Beyond the Vale

Chapters

Of Candles & Teleportation
Of Moonlight & Wooden Wolves
Of Carts & Vines
Of Castles & Forges
Of Books & Oranges

Of Candles & Teleportation

Near the centre of Canterlot castle, adjoining the Starswirl the Bearded area of the library, lay the Clover the Clever wing of the castle, dedicated to advancing the magical knowledge of ponykind. The most talented and knowledgeable unicorns in Equestria had resided there for millennia, with each generation of ponies bringing more knowledge back from the threshold of The Vale, a plane of existence only accessible to the most gifted of unicorns. It was thought to hold untold amounts of arcane knowledge; wisdom that would often have to be forcibly removed, though occasionally tantalizing wisps of magical enlightenment would bleed out. The institute itself was generally a place of excitement and wonder that was abuzz with activity at all hours, but a certain researcher would probably call it a dungeon at that very moment.

That researcher resided in a blindingly white room, only made bearable to look at by the sheer number of bookshelves lining its walls. Near the back of this room just in front of a monolithic bookshelf, a very agitated-looking pony sat behind a worn mahogany desk, his scowl worsening as an aura of forest green magic slowly faded from around his horn. He abruptly slammed one of his hooves against his desk, most of the ponies walking near his office shied away from the reverberating thump while those who frequented the area simply rolled their eyes.

The pony in question roughly dragged his hoof over his short but unkempt mane. The tangled strands of auburn fibre protesting against every movement, with the sweat caused by an unusually hot day coating his dark green hoof only helping slightly. He closed his eyes and began muttering angrily underneath his breath.

"I just don’t get it. I’ve tried every single configuration I could think of and nothing! Every single sun-cursed one!"

He stormed out of the room and into an open corridor leading to a bright courtyard dotted with exotic plants and ancient statues of famous figures, the spectacular view doing little to improve his mood.

"By Apokryfes, could this day get any worse?"

It was at that moment that a vibrant blue and orange colt with a lit candle branded upon his flanks spotted him. The brightly coloured colt's light eyes widened and he was soon jaunting down the crowded marble corridor towards the despondent pony. The green pony in question took a quick moment to look to the sky and murmured something almost inaudible.

"Hate you too," he said through gritted teeth.

His ugly expression alleviated only slightly when the blue colt reached him and began to speak, the other ponies crowding the area paying him no mind.

"Hey Firebrand, how’s that new spell coming along?” the young colt asked with enthusiasm. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his muzzle while his eyes twinkled in the muted sunlight.

“Do you really want to know, Bright?” the slightly older pony said in a weary tone, his face falling even further when the energetic colt vigorously nodded his head. His deep green eyes slowly narrowed and his mouth formed into a taught grimace as he recounted his numerous trials.

“In one word, terribly." The pace of his speech increased. "They have countless other talented unicorns willing to work on a long-range teleportation spell, but, for some incomprehensible reason, they give the task to me. Regardless of the fact that my field is destruction magic, not Vale-tainted teleportation! Heck, they should have an entire team working on this, but they give it to a single pony who has no idea what he’s even doing! So, in short, I’m completely out of my league and haven’t slept in two days, does that answer your question!?”

Bright was now visibly cowering before his elder, trying desperately to disappear while a curious crowd coalesced around the duo. Bright's ears were pinned back and his head was lowered before his peer.

“I-I’m sorry, whatever I did, I’m sorry,” he fearfully choked out, trying desperately not to look at Firebrand.

After glancing down at the cringing pony, Firebrand suddenly came to his senses and backed off from his overbearing position. He almost winced when he felt a sharp spike of guilt lance into his being. He gave a drawn out sigh and hooked his foreleg over his prominent muzzle, trying to forestall his oncoming headache. Firebrand glanced apologetically at at the bright blue pony situated in front of him. His features softened even further.

“No, I’m sorry Bright... I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I’m just under a lot of stress right now and I’d rather be left alone for a while.”

The smaller unicorn regained his smile, though much it was now much more cautious, and noisily clambered back onto his hooves with some help from the pony who had caused him to fall to his haunches.

“It’s okay, I should have known that you probably weren't in the mood to talk.” He momentarily widened his smile and cantered out of Firebrand’s line of sight. Seeing that whatever drama had transpired was over, the crowd around him slowly dispersed; the usual rumble of activity replacing the silence that had seized the area only moments before. Also letting the weary pony set off towards a large set of gold-lined ebony doors, though he still attracted some curious stares from passers-bye. He tried to tune out the cacophony of dozens of hooves striking bare stone, and found himself thinking about his predicament.

Note to self: don’t talk to anypony for now, you will set something on fire.

He halted mid-step when he once again saw the imposing ebony doors in front of him, a scant few hooves away.

Then why, in the wide world of Equestria, am I going to the lunch hall?

Sometime later, Firebrand was sitting on one of the ancient wooden tables that dotted the gargantuan room that served as a cafeteria. Serene magical lights bathed the room in a calming blue, which slackened Firebrand's rigid posture somewhat. The near-black stallion sluggishly slipped off of the bench wandered up to a passing waiter, he asked what was being served. He was immediately barraged with a slew of dishes that sounded fit for nobility; he was content with a simple daisy sandwich. He was given a wide berth by the other researchers. It was now common knowledge that he was very irritable, if the dark patches under his eyes and half-frown weren't warning enough.

That didn’t stop a certain intrepid blue and orange colt from firmly planting himself on the seat across from him, causing Firebrand's plate to jump slightly and settle back on the table with a clatter. Forest green eyes locked on the amber orbs of the pony opposite him in a clear warning glare. Which, when dealing with Firebrand in his current state, could be interpreted as an if-you-don’t-leave-now-I’ll-set-your-mane-on-fire glare.

“Bright Light, if you say anything, bad things will happen,” was the best threat his addled brain could come up with.

The colt the threat was directed at, to his credit, simply mimed locking his mouth shut as he levitated a morsel of food to himself in a saffron coloured aura. When he did so, the stallion with the cutie mark of a smoking dark laceration placidly raised an eyebrow.

Why does he always get the same thing I get?

He mentally shrugged and merely continued to eat his delicately spiced sandwich, focusing on the rich taste that the cooks had somehow managed to imbue.

A short time later, when both had finished their meals and left their seats, Bright Light whispered to Firebrand as he ambled past him on the way to the exit.

“If you need any help, just let me know.”

Just as he was about to rebuff the offer, an idea came unbidden from the recesses of his mind. Or, more likely, from beyond the Vale.

“Actually, meet me in my office in a few hours. I’ve got an idea,” he stated with a giddy, if slightly deranged, smile.

A few hours of frantic work later, and Firebrand was sporting a wide grin as he surveyed his work: a blueprint that would be unintelligible to any non-unicorns who might happen upon it, but was in fact the formation of an exceedingly complicated spell.

He was still fervently going through his work, trying to spot any of the many possible mistakes within the intricate weave of runes and threads. He was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing. The slight clip-clop of hooves on polished marble filled the alabaster room.

“Uh, is this a good time? I can come back later if you want...” said a slightly nervous Bright Light as he beheld the state of utter disarray the room was in. It was then, and only then, that it dawned on him that testing a spell with a powerful, sleep deprived and slightly unhinged unicorn might be a bad idea.

“Hm- no, now is the perfect time! I think I've finally figured out how to perform a long-range teleportation spell; you see, you can’t perform it yourself. No. You need another pony to perform it. The matrix of the spell is highly unstable so the spell will simply unravel and the magicka will be absorbed back into the caster as soon as the spell matrix is released if they try to do it themselves. But, if another unicorn does it the mana is incompatible with the subjects’ due to the unique thaumic signature of each individual pony. The subject won’t be able to absorb the magicka, so it should stay stable and, hopefully, work!" The stream of words flowing from the unicorn’s mouth were barely decipherable due to the speed that they had been spoken. Bright Light trotted over to Firebrand with much shorter, nervous steps after the explanation.

“Uh... Did you say that it should work? I don’t really feel comfortable with having an unstable and untested spell cast on me; as much as I’d do if you asked, I gotta draw the line somewhere.”

The pony he was addressing gave a hearty chuckle in reply, and shook his head in amusement.

“I won’t be casting in on you, you’ll be casting it on me. Why do you think I drew out the spell matrix over there? I may be irresponsible, but only when I'm the only pony who could get hurt or, y'know, die,” he said after his laughter had petered down.

“Well, that makes me feel so much better...” Bright murmured, doubting that that Firebrand would change his mind no matter what he said to discourage him.

“Okay, look at, um... that for a few minutes before you do the spell. Time’s of the essence!” Firebrand thundered while wildly gesticulating in the general direction of the plans he had laid out on his wearied mahogany desk. His frantic movements knocked over a nearby jar of a sickly looking purple substance, which was caught in a magical aura before it could spill its mysterious contents.

“And why is time of the essence? Surely it would be much safer to-” Bright Light was cut off sharply.

“Time is of the essence because I said it is, don’t question me! Get to work! I want to be inside Ponyville library as soon as possible.”

He asked to be deposited in Ponyville library for two reasons: he could tell the Princess’ personal student about the breakthrough, and it housed the fasted mailing system known to ponykind in the form of a baby dragon named Spike.

The slightly dumbfounded blue colt spent the next few minutes studying the complex pattern drawn upon a piece of plant-based parchment, sparing a few worried glances at the stallion a few years his senior.

“I- uh, okay, I think I know what I’m doing... Are you sure we shouldn't test this on something else first?” He hoped to at least limit the damage that could have been caused, but then he looked up at Firebrand; the look on his face was worth a thousand words, and all of those words were “no”.

“O-kay then, so, uh just try to stand still.” His eyes closed and calm overtook his features as a bright yellow-orange glow surrounded his relatively sharp horn; testament to the large amount of magicka being channelled through it.

Firebrand gave the room one last triumphant scan, confident that he would be in the company of Twilight Sparkle in the next few seconds. That is, until he saw a few symbols that had no logical place being on a teleportation spell; those symbols were meant to access the Vale. In conclusion, he was totally screwed.

“No wai-” But it was too late, the spell was released and and his words were lost in a bright flash and a resounding boom.

“Woohoo! We did it!” Bright Light sat there with a dopey grin on his face, awaiting a letter confirming the success, but little did he know that he would have to wait for much longer than expected...

When Firebrand emerged from an unconscious haze, he felt like something was wrong. Deeply, deeply wrong...

He then realised that he was swinging on a vine forty hooves from the ground. The urge to face-hoof at that moment was almost overpowering. He looked around at the forest and took a moment to bask in the calls of distant animals and the strong, earthy smell that pervaded the area. Now, the strange thing about a tired brain is that the most irrational decisions can seem reasonable.

And that’s why he charged up his long horn, bathing the area in an unnatural green glow, and set the vine, the dozen or so trees behind it and a particularly unlucky squirrel on fire. The flames quickly spread to the rest of the lush vegetation; orange flames licked the sky and turned everything on the ground to ash. That's how a good portion of the Everfree Forest was burned down and our foolhardy hero nearly killed himself.

After a last-minute teleportation (after which he was thankful he hadn't ended up with his head in a rock), he was lying on his back and gazing into the inky depths of the night sky. The night sky.

I got teleported around three o'clock, and you can’t stay unconscious for more than a few minutes without suffering brain damage. So, either I'm suffering from massive brain trauma or something’s terribly, terribly wrong... Or all that the misplaced runes did was teleport me a few hours into the future.

He eventually decided that he would just have to see for himself, so he hauled himself up, hardly noticing the flames dancing behind him or the smoke curling through the trees. Dead leaves crackled and twigs snapped as he meandered in the direction that he judged would have a lower percentage of manticore maulings. But when you’re in the Everfree, manticores are never too far ahead...

Author's Note

Hope you liked this! Please (pretty please) leave a comment and maybe a fave and a like. Also, please point out any mistakes you can find, this was pre-read by myself so...

Of Moonlight & Wooden Wolves

To say that the Everfree Forest was eerie at night would be a massive understatement. The image of the menacing trees shrouded in darkness was a sight to make even the bravest pony hesitate. But a certain unicorn couldn't care less, and he was ready and willing to reduce the entire Everfree to ashes. Which, judging by the massive trail of destruction left in his wake, he was well on his way to accomplishing.

He was in the midst of incinerating a particularly infuriating patch of undergrowth when he heard twigs snapping behind him. His ears momentarily flicked towards the source of the noise, but he couldn't hear anything over his fervent bush-roasting. When he was ready to move towards his ill-defined goal he heard the rustle of leaves close to his position. With a startled whinny, he turned around with a sun-fire spell at the ready...

...Only to nearly scorch a particularly curious rabbit, which then hurriedly sprinted from whence it came.

He let out a frustrated sigh. “When this is over, I'm going to stop volunteering for dangerous experiments. Also, anypony who asks me to do a report is getting their office set on fire,” he said under his breath. The light emanating from his horn briefly flared up as he thought about the Archmage in particular.

After a few more minutes of uneventful marching through the sodden undergrowth of the cursed forest, he spotted a gap in the massive trees ahead of him from which faint moonlight could be seen shining. Realising that he had possibly reached the end of his tedious journey, he hastened towards the moonlit exit, but what he saw on the other side made him come to a jarring stop just at the entrance to the outside world. His breath hitched in his throat and his jaw lowered.

He saw desolation. There was no grass upon the barren landscape, with the only landmarks being rocks coated in a fine layer of frost. On a hunch, he gathered an amount of stagnant water from a nearby pond in his magical aura, slowly levitated it to his side, and threw it beyond the reaches of the Everfree; it immediately turned to snow in the frigid air pervading the devastated land before him. He then turned his gaze upwards and saw something that shouldn’t have been possible, Canterlot wasn’t shining like a pearlescent beacon in the pale moonlight. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t there at all. There was nothing but sheer rock covering the spot on the Horn of the World where Canterlot usually resided, even then it was cracked, with great slabs of rock ready to fall at a moments' notice. He started breathing rapidly and his glassy eyes stared off into nothingness.

“Canterlot’s gone? Why in Tartarus is Canterlot gone!? D-did I destroy it? Did that idiot Bright Light do something. Oh no... My books! Where are they!? I swear- no, no. Everything's fine, no need to worry. Everything's fine. Everything. Is. Fine.” He sat on his haunches and softly pressed his hooves to his head.

He took a shaky breath, his posture slumped and facing the frozen ground, then racked his brain for a reasonable excuse for his situation.

“This is probably just a horrible dream. My spell clearly failed and I passed out, no need to panic. No need to panic. Besides, how could everything just freeze anyway? Heh.”

His brief smile was a broken thing, not reaching his eyes and falling just as soon as it had appeared.

The utterly frigid conditions out there probably means that Equestria has been like this for some time, but what could have happened to reduce our nation to... this? And where's Canterlot? Ugh, I can't deal with this at the moment, to Tartarus with it all.

He turned his lidded green eyes towards the moon for the second time that night, foolishly hoping for some clue as to what happened to suddenly appear from the heavenly being. After staring intently at the cratered orb hanging motionless in the sky, he was reminded of a recent event: the return of Princess Luna. Not many ponies knew that she had originally appeared as Nightmare Moon, but it was hard to keep a secret from the mages and alchemists at Canterlot Castle. He also remembered that her stated goal was to bring about eternal night.

Wait. The moon standing unmoving, the inhospitable conditions and Canterlot not even existing? And those... extra runes on the plan... what have I gotten myself into this time? I've never messed up this badly before, not even when I melted Princess Celestia's crown.

He winced slightly at the memory, still remembering the shocked expression of the princess when he'd busted through one of the throne room walls in a blaze of fire. Shaking his head slightly to dispel the memory, he raised himself on lightly shaking hooves. He turned around and set his sights on the inky darkness behind him, the faint whispers of awful creatures and unimaginable horrors bleeding through. He took a deep breath, lit his horn, and stumbled off into the darkness. Various hidden creatures observed him as he sauntered into the forest, the smack of hooves impacting dense earth and the faint hiss of magic in the air attracted them like moths to a flame.

He didn't hear their faint hisses and growls, his gaze was firmly locked on the forest ahead of him and his ears were stood tall upon his head. His destination: The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.

While trying to force himself through a particularly stubborn bush, and earning a few scratches along the way, his mind started to wander to the state of the forest he was currently inhabiting. The sounds of bird calls and buzzing insects contrasting with depths of the midnight sky that framed the canopy.

We always knew that the Everfree contained unnatural magic, but this! The forest has managed to stay alive even without sunlight, the amount of magic needed to fuel the plant life alone must be staggering. Not to mention the temperature regulation. I should really take some ambient magic readings while I’m here, no researcher has ever been able to stay in here long enough to do it. For science!

Momentarily forgetting his mission, the state of the outside world and the numerous predators discreetly lurking in the shadows that shrouded most of the forest, Firebrand set to work. He gradually lowered his horn to one of the roots of the tree nearest to him, and channelled small amount of magicka into it in an attempt to connect to the ambient magic keeping the gargantuan forest alive. His green aura was met with a soft blue glow when it touched the tree, but the soft blue suddenly flared into a brilliant violet corona of light, overpowering his tenuous magical link. The resulting magical backlash caused him to fall on his side, his eyes unmoving and a few errant sparks sputtering from his horn. After he was able to think coherently once again, he rose up on quivering legs. His eyes were bright and full of life; a wide smile split his face in two.

He started speaking in a quick and exited tone, not even bothering to keep quiet. "That was amazing! The power... astonishing! Though the magic here is renowned for being malicious and chaotic, I’m surprised it didn’t outright kill me. Heh. Why did I even do that? That could've easily been the end of me. I just want to go to sleep; and no monster or ancient evil will stop me! I deserve it for putting up with all this- this, um..."

When he took the time to take in his surroundings, he noticed that he was surrounded by eight sets of glowing yellow eyes in a small clearing. He could barely make out what looked like leafy protrusions on their hulking forms. Their bodies danced and swayed with the shadows, grace offset by their malevolent eyes.

Timberwolves, really? Great, just great, that's exactly what I needed.

He stared through half-lidded eyes at the magical constructs before him, his expression blank. A normal pony would see death staring at them from the perpetual gloom obscuring all but the most recognisable features of the forest, but Firebrand was not a normal pony. All he saw were walking tinderboxes.

He put on some twisted semblance of a smile before speaking. "Now, I'm not sure if you can understand me but I haven't had a good day. In fact, I've been having an incredibly bad one, and I've just been aching to vent a bit. Either leave or risk becoming a nice hot bonfire." The wolves simply tilted their heads quizzically at the strange thing in front of them that was making odd noises.

His smile widened. "Fantastic."

The dim glow surrounding his horn increased in intensity until it was almost blinding, a deep thrum resonated around the area and the ground vibrated slightly from the sheer power being exerted. At this show of force several of the larger, older wolves cautiously took a step back while the young wolves simply snapped their jaws in excitement and eyed him hungrily.

Firebrand took one last look at the wolves surrounding him before letting a minute orange spark escape from the tip of his horn. Suddenly a great gout of yellow flame burst forth from his horn, putting everything into sharp contrast. A suffocating heat pervaded the area. The leaves on trees went brown and bark was gnarled and warped by the intense fire. He rapidly swung his head at the three wolves in front of him. The first tried to pounce on Firebrand but was caught mid-leap by the wall of flame, the upper half of the wolf was instantly vaporised with the lower settling back on the forest floor with a muffled thump.

Not giving the rest of the wolves the chance to recover, he brought his head around once again and tried to dispatch the remaining two wolves. The first was completely enveloped by the searing flame while the second barely managed to save itself. The proximity of the unnaturally hot fire wilted its leaves and left its hind legs a charred mess. Two wolves behind him took the fall of their comrades as a chance to take down the troublesome unicorn, but Firebrand was faster.

He spun around and concentrated his unfocused flames into a greenish-white lance of raw energy. The beam swept across the leaping wolves, cutting one neatly in two and decapitating the other. It continued on, digging a smoking furrow in the ground and passing over the elder wolves, disintegrating any loose twigs and setting the rest on fire. They all yelped simultaneously and scrambled madly to get away from their tormentor, leaving a smoking path through the trees in their wake.

The only sounds left in the clearing were the heavy panting of Firebrand, the crackling of burning wood and the soft whines of the injured timberwolf that had been so cruelly left behind. The magical construct regarded Firebrand with baleful eyes while he wondered what to do with the fallen wolf.

After a few seconds, he found a solution.

The acrid odour of smoke hung in the air and the hungry crackle of flames obscured the ambient sounds of the forest, and many small creatures found that they weren’t going to end up being killed by a pack of timberwolves. No, now they had something far more dangerous to fear, a strange being that could shoot fire from its head and could dismantle a pack of timberwolves with ease. Deranged cackling could barely be heard over the din of roaring flames; several of the bolder animals who were approaching the fire shrunk back at the sound.

As the laughter wound down, Firebrand could be seen lying next to a large fire, the charred form of a timberwolf barely recognisable under the soft orange flames. He took a moment to admire his work; one timberwolf serving as a makeshift campfire while three different trails of smouldering wood and singed leaves told the tale of what had happened to the rest of the once ferocious pack of apex predators. The remains of the others had been flung far of into the distance in a brief fit of mania. He looked wistfully back at his cutie mark; an ugly black gash with smoke rising from it.

Hmm, this is pretty much the only time this has been actually good for something.

Soon, the comforting warmth provided by the fire made his eyelids grow heavy. Yet, whenever he would get close to the sweet embrace of sleep his mind was brought back to what he had seen of the outside world. It weighed heavily upon his mind, but eventually the needs of his body overcame his restless conscious and he slipped into a deep, dreamless slumber.

When he awoke, the smell of smoke was barely perceptible over the earthy musk of the Everfree Forest, the roaring inferno of what was once an intimidating predator had petered out, leaving nothing but a burnt out husk. A few remaining embers drifted into the sky and dyed out in the warm, damp air of the Everfree. Firebrand contently curled up on the ground, his back cracking as he twisted. He let out a quiet, content sigh. He was also pleasantly surprised to find that he hadn’t been mauled in his sleep by a passing manticore, so that was another upside to his impromptu nap. He belted out a cavernous yawn and languidly stretched his limbs (which were afflicted with a mild ache) in preparation for his upcoming trek through the untamed wilderness. He then rubbed his horn when a sharp pang of pain coursed through it.

Ow, probably shouldn't do any magic for a while.

After completing his short ritual, and wishing that he had a toothbrush and a shower at hoof, he set off in what he remembered as being the rough direction of the Castle. Although the world was locked in a permanent state of darkness, the forest refused to obey the laws of nature and thus was hot and the air was heavy with humidity; he was soaked with sweat after only a small amount of activity. Also, mosquitoes; because why not? The universe seemingly hated him enough make his journey just that bit more uncomfortable.

He slowly slogged through the thick under-brush passing the time by cataloguing the various plants and animals that he passed by. He didn't want to draw undue attention to himself so he didn't bother trying to burn any of it. The dull ache in his horn reminded him that he probably couldn't, anyway.

He tried to whittle away the time by trying to categorise the various animals and plants he came across. He spotted a patch of glowing blue mushrooms after a few hours of walking, nestled beneath the soaring roots of an ancient and majestic tree that stood vigil over the forest.

Light of the Night, species name Lux Noctis. Only grows in areas with extreme amounts of ambient magicka; I must be getting close.

It was slow going and often times he thought he could hear faint noises behind him. A rustle of leaves or a twig snapping conspicuously close his position.

Well, at least nothing's rushed from the darkness to take a sample of my delicious pony-flesh yet, he mused bitterly.

The trek wore on and so immersed was he in the task of trying to remove the mosquitoes and other undesirables from his general area, and damning whatever cruel gods had cursed him, that he almost missed a decrepit wooden bridge stretched over a vast chasm. With an ancient castle silhouetted in an almost ethereal glow by the full moon overhead.

Pushing his chest out and raising his head to look steadily at the menacing ruin, he took a heavy step on the first plank of the wooden bridge.

...Only for the rotted wood to break on contact and fall into the black hole below.

“Nope,” was Firebrand’s immediate reaction, his wide eyes locked on the dilapidated bridge.

Maybe I could teleport over there? No, last time I tried something about that distance I ended up in a pot of soup in the Fleur... Which really calls the Archmage's decision to let me work on a teleportation spell into question.

With an explosive sigh, he tried to conjure memories of his mandatory survival training issued by the royal guard. Though he couldn't help but wonder why they were given it if most of them wouldn't face anything more challenging than a particularly lengthy tome or a back-fired spell.

“-so remember, If you come across an ursa major or an angry dragon, pray to Celestia that your death will be swift.”

The Royal Guard instructor looked out over the shocked faces of the group of unicorns he was lecturing and he immediately knew that he’d done a good job.

“Any questions?”

When nopony spoke up, some shivering silently in their seats, the white stallion continued.

“If you happen to come across any unstable platforms or bridges, and you can't safely teleport over, remember to apply a mass-lightening spell to make the risk of accidental breakage or displacement minimal. However-”

Firebrand shook his head to clear the memories of the traumatising lecture he’d been given a few years ago, and focused on simultaneously forming the correct spell matrix in his mind and channelling the necessary magicka from his reserves and into his horn. A saturated dark green aura built up as more power was funnelled into the appendage. Once both actions had been completed, he released the mana in his horn with a bright flash and immediately jumped into the air, only to slowly fall back down with barely a sound. He felt the beginnings of a headache at the base of his horn, he simply bared his teeth in a grimace.

He then put his hoof on the plank that was next in line from the now broken one, his eyes nervously flitting to the gargantuan cavern below his hooves every few steps as he continued across the rickety rope-bridge. When he didn't abruptly fall to his death, his steps grew slightly heavier. He reached the other side and exhaled a breath he didn't realise he was holding in.

Any feelings of accomplishment were immediately sapped from his being when he looked up at the imposing form of the extremely dilapidated Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. He was immediately struck with an extreme sense of doom, not fear or anxiousness, just deep dread. Looming over his head like an angry dragon. Regardless, he did his best to quell any feelings of trepidation, and walked up to the gigantic doors of the building. They were made out of a dark and sturdy looking wood and were notched with deep claw marks. He swallowed nervously, took a deep breath, and entered the monolithic structure.

He brushed past the already ajar doors of the structure, their rusted hinges producing a bone-chilling wail which made Firebrand’s ears instinctively fold down.

“It’s just a door, it’s not going to hurt you.” He took a moment to steady his thumping heart and entered the Castle proper. He was immediately overcome with a sense of foreboding that seemed to emanate from the very stone beneath his hooves, like the horrors of a past age had seeped into the essence of the building.

Crumbled walls and empty windows were the only thing that greeted him within the commodious room that he found himself in, nothing but relics of a forgotten age. Firebrand desperately rushed around the room, looking at every crevice in the cracked and forgotten rubble, hoping to find a clue as to what had happened. After a few minutes of this, he gave up his search and brought himself back to the entrance of the once magnificent castle.

“Well, what was I expecting? A wise pony who could answer all my questions? Anything that might have been here has crumbled to dust; I just wasted two days on nothing!” He turned and fired an anger-fuelled lance of energy at a pile of loose rock, his rage turned what would normally be a feeble spell into a hateful red beam, reducing the stone to slag which slowly pooled on the floor.

In his anger, he bashed his right hoof against the wall adjoining the doorway. Flakes of centuries old dust peeled away from the wall to reveal an inscription roughly carved into the stone. Much of it was unintelligible, but one barely legible part stood out to him, under the crude carving of a crescent moon.

Knowing my luck, it’s probably just a shopping list.

His cynical thoughts were interrupted when he actually read the short inscription.

Once two sisters verily ruled fair and just

But one grew jealous and betrayed the other's trust

She let wicked darkness into her heart

For she was not like thou art

The sun perished and the moon took its place

glaring down upon us with its cold face

Plants and animals withered and sighed

We ponies found we had nowhere to hide

But we saw one thing in the moon's vicious lies

Even hope eventually dies

I sit here now, cold and alone

My hooves ache and my bones groan

The moon is gone, succumbed to her madness

And hath left a profound sadness

I sit waiting for death in this cold shell

So, I say fair thee well

Firebrands eyes watered slightly and he collapsed on his rump heavily. He simply stared into nothingness as he struggled process the new information.

“Everything, everypony... gone. H-how? Why?”

He barely noticed when his limbs started to tingle, only becoming aware of his state as darkness started to creep into the periphery of his vision. He struggled to fight it, he got to his hooves and moved for the door but found that his movements had grown sluggish. He collapsed and darkness swarmed in.

When he awoke from his forced slumber, his slightly more rested brain immediately recognised that he was dangling from a vine in a verdant forest, bright sunlight making the trees shine a dazzlingly bright green. He then realised that this wasn't at all right.

"Apokryfes; I hate you. Archmage Lumus; I hate you. Everypony at the teleportation wing; I hate you all!"

Author's Note

I know this is really late, things came up, I'm sorry! :fluttercry: . Hey... don't look at me like that! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment; they're what motivates me to write in the first place.

Have a good day - Slip Kid :twilightsmile:

Of Carts & Vines

Firebrand gazed at the thicket of vines entwined around his hind hooves thoughtfully. After a few moments of careful deliberation, with is eyes narrowed in thought, he set about carrying out a hastily concocted plan. A small lick of flame escaped from his horn and was quickly encased in a shimmering green barrier. He steadily raised the contained fire to the vines holding him aloft. He took a deep breath and swiped at one of the bright green vines, which was cut in two and retreated back to the trees with a resonant twang. He lifted it once again to cut through a large bunch of vines encircling his left leg, but the improvised tool stuttered to a stop before actually contacting the vegetation. The proximity of the flaming blade seared the closest vines and turned them an ugly black.

By Sun and Moon, this is such a stupid plan.

Without further deliberation, the fire sharply descended on the plants. Firebrand lost control of the magical implement when he began his rapid descent to the ground below. A bright aura hastily build up around his horn and he disappeared in a flash.

He reappeared safely on the ground, on his hooves and only slightly scorching the ground with his sudden appearance. He briefly lost his balance and fell to the ground. He unsteadily got back on three hooves, the fourth rubbing his head. His eyes widened when he panned his gaze across his surroundings.

"Huh? Why’s everything so... neat?" he muttered in a daze.

The trees surrounding him were arranged in somewhat jagged rows, stretching far off into the distance. There was no shrubbery to obscure his line of vision and no undergrowth trying its level best to drag him to the ground. Brightly coloured birds flitted about in the warm sunlight, their chirrups and calls filled the air. There weren't any ominous shadows potentially concealing a vicious monster. It looked decidedly... mundane, at least compared to its usually untamed appearance; it was clear that this was no longer the forest he had gotten his cutie mark in.

It looks more like the other forest, what’s it called. Um, Whitetail Woods was it? Yes, it definitely looks more like Whitetail Woods. Just what's happening?

When he next glanced at his strange surroundings, he noticed a well maintained path snaking across the landscape, it seemed to be well used as there wasn’t a wayward plant in sight. He scuffed his hoof across the packed ground and brought it to his face to look for any suspect detritus. He just saw plain brown earth.

Maybe I’m actually in Whitetail Woods? That'd explain the lack of monsters trying to tear me to bits...

His train of thought was brought to a halt as he heard the faint creaking of wooden wheels and clopping of hooves in the distance.

Sounds like father's carriage after I accidentally pulled one of the wheels off.

He wearily turned his head to observe the newcomer; he found a burly brown earth pony pulling a tremendously large cart behind him, which rattled and clanked with every movement. However, he seemed to have no trouble with the Hoofulean task of pulling the sturdy wagon.

A warm smile appeared on Firebrand's face as he prepared to meet the sienna coloured earth pony: who had only recently noticed the pony shaped obstacle before him.

“Um, excuse me, I don’t mean to be a bother, but might you be able to tell me exactly where I am?”

The tall earth pony looked at the researcher with a quizzical expression and replied in a rumbling baritone.

“Why, you’re in the Everfree forest, how couldn’t you know that?” The earth pony raised an eyebrow and stared slightly more attentively at Firebrand.

Oh no, I don't want to come off as a lunatic. Think Firebrand. Think, think, think-

Just before he came up with an adequate reply which would, hopefully, not arouse suspicion as to his... unique position, he took note of the accent of the brown pony. It sounded vaguely familiar yet he couldn’t quite place it. After ruminating on the point for a long while, he realised that he had remained silent for far too long. He glanced up at the other pony’s slight frown and narrowed eyes and met them with a sheepish smile.

“Ah, my apologies, I tend to do that occasionally. But as for your question; I suppose I’m just quite lost and I could use some assistance?” He glanced hopefully up at the brown stallion and hoped that he hadn’t given anything away. He also hoped that he hadn’t made himself look like a complete idiot in the process.

After thinking about the strange green colt’s request for a few moments, a smile worked itself onto the brown pony's face as he replied. “Of course I will, it wouldn’t be very nice of me if I just left you here. I’m actually heading to Hoofens right now; just follow me and you’ll be fine.” He set off down the road with his cart in tow, not waiting for Firebrand to come to his senses.

Externally the unicorn remained calm as he started following the hulking pony, the same could not be said of his mental state, however. His roiling thoughts constantly coming back to one subject.

Hoofens. What.

Author's Note

Just a little something to hold you guys over until I have the time to write a proper chapter; hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! As always, please comment, critique and lambaste me for my terrible writing :pinkiesmile: . But seriously, surely people as awesome as you could take the time to leave a comment... Please? :fluttercry:

Of Castles & Forges

After walking alongside the earth pony for several minutes, Firebrand decided to strike up a conversation in hopes of gleaning more information about his current whereabouts. He slowly opened his mouth in preparation to speak, but his travelling companion beat him to it.

“So, I take it you’re not from around here, eh lad?” The larger pony looked at him calmly, with a curious glint in his light blue eyes.

“N-no, I’m not from around here at all. I was actually, um-” He searched his mind for an excuse for his ignorance. “-I was born in Griffonia and I only recently decided to visit Equestria; needless to say I didn't quite think it through." He gave a nervous chuckle at the end of his hastily made up lie, but he internally winced. Lying wasn't something he enjoyed.

“Hmm, never really knew many ponies lived there. I always heard that they don’t really like us ponies too much. Is that true?” The giant asked with one thick eyebrow raised.

“I suppose it’s like that most of the time, but I lived there my whole life so I guess they just accepted me after a while.” Fortunately, he’d visited Griffonia a few times so he had a fairly adequate base of knowledge to work from. Nonetheless, he feared that he’d slip up soon and thus he valiantly tried to change the subject as quickly as possible.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe I ever got your name? Mine’s Firebrand, by the way.” The enormous pony accompanying Firebrand briefly stopped his relentless march in order to introduce himself properly.

“Name’s Blazing Forge, finest blacksmith in all of Hoofens, heck, in all of Equestria! It’s nice ta meet ya,” he replied in a boisterous voice, with a proud smile curling at the corners of his wide mouth. Blazing Forge clasped his muscular hoof around Firebrand’s decidedly smaller one and gave it a rigorous, if a bit overenthusiastic, shake. At the end, Firebrand felt as if his leg was going to come off. Blazing Forge looked off to the horizon for a few seconds before turning back to Firebrand.

“Now that introductions are over, we’d best be off; there’s a lotta work to do ‘round the forge so it’d be best if I got back soon.” He then resumed his steady march towards ‘Hoofens’.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s in the cart?” Firebrand asked after a few moments; his eyes still roving around the forest.

Blazing Forge's eyes momentarily flitted over to Firebrand. “Hmm? Oh, right, the cart. It’s just some some raw materials I need around the forge. Y’know, iron, mithril and the like.”

Firebrand's eyes widened and his jaw slightly slackened. ”But isn’t mithril, you know, really rare and exceedingly expensive?”

“Aye, but the Princesses only want the best for their Royal Guard. Huh, probably shoulda mentioned before that I take commissions from the Guard; I’m like... the part-time Royal Blacksmith.” His eyebrows were furrowed as he mulled over his situation.

“Why not full time? The pay must be good...” At this seemingly inane question, the brown pony’s face turned sour; as if he’d been told some particularly unpleasant news.

“Aye, but I’m not too fond of making weapons and armour; it makes me feel like we’re gonna need 'em. So, I only make things for the Guard when I’m the only pony who can do the job; too few ponies know how to forge mithril nowadays.”

Firebrand just sighed contemplatively after the the brief exchange, a sigh that said that the conversation had ended, for now at least.

Well, he said Princesses, so that’s a very good sign indeed. But there’s something about the word Hoofens that rings a bell, but I can’t quite put my hoof on it... No matter. I’ll likely find out soon enough. Though there’s still the obvious question of just what the heck is going on; I can't afford to be kept in the dark.

“How much longer until we get there?” Firebrand asked his impromptu guide. The aforementioned guide simply nodded his head towards the apex of a nearby hill; a dirt path planted almost exactly in the middle of the moderately sized mound, surrounded by thick emerald green grass on both sides. Firebrand sped up to a lively trot, suddenly eager to see what awaited him on the other side; the long anticipated city of Hoofens.

He came to a stop at the crest of the hill, with one hoof firmly on the path while the other straddled the long blades of grass waving in a slight breeze, only noticeable after leaving the shelter of the forest. Firebrand stared at the spectacle before him with wide eyes and a jaw that was slightly agape.

He saw a sprawling cityscape before him, brilliant marble towers reaching high into the heavens; their golden crests shining brightly in the afternoon sunlight. Below these magnificent towers lay an innumerable number of houses and shops spreading off into the horizon, with ponies of all colours and tribes wandering the network of streets below. Smoke bellowed from chimneys and ponies wandered merrily through the streets, nobles and common ponies alike. The sound of shop owners bartering with, and trying to attract, customers could be faintly heard over the constant din of city life.

All that paled in comparison, however, to what he saw when his eyes roamed across the horizon. A sight that made his breath hitch in his throat. The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, fully intact, standing magnificently at the centre of the great town. Its soaring grey spires looked resplendent; even when compared to all the other towers scattered throughout the city.

He realised now where he had heard of Hoofens; it was the former capital of Equestria before the Lunar Uprising when most of it was reduced to ash, with only the Castle itself left standing. A brutal reminder of what had once been.

Firebrand was still standing slack-jawed when Blazing Forge caught up to him and gazed at his home alongside the utterly bowled over unicorn. After a few moments, the earth pony broke the silence that had overcome them.

“Quite a sight, isn’t it? It has the best of everything Equestria has to offer, you’ll find what you're looking for no matter what.”

Firebrand stood still for several more moments before he spoke up in a barely audible voice, heavily tinged with awe. “I-it’s amazing... Absolutely amazing...”

The only thing he could liken it to was Canterlot, which was itself the pinnacle of pony achievement.

“Aye, you’ll never forget your first look at Hoofens; but we haven’t got all day to take in the sights, I’ve got a schedule to keep,” stated Blazing Forge before lumbering off, with Firebrand reluctantly following in his wake, though he was still panning his gaze around the expansive city. Soon, though, they had descended too far down the hill to be able to make out any of the sights in the distance and they were soon swept up in the hustle and bustle of the streets.

It was some time later that the duo arrived at a modest grey stone building, a hammer and anvil displayed proudly on a sign on the front. The same hammer and anvil that made up its owners cutie mark. Blazing Forge had arrived there looking no worse for wear as he’d had experience navigating the busy cobblestone roads. Firebrand, however, wasn’t so privileged. He arrived battered and bruised with various bits of fabric sticking to his coat and mane at odd angles.

Ugh, why did that pony wait until her cart fell on somepony to repair it?

His eyes were downcast and his eyebrows lowered. Blazing Forge pointedly cleared his throat Firebrand raised his line of sight to see the door to the blacksmith’s being held open for him. A slight red tinged his cheeks as he sheepishly entered the establishment, thanking Blazing Forge on the way through.

He admired the the room he had just entered, freshly forged swords, spearheads and armour covered the walls and workbenches throughout the room, each piece reflecting the dull orange glow emanating from the massive forge which took up a large portion of the available floor space. Some of the sets of armour were a glittering gold while the others were a muted purple in colour. They, however, paled in comparison to the few shining silver sets of armour interspersed throughout the rows, armour quite clearly made from mithril. He was tempted to run his hoof along the armour, but only for a second.

“Wow, you weren’t exaggerating when you said that you’re easily the best blacksmith in town,” he muttered under his breath, though the blacksmith didn’t hear him because he was currently unloading the wagon which he had laboriously dragged from places unknown.

“Lad, would ya mind helping me unload my cart?” Instead of replying verbally to the behemoth of a pony’s request, he simply started levitating the ores and ingots out of the cart, which was creaking under the massive weight of its considerable cargo.

A few moments later, while still unloading his supplies, the blacksmith decided to ask an important question. “So, Firebrand, have ya got enough bits ta find a place ta stay?”

It was at that moment that Firebrand realised something horrifying, something horrific; he’d left his saddlebags in his office.

"...Ponyfeathers!"

"Tsk, thought as much. Didn't think this trip through very well, did ya? Alright, I suppose you can stay 'ere for a bit..." the giant rumbled.

"Oh, thank you so mu-"

"But. You'll have to do your fair share around the forge if you want to stay. Your mark looks to be somethin' ta do with fire, right? Should be useful." Firebrand was left gaping at the interruption, but recovered soon enough.

"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less. I'd rather pay for my stay anyway, if helping around the forge is the way to do that, then so be it." Firebrand offered Blazing Forge a tentative smile, one that was enthusiastically met.

"Well, I'm glad that's been sorted. Now, yer lookin' dead on yer hooves, so I won't ask any more. There's a spare hammock one room over, can't miss it." Firebrand simply nodded and limply wandered off in search of the fabled hammock.

He wandered into a small, plain room stacked with ingots of many different hues. A small white cloth hammock was strung up at one end. Upon entering the room, Firebrand immediately noticed how much colder it was, he hadn't really noted the heat inside the forge until just then.

He dragged himself over to the hammock and collapsed inside it. Though the gentle swaying of the hammock kept him awake for longer than he would have liked, he eventually slipped into a cosy slumber.

Author's Note

Well, I worked tirelessly to get this out for you lovely people, and I'd do it again! As always, leave comments, reviews, nitpicks, etc...

Just as a side note, updates are gonna be sporadic and infrequent for a while.

Of Books & Oranges

Author's Note

Hey there! Sorry for the delay, but stuff came up. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and remember to leave comments at the end! (They feed me).

Special thanks to Avox for being an awesome editor and generally cool guy :moustache:

Of Books & Oranges

Firebrand awoke to the dull clang of a hammer striking metal and the low roar of a blazing fire. His ears flicked back in annoyance and he clamped his hooves over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound. After a few seconds, an animalistic growl escaped his throat and he attempted to roll to one side. Of course, he forgot that he was lying on a hammock. With a pained grunt, he slammed into the cold stone floor below him.

“Heh, perfect start to the day,” he mumbled through gritted teeth.

He slowly staggered to his hooves and stumbled across the room, or at least attempted to. He found himself bumping into scattered pieces of equipment, getting scraped by half-finished blades and tripping over stacks of heavy ingots. Nevertheless, he started to come back to his senses. During his fateful journey across the perilous room, there was a slight spring in his step. The heavy bags under his eyes had all but disappeared, something he realised after absently staring at the shiny surface of a polished silver ingot for half a minute.

After what seemed like centuries, he exited into a cloyingly hot, dimly lit hall. The grey stone was bathed in a muted orange glow. The ringing sounds of an active smithy that had provided the atmosphere to Firebrand’s escapade were suddenly brought into sharp focus. They blocked out any other noise in the building.

Firebrand entered the forge and was immediately struck by the sweltering heat within. He felt distinctly at home within the boiling atmosphere. Blazing Forge could be seen striking a glowing length of metal, each hit bringing forth a wave of sound and sparks. Firebrand approached him slowly, and haltingly cleared his throat to get Blazing Forge’s attention. One of Forge’s ears cocked back at the noise, and he gently set down his hammer to turn towards his guest.

“Ah, there ya are. I was thinkin’ I’d have to go in there and wake you up myself.” He paused to let out a rumbling chuckle. “Now, you’re probably starving, you can get some breakfast over there.” He nodded his head in the direction of a small doorway.

“Thank you. What’s for breakfast?” Firebrand’s stomach rumbled as if to punctuate his statement.

“Whatever you can cook lad,” Blazing Forge bellowed with a sly grin.

Firebrand didn’t know how to take that, so he settled for some bastard amalgamation of a smile and a wince. He wandered over to the doorway, studiously trying to avoid the piles of armour and blacksmithing equipment littering the floor.

He soon entered a medium sized kitchen with a stove at one end and walls lined with shelves and cupboards. “Okay, first thing on the agenda: porridge.” His eyes darted to a random shelf in the room. Not wasting any more time, he began methodically ransacking the kitchen, letting out a small groan every now and then. After a few minutes, he sat on his rump and closed his eyes. His search had been fruitless. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a sack of oats… right next to the stove. The facehoof that resulted from the realisation created a sound loud enough to temporarily block out the sounds of Blazing Forge at work.

After recovering from his self-inflicted bludgeoning, Firebrand set to work. He kindled a fire under the stove, poured the oats in a pot with some water and milk, and desperately tried to forget his hunger for a few minutes. His patience was rewarded with a steaming hot serving of porridge. He looked at the bowls on one of the high shelves across the room, and then back at the simmering pot.

I don’t think so.

With that, he yanked the pot off of the stove, stuck a spoon in it, and began eating. He was in the middle of savouring a spoonfull of his delicious meal when he trundled back into the forge proper. Blazing Forge’s ears perked up at Firebrands entrance and he moved to greet him.

“Well, I see you’ve got breakfast sorted, though you took your sweet time about it. Now, after you finish, are ya ready ta make good on yer deal?” Blazing Forge raised one of his thick eyebrows.

Realisation dawned on Firebrands face, which was swiftly followed by guilt. Firebrand cleared his throat. “Um, can I postpone that until a bit later? I’m sorry, but there’s something I really need to do. On a related note, do you know where the library is?”

Blazing Forge rolled his eyes and smiled. “Oh fine, but I swear upon my reputation as a blacksmith I will get you ta do some work around here. Now, ta get to the library, yer gonna have to straight down the road opposite the entrance. It’s pretty easy to spot from there.”

Firebrand nodded his head in gratitude and headed for the door, but stuttered to a stop just a few hooves away from it. He lowered his head and folded his ears back slightly in contemplation, before raising his head to gaze at Blazing Forge.

“Listen, I really am grateful for you letting me stay here. And I’m trying not to take advantage of your hospitality. And, I’m… sorry if I was being abrasive yesterday, I’ve been having an unbelievably stressful week.” Firebrand gave a confident smile, he felt as though some weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Blazing Forge simply shrugged, smirked, and went right back to work.

Without another word, Firebrand swung open the door and strode out into the unknown.

After gathering his bearings, he was consumed by the heaving mass of ponies crowding the streets. Although he was in a place unknown to him, in an Equestria that was not his own, he couldn’t help feeling that he was in his element. The sounds of city life, nobles with their noses pointing towards the sky and ponies going about their business… it was all very familiar.

Yet it wasn’t. Despite how much he wanted to believe he was back in Canterlot, he was acutely aware of the fact that he was a complete outsider. He had no knowledge of the city, who lived there or even where he was.

He had been wandering aimlessly for quite some time before he realised where he was supposed to be heading, by which time the sun was already shining high in the sky. He was forcefully brought out of his musing when he collided with something. Something hard. He stumbled back in a daze. He half-heartedly rubbed his sore head.

He panned his eyes upwards to catch a glimpse of the offending obstacle, only to be almost blinded by the slab of shining metal before him. He had crashed into a Royal Guard. The armoured pegasus looked down on Firebrand with a slight glare. Firebrand at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

“Ah, terribly sorry about that. I’ve been… distracted as of late.” The blindingly white guard lessened his glare after the apology, but he was obviously still agitated.

“Just watch where you’re going next time, civilian.” With that, the guard walked off with his head held high.

Oh, so it’s one of those guards. The I’m-so-high-and-mightier-than-you, self-entitled jerks who think they’re better than everypony just because they wear some shiny metal and get to parade around like glorified guard-dogs. Or maybe it’s because I kinda ran into him.

Shrugging off the experience, he once again set out to find the elusive library. He couldn’t help but note that nopony had really noticed his altercation with the guard.

Just like home…

Before he could advance any further, he was interrupted by a tremendous growling coming from his stomach. He’d clearly been navigating the streets for longer than he thought. He was, however, painfully aware of the fact that he was short of bits. After spotting a cart selling oranges, he put a hasty plan into motion.

He sidled up to the deep orange earth pony mare at the cart, pretending to peruse her orangey wares whilst subtly glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Deciding he had been there long enough, he spoke.

“You know, I can’t help but notice that there aren’t too many customers about. I could help you sell these oranges, for a small fee, of course.” The orange mare quirked a brow at his suggestion, silently mulling it over for a few seconds.

“Depends what the fee is,” she responded in a pleasant tone, her accent was very similar to those of ponies from Canterlot.

“Let’s say… if I sell ten oranges, I get one free.”

She lowered her gaze to think about his proposal before speaking. “Twenty.”

“Fifteen.”

“Twenty.”

“Then you and I have nothing more to discuss.” Firebrand turned on his hooves in mock offense and prepared to leave, making sure his acting was as bad as possible. He was stopped by the orange mare, her voice heavily tinged with annoyance.

“Ugh, fine, fifteen and you’ll get your stupid orange.” She rolled her eyes to punctuate her statement.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Firebrand wore a bright smile, and performed a short bow for the mare before quickly clambering up onto the wooden cart.

He loudly cleared his throat before speaking in a booming voice. “Come one, come all! I see you passing by this humble stall without a second glance. You know not what you are missing! These delightful oranges are the best you will find all of Equis! Yes, indeed the fine produce of…” He briefly paused to look at the orange merchant, who mouthed her name to him before he could lose the crowd that was slowly gathering. ”Orange Blossom will put a spring in your step. Perfect for the tired guard wanting to recover, a refreshing snack for busy wizards, an amazing alchemical ingredient! These oranges have travelled leagues for you fine ponies, enduring sieges by griffons, dragon attacks! All for the orangey goodness produced by this beautiful mare.” He gestured to Orange Blossom, who was blushing fiercely from all the attention. The crowd was much larger than it was previously. Firebrands bombastic speech had even attracted the attention of a select few nobleponies.

“So, if you want to miss out on a once in a life-time opportunity like this, walk away knowing that your life will be incomplete hereafter!” Breathing deeply, he hopped off of the cart, which was being swarmed by crowds of ponies.

He approached Orange Blossom, who was struggling to keep up with the sudden demand for her oranges. “Where did you learn to do that?” she asked, while desperately trying to keep up with the demands of the crowd.

“My father was a respected merchant. I suppose I just picked it up after so long. I think it finally clicked when he bartered the Griffonian Spice King to the point where the griffon would be losing money.” His face was contorted in thought and rivulets of sweat ran down it.

Orange Blossom nodded sedately and threw two oranges over to Firebrand. He smirked at her while she watched him leave the scene with a small smile.

Unpeeling one of the oranges as he walked, he set his sights on a gargantuan grey stone building in the distance, most likely the fabled library.

The late morning sun beat down on him as he steadily ate the fruits of his labour; the oranges were pretty good.

He entered the massive library, squeezing past the gigantic wooden doors and beholding the contents within. His eyes bugged out when he saw what awaited him inside. There were countless rows of mahogany bookshelves, each stacked to the brim with colourful tomes of all different sizes and ages, books on every subject imaginable.

Slowly, he recovered from his shocked bemusement and steadily cantered into the building.

Now, where’s the history section?

Taking a guess and wandering down a random aisle, he quickly spotted somepony who looked like they worked at the library. Adjusting his course, he greeted the grey unicorn mare with a friendly smile.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but might you be able to tell me where I might find books relating to history?”

The librarian spared him one uninterested glance before speaking. “Three aisles over and four shelves down.”

Firebrand quickly thanked her, receiving a frosty look in return. He set off at a light canter. He was soon confronted by a bookshelf bogged down by massive books, some larger than Firebrands head. Searching through the gold-embroidered titles for a few minutes, he pulled out a suitable looking tome.

He set it down on a near-by wooden table, which creaked under its massive weight. The cover was blacker than black, and History and Folklore of the Equestrian Sovereignty could be seen shining in gold print.

Well, this promises to be an exciting read.

Firebrand made a sour face as he opened the dusty book, he planned to skim most of it anyway.

He muttered under his breath whilst scanning the book. “Hmm, Discordian Rule, no… Pact of Vaeryn, no… Diamond Dog relocation, no… and nothing about Nightmare Moon… brilliant.” His tone became one of disbelief when he found no mention of the event. His eyes became unfocused as he mulled over the new development.

“Not good, not good at all.”

Firebrand morosely meandered down the streets of Hoofens with his head held low, however his face showed intense concentration. He had been mulling over the additions to the spell matrix and the implications thereof. The streets were far less crowded than before and the hot mid-afternoon sun warmed Firebrands back.

He had just started walking on the cobbled street that led to the forge when he heard several hushed voices in the distance. His ears perked up, but he still couldn’t make out what they were saying. Cautiously, he moved towards the voices, one of them was the distinct bass voice of Blazing Forge.

“Listen, I’m gettin’ the armour out as fast I can an’ I don’t need the likes of you comin’ down here when I’m tryin’ ta work.”

A new voice answered Blazing Forge, one that seemed vaguely familiar to Firebrand. “I don’t care, work faster.” Firebrand turned the corner separating him from the forge, only to catch a glimpse of golden armour disappearing down the road. He finally remembered where he had heard that voice before. It was the Royal Guard he had bumped into on his way to the library

Tired and confused, Firebrand approached Blazing Forge, who looked slightly relieved when he saw him.

“So, who was that lovely- er, gentlecolt?” Firebrand asked.

“That fine stallion is in charge of the armoury of the Solar Guard, an’ I think he jus’ likes annoying me. He’s probably just jealous that I get such a nice forge.” The last part was said with a wry smirk. “So, didja find what you were looking for?”

Firebrand shook his head, which caused Blazing Forge’s smile to drop ever so slightly.

“Oh, that’s a shame lad. Still, from what I heard you had a bit of fun in the marketplace, wouldn’t have thought you’d be the type.” Firebrand grinned when he remembered the spectacle he’d put on.

“Oh yeah, well I was tired yesterday, I wasn’t today.” He winked at Blazing Forge and moved to enter the low stone building, only to be stopped short by a tremendous brown hoof.

“Now, now, remember our deal?” Forge asked. Firebrand hanged his head in defeat, but dutifully followed Blazing Forge nonetheless.

They walked over to the forge. It was glowing a harsh, energetic orange and embers would occasionally flit into the air like phoenixes, only to die a moment later.

Blazing Forge lifted a large pearlescent block of mithril over to Firebrand, and instructed him to heat it until it glowed orange. He let out an impressed whistle when Firebrand accomplished the feat in very little time, at the cost of a slight twinge of pain in Firebrands horn. It would seem that he had not yet recovered from his fight with the timberwolves.

Forge set out hammering the glowing piece of metal, working into a steady hypnotic rhythm. Firebrand found himself enraptured by it, his mind clearing of all thoughts, only to be brought back by Forge clearing his throat. Firebrand hummed in curiousity.

“I’ve been meanin’ ta ask. How did ya get yer mark?” he said, looking pointedly at Firebrands cutie mark.

Firebrand uttered a short, mirthful chuckle. “Not much of a story, really. I went into a forest one day, I remember I was so… angry, but for the life of me I can’t remember why. So I just kept wandering and wandering until I didn’t know where I was anymore. My anger reached a boiling point and I just… snapped, like a twig underneath a carriage. I just vented my magic, I didn’t really know many spells at the time, and when the smoke cleared and I opened my eyes everything was just... burning.” Firebrand had closed his eyes as he recited the tale.

“But there was something more, I felt… clarity, for what seemed like the first time in my life. There was no anger, I just knew who I was and what I wanted to do. I went home, apologised for whatever I did and, well, here we are.” He rubbed his neck awkwardly after he finished speaking.

“How about you?”

“Not much to tell, like you I suppose. Smithing’s been the family business for as long as anypony can remember. Heck, I’m sure I could find ancestors back in Discordian times! I was jus’ helping my dad ‘round the forge when I got it. He’d gotten an order and it was too much work for him to handle on his own. I volunteered to help ‘im and I got this thing,” He gestured to his cutie mark. “a few hours ‘a work later. And, well, it was like you said. Clarity and all that nonsense.” They lapsed into silence and grins spread over their faces. They burst out into raucous laughter soon after. It was just what Firebrand needed after his ordeal.

They spent the rest of the day sharing stories, laughing and working around the forge. They stopped just after the ascent of the moon, they bid each other goodnight and Firebrand trundled to his makeshift room.

For the first time in a while, he didn’t have trouble getting to sleep.