl come down from the stool and stand right beside me at which she pulled at my cloak. "Yea? What now kid?" I said turning and crouching down to face her which, was a horrible mistake on my part. "Oh nothing much, just that I don't like your tone." she said with a smile on her face which seemed a bit odd. "My tone? What kind of tone did you expect I should have for a kid?" I asked "If it was any other kid I would say its perfect, but since you are talking to Diamond Tiara... well its bad." she replied "Oh? so what makes yo... Oomph." was all that came out as she had taken a the abacus from the counter and knocked me across the head full force. I lay on the ground for a bit woozy from the sudden blow. "One of respect, now if you don't mind I have some business to take care of." Diamond Tiara said as she climbed back on the stool and talked to the owner. I was trying to regain my composure just in time to hear them finishing but, before I could get up she had come back and smacked me again. "That one was because you called me a kid, also I'll take your bits as compensation for my emotional damage." She grabbed my bit pouch and walked out the door. I was knocked out and robbed by a prissy little girl. "God damn it." was all I could say before passing out on the ground.
