The cold hard ground really makes it hard to get to sleep sometimes. But anyway, I'm under orders to keep a journal of my personal adventures, because Star Swirl said it would be "a good learning experiance" like I'd ever need to know how to write to myself. But if for no other reason then to make the old mage happy these will be my daily reports to...myself, and just to make things interesting and to give some privacy I'll write in code for the duration of these notes.
Day one of Frostbite (using the calender of the ancients)
I stumbled into an empty crypt while working the mines and found an ancient suit of armor that fit me perfectly and even stranger was the note that said it was left for me. Me! It used my name! Anyway there were several items that I managed to grab among them being: the enchanted suit of thieves armor, the adventurers cloak, the crystal chalice, the snowglobe of kings, and I didn't document the rest of my numerous finds, I just placed them in the bag of holding and left the crypt.
I was going to purchase mother's freedom, but before I could do that we were both summoned to the boss' hideout...
It was dim, cold, and it smelled But that's the way they liked it I guess. From years of experience I knew exactly where to lace my hooves to avoid stepping in the places I saw others cruely beat to death in front of me. They cleaned the spots up, but I didn't dare tread there out of respect and fear that they would haunt me for it; but the brute that threw me across the room and into the wall didn't share my respect for other things dead or living.
There was a long pause as I dragged myself to my hooves and struggled over to where they had mom tied to a chair, with an old stained rag in her mouth.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that they had me right where they wanted me, but what happened next is entirely my fault.
It was evident that they've been tourturing her for a while before I came in fresh cuts and bruises made that readily apparent. At the sight of her my anger burned inside of me, threatening to spread out of my body and consume the entire room.
"Please, young one have a seat and drink for tonight you earn your freedom." The young blue stallion invited plolitely, gesturing to the empty chair.
I hesitantly took the offer wondering what this whole thing ment.
"Take courage my son...don't worry about me...my time has come." even over our telepathic link mom sounded stressed, beaten, and ready to give up.
"Don't worry mother I asure you I will find a way to save all of us." I replied over the link, trying to give the troubled mare sitting next to me a comforting grin. "We'll get out of this, I promise."
"Now, isn't that just adorable." Our tormentor declared from the dark side of the room. "All this namby pamby stuff makes me sick. So let's get on with the game shall we?" In answer to his question one of the thugs placed a trio of goblets on the table.
There was nothing noteworty about the crystal glassware except their contents, they contained what looked like a liquid rainbow.
"Ah, the child has an eye for value. Tell me, for the sake of the game, how much are the glasses worth?" The boss asked, leaning forward in anticipation.
"They're worth just as much as you are, nothing!" I shouted, leaping to my hooves and throwing my glass' contents in his face.
He just grinned "You're right. The glassware themselves are worthless on the common market, but what's in the glasses holds in itslef more value than all of the empire. please, find the poison so we can get on with the game."
I recoiled in horror as I saw that my glass had refilled itslef. "What sourcery is this?" I demanded, dumping the glass out yet again on the floor.
"You can do that all day, but eventualy you will play the game, and you will lose. Ah, but what you will lose is a different matter entirley." the evil overlord stated, still wearing a grin.
"Game over, I found the poison. Can we go now?" I asked, tired of the simple "chalanges" that they throw at me on a daily basis.
"Really? where is it then?" He asked in mock surpirise, once again leaning on the edge of his throne to hear my answer.
"Judging by the coloration difference they're all poisoned, and further you would have one of us drink and it would be my choice, not an easy one to make, but the agreement would be that two of us drink so if I choose the obvious mom would be poisoned as well. So I make my choice. I'll drink all three for her absolute, eternal freedom." I proposed, over-confident in my abilities to survive.
"An, interesting theory. But there is one problem, she can't go free even if she wanted to." The boss replied, trying to crush my hope.
It didn't work.
"Honor and stength!" I cried, leaping across the table and gathering the goblets.
I touched down on the cold black stone and drained all three of the accursed things at once.
Let me explain a little about the poison I just drank, one small glass and one of the Acients could survive easily, maybe a small burn or two, but no one has ever survived more than that.
The foul liquid burned down my throat as I dropped to the ground in bitter agony. My vision sparked, then I lost all color...then everything. The same happened to my hearing.
Just as my last spark of life was just about to burn out I heard mom over the link. "You fool, he's your father and would never hurt you, this was our last chance at freedom...for the both of us. I was immune to the potion! if you would've listened to me we could've overthrown the entire empire and freed everyone! But I guess that's just not that important to you. Good luck in the afterlife."
Her words, even though not audible hurt like a fire....it wasn't the pain of the poison that broke me, but the words of she that should've loved me. I wish I could do it differently, but what's done in the life of one of the Acients stays done........
Birth of a Legend
I woke up in a flaming crater in the middle of a small campsite in the middle of a dark forest. The one thing that I felt more than anything else was cold, I was cold from shock, I was cold from a broken heart, and I was literaly cold.
"Hey, Stars you should come have a look at this!" came the panicked shout of the mare barely a meeter from my little hole.
The tent to our left flew open in a sparkley field of magic. "Yes, what is it this time Olivia? Did one of the bears get into the food again?" An unconcerned unicorn mage asked from behind a floating book.
"You know when you tried to summon one of the Ancients last week?" The Pegasus nammed Olivia asked the mage.
"Yes, what about it?" he asked lowering the book to glare at his assistant.
"Well..." She started, but decided to just nod in my direction.
The old mage's book hit the ground like a sack of bricks when he saw me. "Well, that's different. You are late young one, I summoned you last week! Why weren't you there?" He demanded, like I'd deliberatly skipped out on a pre-made appointment.
"Um, What?" I asked, confused.
"Hey! Speak Equestrian or not at all." Olivia ordered, tightning her grip on the crossbow she held.
"Wait...you don't speak the royal Toungue?" I asked, shocked that citizens of the empire didn't speak the traditional languages that the rest of us did.
"Not entirely." the older mage responded. "I know very little and Olivia here refuses to learn."
I don't know what it was but I felt an instant, eternal respect for the older stallion...even though he is one of the lesser races.
"What is your color?" the old man asked in broken Traditional.
"You know I can speak several languages right?" I asked in basic, slightly fustrated that he just butchered the language of my fathers. "And the proper question is, 'What is your name?''
"Really, the book I've studied for years says something entirley different." He told me, sounding interested to the point of obsession.
"What book could have the audacity to teach such lies?" I demanded, imagining an entertaining senario where I got to burn all the worthless notes.
"The most reliable on the topic. i imagine you've read it. You fake the role so well." The mage answered, with a ton of paranoid skepticism.
If I wasn't outright pissed off before, this old man just pushed me over the edge!
"Now see here knave! I will not be insulted by the likes of you! You are the reason we seperated the races! You and all your kind, the ingnorant mages who thought they could--" I was rudely interrupted by a sudden pain in back of my skull and unconsciousness.
The last thing I heard before slipping away was Olivia complaining about how much she hated "clubbing" me.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................
"Ow! I really need to get better at meeting ponies." I muttered, when I finally got my thoughts back.
"Good you're awake, listen kid the old stallion is a little paranoid so he needed to be sure it was really you. So...Uh, no hard feelings for the headache?" Olivia aplologized? well...I guess that's the closest I'll ever get to an apology from her.
"Where is he?" I demanded, instantly remembering my anger from the night before.
"Don't do anything stupid, kid. He's got a ton of magic." Olivia warned, chasing after me.
The forest looked a lot different in the daylight. There were birds singging and general joy surrounding the small camp. But both ponies were completly oblivious to the happiness in the air around them. As fast as my anger was remembered it was forgotten, who could stay angry on a day like this?
I trotted happily up to the old stallion, who was packing up his tent.
"Hey, what did you need me for?" I asked, ducking under a pole that nearly took my head off.
"I thought that I'd get the legendary king, but I must've cast the wrong spell. I don't need you so go away and leave me to my work." He ordered, swingging a full sadllebag directly at my head.
I sidestepped and tripped the old fool with a flick of my tail. "I warn you citizen, I am a nobel of the empire and will not be treated as anything less." I ordered the mage who, at the time was flat on his back gasping for air. "And you would do well to remember that." I admonished, then satisfied that he'd learned his lesson I left him to recover from his fall.
"You can't be a nobel of the empire if it doesn't exist!" He shouted after me, struggling to his hooves.
I stopped dead in my tracks and had to resist blasting the worthless unicorn to pieces then and there for his arrogance.
"What did you say?" I demanded, without turning around.
"The empire is dead!" He shouted at the top of his voice.
I knew he wanted a reaction, and by Comet's mane I'll give him one!
The tree next to me turned to dust as I absorbed it's energy, then focusing that energy into a single stream I spun and shot the bolt out my right hoof straight for that ingnorant face of his.
To my utter horror he absorbed the attack unscathed!
"You just might be what we need." He said with a smile, "I am Star Swirl and this is Olivia. Welcome to the team." He offered his hoof to me in a sign of peace.
I kneeled, "since you are more powerful than I, I accept your gacious offer of friendship." A long silence followed, in which no one moved or spoke.
After about a full minuet of waiting I looked to see what was taking him so long to finish the ceremonial oath and saw Olivia nearly passed out on the ground to our right laughing her head off, and Star Swirl looking exceedingly confused.
"You have no clue what this means do you?" I asked, miffed.
"Uh, well...you see..." he stammered.
"It's just the nobel vow of service. It's purely cerimonial." I explained, standing again. "Now, where's my stuff?" I asked, dusting off my coat.
Olivia pointed to the top of the tallest tree in the area.
"Of course." I sighed.
It took me about half a second to fade under the tree. Oh, ponies are unfamiliar with the term....umm...your kind calls it "winking" fading is similar, but not quite the same. For example: to wink you need two stable points on the same or similar planes, but with fading all I need is a patch of shadow and I can be there...Anyway, back to the stuff that matters.
"Will you realese my burdens to me?" I asked the stoic block of wood.
"Give to me a song and I shall release to thee thy burdens." It replied.
By the time the slowpokes peeked their heads over the rise I"d just finished my song, and like allways the dying tree's leaves turned back to green and several, your kind calls them..."Zapp Apples", appeared in the branches. just as the tree promised it released my things gently to the ground.
"I thank you." I said, bowing politely before taking my leave of the ancient tree.
"Wait were you just--?"
Yes, Olivia I was singging to a tree. Alright? Can we go now? I snapped interupting the slightly irritating mare. "Where are we going?"
17th of Frostbite
It was a small village out in the middle of nowhere with nothing really standing out from the rest of the rainforest except the fort. Fort Clydesdale would always stand as a symbol of hope to the ponies seeking shelter from the overgrown forest. I had no idea why they would choose this of all places to stop at but they're the leaders of this group.
I pulled my hood tighter as we passed under the massive stone gates that protected the town from the evils of the forest. There was nothing much to see inside, however there was a small alchemist shop that caught my eye. There was nothing unusual about the shop itself, except was staffed completely by zebras.
'Interesting...those are usually run by pegasi.' I thought as we passed it by. "Where exactly are we going?" I asked, struggling to keep up with the full-grown ponies.
"I need to pick up some supplies and Olivia needs her sword enchanted.. You are free to wander the square as long as you meet us at the bookstore by noon." Star Swirl ordered, holding open the door to a small restaurant for Olivia and I.
The place reeked of scum and not just the kind under the sink either.
"Hey kid, wanna play some chance?" A big stallion asked from one of the tables in the corner.
From what I'd gathered from watching the game is that each player has three cubes with six sides, each player gets three turns or chances to get all the cubes to be on the same side as the set number, with the bet increasing every turn; if no player met the requirements the house won by default. I was interested in the aspect of the game. But I only had enough coins to make the minimum bet so I'd have to win the first roll.
"I can do this." I thought, tossing a coin in the air for emphasis.
I trotted over and sat down in the chair that would put my back to the wall. "Lets begin." I said putting my money on the table.
The bigger stallion eyed me suspiciously, but handed over the glass containing the number cubes.
"What's the bet?" he asked casually, taking down notes on the game.
"Six." I answered, dumping all the cubes on the stained table at once.
They bounced around for a second or two before all of them rested on the side with six dots. I knew the trick behind the game now, the stallion sitting across from me was a traveling swindler and had the dice enchanted so that no matter the original bet the customer would win the first roll. All I had to do now was analyze the exact properties of the enchantment and I could win all day. I planned on beating this guy at his own game!
"I guess the dice like you today." He complimented in the tone that the house always used in these type of games.
"I'm all in for the next roll." I declared, grabbing the dice before he could protest and dropping them on the table.
There was a long silence in which the large gold stallion across from me just stared blankly at the cube shaped blocks of wood in front of him.
"How'd you do that?" he asked dumbfounded.
"Trade secret. that and your enchanter was sloppy." I told him, collecting my winnings from the table...or I tried to.
In the blink of an eye there were at least six thugs surrounding the table, All of 'em a lot stronger than me.
"So, I have to think my way out of this." I reasoned, taking notice of everything in the room that could be useful. like I said before there wasn't much, strong looking tuff guys if I wanted to start a brawl, but I quickly discarded that plan as graphic images of me getting flattened by massive hooves danced through my thoughts. "Why are you looking so far away? look at the situation at hoof and solve it first." I admonished myself. I had it, the answer to all my problems.
I conjured a duplication rune as fast as a master and bound it to the wooden cubes sitting in front of me, "this ought to be good."
"Listen kid, we don't want to hurt anypony but if you don't give us our money we'll have to." The apparent leader of the bandits threatened, slamming his hoof on the floor for emphasis.
"Can't we just talk this out," I asked, backing up to the wall.
"What are you smiling for?" the bandit demanded, stepping towards me. Right into my trap.
Once the unicorn came within range I let the spell latch on to his inner magic and activate several times.
Three dice became six, six became twelve, twelve became twenty-four.
"I know something you don't," I stepped onto the table, mindful of the mugs covering it.
He raised his hoof to squash me.
"Wait! before you do that. Don't you think there's more dice then before?" I pulled the term from the previous conversation with Olivia, she was obsessed with the things.
His eyes slid towards the growing pile of wooden cubes, "Wha...?"
Thinking on the fly, I sent the things across the inn with my tail.
"No!" the stallion I won against exclaimed, leaping after the dice. "Don't just stand there you idiots! help me."
Like roaches in the light they scattered after the still doubling dice. Softly chuckling to myself I gathered my winnings and left them to their rat race.
I got the feeling I'd forgotten something when I stepped onto the cobblestone streets. It was gently raining, not enough to be a hindrance or be unpleasant it just added to the scenery.
The village was nice I suppose, for the size anyway. I went strait for the alchemist shop, for some reason it stood out to me. I just couldn't get it out of my head for some reason.
"Is there something special about it," I asked the empty square. "No...maybe there's," a cold feeling of dread crept over me and I set off full speed towards the small building.
This can't end well.
Varied scents assaulted me, the place was full of what you would expect. Potions, ingredients, and relics filled the small space while a big cauldron boiled away in the middle of the hut-like structure.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, but I had to be sure.
I stepped further into the shop.
The door slammed closed behind me, momentarily startling me.
I stepped in further, now casting nervous glances towards the door...this can't be good.
The zebra behind the counter appeared completely absorbed in something and didn't notice me yet.
I paused for a moment to gather my confidence, "You wouldn't happen to sell magical charms would you?" my voice shook no matter how much effort I put into the question...sometimes I hate being little.
Seemingly noticing me for the first time, the proprietor glanced up from his work and grinned at me. It wasn't a service with a smile expression this one meant business and it wasn't expensive potions.
"Now you sleep, to dream, to find, to live."
I couldn't focus anymore, my vision betrayed me giving only blurred imagery it looked like I fell into swamp water.
I struggled to stay on my hooves, often tripping over myself in the process.
Something large and heavy smashed itself over my head. There was the sound of shattering pottery then nothing...
The park was beautiful as always, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, occasionally it felt like something brushed up against me, but nothing was ever there.
I sat on the blue and green bench feeding a group of birds with some of the spare bread I had with me for some reason, I didn't pick it up anywhere I remembered...maybe it was just last night's strange dreams still effecting me.
I gave up on the train of thought as best I could and entertained myself watching the birds. Occasionally one of them would protest his friend getting more food then him, but it was a nice day...even though we had a storm scheduled for right now...
The feeling of rain on my coat came out of nowhere, instinctively I glanced around, trying to locate the source...but there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. The feeling was still there however.
I shook my head at the notion, "rainwater is stored in the clouds and there aren't any around! So stop pretending like there are."
I sighed in defeat. there was still several redeeming values to the day, I'd gotten that job on the farm I needed, found some trustworthy friends, and even better cleared my name...was there something I forgot to do? Was that it?
The book in my pocket brushed against my side reminding me of my strange trip to the local library. I'd needed a resource on rock farming so I had some idea what to do, the librarian thought I was crazy getting employed on one of those places, but it was just the cover I needed. When the gala rolls around it'll be mine.
I stretched out on the bench, making it as comfortable as possible before paging through to the place I stopped. "Chapter 23, the complications and benefits of moving rocks."
Although the writing was kind of bland and a lot of things didn't seem to make sense it was a great resource.
Something felt... it was almost...
The dream shattered as I cracked my eyes open, "what was that?"
"Hey, kid you okay," Olivia asked, concern filling her voice.
"Yeah," I said slowly, my voice coming out in a horse whisper, "I think so anyway."
My head felt like it was run over by a over-loaded apple cart, and I was running a fever. But I had no idea why.
"We found you passed out in the middle of the road and covered in pink sand. What happened to you," Olivia asked, gently helping me sit up.
I groaned, barely able to keep my eyes open, "it's some twisted dream, and I don't know how to escape it." Admittedly I was slightly more than outright terrified.
She looked down at me like a concerned mother, "is there anything I can do?"
The question echoed like a fading nightmare, constantly torturing my somewhat awake mind. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down as I searched the room for anything out of place. I was greatly relieved to find nothing sinister hiding in the dark hoping for an easy meal.
Slowly, my breathing returned to normal; dragging my racing heart with it. That constant feeling stayed though: something wrong. Like the world was off course somehow.
"You okay in there," a very small voice asked through the door.
"Wait... who are you," I asked, slowly backed away from the door.
"Don't be afraid," the gentle, almost melodious voice pleaded, "there's so few of us now.... we need your help, young hero."
"Do you know what's going on," I bumped into the foot of the bed, shattering my focus on the door for just a fraction of a second.
"I know," the filly declared from right in front of me.
She had a coat the color of the clearest night and a mane like the darkest midnight. She was smaller than I was and looked like she hadn't slept in a long time.
"Please," she begged, tears leaking from her tired eyes, "please help me escape this house. It's evil."
I looked into those eyes, an endless abyss of innocence and terror. It broke my heart.
"ESCAPE?! YOU LITTLE FOOLS WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME," a voice of pure darkness bellowed with enough volume to shatter the vase on the bedside table.
"What are you," I demanded, stepping between the voice and the filly.
"I AM THE NIGHTMARE, THE DARKNESS IN THE HEART OF EVERYPONY," the black smoke drifted to whispering distance. "And I know you. Oh, how you've welcomed me in the past, but why do you hate me now? Aren't we friends?"
"THIS. IS. MY. DOMAIN," the filly suddenly shouted, taking command of the off the rails nightmare. "THE DREAMS OF EQUESTRIA ARE MY DOMAIN, BE GONE FOUL DARKNESS. TROUBLE THIS FOAL NO MORE."
What followed was a duel worthy of legend, ending with (who'd guessed?) our victory.
The filly, no longer a helpless, tiny thing stood over her fallen opponent. Her new mark a perfect picture of her fate: a crescent moon on a night sky.
"You will have to face her again," she looked me in the eye, a single tear ran down her cheek. "...I'm sorry."
In a bright flash the dreamscape faded, leaving me in Olivia's caring arms.
Author's Note
Sorry it took so long, but.... okay I've got no excuse. Anyways I hope I'm doing this right...
