A Whole New World

"Kamots, come on! Snap out of it!"

The Tymari refused to answer. Nothing I said would rouse him from his catatonic state, and I was running out of both time and options. The wildfire was drawing ever closer. There wasn't a chance in hell that I would leave him, but then we would both die. What was I supposed to do? I had to somehow snap him out of it.

With a sigh, I muttered, "Sorry mate," and slapped him across the face.

As I waved my hand to dispel the pain, Kamots blinked, and grabbed my arm. "Dutch? Wha...?"

"You can thank me later!" I shouted, pulling him to his feet, "Right now we need to get the hell out of here. Can you move?"

Kamots paused, taking in his surroundings, before replying. "Yes. I am fine."

"Good." I stopped to look around too. Our only option was to simply run in the opposite direction of the fire. But we couldn't do that forever. I didn't know much about wildfires, but I knew that they were usually faster than an average human. We began to run while my mind tried to think of something to do.

Suddenly, I remembered; the sound of rushing water. A river! Too focused on running to speak, I simply gestured to Kamots the direction we needed to go. The vegetation did what they could to slow us down, but the adrenaline in our systems made us simply ignore the branches whipping at out faces. The further we ran though, the more intense the heat became on our necks, and I began to wonder if the rushing water had simply been a trick of the mind.

Our sprint thought the forest was brought to an abrupt halt as the ground in front of us disappeared. I had to grab onto a nearby branch to stop myself falling as I stared down at the raging river below us. We had found the river. It was a few dozen metres wide, a large enough gap to act as a natural barrier against the fire. The only problem was that there was a hundred metre drop between us and the water.

“We’re going to have to jump,” Kamots said. “It’s our only chance.”

I tightened my gear to minimise pieces falling off and slung my rifle across my back. “Ok. Hang onto me as we fall. I’ll try and slow us down before we hit the water.”

Kamots wrapped his arms around me as I counted down, edging closer to the edge. “3, 2, 1, go!”

We both pushed ourselves off the edge and into thin air. Time seemed to slow down as we fell, and all I could hear was my own heartbeat and the rushing of air in my ears. I kept the river in view, remaining mindful of the distance between us and the water. When I guessed we were close enough, I spread my wings as best I could.

My left wing extended and reached its full length easily, but my right seized up halfway out. As a result, we were pulled into a spin, and hit the water at a painful angle. I waited until the water had slowed our descent, before pushing back up to the surface, keeping one arm on Kamots.

We breached the surface, and I quickly started searching for a bank or tree branch to anchor onto. “Kamots, you ok?”

I took hold of the furry limb I saw in the water, but no reaction came from my grip. I pulled him closer, but Kamots' entire body was limp. Fearing for his life, I put my free hand onto the bank and dragged him to shore. I quickly noticed a line of blood running down his head. He must have hit a rock in the river. Thankfully, he was still breathing, so I attempted to rouse him.

“Kamots, come on. Wake up.” A rumble from the trees pulled my attention away from the Tymari, and a steady, familiar thumping made my blood run cold. It was identical to the noise we'd heard the day before.

Please don’t smell us, I prayed, Please don’t come this way.

But fate wasn't so kind. The trees and vegetation were parted and knocked aside as a large manticore stood before me. It growled as I caught its attention, and slowly started pacing towards me. The hair on my neck stood up under its gaze, but Kamots' words crept into my head.

"Your only chance to survive is to look them directly in the eye. It is a challenge for them, and you must never let them out of your sight. Look away, even for a second, and you die. If they charge you, or become aggressive, stand your ground, and if you try to kill one... well, look if you want, but its claws will be the last thing you ever see."

"Kamots, you'd better be right about this."

Keeping his advice at the forefront of my mind, I slowly stood up and returned the manticore's stare. It came to a stop no more than five yards away and narrowed its eyes, as if studying me. I felt extremely small under its glare, but I forced myself not to back down, knowing that doing so would be a death sentence.

The manticore figured out I wouldn't give up so easily, and it snarled at me. The snarl became a roar of anger, and it swung a massive paw at a nearby tree, smashing it into splinters. It did the same with another on its other side, before returning to me, teeth bared. After a while, it slowly started to walk away. For a brief moment, I thought he would leave, but he quickly spun around and charged me. Remembering Kamots' words and against my better judgement, I stood my ground. The manticore stopped a hair's breadth from me, snorting angrily.

"Back off, fleabag," I muttered under my breath.

The manticore stayed rooted to its spot for what felt like eternity. But eventually, my patience held out, and the manticore took a few steps back. Giving one final snort, it turned and slowly began to make its way out of the clearing, smashing one final tree before it left. When it was out of sight, I waited another thirty seconds in case it came back, before making my way back to Kamots.

He was still out cold. Deciding it was better to stay near the river rather than try and carry my taller, heavier companion into unfamiliar territory, I set my gear down and started to clean the wound on his head.

It was a while before Kamots regained consciousness. By that time, the wildfire had moved on, unable to reach our side of the river. Soot and ash floated down toward us. I had spent the time watching the forest for any other predators, and it was Kamots' groaning that pulled my attention away from the trees.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," I said as I crouched and put an arm on his back. "Take it easy. How do you feel?"

"My skull aches," he replied. I gave him my canteen, which he gratefully accepted.

After a few minutes of silence, I raised a subject that had been pestering me. "Kamots, what happened back there? No one goes catatonic and starts muttering to themselves unless they've got a good reason."

A flash of surprise crossed his face, but it settled, and he asked, "What was I saying?"

"I don't know. Something in your language. It was only two words." I did my best to remember the words, before repeating them to Kamots. After repeating them a few times, trying to get them right, Kamots' head snapped over to me.

"They mean 'mother' and 'father'. I was... I was calling for my parents."

"What do you mean?"

"Down in the mines, you asked me about my family." He let out a slow sigh. "There's a reason I didn't answer it."

I didn't respond. It looked Kamots was preparing himself for what he was about to say.

“It was 34 years ago. My father, Motomo, was the leader of the Sandpaw Clan, my tribe. He was a powerful and noble Tymari. Where most tribes would fight, he would seek peace. If another tribe struggled to feed its people, he would offer food, water, while making sure his own would also survive. He was the image of a leader that every Tymari aspired to be. And for that reason, he made enemies.

“One day, a rival clan held resentment for my father, and paid for an Alpha Korral to kill him. The Alpha’s name was Aphos. You've met him before. We both have.”

My eyes widened, “The Alpha in the caves?”

Kamots slowly nodded, before continuing, “His pack snuck into the village in the middle of the night. We all slept in the same room, and were all awoken from the noises. The first thing I saw when my eyes opened... was Aphos standing over my father, stabbing him with that ruby dagger he carries.”

He shuddered as the memory entered his mind, but he fought through it, determined to finish his story. “As my father lay bleeding on the bed, the rest of the pack entered our home. They... did things to my mother, Wyakin, and my older sister, Matsi. Then they strangled them while I watched.

“I was just a young pup all those years ago. Too small to be any trouble. So when Aphos saw me, he just smiled at me.” His cheeks rose as he looked at me, and I assumed he was copying Aphos’ smile. It quickly fell again, and he let out a sigh, not breaking his gaze.

“Then he set the house on fire.

“The rest of the clan found me the next me the next morning, hiding in a hole I had dug myself. I thank the ancestors every night that I was not also consumed by the flames. But Aphos still left his mark.”

He rolled up a leg of his trousers, and I saw a large patch of fur on his leg was missing, replaced by ugly scar tissue, "I hoped I had an opportunity to end his wretched life when I entered this land. But Aphos found me, and I'd been imprisoned ever since."

"He's wronged us both," I said, resting my hand on Kamots' shoulder, "He will pay for what he's done. To both of us."

"Of that, I hold no doubt," he replied. He placed his paw on the hand on his shoulder, "You've been a... friend in recent days, Lakota. It is... good to have someone who... just listens."

"That's what friends are for." I hesitated, and added, "You never did tell me what that word meant."

He chuckled lightly, "I will. For now, I have something to show you." He stood up and picked up his knapsack, "Come."

"You sure you should be walking around so soon?" I asked.

"I will be fine."

We walked a few hundred metres away form the fire, until we reached a clearing in the woods, where Kamots stopped and turned his whole body towards me, "Give me your hand."

Confused by the abrupt order, I slowly lifted my arm towards him. When he grasped it at the forearm, he said, "Tymari tradition forbids me to share my magic with outsiders." A smirk appeared on his lips, "But you are no longer an outsider, Lakota."

His eyes began to glow a brilliant ice blue, and I grabbed his own forearm as trails of blue energy flowed down his arm like glowing veins. I became more apprehensive as they snaked closer to my own limb, but as soon as the lines touched my skin, time came to a complete standstill.

My vision blacked out, and I gasped as the muscles in my arm instinctively tried to pull away, but Kamots' grip remained solid. After several seconds, he let go, and I stumbled and fell backwards as waves of colour in my vision formed strange shapes. I blinked furiously, trying to get my vision to return.

"Don't fight it." Kamots' voice seemed to come from all around me, and as he spoke, the colours distorted, "Let it in."

His words were oddly calming, and I forced myself to slow down. Only then, when my senses returned, did I start to realise that the colours in my vision weren't random. One wave of colour - ice blue - formed a tall shape standing a few feet away from me. Other waves of yellow, green and red settled behind it, and towered above me.

"Breathe, my friend." The blue shape extended an appendage towards me.

"Kamots?" I stared at the form for several moments, "Is that you?"

The appendage lifted me to my feet. Through my new vision caused by the magic flowing through my veins, I could sense tiny ripples flowing through everything; me, Kamots, the forest. The other colours took the shape of trees and plants, each giving off their own energy against the contrast of black where nothing existed.

That's when I realised I could sense the very magic of the world around me. I felt a gust of wind brush against my skin, and a wave of silver passed my vision like stardust, rippling against the other shapes before letting them settle again. A bird chirped nearby, and I could see the waves of sound as its call echoed through the forest like a sonar. I raised my own hand to look at it. I couldn't see the skin, but the bright green pulses of energy outlined its shape.

"Is this what you see?" I asked, staring at my body in wonder.

"All the time. We are all born with this gift."

"It's..." I couldn't properly describe what I was feeling, "Kamots, it's beautiful."

The chuckle that left Kamots' lips sent another ripple through the air, and I took a few steps forward, marveling at the vibrations that spread from my footfalls across the ground like a stone on water. Every sound, every smell, every vibration in the air, I could see, each with their own unique colour. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

The next few hours were spent trekking further through the forest. Walking with this Tymari magic inside me proved difficult; for all its beauty, it made objects like rocks and roots harder to see, almost resulting in me tripping on numerous occasions.

But of course, it was magic I wasn't supposed to own, and after a few miles of walking, the colours began to fade, and my senses dulled. The vivid blue glow of Kamots dissipated, and was replaced by his white and brown fur. I blinked a few times as the sensations faded, and he noticed my discomfort.

"The magic was never a permanent gift. It can only be used fully by those who are born with it."

I examined the texture of my hand as the skin returned. "Regardless, it's not something I'll forget. Thank you." Another though occurred as the Tymari magic stopped occupying my mind, and I said, "So what does Lakota mean?"

"My father would tell my sister and I the story on occasion. It was one of great honour, courage, and sacrifice," Kamots explained,

"Millenia ago, before the Great War, the Griffins invaded our land, intent on harvesting the minerals to fuel their tyrannical empire. Two brothers, Wahots and Lakota, were both high-ranking commanders in the Tymari military, and skilled warriors on the battlefield. They led their soldiers to the Griffin General. If they could defeat him, his troops would scatter, and the war would be over. When they cornered him, only Wahots and Lakota were left, but the general was not so willing to surrender.

"They fought in his throne room, but it became apparent that the griffin was too skilled for them, and both of the brothers were gravely wounded. In an act of self-sacrifice, Lakota summoned all of his energy - his strength, his speed, his skill - and gave it to his brother, giving up his own life in the process."

Kamots raised his arms, as if he was playing out the scene himself. His enthusiasm for the story was surprising. "Wahots, armed with only a broken dagger and a plank of wood for a shield, embraced his newly-given power, and slayed the general, once and for all. With their leader dead, the enemy broke ranks and fled. Wahots stood victorious, but a the cost of his beloved brother."

He lowered his arms, the story apparently over. "Lakota was given a hero's burial, and his name became part of legend. Today, it has a deep meaning, but in your language, its simplest definition would be 'brother'."

I looked up at him and cocked my head, "So you see me as your brother?"

"Not in its simplest form," he replied, "A Lakota is chosen by a Tymari if he sees it fit. It marks them as someone they trust, someone who has proven themselves worthy, or offered something that the Tymari sees as valuable."

"And what did I do to make myself worthy?" I inquired.

"I spent most of my life travelling, living a life of solitude for decades. I thought my life would end in those caves, working as a blind, obedient slave for Aphos until my body or my mind gave up. But when you arrived, something I had not felt for a long time stirred, and a spark was ignited. Do you know what that spark was?"

I shook my head. "Friendship. You recognised me as something more than just some beast that looks like a Korral. You listened when I told my tales. You humored me; a long-lost luxury for me."

"I still don't see what was so funny about that joke," I muttered.

If Kamots had heard me, he ignored it, "And you offered comfort when I needed it. You reminded me what it was like to have a friend. Someone to trust, to help you, to fight for you. I've spent too long thinking such things were unnecessary, but it seems I was mistaken."

The settlement was easily in view when we finally exited the Everfree Forest. I breathed a great sigh of relief as I felt its oppressive atmosphere leave me. No longer wanting anything to do with the forest, I picked up the pace and headed towards the centre of town. The sooner I could find someone, the sooner I could get home.

It turned out heading into the town, however, wasn't required, as a trio of griffin soldiers flew out to intercept us. The landed several metres in front of Kamots and I, armour on their chests, and crossbows aimed at ours.

"Halt!" the lead griffin shouted. "Holster your weapons at once."

I put my rifle behind my back, while Kamots slung his crossbow over his shoulder. Both of us raised our arms as I spoke, "We have no quarrel with your town. We only need a way to contact Equestria."

"Wait, I know you," said the griffin on the right. "You're that monkey that fought with the ponies."

He stepped closer, and I began to recognise him. He was one of the griffins on patrol with us during our first contact.

"It's ok, guys." He lowered his weapon, and the other two slowly copied his movements. "He's on our side. He's been MIA for almost a week now."

I closed the distance between us, and Kamots stayed close to my side.

"How did you know I was missing?" I asked the griffin.

"There are a couple of houses around here that are subscribed to the Equestria Daily. I picked up a copy a while back and saw your on the name on the front page."

After processing that information, I asked, "Is there somewhere I can contact the Equestrians here?"

"There's a unicorn in the communications building who can broadcast a message easy. It's this way."

"Who's the dog?" one of the other griffins asked.

I looked at Kamots. "He's with me. I wouldn't have survived if it weren't for him."

"Well, if you say so," the griffin said with a shrug, "The communications building is just up there."

The building in question was a simple, unassuming complex with a mast sticking up from the roof. Inside, the air conditioned room made a stark contrast to the humid air of the desert outside.

"Your friend will have to wait out here," the griffin said.

Kamots only grunted and sat down on one of the chairs lining the wall.

"See you a sec," I said to him, and walked into the main office. A red unicorn sat at the table, and he quickly got up from his chair as I entered.

"Captain Jones!" he exclaimed, "It's good to know you're alright."

I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect a civilian to be so concerned for me."

He gave a short laugh. "I suppose the lack of uniform might throw you off. I'm Lieutenant Relay, of the Royal Signals. I got sent here after I found I couldn't stand running communications in FOBs and on the front line. I monitor everything that goes in and out of this town. Never thought I'd be seeing you here though."

"And you can contact Equestria?"

"Sure. Give me a minute to work the spell." Relay's horn glowed as he summoned the spell. A small tear began to appear in the air next to us. A few seconds later, a picture formed in the centre, showing another room. It took a moment for anything to happen, but I felt mixed emotions when Commander Ironhoof stepped into view.

"Identify yourself," he barked.

Relay saluted into the window. "Lieutenant Relay, Chief Communications Supervisor at Outpost 9. I have somepony you need to see, sir."

I stepped into view of the window, and Ironhoof's eyes widened. "Captain Jones? Where the hell have you been?"

"Long story, sir. I can tell you everything in a debrief."

"Good. I want to know everything that happened out there." He looked away from the window for a moment, before continuing. "An airship is on its way to you. ETA thirty minutes."

"Copy that, sir." The window snapped shut as the connection was broken, and I nodded to Relay. "Thanks."

"No problem, Captain," the unicorn replied.

I stepped back out of the office to give Kamots the news, but an odd sight greeted me. The chair Kamots had been sat in was empty, replaced with a piece of paper and a small necklace. I briefly glanced at the necklace, before unfolding the paper. It was a letter, with a handwriting that managed to be both eligible and intricate at the same time.

Dutch,

By the time you read this, I will be gone. I am leaving this message because it seems I must depart earlier than I had intended. I would have preferred to tell you this in person. But since I can not, I will say it here. In any case, I do not like long goodbyes; they bring forth unwanted emotions.

I could hear everything that was said in the office. I am glad that you have found your people, but while your journey has come to an end, mine has not. Aphos is still out there, and every moment I waste is another chance for him to slip away into the shadows. We have both experienced his cruelty, so I know you understand how dangerous it is that he remains alive. But do not think of this as the end of our friendship. I believe we will meet again. Until then, I leave you a gift.

The necklace I have left you is the Mark of the Lakota. The symbol is from our ancient language, and any Tymari who see it will know what you have done, and that you are my brother. You are one of us now, and I welcome you.

Tymari beliefs state that when one parts from his Lakota, a part of their Lakota goes with them, and a part of oneself remains. Go anywhere in this land, and when it is quiet, just listen to the air. After a while, you will begin to hear the echoes of our past conversations. Every word, thought and emotion we have exchanged. Long after we have parted, those words will preserve themselves in our memories, for as long as we exist.

But I will admit; the part of myself that is leaving, will very much miss the part of you that is staying.

Until we meet again, Lakota, goodbye.

Kamots.

It took a few moments for the letter to sink in. Kamots was gone. Part of me thought that would be the end of it, but somehow, deep down, I knew he was right when he said we'd meet again.

But regardless... "I'll miss you too, Lakota."

I examined the necklace he had left me. It was a small piece of metal, with a simple symbol scratched onto the front; a vertical line with three dots running down its left side. The whole thing was tied to a piece of string, with I put over my head. Despite its size and unremarkable appearance, the cold metal on my chest still reminded me of the person who had trusted me enough to call me his brother.

With nothing else to do but wait for the airship, I sat in a nearby chair. Slumped over, with my head hanging down, the only thing I could look at was my uniform. There were scuffs and tears from the caves and forest, and a few minute holes showed where shrapnel from the explosion had been stopped by my armour. The forearms were missing too, from where I had ripped them off to tie around Shadow's hooves.

Shadow...

Needing something to take my mind off the though of Shadow, my hand instinctively reached for my pocket, where my Ipod would have been, before I remembered it was broken. It was then that a though occurred to me; I hadn't seen it since the desert. Could I have left it in the caves? No, I was running on all cylinders with Kamots' magic. I would have seen it. My brain drew forward another possibility. Aphos and his pack had taken it.

I openly laughed at idea. The dogs could have taken anything. My supplies, my weapons. They could have just taken everything. Instead, they took a piece of dead weight, partially because they would have no idea how to work it, but primarily because it had a large piece of shrapnel in the screen.

Thus, the next hour or so was spent waiting in the communications building. I wanted to sleep, but after our trek through the Everfree Forest, my body wouldn't let me, not until I was absolutely certain nothing would happen. As such, I would occasionally glance out the window at the forest, just to be sure nothing was coming.

When the steady thumping of propellers reached my ears, I jumped to my feet in an instant. I was already out the door before the airship had touched down. When I was a few feet away, the door opened, and a familiar pegasus stepped out.

I came to a halt and saluted him as best I could. "Major Wingfleet. Captain Jones reporting. Sorry I'm a bit late."

Wingfleet returned the salute. "At ease, son." He looked me up and down. "You're a mess. Let's get you home."

Home. I didn't realise until now how much I liked the sound of that word. Its simplicity in form, yet meaning so much, and its smoothness and softness as it rolled off the tongue. Home. That sounds good. As it stepped onto the airship and sat down, my body started to shut down. Fatigue washed over me at the thought of finally leaving the events of the past week behind.

"It's over," I whispered as I drifted off. "Time to go home."